My Husband is a Drama King [Book Transmigration] 92

Chapter 92: Caution

Hearing Emperor Pingjing’s voice, Xiao Yurong composed himself. “The Xiao family has come to see me, but I have been busy with my pregnancy recently and have already given orders to rest.”

Emperor Pingjing answered with satisfaction. With the Empress Dowager at the Huguo Temple and Xiao Yurong not seeing them in the palace, no one would be pleading for them in front of him. He was a little more at ease with the Xiao family.

He looked down at Xiao Yurong and pushed aside a strand of hair on his forehead with his other hand.

Xiao Yurong’s eyes were watery. The moonlight shone on his face, and Emperor Pingjing couldn’t help but kiss his eyes.

After being kissed, Xiao Yurong quickly closed his eyes. When Emperor Pingjing had finished, he opened his eyes and looked at him with watery eyes again.

Emperor Pingjing: “…”

Emperor Pingjing put down the hand that was touching his stomach, put down his nightclothes, and covered him with the quilt.

“Why are you looking at me again? You used to like to look at me,” Emperor Pingjing said, rarely teasing Xiao Yurong as his mood relaxed. He lowered his eyes. His eyelashes were long, his nose was high, and his features were deep, with a natural air of elegance and authority.

Xiao Yurong reached out and touched Emperor Pingjing’s face. “Because Your Majesty has been good-looking since you were a child, with a high status, and you are always surrounded by people. Everyone would notice you, right?”

Emperor Pingjing had been made the crown prince when he was five. He was deeply loved by the late emperor, and he was also ambitious. He had had the air of a crown prince since he was a child, not as lively as some other children. At that time, he was already very good at pretending to be calm.

The stars and the moon.

Emperor Pingjing smiled. “Only you dare to look at me with such a direct gaze. Others would not be so bold.”

After all, Xiao Yurong was used to being doted on by his family. In addition, Emperor Pingjing was his cousin, so his courage was naturally greater.

When he was a child, he had heard Empress Dowager Xiao joke about marrying him to his cousin. Most of his childhood memories were already hazy, but he had always remembered the things related to Emperor Pingjing very clearly.

Xiao Yurong: “It’s all my cousin’s fault for being too eye-catching.”

Emperor Pingjing did not speak, a smile in his eyes. “I won’t talk to you anymore, or we’ll be talking until dawn. I have to get up early tomorrow. You should also take good care of your pregnancy in the palace and not get involved in other matters.”

Xiao Yurong answered, thinking that his decision had made His Majesty very happy. He should take good care of his pregnancy. Tomorrow, he would call his father into the palace to talk more. His elder brother couldn’t persuade his father, so he had to persuade him more. He now only prayed to save his father’s life.

The two of them fell into a deep sleep.

.

When Xu Zhizhou woke up, Song Changxu was already gone. He got up, had breakfast, and went out to buy things.

“Xingwen, do you know which tavern is the best?”

Ran Xingwen said the name of a tavern.

Thinking that his two fathers were not young anymore, Xu Zhizhou only bought them a jar each. He also went to buy some good material for clothes, and some dried goods to take back.

He handed the things to Ran Xingwen to take back first. Xu Zhizhou had to tell his elder brother that his mother was going back.

Xu Zhici and Xie Huaichuan had gotten up together. The couple had had breakfast at home, and Xu Zhici had come to the noodle shop to help.

It was good to be busy. Counting the copper coins coming in, Xu Zhici’s heart was at ease. He would slowly save up money to buy a house for him and his husband.

Xu Zhizhou: “Elder Brother.”

Seeing him, Xu Zhici smiled. “Why are you here?”

“I’ve come to see you, Elder Brother. The noodle shop’s business is not bad today,” Xu Zhizhou said, glancing at the tables and chairs, which were basically full.

Xu Zhici: “It’s gotten a little famous. My husband also often brings his subordinates to eat noodles. Gradually, when they’re off duty, if there’s no one at home to cook, they also like to come for a bowl.”

Xu Zhizhou was happy for Xu Zhici.

“Elder Brother, I’ve come to tell you something. Mother plans to go back to the village in a few days.”

Xu Zhici was surprised and reluctant. “So soon? I still hope that Mother can stay in the capital. Otherwise, it’s not good for the old couple to be in the village.”

“Exactly. I think so too.”

Xu Zhici’s expression suddenly changed. He ran to the back kitchen and retched. Xu Zhizhou immediately followed, patted his back, and asked with concern, “What’s wrong, Elder Brother? Did you eat something bad?”

Xu Zhici’s face was a little pale. He shook his head. “It suddenly became like this last night. I thought I might have caught a cold. It’s like this again this morning.”

Xu Zhizhou: “Then it’s better to go to the medical hall to have a look.”

Hearing this, Xu Zhici nodded.

Xu Zhizhou accompanied Xu Zhici to the Huichun Hall first. There were few people at this hour. After a short queue, it was their turn.

“Please extend your hand, young master. I’ll check your pulse.”

Xu Zhici extended his hand.

The doctor checked his pulse for a long time. Xu Zhici, who was not nervous at first, also became nervous. The doctor put down his hand and said, “It’s nothing. You are two months pregnant. Your spleen and stomach are a little weak recently. I’ll prescribe some appetizing medicine, and also some pregnancy-protecting medicine. You should rest more and not overwork yourself.”

After the doctor had written the prescription, he called for an apprentice to get the medicine. Xu Zhici had not yet come back to his senses. When he did, he quickly said, “Thank you, doctor.”

He placed his hand on his stomach. He hadn’t expected to be pregnant. Xu Zhizhou pulled him to the side to sit.

“It’s so sudden. Congratulations, Elder Brother. The doctor said you can’t overwork yourself. You should help less at the noodle shop in the future. Anyway, you’ve hired people. You’re the boss. You don’t have to go yourself. Now that you’re pregnant, I don’t think Mother can leave. How can you be at ease raising a child by yourself in the capital?”

Xu Zhici felt as if he were still in a dream. He hadn’t expected to be pregnant. The apprentice brought the medicine. Xu Zhizhou went to pay and then carried the medicine packet to see Xu Zhici back.

He said in a long-winded manner, “You must take good care of your pregnancy, Elder Brother, and not be busy with other things. It’s fine if you’re not busy for a while. There will be plenty of time to be busy in the future. Save it for later. You should also eat more vegetables and meat for your spleen and stomach…”

Xu Zhici smiled. “In the past, I was the one who said these things to you. Now it’s the other way around.”

Xu Zhizhou saw his elder brother to the door and had the family’s attendant brew the medicine for him. “Elder Brother, you sit first. I’ll go and buy a few good fish. You can have someone make you a nourishing fish soup for lunch.”

With that, he went out without waiting for a reply. It was early now. He could pick a few good fish to make soup.

Xu Zhizhou picked four large fish at the docks. He took one back himself and left three for his elder brother.

He went to the Xie residence and gave the fish to the kitchen. He talked with Xu Zhici for a while and watched him finish the pregnancy-protecting and appetizing medicine before he left.

As soon as he got home, Xu Zhizhou asked the attendant and found Cao Qin. She was watering the plants with a watering can. She valued the flowers in the courtyard very much.

“Mother!”

From a distance, Xu Zhizhou shouted loudly.

Hearing his voice, Cao Qin looked up and saw him running over, panting. “Mother, my elder brother is pregnant.”

Cao Qin was pleasantly surprised. “When did it happen?”

“It was just diagnosed today. He’s two months along.”

Cao Qin quickly put down the watering can. “I won’t be back at noon. Huaichuan is on duty, and Zhici is at home by himself. I’m not at ease. I’ll go and have a look first.”

“Wait, Mother. I remember there are some precious medicinal herbs at the residence. I’ll go to the storage room and get some for you to take to my elder brother.”

Cao Qin nodded.

Song Changxu had been promoted to the position of assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel. He had to attend social gatherings and exchange gifts. The storage room had some precious medicinal herbs sent by others.

Xu Zhizhou picked a few and had Cao Qin take them to Xu Zhici.

He did not dare to accept anything too precious. If a gift was sent to you, you had to return it.

Today was also a happy occasion. Xu Zhizhou gave the fish to the kitchen and had the cook make a roasted fish. It was good for his elder brother to have fish soup, and it was also good for him to have roasted fish.

Xu Zhizhou thought that he still had to go to the sugar workshop to have a look today. He had to hand over the goods to the Zhuang family’s sugar shop. It was better for him to go and supervise.

The sugar workshop was in the outskirts, and the family did not have a carriage yet.

“Buying a carriage is a must,” Xu Zhizhou said, counting on his fingers. He could still afford to keep a carriage and a coachman at the moment.

When Song Changxu returned from the Ministry of Personnel, a brand-new carriage and a young man had already appeared in the family.

“Sir.”

Song Changxu looked at Xu Zhizhou on the side. Xu Zhizhou said proudly, “Didn’t I say I was going to buy a carriage? I’ve already bought one.”

In the future, he could take a carriage to work. Song Changxu was also a little tempted.

During dinner, Cao Qin came back with a happy look. She said, “Zhici is really pregnant. I won’t be going back with you this time, in-law. I’ll stay and take care of him.”

Liang Su nodded in agreement. “This is a good thing. Your eldest ge’er’s side is inseparable from people.”

Song Changxu was a little surprised to have just learned of this. He was also happy for Xu Zhici and Xie Huaichuan.

After dinner, Xu Zhizhou showed Liang Su the things he had bought. Seeing that he had bought so much, Liang Su said, “I don’t think we can finish all this even if we go back for the New Year.”

“If you can’t use them, Mother, you can give them to our relatives. Some of them are for our two fathers. Since my mother is not going back, I’ll have to trouble you to give some things to my father.”

Liang Su: “Don’t worry. Also, with Mingyan and Cheng Ge’er here, I’m afraid it will be a trouble for you.”

“What are you talking about, Mother? Elder Brother can help to watch the Bobo Chicken shop. Cheng Ge’er is our own nephew, and he’s very well-behaved. It’s good that he’s here. You’ve been in the capital for so long, and you also know that my husband is often on duty. With my elder brother and Cheng Ge’er here, I’m not bored by myself.”

Liang Su breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good.”

A few days later, Liang Su was leaving. Song Changxu happened to be on holiday, and they saw her off in the morning.

Song Changxu watched the carriage leave, his heart a little melancholic. The family had suddenly lost two people. His mother-in-law had gone to his elder brother’s house, and his mother had also gone back to the village.

Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou went back together. “Brother Shen is having us for dinner tonight.”

Xu Zhizhou answered.

Xu Zhizhou suddenly held Song Changxu’s arm. He said softly, “I’m suddenly thinking of our days in Jinhe County. At that time, you were studying at the county school, and I would get up early to set up a stall on the street. Those days were fulfilling and tiring. In the end, we came to the capital, and our life finally got better. On this journey, husband, I’m still filled with emotion. It’s a good thing that we haven’t changed since we’ve come to the capital.”

Had they changed? Song Changxu recalled this journey. He had not, and neither had Xu Zhizhou.

He had said that he would give Xu Zhizhou a good life. Xu Zhizhou had told him to study hard and had set up a stall in Jinhe County to support his studies.

Song Changxu looked at Xu Zhizhou’s hands. There were still thin calluses and cracks from the winter.

Even with hand cream, the marks on these hands would never disappear.

A young couple, supporting each other.

Who was not a husband, a husband, a lover, a person who understood and compromised, for the first time?

Song Changxu smiled gently. “I also thought of those days. I would go to school with them, come back at night to cook, and fall asleep as soon as I had finished reading. Now that I’m an assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel, I have less time to read and am not as diligent as before.”

“The affairs of the court are also many. This is understandable,” Xu Zhizhou said.

At night, they went to the Shen residence. Liu Rong received them. The Shen residence was located on the most prosperous Chang’an Street. It was very large, and the courtyard looked very quiet.

This time, they did not eat in the main hall, but directly in the courtyard.

Liu Rong: “Please sit. My husband said that it’s fine to just make some home-cooked dishes. You can try them and see if they suit your taste,” Liu Rong said, and had an attendant serve the dishes.

Pei Shengrong and Fan Ying took their seats. Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou also sat down.

They started to eat. Song Changxu’s eyes were immediately drawn to the pan-fried lamb chops. He took a bite and found that it was indeed delicious.

There were many dishes on the table, but the portions were small, and they looked beautiful. The bowls, chopsticks, and plates he was holding looked very expensive.

Shen Liang said, “We won’t be drinking tonight. My husband is pregnant. I’m not used to drinking, so I don’t want him to smell the alcohol. The lamb soup today is delicious. I love to drink it at home. I have two or three bowls every time.”

Song Changxu and Pei Shengrong first said their congratulations. With their families present, they had a pleasant meal. After they had finished, Liu Rong, as the host, took them for a walk in the courtyard.

Xu Zhizhou and Fan Ying readily went with them.

After they had left, Shen Liang had an attendant clear the dishes, then went to the pavilion to prepare tea and snacks, and took Song Changxu and Pei Shengrong for a walk to the bamboo pavilion.

The Pu’er tea was already brewed. They sat in the pavilion and took a sip.

Shen Liang asked, “I already know about Brother Pei’s matter. Many people were involved this time. I heard from my father-in-law that it was not bad that many were involved, but it also involved a marquis and the Xiao family.”

Pei Shengrong sighed. “They went too far. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have submitted a memorial to His Majesty. This time, His Majesty handled it impartially and caught the whole nest of corrupt officials.”

Shen Liang smiled, pursing his lips. “It’s a good thing we have this emperor.”

The Xiao family’s power was not as great as before. In addition, His Majesty hated corrupt people, so his tolerance for them was low.

Song Changxu also said, “It’s similar to what Brother Shen and I found in Yongzhou. This time, I also found some problems in the Ministry of Personnel. Some officials had very good political achievements but were written as mediocre. Of course, my direct superior has already been changed. I still don’t know what kind of person the new Director Zongzheng is.”

Shen Liang talked about some of the things in the Imperial College. He was doing well there and had made many connections. He should be promoted when he had enough seniority.

They talked for a while more. Shen Liang reminded him, “You should still be careful when you encounter such a thing in the future, Brother Pei. It’s best to get it right in one go. Otherwise, when they recover, or find a scapegoat, you’ll be the one who suffers.”

“I understand, Brother Shen.”

After the three of them had agreed, they left. Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou were walking on the street. They had had a good meal at the Shen residence and had bought some pastries to take back to eat the next day.

.

The Ministry of Justice was handling the matter of the corruption in the Ministry of Works. This time, with Emperor Pingjing’s support, the biggest culprit, Zhang Zhengren, had been dealt with. Although this person was the Phoenix Lord’s cousin, he had still been thrown into prison and sentenced to death. With the example of the Xiao family, the others were much more honest and law-abiding.

The Vice Minister of Works, Ning, had also been thrown into prison and sentenced to death. This time, a third-rank official and a marquis had been taken down. The court was in a state of panic.

In the Jinluan Hall, Emperor Pingjing had Laifu read Song Changxu’s suggestion.

“Your Majesty, Sir Song’s suggestion is excellent and will have a great impact on the Ministry of Works. I will definitely implement it,” the Minister of Works was the first to express his opinion.

The Minister of Justice thought that it could also be used in the cases they were handling and took note of Song Changxu’s method.

“Minister Liu, what do you think of Minister Song’s method?” Emperor Pingjing asked Liu Wangsheng.

Liu Wangsheng said thoughtfully, “Sir Song’s method is good. It places the specific responsibility on the specific official. In the future, if anything goes wrong, there will be no fear of officials shifting the blame. We can directly take down the official who has made a mistake.”

Emperor Pingjing: “I think so too. This method will be implemented in the Grand Secretariat and the six ministries to see the effect. If it is good, it will be implemented throughout the court, and the local officials will not be left out. After these things, I have found that the local officials, relying on the fact that the sky is high and the emperor is far away, have done some outrageous things. In the future, the Ministry of Personnel will have to strengthen the evaluation and promotion of officials.”

The Minister of Personnel, Xu Anyan, quickly stepped forward and answered, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

After the court session was over, Song Changxu had just returned to the Ministry of Personnel when he received the emperor’s praise.

After he had thanked him, Song Changxu returned to his workstation and let out a breath. This matter had finally come to an end. He drank his hot tea and started to deal with his official duties.

He saw that many people had submitted memorials for retirement. He reviewed them according to the regulations and then passed them on to Director Zongzheng.

Director Zongzheng coughed lightly. He glanced at the memorials Song Changxu had submitted and saw that a few of the retirement memorials had not been approved. He took his brush and approved them.

Some people wanted to retire as soon as possible. He had looked at a few of their files. There was nothing major. He would let them go if he could. Anyway, they wouldn’t be able to cause any trouble after they had retired.

Director Zongzheng had been in local positions for a long time. It was very important to find a suitable subordinate. He thought of Emperor Pingjing praising Song Changxu in the Jinluan Hall. “After all, he’s the top scorer, and he’s young and promising, ambitious, and his mind is also active. It’s natural that His Majesty likes him.”

He had someone send the memorials to Jian Xi.

He was still responsible for his official duties. Once he was done, he would rest and not find work for himself. If he wanted to, he wouldn’t be able to rest for a whole day.

***

Author’s Note:

Little Song: I’m still an honest person. [Shuts up]

Little Xu: They all have children. [Pats head]