Chapter 026: "I'm Afraid I Might Be Pregnant with Your Child"
“Miss Xiao Wan was brought back to the Wang Manor two days ago.”
The study had been taken over by Wei Wanlan, so Su Jingzhi could only sit at the martial arts field. Opposite him was Ah Zhong.
A clear moon, a gentle breeze, and the cold of a winter night.
In front of the Regent King was a cup of mint tea. He took a sip and asked, “Why did he come here, and what did he say?”
Ah Zhong replied, “he was being chased and came… to water the flowers. He said he admires you and wants to stay.”
Ah Zhong was always concise with his words.
Sixteen characters carried a massive amount of information. The details needed to be pieced together with the actual situation.
But the Regent King was good at filling in the gaps.
Su Jingzhi had already gotten a statement from Xin Buyi. The girl who reported the Dongcheng Gang was wearing a goose-yellow dress, had a small face, big eyes, and his appearance matched Wei Wanlan’s description exactly.
To have infiltrated so deeply and destroyed the Dongcheng Gang in one strike—this unexpected move by the young emperor could only be called wise beyond his years. Was he truly trying to help alleviate Su Jingzhi's burdens?
Then, the little thing got chased. By sheer coincidence, he was picked up by the Wang Manor’s servants, and now he had the audacity to water the flowers in his manor, even taking good care of the plum tree left by his mother...
“—I admire the Regent King and feel sorry for him, toiling away at state affairs, barely able to eat or drink. I want to help!”
“Regent King, I feel for you.”
Wei Wanlan’s voice echoed in his mind.
It was soft, with a hint of a sob, sometimes sweet, sometimes pitiful.
Su Jingzhi took a hard sip of his mint water but couldn’t shake the image of the tiny figure lingering in his head. Instead, he recalled what had just happened in the study when he tore open Wei Wanlan’s clothes...
Bang!
The tea cup knocked against the stone table.
Su Jingzhi rubbed his temples and waved his hand. “You may leave. I understand.”
“Yes.”
Ah Zhong wasn’t one for unnecessary words, so he bowed and left.
Not long after, the scar-faced Qin Zhen entered. “Your Highness.”
“What is it?”
“We couldn’t extract any more useful information. The last few members of the Dongcheng Gang have also been eliminated.”
“Hmm.”
“Additionally, as per Your Highness’s orders, the corrupt officials brought in by the censors have been executed overnight.”
“Well done, Minister Qin. How many people?”
“Over a thousand. Blood stained the prison of Dali, and I believe the political scene in Chang’an will now be filled with fear, all in awe of Your Highness’s power.” Qin Zhen bowed his head.
The Regent King remained unmoved.
Qin Zhen moved a step closer, kneeling before Su Jingzhi. “Your Highness has already asserted your dominance in court these past few days. There’s a saying, ‘the way of civil and military must be balanced.’ I respectfully request that you allow me to take over tonight’s secret visit to track down the young emperor so that you may rest.”
Qin Zhen’s eyes gleamed with concern for the Regent King.
Su Jingzhi turned the tea cup in his hand, his thumb gently rubbing the rim. “Hmm. I appreciate your thoughtfulness. Go ahead.”
“Thank you, Your Highness!” Qin Zhen said.
A flash of copper-colored light appeared before Qin Zhen’s eyes. When he looked down, he saw the tiger-head military token hanging from a red tassel. This token could command the southern and northern troops and, if necessary, mobilize armies in various provinces.
Qin Zhen’s eyes brightened even more. “Your Highness…”
“You’ll need to mobilize various units within the city. Tonight, you’ll keep this token. Wherever necessary, the troops will act as if I were there in person,” Su Jingzhi said.
Qin Zhen accepted the token with both hands, bowing deeply in the traditional three kneels and nine kowtows. His massive upper body was nearly pressed against the ground.
“Your servant thanks Your Highness for the trust. I will devote my life to repaying your kindness!”
“You may leave now. I’m going to rest.”
“Yes.”
Qin Zhen’s figure disappeared from the martial arts field.
The torchlight outlined the Regent King’s sharp profile.
Su Jingzhi adjusted the brass armguards on his round-collared robe and went to wash up, light incense, and change into clean inner clothes. he had already made up his mind to keep the secret of the young emperor disguised as a woman and hiding in the Regent King’s manor. So, he arranged for the young emperor to sleep with him tonight.
The bedroom curtains were tightly drawn. There was noise; the little thing hadn’t gone to bed yet.
He approached and lifted a corner of the bed curtain. Reflected in his eyes was Wei Wanlan, dressed in white sleepwear, leaning forward with wide eyes staring at him.
“Regent King, doesn’t the manor have guest rooms? Why are we sleeping together?”
***
Why does he always say such dangerous things right off the bat?
Su Jingzhi didn’t want to answer, so he remained silent.
But the little one’s eager expression didn’t change, so he countered with a question, “Does His Majesty not obey this king’s arrangements?”
“No,” the young emperor immediately straightened up, grabbing the small blanket and lying flat, speaking as he did so, “It’s an honor for me to sleep with the Regent King.”
Too lazy to watch the little one’s daily performances.
Su Jingzhi lay down, realizing there was only one quilt on the bed. The people in the manor were truly perceptive, leaving no room for “Miss Xiao Wan” and himself to have any space between them. It seemed they were eager to keep them as close as possible at all times.
This was the expectation of the entire manor for the seventh-generation warlord.
Su Jingzhi didn’t comment.
But now, with the little thing lying next to him, soft and fragrant, tossing and turning by his side, occasionally brushing against his arm and thigh, it was impossible to sleep.
Su Jingzhi was a light sleeper. With the little one causing such a disturbance, he couldn’t fall asleep at all. He frowned and turned his face to ask, “What are you doing?”
Wei Wanlan replied, “I’m putting a pillow under my waist.”
Actually, it was Yun Niang who told him to do it. Wei Wanlan trusted Yun Niang wouldn’t harm him, so he followed his advice, believing the pillow would help with the back pain from earlier in the study.
But Su Jingzhi thought he had misheard.
The Regent King observed Wei Wanlan from the corner of his eye in the dim light of the bed curtains. Sure enough, he saw the young emperor arching his waist like a bridge, pulling a large pillow to stuff under it.
He had lifted a large portion of the quilt, and his abdomen was now oddly raised.
Su Jingzhi thought this was going to be a sleepless night.
To be fair, Su Jingzhi wasn’t interested in romance, but he was still a twenty-seven-year-old man. Moreover, growing up in military camps where men were numerous, he had inevitably picked up some knowledge.
Especially from people like Tang Tuan, whose verbal skills were unrivaled. He often said inappropriate things in the camp. Su Jingzhi wouldn’t engage but certainly understood everything.
Su Jingzhi felt second-hand embarrassment for Wei Wanlan. The little fool had clearly been tricked by someone.
He reached over to pull the pillow away, but the little fool clung to it like a fish, rolling to the side and hugging the embroidered pillow tightly.
“No. They all said using a pillow has its benefits. You’re just being mean to me.”
Su Jingzhi’s forehead veins twitched. Yes, they thought you were my concubine, so they must have taught you some nonsense.
At this moment, the Regent King was more certain than ever that someone in the manor had been brainwashing this little fool. If he let him keep using that pillow, neither of them would get any sleep tonight.
Su Jingzhi decided he had to get rid of the pillow. “Using a pillow is bad. Because…”
“Because what?”
“They’re misleading you.”
Wei Wanlan didn’t believe it. “How is it misleading?”
This wasn’t something Su Jingzhi could explain directly.
he paused for a moment. Saying it outright would sound indecent, so he hesitated, deciding to reverse the psychology.
“If you want to use it, go ahead. I won’t stop you.”
As expected, under the influence of reverse psychology, Wei Wanlan began to hesitate. His watery eyes turned, and he hugged the pillow, murmuring, “Then, if you don’t tell me, I’ll go ask Tang Tuan.”
Knowing Tang Tuan, if he heard this question, his thoughts would spiral out of control, and he’d likely think Su Jingzhi was some sort of pervert who bullied the little one.
Su Jingzhi’s voice turned cold. “Tang Tuan? If he dares tell you, I’ll send him to the fire brigade to raise pigs.”
Wei Wanlan’s ears twitched.
Tang Tuan and the Regent King’s relationship was strange. Even if Tang Tuan might agree to raise pigs, it shouldn’t be because of him.
Wei Wanlan softly said, “Then I’ll ask someone else.”
“If you don’t mind looking foolish, go ahead.”
Su Jingzhi’s tone grew more serious.
Recalling what Yun Niang had said about the pillow earlier, Wei Wanlan blushed. Feeling uneasy, he bit his lip. “Then… I can only ask you?”
Su Jingzhi didn’t reply, merely letting out a cold hum.
“Good Regent King, please tell me?” Wei Wanlan pleaded.
he probably didn’t even realize he was being coquettish. he moved closer to Su Jingzhi, curiosity driving him to massage his back and shoulders. “If I make you feel better, will you tell me? I’m really curious.”
Su Jingzhi: “...” Being lightly massaged by a pair of small hands, the sensation was more like being tickled.
he felt it in his heart, but said with disdain, “It’s not helping. You’re too weak.”
There was nothing he could do about that.
Su Jingzhi’s back muscles and trapezius were firm, and after a while, Wei Wanlan’s fingers started to ache. He wanted to pacify the big villain, but it was almost exhausting him in the process.
Wei Wanlan asked, “Can you at least give me a progress bar?”
“A progress bar?” Su Jingzhi was confused.
Wei Wanlan explained, “Like… at what point will I get the answer?”
Su Jingzhi replied, “Sincerity is key.”
Big jerk!
Wei Wanlan’s hands were sore, but he remained stubborn, not speaking for a while, like a puppet with a temper.
Su Jingzhi turned around, just in time to see the little one drooping his head, still soft and stubbornly fiddling around on his body, his eyes dim with exhaustion.
Su Jingzhi realized he might have gone too far.
he had indeed been deliberately teasing Wei Wanlan, so he cleared his throat, mimicking the little one’s phrasing.
“The progress bar is full.”
Wei Wanlan’s eyes lit up immediately. “Yay, finally! Tell me now!”
Since he wanted to hear it, Su Jingzhi decided to tell him, if only to dispel his curiosity and show him how foolish he was.
Su Jingzhi spoke seriously and tactfully. The Regent King wasn’t about to be accused of teasing the young emperor again, so he chose his words carefully:
“—Putting a pillow under your waist is for getting pregnant.”
The atmosphere became awkwardly silent.
Then Wei Wanlan exclaimed, “So that’s how you guys… get pregnant?!”
Embarrassed, he buried his head under the covers, quickly kicking the pillow away.
“So just using a pillow can make someone pregnant. That’s terrifying.”
Su Jingzhi watched his reaction, coughing a few times to cover his amusement.
“You asked, and I gave you the truth.”
Sexual education in ancient times was clearly very lacking.
Wei Wanlan had been emperor for three years, and Su Jingzhi had been regent for three years. The Regent King was used to ruling with an iron fist, uninterested in romance, and had never thought to arrange for a palace maid to teach the young emperor such things. Instead, he had been guarding against any maids seducing the emperor.
Perhaps it was his own fault that the little one was so clueless about these matters.
Su Jingzhi vaguely responded, not wanting to continue the conversation. he didn’t realize that his brief reply had created a misunderstanding in Wei Wanlan’s mind:
“Hmm.”
Wei Wanlan grew even more terrified, and finally, it all clicked for him:
—Yun Niang had been trying to set him up with the older Regent King, worried that he had no one to care for him, that the Su family line would end, or that no one could love his bad temper.
But who knew their world’s way of having children was completely different from his own?!
Worried that he’d been tricked!!!
Wei Wanlan’s face turned pale, then green, then white again, finally settling into an expression of pure terror and disbelief. His lips trembled as he stammered:
“I… I’m afraid…”
“What are you afraid of?”
Su Jingzhi thought he had truly offended the little one, raising an eyebrow slightly as he studied Wei Wanlan.
Wei Wanlan’s voice trembled as he said, “I just used the pillow, and we’re sleeping together.”
His mind raced with a world-class problem:
If the Regent King killed him for the throne, it would be a double murder;
If he killed the big villain, it would be an ethical issue, as he would be killing the father of his child.
Wei Wanlan was so anxious that he was about to cry. he touched his still-flat stomach and blurted out:
“I… I think I’m already pregnant with your child, QAQ.”
—he couldn’t take it anymore.
Upon hearing this, Su Jingzhi’s rationality completely gave way to instinct.
The bed curtains swayed, and before either of them could react, Wei Wanlan was pressed against the bed, crushed beneath the wrinkled sheets and the soft quilt.
Wei Wanlan was instantly trapped in the dense pile of blankets, his deer-like eyes wide with panic, filled with a watery sheen.
In the darkness, his eyes were fixed on Su Jingzhi:
“Regent King…”
“Say that again?” Su Jingzhi’s voice was low. “What are you afraid of?”
Within the confines of the bed curtains, the atmosphere became dangerously tense.
Wei Wanlan’s internal radar began to buzz. He seemed to have upset the big villain.
But he wasn’t sure exactly what had angered him, so he could only guess wildly.
“I absolutely didn’t mean to offend Your Highness, but I just feel like it’s wrong to get pregnant so casually. I’m not mentally prepared for its arrival. So, can I… not get pregnant?”
Su Jingzhi: “Wei, Wan, Lan.”
Oh no, the big villain was even angrier!!!
Wei Wanlan puffed up his cheeks, still guessing:
“Then I was wrong. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have rejected our baby. I’m willing to have it, but please be nicer to me during this time. You should give me good food during the pregnancy, and don’t scare me. I’m scared. I’ll try to be good with the baby, okay? Wuwuwuwu.”
“...”
“.................”
Since the death of his parents, the Su family had no other relatives. Su Jingzhi himself had been too focused on state affairs to marry or have children.
he couldn’t handle the young emperor talking about having a baby in such a sweet, clingy voice.
For a moment, Su Jingzhi felt both sweetness and bitterness in his heart. As he pressed down on Wei Wanlan, his fingers inadvertently brushed over his soft belly. His fingers trembled slightly, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Foolish little one.
He lifted the bed curtain and walked out, leaving the young emperor in the dark.
From the shadows came the little emperor’s confused voice: “Where are you going?”
“To get some water.”
“Oh…”
I’m so dead🤣 this part was hilarious.
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