CHAPTER 612: CHAPTER 506: WARM FAMILY

Mr. Zimu bowed deeply: "Your Majesty is wise and brilliant! Congratulations on restoring order, returning the Qilin to Great Liang, ensuring the nation’s prosperity for generations to come!"

Cabinet Minister Meng cupped his hands: "Long live Your Majesty!"

The Minister of Agriculture, along with the cabinet ministers and both civil and military officials, also solemnly shouted: "Long live!"

Ji Li chuckled: "Snake, even you make mistakes sometimes."

Chen Long asked, "When has he ever made a mistake?"

Ji Li thought back. Truthfully, Si Snake had never stated with certainty that Emperor Liang would refuse to enfeoff Lu Yuan. From Si Snake’s perspective, however, for Emperor Liang to make this decision, he would have to withstand pressures greater than those from the court itself.

To face the storm, even in his twilight years.

It was as if one could see an old general, who had spent a lifetime on the battlefield, now aging and silver-haired, but still saddling up, donning his armor, and leading troops into battle.

He had to endure the fiercest storms so that when he fell, his offspring would have already spread their wings.

Ji Li let out a heavy sigh: "Emperor Liang is truly admirable."

Si Snake nodded: "There are few I admire, but Emperor Liang is one of them."

Ji Li looked at Chen Long in the distance and asked, "Ah Long, what about you?"

Chen Long replied, "It has nothing to do with me."

Ji Li snapped his folding fan shut with a "snap" and pointed to Meng Qianqian, who was also on the Emperor’s Platform: "Your younger sister is about to call him ’Grandfather Emperor.’"

Chen Long’s face darkened.

At the base of the Emperor’s Platform, Lu Yuan was swarmed by the civil and military officials offering their congratulations, making it nearly impossible for him to move.

Silently, Meng Qianqian mouthed: "Congratulations."

Lu Yuan replied in kind: "Wait for me."

"Prince Changsun, congratulations, congratulations."

"I always knew Prince Changsun wasn’t an ordinary man; it turns out you’re the Qilin."

"Stop flattering him! Before the Prince drew the three-stone bow, you were the loudest in doubting him!"

"You, you, you—don’t spout nonsense! When did I ever—"

"Did everyone hear that? Minister Liu, Minister Zuo?"

"Uh... I..."

The officials began to bicker among themselves.

Lu Yuan seized the opportunity to sneak away.

But no sooner had he escaped the circle of civil officials than he was blocked by three military generals.

Their faces looked familiar; they were the same generals who’d sat with General Hu under the same pavilion during the competition.

The three glared at Lu Yuan ferociously.

Raising an eyebrow, Lu Yuan asked, "Looking for trouble?"

The three immediately cupped their hands and, with booming voices like rolling thunder, exclaimed, "Greetings, Prince Changsun!"

The bickering civil officials were startled into silence, and even the birds in the trees scattered in fright.

Lu Yuan asked suspiciously, "What is the meaning of this?"

Stepping forward, the square-faced, bearded man introduced himself: "I am Cui Ping."

"I am Liu Yuan."

"I am Yang Yonghe."

Two generals, one on each side, also gave their names.

Hearing their names, Lu Yuan understood immediately: Cui Ping, Liu Yuan, and Yang Yonghe were known as General Hu Lie’s handpicked confidants—alongside another general, Wang Yong—and collectively referred to as the Four Diamond Guardians under his command.

Cui Ping cupped his hands again and said, "Prince Changsun, earlier we failed to recognize greatness and were disrespectful to you. Please punish us for our insolence!"

Lu Yuan raised his hand to stop him: "General Cui, you’re making this too serious."

Cui Ping bowed even lower: "We were wrong; Prince Changsun, please mete out punishment!"

Liu Yuan and Yang Yonghe also bent even lower.

Lu Yuan glanced toward the Emperor’s Platform.

Emperor Liang was leaving.

He had taken the little one and Meng Qianqian with him.

Lu Yuan, feeling a headache coming on, said to the three, "I pardon you!"

Cui Ping asked, "Might we ask for a lesson in archery from Prince Changsun?"

"Another day," Lu Yuan replied.

He stepped forward to leave.

Cui Ping, insistent, asked, "When?"

"Any time—except for today."

Emperor Liang and Meng Qianqian had already descended the Emperor’s Platform.

Gritting his teeth, Lu Yuan threw the reins in his hand toward the three: "Your punishment is to feed the horses! When you’re done, take them to the Crown Prince Mansion!"

"Yes!"

The three saluted enthusiastically.

Grabbing the reins, Liu Yuan exclaimed, "Prince Changsun entrusted me to feed the horses; I’ll take them."

Yang Yonghe argued, "Wait a minute; didn’t he say it was all three of us?"

Cui Ping interjected, "Clearly, he meant me!"

The three began quarreling over who would lead Prince Changsun’s prized horse.

From a distance, Prince Jin’s group watched this scene, their faces turning darker by the moment.

King Qi slammed the table: "Outrageous!"

Prince Rui asked, "Fourth Brother, did you really not betray Eldest Brother?"

King Qi was aghast: "Third Brother, what are you implying?"

Prince Rui responded coolly, "Since yesterday’s competition, you’ve been provoking Lu Linyuan repeatedly, as if afraid others might not notice Eldest Brother and Qi’er’s arrogance. Even that comment about ’the true Qilin winning in the end’ came from you."

King Qi, enraged, laughed coldly: "Third Brother, just now Lu Linyuan was clearly winking at both of us. If I’ve colluded with the Crown Prince Mansion, do you think you’d be left out?"

Prince Rui frowned: "I’ve urged you repeatedly to stay calm, but you’ve been overly impulsive."

King Qi sneered, "I have my own suspicions about you, Third Brother. For such a critical competition, how did you remain so eerily composed?"

"Will you two stop bickering already?"

An exasperated Prince Jin cut the argument short. "Haven’t we embarrassed ourselves enough?"

Lu Qi, returning to the pavilion, overheard this sentence.

He paused where he stood.

To the speaker, it was merely an offhand remark; to the listener, it held weight.

His nails dug deep into his palms.

Prince Jin noticed him but said nothing, rising to leave the pavilion.

Prince Rui walked over and patted Lu Qi on the shoulder.

As King Qi departed, he cast a glance at Lu Qi and grumbled, "How could you lose to Lu Linyuan? Aren’t you supposed to be exceptional? Now look, Eldest Brother’s position as Crown Prince is at risk."

Lu Qi clenched his fists tightly.

The Crown Prince title was his achievement.

Now that it was slipping away, he was to be blamed.

One by one, the group dispersed, leaving the horse field quiet.

Only Lu Zhaoyan had yet to leave.

When Lu Qi turned and saw him, he froze momentarily, his lips moving but swallowing the word "Father."

A little eunuch approached Lu Qi hesitantly and asked softly, "Commandery Prince, did you leave something behind? Shall I retrieve it for you?"

Lu Qi looked at the distant pavilions being dismantled and realized it was Jin Prince Mansion’s turn.

"No need," he replied.

He exited the pavilion and walked to Lu Zhaoyan’s side.

The path out of the horse field was a solitary one.

The two walked silently together.

Lu Zhaoyan handed him a porcelain bottle: "Golden sore medicine."

Lu Qi was startled.

His injured hand hadn’t even been noticed by his biological father.

Lu Qi asked softly, "Did you... wait for me just to give me this bottle of medicine?"

Lu Zhaoyan replied, "We are father and son. Though I know you won’t listen, I still wish to advise you: don’t go too far down a dark path."

Lu Qi asked, "If today Lu Linyuan had lost, what would you have done?"

"Nothing."

Lu Zhaoyan delivered these words impassively and strode off.

Lu Qi tilted his head back to gaze at the fluttering catkins in the sky. They seemed like frost and snow, filling his heart with a solitary chill.

"Son—"

In the distance came Liu Qingyun’s cheerful voice: "Where are you going?"

"I have something to do."

"What could be more important than your mother? I don’t care! You worked hard today, and I’m going to make sure you’re well-fed! Come, come! I’ll take you somewhere nice."

In the twilight, Liu Qingyun grabbed Lu Yuan by the wrist.

Though Lu Yuan looked reluctant, he allowed Liu Qingyun to drag him away.

Lu Zhaoyan trailed after the mother and son, gazing at them with tender eyes.

Lu Qi clenched his fingers tightly: "It’s only because you won."