Chapter 71
After winter arrived, the capital city had grown quite chilly.
Ji Qingzhou’s belly grew bigger day by day, making life increasingly inconvenient. As the layers of clothing thickened, moving around became even more difficult.
Following Tang Shu’s advice, he couldn’t just stay hidden inside all day; he had to get up and walk around. This troubled Ji Qingzhou a lot. Later, when Li Zhan learned he was anxious every time he went out and worried he might catch a chill, he had a stove placed in the spacious front hall so that Ji Qingzhou could walk around indoors and get the same benefit.
During these days, every time the young emperor finished court, he would hitch a ride in Li Zhan’s carriage straight to the Prince Residence.
Later on, using the excuse that the palace’s stove wasn’t burning hot enough, he began staying overnight at the Prince Residence every few days, refusing to return even to Fu’an Palace.
In the Prince Residence’s front hall, the young emperor had shed his outer robe and sat cross-legged like a little grown-up on a low couch. He held a freshly steamed rice cake made by Xiao Shan, stuffing it into his mouth. Though it was hot enough to make him wince and grimace, he was reluctant to put it down, steadily eating the entire piece with “hiss, hiss” sounds.
“If someone didn’t know better, they’d think you’re starving in the palace every day,” Li Zhan chuckled.
“Imperial Uncle, why do you only say that to me but not to Zhouzhou?” the young emperor teased with a smile.
Ji Qingzhou, who was also finishing a hot rice cake nearby with the same “hiss, hiss” sounds, raised an eyebrow and pretended not to hear the young emperor’s innuendo. He reached out for another piece.
“You shouldn’t eat too much of this, or you won’t have room for your proper meals later,” Li Zhan said, grabbing Ji Qingzhou’s hand and then picking up the rice cake to hand it to Guo Zi beside him.
The young emperor took advantage of Li Zhan’s distraction and quickly snatched a piece from the plate. Then, when Li Zhan wasn’t looking, he secretly broke off half and gave it to Ji Qingzhou.
The young emperor thought he had done this stealthily, but it hadn’t escaped Li Zhan’s watchful eyes. Ji Qingzhou, however, stuffed the half piece entirely into his mouth, and Li Zhan couldn’t very well make him spit it out. He sighed in resignation.
Seizing the moment, the young emperor winked at Ji Qingzhou, and the two of them, one big and one small, shared a victorious smile as if they had just pulled off a clever trick.
“Zhouzhou, when is the baby coming out?” After wiping his hands, the young emperor moved to sit beside Ji Qingzhou. His small hand gently stroked Ji Qingzhou’s swollen belly, his face full of eager anticipation.
Ji Qingzhou said, “Doctor Tang said it should be in about ten days.”
He was actually quite relieved that Tang Shu planned to have the child delivered early by cesarean. Otherwise, if they waited until full term, his belly would grow at least one more size, making movement even more difficult.
“Wow, in just ten days, I’m going to be a big brother!” The young emperor counted on his fingers with a dreamy look, then turned to Li Zhan. “Imperial Uncle, in ten days, you’re going to be a mommy. Are you happy?”
Li Zhan smiled faintly: “Mhm.”
His response was a little forced. The young emperor didn’t quite understand but didn’t ask further.
The young emperor had already noticed that in recent days, his imperial uncle often seemed distracted, sighing quietly by himself for unknown reasons. Only Ji Qingzhou knew that as the day Tang Shu mentioned drew nearer, Li Zhan’s anxiety returned.
Even though Tang Shu had proven his medical skills and capabilities, and even Li Zhan had believed him before, it didn’t stop him from worrying and feeling uneasy as the time approached…
That night, as usual, Li Zhan stayed by Ji Qingzhou’s side. After Ji Qingzhou lay down, Li Zhan was about to leave.
But Ji Qingzhou reached out and held his finger, saying, “Don’t leave tonight.”
Li Zhan was taken aback, a flicker of hesitation crossing his eyes.
This situation went back to Tang Shu’s intervention. A while ago, Li Zhan and Ji Qingzhou had been sleeping together, but both young and passionate, they couldn’t help but engage in affectionate acts when they shared the same room.
But now Ji Qingzhou’s body was heavier, and such intimacy was absolutely forbidden. When Tang Shu noticed some signs of internal heat during a checkup, he suspected it was probably caused by Li Zhan’s teasing, and he issued a strict order: the two must no longer sleep together and must stay in separate rooms.
Though Li Zhan was very reluctant, he dared not be careless for Ji Qingzhou’s sake.
By now, they had been sleeping apart for quite some time. When Ji Qingzhou suddenly asked him to stay, Li Zhan hesitated but finally chose not to disappoint him and stayed quietly.
“Have you not been sleeping well these past few days?” Ji Qingzhou reached out to touch Li Zhan’s slightly darkened eye sockets and asked, “If you want, you can move back here to live starting today.”
Li Zhan took Ji Qingzhou’s hand but didn’t dare tease him or get too close. “I’m fine. There’s not much time left anyway. Let’s wait a little longer.”
“Do you still remember what I told you last time? About something I wanted to tell you after the baby was born?” Ji Qingzhou asked.
Li Zhan nodded. “I remember. Why… have you changed your mind and want to tell me today?”
“No,” Ji Qingzhou hurriedly replied. “I thought it through carefully. It’s actually quite… surprising. I’m afraid you might not be able to accept it, so I decided to wait until the baby is about to be born before telling you.”
Ji Qingzhou didn’t really think Li Zhan wouldn’t be able to handle the truth. What worried him was seeing Li Zhan’s current state—he feared that by the time the moment came, he wouldn’t even be the one panicking, but that Li Zhan might worry himself sick. So he planned to tell Li Zhan the secret during the most intense moment, hoping it would help distract him.
Li Zhan was silent for a moment before saying, “Actually, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you too.”
“Don’t say it yet. I don’t want to know right now.” Ji Qingzhou more or less guessed what Li Zhan wanted to say, so he gently covered his mouth with a hand and said, “Spend the next few days thinking about how to confess your secret to me. When you’re ready, then you can tell me. Otherwise, if you end up startling me, that’ll be a problem.”
Li Zhan, unlike Ji Qingzhou, had no idea what Ji Qingzhou’s secret was. But he knew that his own secret was quite shocking, and he hadn’t dared bring it up easily, afraid it might really frighten Ji Qingzhou.
Sure enough, after this exchange, Li Zhan’s attention was slightly diverted.
Over the next few days, Ji Qingzhou noticed that Li Zhan’s expression had improved a little, and only then did he feel at ease.
Originally, according to Tang Shu’s plan, in three to five days the time would be right.
But man proposes, heaven disposes…
That morning, Li Zhan had left early for court. Ji Qingzhou, feeling a bit hungry, got up wanting to eat something. Xiao Shan had just gone off to prepare breakfast, and Ji Qingzhou, feeling too hungry to wait, reached for a snack. But because the room had been too warm from the stove overnight, the snack had dried out. He took a careless bite and choked on the dry crumbs.
That one choke triggered a coughing fit that shook him to his core…
By the time he finally coughed up the crumb he had inhaled, he felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen.
“Guo Zi…” Ji Qingzhou held a hand to his belly, frowning in discomfort. “Go get Doctor Tang.”
Guo Zi had already been startled by Ji Qingzhou’s intense coughing. Now hearing that he needed Tang Shu, he became even more panicked.
Not daring to leave Ji Qingzhou’s side, he sent one of the guards outside to fetch Tang Shu. In no time, Tang Shu arrived. By then, the dull ache in Ji Qingzhou’s belly had turned into a sharp pain that was hard to endure. Within moments, he broke out in a cold sweat.
“You’re really impatient, can’t even wait three more days!” Tang Shu said helplessly as he took Ji Qingzhou’s pulse. Then he gave orders for all the medical supplies he needed and reminded someone to inform Li Zhan at the palace.
Ji Qingzhou, his face pale with pain, asked nervously, “Is it going to be a problem that it’s a few days early?”
“Of course it’s a problem. A big one!” Tang Shu said.
The moment he said this, everyone in the room was startled.
Ji Qingzhou grabbed his sleeve, trembling, and asked, “What kind of problem?”
“The baby’s birthday is different now! Don’t you know I picked that day after sifting through hundreds of charts for the perfect date and time?” Tang Shu said, exasperated. Ji Qingzhou nearly fainted from irritation and finally let out a breath of relief.
“I’m the father. His birth date shouldn’t be yours to pick in the first place,” Ji Qingzhou said.
“And I’m the master! We agreed on this, didn’t we? Don’t try to go back on your word now!” Tang Shu retorted, completely serious.
Ji Qingzhou was in so much pain he didn’t even have the energy to argue anymore, leaning back on the couch, drenched in cold sweat.
Guo Zi sat beside him, gently dabbing the sweat from his forehead with a cloth, while Xiao Shan led the household staff in gathering all the things Tang Shu had requested.
Soon, Xiao Shan came back in, personally carrying a bowl of medicine.
Tang Shu sniffed it and said, “Drink it while it’s hot. Not a single drop left.”
Ji Qingzhou took the bowl and tasted a sip. The bitterness nearly made him throw up. Tang Shu shot him a warning glare that clearly said, You’d better finish it. Not daring to protest, Ji Qingzhou pinched his nose and drained the entire bowl.
“After drinking this… will I stop feeling the pain?” Ji Qingzhou asked.
“Assuming everything goes as expected, yes,” Tang Shu replied while arranging a row of surgical knives nearby. “But there are always exceptions. It all depends on your luck.”
Ji Qingzhou was too exhausted to be mad and asked, “Are you starting now?”
“At least wait the time it takes to burn a stick of incense. Maybe longer,” Tang Shu said lazily. “Depends on when you fall asleep.”
Just then, another sharp wave of pain hit Ji Qingzhou. He inhaled sharply through his teeth, barely holding back a cry.
“If it hurts, scream. I don’t mind the noise,” Tang Shu said.
“It doesn’t hurt!” Ji Qingzhou insisted stubbornly. “Tell me… is the baby a boy or a girl?”
Tang Shu looked up at him and replied, “I wanted to tell you both before, but you stopped me and said you wanted to keep it a surprise. Now you’re this close to giving birth and suddenly can’t hold back?”
“I’m just afraid…” Ji Qingzhou muttered, frowning.
“Don’t be afraid. I won’t let anything happen to you. If something did, your Wang Ye would probably eat me alive,” Tang Shu said.
Tang Shu noticed Ji Qingzhou’s pale complexion and realized the medicine hadn’t taken effect yet, so he deliberately tried to distract him and said, “Instead of worrying about this, you should be worrying about something else—like what if the baby doesn’t look like Wang Ye once it’s born?”
“If he doesn’t look like Wang Ye, then you think he’ll look like you?” Ji Qingzhou replied irritably.
“Very good, you still have the energy to insult me. That’s a good sign.” Tang Shu smiled as he placed his fingers on Ji Qingzhou’s wrist to check his pulse again. After a moment, he said, “I think in about the time it takes to burn one stick of incense, you’ll be asleep. If there’s anything you want to say, say it now.”
Exhausted and nearly powerless from the pain, Ji Qingzhou asked weakly, “You mean like last words?”
“Don’t be so unlucky! What I meant was…” Tang Shu grinned and continued, “Do you prefer the incision on your belly to be horizontal or vertical? Do you want the stitches to be neat and fine or rough and bold…”
Ji Qingzhou truly wasn’t in the mood to joke around with him. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly said, “Guo Zi… bring me paper and a brush. I want to write a letter to Wang Ye…”
“That’s unnecessary. It’s not like you won’t see him again,” Tang Shu said.
“What do you know?” Ji Qingzhou’s pale face revealed a faint smile. “This is just… a little romantic game between Wang Ye and me.”
Perpetually single Tang Shu rolled his eyes in disdain at those words.
A moment later, Guo Zi brought over paper and brush. Ji Qingzhou took a deep breath and, taking advantage of the brief moment after a wave of pain had passed, picked up the brush and began writing something on the paper…
Inside the palace.
The guard who came to deliver the message arrived outside the throne room just as the morning court ended.
Li Zhan hadn’t even changed out of his court attire when he heard the report. He turned and ran without hesitation. The young emperor chased after him and, in his haste, tripped and fell. Hearing the noise, Li Zhan quickly turned around, scooped him up, and continued hurrying toward the palace gates with the child in his arms.
The ministers were leisurely walking out of the throne room when they saw Li Zhan darting past them like a gust of wind, carrying the young emperor under one arm!
The ministers: …
Were their eyes playing tricks on them? Or had the Regent gone mad?
Over the past few days, court sessions had been ending swiftly and neatly. The ministers had repeatedly seen the Regent leaving the palace in a rush with the young emperor in tow. If not for the fact that Li Zhan was always with the child, they might have assumed he had a secret lover outside the palace.
But the Regent always wore a cold, stern expression, showing no signs of being nurtured by love. It really didn’t look like he was having a romantic affair. Besides, who secretly meets a lover and brings their nephew—the emperor himself—along? And if he were to bring him, it would surely scare any poor girl half to death!
By the time Li Zhan returned hurriedly to the Prince Residence with the young emperor, Ji Qingzhou was already hovering on the edge of sleep.
“Qingzhou!” Li Zhan rushed to the couch, not even bothering to take off his outer robe.
Ji Qingzhou was just about to close his eyes when he sensed a chill near him. Instinctively, he raised his hand slightly, only for it to be grasped by a large hand—one that still carried the cold from outside. Through that hand, he could feel its owner trembling slightly from tension.
“Wang Ye…” Ji Qingzhou tried to open his eyes, but the medicine was too strong. His wrist went limp, his head tilted, and his eyes shut completely.
“Qingzhou!” Li Zhan felt the sudden weight in his hand and nearly lost his soul in fright.
The young emperor, not understanding what was happening, was also frightened by Li Zhan’s nearly panicked outcry. He threw himself at Ji Qingzhou and began to cry, “Zhouzhou! Zhouzhou…”
“Can the two lords please wait outside?” Tang Shu said helplessly. “The anesthesia’s just now taken effect. He’s finally asleep—please don’t wake him up!”
Li Zhan snapped out of it upon hearing that, his spirit slowly returning to his body.
The young emperor sniffled, tugged at Li Zhan’s sleeve, and didn’t dare make another sound.
And so, the two most noble figures in all of Dayu were chased out of the inner hall by Tang Shu.
They stood just outside the screen, both wearing blank expressions, clearly still unsettled.
“Wang Ye, Young Master Ji wrote you a letter before he fell asleep,” Xiao Shan approached with a letter and carefully handed it to Li Zhan.
Li Zhan took it in a daze and instinctively opened the envelope, his movements purely subconscious…
Only when he saw the contents of the letter did his reason return slightly.
It turned out to be another one of those “picture letters”…
On the letter—or rather, on the drawing—were two houses. The house on the left had the character “Yan”written above it, and the one on the right had the character “Gong” (Palace).
Li Zhan thought for a moment and realized the two places likely referred to the Yan Court and the imperial palace.
In addition to the houses, the drawing included a few stick figures:
Inside the house marked “Yan,” there was a small figure with a pained expression. Above this figure was an arrow pointing upward, leading to a ghost-like dotted outline of another figure, surrounded by a smoky, cloud-like swirl.
Beside the pained figure was a bowl, and next to that, another stick figure—identical in appearance but with a calm, normal expression. A line extended from this calm figure toward the house labeled “Gong” (Palace).
What did this mean?
Li Zhan stared at the drawing for a long moment, unable to immediately grasp its meaning.
“Imperial Uncle, let me see it.” The young emperor clung to Li Zhan’s arm.
Li Zhan sat down holding the drawing, his expression filled with confusion. He wasn’t quite sure what Ji Qingzhou was trying to convey with this picture.
Was it saying that the original Ji Qingzhou, after drinking that medicine at Yan Court, had changed so much because of the pain that his temperament shifted completely?
But Li Zhan felt that probably wasn’t what Ji Qingzhou meant. After all, having lived through the previous life, even if Ji Qingzhou didn’t say it, Li Zhan knew this version of Ji Qingzhou was very different in character from before.
“Has this person turned into a ghost?” The young emperor pointed at the figure drawn in dotted lines in the air and the smoky pattern around it, saying, “In the picture books I read, ghosts look just like that.”
Li Zhan furrowed his brow and looked carefully at the dotted figure.
The young emperor pointed at the bowl of medicine and added, “He must have drunk poison and died, and then became a ghost!”
Li Zhan was taken aback. He looked again at the drawing, focusing on the two small figures: the first with a face full of pain, the second looking calm and natural. After pondering for a moment, a shocking guess suddenly formed in his mind.
The Ji Qingzhou he knew in the previous life was full of bitterness and hate, committing evil deeds without mercy…
But the Ji Qingzhou he knew this time was just and clear, knowing when to advance and retreat…
During the first days after returning to the palace, facing the Ji Qingzhou with such a changed temperament, Li Zhan had doubted more than once that this was just an act. For this reason, he had repeatedly tested him, but the result was always the same.
God only knew how much struggle and confusion he went through because of this…
And it was precisely these tests and struggles that made him fall deeply and irrevocably in love with Ji Qingzhou.
Some people are like that: the more you get to know them, the more you can’t help but be drawn closer.
Once you notice something different, you’re already deeply entangled…
Before this, Li Zhan hadn’t been able to understand why this Ji Qingzhou was so different from the one in the past. But now, with the young emperor’s reminder, a sudden possibility flashed through his mind—though it sounded like a fantasy, it was the most reasonable explanation.
The Ji Qingzhou of today might not be the same person as the Ji Qingzhou from the previous life.
Since he himself had the chance to live again, why couldn’t Ji Qingzhou “borrow a body and return to life” as well?
“Imperial Uncle, what’s wrong?” The young emperor saw Li Zhan remain silent and couldn’t help but ask.
Li Zhan’s gaze returned to the drawing. The unanswered questions in his mind suddenly seemed to have an explanation.
No wonder Ji Qingzhou had said this secret might scare him.
If he had never experienced reincarnation, learning about this would surely frighten him.
That being so, if Li Zhan told Ji Qingzhou about his own rebirth, Ji Qingzhou would likely accept it, not see him as strange, and not be afraid…
Li Zhan folded the drawing carefully and put it into his pocket. For a while, his emotions surged uncontrollably, and he couldn’t calm down.
Looking back on every moment since he met Ji Qingzhou, it truly felt like fate had guided them. How much merit had they accumulated to be allowed to meet in such an extraordinary way and ultimately be together?
At that moment, Li Zhan felt both joy and fear deep in his heart.
Fortunately, Heaven had been merciful to them. Otherwise, even if he lived this life again, it might have been for nothing…
“Wah…” A clear, loud baby’s cry came from behind the screen.
Li Zhan and the young emperor were startled at once and instinctively rushed toward the screen.
Tang Shu’s voice came just in time: “Don’t come in, the wound hasn’t been stitched yet.”
Li Zhan hurriedly controlled his emotions and asked, “Is he alright?”
“I don’t know.” Tang Shu’s somewhat cheeky voice came from behind the screen.
Before Li Zhan could lose his temper, Guo Zi quickly replied, “Report to Wang Ye, Tang Shu’s medical skills are excellent. The wound’s bleeding is minimal; it should be nothing serious.”
Hearing this, Li Zhan breathed a slight sigh of relief, though his heart still couldn’t settle.
A moment later, Xiao Shan came out holding the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and handed the child to Li Zhan.
Li Zhan accepted the child stiffly, his mind restless with concern for Ji Qingzhou. He didn’t have the heart to play with the baby yet. But thinking that this little one was his and Ji Qingzhou’s child softened his heart, and he silently hoped Ji Qingzhou would wake soon so they could share the joy together.
“Imperial Uncle, let me see!” The young emperor anxiously scratched at his chest but didn’t dare tug on Li Zhan, fearing the baby might fall.
Li Zhan handed the child to Xiao Shan, silently telling him to watch over the baby while he anxiously moved to stand beside the screen.
“Wow, he’s so tiny!” The young emperor leaned in to look at the baby in the swaddling clothes, excitement showing on his face. He bit back his enthusiasm and lowered his voice, afraid to disturb them. “Xiao Shan… look how cute he is. Does he look like me?”
Xiao Shan almost couldn’t hold back his laughter. Shouldn’t that question come from Wang Ye?
Yet here was the young emperor stealing the spotlight!
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