"Mom! She's stealing my chicken again!"

"You've got two pieces already," his older sister replied without the slightest guilt as she calmly picked the biggest drumstick from his plate.

"I was saving that!"

His father looked up from his bowl and laughed so hard that he nearly dropped his chopsticks.

"You've been 'saving' it for ten minutes. If you don't eat it, someone else will."

His grandmother immediately frowned.

"Don't laugh at the child."

She picked up another drumstick and placed it into the boy's bowl.

"There. Grandma gave you one."

His grandfather clicked his tongue.

"My grandson should have two."

Without another word, he added a second piece.

The boy's eyes sparkled.

"Grandpa is the best!"

His sister stared at him in disbelief.

"You're fourteen years old."

"So?"

"So stop acting like you're four!"

"I'm the youngest. It's my privilege."

The entire dining table burst into laughter.

Their home wasn't luxurious enough to appear in magazines, but compared to ten years ago, it felt like another world.

Back then, every meal had been carefully calculated.

His parents had started with a tiny roadside noodle stall.

They woke before sunrise every day and returned home long after dark.

There had been days when his father claimed he wasn't hungry so his children could eat more.

His mother often said she had already eaten at the shop, though everyone knew she was lying.

Money had been scarce.

Dreams had been expensive.

Then, little by little, everything changed.

Their noodles became famous in the city.

One shop became two.

Two became five.

Years of hard work finally paid off.

Now the family owned several restaurants.

They weren't among the richest people in the country, but they no longer worried about tomorrow's meals.

The house became louder every year.

His grandparents moved in.

Relatives visited almost every weekend.

Someone was always laughing.

Someone was always arguing.

Someone was always cooking.

It never felt empty.

As the youngest child, he naturally became everyone's favorite target for teasing... and everyone's favorite person to spoil.

His mother pretended to scold him the most.

His father secretly slipped him extra pocket money.

His grandparents treated him like a treasure.

Even his older sister, despite constantly bullying him, would quietly buy him snacks whenever she went out.

Sometimes he wondered if they spoiled him too much.

Then he decided...

There was no such thing.

Family existed to spoil each other.

That was perfectly normal.

After dinner, his mother called from the kitchen.

"Come wash the dishes."

He immediately pretended not to hear.

His father coughed.

"I suddenly remembered... I have work.

"

His sister stood up.

"I have homework."

His grandfather slowly disappeared into the courtyard.

His grandmother suddenly became sleepy.

Within ten seconds...

Everyone had vanished.

The boy blinked.

"...Seriously?"

His mother walked out holding a wet towel.

"So."

She smiled gently.

"Who's helping me?"

The boy looked left.

Then right.

Finding nobody, he sighed

dramatically.

"I've been abandoned."

His mother laughed.

"Come on."

As he stood up, he muttered,

"When we become even richer, we're hiring someone just to wash dishes."

His mother flicked his forehead.

"Dream on."

An hour later, he finally escaped to his room.

He stretched comfortably across his bed.

His bookshelf was filled with novels.

Martial arts.

Fantasy.

Mystery.

Historical dramas.

He reached for the newest volume.

The Merchant Who Returned to the Past.

His favorite.

The story of an ordinary merchant who lost everything, traveled back in time, and slowly built his future while wandering through Jianghu fascinated him.

There were clever business schemes.

Powerful martial artists.

Hidden sects.

Ancient treasures.

Every chapter left him wanting more.

He had already finished the entire series once.

Now he was reading it again.

His eyes drifted toward another book lying untouched on his desk.

The Palace of Falling Phoenixes.

He picked it up, flipped through a few pages, then sighed.

"So much talking..."

Every chapter seemed to have ministers discussing politics over tea.

Plots inside plots.

Smiles hiding knives.

He had forced himself through dozens of chapters before giving up.

"I don't understand why this became so popular."

He tossed it back onto the desk.

"If they have a problem, just say it directly."

After reading a few more chapters of his favorite novel, he yawned.

His phone buzzed.

His sister had sent him a message.

Mom says don't stay up late.

He smiled.

Tell Mom I'll sleep after one more chapter.

A second later another message appeared.

She said she knew you'd say that. Good night, idiot.

He laughed quietly.

Good night.

Placing the phone on the bedside table, he looked around his room.

Family photos.

School certificates.

Random gifts from relatives.

A stuffed bear his grandmother insisted he keep even though he claimed he was "too old."

Everything felt familiar.

Comfortable.

Safe.

He turned off the light.

"I'll finish this chapter tomorrow..."

Closing his eyes, he slowly drifted to sleep.

He never realized...

That he would never wake up in this room again.

"...Your Majesty! Push a little harder!"

"The Imperial Physician is here!"

"The Empress is bleeding!"

Voices overlapped one another in panic.

The smell of medicine filled the air.

Outside Phoenix Palace, servants hurried in and out carrying bowls of hot water and clean cloth.

The Emperor stood beneath the corridor, his expression calm, though the fingers hidden inside his sleeves tightened slightly.

The elderly eunuch beside him lowered his head.

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Physician said both mother and child are safe for now."

The Emperor gave a short nod.

"As long as they're safe."

He didn't pace.

He didn't shout.

Years of ruling the empire had taught him patience.

Still, his gaze remained fixed on the tightly closed palace doors.

A child's cry finally echoed through the palace.

Loud.

Healthy.

The atmosphere instantly relaxed.

One by one, the servants let out relieved sighs.

The palace doors opened.

An elderly physician walked out before respectfully kneeling.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty."

"The Empress has safely given birth to a prince."

"The mother and child are both healthy."

A faint smile appeared on the Emperor's usually composed face.

"The Fourth Prince..."

"So Heaven has blessed us once more."

He walked into Phoenix Palace.

---

Inside the room, every window had been opened to let fresh air circulate.

The Empress looked exhausted.

Strands of black hair stuck to her pale face.

Yet when she looked down at the tiny child sleeping beside her, her eyes softened.

The Emperor stopped beside the bed.

"You've worked hard."

The Empress smiled faintly.

"It was worth it."

A maid carefully picked up the infant and respectfully presented him.

The Emperor accepted the child somewhat awkwardly.

He had held babies before.

Three of them, in fact.

Yet each felt different.

The tiny prince slept peacefully.

His face was slightly red.

One tiny hand rested beside his cheek.

"He looks healthy."

The Imperial Physician smiled.

"His Highness is exceptionally healthy."

"The Fourth Prince cried louder than any newborn I've delivered this year."

The Emperor almost laughed.

"So his lungs are excellent."

At that moment...

The little prince slowly opened his eyes.

Everything was blurry.

His mind still felt foggy.

"Where..."

He tried to lift his hand.

Instead, a tiny fist barely moved.

"..."

"Tiny?"

He looked down.

Tiny fingers.

Tiny sleeves.

Tiny body.

His eyes widened.

"No..."

"No, no, no..."

"I'm a baby?"

Before he could panic further, an unfamiliar face entered his vision.

A middle-aged man wearing magnificent dragon robes.

Sharp eyes.

A dignified bearing.

The Emperor.

The baby stared.

The Emperor stared back.

"He doesn't seem afraid."

The Empress smiled weakly.

"Perhaps he doesn't understand who Your Majesty is."

"Of course I don't."

"Actually..."

"I think you're the Emperor."

"Which means..."

"I'm in ancient times?"

His thoughts came to an abrupt stop.

Ancient times?

Baby?

Palace?

His heart skipped a beat.

"Please don't tell me..."

The memories of his previous life slowly surfaced.

His parents.

His grandparents.

His sister.

Dinner.

His room.

The novel beside his bed.

Then...

Nothing.

No pain.

No accident.

He had simply fallen asleep.

His tiny lips trembled.

"I really..."

"Died?"

For the first time since opening his eyes...

He began crying.

Real tears.

Not the loud cries of a newborn.

Just silent tears flowing down his cheeks.

The Empress's expression immediately changed.

"My child?"

She gently touched his face.

"Why are you crying?"

The little prince instinctively grabbed her finger.

He held it tightly.

Not because he believed she had replaced his previous mother.

No one ever could.

But in this strange place...

She was the only warmth he had.

The Empress's heart softened completely.

"He likes holding hands."

The Emperor watched quietly.

A newborn couldn't understand words.

Yet somehow...

This child seemed unusually expressive.

---

Half an hour later, the Emperor left the room to allow the Empress to rest.

Outside, several ministers were already waiting to offer congratulations.

"The Fourth Prince's birth is a joyous occasion."

"Congratulations, Your Majesty."

The Emperor nodded politely.

"There will be a banquet after the Empress has recovered."

The ministers bowed.

Among them, however, each had different thoughts.

The Fourth Prince's birth would not affect the succession.

The Crown Prince had already been established years ago.

The Second and Third Princes also possessed strong supporters.

A newborn changed very little.

Most of the ministers quickly lost interest.

Only one elderly minister quietly smiled.

"A child is always a blessing."

---

Inside Phoenix Palace...

The little prince had finally stopped crying.

A maid carefully changed his blankets.

Another adjusted the curtains to block the afternoon sunlight.

Everything was done gently.

Everything was done quietly.

The little prince looked around with curiosity.

"So this is a palace..."

The room alone was larger than his previous family's entire house during their poor days.

Beautiful wooden furniture.

Silk curtains.

Carved pillars.

Paintings.

Porcelain.

Everything looked expensive.

"Well..."

He blinked.

"At least I'm not poor anymore."

A moment later he sighed inwardly.

"Actually..."

"I'd still trade all this for one more dinner with my family."

He closed his eyes.

Not from sadness this time.

Just because...

For now...

There was nothing else he could do except accept that his new life had begun.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

The Fourth Prince had gradually grown from a tiny newborn into a chubby infant with bright, curious eyes and an endless supply of energy.

The entire Phoenix Palace had also discovered one thing.

Their little prince was... unusually expressive.

If he was happy, he laughed loudly.

If he was angry, everyone knew.

If he disliked something, he would turn his tiny face away with surprising determination.

And if someone tried to fool him...

He would stare at them with obvious suspicion.

The palace maids often found him amusing.

"Your Highness, it's medicine."

He frowned.

"No, no, it's sweet."

He frowned even harder.

The head maid sighed.

"He definitely understands our expressions."

Although they knew a three-month-old baby couldn't understand words, they still couldn't help talking to him as though he could.

The Fourth Prince, meanwhile, had already accepted reality.

He had truly been reborn.

Complaining wouldn't change anything.

So...

He might as well enjoy being carried around all day.

"Being a baby isn't completely terrible," he thought as another maid gently rocked him.

*"No homework."

"No washing dishes."

"No one asks me to clean my room."*

Life wasn't bad.

Except for one problem.

He couldn't walk.

He couldn't talk.

And everyone pinched his cheeks.

"Why does every adult like doing that?"

---

The Empress had recovered well after childbirth.

Despite her busy schedule, she spent every afternoon with her youngest son.

She never handed him over to wet nurses unless absolutely necessary.

She fed him herself.

Played with him.

Even read books aloud while holding him in her lap.

The Fourth Prince didn't understand half of what she read.

Still...

Listening to her calm voice made him feel strangely peaceful.

One afternoon, while she was reading, the little prince reached out and grabbed the edge of her sleeve.

The Empress looked down.

"What is it?"

He simply held on.

She smiled helplessly.

"So clingy."

The head maid laughed.

"Your Highness refuses to let Your Majesty leave."

The Empress gently poked his tiny nose.

"Even if I leave, I'll come back."

The little prince blinked.

"Good."

Without realizing it, he loosened his grip.

The Empress noticed the small movement and couldn't help smiling.

"What a smart child."

---

That same afternoon, a palace servant entered and bowed.

"Your Majesty."

"The Crown Prince and the Second and Third Princes have come to pay their respects."

The Empress nodded.

"Let them enter."

A moment later...

Three boys walked inside.

The eldest appeared around twelve years old.

He wore neat robes and carried himself with remarkable composure.

Even at such a young age, he already possessed the bearing of a future ruler.

Behind him walked the Second Prince.

His sleeves were slightly dusty.

His posture was straight, but he looked as though he had just come from martial arts practice.

The youngest of the three, the Third Prince, quietly observed everything around him.

His movements were elegant.

His expression calm.

The Crown Prince bowed first.

"Greetings, Mother."

The other two followed.

The Empress smiled warmly.

"You've all grown taller."

The Second Prince scratched his head.

"I train every day."

"I can tell."

Her gaze finally fell on the baby resting beside her.

"Come."

"You haven't properly met your little brother yet."

---

The three princes approached the cradle.

The Fourth Prince looked up.

"Oh."

"My brothers."

The Crown Prince observed him carefully.

"So this is Fourth Brother."

The Second Prince leaned closer.

"He's so small."

The Third Prince blinked.

"...His cheeks look soft."

Before anyone could react...

The Third Prince gently poked one cheek.

The baby immediately puffed out his face in protest.

The room fell silent.

Then the Second Prince burst into laughter.

"He got angry!"

The Crown Prince coughed to hide his smile.

The Third Prince looked genuinely surprised.

"I barely touched him."

"Barely?"

"You poked me!"

The Fourth Prince reached out with both tiny hands.

Not toward the Third Prince...

But toward the Crown Prince.

The eldest prince hesitated.

"...Me?"

The Empress nodded.

"Go ahead."

Somewhat awkwardly, the Crown Prince lifted his little brother.

He had held swords.

Books.

Official documents.

But never a baby.

The Fourth Prince settled comfortably against his chest.

"Not bad."

"Very stable."

The Crown Prince relaxed a little.

"He's... lighter than I expected."

The Second Prince grinned.

"Let me hold him next."

As soon as the Fourth Prince was transferred over...

Everything changed.

The Second Prince had obviously never learned how to hold an infant properly.

His arms were stiff.

The baby bounced slightly.

"Too rough."

Without hesitation...

The Fourth Prince reached up and grabbed the Second Prince's ear.

"Ow!"

The room went quiet.

The Second Prince froze.

The baby refused to let go.

The Crown Prince looked away.

The Third Prince bit his lip.

The Empress finally laughed.

A genuine, carefree laugh that echoed throughout Phoenix Palace.

The head maid quickly lowered her head to hide her own smile.

The Second Prince carefully pried the tiny fingers away.

"I didn't even do anything..."

"Hold babies gently," the Fourth Prince thought smugly.

The Crown Prince accepted him back before another incident could happen.

Looking at his little brother sleeping peacefully only moments later, he couldn't help shaking his head.

"He really is troublesome."

The Empress smiled as she watched her four sons together.

For the first time in a long while, Phoenix Palace felt unusually lively.

And although none of the brothers realized it yet...

This tiny child would slowly become the one who dragged each of them into more laughter than they had ever expected.