Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The Emperor’s birthday banquet was usually prepared by the Ministry of Rites half a year in advance, but this time, as the occasion approached, the current emperor insisted on planning the menu himself.

Vice Minister of Rites Ruan Qing, after the morning court, took a brief rest before rushing to the Imperial Study. He carried the banquet menu draft in his arms, hoping the Emperor would give the final approval.

Lu Yuan stormed back from the Lu mansion, barreling forward, ignoring his guards and maids’ attempts to calm him, until he burst into the Imperial Study.

Fang Zhihe was discussing the name of the fourth dish with Vice Minister Ruan when Lu Yuan crashed in, his eyes red-rimmed, staring straight at his father. Fang Zhihe was stunned for a moment before instinctively calling out, “Crown Prince?”

Lu Yuan opened his mouth and wailed, sobbing with utter heartbreak.

Fang Zhihe looked at him in shock. Lu Yuan’s cries were truly heartbreaking. He got up from the low couch, rushed to Lu Yuan’s side, and clumsily wiped his tears, asking softly, “What’s wrong, my son?”

Lu Yuan was sobbing uncontrollably. Fang Zhihe’s heart ached with anxiety. He gently kissed Lu Yuan’s cheek and said, “Don’t cry, Xiaoyuan. Tell your father who bullied you?”

Lu Yuan choked out between sobs, threw his arms around Fang Zhihe’s neck, pressed his face to his chest, and cried, “Lu, Lu Wuyou! I don’t want him as my dad anymore! He’s a dummy!”

Fang Zhihe froze, then listened as Lu Yuan continued crying, “A brainless dummy! He actually went and found some tacky woman to be my mom! Boo-hoo, he said I look like her—then wouldn’t I look even more like you, Father? Ridiculous, boo-hoo… I don’t want this dummy as my dad…”

The Crown Prince’s words turned the nearby Vice Minister of Rites pale as a ghost. He didn’t dare look up, just bowed his head as if trying to bury himself alive. Fang Zhihe, however, had no time for him. His heart clenched with pain, a sharp wave of emotion washing over him. He kissed Lu Yuan’s nose once more and said softly, “Be good, my son. Don’t blame your father. He doesn’t know what I’ve done. Don’t be mad at him…”

Lu Yuan, still sobbing, clung tighter, letting out a few soft, childish whimpers.

Fang Zhihe patted his back, nuzzling his son’s fair little face, and couldn’t help but feel a spark of joy. So there was someone in this world who loved him after all… Lu Wuyou didn’t love him, but he had his son, and his son knew how to love and protect him.

He picked Lu Yuan up, turned, and sat back down on the low couch, and wiped the tears from the child’s face with a light smile. “You really scared me today, Crown Prince.” Then he looked up at the pale-faced Vice Minister Ruan.

The man trembled and quickly bowed, “The Crown Prince is young, so his temperament is naturally unsettled.”

Fang Zhihe said with a faint smile, “And yet, a crown prince shouldn’t have an unsettled temperament, should he?”

Ruan Qing froze on the spot, his face as white as the clouds. He stammered, “Your servant… was wrong.”

Seeing he’d scared the minister enough, Fang Zhihe raised his right hand and had someone escort the man out with the finalized menu.

The Imperial Study fell silent, leaving only the sound of wind rustling the paper by the window.

Only then did Lu Yuan realize his outburst had put his father in a bad spot, giving others ammunition for gossip. He hung his head in shame, feeling miserable. “Father, I was wrong.”

Fang Zhihe held him close, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “Wrong about what, my son?”

Lu Yuan said softly, “I shouldn’t have thrown a fit with you no matter the occasion. How can a ruler act like that?”

Fang Zhihe chuckled softly, pinching Lu Yuan’s cheek, and said cheerfully, “What I said to Vice Minister Ruan just now wasn’t to blame you—it was to curb his ambitions. Even though you’re the heir, you suffer a lot because of me. I feel guilty but helpless. For now, I can only take care of one problem at a time for you.”

Lu Yuan trembled, looked up at his father, and saw the worry and pity in his eyes. He bit his lip and choked out a few more sobs, “I am foolish to keep angering you, unaware of your true intentions.”

Fang Zhihe let out a soft sigh. At that moment, a feeling of relief enveloped him entirely. He hugged the child in his arms tighter, his heart softening into a puddle, and couldn’t help but sigh, “Having you, Father is truly fortunate.”

Lu Yuan’s tears hung on his lashes as he whispered, “Having you, I am also fortunate.”

The Emperor’s birthday was celebrated across the realm. In the palace, banquet after banquet was served—high-ranking officials sat inside, lower-ranking ones outside. Only one third-rank official was seated beside the Emperor. But he came late, arriving only after the feast had begun.

The Crown Prince was sitting with Qi Guan. Seeing the slow-moving figure, Lu Yuan frowned and was about to stand up, but Qi Guan pulled him back. “Your Highness, don’t cause trouble for His Majesty.”

Lu Yuan furrowed his brow as he watched the man take his seat beside his father. He was so handsome and imposing, yet he held his father in such contempt, making his father’s gaze seem so dim and lifeless.

He sat up straight again, hearing a faint voice carried on the wind: “Why so late?”

Lu Wuyou turned his face to look at Fang Zhihe, expressionless. “My wife was slightly unwell, so I was delayed.”

Fang Zhihe’s smile immediately faded. He frowned and said coldly, “Your wife?”

Lu Wuyou lowered his eyes to look at the dishes on the table. Every single one was exactly what he had liked before going on campaign—not a single mistake. “Yes. Didn’t the Crown Prince tell you yesterday, Your Majesty?”

His voice was flat, impossible to tell if he was joking or not.

Fang Zhihe felt a lump of anger stuck in his chest, unable to go down. He reached out and steadied himself on the edge of the table, softening his voice. “Yuntai, don’t be like this… You don’t like women, why drag her into it?”

Lu Wuyou found this somewhat amusing. He propped his head up, half-leaning on the table, almost maliciously teasing, “Then what about that time, Your Majesty, when you drugged me and arranged a woman to sleep with me—was that not dragging her into it?”

“I meant, if you don’t like her, why get entangled with her?” Fang Zhihe grabbed his sleeve.

Lu Wuyou said mockingly, “Your Majesty, I don’t like you either. So why do you still entangle yourself with me?”

The anger in Fang Zhihe’s chest surged wildly, churning through his internal organs.

Suddenly, he laughed, staring straight at Lu Wuyou’s mocking face, and said harshly, “Then what if I insist on entangling with you? What can you do to me?”

Lu Wuyou’s smile faded. He looked coldly at Fang Zhihe and said darkly, “Then what can you do to me?”

Fang Zhihe shook his head and kept laughing. “Nothing. But I can kill Fang Minshu.”

Lu Wuyou raised an eyebrow. “You could kill your own sister? That sounds like you.”

Fang Zhihe, always aloof, now let out a rare scoff and sneered, “Sister? Don’t insult me. I am ashamed of her!”

Lu Wuyou frowned slightly. “Why so?”

“Don’t mention her family!” Fang Zhihe felt nauseated with disgust. He didn’t even look at Lu Wuyou, turning his back and leaning heavily on the table, breathing hard.

Lu Wuyou hesitated for a moment, then reached out and pulled Fang Zhihe’s left hand. He caught a glimpse of Fang Zhihe’s right hand clutching his heart, trembling slightly. He asked quietly, “What’s the matter?”

“None of your business!” Fang Zhihe’s stomach cramped, and he was too irritable to continue talking. The oppression in his heart made him dizzy. He flung Lu Wuyou’s hand away and snapped.

Qi Guan hurried over. Lu Wuyou frowned tightly, unable to figure out what kind of tantrum Fang Zhihe was throwing. Besides, Fang Minshu’s family… was his uncle. Why was it so shameful to mention?

Qi Guan felt Fang Zhihe’s hand—it was icy cold. He crouched down, pulled the stiff hand away from his heart, and held it in his own. After checking his pulse, he relaxed slightly with concern, and said gently, “All for the sake of looking good—wearing so little.” He glared at Fang Zhihe, who was dressed in a thin, pale purple, shimmering robe. He was truly stunning, and Qi Guan’s fierce expression involuntarily softened.

Fang Zhihe was still too upset to recover. He complained, “It hurts so much… Why do you always harp on my clothes? Just give me something to stop the pain.”

Qi Guan said irritably, “If you look at Lord Lu less, your heartache will naturally heal.”

Fang Zhihe fell silent again. At that moment, Lu Wuyou interjected, “Lord Qi is right.”

Fang Zhihe turned back to glare at him. Qi Guan, having made himself unwelcome, bowed and withdrew. Lu Wuyou looked at Fang Zhihe innocently, only to be cursed at: “Dream on! I will pester you forever. If you dare marry that woman, I’ll make sure you never see my son again!”

Nearby, Lu Yuan sneezed several times. He quickly raised his wine cup to cover his face, afraid any minister might see him.

Qi Guan found his expression amusing and whispered, “Your Highness, don’t bother hiding. It’s His Majesty who’s embarrassing himself.”

Lu Yuan said gloomily, “Father is so trapped by the word ‘love’…”

Qi Guan took a sip of wine and smiled. “Let him be. If he saw through it, he’d have nothing left to cling to. Not seeing through it doesn’t matter much.”

Lu Yuan paused, looking up at Qi Guan’s jaw as he drank, faintly lit by the daylight. He blinked and studied Qi Guan’s features closely.

Qi Guan turned back to look at him, beaming. “Your Highness, what is it?”

Lu Yuan shook his head and looked into the distance at Lu Wuyou, who was putting food onto Fang Zhihe's plate. He was stunned for a moment.

Fang Zhihe took a sip of soup, and Lu Wuyou put a piece of meat into his bowl. "Eat."

Fang Zhihe ignored him, so Lu Wuyou put a vegetable into his bowl. "Eat."

So he bowed his head and ate. Finally, he lifted his head to look at Lu Wuyou. "Take a wife?"

Lu Wuyou glanced at him. "Your Majesty is so imperious. Your servant wouldn't dare."

Fang Zhihe stared at him blankly for a moment, then suddenly let out a chuckle. He was absolutely overjoyed. His eyes curved slightly with laughter, like a bridge over the moat, adorned with rays of daylight, like starlight.

Lu Wuyou was dazed for a moment.

He couldn't help tugging at the corner of Fang Zhihe's robe.