Chapter 10, Framing the Empress

Old Master Ling is furious

The emperor's face turned ashen, and with a sweep of his large sleeves, he shouted sternly: "Someone, take the empress back to the palace!" At that moment, the emperor had already concluded that this must be a conspiracy arranged in secret between the empress and his father, Yang Kongqun. However, this conspiracy was utterly foolish, as it was performed so clumsily right in front of him, the emperor! Did the Yang family really think that he, the emperor, along with so many from the Ling family and the civil and military officials present, were all fools? Creating such an incident, where did they think it left him, the emperor? His cold gaze swept over Yang Kongqun! It seems I have been too indulgent with them!

As expected, when the queen lowered her head, seemingly wholeheartedly teasing the young man in her arms, from his perspective, he could clearly see the coldness, frustration, and deep disdain and concern hidden in her eyes. Yet, she still spoke words that contradicted her true feelings: "Your Majesty, look, General Ling's son is so adorable..."

This scene occurred in the blink of an eye. Before anyone had a chance to react, Ling Tian had already landed in Ling Ran's embrace. However, everyone in the hall clearly saw that... it was the Empress who suddenly let go while holding the child. That action made it seem, no matter how one looked at it, as if it had been premeditated...! At that moment, the only people beside the Empress were the Emperor and the National Uncle Yang Kongqun. Yet, neither of them reacted when the child fell; instead, it was Ling Ran, who was standing a little farther away, who timely caught the child.

In the embrace of Lingran, unnoticed by everyone, the small Ling Tian's lips had just concealed a hint of a triumphant smile. In his right hand, a long strand of hair, consisting of at least twenty to thirty strands, quietly fell, leaving no trace behind. Meanwhile, the little fellow's left hand, with the index and middle fingers gently rubbing together, bore a mischievous smile, as if savoring something.

Ling Zhan's expression changed dramatically, "A slip-up? Yang Kongqun, how about I also have a slip-up once?" The cold voice contained a strong killing intent, showing no signs of concealment. "I also had a slip-up with your three grandsons, Yang Kongqun, what do you think?!"

This is the advantage of young children; whenever anyone faces a child who has just turned one year old, their guard tends to lower a few notches, allowing their true thoughts to surface without fear of being discovered by others. After all, a child who has just turned one, no matter how gifted, can perceive very little. What can they understand?

Yang Kongqun was being scolded by him, repeatedly calling him "Old Wang Ba". He felt a surge of anger in his heart, yet found himself utterly helpless. Cold sweat dripped down his face as he awkwardly held onto Old Master Ling's arm, saying: "Old Ling, please listen to me, this is indeed a misunderstanding. This, this, people can make mistakes..."

"Queen, what do you mean? How could you lay a hand on such a small child?" Ling Ran, still trembling with lingering fear while holding Ling Tian in her arms, roared like an enraged lioness after regaining her composure. Ahead, Chu Ting'er, with tears streaming down her face, stumbled over and tightly embraced Ling Tian's small body, shaking all over; only then did she realize the whimpering sounds coming from her mouth.

How much can one endure! The Ling family has passed down through three generations with only one heir. After my son got married, there was no news for five or six years. Finally, we were overjoyed to see our daughter-in-law's belly grow, bringing a big, chubby boy into the Ling family. We held him in our arms, afraid he might fall, and cherished him as if he were made of sugar, always cautious and walking on eggshells. Who would have thought that on this joyous day, it would almost be ruined before everyone's eyes by this woman! What audacity! What of the Yang family? What of the royal family? Do my old man and Tu Shuzi not dare to kill?

In his previous life, Ling Tian had been dragged by a few younger sisters to watch several soap operas, especially palace dramas. In almost every episode, there was a eunuch shouting a certain phrase, which over time led Ling Tian to have the most vivid memory of a line from those dramas: "The Emperor has arrived!" He thought that after being reborn in another world, he would no longer hear it, but to his surprise, it was shouted out in reality! He wondered if this classic line had also crossed over with him.

Ling Tian knew that one of these two women was his aunt. Almost at first glance, he recognized her, or rather, he had already identified her without using his eyes. The woman on the emperor's right, exuding coldness and disdain, was definitely not his aunt. Instead, the woman on the emperor's right, radiating warmth and kindness, who seemed almost eager to rush over, was indeed his aunt, the noble consort Ling Ran.

However, no one would have thought that the psychological age of the infant Ling Tian was actually already twenty-six years old! At this moment, Ling Tian clearly saw the complex emotions in the emperor's eyes, a mix of joy, worry, and contradiction. Various thoughts seemed to flash by in an instant, yet Ling Tian firmly etched them in his heart.

The Great Khan Ling Tian! ... This aunt is truly ... ! ... formidable ... ! It seems she has visited me several times, but unfortunately, I have been asleep each time ... ...

Ling Tian's eyes turned, a wicked smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, mumbling something indistinctly. He extended both hands, one grabbing a strand of her hair that fell by her cheek and yanking it fiercely, while the other hand squeezed hard on the ample jade peaks right in front of him, simultaneously struggling as he took a mouthful of them.

After greeting everyone, Ling Ran, disregarding her status as a noble consort, almost ran over and snatched Ling Tian from Chu Ting'er’s arms. In an instant, she showered the little face of Ling Tian with kisses, exclaiming: "Hehehe, little one, today you finally didn’t sleep! I’ve seen you several times, and each time you were sleeping like a little pig. I wonder, little one, were you a pig in your last life? Haha, little silly pig, little fragrant pig, um... my little Ling Tian pig, hehehe."

Ling Tian's expression turned cold; this woman was definitely connected to the last incident! Sooner or later, she would become a disaster! Since he was still young and lacked the ability to protect himself, it would be best to find a way to restrain her and control her influence.

Once again, a pair of soft jade-like hands took Ling Tian over, and it was none other than the Empress, who had been standing before the Emperor. Ling Tian had long known that this Empress was none other than Yang Xue, the cherished daughter of Yang Kongqun, the head of the Yang family. This woman was also the one Ling Tian most wanted to see since he learned that someone had poisoned him and his mother. Ling Tian raised his head, making an effort to carefully observe this woman. This woman was also the one Ling Tian most wanted to see since he learned that someone had poisoned him and his mother. Ling Tian raised his head, making an effort to carefully observe this woman

Ling Zhan laughed heartily, his voice piercing: "Misunderstanding? Hahaha, misunderstanding? Yang Kongqun, you old bastard! You dare to say it's a misunderstanding to me about such matters? My grandson nearly lost his life at the hands of your daughter, and you, you old bastard, say it's a misunderstanding to me?"

A bright yellow figure stood in front of Ling Tian: "Hehe, how could that be? Xiao Ran's nature is innocent and lively, and over the years, he has not lost his childlike heart. I like him very much, hehe. Come here, little darling, let your uncle give you a hug." The voice was very kind. Then, Ling Tian felt himself already in another person's embrace. He opened his eyes wide, looking at the face of this emperor, seemingly very curious. In truth, he clearly saw the emotions hidden deep in the emperor's eyes at the moment he was being held.

Faced with the questioning of the favored concubine Ling Ran, the queen Yang Xue's beautiful face turned pale, and a look of panic instantly filled her eyes. She stammered, "No, no, I didn't mean it, I... just now, that child... he... pulled my hair, he... he pinched me... I... I... I really didn't mean it, Your Majesty!" In the hall, a palpable aura of murderous intent directed at the queen surged back and forth, the atmosphere extremely tense. Around her, members of the Ling family were all wearing expressions of hostility, hands resting on their sword hilts. Unable to bear the pressure any longer, the queen finally broke down in tears.

Ling Tian almost laughed. He finally heard this extremely classic line once again

Wait! Old Master Ling Zhan stepped forward from the crowd, trembling as he stood up. "Is the Empress really leaving just like this? Is she not going to give this old man an explanation?" His voice was cold, as if a chilling wind from the depths of the underworld had blown in.

"Hehe, since you like your son so much, why not hurry and have another one with the Emperor? That way, you can play every day, hehe." Chu Ting'er leaned close to Ling Ran's ear and teased softly.

In an instant, everyone was left speechless! The place fell into silence! Each person was thinking: this matter could escalate significantly, and it might be impossible to contain! Immediately, those present were filled with anxiety; the situation could be serious or trivial. If it were trivial, the Emperor might suppress the issue, maintaining the status quo on the surface. However, if it were serious, a conflict between the two prominent families was not out of the question. If such a situation were to occur, the Kingdom of Chengtian might face a drastic change!

Hehehe, sister-in-law, the scent on the little darling is so pleasant, um... truly a lovely little piggy, hehehe, absolutely beautiful, ugh ugh ugh, not to say beautiful, hehehe, auntie, let me give you another kiss, um...'' Ling Tian stared with his small eyes, looking sadly at his obviously overly enthusiastic aunt, "Auntie, even though I am your nephew, I am not a piece of dough, you know it feels uncomfortable to be kneaded like this, right?"

Old Master Ling Ling Zhan, whose face was originally filled with the warmth of spring, now turned a shade of iron blue. His eyes slightly reddened, he fixed his gaze on the still panicked and charming face of the Empress, a chilling aura of murderous intent rising sharply. Even though he faced the current Emperor, there was not the slightest hint of concealment. Ling Xiao's face was as hard as iron, devoid of expression, as a large hand, veins bulging, quietly grasped the hilt of his sword

As the crowd welcomed him, a man in a bright yellow brocade robe, around thirty years of age, was the first to enter. He was of medium build, slightly plump, with a straight nose and square jaw, exuding an air of noble elegance. Beside him stood two stunningly beautiful women dressed in exquisite attire. Together, they were like spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums, each excelling in her own right.

Yang Kongqun was flustered and hurriedly stepped forward, anxiously saying: "Lord Ling, everyone just witnessed this; it is a misunderstanding!" Feeling guilty, Yang Kongqun had long lost the smug demeanor he had earlier, and he no longer cared about his image or pride, speaking in a low and humble tone.

Just as the moment seemed to stretch, Ling Ran, who was closest, rushed over in a flash. At the very instant when Ling Tian's small body was about to hit the ground, he caught him in his arms, narrowly avoiding disaster.

A piercing scream, enough to shatter people's eardrums, erupted. Queen Yang Xue simultaneously released both hands; one hand brushed against her hairline while the other covered her chest. Ling Tian's small body fell straight to the hard bluestone floor of the hall. The crowd gasped, and Chu Ting'er felt darkness envelop her, nearly fainting.

Ah, sister-in-law, you are so annoying. Xiaotian, hehehe, you are really fair-skinned. Auntie just can't get enough of you, hehe. Brother, look at Xiaotian's eyes, wow, double eyelids! And also, the flesh on Xiaotian's face feels so good to pinch—ah, what are you doing? Give it back to me. However, Ling Xiao couldn't bear to let his son suffer any more at Ling Ran's hands, so he snatched his son back. With a stern face, he admonished, "You are already a noble consort, yet you are still so unrestrained and lacking in decorum; can you be a bit more ladylike? Be careful or the Emperor might dismiss you... What? If I let you hold him a little longer, my son's face will be pinched swollen. " Give it back to me. " However, Ling Xiao couldn't bear to let his son suffer any more at Ling Ran's hands, so he snatched his son back. With a stern face, he admonished, "You are already a noble consort, yet you are still so unrestrained and lacking in decorum; can you be a bit more ladylike? Be careful or the Emperor might dismiss you... What? If I let you hold him a little longer, my son's face will be pinched swollen. "