Chapter 62

Chu Zhaoyou, in the dim moonlight, sat assertively on the bed, cradling his belly. “I simply want to drink.”

He didn’t want to reason.

A hint of moonlight seeped into the room, and the Emperor’s distinct eyes shimmered. A glimpse of his snow-white neck was visible above his collar, his Adam’s apple subtly shifting. It seemed he wasn’t intentionally causing trouble.

Xiao Heng pulled up the blanket to cover Chu Zhaoyou’s shoulders and suggested, “How about sweet water? Chicken soup? Pear soup? Tofu pudding?…”

Chu Zhaoyou leaned closer to the Regent and whispered, “It’s not me who wants to drink; it’s the little one. Talking to me won’t work. Last time, it wasn’t me who wanted tofu pudding; it’s all his fault.”

Xiao Heng got out of bed and turned on the light, staring at Chu Zhaoyou’s peaceful belly. No matter how he looked at it, the little one seemed extremely wronged.

Chu Zhaoyou pinched his belly, putting on a playful act: “Your giving me a hard time, and bothering  the Regent every day, so let me teach you a lesson.”

“Don’t bully him.” The Regent held his hand, rubbing the area, “If you hit him, that’s one thing, but this is you bullying yourself. Doesn’t it hurt?”

“It seems the Regent is a gentle father,” Chu Zhaoyou teased, “Then give him a bit of plum wine.”

Xiao Heng frowned, “No. Choose one from the options I mentioned earlier.”

“No, I want to drink alcohol,” Chu Zhaoyou was being quite mischievous, “If not, give me a bowl of rice washing water.”

The little one had been drinking this stuff since day one; you two have become parents of means, yet you’re still having this. Poor thing.

The Regent was immediately filled with guilt and tenderness, almost impulsively wanting to let Chu Zhaoyou have a bit of wine.

The physician’s instructions tightened his resolve. Xiao Heng pinched Chu Zhaoyou’s chin and presented his wrist to him. “Here’s another option—drink my blood.”

Chu Zhaoyou was suddenly stunned. In the dead of night, he just wanted some comforting, so why was the Regent being so gory?

And drinking wine? He’s just asking for trouble.

Xiao Heng justified, “You said the little one wanted to drink. The He Xin Gu has been inside me for seven years. I’m sure my blood can appease him. Will you drink? If not, then sleep.”

He patted the bed, offering a glass of warm water to Chu Zhaoyou’s lips.

Chu Zhaoyou was shocked. What sort of quack doctor dared to prescribe such a remedy?

He looked down at the Regent’s wrist. The pulse was strong, vibrant blood coursing through the veins, exposed in front of him without defense.

Chu Zhaoyou recalled the first time the divine physician wanted to feel Xiao Heng’s pulse. The man seemed to have an aversion to being touched, resisting before obediently extending his hand after being frightened.

Now, it was presented to him like this—blood to drink.

Chu Zhaoyou, as if possessed, lowered his head and licked Xiao Heng’s wrist. Then, he looked up with a twinkle in his eyes and admitted, “I misspoke. It’s not the little one who wants to drink, it’s actually me who wants to drink.”

The Regent’s breath hitched. He realized that Chu Zhaoyou didn’t want to drink wine; he wanted something else!

He gripped the back of Chu Zhaoyou’s neck, teasing, “There’s something even more potent than blood, want to taste it?”

The Regent was always being mischievous.

Chu Zhaoyou huffed, “Nothing tastes as good as wine. I won’t drink it.”

In order to protect his throat, Chu Zhaoyou had never drunk alcohol in his past life, and he was not interested in it. Pregnancy made him quite fond of many things he once disregarded, such as the unmistakable scent of soap still lingering on the Regent’s clothes.

He rubbed against Xiao Heng’s clothes and coquettishly countered the mischief, “I want to drink. If I get drunk, I’ll be very obedient and do whatever I’m told.”

The Regent: “…” The temptation was just too much. There’s a feeling that one shouldn’t say such things during pregnancy.

He lowered his voice, almost tenderly, “You can’t drink now. We’ll have some during the New Year. I’ll pour you a drink, and you won’t be able to stop until you’re drunk…”

Chu Zhaoyou sensed that it was time to call it quits. The Regent’s soothing act was becoming worrisome; he was even thinking of drinking blood. In reality, he just wanted to wake Xiao Heng up for a conversation. A few words from him, and he’d forget about wanting to drink.

He was about to express his tiredness when the Regent was still racking his brains to come up with ridiculous ideas to coax someone.

“How about this: I’ll drink wine, and you drink soy milk. I’ll drink it for you to atleast smell and see  it.”

Chu Zhaoyou: “Alright… I’ll have something white.”

He hadn’t seen the Regent in a “social” situation at the drinking table.

In an attempt to display his elegance, the Regent didn’t bring plum wine, but instead opened a thirty-year-old bottle of red wine.

Chu Zhaoyou drank a large bowl of soy milk with him, and then was sealed with a kiss imbued with the aroma of alcohol.

Tender, careful, with a subtle hint of strength, just like the Regent Prince, who concealed all his sharpness.

Chu Zhaoyou, feeling dizzy and unable to think clearly, suddenly noticed that the Regent Prince seemed a bit off.

As if he had become foolish.

Like Little Hei.

The Regent couldn’t possibly have such poor alcohol tolerance. Combined with Xiao Heng’s recent hints about recovering his memories, and his attempts to gain advantages, Chu Zhaoyou was taken aback. Could it be that, before regaining his memories, he had reverted to being Little Hei?

This thought shocked him. Could it really be the case?

Frustrated, he slammed the table, and just as he had feared, the Regent had spoken it into existence!

“Xiao Heng? Regent?” Chu Zhaoyou called out names repeatedly, until he called out “Little Hei,” at which point the realization began to dawn on him.

“What’s going on?” Chu Zhaoyou was close to tears as he helped the Regent up. “Let’s go, we need to find the divine physician.”

Xiao Heng, with a wooden expression, showed some signs of agitation. He picked up Chu Zhaoyou and rushed towards the secluded hall, displaying astonishing lightness in his steps, and in just a few bounds, they reached the door.

Chu Zhaoyou anxiously knocked, “Divine physician, wake up! It seems like the Regent has gone foolish. Come and see him!”

The old man was awakened in the middle of the night and was equally surprised to hear about Xiao Heng’s strange condition. He hurriedly took Xiao Heng into an inner room and proceeded to check his pulse, but Xiao Heng refused. It was only when Chu Zhaoyou grabbed his hand that he settled down.

“It’s impossible. How could he suddenly become foolish? It doesn’t make sense if he was already cured…” The old man murmured as he checked their pulses, lifting the Regent’s eyelids to assess his condition.

After a while, he grumbled and pushed the two of them out. “Get out, get out! Coming to me in the middle of the night drunk, acting crazy with alcohol!”

Xiao Heng, with a cold expression, shielded Chu Zhaoyou, keeping him within his embrace, preventing the old man from pushing him away.

Chu Zhaoyou said, “He didn’t use a bowl. The Regent only had three small cups. How could someone who has climbed the ranks in court have such poor alcohol tolerance? Look at how clear his consciousness is, how he comprehends everything and walks steadily, just like Little Hei.”

“His tolerance is just that low.”

A voice interjected, and Feng Xingzhou leaned coldly against the door frame of the left chamber, his white attire unruffled, wearing the same stern expression he had during court sessions, blocking Lu Jinghuan from coming out.

“Three cups and he’s drunk; a thousand cups and he doesn’t fall.”

Combined with the Regent Prince’s past of being taciturn and expressionless, it was hard for ordinary people to detect anything unusual.

Chu Zhaoyou instantly fell silent.

The old man said, “I haven’t forgotten about you. The moment I saw you, I knew you had started by clamoring for a drink. What kind of alcohol do you expect to drink while pregnant?”

Chu Zhaoyou blushed and, apologizing, quickly led the Regent out. “I’m sorry.”

The old man, spitting as he spoke, said, “You knew you couldn’t drink, yet you deliberately caused trouble for him. Are you happy? Next time, unless you’re giving birth in the middle of the night, if you knock on my door again, I’ll leave the palace!”

Chu Zhaoyou felt utterly ashamed, feeling that at this moment, the old man seemed particularly like his father-in-law, and he, the erring son-in-law. He hastily removed the emerald bracelet from the Regent’s wrist and threw it to the old man. “Take this as my apology. I’m leaving now.”

The old man caught the bracelet, delighted. This trip out of bed was worth it.

Feng Xingzhou’s eyelid twitched as he stared at the jade ornament on the old man’s waist. It was the gift crafted by skilled artisans of Dayan Kingdom, presented to Lu Jinghuan as a coronation gift.

Finally, he understood Lu Jinghuan’s feelings when he used the jade ornament to pay respects to his master.

It seemed that all emperors in the world were equally extravagant; they didn’t treat things that didn’t belong to them with care.

The old man straightened up. “What are you looking at? You’ve both kept me awake with your bickering.”

He glanced at Feng Xingzhou, feeling hopeless about the younger generation.

“If the Regent can learn, then you, as the esteemed national preceptor, should rely on more than just my disciple compared to the little fool.”

Lu Jinghuan took the opportunity to run out from the room. “Master, I’ll sleep with you tonight.”

The old man looked at his young disciple. Although lacking in talent, at least he was obedient. His heart softened. “Okay.”

Feng Xingzhou’s expression turned chilly, his composed demeanor showing a hint of displeasure.

The old man shook the bottle in his hand. “With just a sip of this, you might not be able to perform.”

Feng Xingzhou could only watch as the old man took Lu Jinghuan away.

Starting from the cellar, he resorted to threatening Lu Jinghuan with the outhouse. An entire night had passed, with affection shared in both directions. He felt that Lu Jinghuan should have softened, but whenever the topic of returning with him came up, Lu Jinghuan remained as stubborn as ever. No amount of threats seemed to have any effect on him.

He would rather be affectionate than relent.

Five years ago, the late Emperor had sought him out to pray for Lu Jinghuan’s well-being, to bless the frail and ailing Crown Prince with a long and healthy life. Since then, he had withdrawn from the world, with Lu Jinghuan becoming his constant companion, replacing the solitary life of meditation and prayer.

Lu Jinghuan’s eyes held a unique brightness when looking at him. Why wouldn’t he return with him?

Feng Xingzhou had a strange thought—should he seek advice from his junior?

…

Chu Zhaoyou led the Regent away, feeling both exasperated and amused. He nudged the Regent’s toe. “You made me lose face just now.”

He, too, had lost his judgment in his haste. In reality, with a little more observation, he would have noticed that the Regent’s behavior when acting foolish was different. At the very least, he still recognized his way around the palace.

Xiao Heng suddenly paused. “I’m going on patrol.”

“Don’t, it’s late. Qian Shicheng is on night duty today.”

Xiao Heng, with his hands clasped behind his back, spoke earnestly, word by word. “He’s not capable; Zhaoyou would run.”

Perhaps it was the late hour that made everyone more sentimental. Chu Zhaoyou suddenly felt his eyes welling up again, regretting once more that he had woken the Regent. Perhaps being controlled about his diet during the day made him prone to waking up from dreams at night. In reality, if he just diverted his attention away from food, like he usually did by counting sheep, he would be able to fall back asleep.

He embraced Xiao Heng. “I’ve only run with you. Without you, I wouldn’t run.”

“Okay,” the Regent responded, though it wasn’t clear whether he grasped who was speaking to him.

That night, Chu Zhaoyou, who had initially wanted to be comforted, ended up comforting the Regent to sleep. First, he couldn’t resist the Regent and accompanied him on a patrol around the Funing Palace. Upon returning, the Regent saw an unfinished large pot of alcohol on the table, stood still, and simply said, “Zhaoyou asked me to drink.”

Chu Zhaoyou replied, “I didn’t ask you to drink. Say it again, and I’ll drink it while you watch.”

The Regent vaguely sensed a threat and obediently allowed himself to be led to the bed.

“Zhaoyou won’t let me get into bed,” Xiao Heng sat on the edge of the bed and complained.

Chu Zhaoyou thought to himself, “If you continue, you’ll seem like you’re pretending to be drunk and pitiful.”

“Let’s sleep, let’s sleep. I’ve even moved the bed to the royal residence for you,” Chu Zhaoyou unbuckled the Regent’s belt with increasing skill. After coaxing the Regent into bed, he got up, wrung a towel and wiped the alcohol from the Regent’s face. Frustrated to see the Regent still sitting, he continued to use the towel, initially meant for the Regent’s face, to wipe his feet before lifting him into bed.

After a while, Chu Zhaoyou finally covered both of them with a blanket. Leaning against the Regent’s chest, which was warm from the alcohol, he couldn’t help but let out a yawn.

“Stop pretending to be pitiful. Let me feel your belly.”

The next day, the Regent woke up, recalling the events of the previous night, and massaged his temples as a headache set in.

It was him who had initially comforted Chu Zhaoyou, but in the end, he had tired Chu Zhaoyou out and put him to sleep. The sensation of the towel gently wiping his cheeks seemed to linger in his memory, not to mention the tender tone in which Chu Zhaoyou had comforted him.

His Zhaoyou was so good, no matter how much he deserved to be scolded, he shouldn’t forget it, even if he was hit by a pillar. He should have faced Chu Zhaoyou’s cold demeanor.

He glanced down at the soundly sleeping Chu Zhaoyou and leaned down to kiss the tip of his nose.

“I remember everything you said last night.”

This time, he would never forget.

…

A guard brought a box of sweet potato stems and leaves preserved in damp soil, reporting, “Your Majesty, these are medicinal ingredients sent from the coastal region. Please review them, Your Majesty.”

Chu Zhaoyou was excited. “How many did they find?”

The guard replied, “It is said that when coastal officials purchased from merchant ships, they filled an entire cargo hold.”

A cargo hold… enough to plant an entire acre of land.

“And now?”

“During transport to the capital, it was intercepted by bandits. We’ve only found one cart so far. We’re not sure if it matches the expected quantity.”

Chu Zhaoyou slapped his hand in frustration. It was his fault. He had thought the news wouldn’t come so quickly and had forgotten to tell Xiao Heng not to transport it to the capital. Instead, he should have found a fertile soil locally and asked an experienced farmer to plant and manage it.

The sweet potato stems and leaves were found as part of the plan to find medicinal ingredients. Combined with the previous urgent news of the Regent being poisoned, it seemed that the interception was aimed at preventing the Regent from obtaining the antidote.

He watched the fresh sweet potato stems and leaves from a distance, feeling some relief. He walked over for a closer look.

Indeed, they were sweet potato leaves—a common crop in his previous life, but still unfamiliar in this place.

Chu Zhaoyou was about to instruct the immediate planting of the sweet potato stems and leaves when his expression suddenly changed, and he took a few steps back.

“Cover the box.”

The guard was alarmed. “Your Majesty, what’s wrong?”

Chu Zhaoyou said, “It’s nothing. I just suddenly felt nauseated by the smell of the soil. Take this medicinal material to the divine physician and ask if it can be used. I’ll go see the divine physician for a routine check. You can follow up later.”

Chu Zhaoyou hurried towards the divine physician’s quarters. When he had been near the sweet potato leaves just now, he had felt a movement in his stomach.

It wasn’t fetal movement, nor was it nausea. The difference was subtle, but having idle time every day, he had become sensitive to these sensations and could distinguish them.

The recovered sweet potato leaves might have been tampered with, and he couldn’t rule out the possibility of them being poisoned.

“How is it? Do you need anything?” Chu Zhaoyou asked.

The old man frowned. “It’s fortunate Your Majesty didn’t touch it. I’ll prepare a prescription. After taking it a few times, you’ll be fine.”

The divine healer asked Chu Zhaoyou to keep his distance and personally opened the box to inspect the leaves and soil. After finishing, he washed his hands thoroughly, bathed, and changed his clothes before approaching Chu Zhaoyou.

“There are bloodstains in the soil,” the old man’s face was grave. “The blood is quite fresh. It was used as a base, mixed with a poisonous and aggressive substance, altering the natural color of the blood. When it seeped into the soil, it nourished the stems and leaves, poisoning the whole plant. If the Regent, who has been poisoned, comes into contact with this soil, it will likely accelerate the onset of his headaches. It must be remedied immediately.”

Both the Yin and Yang poisons were now inside Chu Zhaoyou’s body. Just taking a glance had triggered a severe reaction from the He Xin Gu, causing a strong urge to leave his body. The He Xin Gu was crucial in connecting the fetus to Chu Zhaoyou. If there was any movement, the child might not survive.

Chu Zhaoyou immediately thought of Miao Ruoqiu upon encountering this unique blood. He called a guard and instructed him to send a message to Lu Huai to inquire about it. He had secretly arranged for someone to track Miao Ruoqiu, fearing that she might persist and return to “treat” the Regent.

Chu Zhaoyou, fearing the Regent’s possible anger over the “medicinal materials,” discussed with the divine physician, “Since it turned out to be safe, let’s say you discovered the clue, divine healer.”

Xiao Heng walked in with a dark expression, looking worried. “The guard said your face didn’t look right. You dare to hide it from me!”

Chu Zhaoyou, feeling guilty, covered the side of his face that had been pinched, realizing that the Regent might not eat the delicious roasted sweet potatoes he recommended in the future. What a shame.

Feng Xingzhou: I’m here to seek advice.

Xiao Heng: I told you, you still look like a monk. Take a left at the third intersection in the scripture repository.

Feng Xingzhou: …Not that kind of advice.