Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 550: Chapter 291: Prince Chu Misses His Tenth Brother_2

Prince Chu did not lack in his yearning for Zhao Yao. After arriving in Liangzhou, what he couldn’t stop thinking about was his younger brother, Zhao Yao. Though Dou Le had informed him that his tenth brother had been doing well over the years without any incidents, he still harbored some concerns.

"How I wish my tenth brother could visit Liangzhou to see me, but... quite a few things have happened recently. If he came, I wouldn’t be able to take good care of him. Furthermore, the Crown Prince and Prince Dai are quite wary of me. If they learned that my tenth brother came to see me in Liangzhou, I worry they might harm him." If an accident befell his tenth brother on the way to Liangzhou, he would regret it for a lifetime.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince and Prince Dai would never dare harm His Highness the Tenth Prince," Wei Mian replied. "Although His Highness the Tenth Prince doesn’t enjoy the Emperor’s favor, he is, after all, the Emperor’s own son, and the Emperor would never permit the Crown Prince and Prince Dai to harm him. Besides, the Tenth Prince is just a child and poses no threat to the Crown Prince and Prince Dai. They have no need to go against him because of you."

"Is that so?" Prince Chu felt that the Crown Prince and Prince Dai would target the Tenth Prince.

"Your Highness, you are worrying excessively. Should the Crown Prince and Prince Dai harm the Tenth Prince, the Emperor would certainly not spare them. Besides, they wouldn’t dare bear the infamy of harming their younger brother," Wei Mian declared firmly. "Rest assured."

Prince Chu thought for a moment and said, "Then in a little while, let’s invite my tenth brother to Liangzhou for a visit."

"When the time comes, I will return to the capital to fetch His Highness the Tenth Prince," Wei Mian said with a smile. "I haven’t seen the Tenth Prince in years and miss him dearly. These years apart, I wonder how much he’s grown and if he’s gotten taller."

"Didn’t he write in a letter that he had grown a lot taller and that in a year or two, he would be as tall as me?" Prince Chu said, though his heart, like Wei Mian’s, missed Zhao Yao. "He boasted that he has grown quite good-looking now."

"His Highness the Tenth Prince has always been good-looking and very adorable, especially when he smiles," Wei Mian laughed. "These past few years, I wonder if he has managed to make a dimple appear on his right cheek."

When Wei Mian mentioned the matter of the dimple, Prince Chu couldn’t help but laugh again, "That I happened to forget to ask him."

"With the Tenth Prince around, one’s mood inexplicably brightens," Wei Mian said with growing fondness for Zhao Yao. "The Tenth Prince always knows how to make people happy."

"He always said he was my source of joy." Mentioning this brought a broad smile to Prince Chu’s face again. "He said that without him around these years, I must have rarely smiled and aged several years."

"His Highness the Tenth Prince often says, ’Smile and you’ll be ten years younger.’"

"Indeed, so without him by my side, I’ve aged ten years," Prince Chu said. "He wrote in a letter before saying that if he doesn’t come to see me in Liangzhou soon, I will turn into a little old man."

"Your Highness, you should quickly write to the Tenth Prince and beg for his forgiveness," Wei Mian advised, offering a solution. "I believe His Highness the Tenth Prince is very angry this time. You might even need to send some gifts to appease him, or he might find it hard to forgive."

Just as Prince Chu was about to say something, a knock on the door interrupted him, followed by the voices of the Princess and the little prince.

"Come in."

The Princess Consort Chu entered, heavily pregnant, holding her son’s hand in one hand and carrying a food box in the other.

Seeing this, Wei Mian immediately greeted the Princess Consort and the young prince, then took the food box from the Princess Consort’s hand.

Prince Chu stood up, helped the Princess Consort to sit on a chair beside him, then scooped up his son in a warm embrace.

"Why have you come?"

Xiao Baozi sweetly said, "Mother said Father is hungry and asked me to bring food for Father." As he spoke, he pointed to the food box in Wei Mian’s hands, "Father, you should eat quickly."

"Alright, Father will eat." Prince Chu’s expression softened, his tone filled with affection, "Thank Xiao Baozi for specially bringing Father food."

"You’re welcome, Father."

Wei Mian opened the food box, taking out a bowl of soup and two plates of snacks.

Prince Chu, holding Xiao Baozi in his lap, began to drink the soup while watching his son drink as well.

Upon entering, the Princess Consort noticed that Prince Chu’s demeanor had relaxed considerably, his complexion improved, and he seemed to be in a much better mood. She asked, "What were you two talking about just now? You seemed very happy."

Prince Chu, smiling, said, "We were just talking about my tenth brother."

Beside them, Wei Mian added, "Princess, there’s a letter from the Tenth Prince."

The Princess Consort was aware of the close bond between Prince Chu and Zhao Yao and knew they exchanged letters frequently.

Curious, she asked, "What did the Tenth Prince write?"

Prince Chu gave a meaningful glance to Wei Mian, who understood immediately and handed Zhao Yao’s letter to the Princess Consort.