My brother entrusted his child to me, and I livestreamed raising the baby, making the Empress cry wi

The capital city, the Ministry of Works.

Several craftsmen squatted on the ground, staring blankly at a wooden board.

The wooden board was covered with sketches of the escalator mechanism, which were drawn and revised repeatedly, and the ground was littered with scraps of paper.

"It still doesn't work." An old craftsman with gray hair and beard sighed.

Suddenly, a young craftsman rushed in, his face pale: "Master, word has come from the palace. His Majesty wants us to make that spinning carousel and ball pit on the canopy as well. The princess is waiting to play with them. He also said... if we can't make them, we'll lose our heads."

"Snapped!"

Upon hearing this, a hot-tempered, burly craftsman next to him slammed his chisel to the ground, scattering sparks everywhere.

"Let whoever wants to figure this junk out can figure it out!" His face turned bright red, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.

The other craftsmen nearby were also seething with anger.

"They just give a word in the palace, and we run ourselves ragged. If we can't deliver, they want our heads? Are our heads made of paper?"

"When Lord Ye Fan was around, he would draw up blueprints and discuss things with us if we needed anything. Now that one..." The person speaking gestured towards the palace with their chin and lowered their voice.

"Just keep demanding, keep pushing, keep beheading! We're craftsmen, not gods!"

"Keep your voice down! Are you out of your mind?!" His companion tugged at his sleeve.

The workshop fell silent instantly, with only the crackling sound of flames licking at the charcoal in the brazier.

In front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Shu Jingwei was sitting with Shu Rou on a chair covered with a thick mattress, with a small table with tea set beside them. Yao Jingyuan was also given a seat to sit on.

Shu Rou had stopped crying, though there were still tear stains on her face. But the corners of her mouth were turned up, and she was eagerly waiting for the toys from Linglong Pavilion.

"Mother, when will the toys arrive?" Shu Rou asked softly, tugging at Shu Jingwei's dragon robe sleeve.

"It'll be soon." Shu Jingwei patted her back, then couldn't help glancing at the sky.

On the sky, after riding around once, Xiao Douzi sat on the giant carousel again, laughing so hard his eyes were almost closed.

Shu Jingwei's lips curled up slightly, with a hint of mockery.

Once her Rou'er has those toys, let's see how long Lin Ye can remain smug.

No matter how good someone else's things are, can they ever compare to your own?

True ownership means being able to touch and play with it anytime, anywhere.

Before long, the chief eunuch returned, panting and jogging, accompanied by two junior eunuchs.

"Your Majesty! The toys from Linglong Pavilion have arrived!"

Each of them carried a pile of brocade boxes in their arms—some made of sandalwood, some carved, some inlaid with mother-of-pearl… more than a dozen of them, stacked up so high they almost covered their faces.

Shu Rou sat up abruptly and pounced on him.

"Slow down, don't fall." Yao Jingyuan smiled and helped her up, then turned to the chief eunuch and winked, "Open it, let the princess see."

The chief eunuch deftly opened the first brocade box—

"This is a white jade nine-linked ring. The master craftsman of Linglong Pavilion spent three whole months carving it. It is made entirely of Hetian mutton fat jade, and each ring is carved from a single piece of material."

The nine-linked rings lay quietly in the brocade box, as white as solidified cream, with each ring fitting together perfectly, and every corner carved with delicate lotus scroll patterns.

Shu Rou carefully picked it up; it felt cool and smooth to the touch.

"bite--"

With a gentle touch, the rings separated, producing a crisp sound like striking a jade chime.

Her eyes lit up immediately, but instead of immediately untying the ring, she looked up at the sky.

On the sky, Xiao Douzi was getting off the carousel and being led away by Lin Ye.

Shu Rou deliberately raised the nine-linked rings a little higher and shook them, letting the luster of the white jade reflect out, as if this would allow Xiao Douzi on the other side of the sky to see them.

"Father, look! It's made of white jade!" she exclaimed proudly.

Yao Jingyuan understood immediately and smiled as he leaned closer, saying, "Rou'er, you'd better take this. This set of nine interlocking rings is enough to feed an ordinary family for ten years."

"Only ten years?" Shu Rou tilted her head, looking innocent. "Then you could probably eat like that little beggar for twenty years, right?"

Shu Jingwei didn't speak, but the curve of her lips widened.

The chief eunuch then opened the second brocade box—

"The Huanghuali Tangram set is made from old Huanghuali wood imported from Hainan Island. This is the only set left in the entire Da Yan brand this year."

The seven pieces of wood were neatly stacked, their wood grain as clear as a landscape painting, their edges polished smooth as jade, and radiating a warm luster.

Shu Rou grabbed the pieces and quickly pieced together a square. It was crooked and uneven, but she was extremely proud of herself. She held it up to show Shu Jingwei: "Mother, look! Rou'er put this together!"

Shu Jingwei smiled and nodded: "Rou'er is so smart."

"Of course!" Shu Rou raised her chin high. "That little beggar probably hasn't even seen a tangram puzzle before, has he?"

She spoke loudly on purpose, as if she wanted the person on the other side of the sky to hear her.

The head eunuch was sweating, but he still forced a smile and continued opening the third one—

"A music box, a rare item from overseas, there's only one in the entire Great Flame Kingdom."

The exquisite wooden box is carved with flowers and birds, and the golden spring glitters in the sunlight.

The eunuch stepped forward and twisted it a few times, producing a clear, tinkling melody, like a mountain stream or a silver bell jingling in the wind.

Shu Rou listened with her eyes closed, then wound up her own clockwork and listened to it again and again, smiling and revealing two rows of white teeth.

"Mother Queen, does that little beggar have any toys that make sounds?" she asked, holding the music box with delight and looking up.

Shu Jingwei gently shook her head: "They probably haven't even seen a block of iron, let alone a toy that makes a sound."

"She's so pitiful then." Shu Rou said pitiful, but her tone was full of smugness. "She can only play with junk."

Yao Jingyuan stood aside, looking at his daughter like this, feeling extremely relieved.

His daughter, Rou'er, was born to be superior to others.

That little bastard, even if Lin Ye has some money, what can he buy? A rattle drum carried by a street vendor? Or a clay figurine from a roadside stall?

In terms of background, demeanor, and nobility, what does that little bastard have to compare with Rou'er?

Shu Rou played for a while, then looked up at the sky.

On the sky, Lin Ye, holding Xiao Douzi's hand, did not leave the brightly lit, huge building, but instead turned into another corridor.

"Still not gone?" Shu Rou frowned and pouted. "What's there to see? What could they possibly have inside?"

She snorted dismissively, then picked up the nine-linked rings and jingled and cracked a few rings, deliberately making a loud noise.

"That little beggar is definitely staring at my toys," she said smugly, shaking her head. "Too bad, he can't even touch them."

Yao Jingyuan affectionately patted her head: "Rou'er is right. No matter how good other people's things are, they are still other people's. They are just for playing with, and they will all leave eventually."

"That little beggar's toys must all be junk! Can they be as valuable as my white jade nine-linked rings? Can they be as stylish as my rosewood tangram puzzle? Can they be as exquisite as my music box?"

Shu Rou became more and more proud as she spoke, and hugged the music box even tighter.

"Mother Queen, do you think she doesn't even have a decent cabinet in her house? Are her toys just piled up on the floor?"

Shu Jingwei smiled: "It must be true."

"That's really dirty." Shu Rou curled her lips in disgust. "Rou'er's toys are all kept in brocade boxes, made of sandalwood and carved."

Yao Jingyuan smiled and agreed, "Rou'er is right. How could those kinds of people know what refinement is?"

Hearing this, Shu Rou became even more smug and played with even more enthusiasm.

He would lift up the nine-linked rings to show off after solving just one link, and he would shake the tangram pieces after assembling a triangle. He would twist the music box again and again, as if he wanted the sound to travel to the other side of the sky.

Shu Jingwei leaned back in her chair, watching her daughter play with her toys, feeling extremely satisfied.

What good things doesn't her Great Flame Kingdom have?

Her daughter, Rou'er, has always had the best of everything—the best food, the best clothes, and the best toys.

Even if Lin Ye treats her daughter very well, it's nothing more than nouveau riche extravagance; there's no real nobility in it.

Can those things be passed down through generations? Can they appreciate in value? Can they become symbols of status?

No.

And what Rou'er plays with—isn't every single one priceless? Isn't every single one a symbol of status?

……

On the sky, Lin Ye, holding Xiao Douzi's hand, did not leave the brightly lit, warm and cozy building as everyone in the Great Flame Kingdom expected. Instead, he turned into another spacious and bright corridor.

The corridor was still lined with crystal-clear glass display cases, but instead of clothes, they now displayed a dazzling array of other items—

Toy!

A mountain of all kinds of toys!

There is a large, fluffy brown bear that almost touches the ceiling, sitting on the ground in a cute and endearing manner, almost becoming the "guardian" of the shop.

There are exquisite dollhouses that resemble miniature palaces, complete with stairs, furniture, and even tiny crystal chandeliers.

There are gleaming, streamlined remote-controlled cars and uniquely shaped robot models, reflecting a cold, hard metallic sheen under the lights.

There are sets of brightly colored wooden tracks, on which little trains with whistling sounds are parked.

There were hanging dolls dressed in gorgeous dresses, each strand of hair neatly combed.

There are mountains of colorful plastic building blocks, and giant puzzle boxes that can be assembled into castles, dinosaurs, and spaceships...

This is just the tip of the iceberg from the outside!

The store sign features an exaggeratedly large cartoon font—"Toys "R" Us"!

Little Douzi couldn't help but let out a gasp.

In the Great Flame Kingdom, many people breathed a sigh of relief, those who had just been celebrating that "it's finally over."

And the three of them, including Shu Jingwei, who was gloating inside the palace.

I looked up when I heard the sound.

Their gazes were simultaneously fixed on the sky.

The pupils suddenly contracted.

this--

Damn it—

What is that now?!