Chapter 53
Ever since the decision had been made to keep the child, Ji Qingzhou became the top-priority figure to be protected in Yinghui Pavilion.
Although everyone in Yinghui Pavilion behaved normally in front of him, Ji Qingzhou still noticed that no matter where he went or what he did, the people around him seemed to be paying extra attention.
For instance, if he was holding something in his hands, someone would always quickly step in to take it from him.
Or, whenever he passed over a step or a threshold, someone would instinctively reach out to steady him, as if they were afraid he might fall.
“Did Wang Ye say something to them?” Ji Qingzhou asked Tu Dayou one day.
Tu Dayou chuckled. “Not at all. At least I’ve never heard anything like that.”
Ji Qingzhou studied Tu Dayou for a moment. Since defecting to their side, Tu Dayou seemed to be far less candid than he used to be. The way he spoke and acted felt much more like someone on Li Zhan’s side now…..
“You’re getting closer and closer to Wang Ye,” Ji Qingzhou remarked.
“It’s a good thing Wang Yetrusts me,” Tu Dayou said. “Otherwise, why would I have come to Yinghui Pavilion in the first place?”
Ji Qingzhou nodded at that. He was indeed glad that Tu Dayou was now of use to Li Zhan.
“By the way,” Tu Dayou continued, “I might be heading out of the capital in a few days.”
“You’re going out of the capital?” Ji Qingzhou asked, clearly surprised.
Tu Dayou gave a small smile. “Yes. Wang Ye instructed me to take care of something very important for him.”
“He has so many capable guards by his side. Why would he send a eunuch like you to handle it?” Ji Qingzhou asked, puzzled.
Tu Dayou quickly replied, “Don’t overthink it. I volunteered to take this on. Wang Ye will also be sending people with me—nothing will go wrong. I’m only telling you ahead of time so you don’t worry.”
Ji Qingzhou still felt a bit uneasy, but he knew Li Zhan always acted with precision. Since Tu Dayou was already working for him, Ji Qingzhou trusted that they both knew what they were doing and that he didn’t need to concern himself too much.
Not long after their conversation, Tu Dayou quietly left.
His departure was so discreet that aside from Ji Qingzhou, no one seemed to notice for days. Since Tu Dayou didn’t live in Yinghui Pavilion but in his old courtyard, other eunuchs who were familiar with him simply assumed he’d been assigned elsewhere when they didn’t see him around.
With August fast approaching, Ji Qingzhou calculated that it was nearly four months along now.
These days, he constantly felt on edge. Every time he bathed, he would inspect his belly, worried that it might suddenly balloon overnight without him noticing. He had even pictured himself waddling around with a protruding stomach—the image was nothing short of jarring to him.
Fortunately, he had always been slender, and even now at four months in, his belly showed little to no change.
At present, all his meals were supervised by imperial physicians, with carefully selected ingredients and nutrition plans.
Xiao Shan had asked Li Zhan for permission to transfer Guo Zi—a young eunuch he had once gotten along with in the imperial kitchens—over to Yinghui Pavilion. The two of them now took care of Ji Qingzhou together. Guo Zi, though still young, was mature and dependable, and Ji Qingzhou had always been quite fond of him.
Li Zhan, knowing Ji Qingzhou disliked being fussed over, didn’t assign any additional attendants to avoid making him feel uncomfortable.
Not long after, someone new arrived at Yinghui Pavilion.
Ji Qingzhou barely recognized the man at first sight. It wasn’t until the man spoke that he remembered—this was the doctor from the alley.
Ji Qingzhou had heard Li Zhan mention him before: this was the man Prince Heng had captured and tortured, which led to the revelation about Ji Qingzhou’s pregnancy. But seeing him in person now, Ji Qingzhou realized the situation had been far worse than he’d imagined…
Prince Heng had not only had the man’s leg broken, but had also crippled one of his arms. Though the doctor was skilled in medicine, he could barely treat himself. He had managed to heal the wounds enough to survive, but one leg was permanently lame, and the injured arm had become useless—he couldn’t even hold a teacup anymore.
“There’s no way to fix it?” Ji Qingzhou asked.
“The leg might still have some hope if it were re-set properly,” the doctor said with a bitter smile. “But the arm… that one’s done for.”
Ji Qingzhou: …
This Prince Heng was truly ruthless!
Later, Ji Qingzhou learned that the man’s name was Tang Shu. Strictly speaking, he hadn’t been one of Prince Heng’s people—he had only treated him once by chance. Prince Heng had admired his skills and tried to recruit him several times, but Tang Shu didn’t like him and refused to work for him.
“If it weren’t for me, you’d probably still be practicing medicine peacefully in that alley, wouldn’t you?” Ji Qingzhou asked.
“This wasn’t your fault. Fate brought it about. No need to blame yourself,” Tang Shu replied with a calm smile, his attitude surprisingly open-minded.
Ji Qingzhou stared at him for a while, then asked, “You refused to serve Prince Heng before. So why are you now working for Wang Ye?”
“I’m not doing it for Wang Ye,” Tang Shu quickly clarified. “Have you forgotten? That day you came to my clinic, we made a bet.”
Ji Qingzhou: …
Indeed, there had been a wager—though it was more accurate to say Tang Shu had made one unilaterally.
He had bet that if the child in Ji Qingzhou’s belly survived safely, Ji Qingzhou would make the child his disciple.
“I won the bet. So I came to Yinghui Pavilion for one reason only…” Tang Shu pointed at Ji Qingzhou’s belly and said, “To protect him. Only then will the Tang family’s medical arts have a worthy heir!”
Ji Qingzhou: …
Was this man serious?
“I haven’t told Wang Ye about this yet. You can keep it secret for me,” Tang Shu said in a lowered voice.
Ji Qingzhou chuckled. “You want Wang Ye’s child to become your disciple? I don’t think I have the authority to promise that.”
Tang Shu gave a mysterious smile. “It’s fine. When the time comes, I’ll ask him myself. He’ll agree.”
Ji Qingzhou looked at Tang Shu. The man had a mysterious air about him that was hard to read.
Strangely though, despite his elusive nature, Tang Shu didn’t give off the same oppressive vibe as Prince Heng. On the contrary, beneath his laid-back and unruly appearance, he gave off an inexplicably trustworthy feeling.
“Why does Wang Ye trust you?” Ji Qingzhou asked. “Isn’t he worried that this might all be some elaborate ruse between you and Prince Heng to infiltrate his inner circle?”
“You really speak your mind, don’t you? I like that,” Tang Shu laughed. “Wang Ye trusts me because I guessed one of his secrets.”
Ji Qingzhou blinked. “What secret?”
“You have one too,” Tang Shu said with a smile as he looked at Ji Qingzhou.
Ji Qingzhou felt a chill run through him, surprise flickering in his expression.
Tang Shu merely raised an eyebrow, signaling that the topic had gone far enough and should not be pressed.
“Are you a fortune teller?” Ji Qingzhou asked.
“I’m a doctor… who does a little face-reading on the side,” Tang Shu replied, completely serious. “The moment I saw you, I knew the child in your belly was a natural talent. No better candidate to be my apprentice.”
Ji Qingzhou took a deep breath and said, “Stop. You’re starting to creep me out.”
“Don’t you want to know if it’s a boy or a girl?” Tang Shu asked again.
“No,” Ji Qingzhou replied flatly.
“No wonder he’s your man. He said the same thing,” Tang Shu remarked.
Ji Qingzhou: …
“Let’s get serious,” Tang Shu continued. “Wang Ye had me come to Yinghui Pavilion to take care of you and the child you’re carrying. From now on, I’ll be keeping a close eye on your diet. Before coming here, I spoke with Xiao Shan and Guo Zi… You’ve been eating too much. Pregnant people shouldn’t go hungry, of course, but overeating isn’t good either. You’ll need to move around more in the mornings and evenings—don’t be lazy. You seem okay in that regard. Most importantly, you must show restraint in that area.”
“What area?” Ji Qingzhou asked, confused.
“That area.” Tang Shu curled two fingers and gave a meaningful gesture.
Ji Qingzhou looked speechless. “You’ve misunderstood something. I and—”
“No need to explain, I’m not interested,” Tang Shu cut him off.
Ji Qingzhou: …
This Tang Shu definitely had a few screws loose!
Soon, it was time for the military competition between the two garrisons.
This event was considered a significant matter in the Dayu court. Since talk of reducing troop numbers had been raised not long ago, this military contest was now seen as a form of practical evaluation. The results could very well determine the future of each camp.
In other words, the losing or underperforming side would likely face cuts.
Originally, Li Zhan hadn’t planned to bring Ji Qingzhou to the training ground. First, it was located in the outskirts, quite a distance away. Second, the site would be full of flashing blades and heavy atmosphere—not ideal for someone expecting a child.
But ever since the previous incident, Li Zhan had been on edge.
He feared something might happen if Ji Qingzhou wasn’t close by.
So after much deliberation, he decided to bring him along.
The young emperor, several court officials from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Appointments, and even the Liang Kingdom princess accompanied them.
However, this time the young emperor didn’t ride in the same carriage as Ji Qingzhou. Li Zhan insisted he ride horseback with him, saying it was time His Majesty learned to ride.
Ji Qingzhou’s carriage was quite spacious, so Xiao Shan and Guo Zi rode with him.
Dong Dong didn’t follow Li Zhan this time but stayed beside Ji Qingzhou’s carriage for protection.
“Why are so many people going?” Ji Qingzhou was surprised when he saw the number of officials.
“You may not know this, Young Master Ji,” Dong Dong explained, “but in Dayu, it’s tradition for court officials to attend and observe these contests. This time, Wang Ye only invited officials from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Appointments—this is already a very streamlined delegation.”
Ji Qingzhou nodded and didn’t ask further.
Their procession moved at a steady pace. By the time they reached the location, it was already past noon.
The competition site was set near a horse pasture in the outskirts. When they arrived, the camp had already been set up.
“Young Master Ji, your tent is right behind Wang Ye’s—it’s very close,” Dong Dong said as he led him there. “It’s spacious and has a screen divider. Xiao Shan and Guo Zi will sleep on the outer side, so they’ll always be close by.”
Ji Qingzhou saw that the tent was indeed roomy—comparable to a two-bedroom home.
The only drawback was… it was far too eye-catching. Bigger than any other official’s tent.
“Is this really appropriate?” Ji Qingzhou asked.
“Don’t worry, Young Master Ji,” Dong Dong replied. “Everyone thinks His Majesty is staying here. No one will gossip.”
Ji Qingzhou: …
That works?
“Then… where’s His Majesty staying?” Ji Qingzhou asked.
In the past, whenever they traveled, he always looked after the young emperor. But this time, the boy had been with Li Zhan the whole way.
“Wang Ye’s keeping him close—afraid he might get into trouble,” Dong Dong said.
Ji Qingzhou paused. Maybe Li Zhan had his reasons, so he didn’t ask further.
Unbeknownst to him, the young emperor had already started to sulk from being tethered to Li Zhan this whole journey.
Ever since that morning at court when he hugged Ji Qingzhou, Li Zhan had kept him from going near Ji Qingzhou again. Every day, Li Zhan personally escorted him to and from court, tested him on his studies, and now insisted on teaching him how to ride…
The officials, seeing the Regent personally teaching His Majesty to ride, were full of praise.
They thought the bond between uncle and nephew was strong and were deeply comforted.
Only the young emperor, after the initial excitement, had slumped over on Li Zhan’s horse and started dozing. Eventually, Li Zhan had to switch to a carriage and carry him while he slept the rest of the way.
The real contests would begin the next day. After a day of travel, everyone was instructed to rest.
There was to be an outdoor banquet that night. Preparations were already underway.
It was the beginning of the lunar eighth month, and the outskirts were already a bit chilly.
Still, the camping site was on grasslands, where mosquitoes and bugs were still rampant.
Fortunately, someone had anticipated this and brought insect repellents. After everyone was assigned tents, people began going tent-to-tent spraying repellent and distributing herbal sachets to wear.
Soon, they reached Ji Qingzhou’s tent.
But just as the person was about to enter, Xiao Shan blocked him.
“We’ve prepared our own repellents—no need to trouble you,” Xiao Shan said.
The person nodded and moved on to the next tent.
Ji Qingzhou looked at Xiao Shan. “You’re quite thorough.”
“It was by Wang Ye’s orders, he said everything in our tent, from food to supplies, must go through our own hands. Especially these repellents—you never know what kind of junk they might sneak in. Better safe than sorry.” Xiao Shan explained, “Doctor Tang will be here shortly.”
Ji Qingzhou nodded. He hadn’t thought about it that deeply.
Sure enough, Tang Shu soon arrived, carrying some incense and sachets.
He handed the sachets to Xiao Shan and Guo Zi to place in all corners of the tent, then lit the incense in the censer. A faint medicinal scent filled the tent quickly.
Though not unpleasant, the smell was quite strong. Ji Qingzhou felt a bit nauseous and stepped outside to get some air.
Just as he reached the tent entrance, he saw someone hanging a sachet outside.
“What’s that?” Ji Qingzhou asked.
“Insect repellent,” the person said, head slightly bowed. After hanging the sachet, he turned and walked away.
Ji Qingzhou caught a glimpse of his profile and froze slightly.
He felt certain he’d seen that person somewhere before. But without a clear look at his face, he couldn’t place him.
“Wait a moment,” Ji Qingzhou called.
The person didn’t stop, acting as if he hadn’t heard.
Suspicious, Ji Qingzhou followed him a few steps. When they passed another tent, its flap suddenly opened—and Li Zhan stepped out.
He wore a fitted black martial robe today, his lean figure outlined subtly by the fabric, giving him a more commanding and elegant aura than usual. Especially when he looked at Ji Qingzhou—his deep gaze held a mysterious emotion that made him seem even more captivating.
Li Zhan appeared slightly surprised to see Ji Qingzhou standing outside his tent.
Ji Qingzhou, too, paused upon seeing him.
“I was just… about to come see you,” Li Zhan said.
“I…” Ji Qingzhou turned his head to look ahead, but that person had already vanished.
Li Zhan continued, “I deliberately had them set our tents farther apart, worried that someone might come to my tent to discuss matters and the constant coming and going would disturb your peace.”
“It’s fine, I’m not that delicate,” Ji Qingzhou said quickly.
“Then… shall I have them tear down the tents and pitch them right next to each other?” Li Zhan said.
Ji Qingzhou: …
That… really wasn’t necessary.
Li Zhan lowered his gaze to look at Ji Qingzhou. In just a brief moment, he had quietly sized the other up from head to toe several times. Ji Qingzhou’s belly wasn’t showing much yet, but out of caution, he hadn’t dared to wear fitted robes. Today, he wore a light blue wide-sleeved scholar’s robe, very loose and flowing.
His fair skin and slender build made him seem especially fragile wrapped in such oversized robes—like a gust of wind could blow him over.
The moment Li Zhan had laid eyes on him earlier, he’d felt an urge to pull him into his arms. Now, seeing him standing there looking so lost, the urge only grew stronger.
“Let’s take a walk in the back. There’s something I want to talk to you about,” Li Zhan offered, using the excuse to shift his attention.
Ji Qingzhou obediently followed him. The two of them circled around the tents to a grassy area behind them.
“There are some things I hadn’t planned on telling you,” Li Zhan said, watching the people in the distance busy preparing for the evening banquet. “I was afraid you’d worry. But then I thought, you’re so smart, you’d probably overthink it anyway. Might as well explain it to you now.”
Ji Qingzhou turned to look at him. Sure enough, it seemed Li Zhan had another plan regarding this martial competition.
But unlike before, this time Li Zhan was choosing to tell him in advance…
“Do you remember how the Ji family got involved in that matter back then?” Li Zhan suddenly asked.
Ji Qingzhou froze, heart beginning to pound.
It wasn’t that he remembered—he had never known.
Because in the original novel, he was just a cannon-fodder antagonist with the classic “beautiful, strong, tragic” setting. The author only mentioned that his family had been wiped out. There were no details about how or why.
“Your father never liked getting involved in these things. It makes sense he wouldn’t have told you,” Li Zhan said.
Ji Qingzhou quickly agreed, “Mm.”
“At the time, my imperial brother was gravely ill. The Imperial Physicians were helpless, and he himself knew his time was limited,” Li Zhan said. “There were all kinds of rumors swirling at court. Some of them… were about my second brother.”
As a ruler, suspicion came naturally. While he was sick, the late emperor had grown increasingly mistrustful of those around him.
Li Zhan’s second brother was the Second Prince. According to tradition, when an emperor died, his younger brother could inherit the throne. With the emperor’s heir still a child, most officials preferred the stability of having the Second Prince succeed the throne, not the emperor’s young son. But the late emperor clearly didn’t agree with that idea.
“Second Brother was a very straightforward person. He never understood how to avoid suspicion. Even after many officials submitted memorials supporting him, he kept doing as he pleased,” Li Zhan said with a bitter smile. “Later, he angered the emperor over something, and His Majesty flew into a rage, flipping the desk over in front of all the court officials.”
Ji Qingzhou thought to himself: this Second Prince was probably someone without ambition. Otherwise, in such a situation, he should’ve known to lie low and bide his time instead of provoking the emperor.
“The smart people in court all sensed the growing undercurrents and avoided speaking up for him,” Li Zhan continued. “Only Grand Tutor Ji…”
“Just for pleading on Second Prince’s behalf?” Ji Qingzhou asked in surprise.
Li Zhan looked at him, and for once, there was a rare trace of sorrow in his eyes. He went on, “Grand Tutor Ji’s appeal made the emperor very unhappy. Not long after, the Second Prince was impeached—accused of conspiring with the commander of the Western Camp to commit treason…”
Ji Qingzhou’s expression changed. He knew that “treason” in such contexts usually meant planning a coup or rebellion.
Such plots were common in history, especially during times when an emperor was gravely ill…
“There were both witnesses and evidence,” Li Zhan said. “And one of the letters mentioned your father…”
Now Ji Qingzhou understood. The Ji family had been punished for allegedly conspiring with the Second Prince.
If that charge stuck, their fate wasn’t surprising at all…
“My brother was so ill by then that he didn’t have the strength to investigate the full truth,” Li Zhan explained. “Nor did he trust anyone else to look into it. So he… would rather wrongly execute someone than risk letting a traitor go.”
Li Zhan didn’t finish the sentence, but Ji Qingzhou already understood. The result was clear: the late emperor didn’t spare the Ji family. And though the Second Prince kept his life, he was placed under house arrest.
Ji Qingzhou turned to Li Zhan and asked, “So, you’re telling me all this… because it relates to the martial competition?”
“The whole thing began with the commander of the Western Camp. If I want to clear the Ji family’s name, I must start with Western Camp,” Li Zhan said, looking into the distance, his eyes flashing with cold determination.
That former commander had already been executed. But the person who accused him—Xiao Tengyun—soon replaced him and took charge of the Western Camp.
Now Ji Qingzhou understood: everything Li Zhan had done until now was merely groundwork.
Only now had the real play begun…
“They’re all military men. Will it be dangerous?” Ji Qingzhou asked.
Li Zhan turned to look at him. “I didn’t dare leave you in the palace because I feared something might happen. Now that you’re with me, and I’m here for everything, you don’t need to worry about anything. Just stay close to me. Don’t be afraid.”
Ji Qingzhou looked at him, and for the first time, felt a sense of peace and security that came out of nowhere.
Come to think of it, with Li Zhan around, everything always seemed to work out.
Li Zhan was like a mountain—solid and dependable, offering comfort just by standing there.
“Mm, I’m not afraid,” Ji Qingzhou said.
When Li Zhan saw the unmistakable trust in the youth’s eyes, he was momentarily moved. He reached out and gently grasped Ji Qingzhou’s arm.
He actually wanted to hold his hand, but felt it might be crossing a line.
As he wrestled with himself, the young emperor’s voice rang out behind them.
“Imperial Uncle… Ji Gonggong!” The young emperor ran over with a thump-thump of little feet, arms outstretched to hug Ji Qingzhou.
Li Zhan immediately extended a hand, grabbed his little arm, and pulled him to his side.
The young emperor struggled for a moment but, unable to break free, turned to Ji Qingzhou with a big grin. “Ji Gonggong, do I smell nice?”
Ji Qingzhou, who wasn’t standing too far away, could indeed smell the strong scent wafting from the child.
“What is that?” Li Zhan frowned.
“A sachet from the Imperial Physician. It repels bugs,” the young emperor said, shaking the sachet tied at his waist. He then pulled another out of his pocket and handed it to Ji Qingzhou. “I asked for this one just for you.”
Ji Qingzhou reached out to take it, but Li Zhan blocked him and tucked the sachet into his own robe.
The young emperor gave him a disgruntled look. “Shame on you, Uncle, stealing from Ji Gonggong!”
“I already have one. Doctor Tang made it for me,” Ji Qingzhou quickly said.
Hearing that, the young emperor let it go. He hadn’t gotten to spend time with Ji Qingzhou all day, and now that he could finally see him, he was excited. But Li Zhan wouldn’t let go of him. Unable to struggle free, he reached out his other hand to Ji Qingzhou, clearly asking to be led by him.
Ji Qingzhou smiled, stepped forward, and held his hand.
The young emperor beamed like it was the happiest moment of his life.
From a distance, Qin Zheng and Qi Jingheng were walking over.
And what they saw was this scene:
The young emperor walking in the middle, holding Li Zhan with his left hand and Ji Qingzhou with his right.
One dressed in a fitted black martial uniform, the other in a light blue scholar’s robe, flanking a child in a bright yellow imperial robe—looking for all the world like a harmonious family.
“Tsk…” Qin Zheng paused and remarked, “They really look like a family of three.”
Qi Jingheng followed his gaze, the corners of her lips curving up with amusement. “Four.”
“Huh?” Qin Zheng blinked, then realized—Ji Qingzhou had another little one in his belly.
He clicked his tongue in mock annoyance and muttered, “What’s so great about that.”
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