Chapter 31
Lu Hanzhi looked at him holding the child with a headache and got up, saying, “What’s wrong with you? A child isn’t a plate of food—why are you carrying him like that?”
As he spoke, he took the soft, chubby little boy from Yuwen’s hands. The little fatty let out a whimper, wiggled his tiny body, and snuggled back onto Lu Hanzhi.
Lu Hanzhi grumbled, “Sigh, stepfathers have no humanity, after all.”
The so-called inhumane stepfather picked up a small clockwork waterwheel toy from the ground. He twisted the mechanism, and the waterwheel started spinning with a rhythmic *click-click-click*.
The little fatty’s eyes lit up at the sight of the toy. His tiny bottom wiggled excitedly as he started squirming toward the waterwheel.
Lu Hanzhi felt an even greater headache coming on. This little rascal couldn’t tell good from bad—why did he go along with anyone who amused him?
Yuwen Min, on the other hand, was surprisingly patient. He placed the small waterwheel on the ground and nudged it toward the little fatty.
The chubby baby looked up at Yuwen Min, his toothless mouth spreading into a wide grin.
His tiny hands reached out toward Yuwen Min’s large palm, smearing it with a generous amount of drool.
Lu Hanzhi suddenly found the scene rather fascinating. This man, who was destined to become a ruthless and bloodthirsty tyrant in the original novel—moody, unpredictable, and merciless—was now gazing at a chubby little baby with such tenderness.
He sat cross-legged on the carpet, watching the interaction between the father and son.
He had to admit, if he ignored Yuwen Min’s future as a tyrant, this scene was actually quite heartwarming.
Lu Hanzhi asked, “Your Highness, why haven’t you left?”
Just as he finished speaking, a clap of thunder boomed outside the window.
Alright then.
Lu Hanzhi realized his question was rather unnecessary. With a storm like this, no one was going anywhere.
Heavy rain wasn’t going to stop just because Yuwen Min was the future emperor. It would still drench him like a drowned rat all the same.
Yuwen Min probably thought Lu Hanzhi’s question was pointless too, so he didn’t bother responding.
Just as Lu Hanzhi assumed Yuwen Min would remain silent, the man suddenly spoke.
“I’ll sleep here tonight.”
Lu Hanzhi: ?!?!?!?
Wait a minute, is this appropriate? Isn’t the Great Zhao an empire that values propriety, ethics, and chastity above all else?
Yuwen Min seemed a little awkward as well and explained, “Madam Lu assumes we’ve long been… together. Since we’ve already had a child, she likely believes we would prefer to sleep in the same room.”
Lu Hanzhi: …Is this really his own mother?
He wiped his forehead and asked, “Your Highness, do you *want* to sleep with me?”
Yuwen Min’s expression became wary as he replied, “Don’t misunderstand. I have no interest in such things. I’ll sleep in the outer room tonight.”
Lu Hanzhi suddenly became curious and asked, “Hmm? Why? You don’t find it enjoyable? Why do you have no interest? Could it be that Your Highness… is impotent?”
Yuwen Min: …
Impotent? That was impossible. If he truly were, then how had they ended up entangled that night, despite neither of them being aware of the other’s identity?
The room had been pitch dark, and they had both been in a dazed, drunken state.
If Lu Hanzhi hadn’t been reading from an omniscient perspective, the two of them would have probably spent their lives as complete strangers.
Yuwen Min glanced at Lu Hanzhi but didn’t get angry. Instead, he asked, “You know about my mother, don’t you?”
At first, Lu Hanzhi assumed Yuwen Min was referring to Imperial Concubine Rong, but Yuwen added, “I mean my birth mother, Consort Die.”
Lu Hanzhi’s breath hitched. He hadn’t expected Yuwen to bring up this topic himself, and he wasn’t sure how to respond.
Yuwen Min continued, “My birth mother, Ling Die, was from Daoling. She entered the palace as a noble lady during the late years of the former emperor’s reign and was later granted the title of Consort Die. The following year, the emperor fell gravely ill, bedridden for two years, and my mother devoted herself to caring for him. When the emperor passed away, my mother requested to accompany him to his tomb as a guardian consort. On the seventh day after his passing, my father went to the mausoleum to pay his respects. He was tempted by my mother’s beauty and ordered her to serve him. Drunk on power and wine, he forced himself on her. But because of her status, he discarded her afterward. A man who cannot control his own desires should at least take responsibility for his actions.”
At that point, Yuwen Min fell silent.
But Lu Hanzhi suddenly recalled the jade bracelet Yuwen Min had given him before. It was a Daoling White Jade Bracelet—he had assumed it was an imperial gift from the former emperor. But now, it seemed that wasn’t the case.
Ling Die was from Daoling, so that jade bracelet must have had some connection to her.
Yet Yuwen Min had casually given something so important to him?
Besides, whether a man could control himself or not wasn’t always up to him.
How many affairs had started because of temptation? How many mistakes had been made in a drunken haze?
You pride yourself on keeping your desires in check, but with the combination of drunkenness and the intoxicating scent of an aroused Xiao Langjun, there was simply no way for you to control yourself.
That last sentence actually moved Lu Hanzhi quite a bit—if a man couldn’t control himself, then at the very least, he had to take responsibility.
If he refused to take responsibility, then he was nothing but a scumbag.
Fortunately, scumbags never lasted long. In a short while, the emperor—this particular scumbag—would set off on a southern tour with the empress and his concubines.
Many things would happen along the way. At that time, Yuwen Min’s rebellion would just be starting. This southern tour was, in part, meant to serve as a warning to the emperor’s youngest son.
Unfortunately, while the warning was indeed delivered, the emperor’s arrogance and overconfidence led to him sustaining serious injuries. Moreover, the damp cold of the south left him further weakened by miasma. Upon returning, he fell gravely ill and never recovered.
There was one thing Lu Hanzhi couldn’t quite figure out. That night, even though they had both been in a daze, Yuwen Min had still left on his own after waking up. Did he truly not realize what he had done before leaving?
Unless… Su Wan’ning had also used some sort of mental attack on Yuwen Min, making him forget what had happened.
At this thought, a chill ran down Lu Hanzhi’s spine.
Just how powerful was Su Wan’ning’s golden finger? The rate at which she was unleashing her trump cards was far too intense.
He absolutely couldn’t confront her head-on. Until his own little system fully awakened, he had to bide his time and play it safe.
Looking at Yuwen Min, Lu Hanzhi suddenly felt an inexplicable pang of sympathy. In the original novel, Yuwen Min had suffered the most and met the most tragic end.
Even if he eventually became cruel and tyrannical, it was merely the inevitable consequence of all the harm he had endured.
For some reason, Lu Hanzhi suddenly had the urge to hold him.
Yuwen Min, however, seemed rather uninterested. He lazily picked up his heavy sword and carried it out of the inner chamber, leaning against a couch in the outer room, pretending to doze.
And so, the fake husband and wife spent their first night together—neither close nor distant, neither awkward nor harmonious. Nothing happened.
The next day, the weather cleared, and Lu Hanzhi prepared to return to his estate.
Madam Lu refused to allow it. Her youngest son was already Prince An’s Wang Fei—why should he go back to that broken-down estate to live?
Lu Hanzhi had no choice but to patiently persuade his mother. “Mother, I’m going to the estate to take care of serious matters, not as a punishment. It’s different!”
Madam Lu, full of distress, said, “What’s the difference? Can’t you handle serious matters here at the manor? And besides! You’re already Prince An’s Wang Fei—why not just let your husband take care of official matters? You should stay at home and focus on supporting your husband and raising your children. That’s the greatest contribution a woman can make!”
The deeply ingrained traditional mindset of women in the Great Zhao was something an outsider like Lu Hanzhi could hardly change.
In the end, he managed to slip away only by throwing a bit of a tantrum, acting spoiled, and sneaking out. He had already been delayed here for several days, preventing his new quest map from unlocking.
If he didn’t leave soon, his mother would surely find yet another excuse to keep him occupied with something else.
Sitting in the carriage, Lu Hanzhi held the little fatty in his arms, feeling utterly exhausted. The way women were oppressed in ancient times was truly terrifying.
As he pondered this, he completely failed to consider that, as a Xiao Langjun, he himself had it far worse.
After returning to the estate, Lu Hanzhi instructed He Ming to park the carriage properly and handed Ah Chan over to Qin Se and Ah Man. However, he did not immediately start his missions.
Instead, he went straight to the backyard, where someone was already waiting for him.
Zai Yu bowed respectfully to Lu Hanzhi and said, “Young Master, I have completed the task you assigned me.”
Lu Hanzhi asked, “Did anyone notice?”
Zai Yu replied, “As per your orders, I disguised it as a bandit raid—abducting a captive wife. No one suspected a thing.”
Lu Hanzhi nodded. “Take me to see.”
Zai Yu led the way, bringing Lu Hanzhi to a small side room in the backyard.
The room was small but relatively clean. A woman in a filthy red dress lay bound on the floor.
Seeing her, Lu Hanzhi sighed. Back at the Lu Manor, this woman had once enjoyed a period of glory and prestige.
Now, she was nothing more than a prisoner—flies swarming around her, her body emitting a foul stench.
Zai Yu gave Lu Hanzhi a respectful nod before stepping outside to stand guard.
Hearing the movement, the woman lifted her head. It was Aunt Du.
Her reaction to seeing Lu Hanzhi was rather mild. Instead of cursing or crying, she simply let out a cold laugh and said, “What? Do you think I haven’t suffered enough? Are you here to give me a swift death? If so, I should be thanking you. But…”
Suddenly, she crawled forward a couple of steps, startling Lu Hanzhi. However, she stopped just short of reaching him and instead banged her head against the floor twice with a resounding *thud*.
“Third Young Master! No matter what, Haozhi is still your younger brother. I beg you—please spare him! He’s just a child who doesn’t understand the world. I’m the one who committed all these sins. If you can let him go, I’ll repay you in my next life as a servant or a beast!”
Lu Hanzhi shook his head and sighed. “You knew you had a son, yet you still did such things. Did it never cross your mind what would happen to him if your schemes were exposed?”
Aunt Du shook her head and swore, “I swear on my life, I never intended to harm you! In the manor, every woman fights for favor. Who doesn’t compete, scheme, or feel jealous? Even the noble ladies in the palace are no different! Men are our heavens—if we don’t fight for their attention, how would they ever see us? Even Aunt Zhou and Aunt Cai, who seem so quiet and obedient—have they never done anything underhanded? It wasn’t Haozhi who secretly threw away your ball—it was Aunt Cai! And it was Aunt Zhou who switched your tea with bitter melon juice! Just because the Madam deducted their allowances, they held a grudge and resorted to petty tricks.”
But, Third Young Master, we never wanted anyone to die! Haozhi speaks without thinking—yes, he repeated my words—but that fire… I truly didn’t mean to set it! If I had, why would I have done it with my own hands? Why wouldn’t I have left before it started? Someone used witchcraft against us, my son and me! If it weren’t for the situation with Prince An, I would have suspected that person was you! But you had the chance to marry into Prince An’s household—you had no reason to be jealous of Haozhi! Third Young Master, whether you believe me or not, this isn’t as simple as it seems! Someone manipulated me, using my hands to get rid of you!”
Before Lu Hanzhi could even interrogate her, Aunt Du had already spilled everything she had to say in one desperate breath.
But to anyone else, her words would only sound like excuses—nothing more than an attempt to avoid punishment.
Witchcraft? Just a made-up tale to deceive people.
Only Lu Hanzhi, who had actually experienced these things firsthand, knew that what Aunt Du was saying was absolutely not a fabrication.
Now that he had a clear understanding of the situation, he nodded and asked, “Can you tell me, before you set the fire, who did you meet? And what did they say to you?”
Your favorite BL chaos wouldn’t be possible without coffee… lots of coffee….
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