Chapter 4
Outside, the rain had gradually faded, replaced by the sound of cicadas. The summer heat was beginning to rise.
Lu Hanzhi looked at the little dumpling, who lay quietly after eating, and thought that he should give the child a name.
As someone terrible at naming, he racked his brain before finally coming up with Lu Lingxi for the child’s formal name, but he would still call him Ah Chan as a nickname.
The original novel had briefly mentioned this child’s name, stating that he was born during the season of cicadas. That was why Lu Hanzhi casually called him Ah Chan.
Even though Ah Chan had just been born, he already had the delicate features of a future beauty.
Moreover, when Lu Hanzhi changed his diaper, he noticed something astonishing—there were seven birthmarks on the soles of the child’s feet.
There was an old saying: “With one star underfoot, one can command a thousand soldiers. With seven stars, one rules the world—destined for the throne.”
But the fate of an emperor wasn’t that simple. What was truly remarkable was that the seven marks on Ah Chan’s feet formed the shape of the Big Dipper.
This discovery thrilled Lu Hanzhi. If the original Lu Hanzhi had strangled a future wise ruler in the cradle, wouldn’t that have been a great pity?
Fortunately, the child had only just been born—there was still time to change everything.
Over the past few days, the Lu family had deliberately avoided discussing Lu Hanzhi.
They left him in his small courtyard, neither visiting nor allowing him to step outside.
The maids and old servant women who had been assigned to care for him were initially supposed to be dismissed. However, since Lu Hanzhi refused to send the child away, they were allowed to stay.
After all, if new servants were brought in, more people would become aware of this matter. It was better to keep the old ones—at least that way, fewer people would know.
The old servant women lived in constant fear, terrified that the lady of the house might punish them again.
Each and every one of them swore their unwavering loyalty to Lu Hanzhi, vowing that even if it cost them their lives, they would never utter a single word about the Third Young Master’s affairs.
However, Lu Hanzhi paid little attention to their declarations. After spending the past few days with Ah Chan, he had surprisingly developed a sense of contentment, as if having a child was all he needed in life.
Perhaps it was the well-balanced nutrition of the milk powder, but in just a few short days, Ah Chan visibly plumped up before his eyes.
His eyes had also fully opened—a pair of stunning, almond-shaped phoenix eyes, so captivating that one couldn’t look away.
The maid attending to them closely was named Luan Feng. She constantly praised how the child bore a seventy percent resemblance to Lu Hanzhi.
Except for those eyes. But those eyes were the most striking feature on the child.
There was no need to guess—they were, without a doubt, inherited from that future rebel tyrant.
Confined to his quarters, Lu Hanzhi had no way of knowing what was happening in the outside world. He had no idea how far the plot had progressed—whether the eldest imperial son, Yuwen Jue, had already been falsely accused and killed, or whether his ever-loyal shadow, Yuwen Min, had begun issuing a nationwide manhunt.
That day, Luan Feng hurriedly entered the courtyard from outside. As soon as she stepped through the door, she whispered something to the maidservant.
Lu Hanzhi, feeling curious, asked, “Luan Feng what happened?”
Luan Feng huffed angrily, “Isn’t it just that Tan Mei from Aunt Du’s quarters? She said… the Fourth Young Master will definitely be chosen as a good attendant for the Eastern Palace. Her words were full of disrespect toward you, Third Young Master. I couldn’t hold back and talked back, and that wretched Xun Mei ended up tearing my skirt!”
As she spoke, Luan Feng stomped her foot, clearly fuming.
Lu Hanzhi frowned. The Crown Prince was selecting attendants? Oh, so that was it. It seemed like an important plot point was about to unfold.
Since the selection had begun, that meant it wouldn’t be more than ten days or half a month before Yuwen Jue was wrongfully executed and Yuwen Min was declared a fugitive.
At that moment, a voice came from outside: “Bring everything in.”
Lu Hanzhi peeked toward the door and saw his second brother, Lu Xuzhi, instructing servants to carry in two large food containers.
The containers were filled with delicious dishes, and under Lu Xuzhi’s directions, they were carefully placed on Lu Hanzhi’s dining table one by one.
Lu Hanzhi’s eyes widened as he stared, swallowing a mouthful of saliva. “Second Brother? This is…”
Lu Xuzhi stepped forward and flicked his forehead. “Greedy, aren’t you? I knew you’d love it, so I secretly set aside a meal for you in the kitchen and had it sent over. With so many guests visiting the house these days, no one has time to think about this. Come on, try it—it’s all your favorites.”
Lu Hanzhi was deeply touched. He felt that aside from his father and his concubine mother, the rest of the Lu family genuinely cared for him.
Especially Madam Lu and his two elder brothers.
In the original novel, Lu Xuzhi’s fate was quite tragic.
Because he was a close friend of the eldest prince, and that prince was wrongfully executed, Lu Xuzhi was devastated.
After Yuwen Jue’s death, Lu Xuzhi sank into despair for a long time, even missing the imperial examination that year.
He had been on track to take first place in the third-ranked scholar category, but he let the opportunity slip through his fingers.
That one missed chance meant the examination was delayed for years, only reopening three years after the Crown Prince ascended the throne.
By then, Lu Xuzhi’s mental state had already deteriorated. Perhaps losing his closest friend had been too great a blow.
Later, even Madam Lu’s mental health declined. Perhaps it was only then that she truly realized her pain—losing her youngest son, while her second son had become a broken man. She spent her days weeping.
Now, as Lu Hanzhi recalled more details from the original story, he even remembered parts he hadn’t read before.
It seemed like the system had finally grown a conscience and was filling in the gaps for him.
Thinking this over, Lu Hanzhi felt that, since he knew what was coming, why couldn’t he do something about it?
Even if he couldn’t save the eldest prince, surely someone else could.
Lu Hanzhi sat before the table of food, picked up his chopsticks, then suddenly looked up and asked, “Second Brother, haven’t the eldest prince and fourth prince visited recently?”
Lu Xuzhi replied, “The Fourth Prince has gone to the northern frontier to join the military, but the Eldest Prince is here—he’s dining in the front hall.”
Lu Hanzhi nodded in understanding, his mind already making plans.
His second brother didn’t linger long, as he had to entertain the many guests in the front hall.
After finishing his meal, Lu Hanzhi wrote two anonymous letters. Disguising himself as a servant, he quietly left his courtyard.
Seizing an opportunity while the eldest prince was engaged in conversation, he discreetly slipped one of the letters into his robes.
Lu Hanzhi kept the message vague, simply warning the eldest prince to be cautious in the coming days.
Whether it would actually help, he couldn’t be sure.
Right now, he was just an ordinary Xiao Langjun with limited power.
The Struggle for the Throne was a clash between titans—far beyond the reach of someone like him.
All he could do was act with a clear conscience and leave the outcome to fate.
He then found a way to have the second anonymous letter delivered to the northern frontier.
For the next few days, things remained calm. But as the Crown Prince’s decree for selecting attendants drew nearer, Lu Hanzhi found himself facing another of Madam Lu’s tearful offensives.
That afternoon, as expected, Madam Lu entered Lu Hanzhi’s courtyard with two maids in tow.
The maids guarded the door, allowing no one else inside.
Madam Lu’s expression was grim, her face filled with determination as she declared, “I’ve already summoned people from the estate. We’re taking this child away right now. But don’t worry—I’ll make sure he’s well taken care of. No matter what, he is my grandson. As your mother, I would never mistreat him. The Crown Prince’s decree for selecting attendants has already been issued—the entire capital is watching you! Hanzhi, you should have seen Aunt Du’s face! Listen to me. Tomorrow, you’ll accept the decree and move into the Eastern Palace’s Boya Residence. Only by becoming the Crown Prince’s attendant will you secure a future for yourself!”
Madam Lu was saying this for Lu Hanzhi’s own good—she genuinely wanted him to have a stable future.
After all, a Crown Prince’s attendant had the potential to become a consort or even an empress. Lu Hanzhi’s father held the rank of second-grade official, and he was the legitimate son of the family. His background wasn’t low by any means.
The Lu family had paved the way for him for years, yet he had ruined it all in a single night. Even if he told himself otherwise, he couldn’t believe that no one was angry about it.
But only he knew that the Eastern Palace was no safe haven. If he went there, he would be walking straight into his own death.
This wasn’t something he could turn around with careful planning.
Even if, in the early days, the Crown Prince had harbored feelings for him, after enduring repeated mental assaults from the novel’s female lead, those feelings had likely long since faded.
Without hesitation, Lu Hanzhi fell to his knees before Madam Lu with a loud thud. Before he could even speak, tears were already streaming down his face.
As a corporate worker in his previous life, Lu Hanzhi considered his acting skills quite polished. Otherwise, how could he have survived under a nitpicking boss every single day? The key to success was making the act convincing—only then would the other party believe he had done his best.
Madam Lu was momentarily stunned by his sudden kneeling.
Lu Hanzhi then cried out, “Mother! Mother! Just think—if your son had been taken from your side as a child, how would you have felt? Would you have been able to bear letting him go?”
When dealing with one’s own mother, the approach had to be different. This called for an emotional strategy—one that would grip her heart completely.
Madam Lu froze, her eyes instantly turning red. Shaking her head repeatedly, she cried out, “How could I bear to do that? How could I live without you?” There was no denying that she had poured more love and effort into her youngest son than her other children. Unlike his older brothers, Lu Chenzhi and Lu Xuzhi, who were more independent, her youngest son was naturally affectionate and clingy, demanding all of her attention. She couldn’t even begin to imagine—if he were taken away from her, could she even go on living?
Lu Hanzhi sniffled, his voice trembling as he choked back tears. “It’s the same for me! Sending Ah Chan away is one thing, but… but how am I supposed to live without him?”
Hearing this, Madam Lu’s tears fell as well. She stepped forward, cradling Lu Hanzhi’s head in her arms, her voice hoarse and desperate. “I have no choice! No choice at all! If I don’t do this, your future will be even more unbearable!”
Lu Hanzhi shook his head and said, “Mother, as long as I have you and Ah Chan, I’ll be happy no matter how difficult things get. Once I enter the Crown Prince’s residence, I won’t even get to see you for years at a time. And if I lose Ah Chan, I’ll have nothing left to live for. If I’m doomed either way, I might as well hold onto Ah Chan and jump into the lotus pond in the back courtyard. At least that way, everything will be clean and simple.”
The moment she heard this, Madam Lu immediately covered his mouth, her hands trembling as she smacked his back in a panic. “You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting? You are absolutely not allowed to say such things again, do you hear me?”
Lu Hanzhi gasped sharply. The wounds from the beating he had suffered a few days ago had yet to heal completely, and now, with her slap, pain shot through his body, making him shudder involuntarily.
Madam Lu quickly withdrew her hand, her expression filled with both heartache and distress as she looked at him. “Han’er, this path will not be easy. Have you… truly thought it through?”
Lu Hanzhi nodded firmly and said, “Mother, no matter how hard it gets, as long as you’re here, I can walk this path.”
Madam Lu was utterly overwhelmed with emotion, breaking down into tears. As his mother, how could she stand by and watch her own son and grandson perish?
She had spoiled him since childhood—what could she do now but continue spoiling him?
But even as she wept, she gritted her teeth and muttered bitterly, “That Aunt Du is getting off easy! With that foolish, ignorant son of hers—what use is he even if he enters the Eastern Palace? A useless fool will always be a useless fool! It’s only a matter of time before he’s cast aside!”
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Obrigada pela tradução! ❣️💕