Ninth Prince

Fearing he would waste time, Yang Fei didn't inquire further. Although he found the man's behavior strange, what he said wasn't false. He just didn't know where the dead child had come from, but judging from the child's stiffness, it probably hadn't been dead for long. At this moment, Yang Fei didn't care about the origin of the dead infant. He placed the infant next to Lin Xiaomei, stabbed it with his sword, and left. Yang Fei rode his horse, carrying the little prince in his arms, past the Zhang residence. He saw Zhang Mobai returning with Tang Feng, chatting and laughing, and quickly called out, "Bai Bai!" Zhang Mobai looked up sharply, startled. He saw Yang Fei pull the reins sharply, stopping a few centimeters away from Tang Feng and Zhang Mobai. "Yang Fei?" Because he was wearing a mask, Zhang Mobai wasn't sure, so he just called out. Yang Fei threw the child in his arms to Zhang Mobai and said, "Bai Bai, take good care of the child. Come back tonight, and I'll explain." As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his whip and disappeared into the street.

Tang Feng and Zhang Mobai looked down and saw that it was a newborn baby! "Big brother... do you know how to hold a baby?" Tang Feng quickly shook his head. He had no idea how to hold a baby. The only experience he had in his life that could be considered raising a child was Qin Liuliu, but Qin Liuliu was already nine years old when she was picked up, long past the age of needing to be held. Seeing Zhang Mobai's awkward posture, Tang Feng was genuinely afraid he would drop the child. He used both hands to shield the child's body, saying, "Why don't we let Sister Jiu try... With two grown men like this, we'd probably kill the child!" Zhang Mobai, holding the child tightly, thought Tang Feng's suggestion made sense. The two hurriedly returned to the Tang residence, just in time to see Liu Yiwan sweeping at the entrance. "Oh, young master, found a treasure?" Tang Feng didn't have time to pay him any attention, his hands still protecting the child, fearing something might happen. Zhang Mobai was even more nervous, his hands trembling as he held the child, his palms sweating profusely. "Sister, sister!" He barged into Qin Jiujiu's room without knocking, startling Qin Jiujiu who was sewing. "What's going on?" Tang Feng and Zhang Mobai carried the bundle to the bedside, placing it on the bed before letting out a sigh of relief. Seeing the two men slumped on the floor as if facing a formidable enemy, Qin Jiujiu put down her clothes and went to look at the bundle. Upon closer inspection, the object on the bed wasn't a bundle at all; it was a living, breathing infant. "Where did you get this child from?!" Qin Jiujiu couldn't just leave the child lying on the bed like that. She quickly picked him up and exclaimed, "What have you been doing? Didn't you say you were going to buy things for the wedding? Why did you bring back a child?" Tang Feng and Zhang Mobai exchanged glances and shook their heads. "Yang Fei threw it over... We don't know what happened, so we brought it back." Qin Jiujiu looked at the sleeping child in her arms and whispered, "There's blood on this child; he's probably just been born. Xiao Feng, go and bring Xiao Meiqiu out of the yard. Have Liu Yiwan milk some goat milk and bring it over." Tang Feng leaned forward and poked the child's cheek with his finger. It was soft and smooth. When he touched the child's lips, the child suddenly took Tang Feng's finger into his mouth and gently bit it. Tang Feng was startled and quickly looked at Qin Jiujiu for help. "Serves you right for teasing him! He bit you! Hurry up and bring the goat milk!"

When Yang Fei returned that evening, seeing Tang Feng and Zhang Mobai sitting on the stone bench watching Qin Jiujiu breastfeed the baby, he felt a strange sense of unease. "Bai Bai!" Zhang Mobai looked up and saw Yang Fei return, immediately saying, "You child... Hey, hey, hey, why are you pulling me?" Yang Fei pulled Zhang Mobai and Tang Feng aside and whispered, "Do you know whose child this is?" Tang Feng didn't seem to care, "If you know, just say so. Why are you being so mysterious, you squinty-eyed brat?"

"This is Li Yunrui's son," Yang Fei quickly explained, seeing Tang Feng and Zhang Mobai standing there dumbfounded. "Today, the Protectorate received orders to massacre the Prince Duan's family. But when we got there, Li Yunrui committed suicide, and the Crown Princess escaped. If Sima Ruo chased after her, it would surely result in the deaths of both mother and child. So I volunteered to go after her. Well, we found her and brought the child back."

"What about the Crown Princess?" Zhang Mobai thought Yang Fei had hidden the Crown Princess, but then he thought again, this child was of noble birth, how could the Crown Princess let the child leave her? "The Crown Princess suffered a difficult childbirth and postpartum hemorrhage... She died, and entrusted the child to me before she passed away." As soon as he finished speaking, they heard the baby in Qin Jiujiu's arms make a weak cry. The three of them rushed over to see, "It's only one day old!" Zhang Mobai touched the baby's head, "Does it have a name?"

"Lin'an, the Lin'an of 'light rain falls like petals, wind sways tree shadows, moonlight chases,' and also the Lin'an of 'blessing and peace.'" Tang Feng looked at Li Lin'an in Qin Jiujiu's arms, recalling the day he went to the Duan Prince's mansion to resign his official post. He had only met Lin Xiaomei once; though not stunningly beautiful, she was poised, elegant, and intelligent. Today, fleeing with so many pursuers, how much fear must she have suppressed to give birth to this child? Tang Feng gently tapped the child's forehead and said softly, "Your father hopes you will inherit the throne, but your mother only wants you to live peacefully, isn't that right?"

"Oh, you little crybaby, your maternal instincts are really kicking in!" Yang Fei couldn't help but tease Tang Feng, watching his gentle way of playing with the child. "Why don't you raise the kid? Bai Bai and I can come help you when we have time." Before Tang Feng could speak, Zhang Mobai retorted, "Are you crazy?! My little brother is getting married in a few days, marrying into the Marquis's mansion. What kind of business is it to bring a child along?" Yang Fei scratched his head. "I didn't know about that! You little crybaby, you're something else. You've been in Shanghan for over two years, and you still managed to keep my junior brother completely under your thumb without even seeing him. If this were before, I don't know how many more tears he would have shed. Looks like hitting your head really works."

Tang Feng rolled his eyes at Yang Fei's nonsensical manner. "If you don't speak, no one will think you're mute." Qin Jiujiu, holding the child, said, "This child needs to be cared for by a meticulous person... The child was premature, with insufficient space in the womb, and probably suffered some discomfort at birth, so his health might not be very good. Xiao Feng... well, forget it. He's usually so clumsy; how could he possibly take care of a child? You two choose!" Zhang Mobai looked at Li Lin'an and then said, "Let him stay with my family! It's safer. Yang Fei rescued this child; if there's an investigation later, it won't be discovered."

Under Qin Jiujiu's guidance, Zhang Mobai picked up Li Lin'an and then said, "Little brother, we're going to order wedding dresses tomorrow, shouldn't we go early?" Tang Feng nodded after hearing this, "That's what I was thinking too, but isn't it a bit early to order the dresses now?"

"It's getting late," Qin Jiujiu smiled. "A marriage only happens once in a lifetime, so it has to be grand. Our family doesn't need your money. Mo Bai, tomorrow you and Xiao Feng go to Lingyue Manor to pick out the best fabric and have it custom-made!" Zhang Mo Bai naturally agreed. After chatting for a few more minutes, Zhang Mo Bai yawned at Li Lin'an in his arms, then stood up and said, "Little brother, I'll head back now. I'll come find you tomorrow, don't stand me up!" Tang Feng, leaning on the stone table, waved to Zhang Mo Bai, "See you tomorrow."

After seeing Zhang Mobai off, Tang Feng was utterly bored. Qin Jiujiu, seeing Tang Feng's attitude, chuckled and scolded, "You, you, you'll be getting married in a few days, soon to be a young master in the Marquis's mansion, why are you still acting like this?" Tang Feng, however, was unfazed. "Sister, don't worry, I'm not some ugly bride, and Auntie isn't some wicked old woman, what are you afraid of!" Qin Jiujiu tapped Tang Feng's forehead. "You, you, just because the Zhou family dotes on you, step outside, don't shield me from harm, I still need to sew clothes!" Hearing this, Tang Feng quickly got up, patted the dirt off his bottom, and said with a smile, "I'm going out for a stroll, sister, you don't need to wait for me to come back tonight." What could Tang Feng do outside? Naturally, he went to find Zhou Ziliang. He had been cooped up at home for the past few days, and today he finally got out for some fresh air, only to bring back a child.

Tang Feng entered the Zhou residence and waited for the steward to find Zhou Ziliang. He could only wait in the main hall. Zhou Wuhai glanced at Tang Feng sitting below and said, "Who comes to see each other after only a few days of marriage!" Madam Zhou then elbowed Zhou Wuhai, "What are you saying! Mind your own business! Why don't you just go to the back to find Ziliang?" Tang Feng looked at Zhou Wuhai, then at Madam Zhou, thinking that he was indeed superfluous here, and smiled, "Then... Aunt, I'll go to the backyard to find him, so I won't disturb you." Just as he went out, he saw Zhou Ziliang about to enter, and the two bumped into each other. "Ouch!" Tang Feng rubbed his forehead, which hurt from the bump, and it took him a while to recover. "What are you doing! So clumsy!" Zhou Ziliang laughed when he heard this, "Clumsy? It's Xiao Feng who's clumsy! I didn't expect you to come to see me today. What's wrong?"

"Um... I'd like you to come with me somewhere."

Zhou Ziliang didn't know where Tang Feng wanted to take him, assuming it was just a aimless stroll. But when they arrived at the gate of the Duan Prince's residence, Zhou Ziliang gripped Tang Feng's hand tightly. "Xiao Feng?"

"It's nothing... I just wanted to take a look around." Looking at the blood splattered on the ebony gate, as if the horrific screams of the daytime still echoed in the air, the once bustling Prince Duan's mansion was now sealed off and an empty house. "Sometimes I wonder if Li Yunrui regretted it when he committed suicide. Regretted participating in the struggle for the throne, regretted not being able to protect those around him, regretted not seeing his child one last time." Zhou Ziliang patted Tang Feng on the back. "I believe that even if he faced eternal damnation, he would still choose this path of no return."

"My brother died unjustly!" Tang Feng turned around upon hearing the voice and saw a young man dressed in a red martial arts uniform, looking very capable. He had a black and gold belt around his waist, and his hair was tied up with a red silk ribbon wrapped with white jade. His brows revealed a heroic spirit, and his eyes were large and very bright. "You are..."

The young man clasped his hands in greeting and said, "My name is Li Yunyu, I pay my respects to you, sir."

"Li Yunyu?" Tang Feng pondered for a long time before saying, "You are the Ninth Prince! Sir, I am unworthy of such praise. My surname is Tang, and my given name is Feng."