We said we would experience life, fairy, how did you become real?.

Chapter 405 Siyao, Father is Gone. (4200 words)
Qin Siyao shook her head vigorously, trying to shake off that unacceptable thought from her mind.

Qin Siyao turned her head and glanced at her father.

Seeing that her father's expression was as good as usual, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Unbeknownst to her, Qin Siyao and her father arrived at the palace where her eldest and second eldest brothers lived.

Under normal circumstances, the princes of Qin would live in the palace and have their own palaces until they turned sixteen. They would move out of the palace and establish their own residences after they turned sixteen.

However, because the two brothers, Qin Jingsu and Qin Jingyuan, had a very good relationship when they were young, they lived together until Qin Jingyuan turned sixteen, when they left the palace together.

Although the palace has been uninhabited for a long time, its layout and furnishings have been preserved in their original state.

Looking at this familiar place, Qin Siyao couldn't help but think of her eldest and second brothers. Her eyes lowered slightly, and her delicate hands unconsciously gripped the hem of her skirt.

But soon, Qin Siyao put on a brave face and continued to stay by her father's side.

"Back when your eldest brother was born, I paced back and forth outside, feeling very anxious. Only when your eldest brother was finally born did my heart finally settle down."

However, as the eldest son, I haven't given Jing Su a kind look every day.

The King of Qin straightened his sleeves and said with a smile, changing his self-reference from "朕" (Zhen, the imperial "I") to "我" (Wo, the "I").

"Back then, I was extremely strict with Jing Su. If he did anything wrong, I would either scold him or beat him."

At the time, he was just a three-year-old child.
Actually, I know that Jing Su has already done a very good job.

But I always felt it wasn't enough.

Your mother felt sorry for me when she saw me beating and scolding Jingsu.

However, even though your mother was reluctant, she knew that your eldest brother might become the ruler of Qin in the future and needed to be strictly disciplined, so she did not stop me.

Later, your second brother was born.

Your eldest brother was very happy when your second brother was born.

One reason is that he's going to have a younger brother.

Secondly, because of the birth of your second brother, your eldest brother felt that with a younger brother, my attention would not be on him all the time, and I would not be able to scold or beat him all the time.

The day your second brother was born, your eldest brother waited outside the door for a long time.

When your older brother saw his younger brother, his eyes lit up.

After that, your older brother took better care of his younger brother than I, as their father, did.

He was only three and a half years old at that time.

As they grew up, your second brother would always follow your eldest brother around.

Your older brother is much happier than before.

Because as your father, I won't just keep an eye on your eldest brother, I'll also keep an eye on your second brother.

With his younger brother, he no longer feels lonely.

Later, after your mother had you, your second brother also began to act like a proper older brother.

As he spoke, a gentle light flickered in Qin Shengtian's eyes:
"Actually, I know that your elder brother has no interest in the throne at all."

Compared to being the crown prince of Qin, your elder brother actually prefers a life of leisure and freedom. He would rather be a carefree cultivator, finding solace in nature.

Your older brother sees things very clearly.

He knew that power wasn't exactly a good thing.

For incompetent people, power is a tool for their greater amusement.

But for some ambitious and responsible people, power is a weight they must bear throughout their lives, from the moment they receive it until the moment they die.

Originally, your elder brother only thought that as long as he had a younger brother, Jingyuan could become the crown prince, and then he could leave the court.

Unexpectedly, even your older brother felt a little reluctant to do it.

Jing Su knew that Jing Yuan was somewhat stubborn and felt that if he were to ascend the throne, he would probably work himself to death in that position for the rest of his life.

It was around that time that Jing Su realized he had the ambition to become the crown prince.

Your second brother is naturally competitive. He admires your eldest brother and wants to surpass him. So, regarding the matter of becoming the crown prince, your second brother really wants to compete with your eldest brother.

I was originally happy to see it happen.

Under this kind of competition, the two of them will grow faster together.

When Jingyuan proposed to "marry the eldest princess of Jin in order to scheme against Jin," I knew that this matter must be extremely dangerous for him.

But I kept thinking that Jingyuan would be able to turn bad luck into good.

Our Qin state will utterly defeat the Jin state and even annex this thorn in our side in one fell swoop!
If I had been more forceful and prevented your elder brother from going to the State of Jin to avenge your second brother, he might not have gotten into trouble.

But at the time, I was thinking that it would be good for your elder brother to resolve his inner conflict, and with the Crown Prince leading the expedition to avenge his younger brother, it would greatly boost the morale of the soldiers.

But unexpectedly, your eldest and second eldest brothers both died on the battlefield because of my selfishness.

I've let them down.

"Father." Qin Siyao held her father's hand with red eyes. "Father, please don't say that. I believe that neither my eldest brother nor my second brother will blame you."

"Yes." Qin Shengtian raised his head and let out a deep breath. "Given your older brothers' personalities, how could they possibly blame me? But how can I not blame myself?"

"Father." Qin Siyao pursed her lips, unsure how to comfort him.

"I'm fine." Qin Shengtian smiled and patted his daughter's hand. "Let's go, let's wander around some more."

"Ah."

Qin Siyao nodded, wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and took one last look at the palace where her eldest and second brothers used to live.

Qin Shengtian continued walking with his daughter.

The places the two walked through were the courtyards that Qin Siyao and her two older brothers used to frequent when they were children.

On the grassy area of ​​Chunyan Garden, Qin Shengtian took his wife and others for a stroll. At that time, Qin Jingsu and Qin Jingyuan were reciting their books, while Qin Siyao was happily chasing butterflies on the side.

In the lotus pond of Xiahe Garden, Qin Siyao was running after her older brothers when she accidentally fell into the water. Fortunately, a maid pulled her out in time, but when Qin Shengtian heard about it, he still gave Qin Jingsu and Qin Jingyuan a severe scolding.

Like the grove in Qiuyue Garden, every autumn, Qin Shengtian would bring Empress Shi and his children to enjoy the autumn scenery here, and then ask his two sons about their studies. Qin Siyao liked to watch her two older brothers' embarrassed and nervous expressions when they couldn't answer their father's questions.

Before they knew it, the two had walked for a long time and it was already noon.

"Father, let's go back. It's time for lunch," Qin Siyao said.

"No rush. The Red Sleeve Palace, where your mother used to live, is just ahead. Your father is a little tired. Let's go sit there for a while and then go back," Qin Shengtian said.

"Okay." Qin Siyao nodded without giving it much thought.

The two eventually arrived at the Red Sleeve Palace.

At this time, there were no palace maids in Hongxiu Palace, making it appear very deserted.

Qin Siyao cleared the snow off the stone benches in the courtyard, then helped her father sit down, and sat down beside him.

At this moment, a few snowflakes began to fall from the sky, as if the white clouds hanging in the sky had shattered.

"Thinking back to those days, when your grandfather passed away and I had just taken this position, all the families and clans sent their women over."

A hint of reminiscence flashed in Qin Shengtian's eyes, followed by an unusually tender expression.

"How could I not know what those powerful families meant?"

All they wanted was for me to be unmarried, and for a woman from their clan to become the empress of Qin. At the very least, she would become a concubine.

But your father wasn't even firmly in power back then. If I had married a woman from a powerful family, I might not have been able to control the court so well.

Besides, I'm completely focused on my duties at court, and I can't even keep up with all the memorials I have to review every day. I have no time to think about matters of love and sex.

However, there are some things that you can't simply avoid doing just because you don't want to.

One day, after reviewing the memorials, I took a stroll to clear my head and ended up at this place.

Your mother was sitting in this spot, eating peach blossom pastries bite by bite.

She stuffed her mouth full, like a hamster.

What made me both laugh and cry was that when your mother saw me, even though I was wearing a yellow robe, the first thing she did wasn't to bow to me, but to hurriedly stuff the remaining pastries from the jade plate into her mouth, as if she was afraid I would eat her pastries.
At the time, I was thinking, how could there be such a gluttonous woman? Yet she is also so beautiful.

But it was this woman who made me want to bring some pastries to Hongxiu Palace and chat with her whenever I had free time.

For your mother.

It seemed the pastries were more tempting to her than me.

As they talked, the King of Qin smiled.

"Later, after I had completely stabilized the court, I formally married your mother."

After your mother became empress, she didn't know what to do at first, but she kept learning how to manage the harem, often reading the classics of various schools of thought, and thinking about how to be a good empress.

Your mother never showed favoritism towards her own clan. Whenever a member of the Shi family wanted to become an official in the court, the biggest obstacle was not me, but your mother.

Gradually, those noble families who had originally opposed your mother becoming empress all fell silent.

Even among the common people, your mother's reputation grew, and she was hailed as a virtuous queen by the people of Qin.

But the student surpasses the teacher.

Siyao, Dad believes in you too. Anything you set your mind to and do earnestly, you can definitely achieve.

Qin Shengtian turned his head and looked at his daughter with a smile, his expression showing a hint of pride.

"Siyao, in the past three years, you have become very skilled in handling various government affairs. Whether it is military affairs, agriculture, or people's livelihood and education, you have your own insights."

Yesterday I showed the memorials you reviewed to Prime Minister Li and the others, and they all praised them highly.

"It's all thanks to Father's excellent teaching." Qin Siyao shook her head. "Moreover, when I encounter things I don't understand, not only Father, but also my husband, can help me."

"No, there is only so much that Xiao Mo and I can teach you."

Qin Shengtian shook his head, feeling gratified.

"You are truly talented. In fact, your father has known for a long time that you are more intelligent than many, many people."

Whether it's cultivation, politics, or anything else, you are more talented than Jing Su and Jing Yuan.

You may not even realize it yourself, but you are far more outstanding than many monarchs and kings.

It's just that you've been a bit lazy on weekdays, Siyao.

But Siyao, you're still too kind.

You understand the thoughts of many court officials, but you always feel that they might not be as bad as you think.

But most of the time, those court officials are not as bad as you think.

Qin Shengtian continued, as if giving his daughter a final lecture.

"Siyao, you must remember not to be afraid to assume the worst about others."

Siyao, you must also remember not to think of everyone as a bad person. There is no shortage of people with ideals in the world.

Siyao, you must remember this: water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. No matter what, never let the people lose hope or their way of life.”

"Father." Qin Siyao's eyes flickered, and her eyes involuntarily reddened.

"Silly daughter, your father is just talking to you, why do you look like you're about to cry?"

Qin Shengtian smiled.

"Alright, alright, let's stop talking about it. The Imperial Kitchen seems to be quite close to the Red Sleeve Palace. How about you go there and have a couple of dishes made? We can have lunch here, okay?"

"Yes, Father." Qin Siyao wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "I'll go right away, Father. Please wait a moment."

"Okay, sure." Qin Shengtian nodded.

Qin Siyao clutched her skirt and ran out of the Red Sleeve Palace.

In the empty front yard, Qin Shengtian took off the jade pendant from his waist.

Without the protection of the magical artifact, Qin Shengtian's life fire was exposed to the heavy snow like a spark that could be extinguished at any moment.

"Xin'er, I'll be coming to visit you soon."

Qin Shengtian looked out of the courtyard gate and muttered to himself.

"However, after I left, Siyao was truly all alone."

Will Xiao Mo bully her?

Can she really manage on her own?

Did I really make a mistake by entrusting this heavy responsibility to her?

She was just a woman, our daughter whom we had always doted on.
I'm so selfish, such a bad father.

Qin Shengtian's consciousness grew heavier and heavier, his vision became increasingly blurred, and gradually, he could no longer hear the sounds around him, nor could he feel the cold.

"Siyao, please forgive your father for entrusting everything to you."

"Siyao, please forgive your father for not being able to be with you."

"Siyao, Father is leaving."

The man sat upright on the stone bench with his hands on his knees, his eyes slowly closing, never to open again.

"Father, I've just made two simple dishes. Please see if they suit your taste."

Half an hour later, Qin Siyao carried a food box and jogged into the Red Sleeve Palace.

But when Qin Siyao entered the Red Sleeve Palace and saw her father sitting on the stone bench with his eyes closed, her expression froze like an ice lake.

Her pace slowed involuntarily, and her fingers gripped the food box even tighter.

The woman pursed her thin lips tightly and walked step by step toward her father, the emperor.

"Father, I've prepared three dishes: braised spicy chicken, steamed snow fish, and a warming pork heart soup."

Her voice trembled.

Even though her father didn't respond at all.

But she continued to name the dishes as she took them out of the food box, placed them on the table, and served her father a bowl of rice.

"Father, dinner is ready."

Tears streamed down the woman's face, dripping onto the steaming rice.

"Dinner's ready, Father."

(End of this chapter)