Chapter 83 The Substitute: What do you think of the Emperor's appearance?

The next morning, as Xie Changyu was getting ready to enter the palace, he saw his mother with a worried look on her face. "What's wrong, Mother?"

Madam Xie informed him that the Empress Dowager had caught a cold, and the matter of entering the palace might have to be postponed until the Empress Dowager recovered.

"Is the Empress Dowager alright?" Xie Changyu was still very concerned about this elder who had been kind to him.

Madam Xie patted his head. "The Empress Dowager is blessed with good fortune; she will be alright."

Seeing that her mother had said so, Xie Changyu stopped worrying about it.

The trip to the palace was postponed, and he returned to his usual leisurely life. That day, he brought Feng Ling to the General's Mansion. It was Fu Shuqing who invited him. He hadn't originally planned to bring Feng Ling, but as soon as he mentioned it, the person opposite him fell silent, looking aggrieved.

In the end, they had no choice but to give up. If he wanted to go, so be it; after all, he was her fiancé, and they were going to get married eventually.

Upon arriving at the General's Mansion, Xie Changyu still hadn't realized the seriousness of the situation. He forgot that the person beside him bore a striking resemblance to Fu Shuqing.

He didn't realize it, but everyone else did.

Fu Shuqing's expression remained unchanged upon first meeting Feng Ling; he was still as gentle as ever, dressed in blue that made him look like a young master. He made no comment on Xie Changyu's actions in bringing people over, simply nodding and asking, "Are you hungry?"

Xie Changyu sat down casually, propping his chin up with his hand. "It's alright."

Fu Shuqing turned his head and directly instructed the servants to prepare his favorite sweets. After giving the instructions, he started talking about other things.

He acted as if Feng Ling, who was always following Xie Changyu, didn't exist. He didn't mention Xie Changyu or take it seriously, after all, he was used to Feng Ling's silent presence.

Feng Ling, dressed in the same blue robe as Fu Shuqing, stayed quietly close to Xie Changyu, without causing any trouble.

The atmosphere was very harmonious for a time, until Fu Jing barged in.

The handsome young man had a frighteningly cold expression. Without saying a word, he sat down on the other side of Fu Shuqing, while the two seats next to Xie Changyu were already occupied.

Xie Changyu was startled. "What's wrong, Fu Jing?"

Fu Jing glanced at him briefly before quickly looking down, pleased that he had attracted the other's attention, but soon became annoyed and whispered, "It's nothing."

"Fu Jing." This was Fu Shuqing's warning from the side.

The man, who was usually gentle and refined in front of him, showed his displeasure. "Don't take your temper out on Changyu."

"I didn't!" Fu Jing retorted loudly. He quickly glanced at Xie Changyu, afraid that she would get angry, and then glanced at Feng Ling beside him.

Feeling even more depressed, she repeated, "I didn't get angry with him. I just... I just didn't sleep well. It's my own problem. You guys keep talking."

His voice gradually lowered, as if he had lost his confidence.

Xie Changyu snorted, "You don't have one yet. You left without a word yesterday, and I was even trying to introduce you to my fiancé."

Speaking of this, he suddenly realized that he hadn't introduced the person next to him yet, so he straightened his expression and looked at Fu Shuqing, "Brother Shuqing, this is my fiancé, Feng Ling."

He then introduced the two brothers to Feng Ling.

Feng Ling smiled slightly, her eyes sweeping over the two people opposite her, her voice soft and gentle, "Feng Ling greets you both. I am my cousin's fiancé, and we are getting married soon."

Xie Changyu popped a piece of sweet into her mouth, then looked up and noticed that Fu Shuqing's face was paler than before. She couldn't help but ask with concern, "What's wrong, Brother Shuqing? Are you feeling unwell?"

Fu Shuqing forced a smile, "I'm fine, just internal injuries." As she spoke, she clutched her chest, as if she had been seriously injured for a long time.

Hearing about the internal injuries, Xie Changyu became even more worried. "Why didn't you mention this before? Where did these internal injuries come from?"

"It happened about two weeks ago." Fu Shuqing lowered her eyes, looking as if she didn't want to talk about it anymore.

Half a month ago, was that the day the tyrant got married? Xie Changyu remembered everything his mother had told him about that day, and suddenly he understood what had happened.

So she leaned closer, even more worried, and said anxiously, "Let me see, let me see, why hasn't it healed yet? Is it really just a minor injury?"

Fu Jing couldn't help but chuckle as he watched his elder brother's face gradually turn rosy. However, when he saw another person who looked very similar to his brother with an expressionless face, he felt a sense of smugness.

It's just a fake.

That's right, a fake. That's how the two Fu brothers saw the person in front of them. Anyone with eyes could see the resemblance between the two, not to mention that the fake was wearing the original's favorite color and was constantly waving around in front of them, which was really annoying.

"Cough cough cough."

Hearing the cough, Xie Changyu turned around to look at Feng Ling with a puzzled expression. "What's wrong with you? Did you catch a cold too?"

"Cousin." Feng Ling coughed, covering her face, her coughs weak and feeble. "I'm fine. I probably caught a chill because I didn't cover myself with the blankets properly last night."

"Are you cold?" Xie Changyu knew that she had slept with him last night, but she hadn't been covered with a blanket much because his sleeping posture had taken it away from her.

So he felt a little guilty, "Then let's go back to the manor first and have the doctor get you some medicine, so you don't harm your health."

"You're leaving?" Fu Jing frowned and stood up. "Just because he's not feeling well?"

Xie Changyu felt uncomfortable with his flippant tone and said with dissatisfaction, "What do you mean by 'just'?"

“This is my fiancé, his health is the most important thing. He is also my cousin, I know which is more important.”

Fu Jing felt a pang of hurt at his words, which clearly distinguished between close and distant relationships. His eyes instantly reddened. "Now that he's your fiancé, does that mean you don't recognize me anymore?"

"That's not what you said that day!"

Xie Changyu stood up instantly, looking impatient. "What did I say? Aren't you my good brother?"

Seeing that Fu Jing was about to cry, Fu Shuqing finally interrupted them. His face was pale, but his tone was gentle, "Since Changyu has something to do, let's go back first. A-Jing is probably feeling unwell, which is why he is too emotional."

"Let's talk about it another day."

Xie Changyu nodded, feeling very comfortable with these words. He couldn't help but make some comparisons in his mind. Fu Jing was still not as good as his brother. Fu Jing was always going against him and making him uncomfortable.

Finally, he pulled Feng Ling away.

Fu Jing watched their backs as they stood close together, the man in blue tilting his head as if whispering something, which eased Xie Changyu's tense expression considerably.

He couldn't help but clench his fists even tighter.

"Brother, I'm not reconciled..."

Fu Shuqing tilted her head to drink her tea and said in a low voice, "If you're not willing to accept it, then fight for it. You and he grew up together since childhood, so the bond between us is always special, isn't it?"

"However, we need to resolve the matter of the General's Mansion first before discussing these things."

...

Upon returning home, Xie Changyu immediately summoned a doctor to examine Feng Ling. After learning that Feng Ling had indeed caught a cold and needed proper care, Xie Changyu still felt somewhat reluctant, saying, "Then prescribe some medicine for him, something that will help him recover faster."

After the doctor left, Xie Changyu immediately distanced himself from Feng Ling. He covered his nose and said in a muffled voice, "From now on, don't get too close to me, lest you pass on your cold to me."

Feng Ling paused in her coughing, her expression immediately turning somewhat aggrieved. "Okay, cousin."

"Pfft, hahahahaha!"

The system in his head started mocking him, "Hahahaha, I'm dying of laughter! Host, you actually got rejected!"

"Shut up." Feng Ling, or rather Qing Ya, said calmly, but upon closer listening, one could still hear the gritted teeth in her voice.

"Host, what kind of crazy idea is this? Instead of getting close to the chosen one, you're going to get close to this cannon fodder. How are we going to finish the mission if this continues?"

'What's the rush?' Qingya wasn't as anxious as it was. As a top-tier mission taker, he was always confident in himself.

'This isn't your average cannon fodder. Have you ever seen cannon fodder with royal blood?'

...

Seeing that the person in front of him seemed to be hurt by what he had said, Xie Changyu tried to salvage the situation, saying, "I didn't mean to look down on you."

He stood up straight, his eyes darting around.

“If you infect me,” he explained seriously, “then I will get sick, and I will be sick for a long time. After a while, I will have to go to the palace.”

“Feng Ling knows.”

Feng Ling smiled faintly, "Cousin, there's no need to explain. I'm not sad. On the contrary, I'm very happy that you cared about me so much just now."

Xie Changyu scratched his head. Could he say that he had just taken the opportunity to leave the Fu residence? After all, Fu Jing's attitude had annoyed him and made him quite angry.

"Alright, then you should get some rest."

Xie Changyu took a few steps towards the door. "You'll stay in the side room for the next few days. You can come live with me when you're better."

"Okay, cousin."

...

The news of his entry into the palace arrived quickly. The Empress Dowager's decree was delivered to the Minister's residence, and Xie Changyu entered the palace upon receiving the summons.

Compared to his last visit to the palace, he was noticeably more composed and less afraid than before.

At the palace gate, Xie Changyu saw Aunt Song'er. He waved to greet her, then turned and spoke to his servant before running inside.

"Aunt Song'er!"

Song'er looked at Xie Changyu with a gentle smile and said, "Young Master Changyu."

Xie Changyu hurriedly asked, "Is the Empress Dowager feeling any better?"

"Reporting to Young Master Changyu, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager's cold has improved considerably. Now that she has recovered, she misses Young Master Changyu."

"I miss the Empress Dowager too."

Xie Changyu wasn't lying. To him, the Empress Dowager was the kindest person to him in the palace, so initially he was thinking of currying favor with her, but in the end, he did develop some feelings for her.

The thought of the Empress Dowager leaving soon filled him with a sense of reluctance.

This feeling of reluctance to part didn't disappear until they reached Cining Lane.

As soon as Xie Changyu entered, he saw a very familiar face. He paused, hesitating whether to go in or not, when the Empress Dowager called him back.

"Changyu, come in."

It was the Empress Dowager calling him.

Xie Changyu felt extremely panicked when he looked at the tyrant's face. How did this person get here? Recalling the tyrant's methods and his own behavior on the day of the wedding banquet, he was filled with fear of being punished.

He walked over with a pained expression, unaware of his own, and muttered, "Your Majesty..."

Xie Changyu didn't notice any signs of recovery on the Empress Dowager's face, assuming it was the Empress herself who had recovered. He tried to ignore the figure beside him and asked with concern, "Your Majesty, are you feeling better?"

The Empress Dowager paused, but said without changing her expression, "It's healed, it's healed."

With her kind smile unchanged, she took Xie Changyu's hand and said with concern, "I appreciate your concern."

"Changyu, your mother said a cousin came to visit you. What does he look like?"

Xie Changyu was puzzled, so he honestly replied, "My cousin's name is Feng Ling, and my mother is arranging a marriage for us."

"She is very good-looking."

The Empress Dowager gently stroked his hand and asked softly, "Do you think Yuehua is beautiful?"

Moonlight? Who?

Xie Changyu, still unable to recall whose name this was, looked completely bewildered. "Your Majesty, who is this?"

The Empress Dowager turned her gaze, and Xie Changyu followed her gaze. Then he saw the tyrant's body. Realizing that Yuehua was referring to the person in front of him, he trembled violently, and his legs went weak.

Yuehua, Wei Yuehua, isn't the tyrant's name Wei Yuehua?

He turned around abruptly, not daring to look again, "Your Majesty..."

Xie Changyu's voice trembled; he didn't understand what this meant.

But the Empress Dowager didn't reply to him. Instead, the tyrant beside her spoke lazily, "What, are you afraid to look at me?"

Xie Changyu's breathing became rapid.

"Look up." This is a command.

Xie Changyu tightened his grip on the Empress Dowager's hand. He mustered his courage and turned to look back, but his gaze faltered when he met that deep gaze. He cursed himself for being cowardly, but immediately tried to justify himself. This was a tyrant, after all. He couldn't be blamed for being afraid. This man could kill whomever he wanted without any reason.

But with the Empress Dowager by his side, Xie Changyu still felt somewhat confident.

"What do you think of the Emperor's appearance?" This was the Empress Dowager asking again.

Just as Xie Changyu was about to make up an excuse, the tyrant opposite him spoke up again, "I grant you permission to look."

Since the tyrant had said so, Xie Changyu dared to look around. He scanned him closely and found that the tyrant was indeed quite handsome.

I had never dared to look closely before, but now that I do, I realize that the tyrant is actually quite handsome, and his eyes, filled with a mocking gaze, followed my gaze.

His voice was incredibly magnetic as soon as he opened his mouth, "So, are you satisfied with my appearance?"

Xie Changyu nodded haphazardly.

The tyrant laughed.

Xie Changyu was stunned again. This was the first time he had ever seen the Tyrant Smile. He had heard that the Tyrant Smiled when he had killed many people. What did this mean?!

He moved a few more steps closer to the Empress Dowager, his voice trembling with tears, "Your Majesty..."

That cry was so pitiful that the Empress Dowager's heart softened instantly.

"Alright, stop scaring him. Doesn't the Emperor know how terrifying his reputation is? Changyu is timid; don't frighten him."

"Cowardly?" Wei Yuehua sneered. "Mother, are you joking? He's a coward, yet he dared to do such a thing to me."

"He's young, he must have been seduced by you." The Empress Dowager was showing favoritism.

“He’s not young anymore, and he already has children.”

Why did you say that?

Xie Changyu was stunned. What children? What were they saying? He couldn't understand a single word.

His eyes were blank, but then he saw the Empress Dowager looking at him apologetically, "Were you frightened?"

"Changyu, rest assured, I will definitely stand up for you."

What decision-making? Xie Changyu felt dizzy and lightheaded. The Empress Dowager was still talking beside him. In the end, he couldn't help but put his hands on the ground, and his mouth still felt a little dry.

"This child is the future crown prince, and I will not allow your child to suffer any injustice."

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager," Xie Changyu said, grabbing the Empress Dowager's hand with a suspicious look in his eyes, "You mean this tyrant is pregnant with my child?"

"When did this happen?!"

Although they called him a tyrant, neither of the two people present minded. Wei Yuehua spoke in a calm tone, "That night at the wedding banquet, you were drugged and climbed into my bed, and then I got pregnant."

Xie Changyu became agitated, pointing directly at the tyrant and denying it, "Impossible! How could I possibly have climbed into your bed? I was clearly drunk that night."

"Did your mother tell you that you slept with a young master?"

"Yes, but..."

Xie Changyu remembered; it was indeed true, he had almost forgotten about it.

Could it really be true? He really slept with the tyrant and got her pregnant with his child.

Finally, the tyrant made the final decision: "I'm pregnant with your child, so you have to take responsibility."

"no!"

The tyrant narrowed his eyes. "If I say it's okay, then it's okay."

"I have a fiancé!" Xie Changyu tried to use this to make the other party take back what he said.

The tyrant chuckled, "Kill them then."

Xie Changyu was provoked by the word "kill," and his courage vanished instantly. He curled up into a ball and began to withdraw into himself.

He hid behind the Empress Dowager, fearing that the tyrant would kill him.

Finally, the Empress Dowager couldn't stand it anymore and said, "Don't scare him."

She held Xie Changyu's shoulders and comforted her, "Let's talk about this later, Changyu. Your fiancé is still your fiancé, but—"

The Empress Dowager changed the subject, "Yuehua's pregnancy is no small matter. Our royal bloodline is thin, and now that we have a prince and grandson, as the father of the child, I don't ask you to acknowledge him, I only hope that you can help take care of him."

"I don't know how to take care of people," Xie Changyu retorted, feeling wronged; his mind was still in turmoil.

He's still so young, how could he have a child so soon, especially with that tyrant as the partner?

The Empress Dowager smiled. "All you need to do is enjoy yourself in the palace as before."

She added, "I will talk to your mother about this."

"Do we have to talk about the child too?" Xie Changyu was a little uneasy. What if his mother scolded him? Why did they suddenly have a child out of nowhere?

It's not easy for a man to get pregnant, and he's starting to suspect he's been set up.

The Empress Dowager then explained to him what had happened that night.

So it's just a coincidence?

"The barbarians put fruit juice in my wine, and then you just happened to climb into my bed." The tyrant rubbed his belly; the scene was bizarre no matter how you looked at it.

"I only found out about this yesterday."

Xie Changyu fell completely silent, and just like that, he was left in the palace once again.

His mother and father came once during the middle of the year. Unexpectedly, they did not blame him. They just comforted him and told him to have fun in the palace and that he would be fine.

Seeing that her mother seemed a little dazed, Xie Changyu suddenly felt uneasy. "Mother, what are you thinking about?"

Looking at her obedient subordinate's face, Madam Xie sighed and said, "Changyu, your mother has already sent Fengling back."

"What do you mean?" Xie Changyu became even more uneasy.

"Your Majesty must acknowledge that child," Madam Xie said. She looked at the person in front of her whose eyes were quickly reddening, feeling a little reluctant but more determined. "That child is the future crown prince, and will also be the future emperor."

"As the child's father, this rightfully belongs to you."

"Mother?" Xie Changyu's eyes were red. He couldn't understand what his mother was saying. Did she mean for him to acknowledge that child?

"That's a bastard!" His pent-up frustration from the past few days led him to utter such vicious words. He disliked pregnant women, disliked being threatened, and disliked his current life of living under someone else's roof in the palace.

Xie Changyu began to whine, "Mother, I want to go home. Can you please beg the Empress Dowager to let me go home?"

"Changyu." Madam Xie's expression became even more distressed, but she finally relented, "I will go and tell the Empress Dowager right away."

Xie Changyu smiled, then nodded firmly, "Okay!"

After the two left, Xie Changyu stayed in his Shaoyang Palace waiting for good news from his mother and father, but he waited until dark without seeing them.

"Let me out!"

Xie Changyu glared fiercely at the guard at the gate, but the guard remained unmoved and said in a flat voice, "Young Master Xie, you cannot leave without His Majesty's permission."

"I haven't done anything wrong, so why am I being locked up!"

No matter how much he shouted, the guards didn't move an inch, as if they were ignoring him. Xie Changyu felt a sense of despair. He knew that his desire to get out was useless, and that tyrant was definitely taking revenge on him! Xie Changyu was absolutely certain of this.

He returned to the palace, heartbroken, and lay down on his bed, sobbing. Before long, the sleeves of his robe that covered his face were stained dark.

Not long after, footsteps were heard in the empty palace, but Xie Changyu did not react and remained motionless.

But then her sleeve was taken away, exposing her entire face to the air. Her eyes were wet, and her face was covered in tears, making her look very pitiful.

"What are you crying for?" the tyrant scoffed.

These days, the tyrant comes to Shaoyang Palace every night, ostensibly to let the child see his father. Xie Changyu has gone from being afraid at the beginning to getting used to it, and even dares to throw a tantrum.

"Get out of my way!" Xie Changyu turned over, completely ignoring him.

The tyrant pulled the woman over; although she was pregnant, her pregnancy wasn't showing yet, and she looked about the same as usual, so the movement of pulling her over was easy.

Xie Changyu began to struggle, "Don't touch me!"

"If you want to go out, you'd better behave yourself."

The subordinate froze instantly. The tyrant turned him around and saw a suspicious face. Xie Changyu twitched, "Really?"

Wei Yuehua picked the person up, walked a few steps outside, and sat the person down. His expression was cold, but he handed over a plate of sweets, saying, "Eat this first."

Xie Changyu believed it, and since he was also hungry from crying, he ate in a very disheveled manner.

Wei Yuehua rested her chin on her hand and looked at him, her indifferent face devoid of any emotion.

"Don't watch me eat."

Wei Yuehua looked away. "Troublesome."

Xie Changyu secretly rolled her eyes at him, and when she saw that he hadn't noticed, she chuckled to herself.

-----------------------

Author's Note: I'll just talk about my daily life with the tyrant, and then the little drama that happened after I got pregnant will be over.

It should be finished in about 10,000 words. I'll try to finish it tonight; I don't want to procrastinate any longer.

I'm planning to start a single-world story, a love triangle between an ordinary male protagonist and a privileged young man, set in an interstellar aristocratic academy. [shrug]