Pregnant Salted Fish Chapter 73

TL: Hua

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Hearing Chen Shaoqing say that, Xu Yanqing grinned foolishly, a sight that made Chen Shaoqing shake his head helplessly.

It was a pity that Chen Shaoqing hadn’t seen the little prince in the palace much, because when the little prince grinned, he was practically identical to his salted fish father.

The two good brothers drank heartily in the restaurant. However, Xu Yanqing himself didn’t expect that the Taoist master, who had already visited in the morning, would come to Marquis Wu’an’s residence again in the afternoon and even bring the little cub, who was sound asleep in his baby carriage, along with him.

Lady Su was naturally incredibly fond of her little grandson. After all, for Marquis Wu’an’s residence, the little prince was the first of the next generation of youngsters. She waved her hand at the maid beside her: “See what the young master is doing. Quickly send someone to fetch him.”

Unfortunately, the maid didn’t manage to bring her young master back, only the somewhat nervous Mu Yu: “Today, Young Master Chen from Marquis Xuanping’s family came, so the young master took him to Hexuan Pavilion for tea.”

“Shaoqing?” Yin Yanjun suddenly had a recollection. After all, Marquis Xuanping had endured humiliation and entrusted his eldest son to the capital as a hostage, and Chen Shaoqing could be considered to have grown up under his care.

However, Yin Yanjun didn’t believe that the young master would take Chen Shaoqing to Hexuan Pavilion for tea. He sat calmly in his chair, sipping the hot tea in his hand, a faint smile flashing in his cold and detached eyes: “Wen Jing, send someone to investigate where the young master went. Remember not to disturb him.”

Wen Jing assented and turned to leave the front courtyard.

Lady Su naturally knew her foolish son’s character. She guessed he had taken Young Master Chen out for a drink. Yet, Mu Yu repeatedly failed to learn and foolishly believed that scoundrel’s nonsense.

But it was clear at a glance that her foolish son would surely be disciplined by His Majesty. She only needed to dote on the little cub in the baby carriage.

In the restaurant, Xu Yanqing and Chen Shaoqing were enjoying their drinks, toasting each other enthusiastically. By the time Yin Yanjun received the news and came looking for them himself, the two young men were already quite dizzy from the alcohol.

“Qingqing.” Yin Yanjun’s hand rested on the young master’s shoulder, his tone flat, betraying no emotion.

“Hmm, here, here!” The young master, marinated in wine, swayed as he turned and looked up at the person who had patted his shoulder.

A pair of eyes, blurred by alcohol, fell upon Yin Yanjun’s face. The tipsy young master grinned, raised a hand, and slapped the table: “Hey, Brother Shaoqing, I think I drank too much. Why am I seeing Taoist master in the restaurant?”

Chen Shaoqing was startled by the table-slapping sound. He reacted dizzily, looking around, but couldn’t see anything clearly for a long time. Finally, he shook his head in denial: “You must have seen wrong. His Majesty never ate meat or drank alcohol before; how could he possibly come to a restaurant?”

The young master turned his head and chuckled, “You’re right, you’re right. Come, come, let’s keep drinking.”

They couldn’t continue drinking, because Chen Shaoqing simply slumped his head onto the table and fell into a dazed sleep, leaving only Xu Yanqing holding a cup in his hand.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Looking at Chen Shaoqing, who fell down first, Xu Yanqing threw his head back and downed the wine in his hand: “This much alcohol is no good. Brother Shaoqing, get up, let’s keep drinking.”

“Send Young General Chen back to Marquis Xuanping’s residence.” Yin Yanjun said calmly. Wen Jing, behind him, quickly had someone help the sprawled Chen Shaoqing off the table.

The room instantly fell silent. Yin Yanjun moved to sit beside the young master. His eyes rested on the young master for a moment, but he didn’t speak.

Dazed by alcohol, Xu Yanqing sat crookedly in the chair, propping his chin with his hand: “Brother Shaoqing must have bad eyesight. How could he not see such a Taoist master who’s as pure and clear as the wind and moon?”

“Did you enjoy your drinks today?” Yin Yanjun’s face was expressionless, and his tone was very flat.

“Mmm.” Xu Yanqing poked Yin Yanjun with a finger, then he swayed his head and leaned closer: “Taoist master is joking. Excessive drinking harms the body; how could it make one happy!”

Despite being so drunk his head was spinning, he spoke in such a well-behaved manner. Yin Yanjun sighed helplessly: “Let’s go home. Yuanchen is waiting for his father at Marquis Wu’an’s residence.”

Xu Yanqing plunged headfirst into Yin Yanjun’s embrace. Due to an unsteady footing, he ended up sitting astride the Taoist master’s lap.

The young master, smelling of alcohol, faintly exuded an imperceptible sweet peach scent. Yin Yanjun’s eyes gradually deepened and darkened: “Qingqing, is your heat cycle approaching?”

The Taoist master’s voice, soft as a whisper, sounded, and his warm breath lightly brushed against his ear. Xu Yanqing couldn’t help but raise a hand and rub his tingling ear twice, asking somewhat blankly, “What do you mean?”

In five days, it would be their wedding day. Yin Yanjun, caressing the young master’s fair earlobe, did not repeat what he had just said. Instead, he simply raised his hand and picked up the drunken young master.

Due to the young master’s previous sitting posture, when Yin Yanjun picked him up, it was as if he was holding a small child.

Xu Yanqing was, after all, a young man. Even if he usually liked to cling to the Taoist master in a sticky way, it was truly humiliating to be carried downstairs in that position by the Taoist master in front of everyone, even while he was drunk.

“Taoist master, quickly put me down! If someone sees us, I’ll never be able to show my face again!” The salted fish lay on the Taoist master’s shoulder, his face dejected: “I’ll never sneak out to drink behind your back again.”

Having received the young master’s promise, Yin Yanjun slowly released the person clinging to him, and with a somewhat helpless sigh, ruffled the young master’s hair: “I only hope Qingqing can keep your word when you’re sober.”

He raised a hand to support the young master, who was swaying unsteadily upon landing, and slowly walked out of the restaurant. After they left, a faint sound of conversation could be heard from inside the restaurant.

“Were those two just now… His Majesty and Young Master Xu from Marquis Wu’an’s residence?”

“Though I don’t know Young Master Xu, the one just now certainly resembled His Majesty.”

“So, Young Master Xu came out drinking, got too drunk, and His Majesty personally came to take him back?”

However, no matter how they looked at it, it didn’t seem like something His Majesty would do. Then they exchanged knowing glances. Indeed, ever since His Majesty met Young Master Xu from Marquis Wu’an’s residence, he had truly become more like a worldly person.

“Truthfully speaking, if Young Master Xu hadn’t been able to conceive and bear children, perhaps the emperor and empress’s grand wedding wouldn’t have come so easily. From this perspective, His Majesty and Young Master Xu might just be a match made in heaven, a destiny ordained by the heavens!”

“Exactly,” someone exclaimed, slapping the table in approval, sighing with emotion: “The emperor and empress’s grand wedding is a good thing.”

Meanwhile, the young master, already carried into the carriage by Yin Yanjun, lay on his shoulder with his eyes closed. His breath, somewhat heated from drinking, sprayed onto Yin Yanjun’s neck.

Yin Yanjun sighed dotingly, reaching out a hand to clasp the young master’s waist, preventing him from losing his balance and falling again.

The little prince had woken up by now. After Xu Xianzhi finished his duties, he stayed in his mother’s room, unwilling to leave. He held a rattle drum, coaxing the chubby little prince to smile broadly.

After all, they were brothers born of the same mother. Even if one resembled the father and the other the mother, their close blood ties gave these two brothers of Marquis Wu’an’s residence some similarities.

Because of this, the little prince was quite close to his eldest maternal uncle, Xu Xianzhi. Even if his father and imperial father weren’t around, he wouldn’t cry or fuss under the coaxing of Lady Su and Xu Xianzhi.

“The little prince is much more well-behaved than your younger brother was as a child.” Lady Su now had a good grandson and nothing to worry about. Even her once dearly beloved youngest son had to take a backseat.

“The New Year is coming soon. I suppose Ah Qing will have to stay in the imperial palace this year.” Xu Xianzhi sharply exposed his mother’s stubborn pretense: “So, Mother, if you’re reluctant, just say it. Why hide it by bringing up Ah Qing’s childhood?”

Lady Su glared at her eldest son: “Are you trying to show off how smart you are? If you’re truly capable, bring me a daughter-in-law home next year.”

Well, the battle was thus self-inflicted by Xu Xianzhi. However, when Lady Su mentioned marrying a wife, a slender, delicate figure instantly appeared in his mind.

Then Xu Xianzhi shook his head and went back to teasing his little nephew.

Lady Su’s personal maid hurried into the room from outside and whispered a few words into Lady Su’s ear. Immediately, an urge to hit someone surged within her. She turned to Xu Xianzhi and said irritably, “Look at your good younger brother, dead drunk and brought back by His Majesty. He doesn’t look like a father at all.”

Xu Xianzhi was unconcerned: “Aside from his lazy nature, Ah Qing only has a few small hobbies like eating and drinking. Anyway, with His Majesty protecting him now, I don’t think there will be any problems.” As the elder brother, Xu Xianzhi had already entrusted the task of protecting his salted fish younger brother to His Majesty.

In Xu Yanqing’s courtyard, Mu Yu, following the emperor’s command, quickly had servants prepare a tub of hot water to serve the drunken young master for his bath.

Despite the cold winter, Xu Yanqing felt hot all over. It wasn’t due to the impending heat cycle but purely because he had drunk too much wine.

“Let’s see if Qingqing dares to be greedy for more wine next time.” Yin Yanjun gently massaged the young master’s abdomen with one hand, and seeing the young master’s pitiful expression, he shook his head with some exasperation.

Xu Yanqing’s eyes were moist, and he lay weakly in the quilt: “I won’t dare, I won’t dare. I’ll never be so unrestrained again.”

Mu Yu knocked on the door. It was the wet nurse bringing the little prince. The sky outside looked a bit gloomy, as if it was about to snow.

The room was warm and cozy. Yin Yanjun reached out and took the little cub, placing him beside the young master.

The little cub hadn’t seen his father for a while and seemed quite excited, so he raised his little paws and grabbed the young master’s clothes, cooing and babbling while playing.

This was Xu Yanqing’s first time formally sharing a bed with the little cub; before, there had always been a cradle separating them.

So he turned over to the little cub and habitually raised his hand to poke the little cub’s chubby hand: “He seems to have gotten fatter again.”

“Yuanchen is growing. Children change every day,” Yin Yanjun said softly.

Mu Yu and the wet nurse bowed and slowly exited the room.

Xu Yanqing played with the little cub for a while, then the drowsiness hit him, and he started to drift off again.

The little cub had slept for half a day and was now energetic. His little paws pulled at his father’s clothes for a bit, then at his hair tie… He was having a great time playing by himself.

Yin Yanjun sat at the head of the bed, gazing at the father and son on the bed, his eyes revealing an unprecedented tenderness and satisfaction.

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