Chapter 24
He stared at Yuwen Min in horror. Was it just his imagination, or did he catch a hint of amusement in Yuwen Min’s eyes?
Aren’t you supposed to have a poker face? What’s with the teasing expression?!
The Eldest Prince, seeing the way they exchanged glances, covered his lips with a soft chuckle and said, “I’ll go pack my things. You two can have a chat.”
Lu Hanzhi looked up at Yuwen Min and said, “Your Highness, that was not a very funny joke.”
But Yuwen Min replied, “I wasn’t joking. I admire your talents. You’re very intelligent.”
Lu Hanzhi’s heart skipped a beat. That’s what you get for showing off your knowledge of the plot!
Great. Now the tyrant had set his sights on him.
Lu Hanzhi was still trying to figure out how to subtly shift Yuwen Min’s attention away from himself when he heard Yuwen Min continue, “But leaving a smart person like you outside makes me uneasy.”
Lu Hanzhi frowned. He had a bad feeling about this.
Sure enough, Yuwen Min granted his wish by saying, “I will request Father to grant you the position of my side consort.”
Lu Hanzhi: !!!!!! Wow, thanks a lot!!!!!!
After saying this, Yuwen Min casually tossed his heavy sword, caught it by the blade, and glanced at the jade ornament embedded in it. “Next time, don’t try to fool me with such cheap stuff. It’s hideous.”
Lu Hanzhi almost choked on his own blood. If it’s so ugly, why are you still using it?!
If you don’t want it, give it back! That thing cost me a full thousand exchange points! It’s not like I was eager to give it to you!
But at least, those two gods of misfortune had finally left.
With the Eldest Prince and Fourth Prince returning to the capital, Lu Hanzhi could finally breathe a little easier.
Even though Yuwen Min’s joke before leaving wasn’t funny at all, he decided to just treat it as one.
For the past two days, he had been diligently working on his missions, but small businesses like fragrant soap-making, even with the patronage of noble ladies, didn’t boost GDP fast enough.
Just when he was feeling anxious every day, a major order suddenly landed right in his lap.
Han Ji Fragrance House had been added to the official procurement list of the Zichen Palace and designated as a priority purchase. Every day, palace maids would come specifically to buy from him.
With dozens of imperial consorts and thousands of palace maids, if his products were prioritized daily, this would be a massive order!
Lu Hanzhi grinned from ear to ear and showered the eunuch who delivered the news with gratitude, even slipping him a silver ingot.
The eunuch, equally pleased, chuckled and gave him a piece of advice: “Young Master, you’ve met someone influential. After the two princes returned to the capital, they spoke highly of you before His Majesty. On top of that, both the Empress Dowager and Imperial Concubine Rong are especially fond of your fragrant soap. That’s what earned you this honor! You must seize this opportunity and never disappoint these esteemed patrons.”
Lu Hanzhi was a little surprised. So it was the Eldest Prince and Fourth Prince who spoke well of me to the Emperor?
This unexpected turn of events delighted him. He had thought he’d end up in prison for harboring a wanted criminal. Who would’ve guessed that not only did he avoid jail, but he also gained so many benefits?
It just proved that sheltering a fugitive wasn’t the issue—what mattered was whether that fugitive had the ability to clear their own name.
With Yuwen Jue and Yuwen Min still highly valued by the Emperor, their successful exoneration meant that even the heavily wounded General Rong received a personal visit from the Emperor for consolation.
Yuwen Mingji’s first strategic move had been completely overturned by Yuwen Min, and he even lost a key pawn in the process. That must have made him furious enough to spit blood.
But Lu Hanzhi, now far from the main storyline, had no interest in these power struggles. Let them tear each other apart—I just want to make money!
With this new order secured, Lu Hanzhi finally completed his current phase of missions.
His total rewards this time: ten exchange points, one beginner-level treasure chest, and five loyalty points toward the monarch.
Final tally: thirteen exchange points, one beginner-level treasure chest, and the ability to unlock a monarch-related side quest.
Lu Hanzhi started feeling a little excited. He wondered what the monarch’s side quest would be like and just how “massive” the so-called massive rewards would be.
Eagerly, he entered his mental space and opened the mission panel. Sure enough, two new missions had appeared.
One was to unlock a new area, and the other was a silver-gray side quest.
He clicked on the side quest first, and the system prompt immediately sounded: “Congratulations, host! You have unlocked the loyalty coefficient side quest for the monarch. This is a beginner-level mission. Upon completion, you will receive fifty exchange points.”
Lu Hanzhi’s eyes lit up in excitement. The system hadn’t lied—just a beginner-level monarch side quest came with such a huge reward!
A full fifty points! Finally, Fatty Chan could live a life of luxury!
Lately, Ah Chan had become increasingly clingy. Not only did he insist on being cuddled to sleep at night, but he also demanded to be held by his daddy wherever he went during the day.
But it was fine. I brought this child into the world, so of course, I have to spoil him.
The last time he exchanged points for a pacifier, it helped a little, but only for a short while. Most of the time, little Ah Chan still preferred to be in his daddy’s arms.
No problem, though. With more exchange points, there would be more fatherly love to go around!
Lu Hanzhi finally clicked on the mission details, and the system prompt came again: “Fulfill the monarch’s most recent request. Press the ‘dj’ button to retrieve the latest request.”
At first glance, the mission seemed simple enough, so Lu Hanzhi pressed the retrieval button without hesitation.
The system’s voice rang out again: “Once retrieval begins, it cannot be stopped. If the mission fails, all loyalty points to the monarch will be deducted, the storyline will reset, and you will return to the starting point.”
Lu Hanzhi: ??? Wait, what does that mean???
But it was too late to ask for clarification. The system had already retrieved the latest request: “I will request Father to grant you the position of my side consort.”
Lu Hanzhi: !!!!!!
He replayed the system’s message several times and asked again in disbelief, “Are you sure?”
The system answered, “Absolutely, without a doubt, one hundred percent certain.”
Lu Hanzhi finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and slammed the table, laughing hysterically. “Are you all out of your minds?! This isn’t how matchmaking works!”
For once, the system responded kindly: “It’s not entirely matchmaking. After all, you’re still holding his child in your arms.”
Lu Hanzhi glanced at the little Ah Chan sleeping on the bed and asked, “With the plot breaking down this much, are you sure there won’t be any issues?”
The system fell silent for a moment before replying, “How do you know whether the plot is broken or simply returning to its intended course?”
Lu Hanzhi’s mouth fell slightly open. “What?”
The system answered, “There is no single standard for judging a plot’s correctness. What is righteous is right. What is evil is wrong.”
Lu Hanzhi asked again, “Can you be a little more specific?”
The system remained silent, unwilling to answer further. After all, revealing too much information would violate its rules.
Knowing the system had once again turned into a stubborn gourd, refusing to speak, he couldn’t be bothered to ask anymore.
However, the thought of becoming a side consort to Prince An filled him with deep reluctance.
It wasn’t that the future tyrant was necessarily bad—who knew, maybe in this lifetime, he wouldn’t turn dark and could even become a good emperor?
If that were the case, he might even manage to secure a position as a noble consort.
But he had no interest in sharing a husband, nor did he want to get caught up in the endless scheming among a group of women.
Throughout history, palace intrigues among women had always been vicious, and as a Xiao Langjun, he wouldn’t be an exception.
But should he abandon the mission just because of this?
If the plot reset, he would have to start all over again.
Either he would be forced to marry into the Crown Prince’s residence, or he would have to continue following the original storyline. No matter which path he took, he couldn’t bear to let go of the progress he had already made.
And… his little Ah Chan.
Looking at the chubby, three-month-old Ah Chan, Lu Hanzhi reached out and poked his plump little bottom.
No matter what, there was always room for maneuver.
These past days, the Lu family had been overflowing with joy.
The second young master of the Lu family, Lu Xuzhi, had passed the imperial examination as the top scorer, securing the title of Zhuangyuan. As he paraded through the streets on horseback, not a single person in the capital failed to praise his good character and outstanding appearance.
Previously, people only knew that the Lu family had a third young master, a beauty unparalleled in the capital, hailed as the number one Langjun.
But now, they realized the Lu family also had a second young master, who was not only as handsome as the legendary Pan An but also the most talented scholar in the entire capital!
Not only had he become the Zhuangyuan, but rumors also suggested that he intended to participate in next year’s military examination.
Who would have thought that a prominent family of imperial merchants like the Lu family would produce such a remarkable young man, excelling in both civil and military disciplines?
When the Eldest Prince had fallen from grace, many who knew of Lu Xuzhi’s close friendship with him had been deeply worried for his fate.
But now, the Eldest Prince had been exonerated, and Lu Xuzhi had achieved the highest honors in the examination—it was truly a double blessing!
Everyone envied the Lu family. There was no need to mention the eldest son—he would naturally inherit the family business.
The second son was a prodigy in both civil and military fields, with a bright future ahead, especially given his friendship with the Eldest Prince.
As for the third son, he was the most beautiful Langjun in the capital. Though there were some unsavory rumors about him, who could say for sure?
The fourth son had married into the Crown Prince’s residence, destined for a life of endless wealth and luxury.
The heavens truly favored the Lu family!
No one was happier than Madam Lu. All her sons had grown into outstanding men, bringing her immense pride as their mother.
The Eldest Prince had even gone out of his way to visit their home early, bringing the Fourth Prince along with him.
With both Prince Chu and Prince An gracing their home, the very walls of the Lu residence seemed to glow with prestige.
When Lu Hanzhi heard about his second brother’s success, he immediately had a carriage prepared and rushed back home.
Not only did he return, but he also brought Ah Chan with him.
Avoiding the front courtyard, he slipped in quietly through the back.
When Madam Lu heard that her precious youngest son had returned, she immediately ordered food to be prepared.
But the moment she learned that he had snuck in through the back door, her joy turned into displeasure.
Her son was the legitimate young master of the Lu family—why should he have to enter through the back door?
Thinking about it, she couldn’t help but worry. If only there were a noble family willing to overlook his past and accept him as a proper spouse, how wonderful that would be.
But unfortunately, in the Great Zhao, a Xiao Langjun losing his chastity was a serious matter. For someone like him, remarrying would be incredibly difficult.
Madam Lu let out a long sigh. But when she looked up and saw her beloved youngest son rushing in like the wind, carrying a chubby baby, a smile immediately crept into the corners of her eyes.
It was strange—lately, no matter how she looked at her youngest son, he seemed more and more pleasing to the eye.
Even though he had caused some trouble, he still held the dearest place in her heart.
Because of that, even her feelings toward her little grandson had softened. After all, blood ties ran deep.
Lu Hanzhi beamed brightly as he entered. Throwing himself into her arms, he handed the baby over to one of the old servants beside her and whined.
“Mother, I’m starving! Do you have anything delicious? I’m so exhausted! Mother, I want to lie down for a bit!”
Madam Lu shook her head with a helpless smile and gestured for the maid to bring him some pastries. Tapping his forehead lightly, she said, “You’re already a father yourself—how can you still act like a child?”
Lu Hanzhi grinned. “No matter how old I am, I’ll always be a child in front of you.”
Madam Lu’s heart softened. No wonder she favored her youngest son the most.
Just look at her eldest and second sons—one was rigid and serious, just like his grandfather.
The other had nothing but books on his mind, never even coming to visit his own mother.
It was only her youngest son who was the most affectionate, always knowing how to sweet-talk her. No matter how she looked at him, he was just too lovable.
Lu Hanzhi happily ate some pastries and drank sweet soup.
Just then, the sound of drums and gongs outside grew louder—it seemed his second brother’s triumphant parade was approaching.
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