Chapter 70

Chu Zhaoyou was surprised to see that Lu Jinghuan’s lips weren’t swollen. “You didn’t get pinned against the wall and kissed by the National Preceptor?”

Lu Jinghuan replied, “I did.”

Chu Zhaoyou was puzzled. These two quasi-master brothers seemed to have some undisclosed private dealings. When in power, each was more domineering than the other, and both seemed to synchronize in acting cowardly.

One who would forcefully barge into the emperor’s bedchamber at the drop of a hat now hesitated to enter, while the other, a kissing fiend, had behaved for two days.

Lu Jinghuan explained, “Because the National Preceptor knew I had medicine.”

It was an anti-aphrodisiac medicine given by the physician. Although it didn’t have the miraculous effect of instantly rendering someone impotent, it wasn’t pleasant either.

After returning that day, the physician called them over. With a slightly defeated look in his calm demeanor, he handed the junior disciple another bottle of medicine.

The old physician certainly had a use for the medicine, simply not wanting to have to eat dog food for a midnight snack every time he had to get up to use the bathroom.

Chu Zhaoyou chuckled, “Your National Preceptor still doesn’t understand you? You have medicine, but would you use it?”

Lu Jinghuan was caught off guard, blushing as he admitted, “The National Preceptor said this is someone else’s territory. We’ll talk about it when we return to Dayan.”

Chu Zhaoyou asked, “Talk about what?”

Lu Jinghuan replied, “Just, well, kissing…”

Chu Zhaoyou looked at him sadly. “More than just kissing, I suppose. Does this mean you want to go back home with Feng, the National Preceptor?”

Having cursed at people together and fought side by side, Lu Jinghuan felt reluctant to leave.

Chu Zhaoyou’s profession was unique, and there were few peers in the world.

Feeling remorseful, Lu Jinghuan explained, “The National Preceptor said he can’t go back to the Buddhist sect. If I don’t go back to Dayan with him, he won’t stay to assist with governance, and he’ll have nowhere else to go.”

Chu Zhaoyou sat down, picked up a sour apricot, and said, “If it weren’t for my pregnancy, and if the Regent didn’t object, I would’ve definitely seen you off for miles. Take care of yourself with the National Preceptor in the future. If he mistreats you, feel free to write and vent your frustrations. I’ll join you in scolding him. You’re the Emperor and have to attend court; you can’t let him kiss you recklessly. Nowadays, the courtiers are all watching with a critical eye.”

Lu Jinghuan glanced at Chu Zhaoyou’s belly and said, “I’ve agreed with the National Preceptor that I can come with him again after you’ve given birth.”

After holding back for so long, he couldn’t help but express curiosity. “Can I touch it?”

Chu Zhaoyou responded, “You can touch it twice.”

If it weren’t for Lu Jinghuan using the medicine that night, Chu Zhaoyou might not have survived.

Lu Jinghuan squatted down and contentedly placed his hand on Chu Zhaoyou’s belly, even feeling a faint movement. His eyes lit up. “Can I be the godfather?”

Chu Zhaoyou replied, “You can be…”

There was no reason why the Emperor couldn’t have a godfather, but considering that Lu Jinghuan and Feng Xingzhou didn’t have children, it felt like they were taking advantage of being the “eldest son” of Dayan.

Immediately, Lu Jinghuan took out a string of prayer beads from his sleeve. “Then I’ll give him a gift as a token of our meeting.”

Feng Xingzhou had said that he wouldn’t be a monk anymore, so as a gesture of sincerity, he presented the prayer beads that had been with him since childhood to Lu Jinghuan.

They were definitely blessed.

Chu Zhaoyou quickly intervened, “The gift from Feng Xingzhou, the jade ring, you gave that to the physician as a gesture of apprenticeship. If you keep giving out his gifts for meetings, the National Preceptor might think you don’t value him.”

Lu Jinghuan, troubled, turned the prayer beads over in his hand. “If I keep it with me, what if the National Preceptor decides to become a monk and wants it back?”

Chu Zhaoyou suddenly realized that he was merely an emotionless foreign bank vault.

“First, discuss it with Feng Xingzhou.”

“Alright.”

“You needn’t worry so much. Monastics don’t lie. You’ve told me many things, and none of them were about him deceiving you.” Chu Zhaoyou glanced at his belly and astoundingly said, “How about I give you the He Xin Gu?”

Lu Jinghuan’s hand, placed on Chu Zhaoyou’s belly, instantly retracted. “No, no, I don’t need it.”

The physician had mentioned that the He Xin Gu would be expelled along with the child at birth, and if nurtured, it could still be used. The next person would simply cut a wound on their hand and place the He Xin Gu directly into the cut.

Chu Zhaoyou teased Lu Jinghuan, seeing his curious yet frightened expression.

While the He Xin Gu indeed had the miraculous effect of enabling a man to conceive, its essence was a malevolent substance used for controlling others. The Regent had suffered greatly due to it, so Chu Zhaoyou planned to have the physician destroy it when the time came.

The Imperial Guards found Wei Yue at the brothel. At that time, he was disguised as a guest lodging at the Full Moon Pavilion. When Qian Shicheng broke in, he was growing impatient while waiting for news and had detained a girl for his purposes.

Unfortunately, Qian Shicheng, unintentionally, had picked up the scent of cosmetics during the arrest and almost couldn’t enter his own home.

With this, all remnants of Wei Wanrong’s influence were completely eradicated.

Wei Yue confessed that his remaining forces amounted to less than two thousand, hardly enough to contend with the court. Therefore, he had planned to kill the young Emperor, inciting chaos in Great Chu, and then gather his forces.

The Yuexu country’s former Emperor was gravely ill, with little time left. The Crown Prince had been deposed, and currently, the Empress Dowager was ruling behind the curtain. Having harbored resentment after Zhang Huiji’s ousting, she, fearing instability upon the old Emperor’s death and wary of other contenders for the throne, actively sought cooperation, reaching out to Wei Yue through the line left by Wei Wanrong.

Wei Yue exaggerated his own power, claiming to have a force of thirty thousand soldiers, and the other party, indeed, believed him, bolstering the confidence to intercept Great Chu’s merchant ships at sea.

Recently, internal strife within the Yuexu Country had intensified. Previously, Xie Chaoyun had confiscated a large number of weapons in the Yuexu Country, directly resulting in a significant number of soldiers being unarmed. In a bid to strengthen her own power, the Empress Dowager had resorted to a frenzy of seizing goods and weapons from passing ships.

The internal troubles in Great Chu had been resolved, but the Yuexu Country remained a constant threat.

Chu Zhaoyou wished to search for grains overseas to benefit the people, and the Regent pledged to ensure safe passage by sea for him.

Upon hearing that Feng Xingzhou was planning to leave, the Regent displayed a timely trace of regret on his face, as if genuinely feeling some brotherly sentiment.

It was a pity that Lu Jinghuan couldn’t accompany Chu Zhaoyou for some fun.

Initially, Xiao Heng had been eager for someone to take the young prince away. However, upon observing, he noticed that Chu Zhaoyou and Lu Jinghuan had a lot in common. Although the Regent was aware of this, he understood that these shared interests might not be favorable to him. Reluctant to see Chu Zhaoyou troubled and knowing he needed to spend a great deal of time on state affairs, he couldn’t spend the entire day with Chu Zhaoyou. Despite his strict prohibition against Chu Zhaoyou leaving the palace due to his advanced pregnancy, the Regent still felt pained. If Lu Jinghuan could alleviate Chu Zhaoyou’s boredom, he didn’t mind raising another Emperor in accordance with imperial standards.

The Regent’s regret was palpable, and Feng Xingzhou saw through everything. “Why not invite Your Majesty to visit Dayan? I will certainly extend you the warmest hospitality.”

It so happened that Lu Jinghuan had not been in good health as a child, and Feng Xingzhou had taken his master physician to care for him.

Regent: “I won’t see you off.”

He had hoped to take away the whole group at once, but he had to admit, it was a beautiful thought.

Xiao Heng: “The current contender for power against the Empress Dowager in the Yuexu Country is the second prince. He is violent and unruly, lacking in learning and talent. To counter the Empress Dowager, he harasses the border residents and loots weapons on a large scale. If he were to ascend, there would be no peace in the future.”

The Yuexu Country bordered two countries: Great Chu, with its strong national power, and Dayan, with a small area but peaceful citizens and a rich treasury. Xiao Heng explained that the second prince’s lack of sound judgment was evident in his provocative actions at the border, tantamount to seeking his own demise.

The border residents endured immense suffering. Feng Xingzhou’s impending return to his kingdom was likely to address this matter.

The Regent drew a line on the map. “What do you think?”

Feng Xingzhou glanced at it. It seemed fair, but Xiao Heng wasn’t the kind of person who pursued fairness like this.

“What do you think?” he asked.

Xiao Heng responded, “I am about to become a father. I don’t wish to engage in large-scale warfare.”

He hoped for a peaceful and stable year ahead, free from any conflict, with auspicious signs accompanying Chu Zhaoyou and the child for the rest of their lives.

As for you, Feng Xingzhou, you just broke your vow the other day; you’re not far off.

Xiao Heng replied, “Clear sea routes and stable borders benefit us all.”

Implicit in his words was the understanding that whatever Chu Zhaoyou found overseas, if suitable for cultivation and yielding abundant produce, would be shared in the future.

It seemed very generous, but the Regent didn’t bring it up today, and it would also be freely given to Lu Jinghuan by Chu Zhaoyou at a later date.

Feng Xingzhou understood this well.

Although the Regent was suspected of using others to do his dirty work, Dayan had no coastline. If Da Chu were to send troops, they would undoubtedly occupy all of the Yuexu Country, leaving no share for others.

This proposal was enticing.

Subsequently, the two discussed a method of “winning without fighting,” agreeing on the resources each side would contribute, and both were satisfied.

The Regent decreed that Xie Chaoyun should make another trip south, train the military, deter the Yuexu Country, and prepare to take over the territory.

After the discussion, a servant brought in a vase filled with several types of vibrant, beautifully contrasting flowers from the imperial garden’s expert growers, a sight of unparalleled beauty.

“How does it look, my lord?”

The Regent carefully examined the flowers and found nothing amiss. “Prune them a bit and then send them to the Emperor.”

The physician had advised that Chu Zhaoyou should receive novel items daily to prevent boredom, which would be beneficial for his pregnancy.

Xiao Heng had gathered various items for Chu Zhaoyou, only to be accused of being extravagant within a couple of days. He had no choice but to search through the Regent’s treasury for existing items and sent them all, but nothing seemed novel. Then, one day, when he left the palace and saw a lover buying flowers to express affection, the Regent suddenly felt enlightened.

He decided to send a large bouquet.

Feng Xingzhou seemed contemplative. He politely bid farewell to the Regent, swiftly leaped to the imperial garden, and arranged an identical bouquet.

Instead of seeking advice from people like Xiao Heng, he decided to observe their actions directly.

He called over one of his attendants and, feeling somewhat uneasy, handed over the flowers. “Take these to Jinghuan right away.”

With the flowers that could shield his view, the attendant hurried to the front of the Funing Palace and asked for Lu Jinghuan to come out and see.

After all, it wasn’t his own imperial palace, so he felt it was inappropriate to move in.

Chu Zhaoyou and Lu Jinghuan came out together, slightly surprised to see the flowers. It seemed that the National preceptor had made remarkable progress since his awakening.

Lu Jinghuan instructed his men to carry the flower vase to a side hall, specifically requesting it to be placed beside the bed.

The National preceptor was sending flowers like an ordinary person, and Lu Jinghuan was delighted, as if he had been confessed to for the first time.

Chu Zhaoyou tactfully refrained from keeping Lu Jinghuan engaged in conversation, and after a while, he noticed an identical set of flowers in the hall.

Was the imperial garden wholesale? Had the Regent and the National preceptor each moved an item?

The Regent observed that Chu Zhaoyou, upon receiving the flowers, didn’t display the shy, bashful reaction he had anticipated.

When he realized that the person whose reaction matched his expectations was Lu Jinghuan, he felt a sense of understanding. However, upon inquiring, he became exasperated. Feng Xingzhou, this astute man!

When Feng Xingzhou was asked for tuition fees, he calmly pointed out, “Perhaps His Majesty simply doesn’t like flowers. You could try hand-copying scriptures.”

This was his failed attempt, but he still felt that it just didn’t work with Lu Jinghuan, and he particularly wanted the Regent to give it a try to prove the method’s viability.

The Regent fell into contemplation.

Author’s note: The Regent Prince, a novice father who eagerly buys the “safety for father and son” sales package.