Chapter 85

Chapter 85

Chen Mingzhou’s visit to the palace this time brought not only paintings for You Nan but also a large fur ball made from 007’s shed fur.

Russian Blue cats shed heavily, and even though 007 was a System, it couldn’t escape its natural instincts.

Chen Mingzhou personally groomed the little cat, which was deeply loved by You Nan, every day, collecting all the shed fur and rolling it into a ball.

Over time, the fur ball grew so large that You Nan couldn’t even hold it with one hand.

“It’s so big. How am I supposed to take this back?”

You Nan was troubled; he really liked this large fur ball.

He leaned in close and took a sniff, indeed catching that enchanting cat scent unique to 007.

It was so enticing it almost made his cat cravings act up.

Chen Mingzhou kept his gaze fixed on You Nan. “I do have a method, though it might seem a bit too forward with the Crown Princess.”

“What?” You Nan looked up in confusion at his words and met the man’s gaze.

You Nan’s heart tightened. Before he could react, his body was suddenly lifted into the air. He let out a startled cry, instinctively wrapping his arms around the man’s neck.

His eyes widened. “*You!*”

*How dare you!*

The next moment, he was carried as he vaulted over the palace wall in the man’s arms.

“If the Crown Princess wishes to let others know, I wouldn’t mind if you cried out to attract their attention.”

Hearing the laughter in the man’s voice, You Nan clamped his mouth shut and said no more.

But nestled against him, his heart raced uncontrollably, pounding so hard it felt deafening.

You Nan was worried the other might hear it.

Chen Mingzhou was incredibly fast. In just a few breaths, he had brought You Nan back to the Eastern Palace from the palace banquet.

You Nan’s feet touched the ground, but he was still dazed.

His eyes held surprise; he hadn’t expected this Chen Mingzhou to be trained in martial arts.

The full moon hung in the sky, its light washing softly over the earth and illuminating the man’s face.

You Nan finally got a clear look at his features.

The more he looked, the more puzzled he became.

Chen Mingzhou really resembled his son.

Especially his eyes and brows—they were like a full-grown version of his cat.

Thinking this, You Nan attributed his stir of emotion upon seeing the man to how much he resembled his son.

It was precisely because of the resemblance that he felt such a sense of closeness.

You Nan didn't overthink it.

There was no time to waste; he had to hurry and avoid being discovered.

You Nan immediately ran back to his chambers, carefully hiding both items.

Then he rushed back out.

Just as promised, the man was still waiting for him at the door.

Hearing his footsteps, the man turned around. His handsome, gentle face looked especially captivating under the moonlight, and his deep, soulful eyes were enough to drown anyone in their depths.

“Let’s go,” Chen Mingzhou approached You Nan.

You Nan bit his lip, allowing the other to hold him once again, then went stiff in the man's arms.

The moment Chen Mingzhou left after bringing You Nan back, the palace maid from the Eastern Palace, who had been searching everywhere for You Nan, tracked him down.

“Crown Princess, where did you go earlier? You frightened me half to death.”

The senior palace maid said worriedly, shaking out a cape and draping it over You Nan’s shoulders.

You Nan stood obediently. “I was just taking a stroll around here.”

Seeing him unharmed before her, the senior palace maid breathed a sigh of relief. “If the Crown Princess wishes to take a walk in the future, even if you don’t call for me, it’s best to bring someone else along.”

You Nan meekly accepted the correction: “I understand.”

.

After the palace banquet, the Third Prince’s faction began making moves in the court. All the adult princes above the Sixth Prince had formed their own factions.

They aimed to usurp the Crown Prince’s power bit by bit during his absence.

However, the court wasn’t just dealing with factional struggles.

The rebel armies, which had been causing turmoil since the founding of the nation, began resurfacing.

You Nan didn’t even need to ask around to learn about this.

Even the eunuchs in the Eastern Palace would gossip about it from time to time.

Currently, the two most influential rebel armies were in the south.

Under the banner of “Restoring the Legitimate Lineage and Expelling Foreign Slaves,” they were marching north.

Even scholars and poets recognized only the south and west as the legitimate rulers.

The current northern regime was of foreign bloodline, not of their Central Plains bloodline.

The common people acknowledged southern authority but not northern.

This infuriated the Song State royal family. The Emperor raged in court, ordering generals and princes to lead campaigns, representing the imperial family to quell the rebellions.

Three generals were dispatched, but the selection of which prince would lead the campaign caused arguments in the court for several days. Eventually, the task fell to the least favored Fifth Prince.

The Third and Fourth Princes had mothers who enjoyed imperial favor and were naturally unwilling to let their children risk their lives.

So they pushed the powerless Fifth Prince forward to take his older brothers' place and possibly die in their stead.

You Nan was a little concerned upon hearing this.

He had heard that the rebel armies were advancing alarmingly fast.

The areas along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River would surrender on the spot and open their gates as soon as the rebel army passed through.

Even in the Central Plains region, there were rumblings of support for the rebel forces.

The rebel army's push north picked up speed.

You Nan was only worried about how to protect himself and his child if the rebel army reached the capital.

Anxious, You Nan began actively seeking out news of these developments.

Two weeks after the army set out, news of the war returned to the palace along with Fu Lingtan himself.

Fu Lingtan's safe return brought a smile to the emperor's face, but the subsequent news of the fifth prince's death in battle sent shockwaves through the entire court.

Before You Nan could hear more from the senior maid, he heard the eunuch at the door loudly announce, "Announcing the Crown Prince!"

You Nan's heart leaped into his throat. As he watched the man approach, he found it hard to even muster a smile at the corners of his lips.

He simply couldn't bring himself to smile.

The mere thought of Maomao made it a miracle that You Nan hadn't tried to fight Fu Lingtan.

You Nan rose to his feet and, along with the servants behind him, started to bow to Fu Lingtan. "I pay my respects, Your Highness."

Fu Lingtan reached out and held You Nan's arms, preventing him from bending further. "Rise."

You Nan could feel the other's scorching gaze fixed on his face, but he pretended not to notice.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Fu Lingtan took You Nan's hand, and the two sat down together on the chairs. "How are you feeling?"

The senior maid answered on You Nan's behalf: "The Crown Princess's health has been better lately."

Fu Lingtan understood the implication behind the senior maid's words.

During his time away, he had made sure to stay updated on the palace happenings.

Naturally, he knew about Consort taking away You Nan's child.

Fu Lingtan knew Consort well—she was inherently proud and unlikely to commit such an act within her own palace. It was more probable that she had been framed or falsely accused.

But Fu Lingtan had no intention of delving deeper.

After all, he didn't care for that child. If it was gone, so be it.

At least this way, You Nan wouldn't direct his hatred and grief over the child's loss toward him.

Noticing that You Nan remained silent in response to his subsequent questions, with only the senior maid answering, Fu Lingtan knew You Nan was in a foul mood.

He, who had repeatedly promised to send the child out of the palace, had still become the target of You Nan's resentment.

Fu Lingtan felt a twinge of regret.

If he had known the child would be taken by another's plotting, he wouldn't have brought it up with You Nan in the first place.

Fu Lingtan waved his hand, dismissing the senior maid.

The senior maid glanced at the Crown Princess, then at the Crown Prince. Seeing no reaction from the Crown Princess, she reluctantly withdrew.

Fu Lingtan noticed the silent exchange between them.

"It seems her loyalty now lies entirely with the Crown Princess, as if I no longer exist."

It was the first time Fu Lingtan had been disregarded by a subordinate—openly protecting You Nan right in front of him.

The feeling was unfamiliar, but not at all unpleasant.

You Nan raised a hand to his forehead, a look of weariness on his face. "You must be joking, Your Highness. The senior maid is your servant—how could she possibly overlook her true master?"

The curve of Fu Lingtan's lips vanished.

He didn't like this sharp-tongued version of You Nan.

"You resent me?" Fu Lingtan pressed his lips into a thin line, his face expressionless.

If his subordinates or others saw him like this, they would likely drop to their knees trembling, begging for mercy.

Unfortunately, he was facing You Nan, who was emboldened by his favor.

You Nan now understood Fu Lingtan's unresolved feelings toward him.

Facing Fu Lingtan now, he felt not the slightest fear.

He deliberately aimed for the most sensitive spots.

You Nan closed his eyes and admitted outright, "Your Highness is very perceptive."

Fu Lingtan's hands in his lap unconsciously clenched into fists. "Do you truly care for that man?"

The "that man" Fu Lingtan referred to was Maomao's biological father.

You Nan didn't answer.

In truth, he had no idea who Maomao's father was.

Just then, a face flashed through his mind—swiftly, but he caught it immediately.

A tremor ran through You Nan, and he gritted his teeth without making a sound.

But this reaction, in Fu Lingtan's eyes, was tantamount to confirmation.

Fu Lingtan's gaze darkened instantly.

During his time away, he had often thought of You Nan. He'd heard that You Nan had been wronged and bullied in the palace, crying bitterly until his health suffered.

He had immediately accelerated the disaster relief efforts.

On the way, he had even clashed with a rebel army.

He had fought tooth and nail, fighting his way back to return alive.

"Why stay silent? Did I guess correctly?"

Fu Lingtan rose and walked over to You Nan. He braced his arms on either side of You Nan's chair, trapping him between the seat and himself.

You Nan immediately turned his head away, refusing to look at him.

But the man grabbed his chin firmly, not allowing him to evade.

"Since you are already my crown princess, you can belong to no one but me."

"In life, you're mine; in death, you are my ghost. Even if I die someday, you'd better give up any thought of running away."

Fu Lingtan returned in a rage. His eyes fixed on You Nan's rosy lips, and his eyes flickered uncontrollably.

By the time he realized what he was doing, he had already leaned in, his breath ghosted over the corner of You Nan's mouth.

You Nan's chin was flushed red, marked by the red imprint of his struggle to break free from Fu Lingtan's grip.

Fu Lingtan did not manage to kiss You Nan's lips, only managing to brush the corner of his mouth.

Fu Lingtan's gaze darkened.

With the court and the rear palace in disarray, once all the rebel forces in the Song State were suppressed, it would be time for them to have a son.

You Nan was sent into a panic by Fu Lingtan's sudden move, his eyes widening unconsciously.

He hadn't expected Fu Lingtan to just kiss him like that, without a word. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and stopped him.

You Nan's heart pounded like a drum, and it took him a good while to recover.

"Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence in the Hall of Mental Cultivation," a young eunuch called out from outside.

Hearing the noise, Fu Lingtan did not turn his head.

He continued to stare intently at You Nan, his voice so soft that only the two of them could hear.

"My brothers are all incompetent, unable to quell a mere band of rebels. It's left to me to clean up their mess. I'll probably have to leave the capital any day now."

Hearing this, You Nan grew more alert.

He sensed that nothing good would follow.

Sure enough, the next moment, Fu Lingtan spoke again.

"Originally, I had planned to wait until the rebellion was suppressed before getting you with child. But the wait is too long. Since I have some free time these days, we might as well start now."

"Once the crown princess is pregnant and has a new child, that should make you happy, shouldn't it?"

Fu Lingtan met You Nan's gaze as he spoke.

You Nan's heart raced with panic. Staring directly into the other's eyes, he saw no hint of jest in Fu Lingtan's expression.

Fu Lingtan truly meant what he said.

You Nan's heart instantly plummeted into an ice-cold abyss.