Chapter 80: Backache Wen Zheliu leaned against his waist and smiled bitterly, what a fuss, this kid...

There was a large pot of charcoal burning in the imperial study. Logically, it should be warm to sit inside.

When they heard the willow-breaking sound, Situ Yun and his mother were both kneeling and standing, and neither of them felt comfortable.

Wen Zheliu knelt on the ground in a daze, his limbs cold. Situ Yun sat on the dragon throne, so angry at this silent and rebellious son that his hand holding the memorial was shaking.

"Do you really not know, or are you deliberately not answering?"

Wen Zheliu never lied to He Jiuyue.

He was proud and disdained to lie, but he was not so embarrassed as to tell lies to Situ Yun, a person he had only met a few times.

However, if he told the truth about his appearance and temperament, there was no guarantee that Situ Yun would not associate the sickly handsome man that He Jiuyue liked with him, Wen Zheliu.

But on the other hand, if Situ Yun really sent a rough man and He Jiuyue didn't like him, he would also be responsible.

It's wrong no matter how you say it.

It's not that he is shameless, but he counted all the men around him and He Jiuyue. Except for He Jiuyue's male relatives, He Jiuyue only bowed her head and blushed to him.

"I am guilty. I have been by He Jiyue's side for many years, but I still don't know what kind of man He Jiyue prefers."

Having seen so much intrigue on the dragon throne, Situ Yun was not stupid, but he was so angry at Wen Zheliu's silence that he just kept cursing.

Now that his rationality had returned, Situ Yun tapped the table lightly with his fingertips.

"You and He Jiyue are childhood sweethearts. She should treat you well, right?"

Ask him how he gets along with He Jiuyue?

Do you want to find someone who looks like him and replicate him?

Hearing the willows being cut, I carefully considered the words and sentences.

"He Jiyue treats me as a good friend."

"Just friends? Nothing more?" Situ Yun's thoughts surged like waves, and he spoke rapidly, "What did he do when you were not feeling well? Did you cry in front of her? What was her attitude then?"

Wen Zheliu lied to others without blushing or getting nervous.

"He Jiyue loves and cares for the weak. She would take care of her seriously ill father and would also call the imperial physician to treat me. I once cried in front of her, but she didn't like it, saying it was too manly."

Situ Yun muttered to himself, as if thinking about something.

"Could it be that He Jiyue is really as the rumors say, showing no sympathy to any man, no matter how beautiful he is?"

Not wanting to continue this topic, Wen Zheliu took the initiative to ask about government affairs.

"You've just had a headache, so you shouldn't overwork yourself. Is there anything I can do to help you with government affairs?"

"There's a lot you can do to help."

Situ Yun pointed to the pile of memorials on the table and gestured for Dugu Qiu to pass the red brush to Wen Zheliu. "Read each of these memorials. After you've read them, tell me what you think. Then I'll read a word and you write it. If you make a mistake, you'll be held accountable."

This work of listening to and writing one word at a time did not stop until lunchtime.

But Wen Zheliu lost his appetite as soon as he got busy, and the devil in his stomach was still stirring. He didn't want Situ Yun to notice his mistake, so he only managed to eat half a bowl of rice porridge.

In the afternoon, there was another round of inhumane destruction.

Facing the afterglow of the setting sun, Wen Zheliu bowed and left the imperial study. His legs went weak and he almost fell to the ground.

He supported himself against the wall with one hand, but his whole body was still shaking violently.

The sedan chair was just outside the imperial study, a short distance away. Xiaobai wanted to help Wen Zheliu out quickly, but when he saw that Wen Zheliu was shaking like a sieve, he slowed down his movements and swayed with him on the wall for a while. "Your Highness, what's wrong with you?"

Wen Zheliu's breath was so weak that it sounded like a thread. The inhalation was even less than the exhalation. Her thin eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and one look at her made people feel distressed.

"My stomach hurts, and my legs hurt."

Xiaobai was afraid that something might happen to him, so he started to leave: "I'll go get the Imperial Physician Helan right away."

As soon as he finished speaking, Helan Yuan appeared.

"Greetings, Your Highness." Helan Yuan, together with the medicine boy carrying the medicine box, bowed respectfully to Wen Zheliu.

When Xiaobai saw He Jiuyue, his eyebrows immediately curved. Before he could finish the words "Speaking of Cao Cao, Cao Cao is here, His Highness is looking for you" he was interrupted by Wen Zheliu.

"Where is Imperial Physician Helan going in such a hurry?"

There were no palaces nearby, and since Situ Yun had just had a headache, Helan Yuan went towards the imperial study, most likely to treat Situ Yun.

Wen Zheliu asked this, but he pretended not to know in the imperial study where Situ Yun was watching.

Helan Yuan replied respectfully, "Your Majesty has a headache, and sent this humble servant to see you. Your Highness, what is the wound on your head...?"

"The Queen Mother has a headache, so her temper is naturally short-tempered, and it's inevitable that she'll throw things at people." Wen Zheliu spoke softly, as gentle as the flowing water under the misty rain of Jiangnan. "It's nothing for me to be hit by a thing, but it's the Queen Mother who always complains of a headache."

Helan Yuan asked softly, "How are you today?"

This was the code word they agreed upon, asking if Wen Zheliu was in good health, that is, asking if the baby in his belly was safe.

The palace was heavily guarded. After they had just chatted for a while in front of the imperial study, several groups of guards came and went. Wen Zheliu didn't want others to see her vulnerability, so she forced herself to withdraw her hand from the wall.

"Slightly bloated ears."

Helan Yuan hinted, "Your abdominal distension has lasted for a long time, and I'm afraid it's not good for your health. After I'm done with this busy period, I'll go to the East Palace to check your pulse."

He nodded when he heard about the willow being broken.

"Imperial Physician Helan has other things to attend to, so I will return to the East Palace first. Goodbye."

Although he had a slight pain in his stomach and his calves were twitching, Wen Zheliu was sitting upright on the sedan chair and would not be unable to return to the Eastern Palace. However, he would have to work hard to maintain a calm appearance all the way to the Eastern Palace.

After finally returning to the main hall of the East Palace, Wen Zheliu lay on the couch, pulled the brocade quilt to cover her lower abdomen, and was about to have a good sleep when she heard Xiaobai's message.

"Your Highness, Murong Jin wants to see you."

Murong Jin? Why did she come to see him? Could it be to settle the unfinished score from the welcoming banquet the night before?

"Tell her I'm busy."

Wen Zheliu instinctively refused, but then he heard Xiaobai, who had gone to the door to persuade Murong Jin once before, speaking with difficulty: "Miss Murong said she must see you."

Is it really that urgent?

"Tell her to wait in the West Warm Pavilion and tell her I'll be there soon."

Several times he got up from the bed too quickly, his vision went dark and he almost fainted. Wen Zheliu learned from his mistakes and slowly got up by holding the headboard.

He grabbed a coat from the rack and touched the baby in her belly through the layers of restraints.

Meeting with Murong Jin will probably be another tough battle.

The pregnancy-maintaining medicine that Helan Yuan left for Wen Zheliu was to be taken once in the morning, noon and evening. Wen Zheliu was in the imperial study with Situ Yun at noon and did not take it, so she simply skipped it and drank the evening dose clean.

He deliberately only rinsed his mouth without burning any incense, and came to the West Warm Pavilion with a smell of medicine on his body.

"Miss Murong came to see me privately, what's the reason?"

Murong Jin was not as arrogant as she was that night. She just bowed respectfully and said, "On behalf of the Murong family, I would like to discuss a deal with Your Highness."

Trade? They sound like businessmen.

Wen Zheliu moved the soft pillow beside him inconspicuously, using it to support his sore waist.

"Young lady, please speak."

"Your Majesty's intention is to promise this subject to Your Highness. This deal is a win-win for this subject, and it will also be a hundred benefits for the Murong family, but..."

Murong Jin raised his eyebrows slightly: "It's not good for Your Highness, right? After all, you are still pregnant with someone else's child."

Hearing about the willow being broken, his heart trembled violently.

These words should have been taught to her by her mother Murong Xuan. According to his observation that night, Murong Jin did not have such means and scheming.

That means the news of his pregnancy had passed on at least twice.

However, Situ Yun probably doesn't know yet.

If they wanted to punish him directly, they could just go to Situ Yun and severely criticize him as the new crown prince.

However, when the Murong clan learned of this shocking secret, they did not go directly to Situ Yun to report him about Wen Zheliu. This proved that in their eyes, he, the newly appointed crown prince, still had room for use by the Murong clan.

Besides, Murong Jin also said that she came to negotiate a deal.

He Wen Zheliu thought that with such a big handle in their hands, the Murong family should not doubt his sincerity in cooperation.

Wen Zheliu took a sip of tea, his face calm, "Miss Murong, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say anything you want. I'm not even married yet, so how could I be pregnant?"

"An Rui, the Minister of Revenue in your court, told me this."

Murong Jin grinned. "In exchange, I told him all about your life story. That letter should have reached the Central Plains by now. The information I gave him was true, so what he gave me shouldn't be false, right?"

Wen Zheliu was not angry, but just said calmly.

"Is that so? Very good. I should thank him for not telling you whose child I am pregnant with."

He looked calm on the outside, but his heart was filled with worry.

He Jiuyue holds all the power, and no news circulating in the Central Plains can escape her eyes. If the news of his life experience spreads to the Central Plains, won't she be able to find out sooner or later?

However, from the moment he escaped until now, as he gradually emerged in West Vietnam, his life story was destined to be revealed.

There will come a day when he will have to face He Jiuyue's angry face after she is shocked.

It was God's will that Murong Jin told this.

Murong Jin didn't see the expected scene of Wen Zheliu kneeling on the ground crying and begging her not to tell anyone, so he felt bored and asked with a frown.

"Your Majesty values ​​a man's chastity the most. If the news of this unmarried pregnancy were to reach the Emperor, Your Highness would be thrown into prison. There's no way you can protect yourself from such a fine body. Haven't you read the laws of Xiyue? How can you be so fearless?"

Afraid? He is a normal person with seven emotions and six desires. How can he not be afraid when facing suffering?

But there's no use being afraid.

"What do I have to fear? If Miss Murong is petty, and I had a conflict with you at the welcoming banquet, and I'm so angry, and I got this news, you could have reported it to the Emperor first. Why bother coming to me? Since you came to me first to try to make a deal, even if the deal doesn't go through, there's still some righteousness."

Wen Zheliu's white fingertips tapped lightly on the ebony table.

"Let's be frank. My greatest secrets are in the hands of your Murong clan. Why don't you tell me what deal you want to make with me?"

Murong Jin did not rush to put forward conditions, but first talked about the benefits to Wen Zheliu.

"If you agree, after His Majesty grants the marriage, I will marry into the Eastern Palace to relieve His Majesty's urgent need for marriage. Moreover, I will not touch you."

He frowned when he heard about the willow being cut.

"Didn't you just say that a royal marriage would be a bonus for your Murong clan, but wouldn't have much of an impact if it existed? Why are you now willing to marry into the Eastern Palace?"

Murong Jin fell to his knees with a plop: "We, the Murong clan, will devote all our strength to help Your Highness ascend the throne. However, we do have a favor to ask of you."

As expected, there is no meal in the world that does not require a price.

Wen Zheliu nodded: "You say."

Murong Jin kowtowed.

"My mother and I are aware that Your Highness and the Regent of the Central Plains, He Jiuyue, have a very good personal relationship. We ask that after Your Highness ascends the throne, you consider a way to maintain the current peace between the two countries and continue their friendship!"

Wen Zheliu was shocked, but did not show it on his face.

He didn't even know that he had such great ability to persuade He Jiuyue not to fight.

But then again, what did He Jiuyue look like on the battlefield?

It must be very brave.

Why did she tremble all over when Murong Jin mentioned her name?

The reward offered by the Murong clan was generous, at least for Wen Zheliu at this stage, there was no need to refuse. However, after Wen Zheliu thought about it carefully, he didn't think the Murong clan could gain anything good from this matter.

Could it be that he was testing his attitude towards the Central Plains?

After all, the Murong clan has been fighting with the lineage of Princess He Yuyao of the Central Plains for many years, and most of them have resentment in their hearts.

"The current emperor also intends to establish friendly relations with the Central Plains. If you, the Murong clan, wish to maintain the status quo, why not continue to serve His Majesty? Why bother coming to me?"

Murong Jin kept chattering.

"Your Majesty has a headache. When he gets angry, he forgets his family and has a bad temper. I think you, Your Highness, are aware of this.

"To be honest, Your Majesty had a headache in the morning and issued several decrees in a row. When your mind returned at night, you felt they were inappropriate and changed them all. Changing your orders every day is really making it difficult for the ministers to deal with it."

Wen Zheliu nodded slightly and let her continue.

Logically speaking, Situ Yun was his biological mother, and she had such a severe headache that it was likely passed on to him, but he had lived a good life for eighteen years without ever having an attack.

The possibility of delayed onset of the disease cannot be ruled out. At least now, he is indeed more qualified to be the emperor than Situ Yun.

Murong Jin's voice became hoarse from mumbling. He thanked Xiaobai for the tea, moistened his throat, and continued, "Your Majesty, you have always been in favor of war. The war has stopped now. Firstly, the Red Armor Army led by He Jiuyue is unstoppable. Secondly, my mother is unwilling to fight again and has used her injury as an excuse to shirk responsibility.

"Your Majesty couldn't find a suitable general, so he had no choice but to sign a peace agreement with the Central Plains. But who knows if your Majesty will one day spot a martial arts prodigy, and war will be inevitable again."

That's the reason.

Only when the Central Plains and Western Yue are on good terms can his friendship with He Jiuyue last.

Wen Zheliu folded his hands and rested his elbows on the table.

"The two countries have friendly relations, which is also what I wish to achieve. However, in a peaceful and prosperous era, there are no wars to fight. If your Murong family takes charge of the military, won't your family's fortunes decline?"

"That's not a problem. As the next generation head of the Murong clan, I'm not good at fighting. I'm lucky to be able to help Your Majesty with other government affairs."

Murong Jin spoke with a resounding voice, "This continuous war has ravaged the people of the border for years. Once the fighting begins, the people of both countries suffer. Your mother and I, your servant, only wish for peace and prosperity for the people."

Wen Zheliu took a sip of tea.

"General Murong's love is boundless, and this lady admires him."

Murong Jin raised his head slightly: "So, Your Highness agrees?"

Wen Zheliu spoke at a moderate pace.

"The conditions you proposed are very good. I am not unwilling to do so, but if we want to form an alliance, I also have a request."

Murong Jin nodded repeatedly: "Your Highness, please speak."

Wen Zheliu cleared his cough.

"Could you please not let He Jiyue know about our marriage? If she misunderstands, I won't be able to mediate."

Murong Jin looked troubled: "Your servant and my mother will try their best to keep this news locked in Xiyue, but if He Jiyue sends someone to investigate, I'm afraid..."

Wen Zheliu was not surprised.

He Jiuyue collected intelligence so quickly.

She didn't know yet that he knew Wen Zheliu was from the royal family of Xiyue. It was probably not that he hadn't found out, but that he had found out, and all the signs pointed to this fact. However, she was unwilling to believe it because of their old friendship.

In this case, she was really deceived by him.

It's time to find a time to apologize to her properly.

"Thank you for your trouble. If you can keep it a secret for a while, then keep it a secret for a while."

Murong Jin's eyes flickered. "Your Highness, I have something to ask you, but I don't know if I should ask it or not."

When hearing the willow being broken, he wanted to say, "If you don't know the limits, don't ask."

But after all, the two sides had just formed an alliance, and it was not good for him to treat his allies with such a cold and harsh attitude.

"You ask first." I may not answer.

Murong Jin's eyes flashed with gossip: "Is the child in your belly He Jiyue's?"

"If I say yes, what will you do? If I say no, what will you think?"

Seeing Murong Jin hesitating, Wen Zheliu curled the corners of his mouth and smiled: "Whether it is true or not, it will not affect our cooperation. When the opportunity is right, I will tell you."

Perhaps it was because she always heard Zheliu and Murong Jin mention her, and the baby in Zheliu's belly became excited and moved occasionally.

Although her body was not big enough to push out fists from Wen Zheliu's belly, she was still inside Wen Zheliu's belly, and the pregnant Wen Zheliu could feel her every move.

What a noisy kid.

Wen Zheliu slowly supported his sore waist.

The heavy stone in his heart, "How to solve the problem of marrying into the Murong family and preserving his own chastity", fell to the ground, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

The baby in her belly should be a healthy and lively child like her mother He Jiuyue.

He Jiuyue, will like her...right?

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The author has something to say: Surprise update, tomorrow will be the same time as before 21:00 [hug]