Chapter 310 - Approved

Chapter 310: Chapter 310 - Approved

Jian waited.

The anger that had carried him into the hall was still there, but now that he had actually said everything out loud, in front of what seemed like half the royal court, anxiety slowly began creeping in beneath it.

His father hadn’t answered.

The Emperor simply sat there looking at him.

Jian’s fingers curled against his palms. He could feel Xing Yu beside him, still kneeling on the polished floor, but he refused to look away from his father.

He had already declared that he loved Xing Yu in front of everyone. There was no taking it back now, nor did he want to.

He just wanted to know why.

Finally, the Emperor opened his mouth.

"I wanted to wait until your mother was awake before approving this marriage."

Jian froze.

His mother?

The Emperor’s expression softened slightly.

"She waited many years for you too. I thought she should be here when our youngest son was married."

The anger in Jian’s chest disappeared so quickly that he suddenly felt foolish for storming into the court ready to argue.

"Oh..."

His gaze dropped.

For a moment, the image of his mother lying motionless in the healing chamber appeared in his mind. He understood then. His father hadn’t refused because he disliked Xing Yu. He hadn’t intended to separate them.

He had simply wanted Clara to be there.

A strange ache settled in Jian’s chest.

He wanted that too.

He wanted his mother awake. He wanted her to see him properly, to hear his voice and know that the child she had lost had come home. If there was going to be a wedding, of course he wanted her standing there.

The Emperor watched the emotions move across his son’s face.

"But..."

Jian immediately looked up.

The Emperor’s eyes had shifted.

His gaze landed somewhere below Jian’s jaw.

Jian didn’t understand at first.

Then the Emperor noticed another faint red mark disappearing beneath the collar of Jian’s clothes.

Silence.

Jian’s hand instinctively flew to his neck.

His face went hot.

He had completely forgotten about those.

The Emperor closed his eyes for a moment and released a long, quiet sigh.

"I suppose I was making things difficult for the younger generation."

Jian’s ears burned.

Several officials abruptly found the floor very interesting.

Someone farther back coughed into his fist.

The Emperor’s gaze slowly moved away from Jian.

It landed on Xing Yu.

Whatever warmth had been in his expression vanished.

The General was still kneeling calmly on the floor, but the Emperor’s eyes narrowed.

This man laid his hands on my son before marriage.

The thought alone made his expression darken.

He had trusted Xing Yu with Jian since they were young. He had watched the boy grow into one of Gia’s strongest warriors, had entrusted armies to him and, eventually, entrusted the search for his missing son to him.

And apparently the man had returned Jian safely only to immediately lose all patience.

How impatient.

Xing Yu seemed to feel the sudden chill directed at him.

His shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly.

The Emperor stared at him.

Xing Yu remained perfectly still.

For once, the feared General of Gia wisely chose not to say a single word.

The Emperor was still deciding exactly how displeased he ought to be when his view was suddenly blocked.

Jian had stepped directly in front of Xing Yu.

The Emperor blinked.

Jian didn’t even seem to notice that he had instinctively placed himself between his lover and his father’s increasingly cold stare.

His eyes were wide.

"Really?"

All his embarrassment from a moment ago had vanished.

"You mean... you approve of our marriage?"

The Emperor looked at his son.

There was so much hope on Jian’s face that whatever annoyance he had been feeling toward Xing Yu immediately became secondary.

This child had been gone for so long.

He had imagined Jian’s return thousands of times over the years, sometimes until imagining it became too painful and he forced himself to stop. In those thoughts Jian had always remained small, the child who had disappeared before the Emperor ever had the chance to watch him grow.

Yet the person standing before him now was a grown man.

He had returned with scars and stories his father hadn’t been there to witness. He had survived a war. He had fallen in love.

There was so much of his son’s life the Emperor had already missed.

He didn’t want to become another person asking Jian to wait for happiness simply because the timing wasn’t perfect.

The Emperor’s expression softened.

"Yes."

Jian’s lips parted.

The Emperor stood from his throne and descended the few steps separating them.

"Yes, I approve."

Jian stared at him.

The answer seemed to take a moment to settle.

Then his entire face lit up.

The Emperor stopped in front of him and reached out, gently touching Jian’s soft, messy curls. Jian had rushed into morning court without even fixing them properly. A few strands were sticking up near the back, and somehow that small imperfection made the young man standing before him look much closer to the son he had spent years imagining.

His fingers moved gently through Jian’s hair.

"When your mother wakes, we will tell her together."

Jian’s smile wavered.

He nodded.

"We will."

Behind him, Xing Yu finally released the breath he felt like he’d been holding since the Emperor had first said no.

The Emperor noticed.

His eyes immediately shifted past Jian.

The warmth disappeared again.

"And you."

Xing Yu straightened despite already kneeling.

"Your Majesty."

The Emperor stared at him for a long moment.

His eyes briefly flicked toward Jian’s neck.

Xing Yu understood.

For perhaps the first time that morning, genuine unease crossed the General’s face.

Jian noticed the exchange and quickly tugged his collar higher.

"Father."

The Emperor looked back at him.

"Don’t glare at him."

"I said nothing."

"Your face is saying it."

A few people in the court struggled to hide their smiles.

The Emperor’s lips twitched.

Before Jian could continue defending Xing Yu, the old minister near the front suddenly raised his hands and called out joyfully.

"Congratulations to the Third Prince and General Xing!"

That broke whatever restraint remained in the hall.

Voices rose around them.

"Congratulations, Your Highness!"

"Congratulations, General!"

"May your union be blessed!"

The solemn morning court dissolved into cheers.

Jian startled at the sudden noise and turned around.

Officials who had been standing stiffly only moments ago were smiling now. Even several of the warriors stationed beside the pillars had broken their rigid expressions.

Heat rushed into Jian’s face again.

He had never imagined this.

He had spent so much of his life wondering whether there was somewhere he truly belonged, only to return to Gia and discover an entire court celebrating because he was going to marry the man he loved.

His eyes found Xing Yu.

Xing Yu was already looking at him.

There was no teasing in his expression this time.

Only relief.

And happiness.

Jian couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

He stepped closer and held out his hand.

Xing Yu looked at it for a moment before placing his own hand into Jian’s.

Jian tightened his fingers around his.

"See?" he whispered, barely audible beneath the congratulations filling the hall. "I told you to hurry."

Xing Yu rose to his feet, still holding his hand.

"Yes, my prince."

Jian’s smile widened.

For once, waiting had actually paid off.