Chapter 9 Yunzhu, wanting a child is not shameful...
Xiao Ming'an came to the temple, actually to meet her lover?
Yunzhu was so shocked she could hardly close her mouth, and hurriedly asked Ayan to tell her everything she had just witnessed—
It turned out that as soon as he parted ways with Yunzhu, Xiao Ming'an couldn't wait to go to the bamboo grove behind the temple's meditation room.
She didn't go to the koi pond or any other palaces. After turning left and right and shaking off the guards of the Prince's Palace, she headed straight for her goal.
Waiting for her in the bamboo grove was a man dressed in a blue robe, who appeared to be a student trained in the private school of the royal family.
The two held hands as soon as they met, inseparable.
Ayan followed them for a while. In the quiet bamboo forest, she overheard their conversation, which consisted entirely of old, sour remarks.
Yunzhu understood.
No wonder, she thought. She and Xiao Ming'an had never had a deep relationship. Why did she insist on bringing her to this temple today? It was to use her to cover up her beloved.
It's really tough on her; she had to keep it a secret from her family while also trying to take advantage of them.
Yunzhu then asked Ayan, "Did you get a good look at the man? Can you recognize who he is?"
Ayan shook her head. Yunzhou City was so big, it was already quite remarkable that she could recognize these students as being from a private school trained by the Prince's Mansion.
But she did remember the man's appearance, and if she met him again, she would definitely recognize him.
Yunzhu didn't ask any more questions, but simply told Ayan that this matter must not be revealed to anyone else.
Her relationship with Xiao Ming'an was just so-so, but not to the point where he would want to harm her.
The private school of Prince Huan's mansion was funded by the mansion to educate children from impoverished families both inside and outside Yunzhou City. Everything from the teachers and dormitories to the necessary equipment was provided by Prince Huan's mansion. Any student within Prince Huan's territory who passed the examination could enter the school without paying a single penny.
In return, once they have completed their studies, these people will be required to work in the government offices under the Prince's jurisdiction, serving the Prince Huan's household.
The lover Xiao Ming'an has chosen now even wears a scholar's blue robe when he goes out, which shows that he really has no money and no status.
Xiao Ming'an was aware of this, so he only dared to meet with people secretly, and dared not do so openly.
But they are not entirely without options.
If this person develops real skills in the future and gains the favor of Prince Huan's mansion through his own abilities, then given time, they may very well become a celebrated story.
Yunzhu made her decision, and when she and Ayan returned to their original spot, they happened to catch Xiao Ming'an walking out of the temple.
When the two groups met, she simply asked Xiao Ming'an a few questions, just as she had when she arrived, and then went down the mountain with her.
—
After returning to the city, Yunzhu first took the child she had met at the temple to the Yunzhou government office.
The child was not lying; his elder brother did indeed work in the Yunzhou government office and had even met Yunzhu twice.
The constable thanked her profusely, and the child finally realized that the person he had encountered today was the heir apparent and the county princess of the Prince Huan's mansion.
No wonder she had such big, dark eyes. The child stared wide-eyed at Yunzhu, having obviously heard the news that the Crown Prince of Huan had married a princess from another tribe as his consort.
Yunzhu noticed his gaze, but she wasn't annoyed. Before leaving, she leaned down and said to him, "Now that you know my identity, you should also know that I can do a lot of things in Yunzhou City. If you need my help in the future, you can come to the Huanwang Mansion to find me. I will do my best to help you as much as I can."
“Okay!” The child nodded solemnly.
Yunzhu then straightened up and returned to the Prince's Mansion with Xiao Ming'an.
Only after she got into the carriage did Xiao Ming'an belatedly realize and ask, "Hey, my brother happens to be at the government office today, why didn't you send someone to let us in to play with him for a while?"
“He must have important matters to attend to at the government office. Why would we bother him?” Yunzhu asked quite naturally, leaving Xiao Ming’an speechless for a moment.
Well, Xiao Ming'an thought, her sister-in-law was quite sensible at times.
Yunzhu looked at her naive and innocent sister-in-law with utter helplessness.
They were already at the entrance of the government office; did she really not want to go in and play with Xiao Mingzhang? Of course not.
However, she learned very early on, not long after she married into Yunzhou City, that the Yunzhou government office was a secret and important place of the Huan Prince's mansion, just like a military camp, and that she, a woman from another ethnic group, would not be welcomed easily.
Even if she were the heir apparent's wife from the Prince Huan's mansion, it wouldn't work.
She and Xiao Ming'an returned to the Prince's Mansion. Ying Shi had gone out to attend the full moon celebration and had not yet returned. Yunzhu was relieved of a major problem and went straight back to her own courtyard.
She never expected that Xiao Mingzhang would be home in the middle of the afternoon.
Yunzhu walked into the study in surprise and saw Xiao Mingzhang holding the calligraphy she had written that morning. She didn't say anything, just waited for Xiao Mingzhang to finish reading it and look forward to his evaluation.
"Hmm, not bad." But Xiao Mingzhang's evaluation was hardly surprising. Yunzhu, somewhat dissatisfied, snatched the calligraphy copybook away and retorted, "Just not bad?"
"Otherwise?" Xiao Mingzhang asked.
“I’ve only practiced with this new calligraphy book for two days, and I’ve already become so proficient in just two days. You should praise me more!” Yunzhu said earnestly.
Xiao Mingzhang suppressed a slight smile, unaware that Yunzhu had this in mind.
"Then teach me how to praise someone?" he asked humbly.
Yunzhu didn't stand on ceremony and straightened her back, saying, "You should say that the Crown Princess has mastered calligraphy to such a high level in just two days. It seems that she has a very high level of comprehension. Given time and if she continues, she will definitely be among the top calligraphers in the Central Plains!"
She was truly shameless. Xiao Mingzhang chuckled and lightly tapped Yunzhu's forehead with his finger.
"With your handwriting, you'd need to practice for another ten years before I can praise you like that again," he finally said, revealing the truth.
Well, Yunzhu sheepishly put away the calligraphy copybook, knowing full well that her skill level was hardly worthy of such high praise. But she just wanted to have some fun with Xiao Mingzhang.
She put away the calligraphy copybook, looked at the still bright sky outside the study, and finally remembered to ask Xiao Mingzhang, "Why are you back so early today?"
"Hmm? Can't I come back sooner?"
“Of course not!” Yunzhu hurriedly said, but in the past, if Xiao Mingzhang went to the yamen, he would never be home before evening.
Xiao Mingzhang roughly knew what Yunzhu was thinking, so he explained, "My mother is going to someone's house for a full moon celebration today and will not be back until evening. I'm coming back early so I don't run into her."
Ah, right, Yunzhu suddenly remembered that Ying Shi was unaware of the scar on Xiao Mingzhang's cheek.
After listening to Xiao Mingzhang finish speaking, she couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke his cheek with heartache.
In just one day, the scar remained on Xiao Mingzhang's cheek, and it was impossible for it to completely fade away.
Yunzhu tilted her head back and gently stroked the scar for a while before asking, "Did you apply any medicine this afternoon?"
"No, I'm just waiting to go home and wanted to trouble the Crown Princess for help?"
To be fair, Yunzhu sometimes didn't like what Xiao Mingzhang said, but at other times she really loved listening to him.
She withdrew her hand, placed her arms on Xiao Mingzhang's shoulders, and gently tapped his cheek.
The soft touch was fleeting.
Yunzhu ran off to get the ointment Xiao Mingzhang needed to apply.
Xiao Mingzhang stood there, touching his cheek, and only after a moment did he realize that the place Yunzhu had just kissed was precisely his scar.
He tried to act nonchalant, but ultimately couldn't, and could only let the smile climb up his entire face and slip into his eyes.
He followed Yunzhu to the bedroom.
Yunzhu took out the ointment she had used that morning and carefully applied it to Xiao Mingzhang's cheeks.
Xiao Mingzhang then watched her movements.
Only after she finished applying the ointment, leaning on his shoulder and gently blowing on the spreading paste, did he put his arm around her waist and ask, "Did you go to the temple with Ming'an today?"
"Yes," Yunzhu replied.
“Ming’an is spoiled and arrogant, so please bear with her.” Xiao Mingzhang knew his younger sister’s character very well.
But there was nothing he could do. Xiao Ming'an had grown up with his mother since he was a child and was obedient to her.
"I won't hold anything against her." Yunzhu has been in Yunzhou for two years and knows very well what kind of people Xiao Ming'an and Ying Shi are.
"Moreover, she was just looking for someone to keep her company today, which is why she came to me and wanted me to go out for a walk with her."
"What did you pray for at the temple?"
"..."
He prayed for offspring.
Yunzhu glanced at Xiao Mingzhang, feeling strange. Even though she had done everything, she still felt ashamed to say it to him.
She then began to talk to Xiao Mingzhang about the child who had come from Qingzhou.
“That child is both pitiful and tenacious,” Yunzhu said. “He traveled alone from Qingzhou to Yunzhou.”
"Um……"
Xiao Mingzhang had known about the locust plague in Qingzhou for quite some time.
While in Jinling, someone had already reported the matter to the emperor in the main hall. The emperor ordered the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Agriculture to assist the Prince of Sui, hoping that Qingzhou could overcome this difficulty.
Seeing that Xiao Mingzhang didn't seem surprised at all, Yunzhu knew in her heart that he must have already known about this matter.
That's true. Although Qingzhou and Yunzhou are far apart for an individual, they are practically neighbors in terms of the emperor's distribution of his sons.
If anything happens in the Sui Prince's residence, the Huan Prince's residence will definitely know about it in advance.
It's just that she couldn't possibly know.
She was about to ask Xiao Mingzhang more about the locust plague in Qingzhou when she heard him quickly ask again what the boy's older brother's name was and what position he held in the government office.
Yunzhu told her everything.
Xiao Mingzhang nodded.
Yunzhu thought that this time she could ask more questions about the locust plague, but Xiao Mingzhang immediately asked, "So in the temple, you only saw that child?"
"..."
Yunzhu thought the matter was over, but to her surprise, Xiao Mingzhang kept bringing it up again.
"Where is the Bodhisattva? What did she ask for?" He was determined to get to the bottom of it.
"..." Yunzhu had no choice but to avoid the main point and said, "Ming'an and I both went to pray to the Two Immortals of Harmony!"
"The Two Immortals of Harmony and Union?"
Xiao Mingzhang looked Yunzhu up and down and saw that her cheeks were slightly flushed after she only mentioned the names of two immortals, which made him a little suspicious.
If she had only prayed to the Two Immortals of Harmony for a harmonious marriage, given Yunzhu's personality, she certainly wouldn't have been so shy.
"Didn't you ask for anything else?" he then pressed.
"..." Yunzhu wanted to lie and say that she hadn't asked for anything, but was Guanyin Bodhisattva some kind of insignificant figure? Of course not.
She then whispered, "I also prayed to Guanyin."
Xiao Mingzhang understood.
But he asked, feigning ignorance, "What do I need to ask Guanyin for?"
"..."
Xiao Mingzhang is really going too far!
Yunzhu glared at him.
Xiao Mingzhang finally laughed again. He tightened his embrace around Yunzhu's slender waist, his clear laughter penetrating her ears.
Despite the smile being as gentle as a breeze and as bright as the moon, Yunzhu felt increasingly embarrassed as she listened.
She kept hitting Xiao Mingzhang's arm, and after he finished laughing, he finally whispered in her ear, "Yunzhu, it's not shameful to want a child."
Yunzhu looked up in surprise.
They had never formally discussed the matter of the child in the past two years. Yunzhu didn't know how to bring it up with Xiao Mingzhang, but unexpectedly, it was Xiao Mingzhang who brought it up first.
Xiao Mingzhang cupped Yunzhu's cheeks and asked her to sit on his lap, facing him.
Although their foreheads were touching, Xiao Mingzhang's lowered eyes concealed too much.
Since returning from Jinling, Xiao Mingzhang could clearly sense that his father was becoming increasingly eager for the throne. Now, the Huan Prince's mansion was strong and well-equipped, but it lacked enough strategists.
He knew that his father was just unable to make a real decision yet. When he finally decided to seize the throne, no matter how much he opposed it, he might not be able to protect Yunzhu at all.
He went to the government office today to check on the affairs of the past few months, only to find out that his father had moved all of these matters away last night.
He was angry with him, but also warning and admonishing him.
Yunzhu wanted a child, so they had a child.
If she has a child, perhaps her father will let her off the hook for the sake of the child.
“But we haven’t gotten pregnant in two years…” Since Xiao Mingzhang had brought up the topic of children, Yunzhu pressed her forehead against Xiao Mingzhang’s and couldn’t help but voice her doubts.
"Okay, let's do it first." Xiao Mingzhang kissed Yunzhu's eyelashes and said, "I'll ask a doctor to come and take a look at us tomorrow."
"..."
How can someone speak so bluntly?
Yunzhu stared at Xiao Mingzhang with her round eyes, wanting to say something more, but her sobs were all swallowed up by her own unspeakable belly.
...
"Wow..."
A fleeting moment of pleasure.
A note from the author:
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Even more! [Let me see!]
I thought about it yesterday, and I'll try my best to update around 9 PM every night until I go paid! This will make it easier for everyone to follow along, and it also sets a deadline for myself! [hugs]
Oh right, I also started posting comments yesterday. Let me see when the first cutie will comment! [Let me see][Let me see][Let me see]
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