The Regent of the Jin Dynasty was a famous pretty face, with no merits besides his good looks. He was also a delicate little crybaby!
The Right Chancellor had impeached Hai Xi more than once in court, calling him a useless waste. Each time he did, the emperor dismissed one of his students. This shocked the civil and military officials, who all cursed the emperor as a foolish ruler. Lu Yutao lightly tapped the dragon throne and looked down upon everyone. "Any of you who are richer than the Regent can take his place."
The little merman who spent year-round nights in the Hall of Mental Cultivation bared his teeth ferociously and slapped Lu Yutao's hand away with his tail. "You're lying! You said that once you became emperor, you'd come back to the sea with me!"
Lu Yutao stubbornly held the merman, who was in his rut, and gently coaxed him. "We will, we will. Tomorrow I'll have my nephew take the throne, and I'll go with you to see your parents."
The merman pitifully bit his lip, rubbed his flat belly, and cried. "No! I won't give it to him. I won this kingdom for you. Why should I? I'm not giving it to him!"
Lu Yutao's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly waved for Chief Eunuch Shao to put the pearls away safely.
Chief Eunuch Shao sighed almost imperceptibly. Whenever the emperor ran out of money, he made the Regent cry. It would be awful if he drove him away for good!
At long last, the Regent was carrying a child, but the prince of the Sea Kingdom refused to stay. He left a letter and ran off, returning home to inherit the throne!
Lu Yutao went mad searching for him. With the little crybaby gone from court, the emperor turned into a rabid dog who snapped at everyone!
1. Many details are author-invented. This blurb is tentative.
Theme: Keep a positive mindset and welcome a bright tomorrow.
