Chapter 136
Yuwen Jue nodded and said, “Ah Meng sounds good! I hope he can be as brave and unmatched as your second brother.”
Lu Xuzhi said, “I ask for nothing else—only that he be filial and sensible, and live a life free of worries.”
If it hadn’t been for Yuwen Jue, Lu Xuzhi would likely have lived a very calm and unburdened life.
Love was truly a strange thing—sometimes intoxicating, sometimes capable of filling one with boundless joy.
The situation in the capital was urgent, so Lu Xuzhi did not remain long at Prince An’s residence.
He and Yuwen Min had already agreed: one would take over Yuwen Jue’s arrangements within the capital, while the other would provide support from the outskirts of the city.
Before leaving, Lu Xuzhi bent down and kissed Yuwen Jue’s and Ah Meng’s foreheads, saying, “You two should stay in the residence and not go anywhere. There are personal guards and shadow guards protecting the estate. Major events will unfold in the capital over the next few days—try to avoid doing anything unless absolutely necessary.”
Those final words were meant for Lu Hanzhi.
Lu Hanzhi, rarely so obedient, replied docilely, “Second Brother, rest assured. I’ll stay quietly in the residence these next few days.”
Moreover, he had already installed fierce-fire oil cabinets atop the corner towers of the residence walls. Anyone daring to climb over would be roasted first, questions later.
Lu Xuzhi nodded and said, “I’m leaving now. You must all be extremely careful.”
Yuwen Jue added a reminder, “You too—be careful in everything. Do not force a frontal attack.”
Lu Xuzhi acknowledged it, put back on the filthy armor, smeared dirt over his face, and then turned and climbed out through the window, leaving the residence.
After Lu Xuzhi vaulted over the wall and departed, Yuwen Jue finally let out a sigh, then curled his lips into a smile once more. “At least one long-held wish has been fulfilled—though it truly exhausted him, running day and night.”
After all, returning from such a distant place as the Western Frontier required not only thousand-li steeds, but also ceaseless riding without rest.
Lu Hanzhi said, “Second Brother didn’t want to miss Ah Meng’s birth either. A bit of hardship is all for the sake of living. Everyone is carrying heavy burdens forward, just so tomorrow can be better than today.”
Lu Hanzhi gently touched his own belly. By now, he no longer resisted the idea of childbirth.
Two people coming together and jointly nurturing the continuation of their lives—this itself was a very beautiful thing.
News of Prince Chu giving birth soon spread through the capital. It was said that Prince Chu had been frightened into premature labor, and over the next few days, many wives and family members of officials came bearing gifts.
Madam Lu also came. This was her eldest grandchild, and that very day she arrived carrying large bundles and moved straight into Prince An’s residence.
However, she had not yet learned of Lu Xuzhi’s reported death in battle. Everyone had been doing their utmost to keep it from her.
Although she did not need to personally care for Prince Chu, Madam Lu insisted on overseeing every aspect of the child’s food, clothing, and daily necessities.
She originally wanted to find a wet nurse for Ah Meng, but Lu Hanzhi firmly refused.
Although breast milk was indeed the most comprehensive in nutrition, in an era lacking proper medical examinations, he could not accept letting his child drink another person’s milk.
A tub of milk powder cost only two exchange points.
He was no longer as impoverished as he had been at the beginning, so naturally he intended to give Ah Meng the best milk powder available.
Yuwen Jue readily accepted this as well, because Ah Chan had grown up fair, chubby, clever, and lively on milk powder.
Since it was something good, there was no reason not to give it to Ah Meng too.
Madam Lu had no choice but to prepare cloth diapers for Ah Meng, stacking up an entire pile of soft ones.
Lu Hanzhi did not object to that, though at night he still put disposable diapers on their dark-skinned, sturdy little Ah Meng.
Just as Yuwen Jue had predicted, Ah Meng looked one hundred percent like Lu Xuzhi.
His skin was slightly dark, his build strong and sturdy, yet he was exceptionally handsome.
Ah Chan was curious and stood on tiptoe to look at the newly born little brother.
The little brother was a full year younger than Ah Chan—Fatty Chan had officially become an older brother.
Grinning with his little mouth, drool dripping down, Ah Chan pointed at Ah Meng and said, “Ji ji?”
Lu Hanzhi corrected him, “Little brother (Di Di).”
Ah Chan remained stubborn as ever. “Ji ji!”
Lu Hanzhi covered his forehead with his hand. “Alright, alright. Ji ji it is, then.”
Ah Chan stretched his chubby little arms with great effort and placed the small cloth tiger he was holding into Ah Meng’s arms, saying, “Ji ji… little tiger!”
Everyone watching burst into laughter—Ah Chan’s speech was simply too amusing.
Ah Meng, freshly born, understood nothing at all and simply lay there with an expression of displeasure.
Yuwen Jue said helplessly, “Why does he look not very smart? He looks dull and slow.”
Lu Hanzhi laughed. “Newborns are all like this. How expressive do you expect them to be? They all look unhappy. But when Ah Chan was little, he looked completely confused—Ah Meng just looks outright displeased.”
Yuwen Jue said, “Why do I feel like this temperament resembles Ah Min?”
Lu Hanzhi observed for a moment and shook his head. “No, he still looks more like second brother. Second brother usually looks at me with that exact same expression.”
Yuwen Jue: “……”
That was true—when facing his younger brother, Second Young Master Lu always carried the full bearing of an elder brother.
Second Brother Lu Xuzhi met with the informants he had arranged in advance and, disguised, quietly slipped into the palace through a small side gate along the palace wall.
After Lu Xuzhi left, Lu Hanzhi put on a thorough display of surface-level acting.
If Yuwen Mingji was to be completely put at ease, this matter had to be treated with the attitude of holding a funeral.
Thus, although Prince An’s residence and Prince Chu’s residence had just welcomed a newborn heir, both estates were steeped in a depressed and somber atmosphere.
White mourning drapes were hung at the gates, and white lanterns were suspended outside the residence doors.
Those who came to visit all tacitly understood—everyone only praised how lovely and adorable the young heir was, not daring to touch upon the pain of Prince Chu and Prince An’s Wang Fei.
Even when Princess Zhaoyun came, her face was filled with bleak sorrow.
Zhaoyun had only just completed her postpartum confinement and should not have been exposed to wind.
Yet the moment she heard the news, she came straight to see Lu Hanzhi, holding her child, as soon as her confinement ended.
Lu Hanzhi was dressed in plain white mourning clothes, holding Ah Chan in his arms, his complexion looking rather poor.
Seeing Ah Chan, Zhaoyun felt a pang of tenderness. She took out a jade ruyi from her robes and tucked it into Ah Chan’s little belly wrap, saying, “When I prepared congratulations for Ah Meng, I also prepared something for Ah Chan. Consider it my belated gift to him.”
Lu Hanzhi bowed to Princess Zhaoyun and said, “Many thanks, Princess.”
Zhaoyun’s tears immediately fell as she said, “Hanzhi, I’m sorry—to you, and to Brother Ah Min.”
Lu Hanzhi invited Princess Zhaoyun into the room and handed her a handkerchief. “Why would you say that, Princess? You have nothing to be sorry for.”
Zhaoyun shook her head and took out another handkerchief from her bosom.
This handkerchief looked very familiar. Embroidered on it were several slightly yellow fallen leaves, forming an autumn scene.
On it was embroidered the character Min—the very handkerchief Yuwen Min had deliberately left behind at the princess’s residence back then.
Zhaoyun choked with sobs as she said, “It was Yun’er who had no shame, who kept clinging to Brother Ah Min. Even though I knew his heart already belonged to you, I still refused to let go. In front of others and behind their backs, I spoke ill of you more than once. And now Brother Ah Min…”
Zhaoyun’s tears fell like beads from a broken string, showing just how deeply and sincerely she had once loved Yuwen Min.
Lu Hanzhi felt quite moved inside. Although Zhaoyun had indeed caused him some minor trouble back then, it had truly been nothing serious.
He then heard Zhaoyun continue, “I know that no matter how I try to comfort you, it can never ease the pain of losing Brother Ah Min. Even I feel unbearable grief in my heart, let alone you, who loved him so deeply. The poem of longing you wrote for him has now spread throughout the streets and alleys—everyone knows how profound your feelings were. Now that heaven and man are forever separated, no one does not grieve for you.”
Zhaoyun sobbed softly, then simply stuffed the handkerchief into Lu Hanzhi’s hand and said, “Brother Ah Min’s handkerchief should never have remained with me. I owe you an apology, and even more so, a word of thanks. I don’t care about anyone else—if in the future anyone dares to bully you and your children, I will risk my life to protect you!”
Lu Hanzhi was truly so moved that he nearly cried. Zhaoyun was clearly still a child herself, yet she was already speaking of protecting him.
She herself was still trapped in a den of tigers and wolves—her situation was no better than his, if not worse.
No matter what, Lu Hanzhi sincerely engraved Zhaoyun’s feelings in his heart.
He even felt a trace of guilt. Yuwen Min was clearly still alive, yet Zhaoyun had been made to grieve so heartbreakingly—it truly should not have been so.
But the matter at hand was of great importance, and he could not speak of it, so he could only continue to conceal the truth for now.
Thus, holding the handkerchief, Lu Hanzhi patted the back of her hand and said, “Wang Ye’s body has not yet been recovered, and the truth is still unclear. I am still able to endure.”
Although from beginning to end Lu Hanzhi had not shed a single tear, in Princess Zhaoyun’s eyes, this only appeared to be strength forced through sheer will.
She forcibly swallowed her own tears back and said, “Brother Ah Min must not have died in vain. I believe justice will one day be done for him.”
Lu Hanzhi sighed softly and said, “Princess has just finished her confinement—please take great care of your health. If not for me—”
A wave of nausea abruptly cut off his words. He steadied his breathing and continued, “If not for the fact that I am carrying Wang Ye’s posthumous child, I would have gone to the Western Frontier to demand an explanation!”
Zhaoyun was both shocked and worried as she stood up and said, “What? You are pregnant with Brother Ah Min’s child?”
Lu Hanzhi knew that his belly could not be hidden any longer, so he said, “Yes. Before Ah Min left, we were together. It was likely conceived that very night.”
Zhaoyun took out her handkerchief and wiped the corners of her eyes, saying, “Heaven truly has pity—Brother Ah Min has descendants again. It is just that you will suffer greatly, raising two children on your own. It truly will not be easy.”
Lu Hanzhi gave a bitter smile and said, “It will not be easy, but it is also what gives me reason to live.”
Zhaoyun added, “Once I have recovered from confinement, I will return to my maternal home for a while. My mother can tell that I am unhappy staying in the Crown Prince’s residence, so she told me to stay away for as long as I like. She is also unwilling to return to the Northern Frontier lately—you know my royal father and mother have never gotten along. If you encounter any difficulties, just send word to the Princess’s residence, and I will surely come to see you.”
Lu Hanzhi said with a face full of gratitude, “Thank you, Princess. I will remember it in my heart.”
At that moment, some noisy sounds came from outside. Lu Hanzhi frowned and asked, “He Ming, what is going on outside?”
He set Ah Chan down and let him go play with Xiao Liuzi.
Xiao Liuzi took Ah Chan’s hand and led him off toward the back courtyard.
Lu Hanzhi asked Princess Zhaoyun to rest in the room, then rose and went outside himself.
He Ming replied, “Young Master, it is… the Crown Prince’s side consort requesting an audience.”
Lu Hanzhi felt a headache coming on. He had not expected her to arrive so quickly.
Su Wan’ning was still wearing her favorite pale yellow gauze dress, with a ruby step-shaker hairpin adorning her head.
As she walked, she remained graceful and slender, as radiant and delicate as a young maiden.
Seeing her like this triggered Lu Hanzhi’s obsessive tendencies. Unfortunately, his golden finger lacked any ability to break beauty filters—otherwise, he truly wanted to knock through that glorious façade and see what kind of monster lay beneath.
Lu Hanzhi had long expected her to come and flaunt herself before him, but he had not expected her to arrive quite so fast.
He suppressed his laughter inwardly. With scene after scene like this, how am I supposed to act?
Su Wan’ning carried a bamboo basket containing several items for mourning, yet her face bore a smile as she stepped forward and said to Lu Hanzhi, “Cousin Hanzhi, have you been well?”
Lu Hanzhi clutched his chest, raised a pair of beautiful eyes filled with pain, and said with difficulty, “You poisonous woman—have you come to mock me?”
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