Lord Shu’s ability to actually give birth to a child for General Jing was naturally something no one knew. But after the two of them had fooled around, there were still many important matters to attend to.
Jing Mu was mindful of the injuries on Shu Changyu’s body, so he did not dare go too far with him. Even so, Shu Changyu could not take it anymore. Jing Mu had spent these three years growing into his adult body, and he was no longer comparable to the person he had been three years ago. Although he still acted spoiled and shamelessly demanded affection just as before, he now truly had enough strength to nearly break Shu Changyu’s old back.
Afterward, before Shu Changyu was gathered into Jing Mu’s arms to sleep, he even sighed that the years spared no one.
Jing Mu merely smiled. “Grand Tutor is just right like this.”
Then he carefully reached out to touch Shu Changyu’s bandaged chest. “Does it still hurt?”
Shu Changyu shook his head.
“I heard from that Shen Ziyu. He said that when you were defending the city, you ignored your own injuries and even went to chew on anesthetic herbs.” He said indignantly, “You really don’t take yourself seriously.”
Shu Changyu rested his head against Jing Mu’s chest and smiled. “It was necessary for the battle. There was nothing I could do.”
Jing Mu said, “From now on, you have me for everything. You aren’t allowed to do this again.”
Shu Changyu smiled and hummed in agreement. “I really didn’t expect it. You’re even more capable than I was in my previous life. Clearly, I was showing off my meager skills before an expert.”
His words were not false. Compared with him, Jing Mu not only had political skill, but also possessed a legitimate identity. He had excellent physical strength and knew how to fight wars.
Yet Jing Mu did not care in the slightest. “But I just like indulging you in your nonsense. Your happiness is more important than anything else.”
Shu Changyu smiled and scolded him, “Foolish emperor.”
Jing Mu was even happier upon hearing this. He lowered his head and gave Shu Changyu a hard kiss on the forehead.
“Beautiful disaster.”
By the time Shu Changyu got up, the sky had already begun to darken.
When he rose, Jing Mu had already sent someone to prepare the food. He was sitting at the table, smiling as he waited for him. Just a few days ago, this brat had worn a cold, unpredictable expression all day long. Now he smiled at everyone all day, looking rather foolish.
As Shu Changyu got up, Jing Mu came over to help him straighten his clothes. When Shu Changyu got out of bed, his legs went weak the moment they touched the ground, and he stumbled. Jing Mu immediately caught him.
Then he heard Jing Mu snickering beside his ear.
Shu Changyu’s expression darkened. He let Jing Mu support him to the table and sit down. Jing Mu brought a bowl of porridge before him, then propped up his head with one hand and watched him.
Shu Changyu gave him a puzzled glance before picking up the spoon and putting some porridge into his mouth.
With just one bite, Shu Changyu’s brows furrowed. He put down the spoon and called out, “Which cook made today’s food?”
Jing Mu hurriedly tugged at his sleeve. “…It’s not good?”
Shu Changyu had never been particularly particular about food, but the quality of this bowl of porridge was truly rather mediocre. The rice had been boiled until it was completely mushy, and the ingredients added to it had been cooked into something that was impossible to identify. The rice grains were all tangled together in a sticky, mushy bowl that made one lose one’s appetite just by looking at it.
Shu Changyu frowned and looked at Jing Mu, only to see that his face had turned somewhat red. He reached out, took the bowl from Shu Changyu, and tasted it.
“…It really isn’t very good.”
As he spoke, he picked up the bowl and prepared to take it outside.
“I’ll pour it out for you.”
“Wait,” Shu Changyu stopped him.
When Jing Mu halted and turned around to look at him, Shu Changyu studied his expression and then suddenly smiled.
“Put it down,” Shu Changyu said.
Jing Mu suspiciously put the bowl down.
Shu Changyu took the bowl, stirred the mushy contents with the spoon, and asked, “You cooked this, didn’t you?”
Jing Mu’s face immediately flushed bright red.
“No!”
Shu Changyu gave an “Oh,” then sat there and ate the entire bowl of mushy porridge one bite at a time.
——
After the meal, Shu Changyu went to the prison in Huzhou Prefecture.
Zhuo Renyue was locked in the deepest cell. Heavy troops guarded the area, not even allowing a flying insect to enter or leave. When Shu Changyu walked in, Zhuo Renyue was tied up and glaring straight at him.
Shu Changyu did not care in the slightest. He glanced at him and sat down on the chair the jailer had brought for him.
Shu Changyu lifted his chin slightly. Someone beside him immediately stepped forward and removed the gag stuffed into Zhuo Renyue’s mouth.
Shu Changyu smiled lightly. “General Zhuo is truly a hero of troubled times. If not for my good fortune, I’m afraid General Zhuo’s desire to change the dynasty would only have been a matter of time.”
Zhuo Renyue spat and said nothing.
“General Zhuo surely doesn’t wish to die in such a miserable manner.” Shu Changyu smiled. “I saw long ago that General Zhuo has a powerful background and that there are people from the imperial court behind you. I value your talent and did not wish to deal with you, General Zhuo. But the person behind you is someone I have no choice but to eliminate.”
Zhuo Renyue sneered. “Dream on! Shu Changyu, don’t even think about getting a single word out of me!”
Shu Changyu sneered inwardly.
This man still had some loyalty left in him. But what kind of brainless fool was he, and who would actually dare use someone like him?
On his face, however, Shu Changyu sighed. “General Zhuo’s righteousness is admirable. I, Shu, am impressed. Unfortunately, I fear that all of General Zhuo’s loyalty will ultimately amount to nothing more than making a wedding garment for someone else.”
Zhuo Renyue did not respond, but Shu Changyu could see that his expression had already changed.
Shu Changyu continued speaking to himself. “General Zhuo, think about it. Shandong is only a few hundred li from the capital. Why would that person have you take the long way around and come south to attack me? Instead of targeting the imperial court, wouldn’t that be abandoning the root for the branches?”
At this point, Shu Changyu suddenly seemed to realize something. He gave an “Oh” and smiled.
“That’s right. If you divide the realm and rule on opposite sides of the river with the imperial court, both sides are winners.”
Shu Changyu sighed. “But Lingnan is heavily guarded, while the imperial court holds a great army in its hands. I’m afraid that with the two sides attacking you from both directions, General Zhuo’s great undertaking will still be difficult to succeed.”
Zhuo Renyue froze, then stared fixedly at Shu Changyu.
“What did you say? Lingnan? How could there be troops in Lingnan?”
Shu Changyu, however, seemed to freeze for a moment before smiling at Zhuo Renyue.
“What is General Zhuo talking about? To the south lie Tianzhu and Siam. Without heavy troops stationed there, how could the border be defended?”
Zhuo Renyue’s eyes widened as he stared intently at him.
Shu Changyu continued casually, “Think about it this way, General Zhuo. Doesn’t everything become clear? That person is in the imperial court. Jiangnan is wealthy and prosperous. How could he possibly simply hand it over to you? He intends to borrow your hand to kill me. Once I’m dead, you will be next.”
Having said this, Shu Changyu leisurely leaned back against the chair and smiled.
“General Zhuo, think it over carefully. Do you want to tell me or not?”
——
After obtaining the information, Shu Changyu had just returned to his residence when he heard voices coming from the courtyard.
“From now on, don’t call me Brother. Call me Father,” he heard Jing Mu say.
Then came Shu Xunzhi’s voice.
“No! Xunzhi already has a father. You’re not my father!”
“Don’t want any more candy, huh?”
“…I do.”
“Then call me. One word gets you one piece. This candy is only available in Zhaojing City. I’m the only one who has it.”
“…I’m not calling you!”
“Has your father ever taught you the saying, ‘A great man knows when to bend and when to stretch’?”
“No.”
“Then I’ll teach you now. Hurry up and call me. If you don’t, I’ll eat them myself.”
Unexpectedly, Shu Xunzhi really lowered her voice and carefully called out,
“…Father.”
Shu Changyu let out a laughing sigh and finally walked into the courtyard.
As soon as he entered, he saw Jing Mu squatting on the ground, stuffing candy into Shu Xunzhi’s little chubby hands. He kept stuffing them in by the handful.
Shu Xunzhi’s hands were small, and even when she cupped both of them together, she could not hold all the candy. The pieces went pattering onto the ground.
Shu Changyu walked over. The adult and child each received a scolding from him for fooling around. He took the handful of candy away and left only one piece in Shu Xunzhi’s hand.
“You’re going to ruin all your teeth,” he told Jing Mu.
Jing Mu merely grinned foolishly at him, then wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him into his embrace. He took the hand holding the candy and kissed Shu Changyu’s wrist.
“This child and I are especially compatible. She really likes me.” Jing Mu smiled. “I’ve already decided. How about we simply let Jing Cong take the throne and make our Xunzhi the Empress? Then you’d be the Imperial Father-in-Law!”
Shu Changyu choked.
Only Jing Mu would dare casually say such things. If anyone else heard him, losing ten heads would not be enough to pay for it.
Shu Changyu gritted his teeth and scolded him. “Nonsense!”
Then he pulled Jing Mu aside and lowered his voice.
“Why are you thinking of letting Jing Cong…?”
Jing Mu’s expression was completely matter-of-fact.
“I can’t do it myself, so I have to find someone else.”
At this point, he lowered his voice and leaned close to Shu Changyu’s ear, laughing.
“Grand Tutor can’t give me children. How am I supposed to continue the imperial bloodline for all under Heaven?”
Shu Changyu’s face turned red. He quietly scolded him and pushed him away.
Then he asked, “But Jing Kuang is clearly much more studious than Jing Cong.”
Jing Mu shook his head. “That man is too pedantic. I’m afraid that once he takes that position, the civil officials in court will push him around, and he’ll probably obey them in everything. You know how annoying those people are.”
Shu Changyu pondered. “But I still feel that Jing Cong isn’t suited for this.”
Jing Mu smiled. “You don’t know how clever that brat is. Besides, he has his elder brother to help him. If that doesn’t work, I can oversee the government for a few years. That’s easy enough.”
He said it so casually, as though he already held half the power to decide who would sit upon or be removed from the throne.
Shu Changyu had watched everything Jing Mu had done over these three years, so naturally he trusted him. He thought no further and said, “Since you’ve already made up your mind, then do as you think best.”
Then he said, “I just got some information from Zhuo Renyue. I previously thought the person behind him was the Third Prince, but unexpectedly, it is someone else. However, even Zhuo Renyue doesn’t know exactly who that person is, so we still don’t know their identity.”
Jing Mu did not seem concerned in the slightest upon hearing this.
“It’s Jing Shao.”
Shu Changyu asked, “How do you know?”
Jing Mu said, “That person is either Jing Shao’s subordinate or his partner. I already have a general idea. Leave everything to me when the time comes.”
All of Zhao Langzhi’s little movements, every single one of his actions, were within Jing Mu’s sight. However, Jing Mu knew that he could not let Shu Changyu know about what had happened in his previous life. Therefore, he had to deal with that person himself first. He could not allow Shu Changyu to handle it.
The two of them whispered together for a long while, while Shu Xunzhi stood to the side, tilting her little head up and watching them.
When Jing Mu belatedly noticed the little girl’s gaze, he immediately snatched two more pieces of candy back from Shu Changyu’s hand and stuffed them into Shu Xunzhi’s little chubby hands.
“Go play with your Brother Kongqing.” Jing Mu raised an eyebrow at her. “Your father and I have some ‘important business’ to discuss.”