Chapter 062

Chapter 062

Chu Yin had no confidence in her own physical stamina or endurance.

"Can't Your Highness just let things happen naturally? And why the rush for a child now?" She didn't understand Lu Jingzhao's decision.

He wanted to become closer to her in that moment, more inseparable, and perhaps having another child was a way to do that.

"You're unwilling?" he asked.

It's not that she's unwilling...

She just really couldn't bear it anymore.

Chu Yin said, "Let go of me, I want to show you something..."

He was puzzled but complied.

First, she covered herself with a quilt, then sat down facing him, revealing her sore knees: "Look..."

Two bright red spots, the result of kneeling.

He was silent, wanting to rub them, but then remembered the issue with the chief eunuch and raised his eyebrows, "Are you struggling with this?"

What did he mean by that? Chu Yin widened her eyes, "Do you expect me to break my knees first? Are you that heartless?" She couldn't believe it, her eyes reddening, "You don't care at all if I'm in pain!"

She felt so wronged and couldn't help but accuse him.

His heart softened immediately, he embraced her and gently massaged her knees, "It's not that I don't care... Okay, I'll be more mindful next time."

"You said you'd be careful before," she almost shouted, her voice quavering, "Can't you keep your word?"

“……”

It seemed she had been harboring this dissatisfaction for quite some time.

Seeing him pursing his lips, his expression inscrutable, Chu Yin felt she might have spoken too loudly. But sometimes he really was excessive, almost rendering her unconscious, something he never did before.

"I'm not blaming Your Highness, it's just that... you have exceptional talents, and I am truly of no use."

Hearing those words, Lu Jingzhao couldn't help but laugh.

Her cuteness was truly irresistible at times.

"Next time, I'll definitely be more careful," he promised, "and won't hurt you."

"And it shouldn't last too long, too long."

He negotiated, "Does that mean we can do it more frequently?"

Chu Yin: "..."

After this conversation, they seemed to forget about the matter of taking a concubine, and fell asleep in each other's arms.

Because her knees were still swollen, Chu Yin couldn't practice her exercises and spent the morning making paper horses for her son.

She specifically called her son and daughter to watch.

Lu Zhe was thoroughly impressed, "Mother is so skilled, you really learned it... Can you teach me?"

"Of course," Chu Yin asked a maid to fetch some paper.

The two children joined their mother in paper folding.

Chu Yin instructed her son, "Don't let your third uncle fold anything for you again. If you want horses, mother will fold you ten, even dozens, understand?"

"What about folding other things?"

"Your mother will learn those in time. Can't you wait for me?" she pouted.

Pouting worked even on her son.

Lu Zhe's heart melted, "Alright, I'll wait for Mother."

While the three were engaged in paper folding, Lu Jingzhao was seeking an audience with Emperor Jianxing.

Unexpectedly, Emperor Jianxing refused to see him, sending He Zhong to convey, "His Majesty says not today."

It was unclear when it would be possible.

Lu Jingzhao frowned, tempted to force his way into the Qianqing Palace.

He suppressed this impulse and turned to leave.

When Empress Jiang heard about this, her first impulse was to take a knife and slay her husband.

Fearing she might faint from anger, Nurse Chen hurriedly gave her a heart-relieving pill.

"It's not settled yet, it might not be true."

Empress Jiang, clutching her chest, cursed, "That damn scoundrel! Jingzhao and Ah Yin are so in love, how can he bear to separate them? It's bad enough that he indulges in his own lusts, but why force Jingzhao to follow his example? When will this damn man finally..."

Nurse Chen, startled, covered her mouth, "Your Majesty, please refrain from such impulsive words!" How could she curse the emperor to die?

Empress Jiang continued to mutter curses under her breath.

Nurse Chen whispered, "You should consider the Crown Prince's position. Even if a concubine is taken, it's not a great loss for him. As long as the bond between the Crown Prince and his wife remains strong, a concubine is merely for show. But if you anger His Majesty, and he deposes the Crown Prince for Prince Jin, do you understand the consequences?"

Being deposed as Crown Prince is worse than being a vassal king; one might be imprisoned for life, or at worst, executed.

Empress Jiang abruptly fell silent.

How could she not understand? If she didn’t, she would have long stopped bothering with her husband, refusing to see him again, even if it meant being sent to a nunnery!

"Alas, poor Ah Yin," Empress Jiang wiped her eyes, "Even if Jingzhao doesn’t touch those concubines, it’s still disgusting, what is Ah Yin to do?" She had suffered the same fate, unable to hit or scold, else be labeled petty and intolerant.

"Great figures often overlook minor matters. You needn't worry about the Crown Princess. If Your Majesty could endure, surely the Crown Princess can too, right?"

Empress Jiang stood up, "Should I go and persuade him?"

Nurse Chen pulled her back, cautioning, "Your Majesty, please don't go. What could you say? Besides, if the Crown Prince hasn’t seen His Majesty, how could you?"

The Empress tends to lose control of her emotions easily. What if she starts berating the emperor?

Empress Jiang sighed deeply, leaning back in her chair, "Am I to do nothing?"

"Your duty is to take good care of yourself for the Crown Prince."

Empress Jiang sighed again.

Hearing about the Crown Prince’s search for a concubine, Lady Chu had a sleepless night. With her son participating in the imperial examination, she dared not mention a word, fearing it would distract him. Seeing his mother distressed, Chu Ge threw himself even more into his studies.

The news spread, and Tang Feiyan, staying indoors, also heard it from her mother.

"Oh my, Big Brother is actually taking a concubine. Poor Sister-in-law, such a bitter fate, even more bitter than coptis!"

Hearing her exaggerated words, Lu Jingchen punctured her pretense, "You must be secretly delighted, right? You've been waiting for this day."

“……”

She couldn't deny feeling a bit of schadenfreude, but remembering Chu Yin’s kindness last year, she pouted, "Husband, why do you think so poorly of me? I'm sympathizing with Sister-in-law, lamenting for her! But she and Big Brother have always been loving, so why would he take a concubine without reason? Do you know any hidden reasons, husband?"

Lu Jingchen replied, "I don't know."

He actually knew the truth but didn’t want to speak ill of his father.

Tang Feiyan was oblivious to this, and changed the topic to her second uncle and aunt: "Shameless people, they heard Big Brother was taking a concubine and tried to push a distant relative into the Eastern Palace. They bribed a servant with silver, but ended up being thrown out. It’s hilarious!"

Aside from the powerful noble families, which other family wouldn’t want to climb the ranks through the Eastern Palace? Either way, they don’t lose out; if the concubine gains the Crown Prince's favor, they benefit. If not, there’s no harm done. Therefore, He Zhong and other servants in charge of selecting candidates became targets for bribery.

Lu Jingchen thought of Chu Yin’s gentle and kind demeanor and sighed quietly to himself.

Why on earth does Father want to bestow a concubine?

Similarly, Lu Jingrui was also puzzled.

He folded a lion to give to Lu Zhe.

Chu Yin led Lu Zhe out to meet him: "Third brother, thank you for your efforts."

It was a light yellow lion with a wide mouth, mane, limbs, and tail, all impeccably detailed, more lifelike than a lion made of snow in winter. Lu Zhe examined it curiously, "Uncle, how did you fold this? This lion looks so majestic!"

Chu Yin was also curious about Lu Jingrui’s skill: "Who did you learn this from?"

"Big Sister-in-law knows about my injury before. A retainer saw me idling at home, recovering, and folded paper to entertain me. Although I didn’t learn from him at the time, I remembered the techniques."

The retainers from Qingzhou weren't servants, so they definitely didn’t accompany him to the palace.

Were they handling affairs outside on his behalf?

Chu Yin recalled that he indeed had several trusted followers.

"Where is that retainer of yours now, third brother? Since you learned from him, he must be even more skilled at paper folding, right?"

"I'm not quite sure. When we moved to the capital, many servants were dismissed by Father, and he was among them."

Chu Yin took note of this.

At this moment, Lu Zhe said, "Uncle, Mother can fold horses now, too. She made me a pair!"

Lu Jingrui expressed surprise, "When did Big Sister-in-law learn that?"

This boy is really nothing like Lu Jingzhao; the older he gets, the more he talks. Chu Yin said to Xiao Dou, "Take Zhe inside."

Grateful for Chu Yin's previous help, Xiao Dou immediately carried Lu Zhe away, ignoring his protests to continue talking with his uncle.

"Your hand hasn’t fully healed yet, and I'm worried Zhe might ask you to fold something else..." Mainly, she was concerned about their growing closeness. Chu Yin said with a smile, "Next time, don’t just agree so readily. Zhe can be quite persistent."

His brother was being forced to take a concubine, yet his sister-in-law still cared for his hand. Lu Jingrui felt a warmth in his heart, "I’m fine, but Big Sister-in-law, you..." He paused mid-sentence.

She looked at him, puzzled.

He suddenly didn’t know how to offer comfort. He couldn’t just say, “Don’t be upset about Big Brother taking a concubine.”

He struggled to find the right words.

Even someone usually adept at disguising emotions can have moments of awkwardness.

"How did Big Sister-in-law learn to fold paper?" He changed the subject.

"I saw how much Zhe and Zhen enjoy it, so I decided to learn and fold for them. Flowers and such are easy, but other things are hard. I haven’t quite figured out the trick yet."

"If Big Sister-in-law really wants to learn, I can teach you."

The young man smiled gently, his peach blossom eyes like a rippling spring lake.

This was clearly an attitude reserved for someone close.

Chu Yin instinctively refused, "No need, your hand is injured, it's best to move it less." But as soon as she spoke, she regretted it. Wasn't she trying to expose him? Wouldn't learning from him provide a better opportunity?

But then she wondered, what was he really up to? Why did it seem like he was no longer hiding his injury?

Could it be that he would one day claim to be fully healed?

Why?

Unaware of her thoughts, Lu Jingrui, seeing her concern for his hand, smiled even more sweetly, "Big Sister-in-law, folding paper really doesn’t affect my hand, you don’t have to worry about me like this. Actually, folding paper is quite simple, you just need to..."

Chu Yin ended up learning the tricks.

Watching the young man's departing figure, Chu Yin remained lost in thought for a long time.

…………………………

After failing to see his father several times, Lu Jingzhao this time intercepted him on his way back from the morning court.

In the morning light, Emperor Jianxing leaned out of his palanquin, "You still haven’t given up?"

"I want to know the reason," he said, making no move to step aside.

Emperor Jianxing got down from the palanquin and took him into the Qianqing Palace.

The freshly poured pine needle tea had a fragrant aroma.

Lu Jingzhao sat upright without touching the tea, repeating, "I want to know the reason."

"I’ve told you, I hope for you to have many children and grandchildren," Emperor Jianxing slowly sipped his tea, "What’s the matter? Can’t you understand? Are you really planning to be so lovesick?"

"Lovesick?" Lu Jingzhao replied calmly, "I'm not refusing to take concubines solely for Ah Yin's sake."

Emperor Jianxing was taken aback: "Not for her?"

"No, I would not take concubines regardless of whom I married."

“……”

This answer was unexpected yet somehow anticipated.

Emperor Jianxing’s fingers caressed the tea cup, falling into silence.

"Can Father tell me the real reason why I must take concubines?" Lu Jingzhao sought to understand the underlying intent, asking once more.

Unexpectedly, Emperor Jianxing let out a scoff, "You hate me, don't you?"

"You refuse to take concubines not for Ah Yin, I understand now. You’ve always harbored hatred towards me."

He had thought the child merely didn’t love him, but Lu Jingzhao’s staunch refusal to take concubines suggested something different.

The father and son had never touched upon this matter in twenty years, but now that his father brought it up, he was not unwilling to discuss it.

"I harbored resentment before," Lu Jingzhao confessed candidly, "Not just towards you, but also towards Mother. I resented her for not seeing through things, for not understanding, for insisting on loving you. Back then, I was too young to understand many things, but I believe no child would not yearn for a complete family in their youth."

But now he had grown up, and he harbored resentment towards no one. He simply desired a complete family of his own.

Emperor Jianxing's fingers tightened abruptly.

The tea cup nearly shattered.

"Didn’t you feel the same in your youth, Father?" Having spoken so much, he decided to say it all.

The hall fell into utter silence.

Through the drifting smoke from a distant incense burner, Emperor Jianxing’s gaze passed through the intricately carved window lattice, traveling back in time, seeing himself forty years ago...

He was just five years old.

He often clutched his mother’s hand, asking, “When will Father come again? He always says tomorrow, but he never comes!”

His father, the emperor, whom he rarely saw.

His mother spent her life waiting, dying alone in her solitude.

Long-forgotten memories suddenly flooded his mind.

Emperor Jianxing’s hand trembled, spilling the tea cup onto the table, tea splashing out.

The sound of dripping echoed in their ears.

Glancing at his son, Emperor Jianxing said, “You may leave.”

His voice carried a hint of weariness.

Lu Jingzhao rose to take his leave.

Emperor Jianxing took out a handkerchief to wipe the table.

The hot tea cooled quickly in the early spring chill, the cloth quickly soaking through, chilling his fingers.

He had completely forgotten his younger self, who yearned for his father's frequent visits, to see him and his mother, who longed with hope. He had wanted his father to love only his mother, but eventually, he forgot all that, becoming exactly like his father.

But his eldest son had not forgotten.

Emperor Jianxing remained motionless for a long time.

After two days, he ordered He Zhong to halt the selection of concubines.

Not for his eldest son, but for his grandchildren.

The two children were happy now. As their grandfather, shouldn't he refrain from disrupting their beautiful childhood?

Chu Yin was greatly surprised when she heard the news.

"Your Highness, did you say something to Father?" she asked.

He hadn't expected this outcome either; he didn't think his words would have such an effect, but he had spoken without fear.

Some things must be confronted.

The twenty years of estrangement between him and his father.

However, he couldn't bring himself to share this conversation with Chu Yin.

He also felt there was no need to tell her about his childhood.

The past was past, and he was no longer the person he used to be.

"It has nothing to do with me. Father must have come to his own realization."

Unsure of the truth, but Chu Yin genuinely breathed a sigh of relief, "Now I don’t have to worry about arranging living quarters for those concubines or explaining to Zhe and Zhen. It was truly difficult."

"Is that all you were worried about?" he lifted her chin.

Given his feelings for her now, Chu Yin believed he would not approach those concubines, but what about the future...

Suddenly, she wasn't so sure anymore.

Everything changes, but would Lu Jingzhao really remain constant?

Perhaps in the previous life, it was only after her death that he remained devoted to her, but what about this life? If she survived that ordeal, there would eventually come a time when she aged. Would Lu Jingzhao always love her?

She felt a bit shaken.

Chu Yin wrapped her arms around his neck, "Of course, there are other worries too, like fearing that Your Highness might be tempted by others one day."

Of course, he wouldn't, but he enjoyed hearing Chu Yin say so.

Embracing her slender waist, he laid her on the couch.

Seeing the fire ignite in his eyes, Chu Yin bit her lip, "Your Highness, don’t you have a lecture to attend? Can't it wait until tonight?"

"Didn’t we agree on more frequent occasions?"

"...I never agreed to that."

"Your silence is taken as consent."

“……”

How can someone be so shameless!