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Lu Jinghuan returned reluctantly from Great Chu. Xiao Xingxing is too adorable; Lu Jinghuan almost wanted to stay until he could call him “godfather”.
However, staying longer might escalate the family visit into a serious diplomatic issue.
On the carriage, Lu Jinghuan gazed longingly at the gates of Great Chu. Xiao Xingxing was his godson, the only little baby who could call him “dad” in this lifetime. Although Feng Xingzhou can barely be considered a godfather, why doesn’t he like children?
He straightforwardly voiced his doubt: “You don’t like children?”
For him, Xiao Xingxing is the cutest, and not liking Xiao Xingxing means not liking children.
Feng Xingzhou, with closed eyes, replied, “I don’t.”
This crying and babbling creature was something Feng Xingzhou had never encountered before.
Of course, Xiao Xingxing is adorable; even Feng Xingzhou can’t maintain his aloofness when the child smiles at him. The problem is, he looks too much like the Regent.
From the age of nine to seventeen, Xiao Heng was always with him on a mountain, and Feng Xingzhou is somewhat aesthetically fatigued.
When he was in his teens, he often stumbled upon Xiao Heng roasting chicken and fish in the mountains, crispy on the outside, tender inside, and incredibly fragrant.
However, Feng Xingzhou, with keen senses and a penchant for wandering through the woods for spiritual cultivation, suffered countless inhumane food attacks, enduring with patience what he couldn’t change.
Xiao Xingxing’s innocent and adorable smile couldn’t outweigh the misdeeds committed years ago by a man with a similar face to his father’s.
Lu Jinghuan adored Xiao Xingxing, showering him with kisses multiple times a day. Despite Feng Xingzhou’s calm demeanor, he felt a pang of jealousy.
Lu Jinghuan had never shown such frequent affection towards him. Did his face pale in comparison to Xiao Heng’s?
Xiao Xingxing’s face, equivalent to Xiao Heng’s, made Feng Xingzhou quite the jealous man.
Upon hearing Feng Xingzhou’s response, Lu Jinghuan paused, then thought that the national preceptor was an otherworldly figure and it was normal not to like children. Besides, they wouldn’t have children, so he needn’t worry about the master returning too thoroughly and entertaining thoughts of continuing the family line.
Leaning over, Lu Jinghuan kissed Feng Xingzhou, saying, “If you don’t like it, you don’t like it. As long as we like each other, it’s all good.”
He had been preoccupied with playing with Xiao Xingxing these days, feeling somewhat apologetic to the National preceptor. He vowed it would only happen this once.
Lu Jinghuan, relying on Feng Xingzhou’s favor, felt emboldened and lingered, unwilling to leave. If Feng Xingzhou were to depart on his own, Lu Jinghuan would surely follow without even packing his belongings.
He still favored the National Preceptor. Wherever the master was, he would be there too.
Upon hearing this, Feng Xingzhou held the back of Lu Jinghuan’s head, deepening the kiss. He had endured for days. Every time he saw Lu Jinghuan holding the child, he thought, since he liked children so much, why not just make Lu Jinghuan pregnant? Then he wouldn’t keep talking about going to Great chu all the time.
But it was just a passing thought.
After all, pregnancy would be arduous, and there would be abstinence.
…
Two months after returning to the palace, Lu Jinghuan felt something was amiss. During breakfast, he often felt nauseous.
He and Feng Xingzhou were used to having a vegetarian breakfast—congee with several small dishes—without any greasy elements that could cause nausea.
As the newly appointed top scholar requested a two-day leave for his wife’s childbirth, Lu Jinghuan sat on the dragon throne lost in thought.
He rubbed his flat stomach, recalling the time he and Chu Zhaoyou gossiped about the powerful figures, a time when Chu Zhaoyou frequently experienced such nausea.
With a serious expression, Lu Jinghuan took his own pulse.
As the top disciple of the divine physician, Lu Jinghuan had barely learned anything, but he could manage to take a pulse.
The divine physician had demonstrated Chu Zhaoyou’s pulse to Lu Jinghuan, so while he couldn’t understand other pulse patterns, he remembered Chu Zhaoyou’s situation quite clearly.
The disordered pulse indicated pregnancy.
“No, it’s my lack of medical skills. It’s impossible.”
He didn’t have the He Xin Gu in his body, so how could he be pregnant?
Was it because he spent a long time with Chu Zhaoyou that pregnancy traits could be contagious?!
This couldn’t be!
Feeling somewhat panicked, Lu Jinghuan circled the table in a daze. No matter how he thought about it, he felt he was being fanciful. The divine physician had never mentioned that pregnancy traits could be contagious. It was unheard of.
It must be a mistake somewhere else.
Could it be a unique talent of the national preceptor?
Lu Jinghuan understood that he couldn’t blame the master for this matter, but he had to use this kind of excuse to comfort himself.
Feng Xingzhou didn’t like children. If he were to be pregnant, would it put him in a difficult position?
During dinner, Lu Jinghuan tactfully asked, “It’s been a while since I’ve seen my godson. I wonder if he can talk now. I’m waiting for him to call me ‘godfather.’ Children are quite nice.”
Feng Xingzhou’s face darkened. This familiar conversational opening… Every time Lu Jinghuan hesitantly probed with his words, it was guaranteed that it would be followed by “I want to go see Xiao Xingxing.”
He had only just returned for a couple of months!
Sure enough, when Lu Jinghuan ran wild with his thoughts once, it prompted him to act. If anyone was clever, it was Xiao Heng. Despite the chaos with the Emperor, he still stood firm, step by step.
Feng Xingzhou suddenly realized that this was the aspect he most needed to learn from the Regent.
He served Lu Jinghuan a bowl of fish and tofu soup. “What’s so good about children? They need their diapers changed a dozen times a day, cry when hungry, cry when they wake up, and if they don’t sleep, neither do you. They love to run around, tear your documents…”
Considering the dreadful scenes described by Feng Xingzhou, Lu Jinghuan felt a bit hesitant. It seemed that the national preceptor truly didn’t like children.
If the national preceptor didn’t like them, he shouldn’t have a child.
Lu Jinghuan pinched his dragon robe and thought of Feng Xingzhou, pursing his lips. If his child were to be like Feng Xingzhou, then it would be a mini version of the National Preceptor inside his belly.
So adorable… Did the National preceptor not want that?
Lu Jinghuan probed, “But those problems you mentioned, Xingxing doesn’t have any of them.”
In that case, it should be manageable, right?
Seeing that Lu Jinghuan always revolved around Xingxing, Feng Xingzhou felt somewhat helpless.
If only he could sneak the little brat from Great Chu.
Feng Xingzhou began seriously considering the possibility.
Xiao Heng had been fostered on his mountain for eight years. Wouldn’t it be excessive to sneak his son over for a few years?
As long as he casually fabricated an excuse, claiming that it would be better for Xiao Xingxing to be with him, judging by the couple’s anxiety, they would probably willingly send the child over.
For a moment, Feng Xingzhou’s mind flashed through dozens of methods for kidnapping a child.
As a monastic, Feng Xingzhou’s never told lies, and breaking his vows was considered a severe transgression, something his master would wield a stick for.
“I need to go to Great Chu,” Lu Jinghuan said.
“You’ve just returned. Absolutely not.”
“Don’t you always say that you’ll listen to me?”
“That’s provided Your Majesty is by my side.”
“I have important matters to attend to.”
When Feng Xingzhou asked about the matter, Lu Jinghuan couldn’t articulate the reason, so Feng Xingzhou concluded that he wanted to run off to see Xiao Xingxing again.
Unable to hold back, Feng Xingzhou uttered some harsh words: “Your Majesty might as well hand the kingdom over to Great Chu and move into their palace.”
He had painstakingly guarded the kingdom for five years, only to have Lu Jinghuan run off every day.
Reprimanded, Lu Jinghuan’s eyes reddened slightly. The National Preceptor had used this serious tone when assigning him tasks before. Since he had been brought back to the palace by Feng Xingzhou after sneaking out, the master had never scolded him like this before.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to speak; he was just afraid of becoming the subject of ridicule.
His medical skills were lacking, and he hadn’t even learned the basics from his master. Until now, he didn’t dare to confirm whether he was pregnant or not.
Perhaps he was simply overthinking. He didn’t have the He Xin Gu, so how could he be pregnant? If he wasn’t pregnant and announced it to everyone, would he be laughed at for being delusional?
He knew that Feng Xingzhou didn’t like children. As a monarch, he wasn’t attending to his duties but secretly fantasizing about having a mini-National Preceptor, which sounded utterly shameful.
He loved the National Preceptor too much, the kind of love that would invite ridicule.
Oh no, he might be a pervert.
Clutching his wrist, Lu Jinghuan appeared to be sulking, but in reality, he was continually checking his pulse.
It was chaotic, much like his emotions.
He needed to go to Great Cchu immediately to find his master.
If he wasn’t pregnant, then there would be no need to trouble the master. But if he was pregnant, it seemed that the divine physician had not mentioned any method for avoiding childbirth.
If, if the master didn’t want it, then he would stay in Dachu, have the child, and come back later!
Even if Feng Xingzhou didn’t want the child, he still wanted a little Feng Xingzhou.
Lu Jinghuan thought sadly.
Having spoken harshly, Feng Xingzhou felt some regret. Seeing that Lu Jinghuan hadn’t touched the fish soup in front of him, Feng Xingzhou picked it up, scooped a piece of tofu, and offered it to Lu Jinghuan.
Turning his head away, with a hint of redness in the corners of his eyes, Lu Jinghuan said, “I can’t eat.”
Both psychologically and physically, he resisted the fish soup.
Seeing the redness in his eyes, Feng Xingzhou asked, “Do you really have to go?”
“Yes.”
Setting down the bowl, Feng Xingzhou seemed like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent and left.
He found that he couldn’t understand Lu Jinghuan. Why did he always want to run off, and why did he like Xiao Heng’s child so much?
Why, in Great chu, did Lu Jinghuan not want to stay in Dayan?
The fickleness of youth, Feng Xingzhou self-mockingly thought. This was the first time he realized that there really was a nine-year gap between him and Lu Jinghuan.
Watching Feng Xingzhou’s figure disappear gradually in the sunlight, Lu Jinghuan lowered his eyes in sadness.
He had his luggage and escort prepared for the journey, and even the next day when he was ready to depart, he still didn’t see Feng Xingzhou.
The National Preceptor neither appeared nor tried to stop him from leaving.
Sitting in the carriage, Lu Jinghuan hesitated, instructing his attendants, “Let’s hurry and move a bit faster on the road.”
Then he told the palace attendants, “If the national preceptor inquires, say that I’ll be back very soon, in a month, no, in twenty days. If he doesn’t ask, then forget about it.”
In the past, Chu Zhaoyou had told him that the Regent threatened that he couldn’t have children, and it had deeply troubled him.
At that time, Lu Jinghuan couldn’t quite understand such a sentiment, but now he suddenly grasped it.
On the rooftop of a roadside tavern stood a figure in white. His countenance was tranquil, and he stood motionless for a long time. Suddenly, he snatched a horse from one of the guards and followed the Emperor’s carriage at a distance.
Feng Xingzhou remembered the first lesson he had learned from Xiao Heng—never leave his side.
“The carriage is going too fast. Instruct the driver to slow down,” Feng Xingzhou ordered.
Lu Jinghuan had a fragile frame, and the jostling of the carriage would make him uncomfortable.
Lu Jinghuan’s ears perked up when he heard Feng Xingzhou’s voice. He hastily pulled back the curtain of the carriage window and saw Feng Xingzhou riding behind.
His mood suddenly improved.
Lu Jinghuan sat back upright.
This journey was probably the longest period of silence between them. Feng Xingzhou, feeling uneasy, refused to soften, while Lu Jinghuan, harboring concerns, didn’t know how to broach the subject.
As they neared the capital of Great Chu, Phoenix probably recited the Qingxin scripture around eight hundred times. He finally came to terms with his thoughts and took the initiative to help Lu Jinghuan onto and off the carriage.
That night, they stayed at an inn, and Feng Xingzhou found himself sharing a room with Lu Jinghuan after a long time.
On the bed, Feng Xingzhou made Lu Jinghuan wonder if he had been a devout monk for eight lifetimes before just starting to indulge.
Although… he didn’t resist it himself.
But this time, Lu Jinghuan didn’t dare to let Feng Xingzhou come close, afraid of complications, so he claimed to be tired from the journey.
Feng Xingzhou’s attempt at reconciliation was rejected, leaving him so frustrated that he spent the entire night perched on the eaves, resembling a jade-carved Buddha, cold and aloof.
Lu Jinghuan called out several times for Feng Xingzhou to come down, but he was ignored.
Deciding to stay awake, Lu Jinghuan was actually quite nervous. He would finally see his master the next day.
He would soon know whether he was pregnant or not.
If he wasn’t pregnant and it was all just his paranoia… Lu Jinghuan buried his head in the pillow, worried about the mess he had created in his relationship with the national Preceptor, and how he would explain it to him!
At that moment, he didn’t even know what result he was hoping for.
…
Chu Zhaoyou was extremely surprised to see Lu Jinghuan again within half a year.
What kind of patience did Feng Xingzhou have to allow Lu Jinghuan to be away from home every day?
But as soon as he saw Lu Jinghuan, he immediately changed his mind and asked firmly, “Is he bullying you?”
“Where is my master?” Lu Jinghuan asked.
Today, Feng Xingzhou wasn’t speaking to him again!
“He’s at the medical hall,” Chu Zhaoyou said, suddenly nervous. “Are you intentionally looking for him? Are you feeling unwell?”
“I’m not feeling unwell; I just have a question I want to ask him.”
“I’ll take you there.”
The Regent glanced at Feng Xingzhou. It was quite rare; after several months, Feng Xingzhou, the National Preceptor, no longer resembled a monk tormented by love. This change was a relief to Xiao Heng.
“Are you having a disagreement?” Coming to ask Chu Zhaoyou to mediate?
Feng Xingzhou replied coldly, “No.”
Observing the situation, Xiao Heng earnestly advised, “I have a feeling that you’d better go and placate your Emperor right away.”
Though he didn’t know the specifics, when I smashed the crown in front of Chu Zhaoyou, my expression was just as impressive as yours.
Feng Xingzhou glanced at the Regent but didn’t take his advice.
Placating Lu Jinghuan? He had tried that long ago. If Lu Jinghuan wanted to run off to Great Chu, what could he do?
Upon seeing the divine physician and Chu Zhaoyou, Lu Jinghuan felt a peculiar sense of reassurance and distress.
He pressed his lips together and gathered his courage. “I’m useless; I can’t discern this pulse pattern. Please instruct me, Master.”
The old man extended his hand in confusion, reaching for Lu Jinghuan’s wrist—
Where was his knife?
He had just been cutting through iron like clay and digging up thousand-year-old elm roots with that hoe!
The divine physician went berserk on the spot, frantically searching for the knife. In the end, he grabbed a wooden pole and rushed out.
Chu Zhaoyou couldn’t stop him in time and turned to look at Lu Jinghuan.
Lu Jinghuan was stunned, and the divine physician’s reaction confirmed his suspicions.
Just as Feng Xingzhou caught up, he also realized something was amiss—Lu Jinghuan had headed straight for the divine physician as soon as he arrived, instead of going to see Xiao Xingxing.
“You, Feng Xingzhou!” the old man cursed vigorously, “I asked you to destroy the He Xin Gu, and this is how you destroy it?! Damn it! Were you planning to return to secular life long ago?! And here, my disciple thought you were doing it for him!”
“You’ve done it perfectly. How did the He Xin Gu end up on Jinghuan? Are you envious of them having a precious son? Saying one thing and doing another—was that how your master taught you to remove it?” The divine physician brandished the pole. “Now that he’s pregnant, are you happy?!”
Dodging two swings from the divine physician, Feng Xingzhou froze at the end, having taken a blow. He suddenly looked at Lu Jinghuan and finally understood why he insisted on coming to Great Chu.
Lu Jinghuan, with reddened eyes, avoided Feng Xingzhou’s gaze and subtly moved behind Chu Zhaoyou.
Xiao Xingxing was indeed very adorable. Could the national preceptor please like the child a little?
Feng Xingzhou opened his mouth. Why hadn’t he listened to Xiao Heng’s advice earlier?
What had he done? He had been distant from Lu Jinghuan the entire way.
Author’s note:
Chu Zhaoyou: I have some experience in causing late-night trouble that I’d like to share.