After the night tour of Southern Xinjiang City, Ning Xiuyun and Jian Xun both had their own little quarrels. One was preparing a betrothal gift and the other was preparing a wedding ring. Although they did not hide it deliberately, they both pretended not to know each other.
Everyone in the guard camp loved it and competed for positions to help run errands, which added to the relationship between the two.
Ning Xiuyun followed the doctor's advice, had three meals on time, and learned archery with Jian Xun as daily exercise.
Jian Xun was of course very interested in improving His Highness the Crown Prince's ability to protect himself, and he was eager to give Ning Xiuyun some tips on his actions.
However, he soon discovered that His Highness the Crown Prince's archery skills were not bad at all, but his body was weaker than Jian Xunlei's and limited his performance.
Perhaps it was because he exercised more every day. On this morning, Ning Xiuyun rarely stayed in bed. Jian Xun woke up for an hour, but he was still sleeping deeply.
He was planning to stay in bed with Yi, but Shen Qi quietly walked outside the door and lowered his voice and said to him: "General Jian? Your Highness Ning Xuan is here."
When Ning Xuan came to visit, it was not polite to let people from the guard camp receive him, but Jian Xun didn't want Ning Xiuyun to sacrifice precious sleep time, so he could only sneak out of the room quietly, and after washing, he took Ning Xiuyun's place to entertain Ning Xuan.
It's a pity that General Jian doesn't know how to get along with children.
The two looked at each other in silence for a moment in the yard and had a somewhat stiff conversation.
Jian Xun didn't know what expression to make and looked at him coldly: "What's the matter?"
Ning Xuan said politely: "I'm playing chess with my uncle."
Jian Xun frowned: "Your Highness is still sleeping, I will play with you."
Ning Xuan hesitated. After a moment, "Okay."
After Ning Xiuyun got up in the morning and washed up, what he saw was Jian Xun and Ning Xuan staring at each other across the chessboard.
Ning Xuan's face was sullen, but after seeing Ning Xiuyun's appearance, a smile finally appeared on his face.
He waved to Ning Xiuyun, "Uncle!"
"When did you come? Why did you play chess with Jian Xun?" Ning Xiuyun asked.
"Uncle Jian said he would stay with me." Ning Xuan's expression suddenly became a little hard to explain. The child was not good at concealing his emotions, so Ning Xiuyun saw a little trace of disgust in his eyes.
Jian Xun's chess skills are very average, and he may not be able to compete with someone as talented as Ning Xuan.
Ning Xiuyun was overjoyed. He walked to the chessboard and watched, and found that Jian Xun, the bad chess player, was indeed no match for Ning Xuan.
Ning Xuan had the absolute advantage, and Ning Xiuyun concluded that after three more pieces, Jian Xun would lose the game.
Sure enough, after three sons, Jian Xun lost.
He put down the Yunzi in his hand and said calmly: "Very good."
Jian Xun's chess skills were excellent, and there was no embarrassment or annoyance at all about losing to a child.
Ning Xuan looked a little discouraged. Although he had won against an adult, he didn't know why he didn't feel any sense of accomplishment at all.
Ning Xiuyun touched his head and asked: "Have you had the morning meal?"
Ning Xuan said with a guilty conscience: "No."
Ning Xiuyun frowned and said with disapproval: "The morning meal still has to be delicious. Yes."
Jian Xun on the side also nodded. He clearly noticed that His Highness the Crown Prince had become much healthier after eating three meals regularly, and he had also gained some weight recently.
Jian Xun was very pleased and devoted himself to raising the Crown Prince to be more mellow.
Ning Xuan explained somewhat depressedly: "Today, my mother went out early to inspect the property. As soon as she left, I came over immediately. I didn't have time to eat the morning meal."
Jian Xun raised his eyebrows. Ning Xuan's words seemed to mean that he was avoiding Meng Fan and come to Ning Xiuyun.
Ning Xuan sat on the stone bench, folding his hands and wringing his fingers uneasily, "My mother doesn't like me coming to see my uncle. I don't know why, but I will come over secretly."
Ning Xiuyun didn't look surprised. He had already known this.
Meng Fan protected Ning Xuan like an eyeball, and he was keenly aware of Ning Xiuyun's special attitude towards Ning Xuan as early as the first meeting.
Naturally, she didn't want her precious son to come into contact with someone who might take Ning Xuan away.
What frightened her the most was that the prince had a high and powerful position. If he was determined to be Ning Xuan, there would definitely be a bloody storm between Ning Chuqing and the prince.
When it came to restraining Ning Xuan, Meng Fan probably didn't want to stop him, but just couldn't.
Ning Xuan seems to have a soft personality, but he is actually very assertive in many matters. He will not express dissatisfaction after being rejected, but will find a way to solve the problem on his own.
For example, when Meng Fan prevented him from seeing Ning Xiuyun, Ning Xuan would superficially agree and sneak out to find Ning Xiuyun when Meng Fan was away.
Ning Xiuyun saw all this.
Ning Xiuyun comforted: "Xuan'er must listen to mother in the future. Madam is doing it for Xuan'er's own good."
Ning Xuan nodded heavily: "Xuan'er knows. But Xuan'er doesn't want to be alienated from his uncle."
Ning Xuan was Staring with sincere eyes, Ning Xiuyun seemed to see a miniature version of Jian Xun in front of him as he hit a straight shot in front of him.
Ning Xiuyun lamented in his heart and said, "Then Xuan'er can have a good talk with Madam next time. Communication is always the most important part of getting along between people."
Ning Xuan responded with a vague understanding.
Ning Xiuyun was satisfied and didn't want to chat here in the empty Five Zang Temple any longer, so he asked Shen Qi to bring hot food and a set of tableware for Ning Xuan.
The dining area has been moved from the stone table in the courtyard to indoors.
It was already autumn, but fortunately Jian Xun and Ning Xuan could still play chess in the yard in the early morning without feeling too cold.
After dinner, Ning Xiuyun replaced Jian Xun and played chess with Ning Xuan.
Ning Xiuyun's statement that Ning Xuan was smart was no joke. Ning Xuan was only four years old and his chess skills were so varied and he could draw inferences from one instance. Now that he could fight Ning Xiuyun on the chessboard repeatedly, he was more than just smart enough to be summed up in one sentence.
It's strange that Ning Xiuyun doesn't like such a precocious and sensible child.
Ning Xuan took advantage of the time and played two games with Ning Xiuyun, losing one after another. He was unwilling to do so and could only leave with regret.
Before Ning Xuan left, Ning Xiuyun warned: "You have to make an agreement with your wife before coming back. Remember?"
Ning Xuan nodded, "Remember, if mother agrees, I'll come back in the afternoon... Uncle won't think I'm disturbing, right?"
He asked a little embarrassed.
Every time he came over, Uncle Jian could only watch the two playing chess. Although the other party didn't say anything, Ning Xuan still felt that the other party was not satisfied.
Ning Xiuyun said, "No, it's too late for me to be happy that Xuan'er can come."
Ning Xuan showed a shy smile, said goodbye to Ning Xiuyun, and went home under the leadership of the guards of the General's Mansion.
Ning Xiuyun sat beside the stone bench, picking up the chess pieces on the chessboard little by little.
Jian Xun was finally able to sit down opposite his lover and looked at Ning Xiuyun eagerly, his eyes seemed to be filled with resentment.
Ning Xiuyun raised his eyes and looked at him. What was going on? Why was this man so depressed all of a sudden?
He reached over and gently scratched Jian Xun's chin, as if comforting a depressed animal.
Jian Xun half-squinted his eyes following this action, "Your Highness?"
Why did you do this suddenly?
He felt a little itchy on his neck and wanted to avoid it, but he didn't want to waste the opportunity to get close to Ning Xiuyun.
"Your expression tells me that you are feeling lost. What's wrong? Could it be because of Xuan'er? He is only four years old." Ning Xiuyun teased.
Ning Xuan is only a four-year-old child, is it possible that Jian Xun is even jealous of Ning Xuan? There are so many children in the royal family who are separated by generations. Will Jian Xun be jealous to death during the holidays in the future?
But what Jian Xun cared about was obviously different from what Ning Xiuyun thought. Jian Xun hesitated for a moment and finally spoke: "If Your Highness is always with me, how can you have no heirs if Your Highness wants to inherit the throne in the future?"
Jian Xun thought about Ning Xiuyun's love for Ning Xuan, and the more he thought about it, the more panic he felt.
Ning Xiuyun is the prince who is about to ascend the throne. How can there be a prince in this world who does not accept concubines and has no descendants?
He is different from Jian Xun. The Jian family is a commoner, ordinary people, and his ancestors have no obsession with passing on incense.
Once Ning Xiuyun takes that position, countless people will rush to offer him beauties. There are three thousand beauties in the emperor's harem, both passionate and ruthless.
To put it bluntly, even if Ning Xiuyun had a deep affection for him and would only love him, then in order to have a successor, he still needed a woman to carry on the family line for him.
The more Jian Xun thought about it, the more desperate he felt, as if a third person was destined to intervene between the two of them for this reason.
Ning Xiuyun dropped the chess piece at hand, stood up and walked to Jian Xun's side. He pointed his fingers upward, pinched Jian Xun's chin, and said viciously: "I already have you, do you think I will want someone else?"
His expression was not serious, but also very magnanimous, with a bit of teasing, but Jian Xun was immersed in his own negative emotions and did not notice it immediately.
Jian Xun immediately said anxiously: "I can't give birth..."
"You haven't even tried, how do you know you can't give birth?" Ning Xiuyun whispered in his ear.
He raised his long legs, straddling Jian Xun's body, slipped one hand from Jian Xun's chin, reached all the way to his lower abdomen, and pressed it maliciously.
Jian Xun's ears suddenly turned red, "Your Highness is making fun of me..."
Ning Xiuyun pretended to be surprised: "How could it be possible? Maybe it can be done?"
Jian Xun's expression suddenly hesitated again.
When I was traveling in the southwest with my master, I did hear that there was a precedent of a man getting pregnant there. Maybe there was a possibility that he could do it too?
If that were the case, would Ning Xiuyun not marry another woman?
Seeing that he was really starting to think about this matter, Ning Xiuyun couldn't hold it back, and leaned on Jian Xun and laughed heartily.
After laughing, he patted Jian Xun's shoulder, took one of Jian Xun's hands, put it on his belly, and said, "Maybe we can change our thinking. Maybe it's because you don't work hard enough that there's no movement here?"
"Let's change the idea. The future emperor will be subordinate to you, Xiao Lang, you should be more bold and unrestrained."
Not working hard enough... being bold and unrestrained...
Jian Xun's reason was almost shattered by these two outrageous sentences.
He only felt an impulse to use the area three inches below his navel, and the reaction was very obvious. The expression of Ning Xiuyun, who was sitting on him, did not change, as if he had not felt it at all.
Seeing his tight lips, Ning Xiuyun suddenly shook his legs maliciously, "Are you still thinking wildly?"
Jian Xun suddenly took a breath of cold air.
It was difficult for him to endure it, but he still insisted on asking: "Will there be only me in the future, Your Highness?"
"Of course, I promise." Ning Xiuyun said firmly.
He began to stretch his legs one by one, but turned a deaf ear to the heavy breathing in his ears.
Ning Xiuyun analyzed the current situation for Jian Xun: "I value Ning Xuan, partly because I really like this child, and partly because I am destined to have no heirs, and Daqi needs a successor, and Xuan'er is very suitable. Regardless of status or talent."
In terms of status, the first prince Ning Hongchao who was supposed to ascend the throne was Ning Xuan's grandfather, and General Zhenyuan, who held the military power in the south, was Ning Xuan's father. With Ning Xuan as his successor, Ning Xiuyun would not have to He was worried that Ning Chuqing would turn against him. After all, the throne was destined to Ning Chuqing's lineage.
In terms of talent, Ning Xuan is precocious and intelligent, even better than Pei Yan when he was young, but he is more generous than Pei Yan, and he does have the potential to become a wise king.
"If Xuan'er agrees, after I ascend the throne, I will make Ning Xuan the crown prince."
Jian Xun understood Ning Xiuyun's thoughts, but his eyes darkened, "If it weren't for me..."
Ning Xiuyun narrowed his eyes and smiled slightly. He stood up and sat down unceremoniously. When the veins on Jian Xun's forehead popped out, he said angrily: "How long has it been and you still have the heart to feel sorry for yourself?"
Jian Xun reached out to hold Ning Xiuyun's waist, but he couldn't. When Ning Xiuyun slapped him down like a punishment, His Highness told him with his eyes not to act rashly.
Jian Xun could only take deep breaths to calm down his excitement, but it didn't seem to work at all.
Ning Xiuyun didn't stop, so Jian Xun had no choice but to distract himself with chatting. He asked, "The general's wife doesn't like Ning Xuan coming to see you. Is it because she already has some suspicions?"
Ning Xiuyun nodded and said: "She is also very smart. When we first met, I just had a vague idea of this, and she spied on it."
"If... the General's Mansion... doesn't agree...?" Jian Xun's voice was broken.
Ning Xiuyun said meaningfully: "You have to trust my judgment. If I say I will agree, I will definitely agree."
He suddenly exerted his strength.
Jian Xun suddenly reached out and hugged him tightly. For a moment, Ning Xiuyun felt a slight pain in the place where his arms were restraining him.
After a while, Jian Xun was discouraged.
"Yeah." Ning Xiuyun covered her lips and said, "This is probably what happens if you don't believe me."
Jian Xun rested his chin on Ning Xiuyun's shoulder and sighed: "Your Highness..."
He probably doesn't know how to lock it (touching his chin)