CHAPTER 146: CHAPTER 143: HURTING TWO MEN AT ONCE (PART 2)

The Empress Dowager privately summoned Lu Xingzhou and asked him if Zhao Xunyin returned, could he hand over military power?

Lu Xingzhou replied to her, "As long as Ah Yin can stand safely before me, I will relinquish military power."

That year, Wen Wan was three years old.

Her maternal grandmother, Empress Dowager Renyi, deployed a large batch of Hidden Guards for a thorough search, and finally found her mother, Zhao Xunyin, in Pingjiang County, Ningzhou, forcibly brought her back and granted a marriage.

On the wedding night, Lu Xingzhou told her everything.

He said he went to the frontier just to wait for this day — to negotiate terms with the Empress Dowager while holding military power.

However, by that time, she was already pregnant with another man’s child.

...

Gathering her thoughts, the Eldest Princess lowered her eyelashes and boarded the carriage, lifting her skirt.

Her birth mother, with an extraordinary iron-fist, caused her to betray two men in her lifetime.

One was Wen Guangping, the other was Lu Xingzhou.

After the grand wedding, she could never find her right place. Being kind to Lu Xingzhou meant being unfair to the man in Ningzhou, yet treating the Prince Consort coldly hurt him and herself.

After boarding the carriage, Lu Xingzhou clasped her icy hand into his palm.

The warmth of his broad palm spread across the back of her hand, stirring an emotion within her heart.

"Did Ah Yin quarrel with the Empress Dowager again?"

In these years, she seldom entered the palace, and each visit would lead to conflicts with the Empress Dowager over past events.

The Eldest Princess didn’t answer but asked him, "Has Yanqing gone to bed?"

Lu Xingzhou nodded, "Before coming, I even personally checked his room. He has already fallen asleep."

She responded softly, "You’ve worked hard."

She was caught in a dilemma, and Lu Xingzhou wasn’t much better off. Lu Yanqing wasn’t his biological child — if he indulged him, she might think it was a deliberate flattering, yet if he was strict, she might think it targeted intentionally.

Being a stepfather isn’t easy, especially under their circumstances.

The Eldest Princess thought of something, withdrawing her hand from his warm palm, eyelashes lowered, "We’ve been married for over a decade without consummating, I haven’t borne you a child. Do you regret it, Prince Consort?"

"Does Ah Yin wish to hear the truth or a lie?"

The Eldest Princess fell silent.

Lu Xingzhou sighed lightly, "It’s been over ten years, no matter how wronged you’ve done him, you did bear a son for him, endured the hardships to raise him, and have compensated for what needed to be.

All these years, he couldn’t have remained standing in place and waiting for you. Ah Yin, let go of yourself! Watching you like this, I don’t feel much better.

You did no wrong, I don’t blame him, let’s treat it as if it never happened. I recognize the son and promise you, Yanqing will never discover his true identity in this lifetime. Try to let go of the past, let go of the knots in your heart, and let’s reconcile, just as before, shall we?"

The Eldest Princess’s eyes reddened slightly, "How can I possibly let go?"

Lu Xingzhou pulled her into his embrace, gently soothing her back, "It’s okay, I trust it’s just momentary inability to let go. I’ve waited for ten years, what’s the harm in waiting another ten years?"

Lu Xingzhou’s words moved her. Leaning against his broad chest, she suddenly said, "The child I carried back then is still alive."

Lu Xingzhou’s back stiffened, looking at his wife in his embrace, "What... did you say?"

"That child is your biological daughter." Zhao Xunyin raised her eyes to meet his gaze, "I risked my life to protect her. I wanted her to grow up carefree, even if life was materially difficult, I didn’t want her involved in Royal Family disputes, so I left her behind before departing.

All these years, I never once sought her out for fear of being unable to resist bringing her back and ruining her. Yet after hearing what you said tonight, not telling you about Wanwan’s existence seems unfair to you.

If you wish to see her, after the new year, choose a day, and I’ll take you back to Ningzhou to take a look at her from afar."

Instantly becoming a biological father, Lu Xingzhou couldn’t snap out from such immense joy, unable to utter a single word, simply tightening his hold on his wife’s arms repeatedly, yet at an angle she couldn’t see, tears silently welled in his eyes.

——

When Wen Wan woke up, the outside was already bright. She recalled her husband guarding the year alone last night, hastily dressing and rushing to the main hall, and indeed saw Song Wei still inside, having placed offerings for the ancestors. He was lighting incense at the moment.

Hearing movement behind him, Song Wei turned around, seeing it was Wen Wan, he smiled, "Why not sleep a bit more?"

Wen Wan asked him, are you tired?

Song Wei said, "Not too bad, it’s like this every year, I’m used to it."

Wen Wan told him to go back to the room for a nap, she’d make breakfast, and call him when it was ready, they could attend the temple fair after breakfast.

Song Wei nodded, inserted the incense, helped her move two baskets of charcoal to the kitchen before returning to the bedroom.

When Wen Wan finished breakfast, her sister-in-law got up, yawning as she came to the kitchen.

Seeing Wen Wan had done everything, she was a bit embarrassed and asked, "Sister-in-law, what hour did you wake up?"

Wen Wan indicated she hadn’t woken up too early.

Song Fang helped carry breakfast to the main hall, looked around, not seeing Song Wei, chuckled, "Could it be that third brother couldn’t hold on while guarding the year and slipped back to bed?"

Wen Wan pursed her lips and pointed at the offerings on the altar table.

Song Fang seemed enlightened, "So he did stay up guarding the year. I said, how could third brother, someone like him, not keep his word?"

This sudden flattery, Wen Wan, "..."

Song Wei didn’t actually sleep much, just took a quick nap, felt better than he did before, and before Wen Wan could call him, he had already dressed and come over.

Song Fang asked him, "Do you still have the energy to go to the temple fair? If not, stay at home and sleep, we can go by ourselves."

Song Wei pulled out a chair and sat down, took the congee Wen Wan handed him, glanced at Song Fang, "The temple fair will be crowded, what if something happens?"

"But I can’t be heartless dragging my brother who hasn’t slept all night to the temple fair?"

Song Wei said, "Either I accompany you, or I ask Xu Shu to find someone to escort you."

Having clashed so many times, Song Fang was very sensitive to Xu Shu; upon hearing, she was immediately displeased, "Isn’t this New Year? It’s boring having outsiders follow, let’s just go as a family of three!"