Chapter 71
The next morning, when Wei Yan entered the palace to report the matter of suppressing the bandits to the emperor, he saw that beside the imperial desk, the three-year-old eldest prince was sitting upright, his small face serious, and his every move had a calmness and propriety that did not match his age. From a distance, he looked exactly like the emperor on the throne.
Wei Yan couldn’t help but look a few more times. Seeing this, the emperor put down his brush and couldn’t help but laugh. “Now that the court is at peace, you can also consider having a child, so that you don’t have to stare at my You’er every time you enter the palace.”
Wei Yan withdrew his gaze and said, “A child is not something you can have just because you want it. I’m not in a hurry. I’ll just let nature take its course.”
His body had been recuperating for a year and a half, and it was much better now. Lu Ze had stopped taking the medicine half a year ago. At first, Wei Yan was a little nervous, but after a few months without any news, he also relaxed. In any case, with Lu Ze by his side now, he also had a “let nature take its course” attitude towards the matter of having a child.
The emperor smiled. “You’re not in a hurry, but is Lu Xunzhi not in a hurry? I remember he’s the only son in his family, right?”
Wei Yan’s brows furrowed imperceptibly, and he didn’t reply, but just reported the matter of Yingzhou.
The emperor’s expression also became serious. The eldest prince on the side was listening attentively, tilting his head from time to in confusion, as if he didn’t understand what they were saying.
The emperor looked at his son, a smile in his eyes, and his original anger also extinguished a little.
After the matter was reported, Wei Yan was about to take his leave. The emperor asked for the time and found that it was already time for lunch, so he let the eldest prince leave with Wei Yan and go to the empress’s palace for a meal first.
The eldest prince bowed properly before leaving the imperial study with Wei Yan.
The two of them were not going in the same direction. Wei Yan half-bent down to say goodbye to him. “Your Highness, this subject will be leaving the palace now. Please be careful on the road, Your Highness.”
The eldest prince nodded slightly. His small face was as white as jade, and his voice was also childish, but he had a proper and dignified manner, which only made him look cute. “You should also be careful on the road, Master Wei.”
Wei Yan’s expression softened slightly. He only thought, if he and Lu Ze had a child in the future, would he also be as cute as him?
On the way back, he gently stroked his lower abdomen and thought, when can I have a child here too?
***
After returning to the mansion, not long after, Lu Ze came back from work. The servants had prepared a rich dinner, but Wei Yan only ate a few bites and felt that he had no appetite.
It was hot in the summer, and it was common to have no appetite. In addition, he had been traveling yesterday, so Wei Yan did not take it to heart.
After washing up, the two of them were lying on the bed. They had not seen each other for a long time and should have been passionate, but Wei Yan had been lazily leaning against Lu Ze’s legs, his two hands fiddling with his fingers. As he played, his eyes uncontrollably slowly closed.
Lu Ze raised an eyebrow. “Are you sleepy?”
Wei Yan adjusted his posture and hummed twice in a muffled voice. “Maybe I didn’t rest well yesterday…”
Lu Ze put the book aside, settled him down, and asked, “Then you’re not going to pay your respects to my mother tomorrow?”
In the past two years, Lu’s mother had been living alone in the Lu mansion, while Lu Ze and Wei Yan had mostly been living in the marquis’s mansion. Except for going to pay their respects to her on the fifteenth and thirtieth of every month, Lu Ze would usually go back alone, and he rarely brought Wei Yan with him.
Wei Yan shook his head and said drowsily, “No…”
It was only twice a month. If he didn’t go again, it would be a bit unreasonable.
He moved up a little, wrapped his arms around Lu Ze’s waist, and said in a muffled voice, “I’ll be fine if I go to bed early.”
As he spoke, his voice gradually faded away, and he fell into a deep sleep.
Lu Ze looked at his sleeping face, then at the fire he had stirred up, and let out a heavy sigh.
He was comfortable, but poor Lu Ze still had to suffer.
He only fell asleep in the middle of the night.
The next morning, the two of them got up and went to the Lu mansion together in a carriage.
Lu’s mother had already prepared breakfast and was waiting for them.
Lu Ze glanced at the table, which was filled with a dazzling array of food, and didn’t say anything.
Lu’s mother had gotten used to a lavish lifestyle these past two years. Her clothes had to be woven with gold and silver, and her meals were extremely luxurious. Although she was the only one, she had to have at least eight dishes for every meal.
Lu Ze didn’t want to argue with her. As long as she was honest and didn’t cause any more trouble, he would just provide her with good food and drink. The rewards he had received these past few years were not something he couldn’t afford.
Of course, Lu’s mother didn’t know this. She still thought that she was spending Wei Yan’s money.
The two of them paid their respects to Lu’s mother and then sat down together for a meal.
The meal was as rich as ever, with all kinds of dishes and pastries, which looked, smelled, and tasted delicious. Wei Yan reached out and took two bites, but for some reason, not only did he have no appetite, but he also felt a little nauseous. Only a plate of green vegetables that was far from him was barely edible.
Lu Ze noticed his action and had someone move the plate of green vegetables closer, and only then did Wei Yan’s expression soften a little.
Lu’s mother, on the side, watched, and her gaze moved, but she was silent.
Lu Ze glanced at her, his eyes slightly lowered.
This was a bit strange.
In the past, Lu’s mother didn’t know how to get along with Wei Yan, and she would mostly talk to Lu Ze, asking about his recent situation and caring about his body. She was like a loving mother. But today, since he had entered the door, the old lady had only said a few words, and she was obviously preoccupied.
Lu Ze asked, “Is there something you want to say, Mother?”
Lu’s mother’s action moved. She looked at Wei Yan, then at Lu Ze, and then she smiled and said slowly, “I was thinking… you two have been married for two years, right?”
Wei Yan’s action paused, and he slowly looked up at her. Lu Ze said, “Yes, what do you want to say, Mother?”
Lu’s mother lowered her eyes and said slowly, “It’s been two years since you got married, but Ze’er still doesn’t have a single child…”
Hearing this, Lu Ze’s eyes turned a little cold, and he said, “Mother, I’m still young. I’m not in a hurry to have a child.”
“Why are you not in a hurry?” Lu’s mother glared at him. “You’re already twenty-five! Your cousin is only two years older than you, and he already has three sons and two daughters, and also a ger! You are the only bloodline of the Lu family. Carrying on the family line is a very important matter. How can you not be in a hurry?”
Lu Ze said, “I’ve only been married to the Marquis for two years. It’s still early. How can I be in a hurry?”
But Lu’s mother snorted. “For other families, not to mention being married for two years, even if there’s no good news after half a year of marriage, outsiders would be gossiping. When I married your father, I had you in the third month!”
Wei Yan’s hand holding the chopsticks tightened, and he only felt a little stuffy in his heart.
She glanced at Wei Yan again and said in a low voice with a hidden meaning, “Besides, I’ve also asked around. In the big families in the capital, if the main wife or main husband has not been pregnant for two years after getting married, they would have already arranged for a concubine for their husband… Ze’er is the only son in the family. If there’s no one to carry on the family line after a hundred years, how can I explain it to your father and the ancestors of the Lu family…”
Her voice grew smaller, but Wei Yan had already understood what she meant. His eyes darkened, and he said, “Why don’t you just say it, old madam? What do you want?”
Lu’s mother was a little guilty for a moment, then she straightened her back and said, “What I mean is that since the Marquis is busy with official duties, why don’t you… why don’t you take a concubine for Ze’er, so that you can give birth to a child for the Lu family as soon as possible? Of course, you don’t have to worry about this matter, Marquis. Just let someone live with me, and it will definitely not be an eyesore to you. In the future, after the child is born, if you are interested, you can raise him yourself. If you are not interested, it’s also fine for me to raise him…”
Lu Ze’s brows were tightly furrowed. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Wei Yan say coldly, “Take a concubine?”
Wei Yan took a deep breath. He was already not feeling well, and hearing this, he felt a wave of nausea in his heart, and his anger couldn’t help but surge up. He threw his chopsticks on the table, his gaze sharp. “Alright. You can try, Mother. Let’s see who dares to be a concubine. I’ll kill them one by one. In any case, everyone outside says that I’ve killed too many people, so I don’t care about one or two more.”
Lu’s mother was furious. “You!”
Her chest was heaving rapidly, and she pointed at him with a trembling finger. “You are a ger… you should be generous. It’s only right for you to take a concubine for your husband! Now that you’ve been married for two years and haven’t given birth to a single child, I’ve only said a few words, and you’re not convinced?”
“Ze’er is the only son of my Lu family. If you can’t give birth to a child for the rest of your life, do you want my Lu family to have no heir? Even if you are a marquis, there is no such reason!”
Wei Yan was usually too lazy to argue with her, but at this moment, for some reason, a wave of anger surged up in his heart. He got up and kicked the table. Lu’s mother let out a cry of surprise, and the gold and silver jewelry on her head was shaking. She said in a panic, “You… what are you doing? Do you want to hit me? This is a sin, this is a sin. Do you want to hit your mother-in-law?”
“Ze’er, my son, why is my life so bitter, wuwuwu…”
Wei Yan watched as she hid behind Lu Ze and pretended to be pitiful, and the fire in his heart was one after another. He pulled at his collar and only felt his heart was heavy, and he said coldly, “Take a concubine? It’s not impossible. I’ll go and find a few beautiful women and gers to come in. But the mansion is small, and I’m afraid it can’t accommodate so many people. I’ll have to trouble you to move out, old madam, and find another place. Oh, that’s right, and all the expenses, please don’t use the marquis’s mansion’s money anymore. After all, I’ve never heard of a husband taking a concubine and having to spend the fulang’s money.”
“Butler,” he called out in a loud voice, and the butler immediately replied, “Yes, Marquis.”
Wei Yan looked at her coldly. “In the future, separate the master’s monthly salary and rice and send it all to the Yitai Courtyard, and give it all to the old madam.”
“As for the rest, if the old madam spends one more cent from the mansion, I will hold you responsible!”
The butler was shocked in his heart and quickly agreed.
Lu’s mother did not expect him to be so resolute, and she stretched out her hand tremblingly. “N-no! I am your elder. This is unfilial, this is a great unfilial act!”
But Wei Yan did not wait for her to say more and turned to walk out of the front hall.
Lu’s mother could only look at her son. “Ze’er, this… this, you should go and persuade him! Sixty taels of silver a year, how can we live like this?”
She had gotten used to a luxurious life these past two years, and she would spend more than sixty taels of silver every month. Just one piece of clothing could cost more than half of it. How could she live?
Lu Ze smiled warmly, but his eyes were cold. He stood up and said, “What are you talking about, Mother? Back in Xiangning Town, we didn’t even have six taels of silver a year, but we still survived, didn’t we?”
He paused, then added, “That’s right. Your son is now a minister of the Ministry of Works, a fifth-rank official, so my annual salary is a little higher, eighty taels. If you are frugal, Mother, it should be enough.”
Lu’s mother’s eyes widened. “But—”
Lu Ze patted his robe and was about to get up and leave. He just said lightly, “You are still young, Mother, and you have been well-maintained these past few years. You must be bored on weekdays, which is why you are in a hurry to have a grandson. Why don’t you find something to do, like reading books and embroidering? It’s also a very good way to pass the time.”
After he finished speaking, he strode away. Lu’s mother looked at his back in a daze, not knowing when her son had become so disobedient. She pouted, slapped her thigh, and cried out, “What is this, what is all this! My son is not a son, and my daughter-in-law is not a daughter-in-law! What am I in this family? I might as well just die!”
Lu Ze listened to her movements and did not take it to heart at all. In the past two years, he had also come to understand what kind of person Lu’s mother was. For her to give up her current glory and wealth to die? That was absolutely impossible.
He glanced at the butler next to him and said, “Take good care of the servants in the mansion. If there are any rumors outside, I will hold you responsible.”
The butler, while wiping his cold sweat, said repeatedly, “Yes, yes! Don’t worry, master. I will definitely take good care of the whole mansion!”
As he spoke, he tentatively asked, “Then what about the old madam…”
Lu Ze waved his hand. “Do as the Marquis says.” He paused, then added, “Change the maids by her side to some smart and clever ones. In the future, when she goes out, have someone watch her carefully and pay attention to what she can and cannot say.”
As for Lu’s mother, Lu Ze had also lost his patience. It was already his limit to have provided her with good food and drink for the past two years.
The butler was secretly shocked and quickly agreed.
Lu Ze glanced at him and strode after Wei Yan’s back.
By the time Lu Ze chased out of the mansion gate, Wei Yan was already sitting in the carriage, his face still very ugly.
But he was still waiting for Lu Ze there.
Lu Ze didn’t expect him to be so angry, but he also felt that to deal with a person like Lu’s mother, it was necessary to be serious.
He sat down beside him, reached out and brushed away the bangs on his forehead, and softened his voice. “Are you still angry?”
Wei Yan turned his head and glared at him, his voice also a little angry. “What? Can’t I say it? Do you really want to take a concubine?”
Lu Ze paused, and his hand fell on his face and pulled his cheek. “Nonsense.”
“She was talking nonsense there, and you’re also saying these things to stab my heart?”
Wei Yan opened his mouth but didn’t speak.
After these two years, no one knew Lu Ze’s feelings for him better than him. Although he had made many contributions, he had never taken credit for them, and he had never gone out to drink and watch plays with his colleagues. He would come back to accompany him whenever he had time. Wei Yan had never doubted his feelings for him.
He rubbed his temples, his expression softened slightly, and the anger in his heart also slowly dissipated. He pursed his lips and moved closer to him. “That’s not what I meant…”
“I’m just a little angry…” Wei Yan also felt that his reaction was strange. He had long known what kind of person Lu’s mother was, and he had been too lazy to argue with her for so many years. He didn’t have to make such a scene today, but at that moment, his temper was uncontrollable, and it just came out.
“It’s fine. Mother has been used to a good life for the past two years, and she’s also used to your good temper. It’s time to tighten the strings for her. After this, I’m sure she’ll be honest for a while.” Lu Ze said, “But it’s not worth it to get angry and hurt your body. Don’t take those things to heart.” He coaxed him in a soft voice, “It’s still early. After we go back, do you want to go to the Linjiang Tower and have a look? There’s a new lotus pond there. I heard that the lotus flowers are all in bloom at this time, and the scenery is also unique.”
Wei Yan nodded and only then did he agree.
The carriage slowly drove back. When they passed by a place selling pastries, Lu Ze got out of the carriage again and bought him a portion of lotus seed paste cakes. Seeing that a smile had reappeared on his face, he said, “It’s freshly baked. Have a taste?”
Wei Yan picked up a piece and took a bite. The taste was still familiar, but after just two bites, his brows furrowed tightly. Just as the carriage ran over a stone, and the carriage shook slightly, his face suddenly changed, and he couldn’t help but lean to the side and vomit with a “wah.”
Lu Ze’s face froze. He quickly supported him and gently patted his back, his expression nervous. “What’s wrong? Is this pastry not fresh?”
Wei Yan took a moment to recover, then half-sat up straight. After a moment, he shook his head and said weakly, “No.”
Lu Ze quickly handed him a teacup and a handkerchief. After Wei Yan had used them, his face was a little better. He said, “I just haven’t had much of an appetite recently, and I always feel like vomiting when I smell some things. It might be caused by the long journey. It’s fine. I’ll be fine after a few more days of rest.”
Hearing this, Lu Ze’s expression paused. Nausea, drowsiness…
Before Wei Yan could react, he raised his hand and grabbed his wrist to take his pulse.
Wei Yan was stunned for a moment, then smiled. “You can even take a pulse…” He saw that Lu Ze’s eyes were slowly becoming serious, and his smile also unconsciously faded. He touched his face with his other hand and said in a gentle voice, “Don’t worry, I’m fine. It’s just…”
Before he could finish, Lu Ze suddenly looked up, his expression a mix of shock and complexity, and also a hint of uncertain joy and excitement.
Wei Yan’s expression paused, and his heart also unconsciously beat faster, his voice a little hoarse. “Wh-what’s wrong?”
He asked softly, but Lu Ze suddenly grabbed his other hand, his gaze scorching.
Wei Yan’s Adam’s apple moved slightly, and his heart was pounding. He always felt that something was about to happen.
“A Yan,” he heard him call him. His cheek gently rubbed against his palm, and his gaze was fixed on him without blinking. “You’re pregnant.”
Wei Yan was stunned for a moment, and then he thought he had heard wrong and said with some uncertainty, “Wh-what?”
Lu Ze held his hand and moved it down, and gently covered his lower abdomen, his voice slightly hoarse. “A Yan, we have a child.”
