TL: Hua
“Mother!” Xu Yanqing pulled Lady Su’s hand and indulged in a flurry of coquetry: “Please let me go, Mother. Elder Brother will definitely take good care of me.”
“Your elder brother can’t even take care of himself, let alone you.” Her eldest son usually had the same rough habits as her husband, living in a messy and unrefined way, while her youngest son was raised with all her love and care. How could he endure the hardships of a long journey?
Xu Xianzhi, who was caught in the crossfire while lying down, strongly agreed with his mother and firmly refused to take his brother back to their hometown for ancestor worship: “Father’s ancestral home is just a small village, nowhere comparable to your Yunshui Courtyard. Ah Qing, be good; you simply won’t be able to adapt to life there.”
Xu Family Village was a purely rural village. Although the folk customs were simple and honest, it was indeed a bit poor. His younger brother was raised like a precious gem by their parents; going to that place would only mean hardship.
Seeing his youngest son still persistent, Marquis Wu’an called him to the study. Although he was a burly military man, he had also led large armies and served as a general, so he naturally had his unique perspective on problems: “Ah Qing, tell your father, are you insisting on leaving the capital with your elder brother to return to our hometown for ancestor worship because you’re hiding from someone?” His gaze fell on his son’s abdomen, his words implying something.
Xu Yanqing naturally didn’t intend to hide everything. Moreover, to leave the capital, he definitely needed his parents’ permission. So, he nodded: “The other father of this child has a special identity. If he finds out, we definitely won’t be able to keep this child. Why should the child this young master painstakingly carried for ten months be snatched away by someone else…”
“What ‘young master’?! If you have the guts, tell me who that person is!” Marquis Wu’an glared at his son, who was spouting wild words, but the worry on his brow lingered.
“Hehe.” The salted fish rubbed the corner of his clothes, looked up, and smiled brightly, attempting to dispel his father’s further inquiries with his smile.
“So you plan to avoid detection and secretly give birth to the child first?” Marquis Wu’an’s gaze was somewhat complex: “It’s already shocking for a man to be pregnant. How can Ah Qing be so sure that the other party will snatch the child away?”
Xu Yanqing naturally didn’t know either; he hadn’t even finished reading that novel. Furthermore, the protagonist of the novel wasn’t Taoist Priest Xuanchen, nor was it the little sprout in his belly. As for why this little sprout ended up in the imperial palace and became Daliang’s Crown Prince, Xu Yanqing called it a bug that even the novel’s author couldn’t clearly explain.
“Perhaps the other party has physical issues and difficulty conceiving!” Xu Yanqing blinked his big eyes, speaking with utmost sincerity. After all, judging by Taoist Priest Xuanchen’s age, he must be around thirty, yet he had only heard that the emperor’s harem was empty and he had no imperial children or grandchildren.
“Nonsense! If he can get a man like you pregnant, he’s hardly ‘having difficulty conceiving’…” Marquis Wu’an had long been full of resentment towards the man who got his son pregnant. This time, he couldn’t hold back, and despite just having chastised his son for spouting wild words, he cursed in front of his son.
Xu Yanqing stared at his enraged father, still smiling innocently with a pure expression, letting his father crudely attack the Taoist priest. Although Taoist Priest Xuanchen had an ethereal demeanor, it was also a fact that he got him pregnant, so a few curses wouldn’t hurt.
In the imperial palace, Yin Yanjun was accustomed to waking early. Even in the palace, he would follow his routine morning lessons. After organizing the completed scriptures, he suddenly paused and let out a sneeze.
Wen Jing was a little nervous: “Did Your Majesty catch a cold?” The weather has been hot and cold recently, making it easy to get sick.
Yin Yanjun waved his hand, his expression as clear and detached as ever.
—
At the Wu’an Marquis’s mansion, after Xu Yanqing’s persistent pleas and his father’s help, Lady Su reluctantly gave in. However, she specifically went to a medical clinic and asked Dr. Qi for a medicine boy to serve by Xu Yanqing’s side.
“Although Mother doesn’t know what you and your father discussed, your father always sees things more clearly and thoroughly than me. Since he has agreed, Mother won’t stop you.” Lady Su’s eyes were red as she held Xu Yanqing’s hand: “When the child is almost due, Mother will invite Dr. Qi to Xu Family Village to deliver your baby. When the child is a bit older, come back quickly.”
Xu Yanqing affectionately hugged Lady Su’s arm, rubbing his head against her arm with some lingering attachment.
Lady Su’s eyes were full of tenderness. She raised a hand and pinched Xu Yanqing’s cheek: “Still so fond of acting spoiled. I bet when the child is born, you’ll still compete with your own child for affection.”
Xu Yanqing chuckled, “Anyway, Mother dotes on me. When the time comes, I’ll just throw the little sprout aside and let Elder Brother take care of him.”
The prince of the Marquis mansion was going back to his hometown to pay respects to his ancestors and was also taking the young master, so time was a bit tight. Lady Su directed a group of maids, bustling in and out, packing luggage.
In previous years, when Xu Xianzhi returned to his hometown for ancestor worship, he would go alone on a single horse, bringing money and leaving whenever he pleased. Anyway, things could be procured once he reached Xu Family Village. But now, taking the marquisate’s precious young master was entirely different.
Lady Su personally sorted Xu Yanqing’s wardrobe, secretly pondering how many clothes would be enough for her youngest son’s half-year or so trip.
Turning around, she found a small bundle in the corner. She raised her hand to pick it up and asked Mu Yu beside her, “Did your young master pack his things in advance?”
Mu Yu looked puzzled. “No, I packed all of his belongings. This bundle seems to be something he brought back from Yunshui Courtyard.”
Upon mentioning Yunshui Courtyard, Lady Su couldn’t help but frown. She reached out and tugged at the small bundle, only vaguely seeing a bit of smoky gray fabric and a pair of exquisitely crafted mother-of-pearl buttons. The pattern on the buttons was somewhat unusual, but she never interfered with her son’s private affairs, so even though she was puzzled, she didn’t actually rummage through her son’s luggage.
Because they had to rush for the ancestral worship ceremony, the two brothers had to depart before Lady Su could fully display her true capabilities.
Even so, the convoy for this trip was still quite spectacular. Xu Xianzhi stared at the luggage on the several carriages behind them and couldn’t help but twitch his mouth. “Mother, did you move everything out of Ah Qing’s room?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?” Lady Su glared at her eldest son. “I was thinking of bringing all the quilts Ah Qing was used to, but Ah Qing didn’t want them. So, after picking and choosing, we only packed three carriages.”
Three carriages worth of items were just from picking and choosing. If Lady Su had truly been allowed to prepare meticulously, eight or even ten carriages would probably not have been enough.
Seeing that it was almost noon, Marquis Wu’an turned his head only to see his wife and youngest son clinging to each other. He couldn’t help but interject, playing the villain, “Alright, if we delay any longer, you won’t have to go.”
Lady Su patted her youngest son’s slightly thin back. “Remember to write to me then.”
“Alright, Mother, please take care of yourself. Your son will be back soon.” Having experienced maternal love for the first time from Lady Su, Xu Yanqing was already very content. Finally, urged repeatedly by Xu Xianzhi, he stepped into the carriage.
Xu Xianzhi rode his horse beside the carriage. The coachman gave a familiar soft cry, and the horses slowly moved forward.
They soon left the capital. Xu Yanqing lifted the curtain and looked out. The city gates of the capital were no longer visible.
“Are you tired, Elder Brother? Do you want to rest in the carriage?” Xu Yanqing looked at his brother on horseback. Xu Xianzhi was robust, and sitting upright on the horse, he looked dashing and majestic. However, the usually slouching salted fish felt tired just looking at that posture.
Turning his head to glance at the cramped carriage, Xu Xianzhi clicked his tongue in disdain. “You sit in the carriage yourself. Your brother can’t stand such a blessing.” He still felt more at ease riding a horse.
Listening to the two brothers from the Marquis Wu’an’s residence talk, the “medicine boy” beside them couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Young Master and the prince are truly close.”
“Mother said she was going to ask Doctor Qi for a medicine boy, but how did Young Master Qi get invited?” When they were about to depart today, Doctor Qi slowly arrived with Qi Chen, which truly surprised Xu Yanqing.
Qi Chen stared at Xu Yanqing’s abdomen. “My father said Young Master is pregnant. I’ve followed my mother and delivered many children since I was little, but I’ve never seen a man pregnant.” His implied meaning was that he was very curious about the child in Xu Yanqing’s womb.
Xu Yanqing himself was still very puzzled and surprised by the child in his womb, so he didn’t mind Qi Chen’s blunt gaze. After all, many doctors have great interest in strange and rare cases. In his previous life, those researchers even studied white mice all day long!
The carriage swayed forward, but when they reached the inn in the evening, Xu Yanqing was still vomiting terribly. He was already a bit carriage-sick, and with morning sickness not yet over, he simply collapsed.
“Young Master, your body is special now, so you can’t take medicine.” Qi Chen sat by the bed and massaged the despondent salted fish acupuncture points, trying to alleviate Xu Yanqing’s urge to vomit. “I’ll massage Young Master’s acupuncture points first. If it’s still like this tomorrow, we can try acupuncture needles.”
Compared to a moment ago when he was vomiting terribly, the languid fish now nestled on the bed felt much more comfortable. He asked Xu Xianzhi and Mu Yu to rest first, leaving only Qi Chen behind.
Qi Chen sat on the stool, massaging Xu Yanqing’s acupuncture points, while looking up at the pale young master. “You kept me behind; do you have a question to ask?”
“Actually, I’ve found a way to alleviate my morning sickness, but this method is somewhat unseemly, so I’ve never mentioned it.” The salted fish secretly organized his words. “It’s just that I’m very puzzled about this point, so I thought of asking Young Doctor Qi.”
Qi Chen listened in silence, acting as a perfectly qualified listener.
Xu Yanqing sat up from the bed. “Is it possible that there are some special scents that can cure or alleviate morning sickness and the discomfort pregnant men experience due to pregnancy?”
“In the vast world, there are all sorts of wonders. Young Master’s pregnancy itself is an astonishing thing.” Qi Chen pondered in silence for a moment. “Actually, the idea that scent can soothe pregnant women isn’t entirely comprehensive. In many cases, as long as the scent can make one feel physically and mentally happy, it can greatly alleviate discomfort. It’s just that I don’t know what kind of scent Young Master is referring to?”
Xu Yanqing knew this point as well. For example, some people who get carsick feel better after smelling oranges or mint, but he felt that situation was not related to the changes in his body.
“I found that the scent of the child’s father can greatly alleviate my pregnancy discomfort.”
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Obrigada pela tradução !❣️😘
I wonder if they are the first ABO official couple hahah