Watching the unwavering look in Prince Lu’s eyes, Yan Shaoning couldn’t help but feel a bit worried, a faint unease creeping over him. His understanding of Zhao Tuo was not as deep as his knowledge of Prince Lu, primarily because he hadn’t had many opportunities to interact with General Zhao.
Although Prince Lu held a high position, Yan Shaoning felt he had some personal bond with the Regent Prince. However, when it came to General Zhao, he truly had none.
Despite Prince Lu’s words claiming that Zhao Tuo and he were the same person, Yan Shaoning didn’t see it that way. In his view, General Zhao was evidently more difficult to approach, possibly due to differing self-definitions. General Zhao was also more cautious, even towards someone like Yan Shaoning, who clearly understood Prince Lu’s condition, had never had a real chance to get to know Zhao Tuo, let alone understand him.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to; it was simply that he hadn’t had the opportunity.
Regarding Prince Lu’s statement about Zhao Tuo’s friendship with Emperor Qin Yuanxi outside the palace, Yan Shaoning maintained a skeptical attitude. He expressed his concerns to Prince Lu, emphasizing the unpredictability of Zhao Tuo, but Prince Lu remained steadfast.
“I understand myself well; nothing will go wrong,” Prince Lu declared.
Yan Shaoning bit his lip, wanting to say that Prince Lu might not understand himself as well as he thought. If he did, what need would there be for General Zhao?
But he didn’t dare say it. Uttering those words would be like poking a tiger’s behind. While Prince Lu showed him some favor due to his status as a physician, it didn’t mean Yan Shaoning could act recklessly.
“Since the Prince has decided, I will do my best,” Yan Shaoning replied.
Trained under Master Xiu Han, Yan Shaoning possessed not only exceptional medical skills but also knowledge of unconventional methods. Prince Lu’s current condition could be likened to a dual existence, and awakening General Zhao would not be an easy task. First, Prince Lu had to be willing to let him emerge, and then General Zhao himself needed a strong desire to come out.
The first point was relatively achievable, but the second posed a challenge. General Zhao did as he pleased and would come out when he felt like it. He wouldn’t give any advance notice. Moreover, he had already been out for quite a while before and might remain dormant for a long time this time.
Getting him to emerge would require some effort.
Yan Shaoning stayed in the Moonlight Pavilion for three days, and each night, after Lu Bohuan had fallen into a deep sleep, he attempted to hypnotically awaken him, trying to rouse General Zhao within. However, all his efforts proved futile. After several failed attempts, when Yan Shaoning was on the verge of breaking down, he had a bold idea.
Staring at the deeply sleeping Prince Lu on the bed, Yan Shaoning felt his palms sweating. He cleared his throat, swallowed his saliva, and after a long while, he finally spoke in a hushed voice, “General Zhao, do you know that His Majesty has been pregnant for over a month now?”
Yan Shaoning didn’t quite understand why this thought had occurred to him, but judging by Emperor Qin Yuan’s pulse, it was evident that the child had been conceived outside the palace.
Since His Majesty is pregnant, it means that during his time outside the palace, he must have been intimate with a man. But who could this person be? Who might it be? And who else could it possibly be?
Yan Shaoning lightly patted his own head, looking at the still-sleeping Prince Lu with his sharp brows and starry eyes. He felt a bit anxious. If he dared to think like this, what about Prince Lu? Could he have thought of the same thing?
Because he had thought of it, that’s why he urgently wanted to summon Zhao Tuo. Was it really to investigate the truth, or was there some other purpose?
After saying this, Yan Shaoning broke into a cold sweat. If it was true that Prince Lu had taken advantage of Emperor Qin Yuanxi outside the palace, he hadn’t even had time to consider the consequences. He saw the person on the bed slowly open their eyes, and Yan Shaoning’s breath involuntarily caught. It wasn’t until he saw the icy aura in those eyes, mixed with the smell of blood from the battlefield, that he realized his neck was being tightly grasped. He felt that he might die right there in the next moment.
“General, please, let’s talk,” Yan Shaoning struggled a bit. When he thought he might die here tonight, Zhao Tuo released his grip, radiating a chilling atmosphere, and sat up on the bed. Then he glanced around.
As soon as he stood up, he walked straight out. Yan Shaoning was still coughing, trying to catch his breath. When he noticed that Zhao Tuo was going directly to Emperor Qin Yuanxi’s sleeping quarters, he had originally planned to follow, but his steps abruptly stopped.
Rubbing his neck and feeling the lingering pain, Yan Shaoning couldn’t help but feel that something was off.
He had no substantial interaction with General Zhao. If Zhao Tuo had simply strangled him, Yan Shaoning wouldn’t find it strange at all.
After all, his appearance here at this late hour was suspicious in itself. Being by someone’s bedside in the middle of the night was bound to raise questions.
But General Zhao quickly restrained his killing intent. Yan Shaoning hadn’t even had a chance to say anything; he merely begged for mercy. Zhao Tuo didn’t even bother to listen to his explanation and just let him go.
Yan Shaoning touched his neck and clicked his tongue.
It seemed that General Zhao knew more than they did.
Emperor Qin Yuanxi had been under soft confinement by Prince Lu for several days now. He had no idea what Prince Lu had in mind. Besides the daily meals, Prince Lu hadn’t even glanced at Emperor Qin Yuanxi, as if he intended to forget him there.
Unable to figure out Prince Lu’s intentions, Emperor Qin Yuanxi didn’t trouble himself either. He simply ate and slept every day and read his books. The story had reached its most thrilling point. The notorious pirates, originally planning to rob the imperial tribute, were inadvertently entangled in a major corruption case within the court. The imperial tribute was merely a pretext, and the pirates, in order to save their own lives, had no choice but to escort the tribute all the way north.
The plot was incredibly gripping, almost as engrossing as when he used to stay up late reading novels during his school days.
At this moment, he had reached a crucial point in the plot when suddenly he heard a muffled noise – the sound of a door opening.
With a swift ‘whoosh,’ Qin Yuanxi sat up. His sleeping quarters were quite spacious, and the palace doors were large and heavy. It was impossible for there to be such a commotion in the middle of the night for no reason. Someone had opened the door!
“Lu Bohuan, who gave you permission to barge into my sleeping chamber in the middle of the night?”
Qin Yuanxi tossed aside his book and rushed out without even wearing shoes, ready to quarrel with Lu Bohuan.
Of course, it wasn’t a real quarrel. Lu Bohuan had kept him confined for so many days, and there had been no news during that time. Now that someone had finally appeared, Qin Yuanxi felt that he couldn’t afford to lose in terms of momentum. No matter what suspicions Lu Bohuan harbored, if there was no evidence, it was all baseless talk. After all, he was still an emperor, even if he was a puppet emperor. If Lu Bohuan wanted to deal with him, he needed a legitimate reason.
If Lu Bohuan really intended to rebel, without a convincing reason to convince the world, the spit of the masses could drown him. He could just wait to be loathed for eternity!
Qin Yuanxi rushed out in a hurry, but when he saw the person in front of him, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, a bit uncertain. “Zhao Tuo?”
Zhao Tuo frowned. “Why aren’t you wearing shoes?”
Then he walked over briskly and picked up Qin Yuanxi directly, carrying him all the way back to the dragon bed. Summer was approaching, and he even covered Qin Yuanxi with a thin blanket, appearing very considerate, as if he was afraid Qin Yuanxi would catch a cold.
Zhao Tuo’s hand remained on Qin Yuanxi’s ankle, and Qin Yuanxi didn’t know where to direct the anger he had just been holding in. After holding it back for a while and just as he was about to ask Zhao Tuo why he had come, Zhao Tuo beat him to the question.
“Are you pregnant?”
Without waiting for Qin Yuanxi to answer, General Zhao had already provided an answer for himself. His hand gently touched Qin Yuanxi’s belly, with a touch of cautious tenderness, as if he were cradling a precious treasure in his palm.
“My child!”
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)
