Chapter 82 The Hemp Ball for the Rest of My Life
Before she could even feel sad, Xiao Yuan's voice suddenly appeared in her mind.
[Put the male protagonist in the sea, and I can restore him!]
Without hesitation, Lu Wensheng immediately took Shen Hegui and walked out quickly, with Luo Jiangsheng following silently.
Lu Wensheng thought to himself, "You didn't wake up the whole way. I thought you had fallen into hibernation early. Do you know why Shen Hegui is like this?"
Xiao Yuan explained in detail: [The day before the Dragon Boat Festival, after the host got together with the male lead, their affection level reached 100 points, and my energy instantly increased. I fell into a deep slumber of recuperation. According to my newly unlocked memories, this was due to the male lead giving back to his offspring.]
Lu Wensheng slowed his pace, his voice trembling: "You mean Shen Hegui is pregnant? With my child?"
Is this some kind of absurdity?! How can a man give birth? By C-section? Or by defecating? No, I can't think about this anymore, stop!
Xiao Yuan: [No, the male lead isn't pregnant! The one who's pregnant is the host, the two eggs!]
This is like a bolt from the blue! I didn't feel anything, my belly wasn't even that big, but I'm so happy to be pregnant!
Lu Wensheng was first shocked and hesitant, then it dawned on her. After being with Shen Hegui, she indeed hadn't had her period. Not only had her appetite increased significantly, but her tastes had also changed every day. She had thought that she was missing Shen Hegui too much and that was why she couldn't sleep at night. Shen Zhao had also mentioned that Shen Hegui was suffering from acclimatization issues. It turned out that he had taken the blame for everything.
Xiao Yuan chattered on: "I'm currently brimming with energy, and I've even sensed the power contained within the dragon horns. By using the dragon horns as a medium to acquire the power of the main world's rules, the male protagonist can directly transform into a dragon."
Lu Wensheng: "Okay!"
September was the end of summer, and the seawater was already slightly cool. After putting Xiao Yuan into the water first, Lu Wensheng placed Shen Hegui on its back.
Luo Jiangsheng, who had been silently following along, finally couldn't help but speak up: "What are you trying to do?"
The sea breeze made Lu Wensheng's ponytail fly high as she said, "Let's try to see if we can restore Shen He."
Although Xiao Yuan has always been unreliable, he has never harmed her. Let's try anything as a last resort!
Before Luo Jiangsheng could ask anything else, countless golden rays suddenly fell from all directions of the sky and converged into the sea.
A mirage-like, illusory scene gradually emerges from where the sea meets the sky.
Green tiles and jade roofs, auspicious birds and clouds, towering mountains—it's a scene completely unlike anything in the human world.
The small hill was suddenly filled with soldiers, kneeling in a dark mass, bowing repeatedly towards the sea and sky, whispering prayers.
Golden light shot out from the central tent and landed in the sea. The next moment, a dragon's roar rose from the sea, and the sound waves swept across the land. Then, a huge silver dragon that blotted out the sky came into everyone's view.
Lu Wensheng was filled with amazement and unconsciously took a few steps forward.
As if by telepathy, the dragon turned its head and slowly bent down to approach her. Its warm breath brushed against her clothes and lingered briefly on her abdomen.
At the same time, the small hand touched the huge dragon horn.
Just like in the legends, the dragon's horns look like deer antlers!
Before she could even touch it properly, she was arched up into the hollow at the base of the dragon's horn.
The figures on the sea, mountains and trees vanished in an instant, and a humid mist swept over her. Only then did Lu Wensheng realize that she had flown into the sky.
Lu Wensheng shouted excitedly, "Shen Hegui! You can fly now!"
Several more thunderous dragon roars echoed through the heavens, and the Japanese pirate army, dozens of miles away, emerged from their camps.
Shen Hegui's clear voice rang out: "Yes, Sheng'er, come with me to do something."
Lu Wensheng: "Okay."
The enormous dragon tail plunged deep into the sea, striking the floating island where the Japanese pirates were located without mercy. The clouds dispersed, the seawater parted, the rocks crumbled, and countless cracks appeared on the island's surface.
The Japanese soldiers fell into the sea like dumplings being dropped into a pot, and were instantly sucked away by the huge whirlpool that formed, their fate unknown.
From his extremely high vantage point, Lu Wensheng saw volcanoes of varying sizes erupting in the distance, and ant-like figures moving frantically.
Although every life is precious, differing stances mean it's a matter of life or death; in the face of war, there is no room for sympathy.
Lu Wensheng touched the silver dragon head, realizing that this battle was completely over, and that if Shen Hegui wanted, he could directly destroy the island where the Japanese pirates had lived for generations.
After a short while, Lu Wensheng was taken to an unnamed island and then fell into a warm embrace.
Shen Hegui said with deep remorse, "Sheng'er, I'm sorry. It was my carelessness that made me not realize you were pregnant."
“Without horns, you’re an incomplete dragon. It’s normal that you didn’t sense anything.” After landing and regaining his footing, Lu Wensheng’s attention was entirely on Shen Hegui’s legs: “Are your legs injured?”
From the moment she met Shen Hegui, she felt like she was in a bizarre dream, with little sense of reality.
Shen Hegui: "As long as the dragon scales are there, there's nothing to worry about."
The island is deserted, with its entire length visible at a glance, but its advantage lies in being undisturbed.
Shen Hegui had Lu Wensheng sit on his tail, and then began to explain in detail how he had retrieved the dragon horn, and told her that Shen Rui was locked in the camp's stable, but was not dead yet.
The two leaned on each other, sharing their news.
As the sun set, Shen Hegui suddenly asked, "Sheng'er, now that Shen Rui and I are in your hands, do you want to follow the example of the ancients, seize the emperor and the crown prince, and storm the palace? Nowadays, corruption is rampant in officialdom, land annexation is serious, tax revenue is being lost in large quantities, and there is also the system of vassal kings, which breeds a large number of bloodsucking leeches. Reform is too slow, and once the reformers die, the original beneficiaries will launch a frenzied counterattack."
Lu Wensheng, who was leaning lazily against Shen Hegui, perked up immediately upon hearing this: "You really want me to rebel? Under what pretext?"
Shen Hegui placed his hand on her lower abdomen, carefully sensing the vibrant life connected by blood: "No, it's not a rebellion, it's purging the court of corrupt officials. As long as Shen Rui doesn't die, my position as crown prince will remain. If Shen Zhao ascends the throne, it will be an illegitimate move! It will be perfectly justified."
Lu Wensheng fell into deep thought.
Shen Hegui's words make sense and are insightful, but did women ever rebel in feudal society?
She sat up: "But Chen Zhao has already exposed my identity as a woman."
"He doesn't have any direct evidence. I've already moved everyone from the Lu family," Shen Hegui said slowly. "Even if the whole world knows, so what? Whoever has the military can make the decisions!"
Lu Wensheng was slightly intrigued: "Do you know how long it takes for a dragon egg to develop?"
Shen Hegui: "...I really don't know, but it should be much more resilient than human children. As long as you don't cut it with a knife, it will be fine."
Lu Wensheng: "Then let's have a quiet bar."
*
The next day at dawn, Japan sent a letter of peace. After several days of negotiations, the two sides finally broke camp on a cool early autumn day, intending to return to the capital.
After Shen Hegui transformed into a dragon, Xiao Yuan fell into a deep sleep again. Before going to sleep, it specifically told Lu Wensheng to rub against and hug Shen Hegui more often so that it could accumulate energy to wake up quickly.
The army of tens of thousands was not afraid of wolves or tigers on the road. And for some reason, they traveled smoothly without any obstacles or difficulties.
A month later, in the early morning, Lu Wensheng and Shen Hegui arrived at a place a hundred miles outside Yanjing.
Dark clouds obscured the moon, and autumn insects chirped—it was the perfect time for a night attack.
Luo Jiangsheng led his troops to the city gate first.
Shen Hegui, with Lu Wensheng at the back, went to see Shen Rui.
This time was better than last time. He wasn't in the big vat, and he still had hands and feet, but his hands and feet seemed to have atrophied, unable to support his entire weight or lift anything. He could only lie down.
Shen Rui had aged considerably, his voice hoarse and weary: "I truly regret not strangling you to death back then, and you too, Lu Wensheng, a fourteen-year-old top scholar, a prodigy. Those not of my kind are bound to have different hearts..."
After Shen Rui finished cursing and caught his breath, Shen Hegui cut his finger and pressed his fingerprint on the imperial edict to purge the court of corrupt officials.
Naturally, the imperial edict was forged by Lu Wensheng.
Without even reading a word, he was forced to press his fingerprint. Shen Rui immediately struggled to get up: "What did you make me press? Shen Hegui, you monster! You beast!"
Lu Wensheng didn't want to say much, but seeing Shen Rui calling him a monster, he couldn't help but speak up: "He's not a monster, I think you are! You're the invader! You're the destroyer of your child! You're the plunderer! It's ridiculous, the dragon robe has a dragon on it, but when you meet the real one, you call him a monster!"
Shen Rui must have seen the crane transform into a dragon that day, but he just didn't want to admit that he was wrong.
Shen Hegui pricked his finger and pressed his fingerprint on the imperial edict, then handed it to Lu Wensheng. He comforted him, saying, "Don't be angry, and don't waste your breath arguing with him. It's unnecessary and not worth it."
After saying this, Shen Hegui approached Shen Rui, his face indifferent: "Shen Rui, do you know why you lost? Because you succeeded before. The day you killed my mother, she foresaw my death and used all her strength to give me a new life."
Shen Hegui paused briefly, then poured a vial of dark blue venom into Shen Rui's mouth: "I originally intended to destroy your empire, but after meeting Lu Wensheng, I changed my mind, because I couldn't bear to see my beloved subservient to someone else. I won't kill you, because death would be too easy. You can live the rest of your life as the retired emperor!"
Shen Rui's face was contorted with rage as he kept opening his mouth, only to find that he had lost his voice. Then, his senses of sight, smell, hearing, and taste disappeared one after another.
History surrounding the throne always repeats itself in striking ways, except this time Lu Wensheng is the main character.
Shen Zhao seemed to know that his fate was sealed and offered no resistance whatsoever.
On the dragon throne in the Fengtian Hall, he was dressed in a dragon robe, his hair neatly combed, constantly stroking the pure gold dragon throne, as if he couldn't see Shen Hegui slowly walking in.
Shen Hegui's death was a lie! His father's abdication was a lie! It was all a lie! He was just a joke, a pawn. Since his benevolent father wanted to sacrifice him to purge the court, he would not let him have his way.
Shen Zhao's eyes were bloodshot: "I've always known that my father isn't a good person. If he hadn't changed his mind, my mother wouldn't have died of depression, and I wouldn't have become the second prince. I thought he had a repentant heart, but I didn't expect that he was just a pawn of his. I always thought you were a snake demon, but the truth has proven that I was wrong, and terribly wrong!"
He took out a notebook from his pocket, slowly walked down, and continued, "I cannot quell the Japanese invasion without losing a single soldier. This is that old codger's notebook, which records how he met your mother's people and how he plotted against you and me."
Shen Hegui didn't take it, and said indifferently, "I've seen it before, I know it."
Shen Zhao stopped: "Can I see what you look like? I've never seen a real dragon before."
Shen Hegui shook his head and refused.
Shen Zhao's eyes flickered slightly, a hint of disappointment in them: "I have to admit, I've always been jealous of you. Whether it's recognizing talent or using people, you far surpass me."
Upon closer reflection, all these years of struggle between him and Shen Hegui were actually instigated and manipulated by Shen Rui. He was just a pawn, a joke!
Lin Shoubai arrived hurriedly with the Imperial Guards who had just changed into crimson flying fish robes: "Your Highness, everything is under control."
Shen Hegui turned aside, not wanting to say more: "Take Shen Zhao back to the other courtyard, and no one is allowed to visit him."
On the surface, it was Lu Wensheng who was dissatisfied with the loss of the throne and rushed to the aid of the emperor to uphold legitimacy. Therefore, the officials in Yanjing did not realize what was going on until a series of new policies were suddenly issued.
For example, the imperial examination system was reformed, adding practical subjects and implementing the rotation of officials and performance evaluation. Another example is the abolition of the military household system, the recruitment of professional soldiers, the strengthening of the defense lines in the north and along the coast, and the tax system reform.
When reforms touched upon vested interests, countless people immediately voiced their opposition. Of course, their opposition didn't last long, because once someone enters officialdom, almost no one is clean, and they are completely vulnerable to deep scrutiny.
Once the evidence was presented, everyone involved in the entire operation was eradicated without exception.
Forced into a corner, some naturally wanted to rebel, but tens of thousands of elite troops were stationed outside Yanjing City, and they were completely outmatched.
Moreover, the saying that Shen Hegui was a true dragon descended to earth and that the country would perish if he did not ascend the throne was widely circulated and became the will of the people.
Under the combined pressure of public opinion and overwhelming force, the reforms encountered minor setbacks, but the impact was minimal. Moreover, everyone was busy protecting themselves, so no one dared to cause trouble or question Lu Wensheng's gender, because regardless of whether she was male or female, it wouldn't undo their losses.
Before we knew it, it was the end of the twelfth lunar month, the day before Lunar New Year's Eve. Beijing was as bustling as ever, and auspicious snow fell from the sky.
The river beneath the Magpie Bridge was crowded with water lanterns of all sizes, each carrying a beautiful wish.
Shen Hegui, with his keen hearing, pointed to a person under a tree on the opposite bank and whispered, "Look there, the newly promoted Censor-in-Chief is making a wish, hoping that heaven will grant you a female identity, otherwise there will be no successor to the throne."
Lu Wensheng removed the mask from her face and looked up: "It doesn't look like him. I remember he had white hair." As she spoke, she touched her still flat stomach.
After returning to Beijing, Zhang Chanyi always said she was healthy and not pregnant whenever he took her pulse. However, Shen Hegui insisted that she was pregnant. In recent months, she has been wavering between doubt and belief, and she is also somewhat amused and exasperated.
While other women experience anxiety about pregnancy and their babies, she was anxious about whether she would even have a baby.
“They probably dyed their hair black with black beans.” Noticing the surging crowd, Shen Hegui pulled Lu Wensheng into his arms, separating them from the crowd, and then tilted the red umbrella in his hand.
Lu Wensheng gently tugged at Shen Hegui's sleeve, gesturing for him to turn around and look: "It seems there are more than a dozen people around him. Why don't we just go home? If we get caught, it'll be awkward for them and awkward for me too."
Due to the historical context, Lu Wensheng did not want to regain her identity as a woman and directly become Shen Hegui's empress. Therefore, the two secretly married outside the palace, and their so-called "returning home" was actually to a small courtyard outside the palace.
There was neither the Crown Prince nor the Vice Minister in the small courtyard, only Lu Wensheng and Shen Hegui.
The candlelight flickered, filling the warm, spring-like room. Lu Wensheng nestled in Shen Hegui's arms, listening to him read storybooks. Since she had started eating her favorite meat, Lu Wensheng's taste in storybooks had completely changed. She now preferred stories of tragic romance, the kind that were emotionally intense but not physically cruel, with the male lead chasing after his wife through a dramatic and dramatic process, and the second male lead eventually winning her over.
A clear and gentle voice echoed in his ears, and Lu Wensheng's consciousness gradually became hazy, his breathing slowed down.
Carefully placing the person inside and covering them with the blanket, Shen Hegui quietly got off the bed.
During the months since he transformed into a dragon, images had been flashing through his mind—what, according to the stories, should be called inherited memories. He also learned why his mother had fallen into this world—because the god who had protected them for generations had fallen, the sacred mountain had been destroyed, and countless fragments of the mountain range had fallen into the rift in the world.
If the mountain fragments from the divine realm were placed on earth, they would form a giant island, and the mother and her people came with those fragments.
But none of that matters right now.
The snow creaked and groaned, followed by the sound of a door being pushed open.
Beside the stove, Xiao Yuan, who had just climbed out of the sand urn, landed directly in a large, broad hand.
The snow reflected the light, casting Shen Hegui's face in a half-light, half-shadow: "Yellow turtle?"
In recent days, he had been able to sense a strange power that was sometimes strong and sometimes weak. It was of the same origin as him but not of the same source. He originally thought it would pose a great threat, but he did not expect it to be the turtle that Lu Wensheng kept.
Xiao Yuan, who had been asleep for months, had just opened his eyes when he saw his natural enemy and froze on the spot.
Shen Hegui examined the area for a long time but found nothing unusual. Thinking it better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free, he silently drew the dagger he always carried with him.
Seeing that things were going wrong, Xiao Yuan quickly spoke up, in a physical sense: "Don't kill me, I don't taste good! Let me accumulate energy for another ten years or so, and I can take you back to the main world. Strictly speaking, you and I are still distant relatives!"
It recounted in detail how it met Lu Wensheng and why it sent her to this world, only concealing the mission.
Shen Hegui suddenly realized why he always had someone to help him when he was in trouble in this life. He met Lin Shoubai when he was studying and became his confidant. He was taken in when he escaped from the palace on a snowy night and avoided serious illness, frostbite and losing his tail tip. He met the talented general Luo Jiangsheng when he went to the imperial mausoleum and became even more powerful. Everything he did became much easier. It turned out that all these people were given to him by Lu Wensheng.
The world in the book is both real and illusory, and his mother and Lu Wensheng are both outsiders.
Unable to fathom the expressionless Shen Hegui, Xiao Yuan could only keep adding more leverage: "The host started writing first, and then this world came into being. But since she's in it, her memories will be erased by the power of the rules, so she doesn't know anything about it. Even without cultivation, dragons have a lifespan of several thousand years. You two can't live in the world of the book forever!"
The kitchen door was not closed, and large snowflakes were blown in by the wind, sticking straight to Shen Hegui's hair. His narrow phoenix eyes were half-closed, unmoved: "Will Lu Wensheng suddenly leave?"
Xiao Yuan: "No, in the main world, her lifespan has come to an end. Unless you go back with her, she can only remain in the world of the book forever."
Shen Hegui immediately understood the reason: "Because of the contract, which allows them to share their lives, she had the opportunity to go back?"
"Yes." Xiao Yuan nodded frantically, repeatedly assuring everyone that it would not harm Lu Wensheng and that it was there to bring the two together.
The sound of a cold dagger being sheathed rang out, and Shen Hegui put Xiao Yuan down.
He won't leave suddenly; as long as we can't live without him, that's fine. We'll talk about what will happen in ten or twenty years.
The guards kept a close watch on Xiao Yuan, and Shen He returned to his bedroom.
Carefully pulling her into his arms, Shen Hegui gazed at Lu Wensheng with deep affection. So, she had come for him. For the rest of his life, he would take good care of her and ensure her happiness and well-being.
Everything was fine outside the palace, except for one thing: the roosters started crowing before dawn, and their crowing was so loud and piercing.
As the rooster crowed, Lu Wensheng turned over in frustration, feeling a dull ache in his abdomen and the urge to urinate.
Because I ate radish stewed with mutton the night before, I thought it was just bloating and that I could just bear it and it would pass once the gas subsided.
Shen Hegui had been dozing with his eyes closed. When he saw that Lu Wensheng was awakened by the rooster's crow, he considerately raised his hand and covered her earlobe.
Shen Hegui said softly, "Would this be better?"
"Hmm," Lu Wensheng mumbled in response.
As the pain subsided and he smelled the familiar fragrance, Lu Wensheng's consciousness once again drifted into a daze, plunging into darkness.
The heavy snow gradually stopped, and the sky began to brighten.
The aroma of food from next door wafted through the window cracks and into the bedroom.
Lu Wensheng reached out and touched what was beside him, and sure enough, he touched a smooth scale.
Since Shen He transformed into a dragon, he no longer feared the cold or heat, and he especially liked to transform into a half-human form to hold her while she slept. Every time she got up, crescent-shaped marks would always be left on her wrists or ankles.
She stretched her limbs and was about to get up when she suddenly felt two round, hard objects pressing against the inside of her thighs.
What's inside her trouser leg?
She reached out and pulled out two pure white round eggs, slightly larger than chicken eggs, from the bed.
Lu Wensheng's breathing hitched slightly, then he began to shake Shen Hegui frantically: "Shen Hegui, wake up!" No way? Surely not? The dragon egg is so small? Is it malnourished?
His narrow phoenix eyes opened, meeting two perfectly round eggs. Smelling the familiar scent, his tail stiffened instantly, and his single eyelids turned into double eyelids.
Shen Hegui was filled with shock: "This, this..."
Lu Wensheng hesitated and said, "It's probably an egg. I found it under the covers."
This is so sudden! I woke up one morning to find myself a mom!
His slender fingers touched the two white, smooth eggs. Before he could even feel them, the eggshells shattered instantly from his fingertips. The next second, two small dragons, each about the thickness of a thumb, appeared in the air, looking exactly like Shen Hegui.
Before the two could react, the white dragon transformed into a human, and a cry rang out instantly.
Lu Wensheng and Shen Hegui looked at each other, both of them bewildered.
Lu Wensheng said vaguely, "Let's each have one. The boy is yours, and the girl is mine." It really was a painless pregnancy; it felt like we'd picked them up off the street.
Shen Hegui stiffened, and said blankly, "Fine." Doesn't he need to incubate the egg?
The new year arrived quietly amidst the chaos and busyness of new parents.
At the end of the first month, all civil and military officials gathered at Fengtian Hall and petitioned Shen Hegui to ascend the throne as emperor. Shen Hegui gladly accepted and set the reign title as Zhaowu.
Three years have passed in the blink of an eye.
Unexpectedly, the natural disaster that Shen Hegui remembered did not occur.
Commerce flourished, granaries were full, and the people lived in peace and contentment.
Top-down reforms require decades to stabilize, and she faced both overt and covert enemies, so she did not bring Song Zhiyun back to Yanjing.
Besides, Shen Hegui can fly and will reach Shuanglang Island in less than an hour, so there is no need to bring Song Zhiyun back, which would only create a weakness.
For the past three years, Lu Wensheng has remained a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. It's not that she wanted this position, but rather that her two troublemakers were simply too unruly, and only by staying in the office could she have her own private space.
Three knocks sounded on the door.
Lu Wensheng's ears perked up, and he became alert: "Who?"
"Lord Lu, His Majesty has sent this old servant to bring you some snacks."
Feng Gou's voice came from outside the door. Lu Wensheng patted his chest and immediately breathed a sigh of relief: "Come in."
As long as Shen Hegui wasn't taking care of the baby, it was fine. She was about to finish her shift and was indeed a little hungry.
Lu Wensheng: "What kind of snacks did he ask you to send over?"
Feng Gou pointed to his fingertips: "It's called a twisted dough stick."
Feng Gou kept Shen Hegui's instructions in mind, put down the food box, and took his leave.
Twisted dough sticks? She doesn't like them, and Shen Hegui knows that.
Looking at the intricately carved food box, Lu Wensheng suddenly had a bad feeling. She took a deep breath and opened the intricately carved food box.
"mother."
"mother."
Lu Wensheng: "..."
Looking at the knotted mess, Lu Wensheng felt a wave of dizziness.
This is ridiculous! It's clearly a sesame ball, the kind you can't untangle!
Because of human greed, and with Shen Hegui serving as a cautionary tale, Lu Wensheng and he agreed to take turns caring for the child, without relying on others. Among the people around them, only Lin Shoubai knew that Shen Hegui had an heir.
Perhaps it was their blood that carried a combative nature, but from the time they learned to walk, the brother and sister would always fight whenever they had a major disagreement. At first, they would use fists and feet, but later, seeing that their mother was worried about them, they would cleverly switch back to their original forms, since they wouldn't get hurt and would only tie knots.
She had solved twisted dough sticks before, but this was her first time solving a twisted ball.
Lu Wensheng skillfully searched for the tail and began to unravel: "So, what did you two argue about this time?"
Lu Xinti spoke first: "My brother and I went to play with Grandpa Zhan. An aunt at Grandpa Zhan's house asked us, if Mom and Dad fell into the water at the same time, who should we save? I chose Dad because Mom can swim."
Not to be outdone, Shen Yanbai argued forcefully: "We should save Mother first! Father, like us, won't drown!"
Lu Xinti said firmly, "We can't drown, but Father can! I saw Father drown. Mother saved him with CPR in the bathing pool of Zhaowu Palace."
Lu Wensheng's ears burned, and she covered the mouths of the two little dragons with one on each side, whispering, "If Mother and Father fall into the water at the same time, you can each save one. Others have to make a choice because they only have one person."
She explained step by step: "Your father is usually not drowning, but in very special circumstances, he may drown."
The two children asked in unison, "When?"
Lu Wensheng: "For example, when you are seriously injured and bleeding, there are of course special circumstances, but I can't tell you now. We have to wait until you are older and can maintain your human form."
When they get older, they still need to be taught what needs to be taught; we can't avoid it, otherwise how will they protect themselves?
Because of the arrival of "big hemp balls", Lu Wensheng finished his shift early and returned to Zhaowu Hall, buying a bunch of snacks on the way.
Lu Xinti and Shen Yanbai are both very sensible. When they turn back into little dragons and there are outsiders around, they don't say a word and are very well-behaved.
After closing the palace door and putting down his snacks, Lu Wensheng took out the "big hemp ball" from his sleeve and planned to continue unraveling it.
A large, well-defined hand suddenly came into view, and then the "hemp ball" was picked up. A clear, cold voice said, "Put it on the couch first, and we'll untie it tomorrow."
This had happened countless times, and the two little dragons immediately realized that their father was going to fight them for their mother again.
Shen Yanbai: "My sister and I haven't taken a bath yet, we need Mom to!"
Lu Xinti: "Yes! My brother and I haven't had dinner yet! We need Mom to feed us!"
Shen Hegui raised his long eyebrows, strode to the window, called out Lin Shoubai, and then said to the two little dragons, "In your current state, you can neither bathe nor eat. You need to untangle yourselves. You untangled your own knots. You are already three years old, and in two more years you will be big dragons. You can't go to your mother every time something happens..."
Lu Wensheng stood to the side, listening to Shen Hegui's earnest bluff, trying his best to suppress his laughter.
Although the two little rascals were very mischievous, they provided endless joy. Two years ago, she had discussed the issue of succession to the throne with Shen Hegui, who said: "Fair competition is fine, regardless of gender."
After handing Shen Yanbai and Lu Xinti over to Lin Shoubai, Shen Hegui led Lu Wensheng into a secret room to begin their time alone together.
With their hair intertwined and their bodies warming each other, Shen Hegui took a moment to say, "This year on Qixi Festival, could Sheng'er accompany me to go through the formalities? The previous dynasty is urging me to establish an empress more and more frequently, and the child is already so grown up, so she needs a formal title."
"Alright!" Lu Wensheng's breathing became slightly heavy as she asked the question that had been lingering in her mind for a long time, "Shen Hegui, why haven't I gotten pregnant again in the past three years? Have you been taking medicine behind my back?"
Since it's possible to have a child painlessly, why not have two more? Let the older one take care of the younger one, and they'll both be content.
A massive, silvery-white tail materialized and tightly coiled around Lu Wensheng. Sweat dripped down his face as he said, "Except for the time of our contract, it's extremely rare for my clan to have offspring. I was an exception. If you really want a child, I'll try harder. We share thousands of years of lifespan; we can definitely have another one!"
"Then let's leave it to fate." Lu Wensheng touched Shen Hegui's suddenly serious eyebrows and slowly smiled. "Don't worry, I was just saying it casually."
Having spent so many years together, she realized that Shen Hegui had always been insecure. He was afraid she would run away, afraid she would suddenly change her mind. Because he had suffered great pain in the past, he did not fully trust people deep down.
Lu Wensheng promised, "Although humans are not creatures of lasting affection, I am willing to go against my instincts and defy my nature to love you forever and stay with you forever. In fact, without you, I would never have planned to get pregnant and have children in this life. The greatest luck of my life is meeting you."
“Sheng’er, I’ve taken everything you said to heart.” Shen Hegui hugged Lu Wensheng tightly. “My greatest fortune is meeting you. Without you, I wouldn’t be who I am today. For the rest of my life, I hope you’ll be with me every single day.”
Lu Wensheng chuckled softly in his arms, extending her little finger to hook it around his slender fingers.
"Okay, let's pinky swear."
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