Qin Yuanxi wanted to create a surprise.
The grand wedding plans had just begun to take shape when the Ministry of Rites hesitantly proposed a timeframe. Before the specific date was determined, the officials of the Ministry of Rites couldn’t wait any longer. They chose several potential dates and hastily drafted several memorials, sending them straight to Qin Yuanxi’s study.
It was quite a coincidence.
These past few days, the little crown prince had just started to walk, captivating Qin Yuanxi. He spent his days cuddling and playing with his son, unintentionally neglecting some of his official duties. Entrusting a substantial portion of the state affairs to Lu Bohuan was a demonstration of adeptness in personnel management—a critical skill for an emperor. After all, he couldn’t handle everything himself; otherwise, he might just wear himself out, being the emperor and all.
Consequently, the daily routine in the study shifted. Qin Yuanxi found himself holding children’s educational storybooks, the ones he personally crafted for his son. He’d narrate tales to his child while Lu Bohuan assisted by handling memorials. Whenever a crucial matter arose, the two would talk and figure out solutions together—although most of the discussion consisted of Lu Bohuan grilling Qin Yuanxi.
Initially, Qin Yuanxi wasn’t entirely accustomed to this arrangement. Lu Bohuan used to be his teacher, and now he was practically examining his work. It felt a bit awkward at first, but after a few instances where Qin Yuanxi couldn’t come up with answers and Lu Bohuan teased him a bit, that uneasiness vanished entirely.
Lu Bohuan now wasn’t the former Prince Lu, with his icy demeanor, nor was he as reserved as General Zhao Tuo. He possessed Prince Lu’s refinement and General Zhao’s considerate and honest nature. Additionally, he could help manage court affairs. Qin Yuanxi couldn’t be more content.
However, being too content could lead to smugness. Qin Yuanxi’s laxness resulted in the Ministry of Rites’ wedding selection papers carelessly ending up in Lu Bohuan’s hands.
Initially, Lu Bohuan paid little attention to them. It wasn’t until he flipped through the documents that he realized they were from the Ministry of Rites. Sensing a potential issue, he hesitated momentarily, considering cooperating with Qin Yuanxi’s plans. He pretended ignorance and deliberately placed the papers within the stack that Qin Yuanxi supposedly intended to examine, even positioning them at the top. If Qin Yuanxi wanted to see them, he’d undoubtedly stumble upon them first.
As a result, Qin Yuanxi was engrossed in playing with Xiao Bao for quite some time. The young one was quite clingy to his father. By the time Qin Yuanxi managed to break free for a moment to review the documents, it was already late. Even if it was just a small stack, there wasn’t enough time to finish reading through. Thus, it was split in half again and handed back to Lu Bohuan.
Lu Bohuan: “… How about we switch? You handle these, okay?”
Qin Yuanxi, engrossed with a vermilion pen, without lifting his gaze: “No need, it’s fine like this.”
His strokes were as if guided by some higher force, appearing entirely immersed in work. Lu Bohuan wanted to say more but witnessing Qin Yuanxi’s guilty look made him wonder if he had misjudged the situation.
Could it be that he knew the wedding selection papers were among these, deliberately handing them to me? Is he expecting me to pick the date?
Lu Bohuan’s thoughts were a mystery to Qin Yuanxi. His feeling of guilt stemmed from neglecting his duties by indulging in playing with his child instead, shirking off work to Lu Bohuan. He couldn’t reconcile with it. Moreover, when distributing the memorials earlier, Qin Yuanxi pulled a little trick, apparently slipping a few extra documents into the stack for Lu Bohuan.
Well, being someone favored by another, laziness now seemed acceptable. Seeing Lu Bohuan’s question, Qin Yuanxi assumed Lu Bohuan had discovered his unfair distribution of the memorials. How could he not feel guilty?
“Me make the decision?”
Lu Bohuan held the pen, scrutinizing the dates, and asked Qin Yuanxi once again.
Qin Yuanxi was firm: “Of course! You’re my future empress. We’re a unit. My opinion is yours. What’s the fuss? It’s not the first time. Feel free to make the decisions. No worries. Let’s finish this and hit the hay. We’ve got an early court session tomorrow. Ah, so tired.”
Lu Bohuan gazed at the dates on the documents. They were all favorable dates, any could suffice. He had some personal preference and after pondering, he finally settled on a date closest in time.
As he circled the date with the pen, he realized he was more eager than he’d expected.
A grand wedding, it’s wonderful. From now on, we’re a family.
Due to a twist of fate, the wedding date got fixed for the 16th of April. Once the Ministry of Rites confirmed this, they promptly submitted another memorial to the Emperor. This time, the memorial wasn’t mixed up; it was hand-delivered by the Vice Minister of Rites himself.
Considering this to be a nailed-down matter, he hoped to personally deliver it to the Emperor to receive praise. After all, this was a joyful event. Anyone could see the Emperor’s emphasis on the matter, a plum position earned after a bitter struggle in the Ministry.
However, when Qin Yuanxi opened the memorial, he frowned disapprovingly at the Vice Minister: “Is the Ministry of Rites getting lazier? Didn’t I ask for options when selecting the date? You’ve just handed over a single date. What if I dislike it or if this date isn’t suitable? Or do you suggest that after the onset of spring, there’s only one good date, and all other times are unsuitable for marriage?”
It wasn’t harsh, but it certainly conveyed the Emperor’s dissatisfaction.
The Vice Minister of Rites started trembling: “Isn’t this the date Your Majesty chose?”
Where did it go wrong?
“Don’t you recall, Your Majesty?” The Vice Minister cautiously reminded him, “The Ministry of Rites proposed around ten dates for Your Majesty’s consideration. Your Majesty circled the 16th of April with a vermilion pen. Could it be a misunderstanding? Your Majesty didn’t intend this day?”
Goodness, if that were the case, this assignment would be a disaster!
If even the Emperor could make a mistake in choosing the wedding date, what use was the Ministry of Rites? They might as well return home and farm sweet potatoes!
The Vice Minister of Rites shuddered, wishing to disappear on the spot. This was everyone’s responsibility; he was just delivering a message. Should he bear this blame?
He felt caught in a dilemma, contemplating retreat to his hometown. He didn’t dare make a sound, fearing this incident would ruin his career.
“I chose it personally?” Qin Yuanxi furrowed his brow, sensing something amiss.
“On the memorial?”
“Yes,” the Vice Minister of Rites replied honestly, fearing any misunderstanding.
“Which day was it?”
“The memorial from just two days ago.”
Qin Yuanxi recalled the incident, his expression turning somewhat strange.
A couple of days ago, he had been lazy, passing all the memorials to Ah Tuo for approval. Part of it was genuine laziness. He enjoyed the feeling of being indulged when not dealing with urgent matters—a sense of being cared for and loved.
Moreover, ever since he discovered the inner struggle within Lu Bohuan, he knew that while Lu Bohuan didn’t express it, there was some discomfort within him. State affairs were a double-edged sword for him, as Lu Bohuan had the capability, but it also mattered deeply to Qin Yuanxi. He wanted to offer Lu Bohuan a different experience in this regard.
After all, things are different now. He was working for his wife and children. He couldn’t help but feel content about it, right?
Who would have thought that a simple act of laziness would lead to such a significant oversight? No wonder Lu Bohuan had been acting oddly when approving the memorials that day, asking several times. Now, thinking back, who knew what was going through that fellow’s mind!
His carefully planned surprise had prematurely tripped before it even started.
Such a pity. What to do now?
“Your Majesty, about this wedding date…”
Seeing the change in the Emperor’s expression, the Vice Minister, trembling with fear, dared to ask: “Should it be changed?”
“No need. Let it stay as it is.”
Regretful as he felt, this wedding date was personally chosen by Lu Bohuan. What did it imply? It meant that Ah Tuo also looked forward to their wedding, that Ah Tuo liked this date. Though there might have been a slight mishap in the process, as long as Ah Tuo liked it, nothing else mattered.
So, what if the surprise wasn’t executed perfectly? Since the cat’s out of the bag, why not plan another one?
Qin Yuanxi quickly composed himself. When he returned to the bedchamber, Lu Bohuan was playing games with the little prince. The young crown prince was at that age where everything was delightful. Not only was Qin Yuanxi unable to resist playing with him, but Lu Bohuan also found himself increasingly captivated by the joy of raising the child.
The little one, still a bit unsteady on his feet, held onto a small wheeled toy horse that Lu Bohuan had crafted for him, allowing them to move together. In the grand hall, the child giggled, holding the toy horse in one hand and his father’s hand in the other.
The little guy was thrilled at the sight of Qin Yuanxi entering. Having surpassed the stage of recognizing people, he knew these were his parents and babbled happily, calling out “Ba Ba.”
However, Lu Bohuan thought it was inappropriate, preferring a more formal address: “Call him ‘Father Emperor.’ Come on, ‘Fa-ther Em-per-or.'”
Still, the child continued with “Ba Ba.”
Qin Yuanxi chuckled, “He’s still so young to say ‘Father Emperor.’ It’s tough for him, don’t tease my son. Come here, son, come to Daddy.”
“Ba Ba,” the child repeated cheerfully.
“My son is so clever.”
After hugging his son and giving him a big kiss, Qin Yuanxi looked at Lu Bohuan briefly but then averted his gaze, taking hold of his son’s little hand and addressing him, “I have something to tell you.”
“You have something to tell me, don’t look at the little one, look at me,” Lu Bohuan said, puzzled. “Why? Can’t say it while looking at me?”
“No,” Qin Yuanxi stammered. “Well, it’s about the wedding. You already know?”
“Didn’t we discuss it in the court session?” Lu Bohuan restrained his smile, realizing Qin Yuanxi had noticed he had set the wedding date.
“Forget already? During the morning court, you proposed to me, and I agreed.”
“Isn’t it?” Qin Yuanxi squirmed for a moment but confessed honestly, “Well, it’s just that, I wanted to surprise you at the wedding, so I had people quietly prepare for it. I didn’t expect the Ministry of Rites to mess up and send the wedding date selection documents to you, thus, revealing the surprise.”
Qin Yuanxi sounded deeply remorseful, “My surprise is ruined now that you know. Since you’re aware, I wanted to ask, do you have any preferences regarding the wedding? Anything you desire, just tell me. If it’s within my capacity, I’ll fulfill it for you.”
“Was it the fault of the Ministry of Rites then?” Lu Bohuan asked with a teasing smile, “Wasn’t it someone’s laziness that passed all the memorials to me?”
“That’s not important!” Qin Yuanxi interrupted, “Selecting the wedding date is crucial and should have been personally handed to me. It was their oversight in their work, so let’s let it go this time.”
“You haven’t said yet. Hurry, tell me if you have any requests.”
Lu Bohuan glanced at the sparkling glint in Qin Yuanxi’s eyes and placed his hand over the little prince’s hand. Sensing this as an invitation to play, the child instantly grabbed Lu Bohuan’s finger, gleefully babbling.
Lu Bohuan smiled softly, “I have none. Your Majesty granting me the Queen’s position fulfills all my wishes in this lifetime.”
“You’re too easily satisfied, aren’t you?”
Taking the child in his arms, Lu Bohuan replied casually, “No, I have many desires, but Your Majesty has already fulfilled them.”
The child babbled incoherently, seemingly happy despite not understanding the adults’ conversation, wanting to join in.
“Don’t say it’s Xiao Bao, he’s mine!”
Qin Yuanxi eyed Lu Bohuan warily. He gave birth to his son, and this kind of talk with another father was very annoying to Qin Yuanxi. If Lu Bohuan dared to say such things again, Qin Yuanxi might end up soaking himself in a barrel of vinegar.
“What nonsense are you talking about? You are my treasure. With you, I am completely satisfied.”
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
