Chapter 24: The Emperor Got Cuckolded
The storm on the mountain, which had begun with great fanfare, ended anticlimactically.
Zhao Linxu stared at Li Jianyu for a while, then had his men withdraw and leave. He didn’t say a single word during the process, just turned and walked away, leaving Lu Ai with a face full of confusion.
Li Jianyu didn’t speak either.
The next day, after the sun had set, Zhao Linxu brought two smoothly polished wooden staffs to the City Lord’s manor.
“Beauty, We promised to teach you martial arts.”
Li Jianyu led Zhao Linxu to the spacious backyard.
“Let’s teach you a few basic moves first.” Zhao Linxu swung the wooden staff. “First is the thrusting motion.”
With that, Zhao Linxu swung the staff forward, and Li Jianyu could even hear the sound of it cutting through the air.
“Due to your condition, you don’t need to thrust very hard. Just get the posture right.” The way Li Jianyu had thrown a tantrum that day had really scared Zhao Linxu, so he naturally avoided the word “pregnancy.”
Li Jianyu imitated Zhao Linxu’s movements.
“Wrong. Open your legs a little wider so you can exert your strength.” Zhao Linxu subconsciously wanted to use the methods he used to train his subordinates in the military camp. He was about to kick Li Jianyu to make him open his legs, but then he retracted his foot in a panic.
“And your arm must be straight, whether you’re gathering strength or thrusting.”
Li Jianyu tried a few more times.
“No.”
Li Jianyu was not one of his blockheaded subordinates. Zhao Linxu was at a loss. He couldn’t hit him and couldn’t bear to scold him. So, he stood behind Li Jianyu, loosely encircling him, and reached out to hold his wrist.
“Like this.”
Li Jianyu stared blankly as Zhao Linxu directly held his hand to correct his posture.
It was too close.
“Beauty,” sensing Li Jianyu’s discomfort, Zhao Linxu rested his head on Li Jianyu’s shoulder. “What happened last night?”
Zhao Linxu’s tone was very casual, as if he were just asking casually, but Li Jianyu could still sense the underlying anxiety and restlessness.
Li Jianyu felt a little complicated in his heart.
“Nothing happened.”
Zhao Linxu frowned.
“Beauty, it’s My own problem that I couldn’t make you stand firmly in My camp. I’m not strong enough or convincing enough. But you must know how dangerous it is to deal with the Great Xi. The Great Xi was founded not long ago, and the Feng Ju family was able to consolidate the Great Xi and establish themselves as kings so quickly. Their methods and secret arts are already famous throughout the world.”
Zhao Linxu was speaking right in Li Jianyu’s ear. His voice was low and hoarse, and Li Jianyu could even feel the warm breath on his earlobe.
“This subject knows.” Li Jianyu uncomfortably broke free from Zhao Linxu’s hold.
It was too close.
In the past, when he was close to Zhao Linxu, it was with disgust. Now, it was naturally not like that, and he even felt a little admiration. It was just that Li Jianyu really didn’t like people being so close. It had nothing to do with Zhao Linxu. Anyone who crossed the boundaries he had set would make him very anxious.
“So?” Li Jianyu thrust again with force. “Is this right?”
Zhao Linxu lowered his eyes slightly.
“Mm.”
Li Jianyu now had a little baby in his belly. Zhao Linxu was worried he couldn’t take it, so he didn’t let him practice for too long.
After finishing the practice, Zhao Linxu was about to leave when he saw one of Zhao Zhanqi’s personal soldiers arrive, saying he had a letter.
Li Jianyu casually glanced at the letter and said to the personal soldier, “Since His Majesty is in my manor at this moment, let’s take this opportunity to say it. Have your master come.”
“Say what?”
“His Majesty will know in a moment.”
Zhao Linxu frowned slightly.
After Zhao Zhanqi arrived at the City Lord’s manor, Zhao Linxu and Li Jianyu had already changed their clothes and were waiting in the study. Chen Zhishu and Meng Qingshu, who had just returned to the manor, were also there.
As soon as Zhao Zhanqi stepped into the study, he greeted Zhao Linxu and then knelt down. “Please grant us a marriage, Your Majesty.”
“Whose marriage.” Zhao Linxu sneered.
The next moment, Li Jianyu also knelt down. “Please grant us a marriage, Your Majesty.”
Zhao Zhanqi continued, “Your subject and the City Lord are in love with each other. We hope Your Majesty will grant us your blessing.”
Meng Qingshu gasped, and Chen Zhishu also stared at Li Jianyu with wide eyes.
…How could this be?
Zhao Linxu looked at the two of them kneeling before him and sneered.
Very good, very good.
In love with each other?
Hope for his blessing?
The child in Li Jianyu’s belly, Li Jianyu’s secret meeting with Zhao Zhanqi, Li Jianyu’s concealment from him… all the things that had made Zhao Linxu unhappy now erupted. Zhao Zhanqi’s words were like a fuse, making the evil fire in Zhao Linxu’s heart burn more and more fiercely.
Could it be that the child in Li Jianyu’s belly was Zhao Zhanqi’s?
This guess made it even harder for Zhao Linxu to calm down.
He had never had such emotions for anyone, such incomprehensible emotions.
Everyone in the room was looking at Zhao Linxu. They saw that his expression was no different from usual, but they didn’t know the storm raging in his heart.
Zhao Linxu took the tea Meng Qingshu had poured for him, drank it in one gulp, and then smiled. “We didn’t know that the City Lord and the Prince had such feelings. Are you two serious about getting married?”
“Naturally.”
“Yes.”
“Good!” Zhao Linxu turned to Chen Zhishu. “Draft the edict.”
Chen Zhishu looked at Zhao Linxu, a little hesitant.
Was he really going to draft the edict?
Crack—
The empty teacup in Zhao Linxu’s hand was crushed by him. Zhao Linxu gently opened his hand, letting the porcelain shards fall, but his palm was unharmed.
Chen Zhishu immediately knelt on one knee. “This subject will do it at once!”
Everything happened very quickly. The request for marriage, the issuing of the edict…
After Zhao Linxu and Zhao Zhanqi left, Meng Qingshu was still staring blankly at Li Jianyu, who was kneeling on the ground, unable to say a word.
Currently, the only ones who knew about Li Jianyu’s condition were Doctor Zheng, Meng Qingshu, and Zhao Linxu. Meng Qingshu had even specially asked his mother what to pay attention to during pregnancy, so he took special care of Li Jianyu.
After helping Li Jianyu up, Meng Qingshu finally found his voice and stammered, “The City Lord and the Prince… is it for real?”
“What do you think?” Li Jianyu leaned lightly against the soft chair and rubbed his knees.
“I… I don’t believe it! The City Lord doesn’t like the Prince! Why would you do this!”
“Because Zhao Linxu trusts me.” A small, almost imperceptible curve appeared on Li Jianyu’s lips.
Being trusted was also a troublesome thing.
“I don’t understand…” Meng Qingshu pouted. What was wrong with the City Lord?
“You don’t need to understand.” Li Jianyu patted Meng Qingshu’s shoulder. “From now on, you will go with General Chen.”
Meng Qingshu’s eyes widened.
Li Jianyu said, “As I guess, a great battle is imminent, and General Chen is returning to the capital to suppress the rebels. Did he invite you to go back with him?”
Meng Qingshu’s face flushed red. He pinched his ear and said, “No, it’s not that! I refused! I want to stay by the City Lord’s side and take care of you. I will not leave the City Lord no matter what.”
“Stop fooling around. Go with your General Chen.”
“I will not abandon the City Lord!” Meng Qingshu was surprisingly stubborn.
“It’s not you abandoning me, it’s me abandoning you.” Li Jianyu took a sip of the tea on the desk. “My situation in Luoye will be very awkward from now on. If you’re here, you’ll hinder me. I won’t be able to look after you.”
Meng Qingshu pouted.
“Be good.”
“Then the City Lord must take care…” Meng Qingshu went forward and hugged Li Jianyu.
Li Jianyu was slightly stunned, and his body stiffened.
“Mm.”
Meng Qingshu didn’t really understand what Li Jianyu was saying, and he didn’t understand why he would become a burden to him. But he would understand soon enough.
The next day, before he and Chen Zhishu set out, he saw the North-South Army storm into the City Lord’s manor and “invite” Li Jianyu to the new residence Zhao Zhanqi had bought in Luoye City for the grand wedding.
Two rows of the North-South Army formed a passage in the City Lord’s manor, and Li Jianyu was escorted by armed guards to the North-South Manor.
In name, it was to prepare for the grand wedding. In reality, it was house arrest.
The great battle was on the verge of breaking out.
