Chapter 26
All the guests turned their heads curiously to look, even Lu Hanzhi couldn’t help but glance over.
He thought to himself, Who the hell is this bold? Who dares to step up and claim an illegitimate child?
Wait a minute—why does that face look familiar?
The noble prince, standing out like a crane among chickens, strode through the crowd. As the guests realized who had arrived, they immediately saluted in unison.
“Greetings, Your Highness, Prince An.”
At this moment, the most powerful figure in court wasn’t the Crown Prince, nor the Eldest Prince—it was the newly promoted Prince Ling’an.
After all, the Crown Prince had spent the early years keeping a low profile, knowing that those who acted too soon would be the first to fall.
By biding his time, the Crown Prince had managed to amass significant strength, ultimately eliminating Yuwen and his faction, who had fled to foreign lands.
After all, the emperor had more than just four sons, and when the struggle for succession first began, the other princes had yet to come of age.
Back at the manor, Prince Ling’an had always dressed in black nightwear. Though undeniably handsome, his attire had been rather plain.
Now, seeing Yuwen Min in his full ceremonial robes as a prince, Lu Hanzhi actually felt his heart skip a beat for a brief moment.
Yet, he watched as Yuwen Min glanced at Lu Haozhi, then immediately stepped forward, shielding Lu Hanzhi behind him with a forceful stance.
His gaze swept over the guests before landing once again on Lu Haozhi. He let out a soft snort through his nose and said, “For Second Brother’s sake, I won’t hold this against Lu Liangshi*. But slandering the imperial bloodline as illegitimate must never happen again.”
Note: Liangshi: attendant title.
Lu Hanzhi: …Wait a minute, Your Highness, please reconsider.
This isn’t something that can simply be settled by your acknowledgment! Do you really want to be crowned the King of Cuckolds?
Okay, fine—technically, the child is yours, but since you don’t know about it, it’s basically the same as it not being yours.
But precisely because no one would claim an illegitimate child for no reason, the fact that these words came from Prince An’s mouth made them all the more convincing.
What could he do? He couldn’t possibly deny it in front of everyone!
To outsiders, not only would that be ruining his own future, but it would also be a direct slap to Prince An’s face.
This god-awful plot—wasn’t he supposed to stay far away from the center of power? And yet, here he was, being dragged right back in.
Feeling small, helpless, and utterly confused, Lu Hanzhi simply hid behind Yuwen Min, unsure of what the crowd was murmuring. Before he knew it, he was being swept away in the commotion and sent straight back to Madam Lu’s chambers.
Madam Lu was so overjoyed she nearly fainted. Holding onto Lu Hanzhi’s hand, she chattered excitedly, “Oh, my dear Han’er! Why didn’t you tell me sooner? You and His Highness are in love—why didn’t you let me know? Do you think I’m some stubborn, old-fashioned woman who doesn’t understand these things? If you truly like His Highness, would I have objected? Just look at you two… Ah, well, it all worked out! And with everything that happened to His Highness recently, thank goodness you had the foresight, or else both of you would have been implicated.”
Lu Hanzhi: …
Mother, is this really appropriate? You want wealth and status but not the side effects that come with it.
Madam Lu continued to ramble, “Ah, Han’er! Our Ah Chan is of noble imperial blood now! Among the four grown princes, only the Crown Prince has chosen a concubine of lower birth. The others, though they have concubines, have yet to bear children. Our Ah Chan is the imperial eldest grandson! Oh, Han’er, your days of fortune and prosperity are just ahead!”
Lu Hanzhi: …So are the days of getting my head chopped off.
But Madam Lu wasn’t listening to any of this. She had been losing sleep night after night, worrying about her precious son’s marriage. She had even considered letting him marry into the Prime Minister’s household as a second wife—after all, in the Great Zhao dynasty, men like Xiao Langjun could only secure a future by depending on other men.
In her eyes, no matter how much money Lu Hanzhi made, it could never compare to the stability of marriage.
Now that she heard her beloved son’s partner was a prince, of course, she was over the moon, practically ready to beat the drums and celebrate.
Lu Hanzhi clutched his aching head and said, “Mother… he made a mistake. It’s not him.”
Madam Lu tapped his forehead and scolded, “What nonsense are you talking about? Do you think a grown man doesn’t know what he’s done?”
Lu Hanzhi: …He really doesn’t know! He was drunk!
Madam Lu continued, laughing, “Regardless of the details, His Highness has already said he will enter the palace tonight to ask the Imperial Concubine to petition His Majesty for your marriage decree. This is an unparalleled honor! You little brat, what kind of luck did you stumble into?”
Lu Hanzhi took a deep breath. What could I even say?
All he could do was comfort himself—Well, at least I completed my mission without even trying. How wonderful.
He let out a long sigh. Perhaps the moment he became bound to Yuwen Min’s fate as the future emperor, their destinies had already been intertwined.
Just then, a maid came to report, “Madam, Prince An has come to see the Third Young Master.”
Madam Lu immediately stood up with a smile. “Oh, wonderful, wonderful! Quickly, invite him in! And bring Little Young Master here as well—they should have a good talk.”
She patted Lu Hanzhi on the shoulder and then left the room.
Not long after, the maid returned, carrying Ah Chan—who was sucking on a little pacifier—while following behind Yuwen Min as they entered.
Lu Hanzhi couldn’t even be bothered to get up. He lay there, contemplating life.
Why did transmigrators always say, “Since I’m here, I might as well settle down”? Damn it, even if I wanted to be unsettled, I had no choice—there was nothing I could do to stir up trouble anyway.
Yuwen Min sat down beside him. Lu Hanzhi lay there, weak and lifeless, and muttered, “You’re here?”
The little maid behind him placed the whimpering Ah Chan onto the couch before bowing and retreating.
Yuwen Min glanced at him and asked, “I saved you, but you don’t seem very happy about it?”
Lu Hanzhi let out a dry chuckle and said, “Thanks.”
Yuwen Min said, “Rest assured. If that… big pig trotter of yours ever has a change of heart, I’ll let you both go. But if he never looks back, I can at least ensure that no one will ever bully you again.”
Lu Hanzhi finally reacted. He propped himself up, sat at the table with an expression full of pain, and said, “Your Highness, what exactly are you after? Marrying a worn-out shoe who already has a kid—how do you expect your future Wang Fei* to feel about that?”
Note: Wang Fei is a title for the prince’s main wife.
Yuwen Min seemed not to fully grasp his words. After a moment of contemplation, he replied, “You are my only Wang Fei. I will not marry anyone else.”
If Lu Hanzhi hadn’t known Yuwen Min’s identity, he might have thought the man was confessing to him.
Sure enough, Yuwen Min continued, “I have always despised heartless and irresponsible people the most. And your… big pig trotter embodies both. Helping you has nothing to do with gratitude for saving me and Prince Chu. We both know what the other wants. I’ve said it before—I admire your intelligence. Bringing you into Prince An’s residence is just to give you a convenient identity.”
Lu Hanzhi: …Ah, well, thanks a lot.
He understood Yuwen Min’s intentions—it was purely a matter of mutual benefit and use.
Seeing Lu Hanzhi’s skeptical expression, Yuwen Min added, “Don’t look at me like that. Let me ask you—why didn’t you marry into the Crown Prince’s residence? And don’t try to brush me off with that excuse about having a child. My brother and I have visited the Lu family dozens of times, and more than half the time, you were there pouring your heart out to the Crown Prince. Suddenly switching affections? I don’t believe it. But no matter what your hidden reasons are, I’m not interested. You know what I want. You don’t need to do anything—just take it as me giving you a place to stay.”
After hearing Yuwen’s words, Lu Hanzhi became uncertain.
He said that Lu Hanzhi knew what he wanted.
In the original novel, after Yuwen Min turned dark, he seized the throne, seemingly for the thrill of power. But in truth, wasn’t it all just to avenge his mother and elder brother?
Now, what exactly did he want?
Lu Hanzhi didn’t dare ask, nor did he want to know. But he was well aware that he had boarded a pirate ship and there was no getting off.
He took a deep breath, picked up Ah Chan, and said to the little chubby one, “Ah Chan, call ‘Father.’”
Ah Chan: …Whimpering noises…
Yuwen Min: …
The two of them stared at each other for a long time.
Well, what could he do? After all, Yuwen Min really was his big pig trotter.
After their long conversation, Lu Hanzhi and Yuwen Min reached a temporary agreement.
He would enter Prince An’s residence as a side consort. Yes, a side consort, not an attendant.
Attendants were merely mistresses, while a side consort had an official title.
Usually, an attendant who bore children would be promoted to a side consort. Since Lu Hanzhi had already given birth, he was directly granted the status.
In the original story, Lu Hanzhi had always been the Crown Prince’s attendant, never receiving a proper title. After all, the female lead came from a humble background and could only remain a concubine in the Crown Prince’s residence.
If Lu Hanzhi had been elevated in status, he would have overshadowed the female lead—something that wouldn’t have been well received.
After Prince An left, Madam Lu came to speak with Lu Hanzhi, unable to hide her excitement. “Your father has driven Lu Haozhi out, telling him not to return unless absolutely necessary. Every time he comes back, trouble follows. Your father said that since he’s still the Crown Prince’s attendant, the family can’t punish him anymore. But as for Aunt Du, your father has ordered her to reflect on her actions for three months—she’s not allowed to leave her courtyard without his permission. Aunt Zhou and Aunt Cai have learned their lesson. They rushed over to bring you a few sets of little gold locks and bracelets. They probably scraped together everything they had at the bottom of their chests. Oh, Hanzhi, today you have truly held your head high!”
Lu Hanzhi, however, remained indifferent and asked, “Have Prince Chu and Prince An both left?”
Madam Lu replied, “Prince An left, saying he’s going back to ask his mother to arrange the proposal for you. But Prince Chu is still here—he probably won’t leave tonight.”
Lu Hanzhi suddenly perked up. His spirits lifted as he asked, “Oh? Prince Chu is staying overnight?”
Madam Lu looked at him with confusion. “What kind of reaction is that? Prince Chu and your second brother are close friends. It’s not the first time they’ve spent the night discussing poetry and books by candlelight. Everyone in the capital knows that His Highness admires your brother’s talents and martial skills.”
Lu Hanzhi’s mood instantly improved. Ah, Mother, you don’t understand! Prince Chu doesn’t just admire Second Brother’s talents and martial skills—he admires his… patience!
With a sly smile, he asked, “Mother, does Second Brother plan to get married?”
Meanwhile, Lu Xuzhi, who had been randomly mentioned, sneezed. He looked at Prince Chu, who was kneeling by the desk, flipping through a poetry collection, and sighed helplessly. “Are you really not going back?”
Yuwen Jue turned a page and replied, “No. This isn’t the first time I’ve stayed over. Lord Lu and Madam Lu are already used to it.”
Lu Xuzhi sighed. “Hanzhi is home.”
Yuwen Jue closed the book, his face slightly flushed, and muttered, “…Hanzhi… already calls me ‘Second Sister-in-law.’”
Lu Xuzhi could never handle this side of him. Whenever he got shy, his face turned red, yet he still insisted on teasing him. Whenever he was held too tightly, he’d start whining, yet he still kept demanding more.
With a sigh, Lu Xuzhi pulled him into an embrace, pretending to kiss him.
But this time, Yuwen Jue wrapped his arms around Lu Xuzhi’s neck first—an uncharacteristically bold move. “My love, I’ve missed you so much…”
Your favorite BL chaos wouldn’t be possible without coffee… lots of coffee….
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