Chapter 63
The old eunuch appeared familiar; he was the same one who had come to the Lu family to deliver the imperial decree on two previous occasions.
This eunuch had become quite familiar with the Lu family. As soon as he saw Lu Hanzhi, he smiled warmly.
He then opened the imperial edict and began reading.
“…Today, the Emperor decrees that the imperial eldest grandson, Yuwen Lingxi, who is clever and intelligent, and has earned the Emperor’s favor, shall be titled as County Prince Qinxiao…”
At this point, Lu Hanzhi suddenly raised his head in surprise.
Lu Hanzhi was stunned. How did his little Ah Chan suddenly get titled as a county prince?
Wasn’t it the Emperor who granted titles starting with a prince’s rank for his sons?
What was going on with the Emperor?
Why was he granting a county prince title to his grandson?
Even after the eunuch finished reading the decree, Lu Hanzhi was still dazed.
The eunuch understood Lu Hanzhi’s confusion. After all, a six-month-old prince was indeed unheard of in the Great Zhao, making this an unprecedented case.
Smiling, he stepped forward and said to Lu Hanzhi, “Your Highness, why not get up and receive the decree? This is a great honor for little Prince!”
Lu Hanzhi immediately snapped out of his daze, quickly bowing his head to the floor and then rising to receive the decree.
“I, Lu Hanzhi, thank the Emperor for his favor on my son.”
After receiving the decree, Lu Hanzhi, still confused, asked, “Eunuch… Why did the Emperor suddenly make Ah Chan a county prince? Isn’t that… against the proper customs?”
The eunuch smiled and shook his head, saying, “There’s no such thing as proper customs here. It all depends on whether His Majesty is happy or not! When Emperor Gaozong favored his youngest son, he granted him a princely title as soon as he was born. The Emperor favors our little heir, so why couldn’t he be made a prince? True, according to the customs of the Zhaozu dynasty, princes and nobles are typically granted titles and territories only after coming of age, but if the Emperor shows his affection, it becomes an exception, and it’s still within the law.”
Lu Hanzhi was left stunned by these words. No wonder the Emperor’s sons and brothers fought so hard to become emperors. That feeling of being supreme over the world must be truly exhilarating.
However, Lu Hanzhi still expressed a deep sense of respect, sincerely saying, “I thank the Emperor for his kindness, but I’m unsure whether Ah Chan can live up to this honor.”
The eunuch sighed upon hearing this.
He said, “This morning, Prince An went to the palace to report that little Prince had been attacked. When the Emperor heard, he was furious. It was because of this that the Emperor hurried to bestow a title on little Prince. In the Great Zhao, attempting to assassinate a prince is a grave crime that involves the entire family. I’m sure no one would dare take that risk again.”
Lu Hanzhi was shocked. “Prince An… went to report to the Emperor this morning?”
The eunuch exaggerated the story with a dramatic expression, saying, “Not just that, Your Highness! Prince An was so distressed his eyes turned red. When the Emperor learned that little Prince had been left at the bottom of a cliff for an entire day and nearly fainted from hunger, he was so enraged he smashed his teacup and threw the memorial! This is our Emperor’s eldest grandson! Such a precious status! How could he let a thief harm him so easily? The Emperor immediately granted many rare treasures to comfort little Prince, they’ll arrive soon. Even Imperial Concubine Rong sent many clothes, fabrics, antiques, and jade items for little Prince. Oh, our Great Zhao’s first young royal, expect even more honor to come!”
Lu Hanzhi found it all quite remarkable. Could it be that the fortune books hadn’t been wrong?
Ah Chan really did have a life destined for nobility, didn’t he?
He thanked the eunuch for his words and then handed over a large silver note, sliding it into the eunuch’s hand.
The eunuch, despite being used to wealth and power, was still taken aback by Lu Hanzhi’s generosity.
His expression stiffened for a moment, then he looked at Lu Hanzhi and said, “This…. Your Highness is indeed from a royal merchant family. Truly generous!”
Lu Hanzhi wasn’t aware that the thousand-tael note he handed him was probably equivalent to the eunuch’s ten years’ salary, even though there were additional gifts included. The total yearly earnings wouldn’t amount to that much.
Lu Hanzhi laughed awkwardly and said, “Please excuse my generosity. This is a small business of mine, completely unrelated to my family’s inheritance.”
Implying, “I don’t know if my father is greedy, but this money was earned by me.”
The eunuch said, “Ah, we’ve heard about that. Your Highness has quite a knack for making money, and your ‘Han Ji’ business in the capital is really doing well.”
Lu Hanzhi modestly replied, “It’s a small business. Please accept it, Eunuch.”
Everyone likes money, especially a eunuch about to retire.
The eunuch quietly accepted the silver note and said, “From now on, Your Highness, if there’s anything I can do for you, I will certainly do it without hesitation.”
Lu Hanzhi personally escorted the eunuch out, and as he turned to look, he saw a large group of people returning under Yuwen Min’s lead.
The group was carrying many things—presumably gifts from the Emperor.
The eunuch and Yuwen Min crossed paths and exchanged a greeting before retreating to the palace.
Yuwen Min dismounted and walked toward Lu Hanzhi.
Looking at the overwhelming number of gifts, Lu Hanzhi clicked his tongue and asked, “Has Prince An made a comeback and regained the Emperor’s favor?”
Yuwen Min looked puzzled and asked, “Comeback?”
Lu Hanzhi answered, “A salted fish turning over, leaping over the dragon gate!”
Yuwen Min, with no expression, turned and walked towards the mansion, saying, “I don’t understand. Does a salted fish turn over, not become a salted fish anymore?”
Lu Hanzhi: ??? I can’t refute this!!!
He followed behind Yuwen Min, asking casually, “Your Highness, did you ask the Emperor to make Ah Chan a prince?”
Yuwen Min answered, “I merely told the Emperor what happened. The decision to make Ah Chan a county prince was his own.”
Lu Hanzhi, shamelessly, walked up and hooked his arm around Yuwen Min’s, saying, “Hey, I heard the eunuch who delivered the decree say that you were crying in front of the Emperor. Hahaha, what did you look like when you cried? Can I see it sometime? I’m really curious!”
Yuwen Min stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Lu Hanzhi.
He felt like he didn’t really want to cry, but he did feel like making the person in front of him cry instead.
Suddenly intrigued, he said, “Oh? Actually, I’m quite curious. I wonder what it would be like to make you cry?”
Lu Hanzhi: …
He suddenly stopped walking, crossed his arms, and gave a pitiful look, saying, “No… please don’t, Your Highness. You’re quite heavy-handed.”
The corner of Yuwen Min’s mouth twitched. He turned and quickly walked ahead.
The leader of the gift-giving team who had entered the mansion with him followed hurriedly for a few steps but soon realized that he couldn’t keep up with the prince’s fast pace.
He had to stop in his tracks and shouted sharply to Prince An from afar, “Your Highness, Your Highness, where should we place the rewards from the Emperor and the Empress?”
From a distance, Prince An’s muffled voice responded, “Ask Wang Fei.”
Wang Fei Lu Hanzhi pointed to his own nose in disbelief, “Me?” Should I… not have come out!
He turned and faced the young eunuch’s eager smile, sighing, “Follow me!”
He summoned the accountant and opened a blank ledger, taking a brush and sitting down at the table.
The accountant thought he was going to do the bookkeeping but was surprised when the brush was handed over to him. Lu Hanzhi instructed, “You report, and you write it down. Once you’re done, put it all in the account.”
Everyone agreed and started working, while Lu Hanzhi paced back to his room.
Ah Chan had just woken up, and Luan Feng was teasing him.
When Lu Hanzhi returned, Ah Chan immediately opened his little arms.
Lu Hanzhi walked over and picked him up, saying, “Well, well, my little Ah Chan is now a prince. Prince Qinxiao, doesn’t that name sound a bit familiar?”
Indeed, if Prince Qinxiao were promoted, he would be a prince of first rank.
Any prince given the first rank prince title would be someone remarkable.
However, if the future tyrant ever gave up his rebellion, then our Prince Qinxiao would remain a county prince for life.
But it wasn’t certain. If the future tyrant succeeded in his rebellion, perhaps Ah Chan would be crowned as Prince Xiao?
However, Lu Hanzhi guessed the beginning but not the ending, because the future tyrant’s plan was actually to crown Ah Chan as the crown prince.
This was because he had never thought he would have children, nor did he want to have children with anyone.
As Lu Hanzhi walked through the backyard near the sword-washing pool, holding Ah Chan, he saw Yuwen Min again cleaning the sword Chen Ke.
His expression was stern, and his figure was strong and heroic, making him enviably handsome.
Unlike Lu Hanzhi’s beauty, the two of them together stood as two extreme ends of male attractiveness.
Lu Hanzhi took a few steps forward, and Yuwen Min saw him and asked, “Do you have something to ask me?”
Lu Hanzhi casually sat down on a stone by the washing pool and said, “Yes!”
Yuwen Min asked, “Is it about the crown prince?”
Lu Hanzhi forced a smile and replied, “My husband knows me well.”
Lu Hanzhi wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw a hint of… unhappiness on Yuwen Min’s face?
This emotionless face rarely showed anything other than “are you looking for a fight?”
Just when Lu Hanzhi thought he had misread, Yuwen Min suddenly asked, “Do you still have feelings for him?”
Lu Hanzhi was horrified and shook his hands, “No, no, no, no, I never had feelings for him!”
Yuwen Min asked again, “Could your big pig trotter be him?”
Lu Hanzhi dropped the dried fish in his hand, feeling like Prince An sometimes asked the most odd questions.
Meanwhile, at the Crown Prince’s residence, Su Wan’ning’s wrist was wrapped in white gauze, and her face was ashen, a clear sign of excessive blood loss.
The Crown Prince held her, heartbroken as if his own heart was about to shatter.
He tightly embraced his lifelong love and said in a hoarse voice, “Wan’er, why did you do this? Why?”
Su Wan’ning was barely able to breathe, as if she didn’t even have the strength to speak.
She gathered what little breath she had and spoke, “Your Highness, I am a sinner. I have caused you to be punished, and death is not to be regretted. But please, Your Highness, bring back County Princess Zhaoyun. She will be your future ally, and both Prince Zhenbei and the grand princess will look at you differently. If I die, so be it. Just don’t forget about me, and I’ll have no regrets!”
After speaking, Su Wan’ning tilted her head and fainted.
The Crown Prince’s heart finally gave way to panic, and he immediately leapt up, shouting loudly, “Quick, bring the imperial physician!”
The Prince’s residence erupted into chaos, and soon an imperial physician arrived carrying his medicine chest.
Meanwhile, Lu Hanzhi was still bothered by Yuwen Min’s peculiar train of thought. Even though in his past life, he had indeed been married into the Crown Prince’s residence, this life had nothing to do with the Crown Prince at all.
Yes, before he entered the book, the original character had indeed been obsessed with the Crown Prince for several years, but this was not something to blame on him!
He wasn’t going to take the fall for this!
Just then, the cold-faced prince threw him another bombshell: “Ah Chan’s biological father… isn’t the Crown Prince, is he? Now that I think about it, they do look somewhat alike.”
Lu Hanzhi: … Ah… Can I have a word with you arrogant idler? (Polite expression)
Author’s note:
Yuwen-autumn: Crying seems a bit off, how about… doing him until he scream? (Expression suddenly turns creepy)
Lu Hanzhi: … Shivering
Note: no idea why the author called him Yuwen Autumn = Yuwen Qiutian.
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