Women Wearing Men: The Growth Path of the Bastards of the Aristocratic Family

As the bandit leader Gao Shishu fled to Japan, the Japanese pirates on Mingsha Island were wiped out one by one. At this point, the southeastern Japanese pirates that had troubled the imperial court for many years were finally solved.

The news spread back to the capital, and the government and the public were filled with joy. As the twelfth lunar month was approaching, Emperor Jingfeng moved the palace banquet originally scheduled for the end of the month to the middle of the month, not only to follow the customs of previous years, but also to celebrate the peace in the southeast.

In the usual banquets like this, Emperor Jingfeng would mostly just go through the motions, make a brief appearance and then leave midway.This time he was rarely interested. He sat from beginning to end with a smile on his face.

The ministers seized the opportunity and took turns to toast Emperor Jingfeng. They rushed to show off their auspicious words and said auspicious words one after another as if they were free, making Emperor Jingfeng very happy.

When there were more people toasting, Prince Li Jinze became a little unable to sit still, fearing that being too calm and restrained at this time would become his own fault in the eyes of others.However, he was still a little undecided, so he quietly cast a questioning look at Zhou Minqing at the table.

After all, he is a child who has lacked love since he was a child. He even thinks twice about toasting his father.

Seeing Li Jinze stroking the wine glass and making small gestures to lift it or not, Zhou Minqing sighed inwardly and nodded towards him, which was regarded as permission.

After being encouraged by the teacher, Li Jinze instantly felt confident. He stood up and bowed to Emperor Jingfeng. He said auspicious words and finally drank the wine in the glass with a rather heroic and neat movement.

Emperor Jingfeng was in a good mood. Seeing that the prince behaved gracefully and generously, he was very satisfied and drank the wine he offered with a smile.

In the cold winter months, the atmosphere of the palace banquet was cheerful and joyful. They were all their own sons. Some could sit in the palace as warm as spring, talk, laugh and drink, while others were far away from their parents and elders, training and tempering in a foreign country.

Looking at the prince, Emperor Jingfeng couldn't help but think of Li Jinche who was far away in Japan. His thoughts suddenly arose in his heart, and his good mood was diluted a lot: "The Chinese New Year is about to come, but Che'er is still in Japan. It seems that he is... I can't catch up. A child who is only 13 years old has no idea how much suffering he has suffered outside..."

Li Jinche has a lively temperament and always tries his best to please his parents during festive seasons.Now that he was missing, Emperor Jingfeng felt as if there was an empty space in his heart. His eyes couldn't help but moisten, and he looked like a loving father.

As soon as Emperor Jingfeng said these words, the prince who had just finished the toast froze, and almost couldn't keep the smile on his face.Looking at the dazzling array of dishes in front of him, he felt like there was a lump in his throat and no appetite at all.

While the crown prince and the second prince were tit-for-tat, the ministers gradually tended to take sides.Ouyang Yu, the minister of industry, had always been on the side of the second prince. Seeing that Emperor Jingfeng did not forget Li Jinche at this time, he quickly agreed:
"Although His Highness is only 13 years old, he is His Majesty's son after all. How can ordinary people compare with him? His Highness is able to go to Japan as an envoy at a young age, which shows that he has the ability to stand alone. Your Majesty does not need to worry."

"A few days ago, I heard news from the mission in Japan that the imperial army was invincible and that all the Japanese rebels were killed wherever they went. His Highness was extremely courageous, brave and resourceful, and provided many combat plans. Even General Wu To say that His Highness is quite talented is like a little Zhuge in this world."

Emperor Jingfeng laughed when he heard this: "What little Zhuge is alive, Che'er is just a 13-year-old kid, how can you compare with Mr. Kong Ming? You, Ouyang Yu, can't praise these words. As a father, listen. They all blush!"

After saying this, Emperor Jingfeng spoke modestly, but he was still happy in his heart: "But you are right about one thing. The mission's trip to Japan is smoother than I imagined. But it's okay, Che'er can It's better to come back early than to be away for a long time and worry me all day long." Ouyang Yu bowed and made a respectful gesture: "If His Highness knew that Your Majesty misses him so much, he would definitely be very touched."

Naturally, no one would disagree with Emperor Jingfeng in this situation, and all agreed upon hearing the words. Only the prince sat sadly in the banquet, silently ignored by everyone.

Zhou Minqing sighed secretly when he saw this but said nothing.

……

Time flies quickly, the ice and snow melt, the earth warms up, and in a blink of an eye it is early February.The mission headed by Li Jinche successfully completed its mission in Japan, quelled the civil strife, officially named its young master the King of Japan, and resumed tributary exchanges with Daxia.

On the day when the delegation returned to Beijing, Emperor Jingfeng thought deeply about his son and greeted him personally at the palace gate, giving the second prince decent respect.After the tedious ceremony, Li Jinche lost his aura as a prince and acted coquettishly with Emperor Jingfeng in the royal study, as close as a father and son in the private sector.

Li Jinche hugged Emperor Jingfeng's arm like a child playing rogue: "Father, I miss you so much... I have been going to Japan for several months. I have suffered many hardships along the way. It’s not as good as Beijing at all…”

Although Emperor Jingfeng was an emperor, he also longed for ordinary people's emotions in his heart. He had many children, but most of them were trembling with fear when they saw him, as if they had seen some terrible wolf, tiger or leopard.Only the second son, Li Jinche, dared to act coquettishly in front of him, allowing him to truly experience the feeling of being a father.

Emperor Jingfeng didn't say anything, but he actually enjoyed his son's intimacy in his heart. He deliberately kept a straight face and looked unmoved: "Who volunteered to be an envoy in the first place? I told you early in the morning. Come on, Dongying Kuyuan, I want you to think clearly, you insist on going on your own, I am not forcing you."

Li Jinche was slightly embarrassed when he heard this: "This... it's true that I'm volunteering, but it's one thing to say it, and another thing in reality... To put it more seriously, I'm the prince of a country. Externally, it represents the dignity and dignity of Daxia. But on a smaller scale, the sons and ministers are the children of the father. How can a son not miss his father?"

"What's more, the situation in Japan is complicated, and the actual situation is far from as easy as the report said. Those big names have been living in the mountains and corners of Japan for a long time, and they don't know how high the sky is. They dare to challenge our imperial master. Among them is Fujiwara. The daimyo was extremely stubborn and refused to surrender until his death. It took a lot of effort to capture him..."

Emperor Jingfeng's heart was not made of stone. Seeing Li Jinche pitifully complaining to him, his tone softened involuntarily: "Che'er has suffered a lot during this trip. You are still young, so you don't have to worry about being beaten and tempered. This time When you come back, just stay with me and your mother and concubine in the palace, and don't think about going out."

Li Jinche naturally agreed wholeheartedly. After being coquettish, he hurriedly showed his attentiveness, grinding ink and serving tea, to make Emperor Jingfeng feel happy.

At this time, Ning Fuhai came in and reported: "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is here."