Chapter 534 - 264: Bogged Down by Worldly Affairs

Chapter 534: Chapter 264: Bogged Down by Worldly Affairs

"Xiu’er, don’t ask anymore. I’ll handle it."

Hearing this, the Second Lady’s delicate body trembled slightly. She smiled, wiped away her tears, and carefully nestled into Zheng Xiu’s embrace.

Zheng Xiu gently patted Zheng Erniang’s delicate back as if coaxing a child, whispering, "Alright. If you say not to ask, then I won’t ask."

"Mm."

Zheng Erniang closed her eyes, her expression serene as her breathing gradually calmed. They remained in that embrace deep into the night, and at some point, she fell fast asleep, letting out soft, faint snores like a kitten.

Zheng Xiu tiptoed over, laid Zheng Erniang flat on the bed, tucked the blanket in tightly, and gently smoothed the slight furrow between her brows. Looking at the Second Lady’s sleeping face, he inexplicably recalled the wild thoughts he’d had when facing the "Greed" Filthy Qi. He cursed himself under his breath and silently walked outside.

Beneath the moon and among the flowers, a cool autumn chill filled the night.

A carefree figure was leaning casually against a tree, holding a long-stemmed pipe and puffing away.

"Prince, what are your orders?"

The perceptive Qing Shisan had been waiting here for Zheng Xiu all night.

Zheng Xiu walked out with his hands behind his back, his stride powerful and majestic. His bearing unconsciously exuded the dignity of a superior. Arriving at the tree, Zheng Xiu was not surprised to find Qing Shisan waiting there.

Qing Shisan had always been able to read him like a book—unobtrusive and nonchalant, yet always showing up at the most opportune moments.

Zheng Xiu’s expression was calm. "Go investigate."

"You got it!" Qing Shisan grinned, tapping the ash from the bowl of his pipe. He replied without the slightest hesitation, "I’ll have an answer for you tomorrow, Sir."

「The next day.」

Zheng Xiu rose early.

Last night, Jing Xuemei had quietly knocked on his window, silently asking to cultivate, but Zheng Xiu, being in a bad mood, had ignored her.

This morning, he saw the faint dark circles under the four women’s eyes. They were clearly worried about having missed a night of cultivation; they were all such hardworking and ambitious young women.

As the saying goes: a lonely pillow brings a sleepless night, a lingering fragrance in an empty valley goes unappreciated.

After the morning meal, Zheng Xiu burned incense, bathed, and dressed formally. As arranged with the Second Lady, they entered the Zheng Clan Ancestral Hall together to offer incense and honor their ancestors.

They hadn’t picked a special day; it was all about being spontaneous. The fine men of the Zheng Clan were just that carefree.

At first, Zheng Erniang looked downcast, her heart heavy with worries. She knelt on a soft cushion and bowed several times.

As the incense smoke curled up through the ancestral hall, Zheng Xiu closed his eyes and began muttering under his breath.

At first, the Second Lady didn’t pay it any mind, but as the things Zheng Xiu muttered became stranger and stranger, she couldn’t help but perk up her ears to listen.

First, it was something like, "Ancestors, grant us your blessing and the wisdom to be content with what we have."

Then, "Great ancestors, bless me and Feng Bei with a healthy child soon."

"Bless that Mao’er and keep her from causing trouble."

"Bless me, Zheng Xiu, that I may last long and stay strong."

"Bless the chrysanthemums in the back garden, may they bloom in wealth and honor."

"Bless Daqian so that there are no other Princes."

"Bless Old Wei with a few more years of life, so he can keep looking out for our Zheng Family."

"Bless the Second Lady with eternal youth."

Then, Zheng Xiu continued:

"Oh, Father, my dear Father, you were wise and mighty your whole life. Your deeds moved Heaven and Earth. And since your spirit is still lingering around, you wouldn’t want the Zheng Family line you were so proud of to end with me, would you?"

By this point, the Second Lady couldn’t hold it in anymore. She reached out with two fingers, pinched the soft flesh of Zheng Xiu’s waist, and gave it a twist. Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, she whispered, "Stop making such ridiculous wishes! Do you think our ancestors are some local shrine that will grant you every little thing you ask for?"

Zheng Xiu laughed. "Isn’t it an ancestor’s job to bless their descendants? A hundred years from now, when I’m gone, won’t my own children and grandchildren have to coax and beg me for blessings? Just ask Dad and the others if they agree or not!"

"You’d have to have children and grandchildren first!" The Second Lady, distracted by his antics, instantly forgot her own worries. She covered her mouth and smiled. "From what I’ve seen, those girls have been visiting you quite often recently. Has Miss Feng Bei agreed to it?"

Zheng Xiu froze. ’She already found out?’

"I’m not trying to lecture you," she said, "but anyone with eyes can see that Feng Bei is deeply in love with you. Of course, Zizi and the others can’t bear to be apart from you either. But you can’t favor one over the others. You have to share your favors evenly."

The phrase "share your favors evenly" would normally sound a bit strange, but coming from the Second Lady, it sounded perfectly natural.

Stepping out of the ancestral hall, the two walked side by side.

Golden autumn leaves carpeted the courtyard of the ancestral hall, gleaming so brightly it created the illusion of a floor paved with gold. Looking at the quiet and peaceful scenery, the Second Lady suddenly remarked with emotion, "I was just remembering last autumn, when you suffered in prison. Perhaps it was our parents, watching from the afterlife, who protected you from the great beyond and helped you overcome that hardship."

Zheng Xiu took the Second Lady’s hand, and they walked on like brother and sister. Hearing her words, he smiled. "In this life, a person goes through countless hardships on a lonely path. You can’t always count on Heaven’s favor or an ancestor’s protection. The status I have today, I earned entirely through my own hard work."

The Second Lady rolled her eyes. "Then why were you just praying for all that?"

Zheng Xiu adopted a serious expression, raised a single index finger, and said with a smile, "If a person doesn’t work hard and only asks for protection, that’s called daydreaming. But if you work hard first and then ask for protection, that’s called icing on the cake."

"Heh, yes, yes, of course. Our Xiu’er was able to become the Red King, admired by thousands, all thanks to his own hard work." The Second Lady covered her mouth with a smile, playing along. "So, our Zheng Family’s great and mighty Red King, why don’t you tell me when you plan to pick an auspicious day to marry the young ladies in the residence, and then ask Father to bless you with a few plump little Zheng babies?"

Hearing this, an image inexplicably surfaced in Zheng Xiu’s mind: that day in the Cannibal Painting, in the Great Desert Beyond the Great Wall, when he and Feng Bei had their grand wedding, witnessed by the simple folk of the Sun Tribe.

...

"So I’ve decided to become... a mystery."