Chapter 73: Visitor from the Isle

Chapter 73: Visitors from the Island

In the late afternoon, Rong'er woke up from his nap. Zhu Yunxuan took him out by the hand. The child was full of energy and always wanted to play, finding joy even in digging for seashells with his wooden bucket and small shovel by the shore.

Liang Zhen was occupied with matters at the military camp, leaving only father and son. Rong'er crouched on the ground, digging in the sand, while Zhu Yunxuan sat nearby, enjoying the sea breeze and sunshine. When the little boy was delighted with his findings, he would run back, bucket in hand, and show off his treasures with a grin.

"Daddy, look! Father said this is a starfish. I just found it. I'll give it to you."

Rong'er held the item out for his father to see. The five-pointed golden starfish was beautiful and still alive. The child was fearless, eagerly asking Zhu Yunxuan, "Daddy, isn't it pretty?"

"It is, thank you, my good baby." Zhu Yunxuan affectionately tapped his son's nose before taking the item and setting it aside. He then wiped the child's hands clean with a handkerchief.

The child wrapped his arms around Zhu Yunxuan's neck, lifting his head to give him a loud kiss on the cheek, his eyes crinkling into a smile.

Zhu Yunxuan's lips curved upward slightly as he praised his son with a smile, "Good baby."

As father and son laughed together, a ship was docking at the distant pier. Zhu Yunxuan caught sight of it, a seemingly unremarkable fishing boat. It was still early, not yet the time for fishing boats to return to the island. Nonetheless, he couldn't help but take a closer look.

Upon recognizing the attire of the people disembarking from the boat, Zhu Yunxuan's pupils constricted, and his gaze gradually turned cold.

"Daddy, what's wrong?"

It was only when Rong'er nudged his arm that Zhu Yunxuan came back to his senses, his expression softening as he gently stroked his son's head. "Nothing, go back to playing."

Three people had disembarked from the boat. Despite the distance, Zhu Yunxuan could still identify them at first glance. Their attire and style were strikingly similar to those of the remnants of the previous dynasty that the Quanzhou naval force had captured before. He also recognized one of the men who had come to greet them at the dock; he was a trusted subordinate of Liang Zhen, whom Zhu Yunxuan had encountered on the ship to the island.

After landing, the group got into a carriage, heading in the direction of the military camp behind the mountain.

Watching them disappear into the distance, Zhu Yunxuan withdrew his gaze, lowering his eyes in deep thought for a moment before softly scoffing.

Rong'er tugged on his sleeve, whispering, "Why hasn't Father come to play with Rong'er today?"

Zhu Yunxuan gently squeezed his hand, soothing him, "Be good, my child. Father is busy. When he has time, he will come to play with Rong'er."

The child threw himself at him, "Daddy, can we play here all the time?"

"Play here all the time?" Zhu Yunxuan chuckled, teasing his son, "Don't you want your Big Daddy and Father anymore? Didn't you cry last night, wanting to see them?"

The little one pouted, then proposed, "Then let's bring them here to play with us too! And Brother Yuan Bao and Ming'er!"

"You're too optimistic," Zhu Yunxuan gently hugged the child and sighed. "There aren't many days left. Perhaps we'll be returning soon."

The child blinked innocently. "But Rong'er likes it here. Every day is so much fun."

Zhu Yunxuan kissed him on the forehead. "Our Rong'er is destined to be the crown prince. You can't just think about playing. When we go back, you'll have to study."

At the military camp.

They were led into the tent, where Liang Zhen had tea served to them. He smiled subtly while observing them. The trio before him was also very proud, watching him with caution. The leader among them asked, "Where's Rong Cheng?"

"Uncle Rong has been unwell lately and is unable to receive guests. My surname is Xiao, and I have the authority to make decisions on this island," the man said politely.

The other party responded coolly, "If you invited us here, it must be for some purpose. There's no need to beat around the bush. Just come straight to the point."

Liang Zhen smiled and replied, "The emperor of Great Yan is currently missing, and I'm aware that you've allied with the Javanese barbarians, planning to seize the opportunity to invade Great Yan. What I seek is quite simple – I also wish to share in your spoils."

The other person narrowed their eyes and scoffed, "Share in the spoils? What makes you think you're qualified?"

Unfazed by the mocking tone, Liang Zhen spoke calmly, "Given Uncle Rong's close ties with your people, you should be aware why the inhabitants of this island are here. My father was forced into exile for nearly three decades, and I too was persecuted by the emperor of Great Yan, leading me to flee here. Since the emperor has shown us no loyalty, we can't be blamed for returning the favor. You must have seen our fleet when you arrived; though modest in size, it possesses considerable combat strength. Moreover... the emperor of Great Yan is currently in our custody. Is that enough leverage?"

Listening to the end, the expressions of the three men on the opposite side finally changed. After whispering among themselves, the leader, suppressing his excitement, asked, "The emperor of Great Yan is in your hands? Words alone won't do; do you have any proof?"

Liang Zhen casually picked up a jade waistband from the table and tossed it over for them to inspect. This was the one Zhu Yunxuan had taken off when he first arrived on the island. "Take a good look. This is an engraved dragon-patterned jade waistband that only the emperor of Great Yan can wear. We kidnapped the emperor ourselves."

Upon seeing what Liang Zhen had thrown over, a gleam appeared in their eyes. "Hand over the emperor of Great Yan to us! Everything else can be negotiated!"

"That won't work," Liang Zhen replied with a smile, declining their offer. "The emperor of Great Yan is our only bargaining chip. If we give him up, there's nothing left for us. The foreign tribes want to gain the upper hand in trade with Great Yan, while you want to disrupt the borders of Great Yan. Your insiders in the court will incite chaos and promote the ninth prince, who has ties with you, as the new emperor. Am I right?"

Not waiting for their rebuttal, he continued, "What we want is simple – wealth and benefits. As long as you can satisfy us after the deed is done, the current emperor of Great Yan will be of no use, and we'll hand him over to your disposal."

"... How do you know about the ninth prince?" Their guard heightened, they ground their teeth in suspicion.

With the sun setting, Liang Zhen finally appeared by the seaside. Zhu Yunxuan was in the water, picking up something, the sea level already reaching his calves. Rong'er stood on the shore, watching eagerly but hesitating to approach, his eyes reddening from holding back tears.

The tide was beginning to rise, yet Zhu Yunxuan remained in the water, bent over in search of something. The incoming waves were imminent, and Liang Zhen's heart raced upon witnessing this. He yelled at him, "A Xuan, come back quickly!"

Anxiously, he kicked off his shoes, ready to go in. Zhu Yunxuan straightened up and waved at him. "Don't come over, it'll be done soon."

"Hurry up! The tide is rising!"

Moments later, Zhu Yunxuan held up the starfish he had caught with one hand, proudly waving it at the shore where Liang Zhen and a worried Rong'er stood. His smile, illuminated by the setting sun, outshone even the golden starfish in his grasp.

Liang Zhen called out to him again, "Come back now!"

Upon returning to the shore, Rong'er rushed towards him, hugging his father's thigh as tears that had been held back streamed down his face. "Daddy! Waaah..."

Zhu Yunxuan showed him the captured starfish. "Don't cry, I caught another one for you, didn't I?"

"I don't want it anymore, waaah..."

Zhu Yunxuan squatted down, coaxing his son with a smile. "Good boy, Daddy is fine. Don't cry anymore."

Liang Zhen frowned and asked, "What were you two doing?"

Zhu Yunxuan explained helplessly, "He dug up a starfish himself earlier, but it slipped away when he wasn't looking. I promised to catch another one for him, but I didn't expect the tide to rise so quickly."

Liang Zhen was momentarily speechless. "...Don't do that again. If you want to catch more starfish, we can come back tomorrow. Let's go, let's head back."

Zhu Yunxuan said embarrassedly, "My shoes are wet..."

Initially, he had waded into the water with his shoes on, only realizing he should remove them after they were soaked. Now, with bare feet on the sandy ground and wet pant legs, he awkwardly squatted there, devoid of any imperial dignity.

The anger that had arisen from his worry instantly vanished. Liang Zhen knelt down in front of him, rolled up his pant legs, and chuckled softly, "I used to hear people say that His Majesty was the naughtiest prince in the palace when he was young. I thought it was just a rumor, but now I believe there might be some truth to it."

Zhu Yunxuan's gaze wandered for a moment. "I wasn't that bad."

"Come on, let me carry you."

Zhu Yunxuan didn't protest further. He watched Liang Zhen turn around and obediently climbed onto his back, wrapping his arms around Liang Zhen's neck. The child, still with teary eyes, looked at them. Liang Zhen playfully patted his chubby cheeks and said, "Alright, no more crying, or you'll become a sobbing mess. Father is fine, let's go back."

Liang Zhen lifted Zhu Yunxuan onto his back. Rong'er picked up his small bucket and, looking down at the starfish Zhu Yunxuan had just placed inside, he smiled through his tears. Holding tightly onto the hem of Liang Zhen's clothes, he followed along, his steps bouncing along with theirs.

With a little one by his side, Liang Zhen slowed his pace. The sunset had dyed the entire sea a reddish hue, and the sea breeze grew stronger. The waves behind them surged forward relentlessly. Zhu Yunxuan lowered his head and gently rubbed against Liang Zhen's neck.

Liang Zhen chuckled softly. "Tired?"

Zhu Yunxuan didn't reply. After a moment of silence, he hesitantly asked, "What did you do all day today?"

"His Majesty mentioned earlier that those on the island could return. They've made up their minds and are willing to submit to Great Yan. There are just some matters that need attending to."

Liang Zhen's tone was light, as if they were discussing daily affairs. Zhu Yunxuan's lips curled slightly, his eyes darkening as he asked, "Then when will we go back?"

"Do you wish to return, A Xuan?"

"We agreed on half a month earlier…" Zhu Yunxuan didn't continue. They had been back from Rainbow Island for several days, yet no one had brought up the topic of returning. It was because they all knew that once they went back, it would be difficult to have such carefree and unrestricted times again.

"His Majesty has already promised to make me Empress. I don't mind when we return. But let's wait a bit longer. Rong'er likes it here, doesn't he? Let him enjoy himself here for a few more days. Just a few days won't make much difference."

Liang Zhen spoke with a hint of laughter. Zhu Yunxuan listened quietly, then lowered his head, nuzzling against him affectionately. "Mm."