Chapter 78 Monster
The Prince's Eastern Palace has been shrouded in a low pressure atmosphere recently.
The palace servants held their breath and concentrated when walking and doing things, not daring to make any unnecessary noise, simply because their Royal Highness the Crown Prince had been in chaos since that day.
Although he was still handling government affairs, there was always a trace of unresolved depression and trance between his brows. He often stared at memorials, and the smile almost disappeared from his face.
Emperor Liu Jin saw all this and felt very distressed.
He knew that Nanyue's shocking edict and the doubts raised in the court were like a poisonous thorn that pierced deeply into his son's heart.
Xiao'er seems gentle, but he is actually sensitive and strong-willed. The mystery of his life is like a sword hanging over his head. He will never be able to feel truly at ease until the mystery is solved.
Liu Jin made up his mind.
He could no longer let his son live in speculation and pain.
He wanted to tell him everything, even if the truth was so shocking, even if... it might make his son look at him strangely.
However, Liu Jin's heart couldn't help but curl up at the thought of having to admit in person that he was a man and had given birth to a child.
He is the emperor, the most noble and powerful man in the world, but he has such a secret that can be called a "monster".
He was afraid to see the shock, fear, or even... disgust that might appear in his son's eyes.
The main culprit, Xiao Ziran, must be implicated in this matter!
Liu Jin sent someone to summon Xiao Ziran to his bedroom.
Xiao Ziran has been uneasy these days, not only because of the uproar caused by the imperial edict last month, but also because of his worry about Liu Xiao's condition.
As soon as he entered the room, he saw Liu Jin sitting by the window with a serious expression.
"Brother Jin, you are looking for me? Is it about Xiao'er?" Xiao Ziran asked with concern.
Liu Jin looked up at him with a complicated expression. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke in a dry voice:
"I have decided to tell Xiao'er the truth."
Xiao Ziran was shocked when he heard this. Surprise and expectation flashed across his eyes for a moment, but were then replaced by great worry.
"You...you've thought it through? The whole truth? Including...including..." He swallowed hard, unable to utter the word.
"Including how he came into this world."
Liu Jin took over his words with a tone of determination to burn his boats.
"You come with me."
"Me?" Xiao Ziran was stunned.
"Of course it's you!"
Liu Jin's tone suddenly became sharp, with a hint of resentment that could not be suppressed.
"If it weren't for you! Why would I...why would I have to face this situation today! This is what you owe me, and you also owe Xiao'er! Do you think you can hide behind and just enjoy the joy of father and son recognizing each other?"
Xiao Ziran was left speechless by what he said, with guilt and heartache appearing on his face.
He took a step forward and wanted to hold Liu Jin's hand, but the other party dodged him.
"Brother Jin, I..."
Liu Jin interrupted him, stood up, turned his back to him, and said in a trembling voice
"Later, in front of Xiao'er, you just need to listen and I will tell you. If...if he can't accept it and hates me...you can...you can just take him away!"
He said the last sentence with great difficulty, as if he had used up all his strength.
This was almost the biggest concession he could make, and it also reflected his deepest fear - the fear of losing his son.
Xiao Ziran looked at his tense figure, feeling a pang of sadness in his heart. He said solemnly:
"No! Brother Jin, Xiao'er was raised by you. He respects and loves you, and he will never... No matter what, we will face it together."
Liu Jin didn't say anything else. He just took a deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions. Then he turned around and walked out with an expressionless face.
In the study of the East Palace, Liu Xiao was staring at an official document in a daze. When he heard the eunuch announce, "His Majesty has arrived, His Majesty Nanyue has arrived," he was stunned for a moment and quickly stood up to greet him.
Seeing the two people coming together, Liu Xiao was even more confused, especially when he felt that his father's expression today was unusually solemn, and the eyes of the Emperor of Nanyue were also full of tension...expectation?
"Your son pays homage to the emperor, father, and His Majesty Nanyue." Liu Xiao paid his respects according to etiquette.
"Everyone, step back. No one is allowed to approach the palace gate within a hundred steps." Liu Jin waved away all the palace servants, his voice leaving no room for questioning.
The palace door slowly closed, and only three people were left in the room. The atmosphere instantly became extremely depressing and tense.
Liu Xiao's heart was lifted, and he looked at Liu Jin anxiously.
"Father, you..."
Liu Jin gestured for him to sit down, and he walked up to him, looking at his son calmly but with great pressure.
Xiao Ziran stood a little further away, his palms slightly sweaty, and he was so nervous that he could almost hear his own heartbeat.
"Xiao'er," Liu Jin spoke in a low and slow voice.
"Your uncle Nanyue and I have come here today to tell you the whole truth about your life."
Liu Xiao's heart sank suddenly and his fingertips felt slightly cold.
He had a premonition that what he was about to hear might be far more shocking than he had imagined.
Liu Jin's eyes passed over Xiao Ziran, as if drawing a trace of courage from him, and then refocused on Liu Xiao's face, and said word by word, clearly:
"The Nanyue Emperor's previous declaration was not false. You are indeed of the Nanyue royal bloodline. However, you are not the son of his sister."
He paused, as if the next word carried a great weight, and finally spoke out:
"You are the son born between me and him, Xiao Ziran."
Deathly silence.
Liu Xiao's eyes suddenly widened, and the blood drained from his face instantly, as if he didn't understand the meaning of this sentence.
He looked at his father, whose face was tense and ears were slightly red, and then at Xiao Ziran, who was so nervous that he almost held his breath. His mind went blank.
The son I had with him?
A man... and a man? Having a child?
This was beyond his comprehension and was as absurd as the most bizarre story!
Seeing his son speechless with shock, and even showing fear and disbelief in his eyes
Liu Jin's heart felt as painful as if it was being tortured by slow slicing.
The situation he feared most seemed to be happening.
He resisted the urge to turn around and run away, digging his nails deep into his palms, and continued to explain in the calmest possible tone, although his voice was already trembling slightly:
"I know this is shocking and unbelievable. But it is the truth. Back then... due to some special reasons, Xiao Ziran... he is your other father, and also... the one who conceived and gave birth to you."
Boom——!!!
This time, even Xiao Ziran was stunned! He suddenly looked at Liu Jin, his eyes filled with disbelief!
Brother Jin actually...actually gave him the title of "father of a child"?
This... this is clearly...!
He opened his mouth and subconsciously wanted to refute, but he met Liu Jin's deep and threatening eyes.
All his words got stuck in his throat.
Yes, Brother Jin can't bear the title of "monster" even more than himself.
Is he protecting himself and also protecting their father-son relationship from being completely destroyed?
Or... was this a punishment? Punishment for leaving, for all the trouble he'd caused?
Xiao Ziran felt mixed emotions: grievance, heartache, and helplessness, but in the end, his heartache for Liu Jin and his guilt towards Liu Xiao prevailed.
He lowered his eyes silently, tacitly accepting this outrageous lie.
Well, if this can reduce the harm to Brother Jin and make Xiao'er more accepting, he will be the "monster".
Liu Jin was satisfied when he saw that Xiao Ziran did not refute. He had endured severe pain and the risk of drowning to give birth to the child. Now he just wanted Xiao Ziran to be a mother, just a title.
He avoided Xiao Ziran's gaze and stared at Liu Xiao, waiting for his judgment.
Liu Xiao's shock lasted for a long time.
His eyes moved back and forth between the two fathers, digesting this truth that was enough to overturn all moral concepts.
A man giving birth to a child? Or was it the Emperor of Nanyue who gave birth to me?
This is really too scary and bizarre.
Although the Emperor of Nanyue is indeed more beautiful than many beauties, but...
However, when he saw his father pretending to be calm but unable to hide his pale face and trembling fingertips,
The usually romantic and unrestrained Emperor Nanyue now lowered his eyes like a prisoner awaiting sentencing, full of tension and resignation. A strange feeling slowly replaced the initial shock and fear.
He was thinking of his father's unconditional love and cultivation for him over the years;
What comes to mind is the unusually gentle look in Emperor Nanyue's eyes every time he looks at himself;
All the little details seemed to have answers at this moment.
It turns out that the deep fatherly love came from the majestic emperor sitting on the dragon throne.
It turned out that the passionate and inexplicable love came from another person who gave him life and "gave birth" to him.
The instinct that blood is thicker than water and the deep emotional dependence on both fathers ultimately overcame the impact of secular concepts.
Liu Xiao took a long, slow breath and exhaled slowly.
The shock and fear on his face gradually faded, replaced by an unusual calmness.
He stood up, without looking at Liu Jin, but walked step by step towards Xiao Ziran who was standing there, ready to bear all his disgust and fearful gaze.
Xiao Ziran felt him approaching, and her body tensed up even more, almost not daring to look up.
Then, he felt a slightly cool hand gently holding his hand.
Xiao Ziran raised his head suddenly and met Liu Xiao's clear eyes, which were now filled with complex emotions.
"So..." Liu Xiao's voice was very light, with an incredible
"...You...gave birth to me?"
Xiao Ziran's throat choked with sobs. He looked at his son and saw that there was no disgust in his eyes as he had expected, but only curiosity and an indescribable sense of closeness. He felt a mixture of emotions.
It was both heartbreaking and filled with immense ecstasy and excitement.
He nodded with difficulty, his voice hoarse.
"...Yes. Xiao'er, I... I'm sorry for letting you know this way..."
After getting the confirmation, Liu Xiao was silent for a moment, then suddenly stretched out his arms and gently hugged Xiao Ziran.
The hug was light and quick, but it made Xiao Ziran freeze completely. Then, huge, indescribable happiness and sorrow instantly overwhelmed him!
His eyes suddenly turned red and he almost cried!
Xiao'er did not reject him!
Don't think of him as a monster!
He even... hugged him!
"Thank you……"
Liu Xiao whispered in his ear with a sincere tone
"Thank you... for giving me life."
No matter how bizarre the process is, the preciousness and gift of life itself are worth being grateful for.
After saying that, he released his hand and turned to the other side. Liu Jin, who had been tense since a while ago and looked even uglier than before.
Liu Jin watched his son walk towards Xiao Ziran first, hug him, and ignore him. The unspeakable jealousy in his heart grew like weeds!
Why was Xiao'er able to accept Xiao Ziran so quickly?
Is it because he "gave birth" to him?
Could it be that in the son's heart, he, the father who raised him, is not as important as that... the person who "gave birth" to him?
He even regretted why he had pushed the title of "giving birth to a child" to Xiao Ziran!
Just when Liu Chen was consumed by negative emotions, Liu Xiao walked up to him.
He looked at the nervousness, jealousy and a hint of hurt that could not be concealed in his father's deep eyes, and suddenly understood something.
He knelt down slowly, not as a king and his subjects, but as a child kneeling to his parents.
He raised his head and looked at Liu Jin, his eyes clear and firm, his voice clear:
"Father, thank you too. Thank you for your ten years of hard work and guidance in raising me. In my heart, you will always be my most respected father, and no one can replace you."
These words, like a refreshing rain, instantly extinguished all the anxiety and jealousy in Liu Jin's heart!
It turns out that my son knows everything!
Liu Jin was overwhelmed by a huge feeling of being moved and relieved. His eyes became hot and he could hardly control himself.
He suddenly stretched out his hand, lifted up his son who was kneeling on the ground, and held him in his arms!
This hug was much stronger and longer than the one Liu Xiao gave Xiao Ziran just now, and was filled with indescribable fatherly love.
"Good boy... my good Xiao'er..."
Liu Jin's voice was choked with sobs, and all his worries and fears disappeared at this moment.
Xiao Ziran stood aside, looking at the father and son hugging each other. He was happy for them, but couldn't help feeling a little sour and envious.
Well, even though he was labeled as "having a child", but seeing that Brother Jin finally let go of his worries and Xiao'er also accepted the truth, his merits always outweigh his faults, right?
It’s just that… Xiao’er’s hug just now would have been better if it had lasted a little longer…
The truth came to light among the three of them. Although the process was thrilling, the result was unexpectedly satisfactory.
Liu Xiao quickly accepted the fact that he had two fathers and showed amazing adaptability.
His attitude towards Xiao Ziran naturally became much closer, and he would curiously ask him about the customs and culture of Nanyue.
Sometimes she would even ask him in a coquettish way whether it was hard for him to give birth "back then", which made Xiao Ziran happy and embarrassed.
He could only speak vaguely, and at the same time felt the cold glare from Liu Jin.
Although Liu Jin was pleased that his son accepted him, he became completely jealous when he saw Liu Xiao and Xiao Ziran becoming increasingly intimate.
It was clearly me who gave birth to the son, but now that "adventure mother" has come and taken away so much of my son's attention and closeness with her "grace of giving birth"!
The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt. He looked down on Xiao Ziran, always finding fault and giving him cold shoulder.
Xiao Ziran had no words to express his pain, but seeing Xiao'er being close to him, he felt that it was all worth it.
Only when no one is around can she secretly hug Liu Jin's waist and act coquettishly to please him:
"Brother Jin, don't be angry. Look how sensible Xiao'er is. You are still the most important thing to him! I... I am just an additional gift..."
Liu Jin would usually respond with a cold snort, but his tense expression would always relax a little.
However, Liu Xiao became more calm after experiencing the initial emotional fluctuations.
He understood the special mission and responsibility he shouldered to connect the two countries.
He began to ask Xiao Ziran more proactively for advice on Nanyue's political affairs, and at the same time worked harder to learn how to handle the affairs of the Celestial Empire.
He knew that the road ahead was destined to be extraordinary, but he was no longer confused because he knew that he had two strong and loving fathers behind him.
As for the court and the people, although the emperor's tough measures temporarily suppressed the open discussions, undercurrents were still surging.
However, as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince seemed unaffected by the turmoil and instead became more diligent, and the relationship between the Emperor and the Emperor of Nanyue seemed to be... becoming more and more subtle, people could only suppress their doubts in their hearts and wait and see what would happen.
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