CHAPTER 1071: HELD HER DEAR TO HIS HEART
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Ling Lihua sighed. What else could she say?
“I’ll go to the frontier with Shenzhi tomorrow. Please take care of Weiwei, Mother.”
“Weiwei’s my granddaughter; of course I’ll take good care of her. Don’t worry,” the Dowager Duchess promised.
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Seeing that the matter had been settled, Zhao Qian returned to the palace to report back to the Emperor.
“You two should get packing now so you can leave as early as possible tomorrow,” the Dowager Duchess urged.
“Of course,” Lu Hetian answered respectfully as he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
“Then we’ll go back now,” added Ling Lihua.
“Very well. Off you go.” The Dowager Duchess waved a dismissive hand.
At night in the palace.
Lu Liangwei ate dinner alone as Long Yang did not come back. He merely asked Zhao Qian to inform her that he might not be coming over that night and that she should have dinner and go to bed early.
Given the critical situation at the frontier, Lu Liangwei knew that the Emperor was probably snowed under with work. According to Chu Jiu, he had already called for quite a few meetings with the court officials to discuss important matters.
He was probably going to spend the night in the imperial study.
“Miss, you should stop reading and go to bed early, or you’ll hurt your eyes.” Seeing that it was getting late, Zhu Yu dutifully entered the room to urge her to sleep.
Lu Liangwei yawned and passed the book to her.
After putting the book away, Zhu Yu turned back to help her mistress.
Despite the staggering size of Lu Liangwei’s bump, she had not gained any weight, so her huge stomach was actually quite a shocking sight.
Whenever Zhu Yu served her, she made sure to be extremely careful.
It was especially difficult for Lu Liangwei to lie down now; she always needed someone to help her.
After helping her lie down, Zhu Yu said, “Miss, His Majesty’s probably not coming back tonight. Shall I stay and keep you company?”
Lu Liangwei thought for a while, then nodded. “All right. Then I’ll have to trouble you tonight.”
Zhu Yu grinned. “Thanks to His Majesty, I haven’t been able to watch over you at night for a long time. Tonight, my wish can finally be granted.”
Lu Liangwei burst out laughing. “How is keeping watch at night a pleasant job?” It was especially troublesome now that her stomach was so huge. She would get up frequently at night, and it was the Emperor who had always helped her.
To be honest, ever since she entered her third trimester of pregnancy, the Emperor had never gotten a good night’s sleep.
“I enjoy serving you, Miss,” Zhu Yu said sincerely, “and I’m not afraid of hard work. I will still have to take care of my young masters or mistresses after they’re born.”
Lu Liangwei chuckled. “Well then, when that time comes, you’d better not complain of exhaustion.”
“I won’t utter a single word of complaint,” Zhu Yu said with a grin, then added, “All right, I’m going to leave you to rest. Go to sleep now, Miss.”
“All right.”
Zhu Yu blew out a few lanterns in the bedchamber and only left when Lu Liangwei was finally asleep.
At midnight, Zhu Yu heard the main doors open.
As she needed to keep watch on her mistress, she did not dare to sleep too deeply, hence she was awakened the moment the doors opened. Thinking that it was her mistress wanting to go to the lavatory, she shot up out of the bed.
However, before she could see who it was, she heard an intimidating voice. “You may leave, Zhu Yu.”
When Zhu Yu recovered her senses, the Emperor’s figure had already entered the bedroom.
Realizing who it was, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhu Yu knew that the Emperor disliked having others keep watch on the bedchamber, so she deftly got up and left.
After exiting the room, she glanced up at the sky. It was probably already the fourth session of the night watch. She was surprised that the Emperor had bothered returning at this hour—he must have been truly concerned about Miss.
The Emperor really held Miss dear to his heart.
Zhu Yu was delighted for her mistress.
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CHAPTER 1072: THEY COULD NOT HAVE IT BOTH WAYS
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Long Yang washed up in the bathroom before returning to the bedroom.
Lu Liangwei was sleeping very soundly, but when the man’s cool body lay down beside her, she somehow sensed it and moved closer to him out of habit.
Only when her arms found their way around his familiar body did she drift off to sleep once again.
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The next day, Lu Hetian set out for the frontier with Ling Lihua.
Because Ling Lihua was going to the frontier, Chief Physician Lin, who had initially been chosen to go, was instructed to stay behind in her place. Long Yang was also sending a few other physicians from the imperial hospital and several compassionate yet skillful physicians among the common folk to the frontier.
Before the group left, Lu Liangwei sent Chu Jiu to deliver a batch of masks and gloves made from catgut that she had produced in a hurry to Ling Lihua.
Since it was a highly contagious disease, it was only prudent to take protective measures.
Sadly, there was no advanced equipment in ancient times, and the masks she made could offer very little protection.
However, it was still better than nothing.
When Ling Lihua received the items from Chu Jiu, she praised Lu Liangwei extravagantly.
“How considerate of Weiwei to think of this.”
She had seen Weiwei use these items before and hence knew what they were for.
Lu Hetian said proudly, “Weiwei’s just like me.”
Ling Lihua snorted. “Stop putting feathers in your own cap. Weiwei’s not like you.”
“All right, all right. Weiwei’s like you, not me. Happy now?” Lu Hetian quickly corrected himself.
A smile tugged at Ling Lihua’s lips, but when she remembered that they would not be around to see Weiwei give birth, she could not help panicking a little.
Seeing her suddenly go silent, Lu Hetian knew what she was worried about.
Alas, they could not have it both ways.
It just could not be helped.
“Let’s go.” He sighed.
Xu Chen was also part of the group heading to the frontier; he was tasked to help transport medicinal materials.
After exiting the city gates, he suddenly remembered something and quickly spurred his horse to catch up to Ling Lihua.
“Madam.”
Ling Lihua’s expression softened when she recognized the man as one of Tingchen’s personal guards. “Is something the matter?”
Xu Chen nodded and explained quickly, “I just remembered an important thing. One time, when the Heir Presumptive was patrolling the quarantine camp, a soldier suddenly went mad and crashed into him, but he even carried the soldier back after that.
“The situation was urgent at the time, so the Heir Presumptive didn’t think too much about it, but we were all shocked because we knew how contagious the disease was. However, the Heir Presumptive was perfectly fine after that. Even the physician found it strange and specially examined him, but he was in good health, and nothing abnormal happened afterward either. The physician thought he must have some kind of special physique that helped him escape unscathed.
“But the Heir Presumptive later remembered that Second Miss had once given him a medicine that made him impervious to hundreds of poisons, and that he had consumed it before setting off for the frontier. He suspects that the reason he didn’t catch the disease is related to the medicine Second Miss gave him.”
After listening to him, Ling Lihua pondered for a moment. A thought came to her, and she said firmly, “Since the medicine that gave him poison immunity also helps him resist this disease, this means that the disease is probably not caused by a plague but a poison. The soldiers aren’t ill at all—they’re poisoned.”
Xu Chen was thunderstruck. “Poisoned?”
Hearing their conversation, Lu Hetian rode over. Staring at Ling Lihua, he asked again to confirm, “Is it really poison?”
Ling Lihua nodded. “According to what Xu Chen described, it probably is.”
Lu Hetian was surprised. “I can’t believe it!”
Ling Lihua steered her horse around abruptly. “Since it’s poison, I think I know what to do.”
Startled, Lu Hetian called out, “Where are you going?”
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CHAPTER 1073: TEMPERED BY HUNDREDS OF POISONS
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“To buy medicinal materials that can cure poison, of course,” replied Ling Lihua.
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“But you still don’t know what poison it is. Is there any point in preparing medicinal materials now?” Lu Hetian was puzzled.
Wu Ju also knew that Liu Sanniang was looking at him. He smiled and said, “My master taught me how to make tea. He said that I’m impetuous and that making tea and copying scriptures are both meticulous work that can calm me down. While making tea, the first thing to do is wash the tea. After the tea is washed, it won’t taste bitter. The second thing to do is make the tea.”
Liu Sanniang looked at him calmly. From washing tea to making tea, Wu Ju was very meticulous, as if he was really just here to drink tea and chat with Liu Sanniang.
Wu Ju pushed the first cup of tea to Liu Sanniang and gestured for her to drink it.
Liu Sanniang picked up her teacup and took a sip.
Wu Ju smiled. “Is it good?”
Liu Sanniang said calmly, “I don’t like tea, so I can’t really tell.”
Wu Ju didn’t mind. He smiled. “People’s taste differs.”
Liu Sanniang cut to the chase. “Didn’t you want to discuss Buddhism with me?”
Wu Ju nodded. “I wanted to start with chit-chat, but you don’t seem to be into it. Then I’ll just get to the point.”
Wu Ju paused and looked at Liu Sanniang. Seeing her calm expression, he said, “Miss Liu, what do you think karma is?”
Liu Sanniang said calmly, “Everything in the world is karma.”
Wu Ju smiled. “What do you think of the three murder cases?”
Liu Sanniang did not speak. She looked at Wu Ju, who was no longer smiling. His eyes were like an endless dark abyss that was sucking Liu Sanniang in.
With a crisp sound, something seemed to be broken. Liu Sanniang turned around and saw Chu Yan standing not far from her with a cold expression.
Wu Ju smiled. “Miss Liu, have a good dream.”
Chu Yan walked over, grabbed Liu Sanniang’s hand, and walked out with her.
Liu Sanniang could only jog to keep up with his walking. She could feel that Chu Yan was angry. He was like a dark storm, ready to roar.
The fear in Liu Sanniang’s heart rose. Her voice trembled unconsciously. “Chu Yan, let go of me.”
Chu Yan suddenly stopped in his tracks. He pulled Liu Sanniang into his arms and hugged her tightly. Liu Sanniang was terrified. For some reason, she was very afraid of Chu Yan.
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CHAPTER 1074: MAKE THE EMPEROR PANIC
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Long Xiao gave an imperceptible arch of his brow. According to the news from his scout, some kind of trouble had occurred at the frontier, but he had failed to find out exactly what it was as Lu Tingchen had suppressed all information from leaking out and sealed off all checkpoints leading to the frontier.
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“How would an idler like me know anything about the frontier? But since you do, my dear nephew, why don’t you enlighten me?”
Long Chi scoffed inwardly.
Back when he was the Heir Apparent, this royal uncle of his had been rather dissatisfied with him.
Although he had been guarding the pitifully tiny land of Xiangyang all these years, he had also been ambitiously expanding his power in secret.
However, even he was incapable of obtaining information about the occurrence at the frontier.
If Long Chi had not known about it all along, he would not have gotten a single scrap of information either.
Lu Tingchen was truly an intelligent and talented general!
“I heard that the soldiers at the frontier have been infected with a plague.”
“A plague?” No matter how calm Long Xiao tried to be, he could not help being taken aback by the news.
“Exactly.” Long Chi nodded and said significantly, “Now’s a good time. So do I have your interest now, Royal Uncle?”
Long Xiao stared at him for a while, then his face suddenly turned grim. “Long Chi, it’s true that a general’s success is built upon thousands of sacrificed lives, but your method’s simply too underhanded. The soldiers at the frontier are the barrier that protects Great Shang. If they fall, the enemy state will invade us easily, and when that happens, it’ll be the end of Great Shang.” He figured immediately that this plague was probably Long Chi’s doing.
“A man of great ambition doesn’t bother about trifles! If you want to achieve great things, you have to make sacrifices,” Long Chi disagreed, feeling that Long Xiao was being rather mawkish.
He had never been a good person, so why bother acting like he even cared about the kingdom and its people?
How irritating!
Right now, however, he still needed the man, so he had to avoid getting on his bad side. Even though he despised this Royal Uncle of his, he did not show it on his face.
Long Xiao slammed his hand down on the table angrily. “But Long Chi, a man should at least have principles! I admit that I desire Great Shang’s throne, but I’ve never thought of resorting to something so despicable as a plague. Do you know what will happen if the plague spreads at the frontier? The Yan Kingdom and Danjue will break through our city walls without having to lift a finger! And you still want to take advantage of the situation and dispatch your troops? Long Chi, you disgust me!”
Long Chi laughed brusquely. “Why bother putting on the noble act, Royal Uncle? Since our goals are the same, who are you to criticize me?”
In a rage, Long Xiao planted one hand on the table and grabbed a fistful of Long Chi’s shirt with the other. “Let me tell you this very clearly—I desire the throne, but at least I have my principles! We can stir up chaos inside the kingdom, but don’t you ever touch the soldiers at the frontier! Do you hear me?”
Long Chi pushed his hand away and snickered. “Royal Uncle, I didn’t come here tonight to listen to your lecture. Do you think you’re the only one who has principles? It’s true that the plague was my doing, but I’ll give them the antidote when the time comes. I’m only doing this to make the Emperor panic.”
“You really have the antidote?” Long Xiao stared straight at him.
“Of course,” said Long Chi firmly. “Besides, it’s not a plague. It’s just a poison, but it won’t kill them.”
Hearing this, Long Xiao finally exhaled in relief and slumped into the chair behind him.
If Long Chi had really planned to sacrifice the soldiers at the frontier on his path to the throne, he would do everything in his power to kill him today.
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CHAPTER 1075: IT WAS ALREADY A DIFFICULT SITUATION TO GET OUT OF
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Coming back to the topic, there’s a reason I came to see you tonight. I believe you know what that is, Royal Uncle.” Long Chi brought up the main topic for the day.
Long Xiao looked at him with a conflicted expression. “Let me think about it.”
“Opportunity won’t knock on your door twice, Royal Uncle! You’ve been watching your entire life just pass by because you’re always being so careful. You will find yourself powerless to do anything by the time you finally decide to take action.” Long Chi quickly gave him one extra push. He drilled his burning gaze into Long Xiao.
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Long Xiao was actually feeling rather reluctant.
This was mainly because his Royal Brother had deposed Long Chi of his Crown Prince title. That event had made Long Xiao consider abandoning his plans altogether.
He had wanted to rebel against his Royal Brother to protest his decision to give Long Chi the title of Crown Prince.
However, Long Xiao realized that even if he wanted to relinquish his schemes, it was already a difficult situation to get out of.
This was because doing so would implicate many people who supported him.
He could not allow the hopes of these loyal supporters to be dashed.
“You and Xiangyang City are positioned on the West. While Xuyang may be near the frontier, it’s on the Northern side. With that plague spreading throughout the frontier, Lu Tingchen has no chance of fighting back if I start some trouble for him.”
“If we go into this together, Royal Uncle would not be able to retaliate against us even if he sent this army to suppress the attack. The situation now is a great opportunity for both of us,” Long Chi quickly continued.
Long Xiao understood this very well, but…
“I need to think about this.”
Long Chi’s expression turned cold when he saw Long Xiao’s reaction. “If you require more time to think about this, I shall take my leave. If you change your mind, send your men to inform me before noon tomorrow. I will be temporarily staying at an inn to the west of the City.” With that, Long Chi stood up and did not give Long Xiao another look.
Before leaving the study, he put on his human skin mask once more.
Long Yang had been sending men to keep a close watch on him. If not for the mask, he would not be able to leave Xuyang.
Of course, there had also been a lot of effort made on his part in order to get to Xiangyang.
Long Chi left through the backdoor of Xiangyang Mansion.
The moment he stepped into the alleyway, Jiang Chong, who was disguised as a normal servant, hurried over to him.
“How did it go, my Liege?”
“We’ll talk when we return.” Long Chi did not stop walking.
When they had arrived at their inn, Long Chi finally informed Jiang Chong about the conversation between him and Long Xiao.
“I always thought that this Royal Uncle of mine was a rather weak and indecisive man. This proved to be true after my chat with him today. He has ambition, but does not dare to follow through with his plans. I gave him a night to think it over. If he does not come to a decision by then, we will not wait for him any longer. I don’t believe we need him to achieve our goals.”
Jiang Chong nodded. “You’re right. But if the Prince of Xiangyang could put a stop to the army sent by the imperial court, we would be able to force our way into the imperial capital. That would certainly make things easier.”
“I understand that, but Royal Uncle is still hesitating. I can’t squander this opportunity just to wait for him. By the way, how are things with General Shen?”
General Shen was a former subordinate of his father. He had been hidden away so secretly that even Long Yang was not aware of him.
It was a coincidence that General Shen was guarding a city under Long Chi’s district, a place called Rocky Grounds.
General Shen had thousands of men serving under him. With just one order, he could greatly assist Long Chi in the attack directed at the imperial capital.
“All arrangements have been made. All that is left is to await your word,” Jiang Chong replied respectfully.
Long Chi was relieved to hear this. “Keep close attention to Zeng Lunan. When the time comes, we will need his help in saving the soldiers at the frontier.”
Zeng Lunan was still useful. Once Long Chi took over Great Shang, he would send Zeng Lunan to the frontier with the antidote to the plague. That way, Long Chi would be able to gain public support, and the soldiers at the frontier would be so grateful that they would loyally guard the frontier for him.
Long Xiao had thought Long Chi was cruel and vicious for doing this, treating the lives of the soldiers as expendable.
However, Long Chi had planned all of this long ago.
He was not so stupid as to give such a chance to his enemy.
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CHAPTER 1076: WHO WOULD HAVE THE LAST LAUGH
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Meanwhile at the Xiangyang Mansion.
At the same time, a new item was being auctioned on the stage. Due to its special location, there was no auctioneer in this auction house. Instead, the auctioneer would personally go up on stage to introduce the item. As for whether it would succeed or not, it all depended on the eloquence of the auctioneer and the value of the item itself.
The new item was a huge axe-shaped spirit tool. On the whole, it did not look much different from the axe in the outside world. However, for some reason, the moment this spirit tool appeared, it attracted the surrounding spiritual energy to gather towards it.
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It was very obvious that this spirit tool had its own uniqueness, but Gu Xi was not interested.
Although there were not many people who used this sort of axe-shaped spirit tool, it was a genuine ancient spirit tool after all. Many people present began to bid one after another.
“1,500!” A person was the first to speak loudly.
The auctioneer on the stage shook his head slightly. Clearly, this was not the price he wanted.
“1,700!”
“2,000!”
“2,200!”
One bid after another rang out. The price of this axe was also getting higher and higher.
“2,200 spirit stones? Is it that cheap?”
Gu Xi, who was below the stage, frowned. He had a puzzled look on his face.
Although he did not know the true level of this spirit tool, it was still a genuine ancient spirit tool. Moreover, it looked like it had just appeared in the world. 2,200 spirit stones was indeed too low a price.
If it were in the outside world, the price would at least be more than ten times higher.
“The currency here is not spirit stones, but this.” The white-clothed woman pursed her lips into a smile and waved the jade pendant in her hand.
Gu Xi was stunned at first, but then came to a sudden realization.
The so-called bidding here was not spirit stones, but points in their hands!
“Many contestants may have limited strength, so they are unable to obtain many points. Hence, this trend has been in vogue since a few years ago. The contestants who are not strong enough will not choose to hunt demon beasts after entering this place, but choose to search for the ruins or Secret Realms here. They will bring the spirit treasures they obtained here to be auctioned in exchange for points ranking.”
Lu Liangwei noticed the Dowager Duchess was indeed sweating all over and quickly took the hand fan from Zhu Yu to fan her.
She could not help but reminisce about the modern era’s air conditioners and electric fans.
The Dowager Duchess did object to Lu Liangwei fanning her.
It was not a good thing for a pregnant woman to stay still. Lu Liangwei should move about more to gain the stamina she needed for childbirth.
Both of them walked around the corridor and eventually sat down on a bench in the corridor when they were tired, and they chatted away.
“By the way, Grandmother, Mother sent someone to deliver a letter. She said that the illness suffered by the soldiers is not a plague. They were poisoned. She is currently trying to produce the antidote for it. The soldiers’ illness should be put under control very soon.”
The Dowager Duchess gave a long sigh of relief when she heard this. “It’s good news that this isn’t a plague. It’s lucky that your mother is able to help at the frontier this time. But since it’s not a plague, how did so many soldiers get poisoned? This sounds like it was planned by someone.”
The Dowager Duchess went deep in thought.
“That’s right.” Lu Liangwei nodded as she stared at the clear skies. She had a feeling something was about to happen.
“There’s no need for you to overthink about this as it’s not your responsibility. You should focus on having a smooth birth.” The Dowager Duchess held her hand and reminded her earnestly.
“I know, Grandmother.” Lu Liangwei nodded. She understood her grandmother’s worry.
She lowered her head to look at her huge, bulging belly and frowned.
Two days later, news of the Prince of Xuyang starting a military coup began to surface.
The officials of the imperial court were all shocked.
The situation at the frontier had yet to be resolved, and now news of the Prince of Xuyang’s coup was making the rounds. Bad news was being delivered one after the other.
The officials immediately submitted Palace Memorials, requesting for Long Yang to send over some soldiers to curb the uprising.
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CHAPTER 1077: HIS MAJESTY WAS PRETTY GOOD AT LYING THROUGH HIS TEETH
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
As for who would lead the operation of stopping the coup, no decision had been made at that moment.
Grand Phoenix Palace.
When it was time for lunch, Lu Liangwei walked idly around the palace doors, waiting for Long Yang to arrive for the meal.
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Soon, Long Yang came. There was a young man around twenty following behind him.
Lu Liangwei was astonished when she saw the young man’s face.
His face looked a little familiar and when he came closer, she was sure that she had seen that face before.
The young man noticed Lu Liangwei scrutinizing him and gave her a warm smile. “Your Highness.”
Lu Liangwei blinked. “You are…”
Long Yang blocked her from looking at him, but his words were directed at the young man. “Shouldn’t you be greeting your aunt?”
The man smiled and gave Lu Liangwei a formal fist and palm salute. “Greetings to you, Royal Aunt. I’m Long Xuan.”
Lu Liangwei looked curiously at Long Yang. “Who is he? Why is he calling me ‘Aunt’?”
“He’s our nephew, of course.” A small smile appeared on Long Yang’s lips. He paused and explained. “He is actually Long Chi’s older brother. He’s the eldest son of Crown Prince Jianzhang, albeit from a secondary wife. Crown Prince Jianzhang was once saved by a village woman when he encountered danger outside the Palace. Both of them developed feelings for each other and the village woman gave birth to his son. However, Crown Prince Jianzhang had not been aware of this. Long Chi’s mother, who was the late Crown Princess, knew of their existence and attempted to have them assassinated, but I saved them.”
Lu Liangwei was a little astonished when she heard the story. She gave a start and quickly gave Long Yang an odd look.
It was not very nice to be saying such things in front of Long Xuan, was it?
Long Yang was not bothered by this. “This rascal has thick skin. This won’t bother him at all.”
Long Xuan said exasperatedly, “Royal Uncle, how could you say this about your nephew? To be honest, I’m not as thick-skinned as you think. It’s quite embarrassing for me to be introduced to Royal Aunt this way.”
Long Yang smiled at Lu Liangwei. “Did you hear that? This rascal is a sweet-talker. Don’t be fooled by his honest-looking face.”
Lu Liangwei looked at Long Xuan, who did not really have that honest a face, and her lips twitched.
His Majesty was pretty good at lying through his teeth.
Long Xuan had bright and flirtatious eyes. He did not look like an honest and straightforward man at all.
However, it was rare to see His Majesty chat with someone in such a relaxed manner.
It looked like he was quite fond of Long Xuan.
This surprised her quite a bit.
She had not expected Crown Prince Jianzhang to have another son aside from Long Chi.
No wonder she had found his face familiar. Besides the pair of flirtatious eyes, the outline of Long Xuan’s jaw did look quite similar to Long Chi’s.
However, they had completely different personalities.
Long Chi was quite somber while Long Xuan had a bright personality.
Long Xuan winked at her when she looked over at him. He said innocently, “Don’t listen to Royal Uncle’s nonsense, Royal Aunt. This nephew of yours is an honest and straightforward person.”
Lu Liangwei burst out laughing.
It was one thing to be greeted as ‘Royal Aunt’ by someone a few years older than she was, but when he acknowledged himself as her nephew so earnestly, it did make her slightly awkward.
“Lunch is ready. Come in and enjoy the meal.” Lu Liangwei stopped laughing and invited the men in.
“Thank you for the trouble,” Long Xuan said with a smile.
Long Yang darted a look at him. “Wipe off that cheeky grin.”
Long Xuan immediately stopped smiling and put on a stoic expression.
Lu Liangwei smirked and shook her head.
During lunch, Lu Liangwei found out that Long Chi had started a military coup at Xuyang and he had already taken over a few cities.
Long Yang was planning to send Long Xuan to Xuyang to take care of this.
“Royal Uncle, the time has come to send out the soldier you had trained for so long. You have helped me and my mother so much, and have given me so much care and nurturing. It’s time for me to repay you,” Long Xuan said earnestly and with great sincerity.
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CHAPTER 1078: LONG YANG WAS DISAPPOINTED
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
If not for his Royal Uncle saving them, he and his mother would have died in the hands of Long Chi’s mother.
It might just be a small matter to his Royal Uncle, but to Long Xuan, it was a great debt deserving of gratitude. He and his mother would not be here without his Royal Uncle’s help.
He remembered the first time he laid eyes on his Royal Uncle.
It was like a God had descended from the sky when his Royal Uncle appeared. From that day onward, the young Long Xuan was filled with nothing but admiration and respect for his Royal Uncle.
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Long Yang was like a father to him
Long Xuan both respected and adored the man.
He had been working secretly for his Royal Uncle all these years. Now, it was finally the time for him to formally repay this debt to his Royal Uncle.
Long Chi was his younger brother. They shared the same father but had different mothers.
Long Chi was born to be an outstanding and noble man, while Long Xuan had almost fallen victim to Long Chi’s mother quite a few times.
It was time for them to go head-to-head.
“There’s still time,” Long Yang said calmly. “We’ll talk about this again in a few days.”
Long Xuan did not say anything more when he heard this.
He knew there must be a reason for Long Yang to say this.
“Go home and settle things with your mother first. Be prepared and wait for my edict.” Long Yang gave Long Xuan the instruction after they were done with lunch.
“Yes, Royal Uncle. I shall return and wait for your imperial edict.” Long Xuan smiled and revealed his white teeth. He was like a burst of sunshine.
Lu Liangwei asked about the situation at Xuyang after Long Xuan left.
“Why don’t you end this in one fell stroke and put a stop to Long Chi before he gains more influence? Why are you giving him room to breathe?”
Long Yang stood in the corridor with his hands behind his back. “I’m waiting.”
“Waiting for what?”
“If Long Xiao does not intend to rebel, I will pass the responsibility of stopping Long Chi to him.”
“If he pretends he has no such intentions and heads to Xuyang under the guise of stopping Long Chi, you would have two traitors on your hands. Wouldn’t you be giving them the chance to band together?” Lu Liangwei frowned.
One chopstick was easy to break, but put two together and it would be more difficult to snap them.
If Long Chi and Long Xiao joined forces and decided to work together, it would be far more difficult to stop them even if the capital sent soldiers after them.
Moreover, the situation at the frontier had not yet stabilized and a rebellion was happening. Things would get out of control soon.
She knew there was a reason for His Majesty to make this decision, but she still wanted an answer to her question.
“I want to give Long Xiao another chance.” Long Yang pressed his fingers to the spot between his eyes. His voice was low and there was a small hint of helplessness in it.
Lu Liangwei understood in an instant.
His Majesty still cherished the brotherly relationship he had with Long Xiao.
However, Long Xiao would end up disappointing Long Yang two days later.
Long Xiao had begun his rebellion in Xiangyang.
Long Yang had now lost all hope in Long Xiao. He did not even bother to request a surrender from his brother and instead sent out several imperial edicts.
The first imperial edict ordered Long Xuan to bring an army with him to Xuyang to stop the rebellion there. The second imperial edict was to order an old general to head to Xiangyang.
The general was of the surname Guo. He had worked under the late Grand Duke when he was younger and had been personally taught by the Grand Duke.
The man had years of experience on the battlefield and was well-versed in the art of war. The most important trait about him, however, was his loyalty to the imperial court.
Long Yang sent him to stop the rebellion at Xiangyang.
Long Xuan had been newly appointed by Long Yang and it was the first time his officials met him.
Everyone was initially doubtful of Long Xuan, but they could feel a cold, sharp presence coming from where the young man stood, like how a powerful sword would emanate its prowess even when it was not out of its sheath.
Many of the officials had no objections when they found out he was Crown Prince Jianzhang’s son from a secondary wife.
It would certainly be an interesting battle when the brothers faced each other.
However, there were some who questioned this.
They were still brothers, after all, and would Long Xuan possibly turn against the imperial court when the time came?
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CHAPTER 1079: HER HIGHNESS WAS ABOUT TO GIVE BIRTH
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
However, this was just a suspicion the officials had.
His Majesty had given his imperial edict and there was no chance they could overturn it.
Long Xuan understood why the officials would be suspicious of him, but he made no attempt to explain himself. It would be more practical to use actions to prove himself rather than words.
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…
There was no change to the routine at the imperial court despite the rebellion of two vassal kings. The officials continued attending the imperial court every day and conducted their duties as usual.
The imperial capital was bustling just as usual.
When it came to the middle of the sixth month of the lunar month, it could be an effect of the weather, for Lu Liangwei was more irritable than usual.
However, she continued with her usual exercises every day.
Today was a gloomier day and she had walked one round about the imperial garden. She even walked up to the pavilion on the rockery. She planned to have a rest at the pavilion and enjoy the breeze, but the moment she sat on the stone bench, she felt a sharp pain coming from her stomach. The next thing she knew, she felt something warm flowing from her body.
Her dress was immediately drenched.
She quickly realized what was happening and turned pale. She took a deep breath and made herself look at Zhu Yu and Chu Jiu calmly, instructing them, “Help me back. I think I’m about to give birth.”
Perhaps it was because of her overly calm tone; both of them did not react to her instructions immediately.
“Don’t be anxious. Just help me up. There’s still time and we can take a slow walk back.”
Zhu Yu and Chu Jiu had not experienced this before, which was why Lu Liangwei tried her best to sound calm in order not to frighten them.
Chu Jiu was the first to react. Her hand gripped her sword tightly as she calmed herself mentally before approaching Lu Liangwei and holding her arm. “I think it’s better that I carry you back, Your Highness.”
!!!
Lu Liangwei was aware that Chu Jiu was quite strong, but she was about to give birth and was worried that Chu Jiu might not be able to handle the task in her state of panic. So, she said, “It’s fine. Both of you can just help me walk back.” She felt another sharp pang of pain in her stomach as she said this.
This time, it was more painful than before.
She grimaced. Her entire face was covered in sweat.
The realization finally hit Zhu Yu as she clenched her fists. She carefully supported Lu Liangwei and held her other hand. “You’ll be fine, Miss. We’ll take you back right now.”
Lu Liangwei felt relieved when she saw both of them taking this in calmly.
They helped her slowly get up and walked her down from the rockery.
As Lu Liangwei was approaching her delivery date, Long Yang had already arranged for a few other palace maids who were proficient in martial arts to stay by Lu Liangwei’s side besides Chu Jiu and Zhu Yu in case of an emergency.
Those palace maids were waiting at the foot of the rockery when the three of them headed over.
Zhu Yu held onto Lu Liangwei’s arm while handing out instructions to the palace maids below. “Her Highness is about to give birth. Hurry up and inform His Majesty. Also, get Chief Physician Lin and Imperial Physician Wu, as well as the midwife. Get them all to be on standby at the Grand Phoenix Palace.”
Zhu Yu tried her best to quell the nervousness she felt and gave the instructions as calmly and clearly as she was able to.
The expressions on the palace maids changed when they heard this. They did not dare delay for even a moment and darted off in different directions. Only two palace maids were left behind to help Zhu Yu and Chu Jiu escort Lu Liangwei back to Grand Phoenix Palace.
It was lucky that Grand Phoenix Palace was not far from the imperial garden. Lu Liangwei got back there very soon.
However, by this time, she was drenched entirely in sweat.
Zhu Yu brought her a set of clean, loose clothes and helped her out of her drenched garments.
Chu Jiu had also brought some warm water and helped to wipe off the sweat on her face.
The servants in the palace were informed that the Empress was about to give birth. The situation was initially chaotic, but soon, everything fell into place and everyone was doing what they were supposed to.
The once quiet Palace was now noisy with commotion over the news that Lu Liangwei was about to give birth.
At the same time, Long Yang had just dismissed the imperial court and was walking out of the discussion hall when a palace maid came running toward him breathlessly. She shouted, “Your Majesty, Her Highness is about to give birth.”
CHAPTER 1080: LONG YANG ACTED OUT OF THE NORM
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Long Yang blanked out when he heard those words and did not react for quite a while.
Meanwhile, a look of delight appeared on all the officials’ faces when they heard the palace maid’s announcement. When they saw His Majesty not reacting at all, one of the officials thought he must not have heard the palace maid. He quickly said, “Your Majesty, Her Highness is about to give birth.”
Long Yang turned around slowly to stare at him. “What did you say?”
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When the official saw Long Yang’s reaction, the first thought that came to his mind was, ‘Oh no, did His Majesty lose his mind out of joy? What should we do?’
He began to speak with additional care, “I was informing you that Her Highness is about to give birth.”
Long Yang nodded and replied with a grunt.
It was quite a normal reaction.
When the officials saw him acting this way, everyone assumed that His Majesty was already tired of the Empress, which was why he reacted so nonchalantly when he heard that the Empress was about to give birth.
“Zhao Qian, help me to Grand Phoenix Palace.”
Just as the officials were trying to decipher His Majesty’s reaction, they suddenly heard a tremor in the Emperor’s voice.
They looked at each other when they saw His Majesty’s behavior.
His Majesty had always been dignified and decisive. He had never acted this way before.
Zhao Qian was originally not that nervous about the situation, but when he heard his Master’s voice, he could not help but begin to feel nervous as well. He quickly held his Master’s hand and realized that his Master was trembling slightly.
They walked down the stairs together. Even though Zhao Qian was confident he was holding Long Yang sufficiently tightly, Long Yang still ended up missing a step while walking down the stairs and nearly toppled over.
The officials behind them covered their faces in shock.
Fortunately, Chu Qi was quick on his feet. He helped both of them up at the last moment and prevented Long Yang from being embarrassed.
“Master, please be careful where you step.” Zhao Qian steadied himself and took a deep breath.
The officials were only able to react properly after watching the Emperor leave.
They thought something was wrong with their eyes.
His Majesty would never act out of the norm like that.
The officials tried to convince each other of this.
By the time Long Yang arrived at Grand Phoenix Palace, Chief Physician Lin and Imperial Physician Wu were already there. The midwife had gone into the room.
The curtain at the front of the bed had been pulled open and a few midwives surrounded the bed, trying to calm Lu Liangwei down with soft voices.
“It’s going to be fine, Your Highness. There’s no need to be nervous. Judging by your current situation, it would take a while before you begin giving birth.”
There was a pillow supporting Lu Liangwei’s back. Half of her body was lying down on the bed. Even though Zhu Yu helped to wipe off her sweat as best as she could, her clothes were still completely drenched.
Long Yang returned to his normal self when he entered the room. It was as if the person who had acted so abnormally in front of the imperial court officials was not him, but someone else.
When he entered, the midwives were about to say something and advise him to leave the room as men were not allowed to enter the room when a woman was in labor. However, the thought of how much the Emperor adored the Empress made them swallow their words and they stood aside instead.
Long Yang sat down next to Lu Liangwei in bed and held her hand. “Weiwei, how are you feeling right now?”
“It hurts a little,” Lu Liangwei replied honestly. Just after she answered, she realized that His Majesty’s hand, which was holding hers, was actually trembling slightly.
She looked at his calm face in astonishment.
The next thing she knew, she suddenly let out a short laugh, her feeling of nervousness disappearing as she suddenly felt more relaxed.
She never thought she would witness the day when His Majesty would become a bag of nerves.
Long Yang was confused by her laughter. He could not understand how she could still laugh in this situation.
This should be the time for her to lunge into his arms pitifully, demanding to be consoled.
Why was this situation different from how he imagined it to be?
Lu Liangwei pinched his tightly-wound arm. “Are you feeling very nervous, Your Majesty?”
Long Yang shook his head. “I’m not nervous. I’m just worried that you are.”
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