Cui Jianying had acquired a treasured favorite.
Because he did not make much effort to conceal it, after several days, many people noticed the signs.
Whether someone had a companion or not was easy to judge for the sharp eyed, meticulous subordinates of the Tian Shu Guard, whose duties were so particular.
They were all young, robust men. Whether certain activities had occurred the night before could be seen at a glance the next day. Cui Jianying arrived each day refreshed and spirited. When he lifted his eyelids, his usual ferocity was tinged with a relaxed, lazy ease. A single exchanged glance among the brothers was enough for them all to understand.
Moreover, Cui Jianying had recently stopped going out to host banquets or drink. Once he finished handling his official business, he would leave at once. He had also changed into a new pair of boots, not the usual weave purchased for the Tian Shu Guard. He even unintentionally revealed his fondness for them, on rainy days, he deliberately avoided stepping into puddles.
Compared to the former Chief Commander Cui, who treated all external objects like dirt and sand, this was unmistakable.
It was, after all, the Chief Commander’s private affair and since Cui Jianying had shared deep bonds with the Emperor since the time His Majesty was still a prince, no one made a special report of it.
But the Emperor was no fool. Watching Cui Jianying for several days himself, he too sensed something amiss.
He couldn’t quite articulate what it was, so after court he went to Consort Miao and spoke of it, scratching at his heart.
“Qingqing, you’re the best at reading people.”
Consort Miao had entered the palace a little over two years earlier. To call her the Emperor’s beloved was no exaggeration. Though she bore only the title of Consort, she had long been the sole candidate for Empress in the Emperor’s heart. It was only due to ministerial opposition that she had not yet been formally invested, once she bore a child, she would rightfully hold the phoenix seal.
The rumors of Cui Jianying being deeply favored by the Emperor were not without basis. Both the Emperor and Consort Miao regarded him with particular favor. The Consort’s personality was forthright and lively. Upon hearing the Emperor gossip so earnestly behind Cui Jianying’s back, her interest was immediately piqued.
She had someone summon Cui Jianying. At first glance, she burst into laughter.
“Oh my! So that’s what it is, you’ve got someone in your heart!”
“This is serious. The entire court has long taken you not settling down as a talking point. Even I thought our Lord Cui was a man of many affections. Turns out you just hadn’t met the right one yet. Whoever dares say again that Lord Cui is a smiling yet heartless rake, I’ll personally have their mouth beaten shut!”
When Consort Miao laughed, the Emperor laughed along. After laughing, he blinked at her, about to ask.
But Consort Miao ignored the impatient Emperor and instead looked at the sachet hanging from Cui Jianying’s waist. “Such exquisite needlework. An eagle embroidered upon it, perfectly suited to your name. Clearly made with care.”
“Lord Cui is no slouch either. In the past, you never even wore a jade pendant yet now you openly hang a lotus colored sachet at your waist.”
Cui Jianying smiled and bowed, praising Her Ladyship for her keen eyes.
The Emperor stared at the sachet and only then did everything finally click.
He circled around Cui Jianying twice and couldn’t help but laugh as he scolded, “If I hadn’t asked, you’d never have said a word.”
Then he asked, “Whose young lady or young lord is it? When do you plan to marry them?”
At the time, Cui Jianying merely smiled without answering. After leaving the palace, he pondered the question himself.
When to marry Tuan Yun, the Emperor had truly reminded him.
To be honest, when he first went to the tailor’s shop to debauch another man’s wife, he had never once thought about marriage. He had never planned to marry anyone.
Later, when he brought Tuan Yun to the temple for clandestine cohabitation, he could hardly say he had such intentions then either. He never claimed to be a noble, upright gentleman.
But now that he had Tuan Yun in his hands, cradling him like a precious jewel day after day, guarding and nurturing him for fear of the slightest bump or bruise, teaching him to read and write during the day, broadening his understanding of the world and its values so that Tuan Yun would know how to preside as a proper matron in the future; and at night, diligently cultivating him, raising a tender green fruit into something sweet, alluring and overflowing with juice,
He had raised a clever, quick witted little gentleman, a flower fairy in human form. If he himself could not bear to bring him before others to show off, was he supposed to silently prepare him for someone else?
He returned to the yamen, gathered his subordinates and went out to confiscate property.
Today, another hundred lives passed through his hands.
He was a court hawk dog with an evil reputation, this much was true.
The haul was abundant. Among it was a pearl garment strung with precious pearls that never made it onto the official ledger. One piece Cui Jianying had delivered to the palace as a gift for the Emperor and Consort.
The other he kept for himself.
In the past year or two, river transport had been unstable. Top grade southern pearls sold for astronomical prices in the capital. A single pearl was worth decades of blood and sweat for an ordinary family. This pearl garment used over a thousand pearls, each full and lustrous, an object of rarity even among the highest nobility.
He planned to give it to Tuan Yun.
A fair and gentle little gentleman deserved such a pearl garment.
He stored it in a carved, silver inlaid box and set out with the gift.
When he arrived at the temple’s rear courtyard, the young servant he had stationed there hurried forward to greet him, calling out, “My lord!”
Cui Jianying saw the urgency on the man’s face and his expression darkened. “A guest has arrived?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you send someone to inform me?”
“I did. They went but you passed each other on the road and missed one another.”
Cui Jianying stepped through the door, asking as he walked whether Madam had suffered any grievance.
Before he could finish speaking, the servant hurried after him, taking two quick steps and reporting in a rush, “My lord, Madam is not inside! She has already returned home. The matron of the Earl’s residence came with the ladies of the household to offer prayers. Half an hour ago, they took Madam back with them.”
Cui Jianying stopped short and turned around. “For what reason?”
“Madam was unwell and vomiting. There happened to be a novice monk who understands medicine. He took her pulse and declared that Madam is carrying dragon and phoenix twins, already more than two months along!”
Dragon and phoenix twins.
Two children, nestled in Tuan Yun’s belly.
Counting the days, it was precisely before Tuan Yun left the residence that the pregnancy had begun.
The previous generation in the Earl’s household had been prolific and among this generation of grandchildren there were not a few either yet all were born of concubines or collateral lines. Of the legitimate line there were two sons: the eldest legitimate son had three daughters in his household, while the second legitimate son, Ji Zhiwei, was estranged from his wife and had no children at all. With these twins, at the very least one would be a son. This was exactly what caught the matron’s eye. Even if she disliked Tuan Yun, the entire household still exploded into commotion, spreading the news everywhere in a flurry of excitement.
Unbelievable. A sudden turn of fortune. This year, the second branch was actually going to add an heir!
The people of the household learned of it swiftly and needless to say, the “principal party” Ji Zhiwei learned of it as well.
When the news reached his ears, Ji Zhiwei was speaking with several friends, former classmates from the Imperial Academy, now fellow officials at court, about Cui Jianying.
They were quite indignant over Cui Jianying’s recent confiscations, condemning his methods as ruthless and heartless.
“With one word from his mouth, an entire clan is branded corrupt and criminal. Who would dare say there’s no private vendetta mixed in? A century old noble house, fallen by his hand!”
“His Majesty indulges him far too much, letting him run wild without restraint!”
Ji Zhiwei listened without joining in. In his heart, he thought that without the Emperor’s private consent, how would Cui Jianying dare to wield such a blade.
Yet he did not speak in Cui Jianying’s defense either.
He and Cui Jianying were not of the same path. From youth he had studied the orthodox classics; in adulthood he entered officialdom. Their conduct and ways of dealing with the world were poles apart.
That they had not openly torn their relationship apart, still maintaining the courtesy of kinship and formal visits, was already the best semblance they could manage.
Since one was born noble, one ought to act with dignity and walk a dignified road.
To become a wolfhound before the Son of Heaven for the sake of momentary power, treating all officials as prey, Cui Jianying, such a clear cut villain, was not someone Ji Zhiwei could associate with. He could only keep his distance.
Ji Zhiwei thought: perhaps a bastard will always be a bastard. Even wearing the title of a legitimate son, he cannot walk the proper path.
It was at this moment that news came from his household, summoning him home.
When he asked the reason, the servants would not say but their faces were lit with joy. It did not seem to be bad news. Since waking up on Tuan Yun’s bed that day, shocked and furious, Ji Zhiwei had not returned home for two months. He did not think much of it now and went back with them.
The moment he entered the gate, he saw that everyone who caught sight of him was smiling.
Walking further in, even relatives who often came and went at his home came forward to clasp their hands in greeting. “Second Young Master is back, congratulations, congratulations!”
“Congratulations for what?”
Ji Zhiwei could not imagine where such joy came from.
The relative laughed. “Second Young Master still doesn’t know?” As he spoke, he noticed a servant at the side signaling frantically and realized he had let something slip. “Ah, my loose tongue.”
Since he had already spoken, he might as well continue.
“The Madam of the household is with child. Just now the Imperial Physician was invited to examine her, confirmed without doubt to be twins and even more rare, a dragon and a phoenix.”
“Second Young Master usually keeps a low profile. Who would have thought you were so vigorous? Silent at first, then astonishing at one stroke.”
“…What?”
Ji Zhiwei’s ears rang.
He did not even know when the relative left.
His mind was filled with the words: Madam is with child. That Tuan Yun, whom he had carried back from the countryside, with child?
Whose child?
How did this pregnancy come about?
Ji Zhiwei might be able to perform in bed but he could not make anyone pregnant!!
Very few people knew this truth. Between heaven and earth, only he himself knew it, because the physician who had discovered his congenital deficiency had been ordered by him to be secretly killed on the spot.
He had hidden this matter for many years, never imagining it would give rise to such a catastrophic illicit affair.
From the very beginning, Ji Zhiwei had deeply disliked this “Madam” Tuan Yun.
This person was like a thorn, stabbing holes all through the bright life that should have been his.
Born intelligent, he surpassed his legitimate elder brother in every respect yet because he was born later, there was no title for him to inherit. For that reason, he had to marry a noblewoman of upright family background, husband and wife united, to establish his own household.
He was indeed worthy of a noble lady, whether in appearance, family standing, talent or prospects, he could choose to his heart’s content.
And yet he ran into bandits on the road, ran into Tuan Yun.
Tuan Yun ruined his life. Lowly of birth and ill matched with him, illiterate and ignorant of propriety, unfit for public occasions, turning him into a laughingstock before others.
He despised him yet in consideration of the kindness Tuan Yun had once shown him, he still kept him in the residence, maintaining him in the honored position of a principal wife.
He had thought that though Tuan Yun was base, at least he was pure, not entirely worthless.
Who would have thought that this young man was such a deeply hidden whore, sneaking around to steal lovers right under the Earl’s roof and even daring to pin it onto his head!
A happy event? Where was there any happy event?
Did this wretch, deserving of a thousand cuts, really think he could carry two little bastards in his belly and muddle through the rest of his life in comfort and luxury?
What shameless, grand delusion!
At least heaven was not entirely blind, Tuan Yun had miscalculated him!
Ji Zhiwei raised his eyes, redness flooding them and strode forward.
Suddenly he heard an urgent shout at his side. “Second Master!”
Bang!!
Ji Zhiwei lost his balance, his body tipping backward, weightless, before crashing heavily to the ground.
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Fleurveil
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ChaptersChapter 1 · How can you, so crude and vulgar, be a match for me?Chapter 2 · Children don’t just appear out of thin air if you want themChapter 3 · I also grew up reading the classicsChapter 4 · I am willing to dress up as the Goddess of MercyChapter 5 · If Cousin Ji doesn’t like me, do you not like me either?Chapter 6 · He actually summoned such a YamaChapter 7 · Am I not worthy of your attention, Madam?Chapter 8 · I think Lord Cui likes you very muchChapter 9 · Dragon and phoenix twinsChapter 10 · I will never allow anyone to belittle or despise you againChapter 11 · If that’s true, then marry your wife to meChapter 12 · Well, it really is true that one thing can subdue anotherChapter 13 · Extra 1Chapter 14 · Extra 2Chapter 15 · Extra 3Chapter 16 · Extra 4