Chapter 61 Entering the Heart

Inside the Imperial Study in the Imperial Palace.

The third prince had just been reprimanded and was now hanging his head in shame, listening to the emperor's admonition.

It wasn't a big deal. The Emperor's birthday was approaching, and because of the many events that had happened at the beginning of the year—first the deposed Crown Prince, then the mutiny at the hunting grounds—Emperor Shengwu was particularly concerned about this birthday celebration. Firstly, it was indeed a major birthday, his sixtieth birthday, and secondly, he wanted to use this occasion to ward off the bad luck of the year and bring some joy.

Therefore, if even a small matter is not handled well, and if Emperor Shengwu cares about it, he will severely reprimand the person.

The Third Prince, Li Zhuo, was fully aware of the situation and obediently listened to the instruction without arguing.

This year, on the occasion of Emperor Shengwu's birthday, many small foreign states that were vassals of Dasheng also came to the capital with ample tribute to offer their congratulations. Emperor Shengwu has already received some of these large states. For those that are not of great importance, the Ministry of Rites has been in charge of receiving them and has arranged for them to stay at the Dasheng Huitong.

Emperor Shengwu intended to celebrate with the people this year, and on his birthday, he arranged a song and dance performance at the largest restaurant in the capital, which all the people of Sheng could watch.

The Imperial Astronomical Bureau will preside over the ceremony, setting up a high platform at the palace gate so that, in front of a crowd of onlookers, they can pray to Heaven on his behalf for favorable weather and a prosperous nation.

"It's been many years since we've done this, so it's good," Emperor Shengwu said slowly, his eyes gentle and smiling.

"Since it's a prayer for blessings, sincerity is naturally required. How are the guards stationed around the prayer platform arranged?"

After the question was asked, a minister stepped forward and said that the Imperial Observatory had just prepared the offerings for the prayers, and the platform had not yet been set up. He asked Emperor Shengwu to decide on the selection of guards to protect the area.

Emperor Shengwu tapped the prayer beads on his hand and said, "I felt bad for Ayan before. He is very good at scheduling and guarding. Otherwise, we should have entrusted him with the task."

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone stepped forward and said that Cen Yan had been on leave these past few days.

"Oh, why?"

"I heard from the Dali Temple that the Dowager Consort had finally made it to the capital, and the Prince had not returned to his fiefdom for many years, so he wanted to take this opportunity to accompany her and show his filial piety."

The third prince raised his eyelashes.

Emperor Shengwu was not angry. Instead, he nodded thoughtfully and agreed, saying, "Indeed, the mother and son have not seen each other for many years. They should fulfill their filial duties."

They let it go so easily, and instead assigned the task to someone else.

The fourth prince glanced at the third prince, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

The Third Prince's face darkened.

*

After the officials had all left, Eunuch Feng served Emperor Shengwu his medicine. Emperor Shengwu sighed and then asked Eunuch Feng, "Do you think Ayan really accompanied his mother?"

Eunuch Feng simply said, "Perhaps the imperial concubines are new to the capital and are not used to the climate, so they need Your Highness to take good care of them."

Emperor Shengwu just smiled and didn't reply.

Instead, she sighed, "I've watched Ayan grow up since he was little. He's good in every way. Sometimes I even think, if he were my child, I wish he were like this..."

After a pause, Eunuch Feng, knowing that Emperor Shengwu was thinking of the deposed crown prince, quickly added, "The prince has been intelligent since childhood, and he was personally raised by Your Majesty. Which child in the palace can compare to him?"

Emperor Shengwu's expression relaxed again. Recalling some old stories, he nodded: "Yes, intelligent, but also cold-hearted."

"Sometimes I really don't know what this child cares about."

"Unlike his father, who was loyal and righteous."

“He said he was being filial, so I will take it as him being filial. It’s good that he’s getting closer to his mother.”

*

The Imperial Study was filled with harmony, but the Third Prince went to a secluded spot and lost his temper.

"Day after day, I really don't know who's the real biological child!"

Suddenly remembering the rumor, Li Zhuo paused, looked at the attendant, and slowly said, "Since when can a concubine be granted an imperial title? And why bring someone from so far away? Could it be that he really..."

Is it true that she doesn't have illegitimate children?

"Third Brother."

Suddenly, a voice called from behind. Li Zhuo's heart skipped a beat. He turned around and saw Li Yang. His tense nerves relaxed. "Sixth Brother, you look much better. But why do you walk so quietly?"

Li Yang just smiled and said, "No, it's probably because Third Brother was too focused on his thoughts and didn't notice me."

*

In the afternoon, Zhuang Dongqing woke up from a nap, sat up, and rubbed her eyes.

Cen Yan, who was beside me, was no longer there.

He's probably in his study looking at documents. His fiefdom is connected to the Dali Temple, so he always has something to do every day.

He yawned, called out to Liufu, and then got up.

As she washed her face, memories from before bed slowly surfaced and invaded Zhuang Dongqing's mind.

...

He was not unmoved after Cen Yan said such a long speech.

He instinctively felt he should say something.

Even if he couldn't actually utter a single word.

"I……"

She had barely started when Cen Yan covered her eyes, "Shh—"

"You must be tired after listening to so much. How about you take a nap?"

Cen Yan reached his other hand under the covers and pressed down, and sure enough, the pain subsided slowly after a while.

Zhuang Dongqing: "..."

Feeling uncomfortable, she shrank back a little.

Cen Yan took his hand out, but didn't remove it from Zhuang Dongqing's eyes, coaxing, "Go to sleep."

Zhuang Dongqing whispered, "You've been so good to me..."

Cen Yan smiled: "Yes."

Instead of continuing Zhuang Dongqing's words, he said, "Go to sleep."

...

Was Cen Yan trying to shut him down? Zhuang Dongqing thought about it, unsure, and decided against it.

After Liu Fu gave him a glass of water, Zhuang Dongqing drank it slowly and then asked hesitantly, "What do you think..."

"What if we stay in the Prince's residence?"

Liu Fu was taken aback. "Didn't you say you were leaving?"

Zhuang Dongqing awkwardly touched his nose and coughed lightly, "It's nothing, just, let's make a hypothetical assumption."

"What do you think if we stay in the Prince's mansion?"

After thinking for a moment, he realized something was amiss and changed his words, saying, "These people should all return to their fiefdoms in the future..."

Liu Fu chimed in, "I know, young master, you mentioned it a long time ago."

“It’s different. We only said before that the child would stay in the fiefdom for a period of time until he was three or four years old, and we would discuss where he would settle down after that. What I mean is, what if he stays in the fiefdom for a long time?”

These are things we hadn't considered before.

Liu Fu thought for a moment, and it wasn't difficult for him. "If the young master likes it, it must be a beautiful place with clear waters and lush mountains. You can stay here as long as you like."

"Besides, when they sold me back then, it was agreed that the money would be used for my brother's wedding. My parents would live with my brother and sister-in-law in the future, and they would take care of them. I trust my brother and sister-in-law. My parents are not old and are still in good health... I'd better stay with you."

Zhuang Dongqing pulled Liu Fu to sit down and poured him a glass of warm water. "I know you've been following me."

"So, I'm in charge?"

Liu Fu simply nodded.

Zhuang Dongqing felt a warmth in her heart, and then asked him, "So, from your perspective, what do you think of the Prince's Mansion?"

Liu Fu: "It's great."

"for example?"

Liu Fu scratched his head, this was really a bit difficult for the little page. After thinking for a while, he said without pausing, "Manager Liu, Commander Hao, and Commander Xu are all very nice, easy to get along with, and upright people."

"The Prince's mansion is nice to live in, nice to dress in, and nice to eat in. Oh right, at first I was wondering why you were leaving, young master."

"Furthermore, I think the Prince is quite good. He never beats or scolds his servants, nor does he take his anger out on them. He is also good to you, taking you out to eat and drink from time to time. Oh, and he always avoids disturbing your sleep in the morning by going to the bathroom to wash up."

"I feel like I've been living in a dream these past few days."

"Everything is fine. The servants are all easy to talk to and respectful to you. They never shortchange us in anything, not even my monthly salary, which is paid every month without fail."

"If you ask about the advantages, I can say something. If you ask about the disadvantages... perhaps it's because the Prince's Mansion has a bad reputation? But what does that have to do with us? It's all just grudges among nobles."

Zhuang Dongqing understood, and could not say he was satisfied.

In Liu Fu's eyes, "extremely satisfied" is the best way to describe the Prince's Mansion.

Zhuang Dongqing nodded, indicating that she understood.

As the sun began to set and its intensity subsided, Zhuang Dongqing sat back down in her recliner under the shade of a tree, sipping her freshly brewed jasmine tea and secretly making plans.

Cen Yan seems to like him.

Hmm, it seems there's more than just a little.

What do you like about him?

Never mind, that's Cen Yan's business. Let him study his first.

Can the Prince's Mansion be kept?

Strictly speaking, if one had to choose a powerful figure's residence to stay in throughout the entire book, the Prince's Mansion would be the safest. Not only does Cen Yan survive to the end, but he also has the least involvement in the protagonist's messy affairs.

Previously, that was true, but now, Zhuang Dongqing thought about it and couldn't guarantee it anymore.

The plot has taken a slight turn, and he's unsure if the Prince's Mansion can remain completely uninvolved.

But even if they got involved, no one could stand in front of the Wangfu people and him like Cen Yan, right?

Yes, that's right!

Zhuang Dongqing had thought about it and was certain.

There's no point in relying on Li Yang; the male lead needs to grow, so naturally he'll have to overcome any difficulties.

The third and fourth brothers... they're even worse. One's a smiling tiger, and the other's too upright.

So, will he be able to adapt to life in the Prince's mansion?

Well, so far, it seems there's nothing I'm having trouble adjusting to.

Not only did he adapt, but he was also well taken care of. If he wanted to be a lazy bum for the rest of his life, he was afraid Cen Yan would agree.

"..."

How strange, why did he subconsciously feel that Cen Yan would agree?

Zhuang Dongqing closed his eyes and let out a long breath.

Perhaps it's because, after being together for so long, the other person has never refused to do anything for me.

Not only did she agree, she also... treated him very well.

The kind that crosses the line.

Ahhh.

Zhuang Dongqing buried herself in the recliner.

His thoughts wandered again. What were his criteria for choosing a boyfriend when he confessed to his aunt back then?

Tall. Meets the standard.

No problem. There's definitely nothing wrong with that; everyone who encounters that is a complete novice!

(Even though the two people's learning abilities are not the same right now.)

Finally, regarding his condition... Zhuang Dongqing thought for a moment, then slowly covered her face with her hands.

This is awful! It's so true!

It seems there's no problem, but...

Why is he so scared?

After a while,

Zhuang Dongqing lowered her hand.

I've thought it through.

Perhaps he never imagined that one day he would have to integrate into this era.

Let out another long breath.

Zhuang Dongqing wondered again, if she could go back, would she still want to go back?

Does he still want to go back?

But if he goes back, his aunt will have already left, and he has nothing in the modern world.

Looking at the horizon, Zhuang Dongqing's expression was filled with confusion.

*

As night fell, the east wing was quiet.

One or two lights were on in the main house, and Zhuang Dongqing's eyelashes were wet.

He sat on Cen Yan's lap.

He had said during the day that Cen Yan was good to him, but that wasn't entirely true at night.

With her arm around his waist, Cen Yan lay half-reclined, just watching him and letting him do it himself.

Very restrained.

Actually, this is the second time.

But he still wanted to.

Cen Yan did not give him a quick death.

"No, I'm not coming!"

Zhuang Dongqing gave up on himself.

It's impossible to do it right.

But Cen Yan held him down, gently stroking his back and sighing in his ear.

He took over Cen Yan's hand, gently stroking it and swaying it softly in his arms.

"Why are you so impatient, Qingqing?"

Zhuang Dongqing mumbled, "It's not you who's suffering."

Her temper was really getting the better of her, and she tried to leave again, but Cen Yan pressed her back down.

Zhuang Dongqing shuddered and said angrily, "Let go of me. I don't believe I can die of a stiffness in bed today."

This amused Cen Yan.

He whispered in Zhuang Dongqing's ear, "Don't do this."

Cen Yan was bitten hard on the shoulder by Zhuang Dongqing, but he didn't say anything and let him vent his anger.

Once they relented, he soothed them, saying, "You can't do anything reckless anymore. You'll suffer if you sober up. Look, it's already a bit red and swollen."

He touched it, and Zhuang Dongqing knew he was telling the truth.

But, however...

He was in pain.

When tears streamed down her face, not only Zhuang Dongqing was shocked, but Cen Yan was too.

She quickly tried to wipe away his tears, but the more she wiped, the more tears he shed. Cen Yan asked, "Isn't this okay?"

Zhuang Dongqing mumbled, "No, not enough..."

Cen Yan understood.

But I didn't dare to apply too much pressure, since I had already done it once in the morning, and I was afraid that if I did it any harder, I would break the skin.

After thinking it over, Cen Yan finally let Zhuang Dongqing leave.

Zhuang Dongqing turned to run away, but he held her down and made her sit against the wall.

After looking down for a while, Cen Yan suddenly said, "It's the first time, please forgive me if anything is wrong, young master."

Before Zhuang Dongqing could react, Cen Yanren buried himself in the ground and opened his mouth.

Zhuang Dongqing's pupils contracted.

Then she dug her fingers into Cen Yan's hair, tilted her head back, and began to sob.

I wanted to pull the person up, but I didn't have the strength.

Zhuang Dongqing closed his eyes, letting out one or two cries of pain at first, but then they stopped.

He once said that Cen Yan had always had a strong learning ability.

How can someone learn something like this so quickly?

Tears welled up in Zhuang Dongqing's eyes again, for no apparent reason.

Trying to wipe it with your hands only makes it spread more.

She was well taken care of by Cen Yan.

She is very gentle.

She's inexplicably assertive.

At the moment Zhuang Dongqing lost her focus, Cen Yan did not vomit.

After a while, when he recovered, he vomited it into his hand; it was very runny and unusable.

Fortunately, it looks like it's almost done, and there haven't been any more setbacks. That should be it for tonight.

Zhuang Dongqing couldn't stop her tears.

Cen Yan was about to coax him, but Zhuang Dongqing spoke first, "You're so good to me."

"You must really like me, boohoo."

Cen Yan was surprised for a moment, then her brows relaxed, and her light eyes gazed gently at Zhuang Dongqing.

Zhuang Dongqing sobbed, "I... I'm not quite the same as other people."

"If we're going to be together, I'll only accept two people. If you take a fancy to someone else later... I'll leave."

Cen Yan chuckled: "You think it's over just by leaving?"

Zhuang Dongqing: "Then I'll squeeze another sum of money out of you."

Cen Yan only kissed the spot closest to Zhuang Dongqing, where he had propped up his knees, and said, "I heard you."

"But aren't you overestimating me?"

“I was very selective; otherwise, you wouldn’t be here now.”

Zhuang Dongqing was slow-witted, but after thinking about it, it seemed to be true.

Okay, let's move on to this one first.

Zhuang Dongqing: "I can't help you with anything. Even if you try to learn, it's very difficult to learn the tricks of the trade."

Cen Yan countered, "Did I ever ask you for help?"

It seems that there isn't one. Zhuang Dongqing said, "Don't interrupt, let me finish!"

Cen Yan smiled and said, "Okay, go ahead."

It's strangely fierce.

He put his arm around the person and helped him find a more comfortable sitting position.

Zhuang Dongqing: "The rest..."

After a pause, he belatedly realized, "No, for now. I'll think of something later."

"If, if you think it's okay, we'll give it a try."

"Try what?"

Cen Yan asked him softly.

Zhuang Dongqing closed her eyes. "Let's try it together."

There was a moment of silence; Zhuang Dongqing even felt that the breathing on her cheek had stopped for a few breaths.

Then Cen Yan said, "Okay."

Zhuang Dongqing felt relieved.

Cen Yan: "I thought you'd take a long time to think about it."

As soon as Zhuang Dongqing opened her eyes, she met Cen Yan's bright eyes. They were so bright that she felt a little hot-faced. She turned her head away and whispered, "No."

She paused, then looked at Cen Yan and asked him earnestly, "So, what do you like about me?"

After asking Cen Yan, he laughed, with a hint of malice, and whispered a few words in Zhuang Dongqing's ear.

Zhuang Dongqing's eyes widened, she nudged him, and glared at him.

But Cen Yan grabbed his chin and kissed him on the cheek, saying, "Apart from this one unmentioned quirk, I've told you everything else."

"I like someone who's a bit dim-witted, not scheming, and preferably someone I can see right through."

"If everyone could be as kind and gentle as Qingqing, that would be the best."

Zhuang Dongqing: "..."

Her lips trembled, and Zhuang Dongqing said shyly, "Me too."

"I really like you."

But Cen Yan mimicked him, asking in return, "What do you like about me? My indulgence? Or your quick wit?"

Zhuang Dongqing's eyes darted around, "I...I like it..."

"Handsome."