How to Deal with Having the Villainous Tyrant’s Child Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Lu Hanzhi, whether consciously or subconsciously, followed his heart and called out Yuwen Min’s name.

In his mind, he and Yuwen Min were nothing more than a fleeting entanglement from a one-night stand gone wrong.

Titles like “Prince” or “Xiao Langjun” were nothing but roles forced upon them by the book’s narrative.

It wasn’t until after he had spoken the name aloud that Lu Hanzhi realized something was wrong.

Calling a prince by his given name directly—that was an act of great disrespect!

Yet, Yuwen Min showed no reaction at all. He merely glanced at him lazily and remarked, “Is your mind only occupied with thoughts about the child?”

After speaking, he even let out a light chuckle, which irritated Lu Hanzhi.

If it weren’t for the fact that I gave birth to your child, do you think I’d even bother asking you about this?

Whatever, I can’t be bothered with you. Like it or not—it’s best if you never find out about it for the rest of your life!

However, this did remind him of something from the original novel—after Lu Hanzhi became the Crown Prince’s concubine, he struggled to conceive and sought out renowned physicians far and wide.

It was likely because his body had suffered from his first childbirth that he found it difficult to conceive again after marrying the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince never blamed him, but as a concubine in the Eastern Palace, remaining childless inevitably invited gossip.

So, he sent people everywhere to search for remedies to conceive a child, but none of them ever worked.

Perhaps that was also why, upon discovering that the female lead was pregnant, he had flown into a rage and drugged her.

Many of the original novel’s details had already become unclear to Lu Hanzhi. At this point, he could only feel his way forward, taking things one step at a time.

Upon arriving in the city, Lu Hanzhi instructed the coachman to stop and then ordered Yuwen Min, “Commoner, go handle something for me. Do you remember what I just told you? Once you’re done, wait for me here—I’ll come pick you up and take you home.”

Yuwen Min responded in a low voice, swiftly got out of the carriage, and disappeared into the crowd.

Lu Hanzhi stared in the direction where he had vanished, lost in thought for a moment. Then, clicking his tongue, he muttered, “The author may be unreliable, but at least they made the villain so breathtakingly handsome.”

Wiping away the bit of drool at the corner of his mouth, Lu Hanzhi instructed the coachman, “Let’s go!”

Before long, he arrived at the Lu residence.

Today, the Lu household was especially lively—even Lu Siwei had personally stayed home to celebrate Madam Lu’s birthday.

Her husband had given her such face, so naturally, Madam Lu was pleased. However, beneath her joy, there was a faint trace of displeasure.

A group of noble ladies had gathered around her, chatting idly. One with a particularly sweet tongue was the first to offer congratulations, “What a coincidence—this year’s imperial examination happens to fall on the same day as Madam Lu’s birthday! I heard that Young Master Xuzhi is one of the most promising scholars in the capital. Surely he’ll take the top spot in the third rank without a doubt?”

At the mention of her outstanding second son, Madam Lu couldn’t help but beam with pride. But still, she remained modest, saying, “Ah, how could that be! It all depends on His Majesty’s favor.”

However, someone tactless chimed in, “I heard that the Crown Prince is currently overseeing state affairs. Isn’t the Lu family connected to the Eastern Palace through marriage? I’d say it’s not just His Majesty’s favor that will come into play, but also the Crown Prince’s!”

Madam Lu immediately withdrew her smile and responded coolly, “My son relies on his genuine ability to pass the imperial examination, not on family connections.”

Nearby, Aunt Du’s expression darkened. But as a concubine, she dared not overstep her bounds in front of the main wife. She could only swallow her displeasure and engage in small talk with the lower-ranking noble ladies, though she couldn’t quite hide her joy.

At last, someone brought up the topic she had been waiting for, “Judging by how happy Aunt Du looks, could it be that there’s good news from Young Master Hao?”

Despite her efforts to restrain her smile, at the mention of her son, Aunt Du’s lips nearly stretched to her ears.

She first glanced, seemingly unintentionally, in Madam Lu’s direction. Then, waving her handkerchief, she sighed, “Ah, our dear Hao’er has been weak since childhood. This pregnancy didn’t come easily—we dare not make a big fuss about it.”

Her voice wasn’t loud, just enough for Madam Lu, seated at the main table, to hear.

Aunt Du had been exceptionally secretive about Lu Haozhi’s pregnancy.

However, it had only been a little over a month since Lu Haozhi had married into the Eastern Palace. Even if he was pregnant, it would only just be detectable.

Not long ago, he had been crying about how the Crown Prince never spent the night in his chambers. And now, there was suddenly good news? He really couldn’t wait, could he?

Madam Lu wasn’t particularly angry. After all, it was natural for a Xiao Langjun to conceive after marriage.

But she had always disliked Aunt Du’s attitude. Now, seeing how smug she looked, Madam Lu found her even more unbearable.

As if fate had a sense of irony, just as Aunt Du stepped forward to flaunt herself, bowing with exaggerated courtesy, she said, “Originally, Hao’er wanted to come to personally celebrate Madam’s birthday, but you know how weak he is—unlike Hanzhi. I came to apologize on his behalf and wish you—”

Before she could finish, a voice at the entrance announced, “The Crown Prince’s attendant has arrived!”

The guests: …

A mother being publicly contradicted by her own son—how embarrassing.

Lu Haozhi certainly put on a grand display, arriving with six attendants in tow as he entered the inner courtyard.

Aunt Du’s expression turned sour, but she still stepped forward to greet him, “Hao’er, why have you come? Your condition is delicate—you should be resting in the palace.”

Lu Haozhi replied, “Aunt, His Highness the Crown Prince sent me to deliver birthday wishes to Mother. He also entrusted me with a birthday gift for her.”

Note: He calls his birth mother Aunt because that’s her position, same for when he calls Madam Lu “mother”.

With that, Lu Haozhi stepped forward and bowed to Madam Lu, “I offer my wishes for Mother’s good health and longevity.”

Madam Lu glanced at him, maintaining her dignified demeanor as the main wife, and gave a slight nod. “His Highness is considerate. Your health is delicate—sit down.”

Lu Haozhi thanked her, then proceeded to present the birthday gifts he had brought, one by one.

The Crown Prince naturally had his reasons for doing this.

Everything required money, and the Lu family was an exceptional tool for making it.

Whether through marriage with the Lu family or maintaining a good relationship with them, it all ultimately boiled down to the Lu family’s wealth—something the Lu family itself understood well.

Whether life would turn out well or not depended on Lu Haozhi.

Since he was able to conceive, it showed that the Crown Prince still gave the Lu family some level of respect.

After receiving the gifts, Madam Lu let Lu Haozhi go rest.

As long as Aunt Du didn’t cause trouble in front of her, she couldn’t be bothered to deal with these people.

As she stepped outside, she and Lu Haozhi happened to run into Lu Hanzhi, who was entering the inner courtyard. Behind him were seven or eight attendants carrying various gifts, making for an even grander entrance than Lu Haozhi’s.

Aunt Du was immediately annoyed. Her eyes darted around before she stepped forward with a smile. “Oh my, Hanzhi is back? What a coincidence! You brothers are meeting so soon. Sigh, now that you’re both living outside the house, you might not see each other more than a few times a year. At least, thanks to Madam’s birthday, you get to reunite. But look at you, Hanzhi, you don’t look too well. Life on the estate isn’t as comfortable as home—you must take care of yourself.”

Lu Hanzhi: …???

Aunt Du’s voice was loud, instantly drawing the attention of all the guests in the hall.

Well, now everyone knew that Lu Hanzhi had been sent away to the Lu family’s countryside estate.

A favored legitimate son, exiled to a rural estate—it wasn’t hard to guess the reason.

Even if the guests were polite enough not to bring it up in front of the Lu family, it wouldn’t stop them from discussing it in private.

But Aunt Du no longer had anything to fear. Her son was already married, so she no longer had to worry about Lu Hanzhi’s reputation affecting him.

Because of this, Aunt Zhou and Aunt Cai, who had once been on good terms with her, began to distance themselves.

Aunt Zhou’s and Aunt Cai’s daughters were thirteen and fourteen, soon to be of marriageable age.

Aunt Du had no filter when she spoke. Even though these two women didn’t expect their daughters to marry into the imperial family, they at least hoped they could become the legitimate wives of minor officials.

But with Aunt Du stirring things up, the Lu family’s daughters would inevitably become subjects of gossip.

Before Lu Hanzhi could say anything, Madam Lu suddenly stood up, taking two steps forward and ordering, “Drag this shameless woman away and lock her up! It’s bad enough for a concubine to show her face in public, but to make a scene in front of esteemed guests? What kind of conduct is this?”

However, Aunt Du wasn’t the least bit afraid. Instead, she grinned. “Madam, don’t be angry. I’ll take myself to the ancestral hall and ask for family discipline. All I did was exchange a few words with Hanzhi—what’s there to be mad about?”

Madam Lu was about to speak again when Lu Hanzhi stepped forward, gently taking her arm and smiling: “Mother! It’s your birthday today—why get upset? Aunt Du isn’t wrong. I’ve been exhausting myself these past days, trying to prepare the perfect birthday gift for you! Of course, I’d look a little worn out. Haozhi is pregnant—you should let him go rest. But aren’t you curious about what I’ve prepared for you?”

With just a few words, Lu Hanzhi effortlessly dissolved a conflict that had been on the verge of exploding.

On a day like today, no matter who came out on top, it wouldn’t reflect well on the family if word spread.

Madam Lu realized this. She shot Aunt Du a glance but didn’t bother with her further. Instead, she turned to her youngest son and nodded. “Hanzhi, you sweet boy. What did you buy this time, carrying all those big and small packages? You—always wasting money.”

She knew the money her son had now was given by her. She worried that if he spent too extravagantly, he would struggle in the future.

Lu Hanzhi understood what she meant. He patted his chest and assured her, “Mother, don’t worry! The gifts I prepared for you were all handmade by me—didn’t cost a single coin. Oh, and there’s also a jade bracelet. Mother, you’re always so frugal, still wearing the gold bracelet from your dowry. I couldn’t bear to see it, so I asked a friend to find you a high-quality jade bracelet. I even had it blessed by a master. You must wear it every day—it will strengthen your body and bring you longevity.”

Seeing that there was no more drama to enjoy, the guests who had gathered for gossip quickly lost interest and dispersed.

The few remaining ladies who were close to Madam Lu surrounded her with smiles: “Oh my! Hanzhi is so filial! Why not let us have a look? What kind of exquisite jade bracelet is it?”

Madam Lu shot her son a look and sighed. “Where would he find an exquisite jade bracelet? He’s just trying to please me.”

Madam Jiang, who had spoken earlier, laughed and said, “You never know! Didn’t you hear? Hanzhi said he asked a distinguished friend to find him a high-quality jade bracelet!”

As they spoke, Lu Hanzhi took out a beautifully crafted gift box and retrieved a bracelet of pure white jade.

The moment he brought it out, a sharp-eyed noblewoman gasped: “Oh my! That’s a Daoling White Jade Bracelet! This is… a true rarity in the world!”

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