Chapter 75 Exposed

Chapter 75: Exposed

Wei Yan had just finished the ancestral rites and hadn't even had time to return to the palace when he heard a report from the Imperial Guards: the Empress had left the palace with the little prince and the wet nurses.

The messenger was Wei Ze'an. Wei Ze'an had just joined the Imperial Guards, and the duties that fell to him were naturally the undesirable ones.

Seeing him only made Wei Yan angrier. He seized on a pretext to punish him, then immediately ordered people to head straight to the Lu residence, deciding he wouldn't return to the palace that night.

Fortunately, there were no family banquet arrangements this year. The second day was light on duties, giving him plenty of time to figure out why Lu Jiming had left the palace overnight after giving birth.

Wei Yan pondered all the way in the carriage. Apart from the possibility that his memories from his past life had been exposed, he couldn't think of any other reason why Lu Jiming would leave the palace.

But... he had kept it hidden so well for so long. Why would it be discovered now, of all times?

Wei Yan believed he had always concealed it well. Even if he had occasionally slipped up and said something wrong, he had always managed to cover it up. It shouldn't have leaked out now.

When he arrived at the Lu residence, the main gate was tightly shut. Xue Jun went to knock, and after a long while, someone peeked out. It was Ning Zhifei.

If it had been an ordinary servant opening the door, Wei Yan would have ignored them and barged right in. But with Ning Zhifei coming out, Wei Yan had no choice. He could only ask, "What on earth is going on?"

"Your Majesty, I don't know either," Ning Zhifei shook his head. "Father called me to talk and suddenly said we should leave the palace together."

"How is he now?" Wei Yan asked again.

Ning Zhifei said, "He seems to be talking and laughing, but he's often distracted, I don't know why. Father just had the kitchen prepare dumpling wrappers and fillings, saying we should make dumplings tonight to make up for missing New Year's Eve."

Hearing this made Wei Yan feel even more puzzled. He made to step inside, but to his surprise, Ning Zhifei directly blocked him. "Your Majesty, Father said you cannot enter."

Wei Yan raised an eyebrow and patted Ning Zhifei's shoulder. "Good son, this is between me and your father. Don't get involved."

Ning Zhifei still shook his head. "Your Majesty, you know Father's temper. If Elder Sister were here, she wouldn't let you in either."

Wei Yan had no choice. He told Ning Zhifei to go back first and put in a good word with Lu Jiming. As soon as Ning Zhifei closed the door, Wei Yan called Xue Jun over. "Go to the Marquis of Cheng'an's residence and bring Yan Huai out."

Yan Huai was supposed to have gone home for the New Year last night, but because of the incident, he had stayed in the palace guarding Ning Zhifei. He had returned to the Marquis of Cheng'an's residence as soon as the palace gates opened this morning and was still at home.

The residences of high-ranking officials and noble families in the capital weren't far apart. Xue Jun brought him over in the time it takes an incense stick to burn.

"Go distract Ning Zhifei so I can enter the Lu residence," Wei Yan said to Yan Huai.

Yan Huai rubbed his chin, thinking and thinking, then seriously refused. "I don't think that's a good idea. The Empress forbade Your Majesty from entering. If I disobey the Empress today and take Zhifei away, tomorrow when you and His Highness make up, you'll both have it in for me and Zhifei.

"Better if I completely ignore you and turn around to go home. At most, you'll be displeased with me now, but it's the New Year, so you can't say much. In a few days when you reconcile, you'll think I was being smart."

The corner of Wei Yan's mouth twitched. He thought to himself, if you had this much sweet talk for Ning Zhifei, you would have won him over long ago. As it was, in your past life, you followed him around, and even when the kids were old enough to run errands, you still had no proper standing for half a lifetime.

"Am I that kind of person?" Wei Yan asked.

"You absolutely are," Yan Huai nodded.

"I, no, I, your Emperor, swear by my imperial title, alright? If you handle this properly, I absolutely will not cause you any trouble."

"Not just that. If I detain Zhifei today, not only can you not hold any grudge against me later, you also cannot criticize Zhifei for his actions today."

Wei Yan sighed and glanced at Yan Huai. Sometimes he really felt this kid was even more problematic than himself.

Wei Yan mimed kicking Yan Huai. "Why do you have so much nonsense to say, you brat?"

Yan Huai chuckled lightly, knowing Wei Yan had agreed. He immediately stepped forward and knocked on the door.

Ning Zhifei opened the door respectfully as before, about to speak, when his hand was directly grasped by Yan Huai.

Wei Yan clearly saw Ning Zhifei's ear tips immediately turn red upon realizing who was in front of him.

"Making dumplings tonight, can I join?"

"I'll have to ask Father."

"What, is the Empress much more important than I am?" Yan Huai spoke to Ning Zhifei, his tone practically changing, becoming extremely soft and slow. Wei Yan felt goosebumps listening to it.

In their past life, after Yan Huai and Ning Zhifei's relationship became public in the capital, the two were almost always in this sticky, lovey-dovey state... Wei Yan had wanted to avoid them back then.

Now, the annoyance from his past life surged back into Wei Yan's heart. He tsked and looked at Xue Jun.

Xue Jun smiled and whispered, "Does Your Majesty think you don't speak to His Highness in that tone?"

Wei Yan rolled his eyes. Nonsense. He was definitely not as mushy as Yan Huai.

Ning Zhifei was startled by Wei Yan's tsk and immediately put some distance between himself and Yan Huai.

The expression on Yan Huai's face faded a bit. "Do you dislike me?"

"No," Ning Zhifei quickly shook his head.

"Good Zhifei, listen to me," Yan Huai put an arm around Ning Zhifei's shoulder and whispered in his ear. "You can't stop His Majesty. His Highness knows you can't stop him either. There's no need to be so serious about opposing His Majesty. I'll answer to His Highness. When he sees both His Majesty and me are here, he naturally won't blame you."

Ning Zhifei hesitated, turning to look at Wei Yan. Yan Huai pressed his cheeks, turning his face back to face himself. "You don't know why His Highness is angry with Your Majesty either... The Lu residence isn't as warm as the palace after all. If they clear up their misunderstanding, His Highness can return to the palace sooner and suffer less from the cold, right?"

Ning Zhifei was completely swayed. Seeing this, Yan Huai pulled him aside and said to Wei Yan, "It's New Year's today. There will be fireworks in the capital later. I'll take Zhifei out for a stroll."

Right now, the Emperor and Empress were having a marital quarrel. He and Ning Zhifei naturally wanted to stay as far away as possible to avoid getting caught up in it again.

Wei Yan waved his hand, signaling him to leave quickly.

Yan Huai then pulled Ning Zhifei and vanished in a flash.

Wei Yan finally entered the Lu residence.

Once inside, he headed straight for Lu Jiming's courtyard and saw all the palace servants and wet nurses who served in the palace gathered in the yard.

Wei Yan swept a glance over these people. He was about to reprimand them but then reconsidered, thinking they were just following orders. He swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue, waved a hand at the servants who were about to bow, and directly pushed open the door, walking towards Lu Jiming's inner bedroom.

The bedroom door curtain was drawn. The charcoal fire kept the room fairly warm. Wei Yan lifted the curtain and entered, only to see Lu Jiming sitting on the small couch by the bed, his robe unfastened, feeding A-Luan.

Lu Jiming seemed to have known Wei Yan would come in. His expression was normal. He glanced at Wei Yan and then continued nursing the child.

Wei Yan let it pass. He went over and sat on the edge of the small couch, asking Lu Jiming, "Three wet nurses outside aren't enough? You need to feed him yourself?"

A-Luan was full now and yawned.

Lu Jiming picked up A-Luan and handed him towards Wei Yan, saying coldly, "Hold him for a bit. You must be quite regretful you couldn't marry him."

Wei Yan felt as if struck by lightning. Lu Jiming knew everything!

In his past life, he had hated A-Luan intensely. During the most bitter conflict with Lu Jiming, he had spoken recklessly in anger, saying A-Luan should enter the palace. If Lu Jiming was unwilling to submit to him, then he could become the father of the Empress.

Wei Yan had long known Lu Jiming held grudges, but he hadn't expected him to remember a single sentence for so long.

He naturally didn't dare take A-Luan. He shot to his feet. "You... how did you know?"

"Did you give him a name—A-Luan?" Lu Jiming cradled A-Luan back in his arms, rocking him to sleep. "What does 'Luan' mean?"

A-Luan had been born about half a month earlier than expected. Although Lu Jiming had taken good care of himself while pregnant, ensuring A-Luan was no longer as frail and pitiful as in their previous life, the child still appeared smaller and had less energy than a full-term baby.

Now, with a full stomach, A-Luan closed his eyes almost immediately and fell peacefully asleep.

Wei Yan lowered his head, thinking that he had indeed gotten too carried away yesterday and had called out A-Luan's name to the wet nurse. He had said it casually, without even noticing it himself, so it only dawned on him now when Lu Jiming mentioned it.

But Wei Yan felt relieved. Finally, he no longer had any secrets hidden from Lu Jiming.

"Luan... means I hope he grows strong and vibrant, like the goldenrain tree." The tree's fruits resemble flowers, yet they withstand the harsh autumn winds, lasting longer than blossoms.

"See? You really didn't know." Lu Jiming didn't press further. Instead, he asked, "When did you come back? And when did you find out?"

"Some time before you," Wei Yan admitted honestly. "I knew as soon as you returned."

"So our marriage... was never the State Preceptor's doing! How much have you been lying to me?" Lu Jiming's face was now clearly angry, but with A-Luan still asleep in his arms and people all over the courtyard outside, he forced himself to keep his voice down.

Wei Yan nodded resignedly. "Everything about the State Preceptor was a story I made up. Miss Zhao was also pardoned and sent back at my command."

"Why, Wei Yan?" Lu Jiming asked. If the seventeen-year-old Wei Yan, who knew nothing, had chosen him out of a momentary impulse, what about this Wei Yan here now?

This Wei Yan, who had experienced everything, seen through all his sincerity and pretense, endured abandonment and betrayal—why was he still standing here?

He didn't know why, but Lu Jiming's initial anger upon discovering the deception had faded, his eyes filled with deep sorrow.

"You know why, Xuping." Wei Yan reached out and gently brushed the side of Lu Jiming's face.

Lu Jiming simply looked up, staring numbly at Wei Yan. "Do you hate me?"

"Shouldn't I hate you?" Wei Yan retorted.

He was no saint. Lu Jiming had done too many things that trampled on his dignity and were unforgivable. Loving you had been too painful, so hating Lu Jiming was the only way to make himself feel better.

Lu Jiming's heart trembled. "I'm the one who wronged you."

He had spent the day at the Lu residence thinking, preparing many questions to confront Wei Yan—to ask if he enjoyed keeping him in the dark and toying with him, to ask what he was scheming for, step by step, to ask if all of this was meant to be his revenge.

But now, a thousand things he wanted to say stuck in his throat, and when he opened his mouth, all that came out was an apology.

No matter what, he was the one who had betrayed Wei Yan, the one who had left him first. He had brought it all on himself. If Wei Yan had any fault, perhaps it was only in misjudging him.

Wei Yan gripped Lu Jiming's upper arms tightly, speaking each word deliberately. "So heaven is punishing you by giving me back a lifetime with you."