Pregnant Salted Fish Chapter 42

TL: Hua

“Then I’ll tell them the truth. As for the details, I’ll explain everything clearly to my father and mother.” The dejected salted fish looked down at his now bulging belly.

Thinking of a reason was too difficult, and thinking of a suitable reason was even harder. So, the salted fish young master decisively chose to tell the truth. Given the Taoist Master’s identity, his father wouldn’t beat him up.

In the Emperor’s room, Wen Jing’s face was filled with excitement. “Young Master really agreed to return to the capital with Your Majesty?”

The burning warmth on Yin Yanjun’s ear had just subsided. Hearing this, the corners of his lips couldn’t help but curl slightly. In front of Wen Jing, he merely nodded faintly. “Mm.”

“That’s good. Young Master is now carrying the dragon’s heir. It’s not safe to stay here. It’s better to return to the palace.” Wen Jing was very excited. In three or four months, there would be a new master in the palace. Now that they were returning to the capital, there were many, many things that needed to be arranged.

Wen Jing rubbed his hands together. The palace was now entirely under the Emperor’s control, so nothing could go wrong. However, the palace attendants below still needed to be properly trained and disciplined. He would make sure that the young master could live as comfortably and happily as he did in Xu Family Village.

“The young master is heavy now and cannot endure long journeys. There is enough time until the New Year, so we can travel slowly. Go and arrange everything.” Yin Yanjun closed the wooden box containing the ancient texts, a barely perceptible smile gracing his brows.

“Yes,” Wen Jing replied, about to leave, but Yin Yanjun stopped him. He paused and looked back.

“Never mind. You go arrange the carriage first!” Yin Yanjun waved his hand, a slightly complex expression on his face.

Wen Jing bowed and exited the room.

Yin Yanjun organized the ancient texts and sat down again at the writing desk. He thought about how Marquis Wu’an had done a great job in protecting him when he was imprisoned, but now he was in this situation with the young master… If it were a young master from another aristocratic family, it would be easier to arrange things, but it was Marquis Wu’an, which made him feel somewhat constrained.

Furthermore, he was able to bring the young master back to the capital today largely because of the young master’s special physique. Otherwise, given the young master’s temperament, how could he have so easily coaxed him into the imperial palace?

Yin Yanjun sighed. Facing the usually lazy and slow young master, he, who was usually decisive, was utterly helpless. Recalling the young master’s clumsy kiss, his heart stirred again. His usual self-restraint and propriety were nowhere to be found.

“Young master, young master, are we going back to the capital?” Mu Yu, belatedly learning the news from Qi Chen, quickly rushed to his young master’s side.

The salted fish young master nodded lazily. “Hurry up and pack your things. Also, make sure to properly arrange for the guards outside and Aunt Li.”

“Aunt Li and the guards have already been taken care of by Taoist Master Wen Jing. Young master, are we going back to the capital with Taoist Master Xuanchen?” Returning to the capital wasn’t important to Mu Yu. What was important was that his young master had pestered Madam for a long time before she finally relented. Why were they suddenly returning now?

“Hmm, what the child’s father said is worth considering.” The salted fish only hoped that when his mother hit him, she would remember Taoist Master Xuanchen’s identity and the little bean in his belly and go easy on him. Otherwise, he would just dump all his grievances on the Taoist Master again.

After all, one gets used to being thick-skinned. Xu Yanqing was perfectly justified in throwing tantrums at Taoist Master Xuanchen, yet at this moment, he didn’t feel anything was amiss.

“Child’s father… who is that?” Mu Yu was still utterly bewildered.

Xu Yanqing glanced at Mu Yu with disdain. “Who do you think it is?” How did he end up with such a foolish person to serve him closely? Alas, salted fish sighed.

Mu Yu, for once, had a moment of clarity. He instantly connected the inexplicable things Young Doctor Qi had said before with Taoist Master Xuanchen, who had been in his master’s room late that night. He widened his eyes in shock. “Young Master, doesn’t this count as ruining Taoist Master Xuanchen’s cultivation?”

Xu Yanqing clicked his tongue, casually picked up a storybook from the tea table, and lightly tapped Mu Yu’s head with it, “You’re my personal servant. When did you start siding with Taoist Master Xuanchen so much? Or should I send you to the Taoist Master to be his servant?”

Still unaware of the terrifying prospect of being sent to Taoist Master Xuanchen as a servant, Mu Yu chuckled foolishly, touched his head, and said, “Young Master, don’t send me away. I just got confused for a moment, didn’t I? In Mu Yu’s heart, Young Master is naturally the most important.”

“Alright, alright, hurry up and pack. Just looking at you gives me a headache.” The salted fish lazily spread the book in his hand over his face. He had been thinking for too long today and needed a good rest.

There was too much to pack, so they definitely couldn’t set off today. After bathing, Xu Yanqing took the ointment prepared by Qi Chen and applied it to his abdomen. Now, his abdomen looked like a small watermelon strapped to him, an ugly sight that was truly unbearable to look at.

After rubbing it a couple of times, the salted fish felt a soreness in his wrist, so he lazily tossed the ointment onto the bedside table. Just as Yin Yanjun entered, he witnessed this scene.

“Is your wrist uncomfortable?” Yin Yanjun slowly walked to the bed, placed the ointment that the young master had casually tossed onto the pillow, and looked at the young master with gentle eyes.

Upon seeing Taoist Master Xuanchen, the dispirited salted fish couldn’t help but recall the scene where he had been rude to the Taoist Master earlier today. He feigned a cough before saying, “It does feel a bit uncomfortable.”

“It’s true that some people experience wrist discomfort during the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy. I’ll use a hot compress for Young Master.” Saying that, Yin Yanjun calmly got up. Before Xu Yanqing could react, he had already walked out the door.

Soon, Yin Yanjun returned with a basin of hot water. The Taoist Master, who was as clear as the breeze and the moon and as upright as a pine or bamboo, now seemed to have fallen into the mortal world, tainted by the smoke and dust of humanity, no longer as aloof and distant as when they first met.

While the salted fish’s thoughts wandered, his wrist was gently taken by Taoist Master Xuanchen. The hot compress on his wrist greatly relieved the soreness.

From Xu Yanqing’s perspective, looking up, he could see the Taoist Master’s gentle and serious gaze and his long eyelashes. Under the salted fish’s intense gaze, Yin Yanjun’s long eyelashes trembled slightly, causing a strange flurry of emotions in Xu Yanqing’s heart.

Unable to resist, he raised his other hand, his fingertips lightly touching Taoist Master Xuanchen’s raven-black eyelashes. Xu Yanqing whispered, “Taoist Master, you truly possess an unparalleled handsome face.” It made even a salted fish like him unable to help but become a brazen rogue, exceptionally covetous.

Yin Yanjun slowly blinked; the tips of his ears began to redden and grow warm again. He looked at the young master’s eyes, embarrassed yet gentle, “I am but a mortal. It is my good fortune to be found presentable by the young master.”

“But it’s really surprising that you, as an emperor, have never fallen for someone even though you’re almost thirty years old.” The salted fish blinked his round, big eyes.

Yin Yanjun cleaned the cloth again, held the young master’s other hand to apply the hot compress, and hearing this, his expression momentarily turned cold, but then he spoke softly, “Young master, do you want to hear about my corrupt past in the palace?”

If it were in the past, the salted fish would surely have waved his hands in refusal regarding those complex and life-threatening palace secrets. But now, as he gazed into Taoist Master Xuanchen’s calm and cool eyes, he seemed to sense the emotional fluctuations in the other’s heart at this moment. So, without hesitation, he said, “Regarding the Taoist Master’s past, I am naturally all ears.”

Yin Yanjun’s face showed a faint smile when he heard this. He tossed the now cool cloth back into the water basin before slowly beginning, “I was born the Crown Prince of Daliang, constantly under the scrutiny of both the former court and the imperial harem. Every action had to be carefully considered and executed.”

Gently kneading the young master’s sore wrist, Yin Yanjun’s voice had little emotional fluctuation: “The late emperor favored the noble consort, which led to me having to live in a Taoist master temple in my youth to pray for the emperor’s blessings. Fortunately, I had some talent and did not disgrace the Crown Prince’s name.”

The Crown Prince voluntarily retreated to live a secluded life, yet the noble consort became even more aggressive, refusing to miss any opportunity to humiliate Yin Yanjun.

So, the late emperor issued an imperial decree to bestow a marriage upon the Crown Prince. Yin Yanjun knelt before the grand hall for an entire day and night, yet still could not make the late emperor retract the decree.

The Crown Prince, who had cultivated in a Taoist temple since his youth, was now forced to marry a woman who harbored affection for someone else as the Crown Princess. On the wedding day, Yin Yanjun had made all arrangements; he could reach an agreement with the Crown Princess.

However, that Crown Princess, bestowed by the late emperor, was arrogant and naturally looked down upon the Crown Prince, who came from a Taoist temple and was neglected by the emperor. So, she listened to the noble consort’s instigation and, in the bridal chamber, poisoned the Crown Prince with a ‘love toxin’ that would forever prevent him from having offspring, and almost took Yin Yanjun’s life with a knife.

“It’s a pity that knife didn’t really take my life. In the end, I still inherited the imperial throne.” Yin Yanjun smiled faintly, “Indeed, I have never had a wife or children in this half of my life, nor have I ever felt affection for anyone.” Only this young master in front of him was an exception, appearing unexpectedly in his calm and uneventful life. Although the young master was lazy, deep down he had a passionate and vibrant personality, which made him unforgettable and linger in his heart.

The emperor in the original story was just a background board that could restrain the paranoid male supporting role. His sole purpose was to propel the plot of the male and female protagonists. However, the Taoist Master Xuanchen before Xu Yanqing now was a truly vibrant, flesh-and-blood being. He would smile, get angry, and get hurt.

Xu Yanqing blinked his eyes blankly, a sudden surge of discomfort welling up in his heart. He raised his hand and hugged the cold and aloof Taoist Master, his slightly rounded palm gently patting the Taoist Master’s back, “Taoist Master must have been very sad then!”

The neglect and apprehension of his biological father and the power and schemes of the imperial harem and the former court had ultimately pushed the Taoist Master to such an unreachably high position, truly making him a lonely man.

Yin Yanjun was slightly startled when the young master hugged him like that. Then, his eyes filled with a faint smile, and he raised a hand to stroke the young master’s soft hair. “Yes, I am also but a mortal. Of course, I also feel sad.”

However, that was him many years ago. Now, the dust has settled, and those past events have long become bubbles. Why should he dwell on the past?

The little bean in his belly suddenly started moving, and Xu Yanqing seemed to remember something. He let go of the Taoist Master, took the Taoist Master’s hand, placed it on his abdomen, and said earnestly, “Thinking about it this way, arranged marriages are simply evil, especially those that go against the wishes of the parties involved. They are truly detestable. So, Taoist Master, please don’t easily arrange marriages for others in the future.”

After all, this was his child, carried for ten months with great difficulty. The only thing Xu Yanqing could do for the little bean right now was to free him from arranged marriages and from his fate as an obsessive male supporting character.

Yin Yanjun was somewhat bewildered. The young master’s thoughts jumped too quickly; he didn’t know how it shifted to arranged marriages. The little bean under his palm was very active at the moment, stirring back and forth in the young master’s belly.

“Young Master, it seems you didn’t apply the medicine properly just now because of the wrist pain?” Yin Yanjun suddenly remembered the young master casually tossing the ointment when he first entered his room.

So, he reached out, took the ointment from the bedside, and his cool, gentle gaze fell on the young master’s abdomen. “Young Master, your months are growing, and the child will also grow bigger with each passing month. This ointment definitely needs to be applied properly.”

The salted fish was a little embarrassed to have the Taoist Master help him apply the medicine, but he was convinced by the Taoist Master’s words. After all, compared to the uncontrollable itch in his belly, temporary embarrassment didn’t seem so important anymore. So, the salted fish shamelessly decided to give the Taoist Master some time to interact with the future Crown Prince.

The young master raised his clothes, revealing his rounded, fair abdomen. The ointment prepared by Qi Chen was very effective. The young master had diligently applied it during this period, and even though his belly was getting bigger, the uncontrollable itch from before had not flared up again.

Yin Yanjun’s gaze was warm as he took the ointment and slowly melted it in his palm before carefully applying it to the young master’s abdomen.

The moment Taoist Master Xuanchen’s warm palm touched his abdomen, the salted fish young master felt a tingling sensation on his skin. It was a strange feeling, but he could tell it wasn’t uncomfortable.

Today, the little bean seemed particularly excited. Wherever his Taoist Master father’s palm landed, he would slowly move there, as if playing with his father.

The young master couldn’t help but yawn, leaning on the pillow, half-asleep. By the time Yin Yanjun finished applying the ointment for him, the young master had already fallen into a deep slumber.

He pulled down the young master’s clothes to cover his round, fair abdomen, then pulled a blanket over him. Only then did Yin Yanjun wash his hands with the water he had used for the young master’s heat compress earlier.

Gazing quietly at the sleeping young master, Yin Yanjun’s eyes were gentle and focused. The young master was as warm and fervent as he had imagined. The moment the young master embraced him, his heart was filled with comfort. However, the time was not yet right. His young master…

He reached out and gently rubbed the young master’s cheek, then held him and placed him further into the bed. Only then did Yin Yanjun get up and leave.

The next day, when Xu Yanqing got up, it was already bright outside. Mu Yu was standing in front of the chicken coop, bidding farewell to their last few chickens. They were about to leave Xu Family Village, and these chickens naturally couldn’t be taken on the journey, so they were all left for that chubby child, Ah Ning.

Wen Jing had found several carriages from somewhere, parked at the entrance, waiting for Young Master Xu to wake up before loading all the luggage that had been packed in the young master’s room the day before.

“Just let them handle those trivial matters, young master; come and eat quickly.” Aunt Zhao pulled the young master, who was watching the commotion at the door, back into the kitchen, fearing that the servants carrying luggage might not be careful and bump into the young master. Even though they were leaving Xu Family Village today, Aunt Zhao still made a sumptuous breakfast. Qi Chen cozied up next to Xu Yanqing, holding a meat bun in his hand.

“*Hiiyah*, we’re leaving Xu Family Village today. To be honest, I’m a bit reluctant,” Qi Chen sighed, shaking his head.

Xu Yanqing glanced at him and teased, “You’re probably sad you won’t be able to gossip with those aunties after leaving Xu Family Village!”

Qi Chen waved his hand. “How can you call that gossip? I call this experiencing rural life. Maybe I can write an unparalleled storybook then.”

“So you already have an idea? Tell me about it?” Xu Yanqing looked over curiously. He had heard Qi Chen casually mention wanting to write a storybook before and thought he was just joking. Could it be that he was serious after all?

With the subject of the storybook right in front of him, Qi Chen couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. “I’m still in the conceptual stage right now. I’ll discuss it with Young Master when I have a clearer idea later.”

Discussing it was out of the question. To prevent Xu Yanqing from grinding him down, Qi Chen decided to hide his unique and unparalleled storybook, not even letting Taoist Master Xuanchen know, let alone Young Master Xu.

“Tsk.” Xu Yanqing took a bite of a meatball. “Still saying you’re not boasting? If I relied on you to write a storybook, I’d rather ask Taoist Master Wen Jing to help find more!”

“Yes, Young Master should still ask Taoist Master Wen Jing to help find some!” Qi Chen nodded repeatedly. He had to admit that the storybooks Young Master shared with him before were incredibly good, even more interesting than the ones he had collected. Taoist Master Wen Jing truly was a remarkable person!

Wen Jing moved quickly, leading the servants to load all the luggage onto the carriages in no time.

Yin Yanjun put down his brush and ink, handing the letter to Wen Jing: “First, send the secret letter back to the capital by carrier pigeon.”

Wen Jing took the letter from the emperor and stepped out of the room, only to see Young Master Xu approaching with a lacquered tray. He quickly went to meet him, wanting to take the tray from the young master: “Young Master, why have you come over? Is there anything else you need to instruct?”

“Nothing much. You go ahead and be busy. I heard Aunt Zhao say that Taoist master hasn’t eaten yet, so I brought some food over.” The things in his hands weren’t too heavy, so Xu Yanqing didn’t hand the lacquered tray to Wen Jing.

A smile appeared on Wen Jing’s face. Seeing the young master safely enter the room, he felt relieved and went to attend to the emperor’s instructions.

“Taoist Master is truly a busy person. You don’t even have time for breakfast.” The young master pushed the lacquered tray towards Taoist Master Xuanchen, his round, big eyes full of teasing.

Yin Yanjun’s gaze was gentle, with a faint smile in his eyes: “The matters of the capital are now entirely in Prince Huai’s hands, so I don’t need to worry too much. However, since Young Master will be entering the palace with me, proper arrangements must naturally be made.”

The salted fish never expected that he was teasing Taoist Master Xuanchen, only for the Taoist Master to turn the topic onto him. So, the young master, unwilling to be outdone, again thought of teasing: “That’s right, the palace is so big. For a humble young master like me, shouldn’t I pick a secluded courtyard to live in? I’m truly pitiful, being deceived and getting pregnant, only to end up hidden deep within the palace by the Taoist Master. Heaven is unjust!”

The young master feigned crying, his exquisite and handsome face full of wantonness. Yin Yanjun’s eyes showed a hint of indulgence: “If Young Master is unwilling to live deep within the palace, perhaps you could offer some guidance? Where should I settle you?”

“Oh, forget it, forget it. I don’t even have to say it, and Taoist Master is still hesitating? Shouldn’t a beautiful young master like me, carrying the dragon’s seed, reside in the Jiaofang Palace[mfn]The place where the empress lives[/mfn]?” Xu Yanqing feigned crying dramatically: “Indeed, it seems I’m not worthy. Taoist Master is truly so ungrateful.”

“Hahahaha!” The young master finally couldn’t continue the act of denouncing the heartless man. Taoist Master Xuanchen’s clear and ethereal face simply made it impossible for him to cast the other as the ungrateful Chen Shimei[mfn]A fictional character from an opera story. In the play, Chen Shimei is an ungrateful villain who abandons his wife and children. In the end, he was beheaded by Bao Zheng, and therefore became a synonym for a heartless person in later generations.[/mfn] who abandoned his wife and child.

“Taoist Master, please eat quickly!” The young master, beaming with joy, gestured to the food on the lacquered tray.

Yin Yanjun’s eyes held a smile as he briefly glanced at the young master, then lowered his head to eat under the young master’s repeated urging.

—

After Ah Ning learned that his little uncle and Taoist Master Xuanchen were leaving Xu Family Village today, he reluctantly pulled at one person and then another, finally hugging his uncle’s thigh with red eyes, crying heartbrokenly.

Yin Yanjun supported the young master’s waist from behind, preventing the chubby child from knocking him over. Finally, seeing the young master helpless in the face of the crying child, he generously extended a hand and pulled the chubby child away.

“Ah Ning is now learning to read. As long as you study hard, one day you’ll have to go to the capital for the imperial examination. Wouldn’t you be able to play with your uncle again then?” Yin Yanjun patted the chubby child’s fluffy head, calming the incessantly crying child with a few words. The dejected salted fish on the side couldn’t help but sigh again, thinking that with the Taoist Master’s good temper, he would surely escape the original plot and become a very, very good father.

Finally, after the chubby child made a pinky promise with his salted fish uncle, he obediently nestled back into his mother’s arms.

“Why are you leaving in such a hurry? We didn’t have time to prepare anything.” Xu Yuan brought his whole family to see Xu Yanqing off.

Xu Yanqing replied with a smile, “We originally planned to stay for a while longer, but Taoist Master Xuanchen has urgent matters at home that he needs to return to the capital to handle quickly. It’s perfect that we’re returning to the capital together; we can look out for each other on the road.”

Although they said they hadn’t prepared anything, Xu Yuan’s whole family had still prepared quite a few local specialties from Xu Family Village: “Your father used to love these things when he was little, but our family was poor then and couldn’t afford them. Now, our lives are quite prosperous. When you return to the capital, tell your father if he wants to eat anything, just send a letter, and I’ll find someone to deliver it.”

The young master listened to the elders’ instructions, nodding repeatedly.

Finally, Xu Yuan patted the young master’s shoulder: “Be careful on the road. Remember to send my regards to your father and mother.”

Xu Yanqing was helped into the carriage by Yin Yanjun. The procession slowly set off, gradually disappearing from everyone’s sight.

Ah Ning, nestled in his mother’s arms, had tears streaming down his face when he saw this. It took his mother a long time to comfort him before he stopped crying.

Xu Yuan belatedly turned to Lady Sun and said, “Why do I feel that Ah Qing looks much fatter than when he first arrived? Wasn’t he sick?”

Lady Sun gave him an annoyed pat: “Look at what you’re saying! Fat is always better than thin, and besides, couldn’t it be that our Xu Family Village’s feng shui nourishes people!”

Although Xu Yuan still felt something wasn’t quite right, he was very sensible and didn’t argue with his wife. The family walked towards their home.

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