Ch. 356 Pregnant
Chu Lian felt uncomfortable under his direct gaze. Her face instantly flushed and she turned her head away to avoid his eyes, but He Changdi caught hold of her chin and started raining kisses on her.
He started at the corner of her lips, then sucked on her full bottom lip and nibbled on it. Just as he was about to push deeper into her mouth, He Changdi seemed to recall something and quickly let go of Chu Lian.
Still immersed in the steamy bout of affection, Chu Lian couldn't make sense of what happened. Her originally bashful eyes fluttered open and she turned her confused, misty gaze upon He Changdi.
He Changdi's heart softened and he stroked her smooth, reddened cheeks lovingly. "I have a cold. I'm afraid I'll pass it to you."
It was then that Chu Lian found out why he had suddenly moved away.
She pressed her pink lips together. Using He Changdi's momentary distraction, she raised her body and attacked his thin, slightly pale lips.
Her little lithe tongue reached into his mouth, twisting around in exploration. He Changdi stiffened at the intrusion as the desire in his eyes thickened.
The thirst he had tried to resist was back in full force thanks to Chu Lian's simple gesture.
As he delved deeper into their kiss, He Changdi heard the woman in his arms say in a slightly muffled voice, "I'm not afraid of a cold."
A corner of his lips hooked up in a smile as he turned the tables on his invader and completely dominated her mouth in return.
Their battle continued until Chu Lian was gasping for breath.
He Changdi loosened his hold on her a little. Her sweet, fragrant breath fanned out in puffs right against his nose. He continuously placed tiny kisses at the corners of her mouth and cheek.
Chu Lian took a breather as she laid bonelessly against He Changdi's shoulders. It took some time before the flush on her cheeks faded away.
Neither of them broke the silence. Instead, they took comfort from leaning on each other.
It wasn't long before Chu Lian dozed off, still leaning against He Changdi.
By the time their carriage reached the Anyuan Estate, darkness had already fallen outside.
Seeing that Chu Lian was still sleeping soundly in his arms, He Changdi couldn't bear to wake her. He wrapped her up tightly in his cloak and carried her into the estate.
Even before they had reached the main courtyard they shared, Chu Lian had already woken up. However, thanks to He Changdi's bold actions, she was too shy to open her eyes and continued feigning sleep.
The main courtyard of their new estate was still called Songtao Court.
Once He Changdi entered their courtyard, he ordered the servants to call for Great Doctor Miao.
While Chu Lian had been in the pink of health initially, she had suffered some damage on the trip to the north. It had taken a period of nourishment in order to get her health back to normal. This time, she had also suffered some fright at the hunting grounds. Although the imperial physicians had given her a clean bill of health, He Sanlang was still worried for her.
Thus, he asked for Great Doctor Miao to take a look at Chu Lian the moment they were home.
Since they had moved out of the Jing'an Estate, Great Doctor Miao had followed them to the Anyuan Estate. Chu Lian had arranged for Great Doctor Miao to have his own courtyard and even a special medicine room. At his age, Great Doctor Miao didn't have much that he was interested in, aside from medicine and good food.
With the small and simple family of House Anyuan and Chu Lian's cooking, the Anyuan Estate was the ideal living space for Great Doctor Miao.
Thus, Great Doctor Miao was rather grateful to the couple. When He Changdi requested his presence, he came quickly.
Chu Lian 'woke up' when she arrived back at Songtao Court. Since the ones serving in Songtao Court were all her close servants, she didn't have anything to be embarrassed about around them.
She gave a slight cough to hide her remaining awkwardness.
"When Uncle Miao comes over later, let him check your pulse."
The eternal ice on He Changdi's face seemed to have melted away completely. There was a slight smirk in its place, and he simply nodded in reply to her request without any contest.
Senior Servant Gui had already taken Jingyan and Wenlan with her to the kitchen to cook dinner.
Great Doctor Miao was still strong and healthy despite his age, and he arrived at Songtao Court with his medicine box in no time. The moment he entered the parlour, he saw Chu Lian and He Changdi sitting at the head of the room.
His first reaction was to give them a glare and lightly admonish them. "What did you do to yourselves? Wasn't it supposed to be a simple trip out? Look at what's happened to you both! Others might think that you've gone to battle instead of just hunting!"
The couple had been around Great Doctor Miao for some time now, so they treated him like a senior member of their family. When Great Doctor Miao reprimanded them like this, all they could do was smile sheepishly back.
Great Doctor Miao set his medicine box on the table and sat down with an air of authority. He faced the couple and asked, "Who's first?"
Chu Lian turned to look at He Changdi, who took the hint and walked over to Great Doctor Miao's side.
Great Doctor Miao took up his hand and remained silent as he read He Changdi's pulse. After a short while, he said, "It's nothing major; you caught a cold from the weather because your body wasn't in the best condition. You tired yourself out and put stress on your body by worrying too much. Just have a good night's rest and take some medicine and you'll be fine."
After saying that, Great Doctor Miao turned his attention to Chu Lian.
"Now, how about you? How did you get yourself into this state? I just got you back to good health and this is how you repay me?"
Chu Lian lowered her head in shame from the doctor's scolding.
He Changdi quickly tried to defend his wife. "Uncle Miao, it's all my fault. Don't scold Lian'er."
Great Doctor Miao harrumphed.
"Aren't you going to come here?"
He Changdi vacated his seat next to Great Doctor Miao, and Chu Lian stood up and sat in He Changdi's place. She extended a fair wrist and placed it on the handkerchief on the table.
Great Doctor Miao focused on reading her pulse. Suddenly, he frowned and pressed harder on Chu Lian's wrist. It took him much longer to read her pulse than he had for He Changdi. He continued checking her pulse for eight whole minutes and even checked both of her wrists.
He Changdi noticed the grave expression on his face. His heart leaped in alarm. He could barely wait for Great Doctor Miao to finish reading Chu Lian's pulse before he asked, "Uncle Miao, did something happen to Lian'er?"
Chu Lian hadn't thought much of the long diagnosis. She hadn't had much appetite these two days and was a little giddy sometimes. To her, it seemed like the symptoms of low blood sugar. She had eaten more according to what Physician Li had recommended and the symptoms had mostly disappeared.
However, Great Doctor Miao was a genius in the medical field, so she started feeling uneasy from how serious he looked.
Seeing how worriedly the young couple was looking at him, Great Doctor Miao's expression relaxed. "Did the imperial physician prescribe you any medicine, and did you eat it?"
Chu Lian explained what had happened to her in the arena at the hunting grounds. "Physician Zhou and Li checked on my health, but I didn't drink any medicine. I only had some normal nourishing soup."
Hearing that Chu Lian had fallen off her horse, Great Doctor Miao's eyes widened as far as they could go. However, after hearing that she hadn't taken any medicine, he heaved a sigh of relief.
Those sly imperial physicians! The old foxes must have suspected that Chu Lian was pregnant, but they likely hadn't been able to diagnose it properly, so they must have avoided prescribing any medicine for their own safety.
"The two of you! Are seriously muddle-headed!" Great Doctor Miao pointed a shaking finger at the couple in his anger.
He turned to look at the servants standing behind Chu Lian and He Changdi and lamented, "Ah... What a useless group of people..."
Chu Lian was shocked by Great Doctor Miao's sudden change in mood. What was going on?
Faced by all the dazed and confused faces around him, Great Doctor Miao just couldn't keep his temper up. He stopped beating around the bush and stated, "Lian'er is already one month pregnant! Thank your lucky stars! If you continue being so clumsy, you might have lost the child!"
What?!
The sudden announcement from Great Doctor Miao made everyone dumbfounded and at a loss for words.
The most exaggerated reaction came from He Changdi.
He completely lost his usual cool and stiff facade as a myriad of emotions blossomed to life on his face.
Chu Lian was stiff with shock. She looked down dazedly at her flat abdomen. So there was already a new life growing in there without her knowing! She subconsciously reached out to stroke a hand over her belly. Even if she couldn't feel any change, Chu Lian still thought that something was different.
He Changdi turned to stare at Chu Lian. There were too many emotions in his eyes to name, but slowly, joy began to surface and shone brightly in his gaze.
He pulled Chu Lian into his embrace without a care for their audience, hugging her narrow waist and stroking her smooth hair.
He mumbled, "Lian'er, we... we have a child!"
In his past life, He Changdi had never consummated his marriage with 'Chu Lian'. Later on, when House Jing'an had fallen and he had been exiled, his very survival had been his primary concern up in the bitter north. With revenge on his mind, he hadn't had the time to consider relationships with women.
Thus, this child was his very first. Now that he was going to become a father for the first time, and the person who was going to bear the next generation for him was a woman he deeply loved, the last bits of ice locking his heart up fully melted away.
The servants, Senior Servant Zhong and Xiyan included, finally reacted to the news. Joy shone from all of their faces; Senior Servant Zhong's eyes couldn't even be seen from how widely she was beaming.
Great Doctor Miao harrumphed again. "Don't get too happy yet! Tell me, did you hear what I just said?"
He Changdi and Chu Lian's hearts thumped in unison.
There was extreme worry in He Changdi's expression as he said, "Uncle Miao, how is Lian'er's body now?"
Chu Lian looked up at Great Doctor Miao with uncertainty on her face. This was her first ever child as well. She wanted to protect her child with all her might. The little sprout was the product of the love between her and He Changdi, a living testament to the depth of their feelings and promise to each other.
Great Doctor Miao was pretty helpless in the face of their worry. He could only try to empathise with them since they were going to be parents for the first time. He explained everything to them in detail patiently.
"From what I can tell, the fetus is in a stable condition. However, don't be as rash as you were last time! Lian'er's body isn't in the best of health now. Before the pregnancy is stable, stay in the estate and be careful!"
Great Doctor Miao's words were like an imperial decree. Everyone present was listening intently.
Before Great Doctor Miao left, he specially called out to He Changdi.
"Zixiang, come with me. I have some instructions for you."
He Changdi didn't dare to tarry and quickly followed Great Doctor Miao out of the room.
Now it was only Chu Lian and her servants left in the parlour. When she looked up and around the circle of servants, all she could see was happiness and elation on their faces. The corners of her mouth couldn't help but lift in a smile as well.
Senior Servant Zhong stood at the head of the group of maidservants as they bobbed in respect towards Chu Lian, all in unison. The old servant's eyes were still upturned crescents as she said, "Congratulations, Third Young Madam! Our estate is about to have a new heir!"
The people in this era tended to favour males more, so Chu Lian didn't correct the senior servant's words. She simply smiled again and told them to stand.
When Chu Lian stood up, wanting to return to her bedroom to change, Xiyan immediately rushed over to support her.
Chu Lian didn't know whether to laugh or cry at her action. She glared at Xiyan. Why did she feel that she had suddenly become someone who couldn't even walk properly in the eyes of her servants? The 'child' in her belly was likely only a fertilised egg at this point...
"Shoo, I can walk by myself. You're making a mountain out of a molehill."
Xiyan wasn't willing to budge and insisted on holding her, so Chu Lian let her be.
Once they entered the bedroom, just as she was about to lie down on the chaise by the bed, Senior Servant Zhong ordered all the maidservants in the room to leave.
Chu Lian found it strange. She gaped a little at Senior Servant Zhong's sudden actions. "Momo, what is it? Do you have something to say to me in private?"
Senior Servant Zhong had some knowledge of medicine and midwifery. While she had been away at the rural holdings of House Jing'an, she had helped quite a few pregnant women deliver their children. She was a very capable person.
He Changdi respected her, so Chu Lian also viewed her as half a senior family member.
Senior Servant Zhong walked over to Chu Lian and sat down in front of her. She took Chu Lian's hand in her own and smiled. "Third Young Madam, this old servant will ask someone to clear out the side room and move Third Young Master's daily necessities over."
Ch. 357 Suspicion
Chu Lian seemed rather confused. She couldn't understand what Senior Servant Zhong meant by her words.
She turned towards Senior Servant Zhong with a dazed expression. Since they were getting along well now, why did they have to sleep separately?
Senior Servant Zhong coughed and tried to explain patiently, "Third Young Madam, since you're pregnant now, you have to take care of your body. You and Third Young Master are both young, so it might be hard to... control yourselves at night. If your activities were to harm the child, then it wouldn't be good, wouldn't it?"
Senior Servant Zhong had already phrased it as directly as she could. If Chu Lian couldn't understand it even now, then she would be an idiot.
Chu Lian's face immediately flushed red. That... she had never thought of the problem of sleeping arrangements after getting pregnant.
While Chu Lian wasn't very willing to sleep separately, she had come from the modern world and didn't know what the customs were here. She didn't know what He Changdi's opinion was either.
Thus, she decided not to blindly make a decision now.
Chu Lian acted as if she was too shy to speak and refused to reply.
Senior Servant Zhong got a little antsy upon seeing that she wasn't replying. "Third Young Madam, please listen to this old servant. The first three months of pregnancy are crucial, and it's easy for accidents to happen at this stage. Furthermore, all noble families follow this rule."
The old servant was about to try persuading her further, when a low and menacing man's voice sounded behind her. "No need. Just bring in a chaise for me to sleep next to the bed."
Hearing that it was He Changdi behind her, Senior Servant Zhong turned around in stunned surprise. Chu Lian looked up, clearly pleasantly surprised to see him.
The joy shining in Chu Lian's sparkling eyes couldn't be hidden at all, shimmering like two bright stars.
Facing her elated expression, He Changdi knew that his decision had earned his wife's favour.
Senior Servant Zhong gaped a little before replying reluctantly, "Wouldn't that be too hard on Third Young Master?"
"There's no need to say anymore. I've already decided." He Changdi's tone was resolute, leaving no room for anyone to change his mind.
Senior Servant Zhong shut her mouth and sighed inwardly. She was also happy for Third Young Madam. Third Young Master seemed to care for Third Young Madam more than she thought.
"Understood, this old servant will make the arrangements now."
He Changdi waved his hand. "If there's nothing else, you're dismissed."
Senior Servant Zhong bobbed in respect and was about to leave when He Changdi called out to her. "Momo, keep the servants under control. Don't let the news of Lian'er's pregnancy out for the time being."
Senior Servant Zhong seemed to hesitate. "Then the old residence..."
Ever since they had moved out from the Jing'an Estate, for He Changdi and Chu Lian, the Jing'an Estate had become the old residence.
He Changdi paused before shaking his head slightly. "Keep it a secret from the old residence too. We'll wait until Lian'er hits two months and her pregnancy is stable. When the time comes, I'll personally take Lian'er to the old residence to announce the good news."
Senior Servant Zhong was thinking of persuading him otherwise, but when she thought back to Great Doctor Miao's diagnosis, she swallowed her words back down. Great Doctor Miao had said that they had almost lost the child in Chu Lian's belly. If anything happened and they told the old residence too early, wouldn't they just be giving everyone false hope? The senior family members living in the old residence might even blame Third Young Master and Madam for it.
Waiting until the pregnancy was stable before making the announcement would be the best course of action.
Senior Servant nodded upon understanding the circumstances. She bobbed once again towards Chu Lian and He Changdi before quietly retreating out of the room to manage the other maidservants.
Once Senior Servant Zhong left, He Changdi strode over to Chu Lian's side.
He reached out with his powerful arms and slid them under her knees and back, lifting her from the chaise in a princess carry before settling onto the chaise with her on top.
He Changdi placed one hand on Chu Lian's shoulders, while the other was placed gently on her belly.
His tone was filled with a soft warmth.
"Lian'er, we're going to have a child."
Chu Lian was equally happy. She had been waiting for this little bean's arrival for a few months now!
"Hubby, would you like a boy or a girl?"
Chu Lian raised her head to stare into He Changdi's soft gaze.
He Changdi bent over slightly to place a kiss on her smooth forehead. "A daughter. It would be best if she looks like you. She'll definitely be very cute."
Chu Lian puffed up her cheeks and glared at him. "You're just saying that to make me happy, right? Eldest Brother only has Little An and Little Lin, and Second Brother hasn't gotten married yet. It's not just Grandmother, but even Father and Mother are probably waiting for me to give birth to a boy!"
He Changdi stiffened. He hadn't expected Chu Lian to respond this way.
He thought back to what Great Doctor Miao had told him in private. The doctor had mentioned that pregnant women were more susceptible to changes in mood as well as emotions, and that he had to be more understanding and forgiving of his wife.
His brows relaxed and he stroked Chu Lian's silky hair with one hand.
Actually, He Changdi had truly been speaking his mind. He did want a daughter for his first child.
When he thought of having a mini Chu Lian running around, his heart immediately melted into a puddle of mush.
"Whether it's a boy or a girl, they'll be our child. I'll treat them the same."
If the future little bun were to find out what his father had said today, he would definitely burst into tears and question his father.
A satisfied smile surfaced on Chu Lian's face after getting He Changdi's answer.
She was a modern person at heart and she didn't favour any gender in particular. No matter which gender their child belonged to, she would still guide and protect them all the same.
Furthermore, it wasn't up to her whether she gave birth to a boy or a girl. If it didn't turn out to be a boy, then it was He Changdi's problem.
He Sanlang hugged his lovely wife in his embrace. His warm palm unconsciously traveled back to Chu Lian's abdomen. As if afraid that his touch would harm the fragile life growing within, he didn't dare to rest his palm fully on her abdomen and instead, simply stroked the sides softly.
Chu Lian didn't feel that anything was wrong with He Changdi's actions or the importance he was placing on their unborn child.
It wasn't just him after all; even she treasured their child very much. That little unformed bean was going to be their legacy on this earth. There was nothing cuter than creating a new life, what's more a life that they had created together.
A thought came to Chu Lian suddenly, and she wriggled around in He Changdi's embrace to ask, "What were you discussing with Uncle Miao just now?"
He Changdi looked down at her without any visible emotions in his expression, although he appeared slightly stiff. "Uncle Miao passed down some things to take note of during the pregnancy."
Chu Lian was a little touched by this gesture. Normally, most doctors or physicians wouldn't know much about taking care of a pregnant woman unless they specialised in gynecology. However, Great Doctor Miao was the exception, and he had even specially passed down that knowledge to He Changdi.
"Once my pregnancy is stable, let's prepare a gift for Uncle Miao?"
He Changdi nodded seriously.
What Chu Lian didn't know was that Uncle Miao had only called He Changdi out to warn him repeatedly not to sleep with Chu Lian in the first trimester of her pregnancy!
He had also warned He Changdi to control himself. The rest of the information about pregnancy had only been told to him as an aside...
The couple rested on the chaise together for a while.
Chu Lian was the one to softly speak up first. "He Changdi, why didn't you tell me about those things earlier?"
He Changdi stiffened. The arm he had placed under Chu Lian's neck moved to help her tuck in some stray strands of hair.
"You know about it all?" He Changdi's voice was reminiscent of the tolling of an ancient set of bells, able to make one immersed in its sound.
Chu Lian was rather unhappy as she said, "It was Sister Hui who specially came to tell me about it."
That loose-mouthed woman...
He Changdi remained silent without speaking.
It was only when Chu Lian used her elbow to jab at his sturdy chest that He Sanlang reluctantly spoke up. "Lian'er, I didn't want you to worry for me. It was Prince Jin and I who miscalculated this time."
Chu Lian suddenly fought out of his embrace and sat up. She turned around to glare at him with disbelief. "You... The two of you really developed your own silver mine?"
She seemed like a fluffed up kitten hissing angrily at an opponent, not at all threatening and very cute. He Sanlang couldn't resist pinching one of her soft, smooth cheeks.
A corner of his mouth curled up, giving him a devilish flair that made Chu Lian's heart skip a little.
"Don't you know about everything already?"
Chu Lian gulped audibly.
She slapped his chest and said, "What the hell were you thinking?! How could you dare to do such a thing?! You're lucky His Majesty didn't blame you for it!"
He Changdi harrumphed inwardly. Even if they didn't do it, there would have been someone else who did!
It was Xiao Bojian who had used that private silver mine to get to where he did in his previous lifetime!
The silver mine was in the north, not too far from the mountain where Chu Lian had fallen. It was the Tuhun spies who first found it. Although he had known of this vaguely in his past, he hadn't had the details of its location, nor had he known that this had something to do with the Tuhuns.
It wasn't until this lifetime that he had gone to investigate further and gotten all the details. That was when he had found out that the Tuhuns wanted to steal the silver mine for themselves!
Xiao Bojian had likely been in cahoots with the Tuhuns even in his past life.
It was also due to the Tuhun interference that he and Prince Jin hadn't suffered any consequences on the surface even after this matter had been reported to the emperor. To the rest of the world, they had cleared out all the Tuhun spies and secured the silver mine for their empire.
However, it was a different matter altogether in private. The emperor's opinion of them had likely sunk to rock bottom! How could the emperor not lay blame on them?
Just from the spring hunt alone, they could see that the emperor had purposely suppressed Prince Jin from shining too much and had intentionally shown favour to Sixth Prince instead.
Sixth Prince was only fifteen this year, yet the emperor had actually given him permission to join in court.
Those with discerning eyes could tell that the crown prince had been locked up and was only an empty shell. The ones who had the ability to fight for the throne were Fourth Prince and Sixth Prince.
Back when they had discovered the silver mine, the only ones with them had been their trusted subordinates. They had even placed a group of loyal assassins sworn to the death to guard it. Going by common sense, the existence of the silver mine should have never leaked out. How had this news somehow made it up to the emperor?
He had been investigating along with Fourth Prince's men these few days, but none of the subordinates seemed suspicious. Since He Changdi had known of the silver mine thanks to his previous memories, then...
Could there be someone else who was the same as him?
He Changdi's pupils dilated as a dangerous light shone from them.
Each suspicious incident seemed to be connected by an invisible line.
Meeting Xiao Bojian in Suzhou, Chu Lian getting kidnapped, the messy things that had happened when they had returned to the Jing'an Estate, Chu Lian almost getting trapped at Miss Yuan's coming-of-age... There had been so many strange events that had never happened in his previous life. Adding on to that the secret of the silver mine leaking...
How could it be possible? Unless... there was really someone else who had experienced the same lifetime he had!!
He Changdi suppressed his turbulent emotions and took in a deep breath, shoving all his terrifying guesses to the bottom of his heart.
"What's done is done, we can't cry over spilled milk." He Sanlang's voice was cold and calm.
Chu Lian sighed. That was true. Things had already come to this point. She didn't think that He Changdi and Prince Jin developing a mine on their own was that major of a crime.
Even if they hadn't done it, someone else would have. If the silver mine had landed in the hands of someone sinister, then the situation might be even more dangerous.
This was a selfish world. While there weren't any obvious factions in the war for the throne, since He Changdi was close to Prince Jin, if Prince Jin wanted to vie for the throne, he had no choice but to be dragged into Prince Jin's faction.
Ch. 358 Bestowal of an Engagement
It seemed like he had to be more careful in the future.
Chu Lian hesitated before asking, "So the accessories and storefront you gifted me previously were all bought with the money from the silver mines?"
A corner of He Changdi's lips lifted. He reached out to hold her more securely so that her body wouldn't lean over and touch the cold windowsill.
Just by seeing that smile of his, Chu Lian knew that she had guessed correctly.
She immediately began to admonish him. "You, you really just used it without any shame! If you look at it more strictly, you committed graft!"
He Changdi's deep gaze fell upon the flushed cheeks of the woman he loved in his arms. He sighed inwardly. Although his wife was smart and cunning, she was too inexperienced and merciful. If she really met someone with no holds barred when it came to scheming, she would definitely fall into their traps.
"Rest assured. The silver I spent was barely the tip of the iceberg compared to the size of that silver mine. The government has its own laws; even if it was His Highness and I who discovered that silver mine, there are some laws we can't circumvent selfishly. Lian'er, don't worry. I've only taken what I deserved."
Chu Lian was a little confused by He Changdi's answer, but she didn't continue questioning.
She didn't understand the twists and turns of the politics in court, so she wouldn't comment thoughtlessly. However, she now knew that her lunatic husband wasn't a stickler for the rules. Instead, he was even more cunning than a fox.
Chu Lian laid back down on He Changdi's firm chest. She twirled a single lock of his long, black hair in one hand, continuously winding it around her finger.
"I know that Imperial Concubine Wei found out. So you really went to pick herbs for Imperial Princess Leyao that night?"
Chu Lian glared at him, thinking that her husband was just too honest. Why had he so obediently gone to do Imperial Concubine Wei's bidding? Even if she had blackmail on him, couldn't he have been a little smarter about it?
"No," He Changdi replied in a calm voice.
Chu Lian: "Ah?"
"I didn't go out to pick herbs for Imperial Princess Leyao. In actual fact, the imperial physicians weren't lacking for supplies. All she was trying to do was make life difficult for me. I simply went out to the forest and knocked out the attendants that she had sent to follow me. Then I waited in the mountains until midnight before turning back to camp."
He Changdi had only done all that for show. Although he wasn't afraid of Imperial Concubine Wei's threats, he was still an official and someone that the emperor had personally administered. As much as Imperial Concubine Wei tried to throw her weight around, she couldn't interfere with the workings of the court, so she wouldn't be able to affect him much.
However, it was different for Chu Lian. Even if Imperial Concubine Wei wouldn't touch him, she could use her identity to pressure Chu Lian. While they had been camped out at the hunting grounds, their tent hadn't been too far off from the emperor and Imperial Concubine Wei's tents.
It would have been all too easy for Imperial Concubine Wei to find some excuse to punish Chu Lian.
However, there was something strange about it all. Over the course of the two days spent at the hunting grounds, ever since Chu Lian had fallen off her horse and started recuperating in her tent, Imperial Concubine Wei seemed to have forgotten about her entirely. She hadn't even mentioned Chu Lian once. This was something that He Changdi had yet to figure out.
He had followed along with Imperial Concubine Wei's requests to prevent her from taking out her temper on Chu Lian.
As for picking herbs on the mountain in the middle of the night, he really hadn't done it at all.
He didn't even recognize any of the herbs Imperial Concubine Wei had ordered him to collect. She had sent him out in the darkness of the night, too. It would be even stranger if he had been able to find any herbs.
After he had knocked out the attendant Imperial Concubine Wei had sent to follow him, he had simply rested against a tree. Laiyue had even helped to start a fire to keep them warm. He Changdi had waited there until midnight before returning to camp. He had also picked a few random weeds off the forest floor to hand over to Imperial Physician Zhou. Imperial Physician Zhou was smart and he would understand what to say to Imperial Concubine Wei.
However, fighting a cold war with his wife was rather terrible. Even though He Changdi had only been sitting next to a tree covered in a cloak with a fire burning merrily before him, he hadn't been able to get rid of any of his fatigue.
It was only when the cold of the night had completely chilled his body that he had rushed back, all tired out.
Chu Lian glanced at him. "He Changdi, you have to remember this. In the future, even if we quarrel and hate each other, we still have to give each other a chance to explain things, okay?"
She didn't want this situation to happen again, where he would avoid her when she wanted an explanation from him. Nor did she want to wait until he regretted things and wanted to explain, as it would be too late.
Both of them were in the wrong for the conflict this time. Although they were clearly in love, if they really split up just because of such a small misunderstanding, it would be too regretful.
"Alright, Lian'er, I promise you."
Chu Lian wrapped both her arms around his narrow waist and breathed in his fresh and sunny scent.
He Changdi saw that her eyelids were already fighting to stay open the moment she leaned her head against his chest. He whispered gently by her ear, "Do you want to take a nap?"
Chu Lian made a light 'mm' in agreement and slipped away into sweet slumber.
She had been on tenterhooks these past few days. Now that their misunderstandings had been resolved, all the tension had melted away, leaving her in a relaxed state. Pregnant women needed more sleep, so she drifted off into dreamland quickly.
He Changdi looked down at the woman in his embrace. He carefully shifted his left arm so that she would move into a more comfortable pose against his shoulder. He pulled over a nearby wool blanket and laid it over Chu Lian's slender little figure.
Chu Lian seemed to have been startled by his action, even in the midst of sleep. A wrinkle developed between her brows as they drew together. He Changdi bent over and placed a light kiss on her forehead, like the touch of a feather, causing her brow to relax.
While the Anyuan Estate was wrapped up in warmth, deep within the palace, Qinzheng Hall was vastly empty and cold in comparison.
A few old members of the cabinet were gathered there. All of them had their heads bowed and none of them were speaking.
The hall was currently enshrouded in a creepy silence.
Seated behind the imperial desk, the emperor's face was flushed red from the force of his rage. He pushed over a stack of reports, letting the scrolls spill over to the ground. "Well! What capable officials we have here! Fine! Even if you don't tell us today, we will find out eventually! Scram!"
As the echoes of the emperor's last word faded in the cavernous hall, the esteemed cabinet members bowed deeply and quickly retreated.
The emperor's chest heaved as he panted for breath.
It was only when there was no one else left in the hall that Eunuch Wei dared to speak up softly, "Your Majesty, please don't be angry. If Your Majesty is still brooding over the events of that year, then Your Majesty's health is of the utmost importance. As long as Your Majesty remains healthy, those old foxes won't be able to have you in the palm of their hands."
Although Eunuch Wei's words toed the line between them as master and servant, they were rather effective on the emperor.
As expected, the emperor's breathing slowly calmed down after a moment.
"Summon He Lin."
Eunuch Wei heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly rushed off to execute the order.
In less than fifteen minutes, He Lin was already standing in Qinzheng Hall, right in front of the emperor.
The emperor's eyes were half-lidded, his entire body clad in a ruler's fearsome aura. It made him hard to read. Even He Lin felt a little scared of the emperor at this moment.
"How is the task we entrusted to you?"
He Lin quickly pulled out a small scroll from his pouch and offered it up to the emperor with both hands.
The emperor took it and immediately opened it to read.
Although it was a small scroll, it had been made exquisitely.
The words written within were only half the size of a rice grain. While the scroll wasn't very long, thanks to the small writing, it had a lot of content.
If Chu Lian had been present, she would surely have cried out in alarm.
The scroll recorded every detail of what Chu Lian had done while growing up in the Ying Estate.
From her favourite childhood snacks, to how she had been bullied terribly by her sisters in House Ying when she had grown older...
The emperor had started out with an air of anticipation. However, when he started reading the contents, his brows had furrowed tighter and tighter together until he could no longer control himself and ended up crushing the scroll...
He had never expected that his and Ah-Xun's child would have grown up in such a manner!
His daughter should have been born with a silver spoon. She should have been clothed in the finest fabrics, served by a crowd of servants, tutored by the best teachers, and following that, under his protection, she should have transformed into the most dazzling and eye-catching pearl.
However, the reality was completely different...
When Chu Lian had been young, going by what this scroll said, she likely wouldn't have had more than one or two little snacks, let alone the bare necessities...
Eunuch Wei trembled upon catching sight of the emperor's expression.
The emperor had survived the war against his siblings to claim the throne. Even if he had a kind enough appearance, his inner heart was actually cold and ruthless, with countless schemes and plots brewing. Eunuch Wei had been serving him for so many decades that he could somewhat guess a little at the emperor's moods, even if his true thoughts were hidden.
Every time the emperor showed an expression like that, it meant that misfortune was about to befall some poor soul...
Eunuch Wei's prediction was rather accurate.
The emperor forcefully shut the scroll in his hands.
He turned towards Eunuch Wei, who was standing in a stiff position behind him, and said, "Prepare the ink."
There was a blank imperial decree scroll laid out on the desk. In a short moment, the blank scroll was completely filled up. The emperor casually tossed the finished imperial decree over to Eunuch Wei.
His order was this: "Send someone to the Ying Estate to announce the decree."
Eunuch Wei's hands trembled. When he recalled the glimpses of the decree that he had seen, a chill went up his spine.
After finishing all this, the emperor gave another order. "He Lin, go over to Yang Yanfeng and have him think of a way to remove Chu Qizheng's position."
He Lin froze up for an instant, but he didn't dare to refute the order. He made a cupped fist salute and left to do as the emperor had bid.
Chu Qizheng had originally been given a low-ranked slack position in court. Later on, he had somehow gotten connected with the Pan Estate and Lord Pan had personally recommended him for a promotion. From then, Chu Qizheng had become a proper sixth-ranked official.
It was also due to this official position that Chu Qizheng had suddenly become one of the more promising men in the younger generation of House Ying. He had also stabilised the status of the second branch in the Ying Estate.
Even Old Duchess Ying had stopped mentioning the lack of heirs in the second branch due to this.
The next day, an astonishing piece of news spread throughout the whole capital: the emperor had personally bestowed an engagement upon House Ying's Eighth Miss, Chu Yuan.
The groom in question was Prince Yongkang's only son, Royal Prince Shou.
Speaking of which, Prince Yongkang was actually the emperor's uncle, and the emperor had been the one who had conferred the title of Royal Prince Shou upon his son.
Royal Prince Shou was already twenty three this year. At that age, it was just right for him to take his first wife.
Furthermore, Royal Prince Shou was considered part of the imperial family.
While it seemed to be a good pairing on the surface, those in the know were all waiting to watch the fireworks, and were laughing behind the backs of the second branch of House Ying.
The reason was none other than this: Royal Prince Shou was a half-wit.
He was a robust and prosperous person who always had a foolish expression on his face.
Prince Yongkang had married his older cousin, Royal Princess Longjia. Royal Prince Shou was the 'masterpiece' of this marriage between close relations.
Ch. 359 Heartless
House Ying had not completely fallen out of noble society up till now purely because of the strenuous efforts of Old Duke Ying.
It was a sad story. Although House Ying was large in number, there weren't many who were actually capable.
Even Chu Lian's 'father' Chu Qizheng was considered one of the better ones in the family, so the abilities of the rest went without saying.
Meanwhile, Old Duchess Ying was full of wariness and vigilance. She wasn't willing to use funds to prop up other branches of the family that had more potential. This made the rest of their clan very unhappy with House Ying.
This caused a vicious cycle within the family.
Finally, when a rare promising young seed had popped up from amongst Old Duke Ying's disciples, they hadn't been able to catch hold of Xiao Bojian either. Now it was too late even if Old Duke Ying tried to force Xiao Bojian into the family himself.
When the emperor's imperial decree reached the Ying Estate, none of the members of House Ying felt sad or shocked. Conversely, they were all extremely elated.
A bestowed marriage!
Furthermore, it was the emperor himself who had personally decreed it. The groom was even a royal prince, a true member of the imperial family. Although there seemed to be something wrong with his mind, it wouldn't affect his standing due to his birth.
As long as Miss Yuan married him, she would become a third-ranked Royal Princess by marriage!
That was an honour that most of the Chu family ladies wouldn't even be able to beg for.
Even Chu Lian's own marriage couldn't compare to that honour!
Everyone in the Ying Estate was beaming with joy. Even the stewards started ordering the servants to decorate the estate and make it seem more festive and harmonious.
Even Old Duchess Ying was chuckling. She praised Miss Yuan for being lucky in front of all the other ladies of the estate.
The second branch was even looked upon more favourably due to this engagement.
The only ones who had faces full of worry and despair were likely Second Madam and Eighth Miss Yuan now.
Chu Yuan was sprawled across Second Madam's lap. She had already cried until she was all out of breath. Sobbing, she begged, "Mother, I don't want to marry that idiot! Mother, I'm not going to marry him! Please, help me think of a way out! The one I like is Brother Xiao!"
Second Madam's eyes were red and swollen. Miss Yuan was her only daughter, her very lifeline. The others in the estate had been blinded by riches and status. None of them were truly concerned for her daughter's plight.
Other than his birthright, there was nothing about Royal Prince Shou that could compare to even the most common man!
How could she just watch as her daughter's life was ruined?
She stroked her daughter's messy hair and said, "Yuan'er, don't panic. When your father returns, Mother will ask your father to intervene. Your father has an official position and he has many connections. Even that Lord Pan has some relation to him. Mother will definitely get your father to think of a way so you won't have to marry that half-wit."
Right as mother and daughter were huddling together and crying, Chu Qizheng returned to the second branch's courtyard.
His entire being seemed dull and lifeless. He had lost his high spirits and his eyes seemed soulless. Hidden in his sleeves, he was still gripping the official document that had caused his daze.
His face seemed to have aged a decade since that same morning.
The menial maidservant who was sweeping the courtyard came over to greet him with a smile. She even tried to get a bonus by congratulating him. "This servant congratulates Second Master, Second Madam, and Eighth Miss on the good news!"
Chu Qizheng's face immediately contorted into a monstrous expression, veins popping out on his forehead.
"Scram!"
The maidservant stood frozen on the spot for a moment. When she finally processed what happened, her face paled and she scrambled away in fright.
Chu Qizheng returned to his room, cloaked in anger.
Another maidservant greeted him at the entrance, but Chu Qizheng didn't even say a word in return. He simply strode right into the room.
Within the bedroom, Second Madam was still comforting Miss Yuan with a hug. When Second Madam saw that her husband had returned, she immediately patted her daughter on the back and stood up to welcome him. Then, she lead in with a complaint. "Dear, you have to help Yuan'er, otherwise her entire life will be ruined!"
The rumours about the foolish Royal Prince Shou had already spread all over the capital.
What kind of life could a lady expect by marrying a fool? It wasn't even guaranteed that they might be able to have children!
Second Madam had been completely shocked out of her wits by her daughter's sudden engagement. Adding on to that her own urgency, she hadn't noticed the stormy expression on Chu Qizheng's face when he entered.
Chu Qizheng was already immersed in his own troubles. His wife's complaint only added on to the mountain of frustration in his heart and acted as the spark that lit his rage.
In a burst of temper, he forcefully shoved his wife aside.
Although he hadn't learned martial arts, he was still a tall man, and he had put enough force into his action that, with a single move, he actually managed to push Second Madam off her feet and onto the floor.
Second Madam hadn't expected such a violent reply from Chu Qizheng. She laid sprawled over the carpet in the bedroom where she had landed, eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at Chu Qizheng. She clearly hadn't recovered from the physical and mental blow.
"What's wrong with becoming a Royal Princess? If not for the imperial decree, could Miss Yuan even hope to marry into a prince's family?" Chu Qizheng's voice was both cold and heartless.
His words pierced like needles into the hearts of Second Madam and Chu Yuan.
Both mother and daughter had their eyes wide in shock, especially Chu Yuan. At that moment, she even suspected whether the cold middle-aged man before her was truly her father.
Her father had always spoiled her and protected her. Whatever she wanted, her father would always do his best to get it for her. However, the man before her had suddenly told her to marry a fool!
"Father!" Miss Yuan let out a heart-rending wail.
"Get out of here! Miss Yuan, go back to your room and prepare for your marriage. If you dare to plot anything else, I'll destroy you myself!"
Chu Yuan collapsed onto the chaise, her eyes bloodshot from her own rage. "Father, I'll never marry that idiot! Even if I have to die!"
"Hmph! That's not up to you! Servants! Send your young miss back to her room! If anything happens to Eighth Miss, all of you had better prepare for death!" Chu Qizheng was especially ferocious today. Even Second Madam had been scared into trembling, let alone the servants at the side.
Miss Yuan screamed and struggled to no avail. Two strong menial servants stuffed a handkerchief in her mouth and tied up her limbs, and she was quickly carted away.
It wasn't until Chu Yuan's muffled shouts could no longer be heard that Second Madam seemed to rouse herself, as if awakening from a dream. She was helped off the floor by a maidservant.
She walked over to Chu Qizheng and stared up at him. "Chu Qizheng! Yuan'er is our only daughter! How could you treat her this way?! Is your official position more important than your own flesh and blood?"
Chu Qizheng let out a mocking snort. He threw the letter in his hands at Second Madam's face. "Position? Is this the official position you're talking about?!"
Second Madam didn't understand. She bore with the humiliation and picked up the letter from the ground. After opening and reading it, it was as if she had been hit by a bolt from the blue!
It wasn't just a letter. It was an official document of dismissal.
The second branch had lost everything today!
Second Madam had reached her limit for the day. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she slipped into a dead faint.
Luckily, the maidservant next to her reacted fast enough to catch her, otherwise she would have hit her head on the floor.
Thus, when Second Madam woke up again, she never said a word about rejecting her daughter's engagement.
All that the impoverished second branch could count on was Chu Yuan's marriage now.
Sometimes, when faced with a cruel reality, one just had to make some 'sacrifices'.
Right now, it had become time for Miss Yuan to make the sacrifice.
Chu Qizheng still didn't understand why he had suddenly been fired out of the blue. The couple of the second branch sat on two sides of the chaise with gloomy faces.
Chu Qizheng suddenly asked, "How much is left of Madam Ye's money?"
Second Madam was startled by his abrupt question. She waved her trusted handmaid over and told her to retrieve the account books. After reading them over, she said, "Excluding storefronts and farms, there's still five thousand taels in cash."
"Give it all to me."
Second Madam gaped in surprise. "All of it?"
That was five thousand taels they were talking about! It wasn't a small sum.
Chu Qizheng's heavy gaze swept over Second Madam.
She quickly sprang up and went to retrieve an exquisite peach wood chest. Then, taking two silver keys from her purse, Second Madam opened the chest and pulled out a whole stack of banknotes from within before passing it to Chu Qizheng.
Second Madam kept staring at the thick stack of notes with a face full of heartache.
Chu Qizheng sneered. "What are you looking at? These never belonged to you in the first place."
Second Madam stiffened from his words and shifted her gaze away, hands clenched into fists on her lap.
"Stay here and make sure you keep a watch on Miss Yuan. If I don't succeed on my mission, then Miss Yuan's only fate is to become a Royal Princess. Otherwise, we'll end just like my Fifth Brother."
House Ying had many legitimate children, and even more illegitimate ones.
Although Chu Qizheng's fifth brother was a legitimate son, his personality had been more naive. He hadn't been much in favour with his parents, and he had married a wife with an unassuming background, so the other branches of the family had stabbed him in the back one day.
When Second Madam heard her husband mention Fifth Brother, her hands shook and she agreed.
Chu Qizheng gripped the stack of banknotes in his hand tightly and chuckled grimly in his heart.
At least that Ye Xun was still of use even now.
Actually, the reason the second branch had been able to live so well hadn't been due to Old Duchess Ying's care. Instead, it was all thanks to the riches that Ye Xun had left behind.
Back then, Ye Xun had left this inheritance to someone she trusted, thinking to pass it down for Chu Lian.
Unfortunately, Chu Qizheng had found out about the inheritance. He had schemed to pick off all of Ye Xun's trusted subordinates and taken the treasure for himself. If not for fear of someone in the shadows still looking over Chu Lian, he would likely have offed Chu Lian together with them as well.
Chu Yuan was being watched over in her room. By now, her tears had already dried up, leaving behind only a deep hatred.
The corners of her mouth curved up into a self-deprecating smile.
Heh, didn't everyone in the estate want her to marry that royal prince and become a royal princess? Well, she wasn't going to let them have their way!
If they didn't care whether she lived or not, then why should she care about their survival?
Chu Lian quickly found out about the engagement that the emperor had bestowed upon Miss Yuan.
This action made her even more befuddled.
Was court getting boring lately? Was the emperor too free? Why did he have the time to think about bestowing a marriage upon a lady of House Ying?
While she couldn't say that there were more than ten ladies of marriageable age in House Ying, there had to be at least five or six of them.
Even if the emperor felt like bestowing a marriage, he could have gone by seniority instead. There was still Miss Su looking for a partner before Miss Yuan!
Furthermore, he had betrothed Miss Yuan to Royal Prince Shou...
Chu Lian was close to Princess Wei, so she knew a little more about the imperial family. Royal Prince Shou had been born with cerebral palsy, so his thoughts were about the same level as a three-year-old child. Furthermore, he had a violent temper. Quite a few of the maidservants in his courtyard had already passed away...
If Miss Yuan were really to marry him, her own safety couldn't be guaranteed.
Was this really the emperor showing favour to House Ying, and not trying to send her half-sister to death?
Well, since the emperor had bestowed this marriage, as her older sister, she had to send a gift of some sort to the Ying Estate.
Ch. 360 Dejufeng Restaurant
Chu Lian wasn't the only one who was stunned by the sudden decree from the emperor. He Changdi was incredibly surprised as well.
At this moment, He Changdi was seated in Prince Jin's study.
The two stared at each other in bewilderment. They just couldn't understand the emperor's intentions. Could it be that the emperor wanted to raise House Ying up again?
That couldn't be right; a mere bestowal didn't mean anything. Besides, House Ying didn't even have any children with talent. Earlier, there had even been a rumour that Chu Lian's father, House Ying's Second Master, had been dismissed from office.
Prince Jin's azure eyes were filled with doubt. Could it be that his extremely wise father was just having fun causing drama?
Perhaps he was simply toying with House Ying's second branch for amusement? Giving them a slap and then handing out some candy? But these candies weren't even sweet...
Even the reincarnated He Changdi couldn't figure out why the emperor had done this.
After a period of silence, Prince Jin finally spoke. "Ah-Di, our earnings aren't enough to cover our expenses anymore."
They now had assistance from House Sima, but they still had to increase their forces, and they also had to compete with Sixth Prince in secret. There were too many avenues requiring funds, so Prince Jin and He Changdi couldn't even manage to break even.
Actually, it was easy for them to acquire funds publicly. With their statuses, there would definitely be rich people who would be willing to lend a helping hand.
However, the situation right now was peculiar. Everything had to be done in secret, and for some matters, it was even better for fewer people to be in the know.
He Changdi's cool face became increasingly grim.
"Ah-Yi, I'll find a solution."
He Changdi's eyes deepened. Going by his original plan, it should have been smooth sailing once they secured the silver mine, but there was unexpectedly a slip-up with its acquisition!
"I will send more people to investigate." As he spoke, Prince Jin handed a letter over to He Changdi.
"The Heiyu Army sent this."
It was no big deal for him to read Prince Jin's letters, so He Changdi quickly opened the letter and read its contents. What he saw put a slight smile on his face. "Xiao Wujing is truly unscrupulous! He even managed to put a person like Wei Fengzi under his control!"
"Ah-Di, I think we should warn Father about this. I'm afraid Xiao Bojian is plotting something." Prince Jin was slightly worried.
Wei Fengzi was Imperial Concubine Wei's younger sister. They had been born from the same mother and she was Minister Kong's wife.
This was something that they had to think through carefully.
He Changdi looked out of the window as the skies slowly darkened. It was getting late.
"Ah-Yi, it's late now. I have to go home."
With that said, He Changdi had already stood up and was walking towards the exit.
Prince Jin scoffed and sourly replied, "Look at how smug you've gotten since Jinyi got pregnant. You've probably been staying by her side twenty-four hours a day, right? Even if you don't mind, Jinyi would be annoyed."
He Sanlang's normally frozen face had changed to something gentler. There was a warm smile on his face. He hadn't hid the news of Chu Lian's pregnancy from his best friend.
"What? Are you jealous, Ah-Yi? Just get General Sima to make a child for you then."
After getting teased right back by his friend, the normally proud, aloof Prince Jin actually blushed.
Miss Yuan and Royal Prince Shou's wedding was to be held in two months.
After the marriage had been bestowed by imperial decree, House Ying started talks with Prince Yongkang over the details of the marriage.
After the initial buzz of gossip, it was as if the whole capital had gone into absolute silence. In the following month, everything went as smooth as silk. Chu Lian's restaurant on Zhuque Avenue had already opened.
Chu Lian had thought of the new restaurant's name herself, 'Dejufeng'. Just like the old Guilin Restaurant, this place was separated into inner and outer courts. However, there was now an extra floor of private rooms added on the third floor of the building towards the front.
On the ground floor, a small stage had been built to the side of the main hall. Dejufeng had collaborated with Pear Garden to have their actors come over to perform a show every day at noon and three o'clock.
As for what the actors would perform, the manager would either set the songs in advance, or allow guests who were having their meal there to pay for a song they wanted.
This time, there wasn't as much fanfare to Dejufeng's opening as when Guilin Restaurant had opened.
On the opening day, all they did was light up two strings of firecrackers and send gifts to the neighbouring shops, and that was it! They were open for business.
When they opened in such a subdued manner, everyone around them was wondering how this mysterious Dejufeng Restaurant was going to end up. However, moments later, carriage after carriage stopped in front of Dejufeng's entrance, causing the eyes of those who had been secretly paying attention to open wide.
Amongst the people who were watching was De'an Restaurant's Manager Wang.
Manager Wang stood in a private room on the second floor of his restaurant, the old bookkeeper who had worked with him for many years by his side.
Manager Wang had his hands clasped behind his back as he squinted past the half-open window. "Just who is backing Dejufeng? I've long heard that Old Lin's store was bought over by a noble, but when I asked him, the old fogey refused to reveal their identity."
The bookkeeper's gaze landed on Dejufeng's entrance.
The newly opened restaurant didn't look any different from before. It seemed like all that changed was its sign board and nothing else.
Thanks to the trend Guilin Restaurant had set on its opening day, any new shop with a noble backer and some money would at least put on a lion dance performance to liven things up.
If they managed to attract the attention of whatever civilians were milling about, the name of the shop would spread by word of mouth.
However, Dejufeng was different. They hadn't even bothered sounding a gong or beating a drum for their opening. Instead, they were ridiculously low-profile.
Manager Wang had experienced many ups and downs at his old age, so this put him deep in thought. "Such an abnormality is a sign that something is amiss. Old Zhao, your eyesight is better than mine; can you make out which families those carriages are from?"
Actually, Manager Wang had just been asking rather casually. Although his eyes were old and his vision was blurry, he was still able to make out the shape of the carriages. Those were just ordinary green carriages. There wouldn't be anyone of high status in those, so he was just asking offhand.
The old bookkeeper was probably thinking that way as well, but when he saw a particular person being helped off the carriage, he was so shocked that he nearly fainted.
He quickly gripped a nearby table to steady himself, his other hand leaping up to cover his chest. There was an expression of excitement on his face, yet also of dread.
Manager Wang was startled by his sudden movement and quickly helped him up. With creased brows, he asked, "Old Zhao, what's going on with you? Weren't you completely fine a moment ago? Why do you have such an ugly expression on your face?"
The bookkeeper waved his hand. Bookkeeper Zhao was an expert at his work, but he also had another skill: photographic memory.
He was practically able to remember the faces of anybody that he met at least once.
Once, when he had been walking out of De'an Restaurant's accounts room, he happened to overhear the emperor having a conversation within a private room. He had been so frightened by it that he ran off immediately. Later on, curiosity got the better of him as he peeked at the reigning emperor's face from afar. With that one glance, the face of the emperor remained in his memory up till now.
De'an Restaurant's dimsum was considered top-notch in the capital, so it wasn't strange for the emperor to come down to have a taste incognito.
Once he caught his breath, he looked at Manager Wang while appearing choked-up but smiling. Moments later, he whispered into Manager Wang's ear, "Manager, the one who just alighted from the carriage was..."
The old bookkeeper first pointed at the skies with his forefinger, then raised his thumb. He nervously gulped down his saliva.
Manager Wang froze in shock, his eyes growing wide with uncertainty. He gripped the bookkeeper's shoulder and asked, "Are you sure... that you didn't make a mistake?"
The old bookkeeper shook his head with a bitter smile. "Manager, you know my ability very well. When have I ever made a mistake identifying someone?"
Hearing the certainty in the old bookkeeper's voice, the two old men shrank back and were even more in awe of Dejufeng now.
That's right! On the opening day of Dejufeng, the emperor himself had secretly come to support them!
As Chu Lian was still confined in the estate due to her pregnancy, she didn't learn of this on the day itself, but He Changdi did inform her later on.
She didn't know how to react. The emperor had given her too much of an honour. He had personally gone to support the restaurant that she secretly opened!
Since the ultimate boss had already gone, the other officials of the court would also go down to the restaurant, even if it were just to flatter the emperor. Therefore, there was no need to fear that there would be a lack of customers.
The emperor was practically a living signboard.
Besides, Dejufeng's food could only be better and never worse than Guilin Restaurant before its closure. Anyone who had eaten at Guilin Restaurant before would definitely realise what was going on.
There was simply no need to guess who the actual boss of Dejufeng was, as it was definitely Marchioness Anyuan.
Chu Lian left Dejufeng in the care of Zhou Wen, who had come recommended by He Changdi, while the northern border's market was left to Manager Qin.
The northern market had already expanded to over ten times its original size according to Myeryen and his brother, who had come back from the northern border. Even Chu Lian found this hard to believe.
Myeryen and Narisong were now incredibly fluent in Mandarin. If one heard their voice without seeing their faces, they definitely wouldn't be able to guess that they were 'barbarians'.
Myeryen and Narisong now worked under Manager Qin, and were responsible for supervising the northern market. Currently, Liangzhou was no longer just a place for the Great Wu Dynasty and the barbarians to trade; it had become a place that attracted merchants from the surrounding countries as well. This meant that there was now a new trade route between Su City and Liangzhou that came out of nowhere!
Liangzhou City was no longer the desolate place that Chu Lian had left four months ago.
While it was still a simple, crude border city in appearance, the amount of traffic and business it was getting could be compared to Su City's.
Originally, Urihan had wanted to stay by Chu Lian's side, but Chu Lian hadn't agreed.
She knew that Urihan loved her sons very much, and that she wouldn't actually want to leave them at all. Therefore, she had Urihan stay with her sons, and had her take care of their everyday needs.
In the beginning of June, summer arrived in the capital.
Myeryen and his younger brother Narisong once again came to the capital from Liangzhou.
There were numerous matters regarding the business that the two needed to report to Chu Lian.
The scrawny and weak brothers that Chu Lian had met a long time ago now looked completely different.
Especially Myeryen.
The bone structure of the barbarians was different from the people of the Great Wu.
Their features were more pronounced, for one. They had higher nose bridges, deeper eye sockets, and sharper angles overall. The colours of their eyes were also slightly different. If one looked closely, they would find that their eyes were light brown, unlike the amber and darker brown shades that the citizens of the Great Wu Dynasty had.
After eating well for a few months and learning martial arts training from He Changdi's personal guards, as well as getting a good education from Manager Qin, nineteen-year-old Myeryen had broken free from the constant torment of his illness, and had grown into a full-fledged, handsome, well-built young man.