Chapter 58: A-Lin

Chapter 58: A-Lin

This question also caught Zhao Ping off guard.

She knew all along that the little tyrant couldn't wait for her royal brother during the pregnancy, and the childbirth was excruciatingly painful, so there must have been a great deal of resentment. But she didn't expect the couple's disagreement to reach such a serious level that the little tyrant didn't mention a word about the little prince to her royal brother.

She looked up at the puzzled Lu Changping, then down at the wriggling little bundle in her arms, feeling torn.

The story of A-Lin's birth must not be disclosed by her, but standing before her was her own flesh and blood; how could she deceive her brother? After much thought, Zhao Ping decided to gently guide her smart brother towards the answer.

She hinted slowly, "This child is named Xie Zhao Lin, A-Lin is just his milk name. Despite his young age, my sister-in-law dotes on him a lot. Once North Wei is completely peaceful, he will be named the Crown Prince."

Saying this, Zhao Ping looked up at her royal brother, trying to make him realize on the spot that A-Lin is indeed his biological son.

However, upon hearing this, Lu Changping turned even paler and even instinctively distanced himself from the baby.

He sighed softly, his usually clear and bright eyes clouded with desolation, "There are so many good names in the world, why did he have to choose this one?"

Zhao Ping didn't understand her brother's dissatisfaction with the name and couldn't help but ask, "Is A-Lin's name not pleasant to hear? 'Ruling over the world, with all nations coming to court.' I remember, brother, you came up with it yourself back in South Chu. Why are you dissatisfied now?"

Seeing his sister happily holding the child, with the tyrant also appearing very affectionate towards the little bundle, Lu Changping felt an indescribable bitterness. He himself had chosen the name, perfectly content in his heart. But "Zhao Lin" was supposed to be for the child he and the tyrant had together...

Now, with the tyrant's unexpected loss of their child, this little infant named "A-Lin" must have been adopted from the North Wei royal family by the tyrant, longing for a child.

This situation was all too familiar to him. The previous emperor of South Chu had done exactly the same, adopting him and Zhao Ping as siblings out of grief and disillusionment after losing his loved ones.

In times of sorrow, one instinctively seeks a spiritual anchor, and clearly, this adorable little bundle before him has become Xie Xuan Yuan's new emotional solace.

Lu Changping likes children, but the thought of the tyrant ruthlessly draining him before turning around to adopt someone else's child made him feel overwhelmingly wronged. Yet, with the situation as it is, seeing both the tyrant and his sister doting so much on A-Lin, he could only force a smile.

"The emperor has no dissatisfaction, just a bit surprised. The child is indeed adorable, and it's good that you all like him."

He said these words nonchalantly, not expecting Zhao Ping's little bundle to quickly notice his presence and start reaching out to him with chubby arms, wanting to be held.

Lu Changping’s long lashes fell as he looked towards A-Lin, who was eagerly trying to get closer, but his body remained motionless. Maybe inheriting his biological parents’ unknown qualities, A-Lin appeared soft and lively, an inherently lovable child.

Watching, Lu Changping felt a sourness he couldn’t ignore. Did the little tyrant not trust his capability, fearing he could no longer "sow seeds"?

Having spent days and nights with A-Lin, Zhao Ping knew the child’s preferences like the back of her hand. Seeing her brother standing stiffly, not actively engaging with his son, she set down the drum in her hands and spoke for A-Lin, "It's his first time meeting the emperor, and he already wants to be held by him."

Lu Changping was still reluctant, not wanting to embrace his little rival, but couldn’t resist his sister’s persistent urging. Reluctantly, he extended a slender, fair finger, half-heartedly touching A-Lin’s soft cheek.

Seeing her brother not catching on, Zhao Ping felt anxious and hinted further, "Emperor, look at A-Lin. Not only does he resemble you, but he also specifically enjoys your company. Your connection is indeed not shallow."

"Like me?" Lu Changping’s gaze flickered, his smile light and indifferent, "This is the bloodline of the North Wei royal family, how could he resemble me?"

Despite his words, he couldn't help but lower his gaze to seriously examine the little bundle’s yet undeveloped face.

Truth be told, A-Lin indeed looked very handsome. Although still very small, his skin was soft and white like tofu. Not only was he fair-skinned, but he also had long, curly lashes that framed a pair of beautiful brown-grey eyes.

Seeing this, Lu Changping felt the little bundle bore no resemblance to himself, but rather seemed to share some features with the tyrant.

Perhaps… this was the inherited beauty of the North Wei royal family?

Maybe it was because he thought the child bore some resemblance to himself that Xie Xuan Yuan brought him into the palace to raise as his own son.

Lu Changping silently constructed a whole narrative, even figuring out how to gently persuade the tyrant to return the child to his biological parents if they ever came forward.

So lost in thought was he that the finger teasing A-Lin had stopped moving, resting absentmindedly next to the swaddle.

For some reason, this little dumpling was full of curiosity towards him, a stranger with no blood relation. Taking advantage of the moment Lu Changping was deep in thought, his fingers became A-Lin's new toy, soon drenched in the baby's saliva.

By the time His Majesty Lu realized something was amiss, it was too late. His fingertips, soaked with the wet saliva of a human cub, hung in mid-air, unable to be retracted.

Zhao Ping watched his royal brother frantically search for a handkerchief on himself and couldn't help but laugh unkindly, "Royal brother, why do you disdain A-Lin so? Be careful, or A-Lin's other father might hear of this and decide to punish you."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Lu felt even more aggrieved. He wiped his fingers clean with the handkerchief and, in a fit of resignation, rolled up his sleeve to reveal several bite marks on his arm that had yet to fade, resigning himself to his fate:

"It's not like I haven't been punished before. If punishing me really calms him down, then let him do as he pleases."

Zhao Ping's gaze followed the rolling up of the sleeve, noticing the bite marks in various shades of depth on the smooth, lean arm of her brother, vividly alive.

Just one glance was enough to conjure images of intimate, passionate moments between the sheets.

This was hardly punishment; it was clearly a way of craving her royal brother's body!

Zhao Ping's cheeks flushed, and she quickly averted her gaze, asking softly, "Then... did your sister-in-law forgive you after the punishment?"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Lu's expression turned even more aggrieved, "No. I was taken advantage of for nothing."

Zhao Ping couldn't help but laugh at her brother's words, struggling to suppress a smile, trying to sound sympathetic, "Do not lose heart, royal brother. It's said that sincerity can move mountains. Keep trying, and your sister-in-law will eventually soften."

As she spoke, she glanced around. Noticing that the maids who had been playing with A-Lin had discreetly left, she quietly tugged at Lu Changping's sleeve, whispering, "Royal brother, has your sister-in-law really never revealed anything about A-Lin's origins?"

Emperor Lu wondered why his sister always brought up A-Lin, as if the shock of suddenly becoming a father wasn't enough of a blow.

He sighed helplessly and answered truthfully, "Of course, she hasn't mentioned anything. Ever since I arrived in Beiwai... I've been busy repaying debts."

In front of his sister, he tried to phrase things more delicately.

However, Zhao Ping, having read many stories, understood all too well that there are various ways to repay debts, not just through traditional means like life for a life or repaying money owed but also through less orthodox methods.

Such as... bodily repayment.

Seeing the faint dark circles under her brother's eyes, Zhao Ping immediately realized that the tyrant of Beiwai had chosen the latter for her brother.

Watching his sister's gaze shift from initial sympathy to a meaningful look, Lu ChangPing wished for a crack in the ground to swallow him whole.

He awkwardly turned his head away, attempting to change the subject, "The Emperor is fine, Zhao Ping, don't overthink it. Weren't we just about to talk about A-Lin? From whom was A-Lin adopted? Did his biological parents agree to this? If they truly cannot part with the child, then we should return A-Lin to them."

Listening to this series of clueless questions, Zhao Ping couldn't help but feel anxious for her royal brother. She couldn't understand why, in a moment of folly, her brother was convinced that A-Lin wasn't his own son!

Taking a deep breath, she was about to properly enlighten the Emperor on behalf of her sister-in-law and A-Lin when someone beat her to it, angrily retorting, "A-Lin is my son, what right do you have to send him away?"

Before the words had even settled, Xie Xuan Yuan had entered the heart of the pavilion. He had just come from the court, still dressed in his dragon-patterned ceremonial robe with gold threads.

The ceremonial robe was still of the solemn and somewhat conservative high-collared, long-sleeved design, but a jade belt around the waist outlined a slender figure, inevitably drawing one’s gaze to his fine waist.

Before the Emperor had time to admire the tyrant’s figure, the latter had already approached him, seizing his wrist with an air of confronting the accused:

"I had thought that after so many years as the Emperor of Nan Chu, you would possess the grace of a mother to all under heaven. Yet, to my surprise, you are so prone to jealousy that you cannot even tolerate a child of a few months!"

With nowhere to retreat, Lu Changping was pressed against a pillar in the heart of the pavilion by the advancing tyrant, the bruises from vigorous exercise on his back aching under the pressure.

A few months ago, he was the favored Noble Consort Lu in the Northern Wei harem, but now he had become the malicious and jealous Empress Lu. Though his status had risen, he had “fallen out of favor.”

The fallen Empress Lu frowned slightly, looking sorrowfully appealing: "Now that you have a child, have you grown tired of me?"

At these words, Zhao Ping felt a chill. She had made a mistake, a real mistake, by occasionally sharing those melodramatic tales with her brother. Now, he had adopted that all-too-familiar tone of a deeply aggrieved woman of the inner palace.

Yet, what was more astonishing was that her sister-in-law played along perfectly. Grabbing her brother's wrist, she pulled him up and said with a cold laugh, "You wish for me to grow tired of you, so you can return to Nan Chu and continue being Emperor? Wishful thinking! Don’t forget, you still owe me a debt."

Xie Xuan Yuan wasted no more words, dragging his Empress Lu towards the direction of the Zichen Palace. Lu Changping only struggled symbolically for a moment before resigning himself to follow the tyrant’s steps, half-push, half-pulled.

Zhao Ping even noticed a hint of a helpless yet indulgent smile on her brother's lips as he was being dragged away.

However, not long after, Xie Xuan Yuan seemed to remember something, turning back.

He took A-Lin from Zhao Ping’s arms, cradling him for a long time with an expression of rare peace and tenderness. Not only that, but he also inquired in detail about A-Lin’s feeding and sleeping schedule, already the epitome of a qualified dad juggling state affairs and childcare.

Lu Changping watched as A-Lin effortlessly regained ground from him, for the first time deeply questioning his own appearance.

Didn’t one of Zhao Ping’s tales say that handsome men were a disaster, leading nations astray?

Why did the brother of the South Chu's most beautiful woman end up losing to a drooling toddler?

Author's note:

Sorry for the wait, everyone. I was working on a paper and presentation last week, so there were no updates.

Red envelopes will still be dropped as compensation in this chapter~