Chapter 8- Decision
When Qiu Chen opened his eyes the first thing he felt was a ridiculously heavy head. Zhao Yichen was sitting by his side looking at his face, his thoughts not showed on his face. He noticed Qiu Chen waking up. He should be happy, he was going to be a father, and his lover was also okay. But he could not be happy for some reason.
"What are you thinking?" Qiu Chen asked furrowing his brows due to the discomfort.
"You are awake? Wait a minute!" Zhao Yichen hurriedly helped Qiu Chen sitting up. He handed him over some water.
Xiao Li, who was waiting at the door, came in followed by the maids carrying foods. They arranged the dishes by the bed. Xiao Li was happy in her heart. But seeing the grave face of Wangye, she didn't really dare to show it on her face. She along with the maids bowed to the Wangye and Wangfei and left the room without any word.
Zhao Yichen took the bowl of the clear porridge and took it to Qiu Chen's mouth intending to feed him, "Have something. It's already dark outside. You must be hungry. You still have to take medicine."
Qiu Chen looked at Zhao YIchen's face fixedly. If he still could not tell that something was bothering his man, it wouldn't be Qiu Chen. But he decided to eat first. It is true that he was hungry, and he felt weak to the bones. It was different from normal exhaustion. But as soon as he took the first sip of the porridge, he felt like throwing up. But the loss of appetite he felt these days was not there. It was just he smelt a fishy scent in the porridge. It may be some herbal nutritious ingredient, he thought. Suppressing the slight nausea, he still drank the full bowl. But he refused anything more, he was already at his limit.
Zhao Yichen put down the bowl. He called for servants to put away the dishes, and told Xiao Li to brew the medicine personally.
"Now can you tell me what happened? Am I seriously ill?" Qiu Chen asked. He was not worried. Even if he was seriously ill, he could just use the system to cure it.
"Baby, you are not alone anymore," Zhao Yichen replied. Qiu Chen saw the first glimpse of happiness in his eyes from the time he woke up.
Qiu Chen had a bad premonition, "What do you mean by not alone anymore?"
Zhao Yichen touched his belly lovingly and said, "There is someone else here."
Someone else? In his belly? Qiu Chen stared at his own belly, then at the man. The man seemed to be happy despite the frowning.
But that was not the matter. The matter was, he was with a child? He almost forgot that his body could get pregnant in this world. He never mentally prepared himself for this. He also raised a kid with his husband in the last world. But the thing is, he had to carry the baby. HE. HAD. TO. CARRY. THE. BABY. INSIDE. HIM. FOR. MONTHS. LIKE. A. WOMAN. It was not like he was disrespecting women, but he had been a complete man all his life. Getting pregnant was really a big deal for him. Was he unwilling? Yes. Does he hate the thing inside his stomach? No.
Qiu Chen touched his stomach subconsciously. He did not bother hiding his expression. Zhao Yichen could see the unwillingness in his face. This made his mood even worse. His hand on Qiu Chen's belly tensed.
"Do you not want him?" Zhao Yichen asked somewhat cautiously.
"What if I don't?" Qiu Chen asked back.
Zhao Yichen kept his face down. His face turned darker than the bottom of a pot. He loved this person in front of him. He wouldn't make him give birth if he really didn't want the child. But that meant killing the unborn child. He could not do that either.
He moved his hand from Qiu Chen's belly and placed it on the hand that Qiu Chen hadn't yet moved, "I really can't kill him. Can you please want him? Once he is born, I won't let you get pregnant again. Just this time, can I wrong you? I won't let him bother you once he is born. I promise you!" Zhao Yichen was almost begging.
Qiu Chen felt distressed listening to Zhao Yichen. He beckoned him closer. When the man approached him, he lightly placed a kiss on his thin and cold lips. "I never said I did not want him. But I really did not expect to be pregnant...now. Can you give me some time to accept it?" Without waiting for him to reply he spoke again, "Let them carry the anti-miscarriage medicine."
Zhao Yichen was first stunned then relieved. If Qiu Chen could accept the child, it would obviously be better. Xiao Li brought three to four medicines. Zhao Yichen continued to feed Qiu Chen the medicines with additional prize of candy after every sip. After all the medicine entered Qiu Chen's stomach, the bowls were sent back.
"Can you accompany me?" Qiu Chen asked, "I haven't seen you properly for a long time."
Zhao Yichen hurriedly got on the bed and collected the person in his arms. His guilt didn't subside, on the contrary it was rushing up at an alarming rate. Qiu Chen placed his head on his man's chest. He felt nostalgic. It was only a month but he felt like ages passed by. He sighed in comfort.
"Zhao Yichen, what is bothering you?" Qiu Chen asked rubbing his head against the man's firm chest.
"I can't even protect you." Zhao Yichen hugged him tighter. He pinched Qiu Chen's chin and made him look at him. "Should I give up my pursuit for the throne?" Zhao Yichen asked seriously.
Qiu Chen broke free from his arms and sat up straight. "What the hell are you talking about!"
"Today the Queen tortured you like this. Is this not for my greed for the throne? Now that you are with a child, she will try to harm you even more. Baby, let's go back to the border, okay? I can at least protect you better there."
"Have you lost all your reasons?" Qiu Chen snapped at Zhao Yichen. "Your greed for the throne? You are the only one who does not have any greed for that throne. Can you make sure that if the Second Prince ascends the throne he will let any of us live if you give up? And protecting us by escaping? What will I tell him when he grows up? That his father is a coward? That his father turned his back because he was afraid? I am telling you, Zhao Yichen, no child of mine is gonna call a coward 'father'!" Qiu Chen's white and tender face turned lovely pink by the end of his heated speech.
Zhao Yichen kissed his cheek that still had some baby fat on it. Qiu Chen let him kiss, but spoke no more. He patiently waited for Zhao Yichen's reply.
"Well, what you said, it isn't like I didn't think about them. But baby, call me coward if you want, I cannot put you in danger for the throne," Zhao Yichen sighed.
"Listen to me carefully, my dear Great General Zhao. If you hand over the country to that second brother of yours, you won't have a country to protect the border of. You don't have to be on the throne, but I am assigned to assist the next monarch, and I am going to that. Again, do I need your protection, Zhao Yichen? Or do you need mine? Remember, the person up there selected you as the heir. You just need to prove yourself. And what are you doing? Proving him wrong; proving his judgement wrong. Actually, you may be right. You should step down. A person who lacks determination and confidence in himself is not fit for that position at all." Qiu Chen sucked in a huge amount of air when he finished.
Zhao Yichen handed him some water over. Qiu Chen took it. After drinking the water he tried to talk again but was stopped by Zhao Yichen, "Don't tire yourself. You can scold me again tomorrow. Sleep now. You need some rest."
Zhao Yichen patiently comforted the angry Qiu Chen. He lied down and made Qiu Chen lie on the half his body. He encircled one hand around his wife's waist and used the other to gently hold him. Qiu Chen was really tired. Lying in the familiar arm, enveloped in familiar bodily fragrance, he fell asleep.
After Zhao Yichen made sure that Qiu Chen was deeply in sleep, he carefully placed the person on bed, covered him with a comforter, and got down from the bed. He assigned both Shen Qing and Xiao Li to guard the door. He himself went to the garden. Butler Wang sent some wine as per his order. Zhao Yichen needed to think everything thoroughly. He also needed some wine to calm himself down.
What Qiu Chen said was not wrong. To protect the people he loved from the empress he needed to wield the power. But he got really scared today when the person, who was even stronger than his own shadow guards, collapsed in his arms. He could give up everything, but not this person. Zhao Yichen suddenly gave out a low chuckle. About two or three months ago he didn't know this person. But now, this very person had somehow become his purpose of existence. When the moon was half way down from the zenith, Zhao Yichen got up. He made up his mind. He was going to finish what he started. The empress once killed his mother. His father could not do anything. But now that woman touched his beloved. For this sole reason he was not going to let her off. Apart from that, Qiu Chen said another thing right. If Zhao Yirong became the monarch, he would not be able to rule country wisely. That person wanted power, not the people. And obviously, he was not going to prove his father wrong. He will sit in that position not only for his family, but also for his country.
Qiu Chen got up in the morning. He habitually stretched his hand to touch the person beside him. But what he touched was an empty space deprived of any warmth, the person who laid there left for a long time. Qiu Chen sat up by himself. He knew that Zhao Yichen was busy, he still hoped him to be there, at least this morning. The little existence in his tummy was very much important to that man. He thought, even if not for him but for the little one, Zhao Yichen would accompany him. Qiu Chen got displeased. He touched his lower belly with his index finger. Your father left us to be cold, don't love him when you come outside, Qiu Chen whispered.
So when Zhao Yichen pushed the door open he saw a frowning Qiu Chen poking his own belly while mumbling words in a silent tone. Warmth poured down from his eyes, a loving smile on his lips. He came forward to the bed and sat down beside his wife.
"Woke up?" Zhao Yichen asked in the softest tone of his own.
Qiu Chen did not reply. He decided to ignore him for the time being. How dare he ignore him for a month and still ignored him a while ago!
"Angry much?" Zhao Yichen found it quite funny. "I went to the morning court. Weren't you the one who told me not to give up? But if you regret it now, I can give up actually. Take you in my pocket, go to the border, and accompany you all the time."
Qiu Chen's mood already lightened when Zhao Yichen entered the room. But he was still acting like an over lord with him. So, he still did not reply. Zhao Yichen could only continue to coax him.
"It seems like my Wangfei is really angry this time. Now what can I do with all the food I just brought back? All the sour candies, stinky tofu, rice cakes, sugar figurines...... I will just tell Xiao Li to distribute them to the maids. My Wangfei is too angry now to eat foods I brought. Sigh!" Zhao Yichen sighed with deliberate helplessness.
"Don't!" Qiu Chen couldn't pretend to be angry anymore, otherwise all his foods will be lost. "Bring my food here! How dare you not give them to me! You stingy Prince!" Qiu Chen suddenly suffered another mood swing at the thought of losing his share of foods.
"All yours, all yours," Zhao Yichen patted the angry Qiu Chen's back, "Xiao Li is bringing them here. Let me accompany you freshening up, okay?"
"Humph!" Qiu Chen 'reluctantly' let Zhao Yichen accompany him.
After the food was served Zhao Yichen tried to feed him. But as soon as the smell of the food entered Qiu Chen's nose, he started to feel nauseous. He still tried to eat something. The foods were too delicious for him. This resulted in him vomiting every bite he ate. By the end of it, he could only eat some clear porridge and some fruit cake. But he understood one thing, as long as his man was by his side, even if he felt hard to eat, he didn't feel the loss of appetite like before.
Qiu Chen ignored the discomfort. He leaned on Zhao Yichen's shoulder who was furrowing his brows too hard. Qiu Chen extended his hand to massage the place between his brows, "What are you frowning about. You will look ugly in a few years if you frown so hard."
Zhao Yichen gathered the person in his arms. He didn't reply to Qiu Chen's question. He was thinking about Qiu Chen's diet. If he continued to eat so little and still throw up everything he ate, it will be very bad for his body. He now has to eat for two people. But he couldn't even eat for one. Zhao Yichen was at loss. He did not want to public the news of Qiu Chen's pregnancy, it would attract unwanted troubles. Again, without making it public he could not arrange a full time doctor and special chef for Qiu Chen. Otherwise that woman in the palace will know about it.
When Qiu Chen saw Zhao Yichen continue to think, he didn't bother him either. The two were sitting in the pavilion by the pond which was, like the one in the imperial garden, full of waterlily. It was not like this before. Qiu Chen arranged it specially. The reason being to respect Gui Fei. He knew that Zhao Yichen respected and missed his mother very much. The flower was arranged to make Zhao Yichen feel the presence of his mother every once in a while. But as the time went by, Qiu Chen found himself liking this flower more and more. A white flower, only blooms under the moonlight, but refuses to show face in the sun, so mysterious, yet so pure.
On the other side of the mansion, a very ordinary looking carriage entered the gates. The carriage looked like a carriage that was used to deliver ration to the military from outside, but hidden from the onlookers, inside of the carriage was prepared carefully, comfortably, and in a grand way. After the carriage stopped, a person in a five-clawed-dragon robe descended from it.
Butler Wang, who was puzzled as no military wagon should come at this moment, was shocked to death. He hurriedly saluted the Emperor on his knees. Everyone else followed the suit. The Emperor let them rise. Butler Wang was about to signal a little servant to notify Zhao Yichen and Qiu Chen but the Emperor stopped him.
"Don't bother them. Zhen* just came to visit my family. No need to get busy. Lead the way." ( *self-reference used by Emperors in China)
Butler Wang did not even dare to wipe the sweat on his forehead. He silently led the way to the pond. The Emperor was walking in a slow pace. This is the first time he set foot in the manor. He was watching everything like he came for sightseeing. When they entered the little garden, the Emperor saw a picture that made him nostalgic and a little sad. Two figures, one sturdy and handsome while another gentle and petite, were cuddling together, showing their backs to him, beside a pond full of white flowers that already closed their petals. This reminded him of himself and Gui Fei in the past. Like Zhao Yichen and Qiu Chen, theirs' was also a diplomatic marriage. But they found love in that marriage. The Emperor sighed and walked forward.
Both Zhao Yichen and Qiu Chen were masters in martial arts, and the Emperor did not deliberately hide his aura. So they sensed him as soon as they came. Qiu Chen and Zhao Yichen hurriedly turned back only to see the Emperor striding towards them. They prepared to kneel down to salute the Emperor. Seeing this, the Emperor walked faster. He reached them in only two long strides. He held Qiu Chen's hands to prevent him from kneeling while he just let his son kneel down.
"You don't have to kneel. Zhen didn't come here as an Emperor today, but as a father and a grandfather" the Emperor told Qiu Chen with a smile that overflowed with fatherly love.
"Father-Emperor is wise, " Qiu Chen said with a lump in his throat. He did not have any father or mother figure in this world. Well, he had the original's father as his 'father', but that man never gave the original owner any fatherly love. If Qiu Chen said he did not miss his family from the previous world, it would be lie. And due to his pregnancy mood swings, he missed them even more. So when the Emperor showed him even the least bit of fatherly love to him, he got all emotional.
Qiu Chen took the Emperor's hand and helped him sit down like he used to do with Qin Zhen in the last world. His behavior made the Emperor even happier. The person sitting on the upper most position is lonely. In front of the monarch, there is no family. In actual, every member of the so called family cared for him for their personal gains. The emperor was very clear about this. He was a person with high emotional intelligence. So when Qiu Chen treated him with respect and familial love, he could instantly feel that there was no ulterior motive behind this. Even if he was not the Emperor, Qiu Chen would have done the same.
"Is your body alright?" the Emperor asked Qiu Chen.
Qiu Chen did not ask how the Emperor knew. The person who diagnosed him was Imperial Doctor Liu. He was one of the old members of the Raven. Raven, though always had an association leader, there ultimate master had always been the Emperor in every generation. He already knew that the Emperor knew. But he did not expect the Emperor to visit personally.
"To return to Father-Emperor, erchen's body is alright," Qiu Chen answered. He did not lie. The symptoms he was showing were all very common in pregnancy. He accompanied Xiao Tan when she was pregnant. He knew all these symptoms all too well.
"But Zhen has heard that these days you were not able to eat anything," the Emperor furrowed his brows. He looked at Chief Eunuch Zhou not far away. The Chief Eunuch got the signal. He came forward with two people following him.
"Congratulations to Wangfei and Wangye," Chief Eunuch Zhou spoke, "This is Doctor Qi, disciple of Doctor Liu, and this is the imperial chef skilled in cooking for pregnant concubines."
"Zhen has bestowed these two people to the General's Mansion." The Emperor spoke again when he saw Qiu Chen's attempt to kneel to accept the verbal decree, "Zhen has forbidden you to kneel while pregnant, this is also a decree."
Qiu Chen was dumbfounded. Wasn't the Emperor being too lenient towards him? He could only accept his fate.
The Emperor suddenly noticed the person who was kneeling all this time. "What are you still kneeling for? Get up for Zhen!" He scolded Zhao Yichen as if very displeased with him.
Zhao Yichen who was first forgotten then scolded by his own father, "???"
Qiu Chen laughed out loud when he saw the father and son's interaction.
Unlike the lively and love-filled General's Mansion, the scenary in the second prince's mansion was gloomy. The second prince was sitting at the short legged table, with Song Yuxuan sitting on the opposite side.
"You told Mother-Empress that your plan was full proofed. You said that Song RuZhen is very weak willed. He would definitely help collecting the documents for the purpose of keeping the General's Mansion under control." Zhao Yirong's voice was as cold as the skin of a serpant, "What happened now? He did not agree. Zhao Yichen is already rumored as the ideal husband by public! Mother-Empress was scolded by Father-Emperor!"
"Dianxia......", Song Yuxuan treid to talk in a soft tone.
"What do you want to say now?" He placed the cup in his hand on the table with a loud thud, "My effort to stain Zhao Yichen's reputation is particularly ruined! Who knows where he is gathering the information about all those corrupted officials! Do you even know how many of them worked for me in the past? Do you understand that even I can be implicated if something goes wrong? No, you just had to act on your own and bring bad luck upon me!" Zhao Yirong was particularly shouting at Song Yuxuan at this point.
"Dianxia, I will definitely not let anything harm you. Please believe me for this time?" Song Yuxuan had a soft face. When he pleaded with tears in his eyes , and with grievance in his voice, Zhao Yirong's heart turned soft.
"I am sorry, Xiao Xuan. I should not have yelled at you. Go inside and have something. I will arrange carriage for you to leave once you are done." Zhao Yirong softened his voice as far as he could.
Song Yuxuan thanked Zhao Yirong and left. Although Zhao Yirong said sorry, he did not actually mean it. Song Yuxuan saw Zhao Yichen confronting the Empress for his wife. And Zhao Yirong just scolded him for creating troubles. Song Yuxuan was envious of Song Ruzhen's luck in getting a husband. When he went to the pavilion arranged for him, he saw a beautiful and charming woman going towards the main courtyard from afar. That was one of Zhao Yirong's concubines. She must have been called to relieve stress for the prince. Song Yuxuan clenched his hand so hard that his palm was imprinted with the marks from his nails. No one liked to share their husbands. In Song Yuxuan's view, it was very normal for men to have more than one wife. What bothered him was, how could Qiu Chen be so lucky that despite having someone else by his side Zhao Yichen was still so loyal to him!
Song Yuxuan must arrange something to bring Song Ruzhen to the humiliation he always felt.