Chapter 58
In an instant, Yuwen Min felt an overwhelming sense of suffocation.
His limbs stiffened, unsure where to place his hands and feet. It was hard to believe that he had spent the entire night holding onto Lu Hanzhi like this.
What had happened last night?
Oh, right. He had drunk some alcohol.
His body had a rather unusual reaction to alcohol—just a little, and he would start losing control.
Worse still, he tended to forget what he did while drunk. To make matters worse, his alcohol tolerance was abysmal.
His record was two bowls—coincidentally, the same large bowl Lu Hanzhi had used last night.
But that had been osmanthus wine brewed by his mother, not strong liquor.
What Lu Hanzhi had given him last night was probably the strongest wine.
He carefully raised his hand, trying not to wake Lu Hanzhi, but just as he sat up slightly, Lu Hanzhi suddenly rolled back onto him.
He fell back onto the bed, looking down at his own body—dressed in nothing but undergarments—and at the unmistakable sign of a man’s… condition in the morning.
He felt like he was about to lose his mind.
To make matters worse, the person beside him was completely unaware of the situation. Instead of pulling away, Lu Hanzhi even pressed his leg directly against it!
Yuwen Min finally reached his limit. He shoved Lu Hanzhi away, used his qinggong to escape the bed as if fleeing for his life, grabbed his clothes, and rushed to the outer room.
Just waking up, Lu Hanzhi looked utterly confused. He rubbed his eyes and mumbled, “What just flew past?” Then, he shifted slightly and muttered again, “Where did my automatic bed warmer go?”
He rubbed his eyes again. “…Another weird dream?” He yawned, looking even more puzzled.
Ah Chan was still asleep, but Lu Hanzhi couldn’t fall back asleep. He turned to check on Yuwen Min, only to find that he had disappeared.
Yet, the bed was still warm. That was when he finally realized—the figure that had just run off must have been Yuwen Min.
Just how shy was this man? Was he seriously embarrassed over this? It was just sleeping together, nothing else!
Back in university, a bunch of guys had slept together in one room all the time, and it had never been a big deal.
Slowly, Lu Hanzhi got up and started putting on his clothes. Meanwhile, little Ah Chan had woken up and rolled over to sit upright.
The sky outside had just begun to lighten. They had to hurry to the Crown Prince’s residence to congratulate him.
Since Ah Chan was the son of Prince An, he naturally had the right to attend the Crown Prince’s wedding banquet.
However, Lu Hanzhi wasn’t planning to bring him along today. After all, the day was likely to be filled with thrilling and unpredictable events.
If he needed to escape, it would be easy on his own. But carrying a child? That would be a different story.
So, he instructed the housekeeper Ah Man to take Ah Chan to the Lu residence and leave him in the care of Madam Lu for the day.
Ah Man acknowledged the order and went to carry it out.
Lu Hanzhi got up and stepped outside to check on Yuwen Min. He found him already fully dressed, meticulously tidying himself up, using a handkerchief to wipe down his Chen Ke.
Acting as if nothing had happened, Lu Hanzhi greeted him casually, “Good morning, Your Highness. Freshen up, and let’s have breakfast.”
Yuwen Min, however, was visibly uncomfortable. He couldn’t understand how some people could be so indifferent about things that should have been embarrassing.
Perhaps he was just too sensitive.
After speaking, Lu Hanzhi picked up his toothbrush and cup from the table, opened a small porcelain jar containing toothpaste, used a tiny silver spoon to scoop some out, and started brushing his teeth.
Yuwen Min: ???
Noticing Yuwen Min’s curious stare, Lu Hanzhi spoke through his foamy mouth, “Your Highness, want to try it?”
Yuwen Min slowly nodded.
Lu Hanzhi rummaged through the drawer, pulled out a sandalwood toothbrush wrapped in soft silk cloth, and handed it to Yuwen Min. “This is top-quality stuff. One for each of us! Here, toothpaste.”
Yuwen Min stepped forward, mimicked Lu Hanzhi’s actions, and scooped some toothpaste onto his brush. He then experienced a fresh and invigorating toothbrushing session for the first time.
After brushing, he ran his tongue over his teeth, feeling a cool sensation lingering between his lips.
Seeing his expression, Lu Hanzhi commented, “Seriously, Your Highness? My three-piece oral hygiene set has been selling like crazy in the capital, and you’ve never tried it?”
Yuwen Min thought for a moment and replied, “I did buy one of your red sandalwood brushes… but I used it to clean my Chen Ke.”
Lu Hanzhi, who had just spat out his toothpaste foam, looked utterly stunned. He had made only a few of those premium sets, and he had been wondering who on earth would be foolish enough to buy them at such a high price—turns out, someone had purchased an entire set just to use it for that!
So, the fool who was easily taken advantage of was right in front of him?
Some fool: ?
Yuwen Min didn’t quite understand why Lu Hanzhi was looking at him with that expression, but he didn’t bother to figure it out.
Now, he had a reasonable suspicion—last night, Lu Hanzhi had intentionally gotten him drunk to take advantage of him… But that didn’t seem right. Nothing had actually happened.
Come to think of it, it had been almost half a year since he had given birth, which meant that certain things would soon become a monthly occurrence again.
For a Xiao Langjun who had given birth, it would be difficult to endure without the assistance of a husband.
Could that be what he was after?
After all, if such a thing were to happen suddenly, it would be quite awkward.
Was he trying to ease into it first?
Yuwen Min’s throat tightened slightly, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask about something like this.
It was inevitable after marriage. He just didn’t know how they would handle it when the time came.
Forget it. He wasn’t showing any signs of it happening yet anyway. He would deal with it when it actually happened!
After a simple breakfast, Lu Hanzhi tossed a few teething sticks to the little one before boarding the carriage with Yuwen Min to return to the capital.
A figure peeked around, watching them leave, then turned to a younger companion and said, “Go, tell Young Lady Wan.”
The younger one responded with a nod and disappeared into the woods.
By the time Lu Hanzhi and Yuwen Min arrived at the Crown Prince’s residence, the sun had just begun to rise.
The Eldest Prince was already there, his personal guards standing behind him. Not far away stood Lu Xuzhi.
When the two of them saw Lu Hanzhi and Yuwen Min arriving together, they waved them over.
Yuwen Jue spoke in a low voice, “The Crown Prince will soon set off to welcome his bride. An Wang and I will be joining his entourage. You two brothers should stay here and try not to wander around.”
Lu Hanzhi nodded, then heard Yuwen Jue reminding him, “If you don’t understand any of the courtly etiquette, ask your second brother. This is the Crown Prince’s residence, Han’er—you mustn’t act recklessly.”
Lu Hanzhi pouted. “Second Sister-in-law, am I really that unreliable?”
Yuwen Jue chuckled, patted his shoulder, then turned as the ceremonial procession called out that it was time for the two princes to mount their horses.
The Crown Prince was dressed in an extravagant wedding robe today, embroidered with rare patterns of merfolk—a rare sight.
He looked extraordinarily handsome, exuding a refined gentlemanly aura.
Yet, he did not lose the regal dignity of the imperial family—he was truly a man who could captivate anyone.
Unfortunately, when Lu Hanzhi thought of how, in the original story, the Crown Prince had personally killed the original host, a wave of discomfort swept over him.
Shaking his head, he turned to Lu Xuzhi and muttered, “Hah, looks really can be deceiving. You see, this Crown Prince looks every bit the image of nobility, yet in reality, he’s just petty and narrow-minded—not fit to be Crown Prince.”
Lu Xuzhi glanced around, seeing no one nearby, then lowered his voice. “The Emperor’s thoughts are unpredictable. But His Majesty is still in his prime and has seven sons. Who knows what will happen in the future?”
Lu Hanzhi replied, “The Fifth Prince is only seven, the Sixth Prince three, and the Seventh Prince just two. They’re unlikely to be major contenders.”
Given the current situation, the Eldest Prince was already married, and the Third Prince was in exile.
That left only the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince competing for the throne. Who would emerge victorious? Everyone was waiting to see.
The entire noble class in the capital had their eyes on the Lu family.
After all, the Lu family was the only one that had ties to two of the strongest candidates for the throne.
But after today, the political landscape might become a little clearer.
Then again… who could say for sure?
Politics was like warfare—things could change in an instant.
At the Princess’s residence, Zhaoyun was dressed in a magnificent red bridal gown, yet her expression held no joy.
Her wedding attire was worth a fortune, and just one pearl on her phoenix crown was enough to cover an ordinary family’s living expenses for an entire year.
And her phoenix crown had a hundred pearls in total, symbolizing a union that would last a hundred years.
Beside her, Su Wan’ning smiled as she gazed at the Princess, unable to look away. “Your Highness looks truly beautiful.”
Zhaoyun forced a small smile and murmured, “It’s just a pity…”
Su Wan’ning, still looking as innocent as ever, said, “Your Highness, don’t think too much. Once you’re married, you and His Highness the Crown Prince will surely be a loving couple.”
Zhaoyun had always regarded the Crown Prince as an older brother, so she simply shook her head and said, “Forget it, Wan’er. I won’t come between you and the Crown Prince. After the wedding, I’ll stay at the Crown Prince’s residence for two months, then move back to the Princess’s residence to live on my own. By then, my mother will have returned to Prince Zheenbei’s estate, and no one will interfere with my life anymore.”
Su Wan’ning took Zhaoyun’s hand and said, “But Wan’er still wants to talk with Your Highness more. The rear court can be lonely, and having another sister around would be nice.”
Zhaoyun shook her head. “Watching you two being all lovey-dovey wouldn’t make me feel any better. I’d rather not see it at all.”
Su Wan’ning picked up a comb and said, “Let’s not talk about this anymore. Wan’er will do Your Highness’s hair!”
Outside, the wedding sedan had already arrived at the Grand Princess’s residence.
The Grand Princess beamed with joy, but deep down, she was worried.
Though her daughter was of noble birth, she was far too naïve.
It was said that the Crown Prince’s residence already had a favored attendant and would soon take in a concubine.
While these women might appear respectful to Zhaoyun on the surface, who knew what schemes they might be plotting in the shadows?
Because of this, the Grand Princess had carefully chosen a few shrewd and experienced old maids and even sent Zhaoyun her own wet nurse, who had been with her for years, as part of her dowry.
She only hoped that Zhaoyun would grow stronger through adversity and not be afraid of hardships.
As the wedding attendants helped Zhaoyun out of the residence, she spotted the Crown Prince in the distance, sitting atop his horse.
He rode forward, dismounted, and gave Zhaoyun a formal bow. “Beloved consort, I have come to escort you home.”
But when he lifted his gaze, he caught sight of Su Wan’ning’s tear-filled eyes, and his heart clenched with pain.
Still, he had no choice but to take Zhaoyun’s hand and help her into the bridal sedan.
Su Wan’ning watched the Crown Prince’s departing figure and let out a soft sigh. She had just taken a few steps after the sedan when she noticed someone in the shadows motioning to her.
Startled, she quickly glanced around before making her way toward the figure.
The person whispered something into her ear, and after a moment of contemplation, Su Wan’ning responded, “A maidservant and a child? Oh, I think it’s too dangerous for them like this. Why don’t you escort them on the road for a while?”
The other party responded and left, while Su Wan’ning followed the bridal sedan all the way to the Crown Prince’s residence.
Today, the Crown Prince’s residence was exceptionally lively.
It was well known that the Crown Prince’s power was weak. Although he was backed by a group of high-ranking civil officials, they lacked any military force to rely on.
The Grand Princess had married Prince Zhenbei, who was also the Grand General of Zhenbei.
Though Prince Zhenbei was considered the weakest among the Five Tiger Generals of the Great Zhao, he still commanded an army of one hundred thousand soldiers.
While they might not be the most elite troops, they were more than sufficient to safeguard the northern border.
Now that the Crown Prince had married Princess Zhaoyun, this military force naturally became a bargaining chip in his hands.
Everyone was watching and listening, waiting to see who would ultimately claim the throne of the Great Zhao.
From a distance, Lu Hanzhi saw the grand wedding procession approaching. Leading the way on either side were Prince Chu and Prince An, while in the center, riding a majestic white horse, was the groom—Yuwen Jun.
Lu Hanzhi casually rested one hand on his second brother’s shoulder, leaning bonelessly against him. He whispered in his ear, “I have to admit, the little psychopath boy band of the Yuwen family is really quite good-looking.”
Lu Xuzhi, who had been gazing dreamily at his beloved wife, Yuwen Jue, responded absentmindedly, “I like the psychopath brother too.”
Lu Hanzhi was shocked. “Wow, Second Brother, your tastes are really something else!”
Lu Xuzhi: ???
At that moment, he had the sudden urge to beat his younger brother.
Just then, a loud announcement rang out from the distance: “His Majesty has arrived!”
Your favorite BL chaos wouldn’t be possible without coffee… lots of coffee….
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