Ping Zhao Lu

"Of course I will." Chu Yunxiao patted his shoulder, his eyes dimmed slightly, a bitter smile did not reach his eyes, and his voice trembled slightly.

An indescribable sadness welled up in my heart.

He knew in his heart that his Ah Jin often said these strange things, and it was definitely not unintentional.

I wanted to use this opportunity to tell him some truth.

Chu Yunxiao closed his eyes slightly.

He didn't really want to know.

Or perhaps, he already knew it.

Ever since he had a nightmare about Ajin's death and told Ajin about it, he had noticed that Ajin's reactions were abnormal, as if he was frightened and often uneasy.

Especially the heartbreaking dream that Ajin had not long ago.

It was exactly the same dream he had had before.

Now seeing Ajin like this.

Even if he couldn't believe it, he had to believe it.

Thinking of this, Chu Yunxiao held Xu Zhouye's hand even tighter.

He didn't want to mention Ajin's sad story.

Not willing to admit...

A Jin, who was unwilling to admit that he had...experienced death.

Chu Yunxiao took a deep breath and lowered his head to kiss Xu Zhouye's forehead.

The past cannot be retrieved, but the future can still be remembered.

He will make up for all the regrets of the previous life, in this life, and even in all future lives.

And as long as his Ah Jin is safe and sound, that’s enough.

……

After March, snow was flying all over the sky, and the scattered houses were covered with patches of snow.

In the hall of Pei Mansion.

Pei Nanchao knelt on the ground and solemnly asked his great-grandparents to allow him to be the prince's companion.

Pei Qi standing by was shocked and in disbelief.

Last time, this kid swore that he didn't want to be the prince's study companion, but after going to Lianzhou, his temperament changed drastically. He almost always found excuses to run to the East Palace, and he was just like a little follower of the prince.

Pei Nanchao didn't care about his father's strange look. Instead, he became more determined and begged his great-grandparents to agree to his decision.

He knew in his heart that his great-grandparents had always been reluctant for him to get too close to the prince, simply because they were worried that he would be involved in court disputes.

After all, their family has been working in officialdom for generations and knows the difficulties of being in a high position of power.

If the power is too great and arouses suspicion from the royal family, it may not end well.

What's more, he is involved in the prince's factional struggle.

Although there is only one prince in the royal family now, who can predict whether there will be changes in the future?

His great-grandfather, as a veteran minister of three dynasties and the current Grand Tutor, naturally saw this clearly.

However, after this incident, his great-grandfather was no longer so opposed to his interactions with the prince.

It must be because the prince specially summoned him to Lianzhou to provide disaster relief last time, which revealed the royal family's attitude.

Therefore, during the palace coup, his great-grandfather, who was originally neutral, clearly stood on the emperor's side.

……

"Since both His Majesty and the Crown Prince have this intention, you may go."

Pei Yuan had now resigned his position as Grand Tutor and no longer had any interest in delving into the affairs of the court. He was old and no longer had the energy to manage matters, nor did he wish to oversee the affairs of his juniors.

And his wife Liu Wanwan had no objection.

In this peaceful and prosperous age, the two of them just want to enjoy the happiness of family life.

Pei Nanchao was overjoyed to see that his family had no objection. He kowtowed to them excitedly to express his gratitude, and then rushed back to the palace impatiently.

*

Chu Heyuan was about to go to Fengluan Palace to pay his respects to his father.

When the sedan chair was halfway there, it met Pei Nanchao.

Chu Heyuan stopped his attendants, got off the sedan chair, and walked towards Pei Nanchao, who was kneeling and bowing. "Get up."

Pei Nanchao stood up as he was told. "Your Highness, are you going to pay your respects to the Queen? I wonder if Nanchao would be honored to go with you?"

Chu Heyuan politely declined: "Father doesn't like crowds, so you should go to the East Palace and wait."

Pei Nanchao felt a little disappointed. He nodded and turned to head towards the East Palace.

*

Xu Zhouye gently pushed a bowl of freshly baked chicken soup in front of Chu Heyuan and said with a smile, "As usual, this is specially left for you by your father."

Seeing this, Chu Heyuan felt warm in his heart and started to enjoy it without hesitation.

"Mm, delicious!" Chu Heyuan exclaimed sincerely.

Every time I come to my father's palace, I can always taste the various delicious dishes cooked by my father himself.

It’s really delicious!

Sometimes when I feel greedy, I think of my father’s cooking skills.

But he didn't dare to ask his father to cook for him.

Therefore, whenever he came to pay his respects to his father, he would take the opportunity to eat and drink for free.

As time goes by, his father will naturally keep a copy for him.

Xu Zhouye looked at him and couldn't help but smile: "Look how happy you are. If you want to eat it in the future, just tell your father and he will definitely agree."

Chu Heyuan lowered his head shyly and replied in a low voice: "I know..."

Xu Zhouye: "But you came a little late today, so you can't see your father."

Chu Heyuan was stunned for a moment, then replied: "I ran into Nan Chao on the way here, so I was delayed a bit."

Xu Zhouye's eyes lit up slightly. "Nan Chao is here again? Why didn't you ask him to come along? There's plenty of food in Fengluan Palace, and he'll definitely have a share."

Chu Heyuan scratched his head embarrassedly, "I'm afraid..." The words stopped at his lips, his expression was quite conflicted.

Seeing him like this, Xu Zhouye understood. He lowered his head and chuckled softly, his face handsome and gentle, his brows relaxed. "It's okay, I don't care about it. I know what I know, and there's no need to worry about other people's gossip."

After saying this, he looked up at Chu Heyuan, the smile in his eyes not diminishing, "I also asked your father to draft an edict to announce the child's background."

Chu Heyuan was stunned for a moment when he heard this. "Father, do you really... not care about those rumors?"

Xu Zhouye chuckled. "Being talked about behind one's back is common. If you take everything to heart, it's exhausting." He paused. "Of course, I was also worried about whether he could withstand such talk." Xu Zhouye looked up at Chu Heyuan again. "But it's okay. Your father and I will protect him."

Hearing this, Chu Heyuan couldn't help but admire him. Facing his father's gentle yet firm gaze, he said seriously, "Don't worry, father. I will do my best to protect him!"

"What are you talking about? So serious!"

Xu Jianglin walked over, holding supplements in one hand and some baby toys in the other. He put these things aside and sat down casually on the side.

"Yes, my father has asked me to bring warmth to you and the children again."

"Oh, thank you for your hard work." Xu Zhouye glanced at his elder brother unhappily.

Chu Heyuan politely called him uncle.

Xu Jianglin didn't like what he heard. He scratched his ears and said impatiently, "How many times have I told you to call me brother?"

Chu Heyuan: "..."

Xu Zhouye: "Stop flattering yourself. You're no bigger than Heyuan, and you still call me brother. That's just a mess. You're just going to take advantage of me!"

Chu Heyuan nodded repeatedly.

Xu Jianglin didn't take it seriously. "It was just a joke, why bother with it?"

Xu Zhouye chuckled, "I think you just refuse to accept your age."

Xu Jianglin exploded, "Old? How old am I? I'm your eldest brother, in my prime, full of youthful vigor. When I go out, people always say I look like a young boy of sixteen or seventeen. How come you're already old? Are you really my brother?"

Xu Zhouye said nonchalantly: "It was just a joke, why bother with it?"

Xu Jianglin: “…”

Chu Heyuan couldn't help laughing.

Ever since I met the emperor's uncle, my life has become quite interesting. Even if I am in a bad mood, as long as the emperor's uncle is around, my mood will clear up in an instant.

Especially the personality of the prince-in-law is very similar to that of his fourth uncle. He is simply a walking happy pill.

If the Fourth Emperor were still here, these days would surely be even more lively...

Thinking of this, Chu Heyuan's bright eyes dimmed a little.

Xu Jianglin's anger was still lingering, and with a quick glance, he noticed the young prince's expression darken for a moment. He gathered his composure, stepped forward, and took Chu Heyuan's hand. "The weather is beautiful today. Your Highness, would you like to go to the training grounds with me for some sparring? And if you can, invite Nan Chao and the others along, so I can see if your martial arts skills have improved?"

After saying that, without waiting for Chu Heyuan's response, Xu Jianglin pulled him away. As he walked away, he turned back and said to Xu Zhouye, "I won't play with you today. God has bestowed upon this person a great responsibility~"

Xu Zhouye: "..."

Xu Zhouye shook his head slightly and watched the two figures, one big and one small, walking away.

Only after their figures completely disappeared from his sight did Xu Zhouye slowly withdraw his gaze.

At this time, Chu Yunxiao, dressed in court robes, walked towards them steadily.

Xu Zhouye's gaze, which was about to be withdrawn, froze in an instant. When he came to his senses, he stood up and walked forward as usual, took off the heavy court robe for Chu Yunxiao, gently shook off the snowflakes on it, and then hung it aside.

Chu Yunxiao smiled, took his hand, and sat down together.

His eyebrows moved slightly, his eyes lingered on his queen for a long time, and his slightly parted lips were stained with a gentle smile. "How are you lately?"

Xu Zhouye lowered his head, a smile on his face, "All is well."

Chu Yunxiao leaned over and put his long arms around his waist. He raised his hand and gently stroked his head. He leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips, saying, "Thank you for your hard work."

Xu Zhouye shook his head slightly, then changed the subject and asked, "Your Majesty, have you thought of a name?"

Chu Yunxiao thought for a moment and replied, "For the generation with the character 'He', the boy should be named He Jing and the girl should be named He Ning."

Xu Zhouye's eyes lit up, and he took over his words, whispering softly: "Jingxing Qingyun, Jingjing Shengle... they are all good names."

After saying that, Xu Zhouye took the initiative to kiss Chu Yunxiao, "Then it's settled."

At the same time, inside the Zhuang Mansion.

Zhuang Yan was in a stalemate with his mother.

The reason was that his mother never agreed with him being with Shang Jiu.

He said that the Zhuang family's incense must not be cut off with him.

Zhuang Yan disagreed, saying calmly, "That being said, there's no guarantee that the next generation won't break off the incense. Looking back at our ancestors, it might have been broken before, and then our ancestors opened a separate page in the family tree."

After hearing this, Zhuang's mother was so angry that she beat and scolded him.

This time, Zhuang Yan did not dodge and let his mother scold him.

Zhuang's father, who was watching from the side, felt very distressed and couldn't help but interrupt, "Actually...it's not necessary to give birth..."

After hearing this, Zhuang's mother was even more furious, "Then you, the Zhuang family, can just wait to be the last one to leave!"

Mr. Zhuang was stunned for a moment, nodding and shaking his head.

Zhuang Yan took over the conversation, "Why do you have to give birth to me? Mother, you went through a lot of hardships when giving birth to me. How could you not know this kind of pain... In life, peace and safety are the most important things. My child has grown up, so you don't have to worry too much."

These sudden emotional words softened Zhuang's mother's heart a little. She was about to raise her hand to wipe away the tears in her eyes, but Zhuang Yan's next words stopped her.

"Besides, this is about cutting off the Zhuang family's incense. Mother, your last name is Zhou, so why are you so worried? It should be father who is worried."

Father Zhuang: “…” What a heartless son.