Chapter 2
Lu Hanzhi froze for a moment, but he dared not let it show too obviously. He quickly lowered his head, pretending to focus on the infant in her arms.
The child was exceptionally beautiful. Lu Hanzhi realized, to his surprise, that the baby bore some resemblance to himself.
Everything had happened too suddenly since he arrived in this world, and he had yet to see what Lu Hanzhi looked like.
He was the most renowned Xiao Langjun in the capital, bearing the title of “First Beauty.” He must have been stunning.
Perhaps there were indeed a few similarities in their facial features. Otherwise, why would this child look so much like him?
Lu Hanzhi discreetly sniffled, lowering his gaze before asking, “May I hold him?”
Su Wan’ning didn’t say much. She simply placed the baby into his arms.
The little one had just been born and was likely hungry. He nestled against Lu Hanzhi’s chest, instinctively searching for milk.
Unfortunately, though Xiao Langjuns like him could conceive due to the effects of the sacred medicine, their bodies were incomplete—they were unable to nurse children.
In noble families, wet nurses were typically arranged for newborns. However, Lu Hanzhi had given birth in secret, hiding it from his family, so there was no way he could have prepared one.
With no other choice, Lu Hanzhi picked up the teacup by the bedside and fed the baby a sip of water.
Thankfully, the infant was still newborn and didn’t have a strong demand for food yet.
Lu Hanzhi could only pat and soothe the child until he fell asleep, all the while pondering Su Wan’ning’s true intentions in leaving the baby with him.
This woman—who ranked at the level of a true ruler’s female lead—practically had “Danger, Stay Away” written all over her.
Lu Hanzhi sighed inwardly. He had expected that surviving in this world wouldn’t be simple.
If he didn’t die in the shipwreck, then surely, he had landed right into a bloodbath.
Just then, Su Wanning spoke: “Cousin, what you did was far too dangerous. Xiao Langjuns giving birth is even riskier than a woman going through labor. If Fourth Cousin hadn’t discovered you in time, both you and the baby might not have survived.”
Lu Hanzhi sneered inwardly. Fourth Cousin? She meant that son of Aunt Du—the other Xiao Langjun in the Lu family.
Did she expect him to believe that he had saved him out of kindness? Ha. More likely, he just wanted to watch him suffer.
Lu Haozhi was only a day younger than Lu Hanzhi, yet he had never been able to surpass him in anything. Now that Lu Hanzhi had been defiled and had given birth to an illegitimate child, it was already generous of him not to spread the news far and wide.
Of course, with a mother like Aunt Du, it was no surprise that Lu Haozhi wasn’t a kind person either.
The only reason they had kept quiet about it was that they feared Lu Hanzhi’s scandal would taint their own reputations.
If this incident ended up affecting Lu Haozhi’s chances of marrying into the imperial family, wouldn’t that mean years of scheming had all gone to waste?
So, the first thing Lu Haozhi did was tell his mother. Aunt Du, in turn, ran straight to inform Patriarch Lu.
Not long after, even the Old Madam knew about it—and she wasn’t alone. Aunt Zhou and Aunt Cai had tagged along to watch the spectacle.
Since Aunt Zhou and Aunt Cai had only given birth to daughters, they were even more afraid that this scandal would ruin their daughters’ chances of marrying well.
And so, the entire Lu family—elders and children alike, more than a dozen people—gathered together to publicly humiliate Lu Hanzhi.
Patriarch Lu was so furious that he no longer cared whether Lu Hanzhi lived or died. He immediately ordered a family punishment, beating him severely.
The poor man had just given birth and was far too weak to endure the ordeal. He likely didn’t even have the strength to catch his breath—allowing Lu Hanzhi, the one who had transmigrated into his body, to take over.
What was he supposed to say? Thank the heavens for giving him another chance at life?
Oh, he was so grateful. If given the choice, he’d rather just drop dead on the spot!
As a lowly office worker, he had never once in his life been able to afford a cruise trip. The one time he finally did, the universe sent him a deluxe death package instead!
He got the message loud and clear. He swore he wouldn’t dare next time.
Damn it, if fate had any guts, it should try throwing him into a book again and see what happens!
Su Wan’ning saw that Lu Hanzhi remained silent, so she continued: “Cousin, aren’t you curious about what the Empress said to me today? The Empress said that next month, they’ll begin selecting consorts for the Crown Prince. You should know that in the Great Zhao Kingdom, the Crown Prince always selects consorts once he comes of age. Isn’t this your dream, Cousin? Haven’t you always wanted to enter the Eastern Palace and become the Crown Prince’s consort?”
Lu Hanzhi looked up. The girl before him had a pair of pure, clear eyes that seemed capable of seeing right through him. Her round face was full and delicate, as lovely as peach blossoms in March.
Though petite, her figure was exquisitely shaped.
She wore a light yellow gauzy robe that accentuated her graceful form, and beneath the translucent fabric, her fair skin appeared as delicate as if it could be broken by a mere touch.
Her finely shaped features and gentle expression were so endearing that even Lu Hanzhi couldn’t help but find her likable.
Yet at this moment, he was fully aware—no matter whom he liked, it absolutely could not be this woman standing before him!
If he remembered correctly, this girl was Su Wan’ning, the female protagonist of the <Struggle for the Throne>—and also his cousin.
She was the cherished little princess whom all the powerful figures adored: she had saved the Crown Prince’s life, was a close confidante of the Third Prince, and had even risked life and limb alongside the young imperial uncle.
In short, she was a magnet for influential figures!
Except for the ruthless future tyrant who killed without hesitation, nearly every major figure doted on her.
Even that future tyrant, after seizing the throne and eliminating all his rivals, spared her husband solely for her sake.
That husband was none other than the former Crown Prince, Yuwen Jun, who later became the Emperor of the Great Zhao.
Could he afford to have feelings for a woman like her?
He absolutely could not.
Lu Hanzhi had been timid and cowardly since birth, with no grand ambitions.
If they wanted their tragic romances, their fierce battles for power, they were welcome to them—he wanted no part in it.
If he couldn’t provoke them, surely he could at least avoid them? Wasn’t life comfortable enough as it was? Wasn’t his child adorable? What kind of lunatic would constantly gamble with their own life?
A mocking glint flashed in Lu Hanzhi’s eyes as he sneered, “Oh? Is Cousin here to laugh at me? I’ve given birth to a child and can no longer enter the Eastern Palace. What a hilarious joke! Cousin, you should take a good look and enjoy the show.”
Su Wan’ning, however, did not seem upset. She shook her head at a leisurely pace and said, “How could that be? Cousin, aside from our Lu family, no one else knows about this matter. Aunt Du and the other two concubines wouldn’t spread the word, as it would ruin their children’s reputations. As long as we send this child away, you will still be the pure and untarnished young master of the Lu family. The only concern is that the child may become a disaster, dragging you into trouble at any moment!”
Her words were spoken with such sincerity that if Lu Hanzhi hadn’t known of Su Wan’ning’s true nature, he might have believed her.
He let out a cold laugh. “Cousin, are you suggesting that I should personally get rid of Ah Chan? That’s quite strange—our always kind-hearted Cousin Wan’ning is suddenly speaking with such cruelty?”
Su Wan’ning’s expression changed, and she quickly retorted, “I’m trying to help you! Cousin, do you really want to be locked away in the manor for the rest of your life, never seeing the light of day? That place outside the city—do you really think it’s a place for people to live? Calling it estate management is just a nice way to put it—it’s nothing more than house arrest! What could possibly be more important than your future and a life of wealth and honor? If not for the choices you made…”
Choices? The so-called choices… who knew who had orchestrated them?
That so-called sacred drug was miraculous—it reacted strongly with alcohol. A concubine drinking a little wine after marriage would find it an aid to passion. But if taken before marriage, combined with alcohol and the onset of a heat cycle, the effects were overwhelming—enough to make someone lose all sense of control.
Lu Hanzhi had mistakenly consumed rice wine soup that day, and when the drug took effect, his natural body fragrance had drawn a man from the rear courtyard to him. That one fateful encounter resulted in the child he now held in his arms—Ah Chan.
Yet the original Lu Hanzhi had never known who that man was.
Only two people knew the truth: the female lead and Lu Hanzhi, the reader.
The female lead had personally witnessed Prince Ling’an, Yuwen Jue, also in a drunken stupor, stumbling into Lu Hanzhi’s room and only emerging—staggering—half an hour later.
But out of selfishness, she told Lu Hanzhi that the man he had been with that night was merely a household servant from the rear courtyard.
Because Su Wan’ning was deeply in love with Yuwen Min and did not want him entangled with Lu Hanzhi in any way.
The novel had dedicated pages upon pages describing the female lead’s internal struggle and hesitation, as well as portraying her immense kindness.
Yet after seeing her now, urging him to strangle his own son, Lu Hanzhi had serious doubts about her so-called kindness. The original Lu Hanzhi had loathed the child, seeing him as the lifelong stain on his reputation.
That was likely one of the reasons he had ultimately gone through with it.
The novel never detailed how Lu Hanzhi had killed his own son—only that, upon learning he had a chance to enter the Eastern Palace as a favored consort, he had ruthlessly strangled his one-month-old son in his swaddling clothes.
From then on, he became the Crown Prince’s most trusted confidant, handling many of the prince’s inconvenient affairs, laying the groundwork for his eventual reclaiming of power.
Lu Hanzhi was intelligent and stunningly beautiful, known as the most breathtaking person in the capital.
When he first entered the Eastern Palace, he was favored by the Crown Prince for some time.
But later, after repeatedly plotting against the female lead, he met a tragic end.
Lu Hanzhi sighed. His expression turned neutral as he said, “Then I must thank Cousin for her kindness. I appreciate the thought, but perhaps you should ask Lu Haozhi instead? He might be more interested in your offer.”
The imperial edict had come to the Lu family—if Lu Hanzhi did not enter the Eastern Palace, then Lu Haozhi would go in his place.
For a moment, Su Wan’ning’s face revealed confusion and disbelief.
Lu Haozhi could never compare to Lu Hanzhi. Though he had always tried to imitate him.
In the end, he was nothing more than a cheap imitation—a flimsy plastic replica next to a real diamond.
And she had her own troubles. If Lu Hanzhi did not enter the Crown Prince’s residence, the consequences would be unimaginable.
She asked again, “Cousin, didn’t you love the Crown Prince the most? Why do you suddenly not want to enter the Eastern Palace anymore?”
Lu Hanzhi lifted his gaze to Su Wan’ning and suddenly smiled. “That’s strange—when the Crown Prince last visited our home, you two were chatting so happily that I thought you had already set your heart on him. What’s this? Does Cousin have someone else in her heart instead? Why are you suddenly so eager to send someone into the Crown Prince’s side? I wonder… what are your true intentions?”
As if he had struck a nerve, Su Wan’ning’s expression darkened.
She did, indeed, love someone else—but that person did not love her.
That person was none other than the Fourth Prince, Yuwen Jue, whom even the current emperor had described as utterly heartless.
That man was nothing short of a ruthless, unfeeling killing machine.
Before his descent into darkness, he had already been unlikable—afterward, he took pleasure in slaughter.
Even after he seized power, it seemed his only joy was in manipulating and toying with authority.
He eliminated all his past enemies in a massacre reminiscent of book burnings and scholar executions.
After purging everyone he needed to, he set fire to the Zichen Palace, burning away his enemies’ corpses—and in his madness, ultimately perished in the flames himself.
Lu Hanzhi seriously suspected that this so-called Emperor Zhenghao had something wrong with his head.
Even the female lead, despite loving him, could only keep her distance.
In the end, she settled for second best, assisting the Crown Prince in reclaiming his throne and helping him ascend.
Her “lucky charm” reputation lasted throughout the novel, earning her the title of “Blessed Empress.”
Lu Hanzhi had never believed in endless good fortune—unless she had manipulated the main plot.
Seeing that she could not persuade him, Su Wan’ning huffed, “Since you refuse to listen, you have only yourself to blame. Cousin, I hope you won’t regret this.”
Watching Su Wan’ning’s departing figure, Lu Hanzhi clicked his tongue and snorted coldly, “Regret? Like hell I would!”
The Eastern Palace was nothing but a den of tigers and wolves. Not only would he have to deal with the overbearing and unreasonable crown prince, but he would also be caught in the power struggles of various factions.
The words Su Wan’ning had spoken before leaving—so deceptively persuasive—sounded like death sentences to Lu Hanzhi. A woman who could toy with four powerful figures at once was no ordinary person.
He needed to get as far away as possible and stop meddling in their grand affairs of state. Keeping his own life intact was the priority.
With that in mind, he cradled the newborn bundle in his arms and began sorting through the plot. He had only read about two-thirds of the book, and even he didn’t know how it would end. But as for his own fate—that was already set in stone.
Being transported into this novel… he wasn’t sure whether it was a blessing or a curse. But one thing was certain—he valued his life.
First things first, he needed to figure out what that notification sound just now was all about.
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