Lu Lingcong had not been away from the capital for many days when Jinling slipped into the plum rain season, bringing damp, stifling air and an unending stretch of bleak, overcast rain along with it.
The Inner chamber of the study remained dim throughout the day; even in daylight, lamps had to be kept burning, leaving Xie Jing too listless to feel inclined toward anything.
To keep himself from feeling like he was growing mold, he had no choice but to change places; sometimes lingering on the Qibi Terrace, other times having the servants move a low couch into the flower hall. There he would sit off to one side with Yin Chou; the latter would grind medicinal powder while chatting with him, and the two would pass the time watching the summer scenery in the courtyard.
A few days earlier, after the commotion at the Wang family, Imperial Physician Qin had visited the Prince’s Mansion to examine him. By now, the whole capital knew that Princess Consort Zhao was expecting and that His Majesty was soon to welcome his first imperial grandson.
The palace carriage halted right before the gates of the Prince’s Mansion, and Zhong Zhao personally led a group of eunuchs and palace maids to escort Xie Jing aboard, nearly treating him as if he were being borne into the palace in an eight-bearer sedan chair. This reception was worlds apart from before, when he not only had to travel in his own carriage but also had to dismount and proceed on foot once he reached the restricted inner grounds.
First, he was thoroughly asked about his well-being in Mingluan Hall.
Lady Wu understood her son’s temperament and knew that both Lu Lingcong and Xie Jing initially entered into this marriage reluctantly, so she never thought she could become a grandmother. She carefully asked Xie Jing, “Were you forced into this? If you have anything in your heart, you must say it. We can discuss this behind closed doors; your status is different from mine. If you truly aren’t ready, then we can give it up.”
Xie Jing didn’t express his own wishes, nor did he mention the complications between him and Lu Lingcong, but simply answered her with the reason, “It’s already past the third month, so now that it’s come, we’ll simply accept it.”
Next, he went to Shenlong Hall. The emperor appeared truly pleased; though he had never been particularly harsh toward Xie Jing in the past, he had also never shown such open delight when inquiring about his well-being. As for the empress, she remained as inscrutable as ever, rarely revealing her preferences and speaking in veiled, ambiguous terms. She had originally proposed relieving him of his daytime duty of tutoring Lu Lingzhang, but Xie Jing felt that if he gave up even this small task, he would truly end up dying of boredom in the Prince’s Mansion. So, he politely declined, only saying he was afraid of delaying the Second Prince’s studies and that he could just shorten the time each day and stop when his pregnancy was more advanced.
He was aware that the empress still held other intentions and was undoubtedly displeased that he had fathered a child before she could position someone alongside Lu Lingcong, yet the emperor’s stance was unmistakably clear. Trusting that she would not dare act on her schemes, he chose to simply disregard her.
It was also in Shenlong Hall that he finally learned about Lu Lingcong’s whereabouts.
The Kingdom of Khotan in the Western Regions had paid tribute with a batch of top-grade jade, which was sent to Zhenping County, Nanyang Prefecture, for processing and carving into shape before being transported back to the capital for the enjoyment of princes and high officials. Lu Lingcong’s journey was meant to oversee the emperor’s project; accounting for the round trip, it would take him at least a month or more.
When the emperor mentioned it and saw Xie Jing completely confused, he was quite surprised: “Didn’t Zifeng mention it to you when he left?”
Xie Jing couldn’t say “no,” so he had to apologize and say that he had forgotten.
After attending matters at the palace, he turned to his family. With Lu Lingcong absent and having no fear of ordinary gossip, Xie Jing quietly remained in Wuyi Lane for half a month under the guise of visiting relatives, spending each day with his mother and sister-in-law in conversation to pass the time, all while enduring the lengthy advice and stories they insisted on sharing.
Xie Yi felt a mixture of happiness and worry, but not wanting to dampen the mood for his family; especially Xie Jing, he outwardly merely advised him to be cautious in all matters. His deeper concerns, however, were privately conveyed to Xie Jing by Madam Xie.
Later, the gossip still reached the emperor’s ears. The emperor personally summoned Xie Yi to the Imperial Study and reproached him, asking, “Has Prince Zhao’s Mansion been neglectful in some way, causing the Princess Consort to be reluctant in returning home?” Only then did Xie Jing reluctantly return to the Prince’s Mansion.
Although Xie Jing had told Lu Lingcong that he did not wish for Imperial Physician Qin to continue overseeing the pregnancy, the physician, in a sense, embodied the authority and will of the palace. He could not come every day, but a routine check-up every ten days was unavoidable.
On the first day of the seventh lunar month, which fell during the palace’s ten-day recess, Imperial Physician Qin arrived early, while Yin Chou was still out at the medical hall purchasing supplies and had not yet returned.
When Xie Jing was asked what medicine he had used recently and whether there were any prescriptions or dregs, he knew nothing. He turned to ask the young servant girls below, and they all said, “Sister Yin Chou always handles these matters personally, and we dare not interfere.”
The study in the inner courtyard was too small, so Lu Lingcong had specially designated the west room of the main hall for Yin Chou, providing space for the “hundred-compartment cabinet” and shelves for drying medicinal herbs. She usually prepares medicine there.
When the servant girls offered to help search, Xie Jing merely declined and told them to return to their duties, then slowly walked forward to look for it himself, rubbing his slightly sore side and waist with one hand.
There were many things on the desk, and Xie Jing dared not touch them carelessly, fearing he would mess things up and trouble others.
He thought that Yin Chou was always organized and that the prescriptions she wrote for him must be specifically grouped together and placed somewhere. Just as he raised his hand to open a drawer on the shelf, his wide sleeve accidentally brushed against a paperweight in a neighboring compartment, sending it tumbling aside. Several sheets of paper were carried by the breeze and floated down before landing near his feet.
Xie Jing groaned inwardly; reluctant to bend at the waist yet having no choice, he half-squatted to retrieve them.
The few sheets of paper were all prescriptions, but they were quite messy with scribbles, likely drafts used by Yin Chou.
He was about to return them when his eyes caught something unusual on the bottom sheet. Pulling it out for a closer look, he realized the writing wasn’t Yin Chou’s, but Lu Lingcong’s.
Xie Jing frowned. The ink appeared fairly fresh, indicating it had been written within the past few months, yet he couldn’t remember Lu Lingcong having suffered any sprains or bruises during that period. What could the medicine be intended for?
This note had very obvious creases and stains. Considering that Lu Lingcong’s study was directly across from here, Xie Jing speculated that Lu Lingcong might not have given it to Yin Chou for dispensing medicine. More likely, it had been carried into the courtyard by the wind, and when the servants came across it during cleaning, they hadn’t dared throw it away, assuming it belonged to Yin Chou, and so stored it here for her.
He stood beside the shelf, lost in thought. After a moment, footsteps approached. Speaking of the devil, Yin Chou suddenly appeared, peeking her head in with a smile. “I was delayed on the road and got back late,” she said. “Imperial Physician Qin mentioned that the Princess Consort came in person for the prescription. Did you manage to find it?”
Xie Jing simply handed her the note he held, “Have you ever seen this before?”
Yin Chou took the paper and examined it, her face registering confusion. “This… this isn’t my handwriting, and I’ve never prescribed medicine like this either.”
“What kind of medicine is this?” Xie Jing asked.
Yin Chou mumbled for a moment, then lowered her voice: “Where did the Princess Consort obtain this? To be honest, this prescription is uncommon, and the ingredient Tripterygium wilfordii within it… has the effect of preventing conception.”
For the first instant, Xie Jing barely understood what she said. He felt a moment of dizziness and found himself asking in a trembling voice, “Is it for me to use?”
Yin Chou’s expression became more complicated, seemingly unsure how to articulate it. After a while, she said, “No, it’s for… for men to use, but not for your kind; it’s His Highness…”
Xie Jing said, “I understand what you mean, continue.”
Seeing his appearance, Yin Chou also guessed that the prescription was mostly related to Lu Lingcong and could only explain, “This wasn’t the type of medicine; like safflower or musk, used on women that could harm their constitution. If one person took it and then shared intimate relations with another, the likelihood of conception for the other party would be significantly reduced, though fertility would gradually return after the medication was discontinued for a while. Therefore, it can only temporarily serve as contraception.”
Xie Jing was silent for a while before saying, “So that’s why he asked, ‘How could this be?’”
Yin Chou nodded: “Let me be frank. This was probably… because His Highness didn’t want children for the time being yet also didn’t wish to harm your body, he obtained this prescription and took it himself. He simply didn’t realize you were already pregnant, and thus didn’t anticipate the situation, hence his question.”
Xie Jing’s thoughts raced uncontrollably, chaotic, and aimless. After a long, stunned pause, he abruptly turned and walked out, making his way back to the flower hall. He waved away all the servants, pressed the note in front of Imperial Physician Qin, and stated directly, “There are two questions I would like to ask Imperial Physician Qin privately.”
Imperial Physician Qin was puzzled and could only nod hesitantly: “Please speak, Princess Consort.”
“First, did His Highness ask you to prescribe this specific formula sometime after the third day of the third lunar month? Secondly, when you came to the Prince’s Mansion on the night of the eighth day of the first lunar month and asked His Highness what should be done ‘if he didn’t wish’ to have children with me, what exactly did His Highness say?”
Imperial Physician Qin was choked by the question right there and then, clearly not only because he hadn’t expected Xie Jing to suddenly ask such a sharp question, but also because he hadn’t expected that a conversation that should have been known only to him and Prince Zhao had also been heard by Xie Jing.
After careful consideration, he answered haltingly: “This minister deserves ten thousand deaths. On the eighth day of the first lunar month, this minister did indeed consult His Highness’s wishes and asked how I should proceed if His Highness was unwilling. As for this prescription, this minister wrote it that very night, yet for some unknown reason, His Highness did not take it until suddenly requesting that this minister prepare the medicine again after the third day of the third lunar month, and he has been taking it ever since. Regarding what His Highness said…”
Xie Jing scrutinized him with a half-smile: “Whether His Highness was willing at that time or whether His Highness is willing now, this child is already here, and I am certainly going to safely bring him into this world. Imperial Physician Qin, you must weigh the importance of this matter yourself.”
Imperial Physician Qin had served before the emperor for decades and had encountered all sorts of people. He immediately stood up and bowed deeply, saying, “If Princess Consort wishes to punish this minister, this minister has nothing to say. However, private instruction from my master is something I absolutely cannot share with a third party. This is the rule, and it is the basis of my standing in the palace. This minister—truly in a difficult position.”
Seeing Xie Jing purse his lips and remain silent, Imperial Physician Qin bit the bullet and added, “If Princess Consort truly wishes to know, why not ask His Highness yourself?”
Xie Jing thought for a moment without committing to an answer. After a while, he said to Yin Chou, “Let Lord Qin examine my medicine dregs, and then kindly see him out.”
After speaking, he returned the bow and turned to leave directly.
In the evening, the maidservants brought the meal directly into the study. After all, Xie Jing was alone, and there was no need to bother setting up a table in the flower hall to eat.
Xie Jing sat alone with his knees hugged, staring blankly at the note for nearly half the afternoon.
He had initially sought Yin Chou’s outside perspective, but she, too, found herself in a difficult position. She has to admit that she only understood the shallow games played between courtesans and their patrons, where sincerity is absent, and that matters of marriage, spouses, and genuine love were far beyond her understanding.
“And what Imperial Physician Qin said is true,” Yin Chou advised as she pushed the reheated date porridge toward Xie Jing, “The one who tied the knot must also untie it. No matter how much Princess Consort ruminates on it alone, it can never compare to having an honest and open conversation with His Highness.”
In fact, even without knowing what answer Lu Lingcong ultimately gave, Xie Jing could now basically deduce his behavioral logic.
On their wedding night and on his birthday, they were intimate; these were the only two occasions in the first two months of their marriage.
And on that very second occasion, on the beach at Yanzi Rock, Lu Lingcong openly shared his thoughts on having children, ultimately leaving the decision entirely in Xie Jing’s hands.
Connecting this with Imperial Physician Qin’s words, “until suddenly asking me to prepare the medicine again after the third day of the third lunar month”, it became clear that this was how Lu Lingcong had acted on his stance—before receiving a clear “yes” or “no” answer from Xie Jing, he chose to take contraceptive decoctions himself to minimize the possibility of Xie Jing becoming pregnant.
It was a case of man proposes, but God disposes; no one had anticipated that conception would occur on the third day of the third month, leading to the current situation, both had mistakenly assumed the other did not want the child.
Xie Jing didn’t even need to exert much effort into figuring these things out.
Yet the problem was that clarification brought him no relief; instead, a lingering, unresolved issue remained tangled in his heart.
That night, Xie Jing went to bed early, yet he found no rest. It felt as though the rain had poured unchecked into his dreams and after tossing and turning, he awoke irritated, realizing he had hardly slept at all.
Just as he was about to get up for a drink of tea to moisten his throat, he lifted the curtain, and the noise from outside unexpectedly reached his ears. It was Lu Ai chirping excitedly along with footsteps and whispers, indicating that many people seemed to be moving about in the courtyard.
Xie Jing called for someone. A maidservant came to respond, and he asked, “Is there a market outside? It’s so noisy.”
The girl let out a soft “oh” and said, “My apologies for disturbing the Princess Consort. It’s because His Highness has returned to the mansion. He had just entered and learned that you were asleep, so he instructed us not to wake you.”
Xie Jing was stunned and subconsciously repeated, “His Highness… has returned to the mansion?”
Before the girl could confirm again, Xie Jing had already thrown off the quilt and rolled out of bed before hastily sliding into his two shoes. Because he hadn’t put them on properly, he almost stumbled as he rushed out of the room. As he rushed into the corridor, he suddenly snapped to attention, halting awkwardly, uncertain whether to move forward or retreat.
Lu Lingcong was standing in the flower hall opposite several pieces of scattered luggage piled at his feet while talking to Steward Zhou.
Hearing the girl inside the room repeatedly calling out, “Be careful, Princess Consort,” he suddenly turned his head. Separated by the blurred lamplight diffused by the dense curtain of rain, their eyes met.
Xie Jing was dressed only in his nightclothes with his long hair loosely pulled behind his ears. From head to toe, nothing about him was suitable for a reunion after a brief separation, yet he ignored the night and the lamplight entirely, instinctively sensing Lu Lingcong’s gaze.
It was neither rational nor any kind of emotion, but merely his instinct that drove Xie Jing to step into the fine rain. Because he was almost running, he didn’t notice where he was getting wet. By the time he realized it, he had already reached the front steps of the flower hall.
Xie Jing wasn’t sure if Lu Lingcong’s response was instinctive, but when he reached out and looped his hands around the back of Lu Lingcong’s neck, the latter hesitated only briefly before naturally opening his arms to embrace Xie Jing’s waist, holding him securely. He even leaned back slightly, lifting Xie Jing’s heels off the ground as he held him tightly before pressing him snugly into his embrace.
This embrace, which contained no lust and had no special purpose, lasted for a long time. The servants, quick to sense the moment, quietly dispersed to their duties, leaving Xie Jing and Lu Lingcong alone beneath the porch of the flower hall.
Xie Jing calmed down at this point, feeling a sense of awkward embarrassment and not knowing what to say to break the silence or explain his reaction.
Lu Lingcong simply patted his back like one would soothe a child to sleep; the embrace was firm, yet the touch gentle, as if calming Xie Jing’s rising, inexplicable “instinct” through his actions.
He thought that must be the source of his sense of security.
Finally, Xie Jing moved his fingers, and Lu Lingcong understood, so he let him go. In the dim lamplight, they each stepped back half a pace.
Lu Lingcong was half a head taller than him, a perfectly appropriate distance where they could easily take each other in with just a glance.
“I heard His Majesty say that the earliest you would return to the capital would be mid-month.”
Lu Lingcong smiled, “I left without bidding farewell, and felt guilty. When I came across a treasure outside, I wanted to offer it to you, which is why I hurried back.”
Neither of them suggested, “Let’s go back to the room.” By habit, they turned and walked together, moving slowly down the long corridor with shoulder to shoulder yet never touching, keeping just enough space for a hand between them before strolling back to the bedroom.
Maidservants were already waiting at the door. As they approached, a maidservant announced, “The bathwater is ready.” Lu Lingcong seemed a bit flustered. He didn’t look at Xie Jing, only softly said, “Wait for me for a bit.”
Only upon entering the room did Xie Jing suddenly realize—given Lu Lingcong’s nature, he should have probably said, “Don’t wait for me, sleep if you’re tired.”
Lu Lingcong always bathed quickly. In a short while, he had washed off the dust, changed into his nightclothes, half-dried his hair, and pushed the door open to enter. To his surprise, he found Xie Jing standing tall beside the mirror, sideways to him, genuinely and attentively waiting just as he had been instructed.
And from his angle, it was clearly visible that beneath the loose, thin robe, Xie Jing’s waistline had a slight outward curve, and his left hand was unconsciously resting upon it while he stared expressionlessly at his own reflection in the mirror.
Hearing the sound of the door closing, Xie Jing turned his head. Seeing Lu Lingcong staring at him blankly and speechless for a long time, he doubtfully followed his gaze downwards. His gaze dropped to his lower abdomen, and only then did he notice the subtle change in his figure. His face flushed immediately, and he swiftly pulled his left hand back into his sleeve and behind his back, which only served to draw more attention.
Lu Lingcong later reflected that the first time he truly felt the reality of becoming a father was likely at that very moment.
T/N: Hii, finally got my lappy fixed, so here I am ^^ I swear I’m going to post daily from now on xD it’s real this time.
