Chapter 58: The General of Milk Fathers

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  A farce that occurred suddenly, ended in a shocking and unexpected way.

  The remaining soldiers were stunned for a moment, staring blankly at Qin Mu Bai's wrist, which was faintly oozing blood, and asked in a low, timid voice: "General, are you okay?"

  "Halt! Don't ask what shouldn't be asked, don't look at what shouldn't be looked at." Qin Mu Bai said in a low voice.

  "Yes." Several soldiers hastily returned to their posts, standing at attention with eyes fixed straight ahead.

  Soon, the soldiers who had gone to escort the palace maidens returned. They reported that four of the palace maidens were already detained in the military prison of the Hundred Riders, awaiting the Emperor's personal judgment.

  Qin Mubai thought to himself, this Gao Yang princess is as fierce as a little she-wolf at such a young age. From her past behavior, moral principles are nothing but floating clouds to her. It's probably pointless to reason with her. Rather than offending a noble person, it's better not to offend a petty person, let alone someone like Princess Gao Yang, this "little woman". He needs to think of a way to resolve this crisis, otherwise that little girl will be thinking of revenge all the time, and although he doesn't fear her, she'll still be a headache.

  Forget it, I'll just report the truth to the Emperor!

  A eunuch walked quietly to Qin Mu Bai's side, saying in a low voice: "General Qin, the Emperor has summoned you!"

  "Has Your Majesty awakened?"

  "Woke up early......" The eunuch smiled, seemingly with a rather sinister grin.

  Qin Mubai's heart skipped a beat: Could it be that the Emperor had woken up early and witnessed the commotion just now?... How embarrassing!

  Having no other choice, Qin Mubai could only force himself to go to the imperial study and request an audience.

  Li Shimin sat on the couch as usual, holding a book in his hands and reading quietly. After Qin Mubai entered and paid his respects, he put down the book and smiled, without saying a word, beckoning him to come forward.

  Qin Mubai took a few steps forward, and Li Shimin still had a thick smile on his face. He pointed to Qin Mubai's injured wrist, indicating that he should lift it up and bring it forward. Qin Mubai revealed a bitter smile, and could only stretch out his wrist.

  Li Shimin took Qin Mu Bai's hand, carefully examined the two rows of clear and bloody tooth marks on the back of her thumb, and couldn't help but laugh: "This Gaoyang, in just two months, has become so spoiled. It seems that I have indeed neglected to discipline her! — Does it hurt?"

  Qin Mubai cried and laughed at the same time: "So Your Majesty already knew... I am guilty, please punish me."

  "What crime has she committed?" Li Shimin laughed a bit awkwardly, and used his hand to gently scratch his forehead, shaking his head with a bitter smile. "This precious daughter of mine, since childhood I have spoiled her. In the past, at most she was just a bit mischievous and lively, at most playing some pranks on the palace maids and eunuchs. I didn't expect it to evolve to this extent, even daring to bite my top general... Ah, if this gets out, where would I put my face?"

  Qin Mubai, a clever person, hastily cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty is worrying too much. The hundred riders are all strictly following military orders and training, and they absolutely dare not reveal anything to the outside."

  Li Shimin shook his head and sighed: "Fortunately, it was you... Alright, let's just drop the matter. I'll deal with that girl later. The weather is hot, don't take your injury lightly, human bites can be poisonous, especially in this hot season when even small wounds can become serious. So, for the next few days, just rest well in the military camp and I'll send an imperial doctor to treat you with medicine. Don't leave any ugly scars, if Uncle Baofu's family sees them, I won't know how to explain... Ah, that wild girl Gao Yang, always doing things that make me lose face!"

  So my vacation is ruined?

  Qin Mubai felt a lump in his throat and was quite displeased. After some thought, he realized that the emperor must have had an ulterior motive for arranging things this way. This minor injury was not even worth mentioning to a military man like himself. Yet, the emperor was deliberately making a big deal out of it, which meant there must be another plan in store!

  "Your humble servant thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness." Qin Mu Bai bowed her head and thanked him with a clever gesture.

  Li Shimin nodded in satisfaction: "Mu Bai, do you know what I like most about you?"

  "Uh, this... Your humble servant is dull and doesn't know."

  Li Shimin chuckled and said, "I like your straightforwardness, not pretending. If it were an ordinary minister, he would have declined a thousand times earlier, but you agreed in one breath. Actually, I am also a military man, to put it bluntly, I am also a straightforward and hot-tempered person, only after becoming the emperor did I have to restrain myself. I truly like you, young man, just like when I was young."

  "Your Majesty is over-praising me, I am far from being worthy of even a fraction of Your Majesty's greatness." Qin Mu Bai hastily bowed his hands in response.

  "Haha, I just praised you and you're being pretentious again." Li Shimin stroked his beard and smiled, blinking a few times as if thinking about something, then fell silent for a moment before changing the subject and saying, "During this time, apart from recovering from your injuries, when you have some free time, go to the Penglai Hall in the Daming Palace more often."

  "Penglai Palace?" Qin Mubai was stunned and hesitated for a moment: Isn't that where King Jin Li Zheng and Princess Jinyang Li Mingda live? After Empress Changsun's death, Emperor Taizong of Tang set a precedent by keeping the young son and daughter left behind by Empress Changsun by his side to raise them personally. Every day, except for handling government affairs in Taiji Palace, the emperor would accompany this pair of siblings here. Perhaps due to his love and sorrow for Empress Changsun, Emperor Taizong's doting on this pair of siblings who lost their mother at a young age was unparalleled.

  "It's not bad, it's Penglai Palace." Li Shimin said, "Zhi Nu (Li Zhi's nickname) and Si Zi (Li Mingda's nickname) are both very young, they have lost their mother. I will take them to the back palace and personally raise them, which is also out of helplessness. These two children, because their mother died early, I had to be busy with military and government affairs, and didn't have much time to accompany them, so they have become more and more timid and sensitive recently. I heard from the palace staff that when I am not around, this pair of siblings often cry together. Every time I think of this, my heart is like a knife cut. So I want to ask you to spend some time with them."

  "This... this..." Qin Mu Bai was momentarily stunned - wasn't I supposed to be a nanny? Dammit, I don't have any special skills in that area!

  "Hehe, don't get me wrong," Li Shimin said with a smile. "I didn't mean to treat you like those eunuchs and palace maids, making you serve them. What I meant was, since you're so talented and skilled, first, you can accompany the young master in reading and writing; second, you can teach the young lady how to play the pipa or something, in short, try your best to distract their attention, don't let them always think about the pain of losing their mother. Moreover, as a general, you have a strong and upright aura, and the children will feel safe with you by their side. This is not something those old and feeble scholars and timid palace maids can compare to. I also hope that under your influence, my precious son and daughter's weak and timid personalities can change. The impact of childhood on one's life is undoubtedly the greatest. That's why I thought of you."

  Qin Mubai was really at a loss for words: What the heck, do I really have to be a nanny? Ah, being a hundred riders is not that easy, it's just the emperor's personal bodyguard, and now I have to go protect his two young children... But thinking back, wasn't Li Zhi supposed to become the emperor in the end? If history continues on its original track, then won't Li Zhi ascend to the throne in the future? And wouldn't that mean I can still bask in some of the glory? Moreover, the emperor has already given the order, can I even refuse? Fine!

  "Your humble servant will obey!" Qin Mubai no longer hesitated, and with a proper bow, he clasped his fists in respect.

  "Good, very good." Li Shimin nodded and smiled, "I have observed the court, and only you are most suitable to accompany Zhi Nu and Cuo Zi. However, don't misunderstand, I won't relieve you of your duty as a hundred-ride messenger. During these ten days or half a month, just take some time off during the day to accompany them. At night when I return to the rear palace, you can also go back and rest. Let's wait and see how things develop after this period. If they react well to you, I will formally appoint you as 'Tutor of the Jin King'."

  "This... This humble subject dare not accept!" Qin Mu Bai hastily said, "This humble subject only wishes to do his best as the Hundred Riders Messenger. Protecting the prince and princess is also this humble subject's duty, he dares not hope to presumptuously occupy the position of Wang Fu."

  The Wang Fu was the nominal teacher of the imperial prince. In the Zhenguan era, it was generally held concurrently by high-ranking officials in the court. Even if a close relative of the emperor (such as Li Ke) had established his own fiefdom, the Wang Fu did not need to take office in the wangfu, so it was mostly an honorary title. However, the imperial prince must treat the Wang Fu with "teacher's courtesy", and the Wang Fu also had the power and qualifications to advise and admonish the imperial prince. Moreover, the rank of this title was quite high - third grade, only half a level lower than the Minister of the Six Ministries and the General-in-Chief of the Twelve Guards!

  "Haha, let's discuss this matter later, no need to rush. Come see me at Penglai Palace after midnight, and I'll introduce you to them first. Don't worry about the Gaoyang affair, I'll take care of it myself." Li Shimin took Qin Mubai's wrist again and looked at it with concern, saying, "Go and apply medicine to your wound quickly, and leave the matters here to the deputy envoy. I see that you are busy every day, being diligent and respectful, which truly moves me. Nowadays, young people like you who are practical and hardworking are really rare!"

  "Thank you, Your Majesty. I, your humble subject, take my leave." After paying his respects, Qin Mu Bai withdrew from the imperial study. Looking at the tooth marks on his hand, he couldn't help but laugh and scold himself a few times as "little girl".

  It suddenly occurred to Li Shimin that he had let himself go to the rear palace to take care of Li Zhi and Li Mingda, acting as their nanny. This was probably not a sudden thought, but rather one that had been brewing for a long time. As early as before the formation of the Hundred Riders, Qin Mubai had heard Li Ke mention it. The reason why the emperor wanted to establish a new imperial guard unit was because once, an intoxicated Imperial Forest Army soldier rode a mad horse into the rear palace and almost crashed into Li Zhi and Li Mingda.

  That is to say, the emperor formed the Hundred Riders Army mainly for Li Zhi and Li Mingde. However, he did not expect that Qin Mubai would make this army so elite, far beyond his expectations. Perhaps what he originally wanted was just a batch of loyal and reliable soldiers, nothing more.

  Through two months of careful observation, Li Shimin has probably determined that I, Qin Mubai, am trustworthy and can be allowed to try taking care of protecting the siblings Li Zhi. So today, taking advantage of Princess Gao Yang's little commotion giving me a holiday, I went to Li Zhi's new work unit for a "trial" of a few days.

  "Just go then, the harem is full of beauty beyond measure, don't know how pleasing to the eye. Moreover, being a nanny for the future emperor isn't bad either." Thus, Qin Mu Bai could only comfort himself like this.

  .??，！