Chapter 21 Divergence
Zhuang Dongqing became a little nervous when Cen Yan said that.
Cen Yan seemed to have figured it out, and then said, "Didn't you say you wanted to have a late-night snack? Let's eat first, so we don't get indigestion if we stay up too late."
"oh oh."
When a bowl of soup with large bones was served, Zhuang Dongqing's attention was immediately diverted.
It smells so good!
No wonder they stayed up all day.
It was stewed in a clay pot!
Zhuang Dongqing ate his pork bone!
Slurp slurp.
The taste of bone marrow... I miss it so much, it's so delicious!
Slurp slurp slurp.
Cen Yan refused to get his hands dirty with bones, so he only took a small half bowl of soup, tasted it, and thought it was just so-so. As soon as he put it down, he saw Zhuang Dongqing almost burying himself in the bowl.
Cen Yan: "..."
Cen Yan turned to Liu Qi and asked, "How old is he again?"
Liu Qi: "There's still a little over a year until I reach adulthood."
That is, around eighteen and a half years old.
Cen Yan hesitated: "Still growing?"
Liu Qi: "Master Zhao said that Young Master Zhuang's foundation is not good, but with some care, he should be able to grow a bit more."
That means it was delayed before.
Thinking back to the first time I met Zhuang Dongqing, he was still rather thin under his robes.
Zhuang Dongqing used her wristband to pull up her wide sleeves, revealing her wrists and forearms. Cen Yan's gaze lingered on her. Her finger bones were prominent, and there was little flesh on the back of her hands, but her skin was delicate. Under the moonlight and candlelight, her skin reflected a warm luster like jade. When his gaze swept to her elbows and then along her upper arms, which were covered by her sleeves, Cen Yan lowered her eyelashes without making a sound, picked up her soup, and took a sip.
But then, a host of details inexplicably surfaced in my mind: the feel of the skin, the burning breath, and the tearful eyes…
Zhuang Dongqing ate with great relish, while Cen Yan silently drank his soup. For a moment, the courtyard was quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.
I shouldn't eat too much for a late-night snack, but I still felt full.
Zhuang Dongqing let out a burp and let Liu Fu carefully wipe his hands.
After their faces were comfortably wiped with a hot towel, Zhuang Dongqing and Cen Yan entered the main house.
As we walked side by side, I could faintly smell a fragrance, subtle and not very noticeable, but it smelled wonderful.
Once inside, in the enclosed environment, Zhuang Dongqing was certain that the scent was indeed coming from Cen Yan; it was probably from very expensive clothing perfume, something people in this era loved to use.
After they were seated, there were only two of them left. Zhuang Dongqing said nervously, "Your Highness, please speak."
Cen Yan remained calm. "You should have asked this when you entered the manor, but it's not too late now."
At the time, we didn't even know what kind of person Zhuang Dongqing was, so asking these questions was pointless.
Without further explanation, Cen Yan said directly, "Master Zhao said that the children born to men of the Ren clan are mostly sons."
Zhuang Dongqing nodded; the baby he was carrying was indeed a boy, just as the book described.
Cen Yan: "If he is born, he will be the eldest son of a concubine in the Prince's mansion."
Zhuang Dongqing nodded.
Cen Yan looked at Zhuang Dongqing, his gaze calm, "You have no objection to this?"
"W-what objection?"
"His status as the eldest son of a concubine?"
Oh, this.
Zhuang Dongqing nodded, "Of course."
His current relationship with Cen Yan is not entirely different from the convoluted plot in the book, but it is completely unrelated. Of course, he has never thought about becoming Cen Yan's principal wife, even though male wives are quite common in this world...
With a blink, Zhuang Dongqing seemed to know what Cen Yan was going to ask.
"and you……"
Taking a deep breath, Zhuang Dongqing said, "Why don't I speak first?"
When he first came to find Cen Yan, he didn't dare to be so rash, but after spending some time with him, he felt that Cen Yan wasn't so scary after all.
He was a bit unpredictable, and he could never quite figure out what the other person was thinking, but Cen Yan didn't like to lose his temper easily.
Having lived here for so long, he had never seen Cen Yan beat or scold the servants, nor had he heard any such gossip.
Zhuang Dongqing took the initiative to say, "You want to ask me about my plans for him, right? I've thought about it."
"I... I'll go first."
He muttered to himself, "There's no need for you to test me anymore."
Although it wasn't out in the open, Zhuang Dongqing could still feel Cen Yan's constant scrutiny of him.
After saying that, Cen Yan raised his eyebrows, while Zhuang Dongqing pretended to be calm, picked up his cup, and avoided eye contact.
He tapped his knuckles on the table, and a playful voice whispered in his ear, "Okay, you go first."
Zhuang Dongqing took a sip of water to catch her breath.
In ancient times, the continuation of the imperial line was highly valued, and the distinctions between legitimate and illegitimate children, as well as elder and younger children, were very subtle. Changing one's title could lead to a change in treatment. Cen Yan was the only remaining non-royal prince in the Great Sheng Dynasty, and Zhuang Dongqing knew what it meant to be the eldest son of him.
Therefore, Zhuang Dongqing had considered all the possibilities: what kind of identity Cen Yan would give this child, whether he would acknowledge him, and how he would acknowledge him, given that he had no feelings for the child whatsoever.
"Then I'll tell you."
After swallowing hard, Zhuang Dongqing said, "If you acknowledge him, then he will be your eldest son born out of wedlock. Well, I know that it will be troublesome for a son born out of wedlock to be older than a son born out of wedlock, but since we are already together, I can't change that. I can only apologize to your future princess."
I realized the last sentence was a bit too much, so I said it very quickly.
"If you want to cultivate him, then do as you wish; if you don't, I will teach him well from a young age and prevent him from having any delusions about the title."
Cen Yan's eyebrows twitched slightly, their gazes met, and he raised his chin, signaling Zhuang Dongqing to continue.
Zhuang Dongqing: "If you don't acknowledge him and don't record him in the family genealogy, he can still follow me in the future."
Cen Yan was surprised.
“If he’s not recorded in the family genealogy, there will be no dispute over the title. This cuts off his idea at the root, which is good.”
"But we won't record him in the family genealogy. It still depends on whether you acknowledge him as your child. After all, blood ties are undeniable and hard to sever. If you're willing to acknowledge him, then he can stay with me, and we'll discuss how to raise him."
“If you don’t want to acknowledge him, that’s even simpler. Just pretend you don’t have this child. You can still give me the same things as usual, and I will raise him well.”
Cen Yan: "What did I give you?"
"Industries," Zhuang Dongqing said, counting on his fingers. "As a scholar who passed the imperial examinations, I am of noble birth. In principle, I should be able to own a thousand households' worth of land and a certain number of servants. If a certain amount of farmland and shops are handed over to me, I can hold them."
"Whether you want to get rid of me or this child, the reality is that I need certain assets to make a living."
"I don't need to give you much land, I'm not very good at managing it. Just give me some of your shops in the capital. The income will be enough to cover the expenses of a farmer, and that will be enough to make a good living."
"By the way, before you give it to me, you'll probably need to assign two people to teach me and Liufu how to manage accounts, to teach me how to fish, otherwise if I get fooled in the future, these businesses won't be able to stay afloat."
Cen Yan: "..."
You've thought it through quite clearly.
Cen Yan sorted things out, "Putting the child aside, is this all you want from me?"
Zhuang Dongqing nodded, "I need to make a living."
After thinking for a moment, she added, "I don't want the child's life to be too bad either. If you don't acknowledge him, I can't let him suffer with me. Hmm, this is just a drop in the ocean for the Prince of Dingxi's Mansion. You have no reason not to give it to him..."
In the end, the statement was affirmative, but the tone carried a hint of doubt, sounding somewhat uncertain.
Cen Yan: "..."
Cen Yan rubbed his temples. "Putting all that aside, don't you want to stay in the Prince of Dingxi's residence?"
Zhuang Dongqing was also puzzled, "Why should I stay in the Prince's mansion?"
Cen Yan simply watched Zhuang Dongqing quietly.
Although no words were spoken, everything was understood without being said.
Zhuang Dongqing: "...Uh, you mean I should stay for this child?"
Cen Yan remained expressionless. “To be listed in the family genealogy, one must have an identity. Even if one is a son born out of wedlock…” He paused, then revealed, “A son born to a concubine is also a son born out of wedlock, and one still needs to submit a petition to request an official title.”
"ah?!"
Zhuang Dongqing's surprise seemed genuine.
Cen Yan's face darkened.
Zhuang Dongqing was confused: "But...but I..."
After a moment of hesitation, Cen Yan calmly replied, "But you don't intend to stay in the Prince's mansion, have an identity, and raise this child."
The summary was accurate, but so accurate that it sent chills down Zhuang Dongqing's spine.
My mind raced, but it remained completely blank.
However, Zhuang Dongqing realized what Cen Yan meant. Considering the situation in ancient times, if Cen Yan were to take responsibility for them, then there would be two of them: the child would have an identity, and so would he.
In this day and age, it would certainly be a very responsible approach, since women are not allowed to pursue a career in the private sector. But the key point is, he is not a woman.
Zhuang Dongqing's lips trembled as she looked at Cen Yan with trepidation, unable to utter a single word for a long time.
Cen Yan: "Or do you mean something else?"
"No, no, I, I..." Zhuang Dongqing quickly denied.
"What?"
Pressed relentlessly, Zhuang Dongqing reluctantly demurred, "We're not in love, so there's no need for us to..."
There's no need to force them to be together.
Concubine?!
Cen Yan's feelings were complicated: "In the end, you're unwilling to enter the manor for his sake?"
Zhuang Dongqing hesitated, "Isn't that unnecessary? I've already accepted him, and I'll have his baby, but..."
"but?"
They're not giving an inch; it seems they're determined to get a straight answer.
Zhuang Dongqing broke down, closed her eyes, and resigned herself to her fate: "But I don't need to sacrifice my whole life for him, do I? I'm a person too."
"I... still have my own life ahead of me."
"Besides, if I'm not happy, it's hard for him to be healthy and happy if he sees me with a long face all day long."
Cen Yan's pupils suddenly contracted.
After he finished speaking, a long silence followed in the room.
Zhuang Dongqing said during the day that he didn't want to be an official, but Cen Yan only thought that if he didn't become an official, he could enter the government and become a nobleman, which would be a better future.
Unexpectedly, these words were only meant literally.
The person in front of me doesn't want to be an official, nor does he want to gain status through his son.
Cen Yan suddenly chuckled.
Zhuang Dongqing was startled by the laughter.
Did he hurt Cen Yan's pride?
After all, in ancient times, if someone offered him a status and he refused, it would seem like he was ungrateful.
Cen Yan closed his eyes: "You're right."
Her voice was soft, but it couldn't hide her exhaustion.
Zhuang Dongqing felt a chill run down her spine. "Which...which sentence?"
"If you're not happy, he won't be either."
Oh, this is indeed a profound saying in education.
Cen Yan rubbed his forehead.
The room fell silent again.
The silence lasted so long that Zhuang Dongqing's heart trembled and shuddered.
Finally unable to contain himself any longer, he braced himself and asked, "Your Highness, is there anything else you want to ask me?"
Don't stay silent, it's scary!
Cen Yan did answer, but his tone was stiff: "It's gone now."
He had set up the chessboard, but Zhuang Dongqing simply overturned the table!
"..."
Zhuang Dongqing stammered, "Then, this one..."
Cen Yan: "I'll think about it when I get back."
"That child..."
"Together."
Zhuang Dongqing asked in surprise, "Haven't you made up your mind after all this time?"
Let's leave his affairs aside; both sides knew about the child from the beginning.
Cen Yan opened his eyes and looked at him. His light-colored eyes and expressionless face made Zhuang Dongqing break out in a cold sweat.
He said, word by word, “It has been quite a while. How about we switch places? You can go to the Dali Temple to serve me, and I'll stay at the mansion to enjoy the flowers and drink tea. How about we think it over?”
"..."
Oh, Cen Yan was busy with the dealer's affairs and the cheating case, staying up all night.
Zhuang Dongqing fell silent. He didn't speak, and Cen Yan ignored him, closing his eyes and sitting quietly again.
Once he had calmed down, Cen Yan stood up. "Nothing else to say?"
When he mentioned it, Zhuang Dongqing actually remembered something serious: "By the way, the deposed crown prince, is being imprisoned the end of him?"
"That's what His Majesty means now."
"Then, they won't be sentenced to death?"
He spoke very softly, realizing it was inappropriate, but he had no choice but to ask.
Cen Yanshen glanced at Zhuang Dongqing and answered, "Li Cheng was raised by His Majesty himself. Even if he is deposed, the bond between father and son still exists. Unless he forces the emperor to abdicate and rebel, His Majesty will not treat him like this."
Li Cheng was the deposed crown prince.
Cen Yan is gone.
Zhuang Dongqing was left with a dazed look on her face.
In the book, the deposed crown prince was given death by imperial decree, so according to Cen Yan's statement, there was a rebellion later on.
Why isn't this over yet?
Could a mutiny be brewing in the capital?!
With the thought lingering in his mind, he didn't sleep well that night. In the middle of the night, he felt unwell. Liu Fu reached out and touched Zhuang Dongqing's forehead, finding it a little hot. He quickly lit a candle to check on him.
Under the light, Zhuang Dongqing noticed that her skin was somewhat red, resembling an allergic reaction.
The first thing that came to his mind was the incense on Cen Yan's body...
Liu Fu got up and went to find Master Zhao, repeating Zhuang Dongqing's original words. When he mentioned incense, Master Zhao looked at him in surprise.
Fearing poisoning, Cen Yan never wears incense!
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