CH 72

Hearing what Wei Chongrong said, Jun Hua puffed out his cheeks unhappily and bristled, “Brother Rong, you’re talking too much. How can I be so disobedient? I went to Zhuxia to find the Third Prince. Why would I go to Tiele and the Western Regions? It’s not like I’m too idle.”

In fact, if he hadn’t known that Wei Chongrong would definitely go to Yisha City, he wouldn’t have bothered to go there; after all, His Majesty gave an order to his father but not to him. If he followed Wei Chongrong to Yujing, he would stay with him all day long, so how would he be able to stray?

Wei Chongrong couldn’t help laughing, stretched out his hand to pinch Jun Hua’s bulging cheeks, and said with a smile: “You say you are not angry? I can almost see an oil bottle hanging from your mouth(1). Little Monkey, be good, study hard and practise martial arts seriously. Maybe Hou Zhaoyang will let you go to Yujing in two years.”

Jun Hua tilted his head slightly to the side and looked at Wei Chongrong with a smile: “Brother Rong, don’t worry, I will definitely come to Yujing to find you in two years.” He simply thought that the reason why Jun Qing banned him from going out was that he had secretly run to Zhuxia and he would be fine after a while when Jun Qing’s anger subsided. 

However, Wei Chongrong knew very well in his heart that Jun Qing probably didn’t want Jun Hua to see him again until some things were clarified. 

Two days ago, when Jun Hua was practising swords with his younger brother, Jun Qing approached him to talk, and the content of the conversation surprised Wei Chongrong. 

“Rong’er, you have always been a very smart child. I think you should have noticed Hua’er’s thoughts about you.” Jun Qing went straight to the point and directly explained his intention, shocking Wei Chongrong so much that he was dumbfounded and couldn’t come back to his senses for a long time. 

After a long silence, he finally found his voice: “Hou, Hou Zhaoyang, what do you mean by this?” Did he hear it wrong? Jun Qing couldn’t mean what he thought he meant, could he? 

Jun Qing’s face darkened and his eyes looked a little cold: “Rong’er, do you really don’t understand or pretend you don’t understand?”

Wei Chongrong sorted out his thoughts and said hesitantly: “Huaixi is still young, so he shouldn’t have this kind of thoughts, right?” It was true that Jun Hua was closer to him than anyone else since he was little, but wasn’t that because he had doted on him the most?

All along, Wei Chongrong had been full of regret and guilt towards Jun Hua. In his memory, he had never taken the initiative to show kindness to Jun Hua in the previous life but Jun Hua has always treated him very well. After he was killed by Wei Yang, Jun Hua had even gone out of his way to avenge him. 

Unexpectedly for Wei Chongrong, death was not the end of his life and he was given a chance to start all over again. 

Starting again, Wei Chongrong directly or indirectly changed the fate of many people, including Jun Hua. 

However, no matter how good Wei Chongrong was to Jun Hua, the guilt in his heart didn’t decrease in the slightest. Today’s Jun Hua and the Jun Hua he owed so much to were, in essence, actually two people, and apart from their looks, nothing about them was the same. 

Facing Jun Hua, whom he had watched grow up since he was a child, Wei Chongrong had never felt anything other than brotherly affection. He took it for granted that Jun Hua should feel the same about him. But today, Jun Qing told him that Jun Hua felt differently. 

Jun Qing looked straight at Wei Chongrong, silent for a long time, until Wei Chongrong raised his eyes uneasily and looked at him. Then Jun Qing said softly: “Rong’er, don’t judge others by yourself. Although Hua’er is young, he is very sensitive. I believe his feelings are unmistakable.”

“But, but Huaixi…” If Jun Hua really had a crush on him as Jun Qing said, then why didn’t he tell him anything? Knowing what Wei Chongrong knew about Jun Hua’s character, he was sure Jun Hua wasn’t someone who could keep secrets, especially when it came to feelings.

Jun Qing frowned slightly and said calmly: “If Hua’er could already clearly see his mind, it would be meaningless for me to come to you to say anything. His temperament is the same as that of his father. As long as he is sure of something, he will not turn back even if he hits his head against the wall.”

Hearing this, Wei Chongrong was a little at a loss. He didn’t know how to respond to Jun Qing’s words. 

Jun Qing looked at Wei Chongrong’s slightly flustered expression and continued: “Rong’er, I can see that you don’t have that kind of feelings for Hua’er. Your kindness to him is because you see him as your nephew or younger brother, so you love him and dote on him. But Hua’er doesn’t think so. Your attitude can easily cause him to misunderstand. If he tells you again that he wants to go to Yujing, I hope you can help me dissuade him.”

Wei Chongrong thought for a while and said hesitantly: “You mean, you want me to make everything clear to Huaixi?” If that were the case, would Jun Hua be very unhappy? He found that he couldn’t bear to see Jun Hua unhappy. 

Jun Qing waved his hand and hurriedly said, “No, don’t say anything. Hua’er is clueless now but instinctively wants to get close to you. If you wake him up but can’t give him the response he wants, he will be very sad.”

Wei Chongrong felt even more deeply regretful when he heard this. He had been kind to Jun Hua because he wanted him to live a happy life, but in the end, he was the one who was most likely to make him sad and upset. The more he thought about it, the more distressed he was. 

Jun Qing seemed to see through Wei Chongrong’s mind and said solemnly: “Rong’er, you don’t have to feel guilty. Emotional matters can never be forced. No one stipulates who must like who. The Third Prince is the son of the emperor but he is not the one whom the other person wants. You don’t have to worry about it.”

Jun Qing said it lightly but how could Wei Chongrong not really care about it? He sullenly thought for a while and excused himself to go back to his room. 

Soon after Wei Chongrong left, Ji Xin wandered over, frowned and said, “Ah Qing, are you mediating for your son or are you pulling the rug from under his feet, ah?” The son he worked so hard to raise, why did he like the guy who didn’t like him?

Jun Qing glanced at Ji Xin and said indifferently: “Let fate take its course, no one needs to force it.”

Ji Xin raised his eyebrows and smiled with a hint of imperceptible smugness at the corners of his mouth: “If I didn’t pursue you so hard but let fate take its course as you said, our Little Monkey and Little Tiger probably wouldn’t have the chance to come into this world.”

Jun Qing gazed at Ji Xin with a frown and said in a low voice, “But I can’t bear Hua’er to work as hard as you did.”

In the world of feelings, it was always harder for the one who fell in love first, especially when the person you fell in love with had no such thoughts about you at all. Therefore, when Jun Qing discovered Jun Hua’s feelings, he didn’t alert his son but told Wei Chongrong everything and let him choose. 

Perhaps Wei Chongrong would be touched by Jun Hua and slowly develop true love for him, just like it happened with him and Ji Xin; or perhaps he would have only brotherly affection for Jun Hua and avoid him from now on, as it was in the case of Huo Yingying and Wei Mao. 

Either way, it would be better for Jun Hua than if Wei Chongrong continued to be unconsciously kind to him but not ready to respond to his feelings. 

Ji Xin couldn’t help but sigh softly: “I find that I look at this kid Wei Chongrong and he gets more and more unsatisfactory. If he changes his mind, he will kidnap my precious Little Monkey. If he remains indifferent, my Little Monkey will definitely be sad to death.”

Jun Qing was speechless, glared at Ji Xin, turned and left. Ji Xin returned to his senses and hurriedly chased after him. 

Wei Chongrong didn’t know that Ji Xin and Jun Qing were discussing him behind his back. While appeasing Jun Hua, he gave him a task: “Little Monkey, if there is any information sent back by Qingcheng, you must pay attention to it. There might be omissions.”

Although Jun Hua’s temperament was unpredictable, he was still serious when it came to business, so he quickly responded, “Brother Rong, are you suspecting Brother Qingcheng? However, he is not the only one lurking in Zhuxia, and there is no contact between the sources. Father verifies and compares the information they send back and he won’t accept it if it is slightly wrong. Brother Qingcheng has been in Zhuxia for more than ten years and has never made a mistake. There shouldn’t be any problems.”

Wei Chongrong pondered for a while, then shook his head and said, “I don’t suspect that the information Qingcheng sends is false, I’m just worried that he will be hiding something. Little Monkey, do you remember that key? Tuduo keeps it close to himself, it must be a very important thing. Just watch carefully.”

Jun Hua nodded, bit his lip and asked, “If Qingcheng… is really hiding something, what should I do? Tell Father? Brother Rong, why do you think there is something wrong with Qingcheng? Can you tell me the reason?”

Wei Chongrong pondered for a moment and said, “Little Monkey, there is something I can’t confirm for the time being and I don’t want to mislead you. How about that, after I return to the capital and investigate clearly, I will send someone with a letter to you? It won’t take long.”

Jun Hua thought for a while and agreed, and then asked Wei Chongrong to accompany him to climb Mount Zixi. Wei Chongrong thought that they wouldn’t be able to see each other for a long time and couldn’t bear to ignore Jun Hua’s wish, so he agreed. 

When they were about to go out, Wei Mao heard about it and insisted on following them to join in the fun. Ji Hui said he didn’t have time for such idle things, but Ji Xin thought that his younger son was too dull and spent all day in the house, so he asked Jun Hua to take him along, saying that Ji Hui was bored out of his mind at home. 

Jun Hua had no objection to the change from a two-person trip to a four-person trip, but Wei Chongrong guessed that Ji Xin had done it on purpose. 

The scenery of Mount Zixi was beautiful, with stunning views. Standing at the top, one could only see misty clouds and green hills in the distance. 

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Jun Hua took Ji Hui to pick wild vegetables and mushrooms while Wei Chongrong accompanied Wei Mao to sit on the mountain rocks and talk, “Third Brother, couldn’t you think of any other place to go to but Yizhou? The food over here is really horrible. It’s truly not a place for people to live.”

Wei Mao glanced at him in confusion and retorted: “What’s wrong with Yizhou? The mountains are beautiful, the water is beautiful, and the food is even more beautiful, really delicious. If it wasn’t for Second Brother reminding me, I wouldn’t have thought of heading southwest.”

Wei Chongrong confirmed his previous suspicions and was delighted, but his face didn’t show anything as he said, “Third Brother loves the delicacies of Yizhou so much, do you want to take a couple of cooks home with you when you leave?”

Wei Mao smiled cheekily and said, “I would like to, but the maids from Wang Changning’s residence told me that the main seasoning of Yizhou cuisine is only produced locally, and the taste is not the same outside of Yizhou. No wonder the Yizhou dishes I used to eat in the capital were not so delicious.”

While the two were talking, Jun Hua and Ji Hui came back with baskets. Jun Hua’s basket was empty and Ji Hui’s basket was full. Wei Chongrong was a little curious and asked, “Huaixi, why do you come back empty-handed?”

Jun Hua shook his head and refused to speak. Ji Hui gave him a disgusted look and explained, “Big Brother picked half a basket of poisonous mushrooms, with the toxicity more than enough to kill two elephants, so I dumped them all for him.”

As soon as Ji Hui’s words left his mouth, Wei Mao burst out laughing without giving Jun Hua any face. 

Wei Chongrong actually wanted to laugh. But he knew that it didn’t matter if Wei Mao laughed; however, if he laughed, Jun Hua might start crying. He endured, keeping his face stiff, but his whole expression looked a little hideous. 

Jun Hua grabbed his younger brother, stretched out his hand and ravaged Ji Hui’s head until completely messing up his meticulous hairstyle before letting him go. Then he turned to Wei Chongrong and said, “Brother Rong, you can laugh if you want. This look is a bit leaky.”

“Hahaha!” Wei Chongrong couldn’t help it anymore and laughed loudly, “Huaixi, you are so funny!”

Ji Hui took the opportunity to break free from his brother’s clutches and ducked to the side to save his hairstyle; but unfortunately the more he fixed it, the messier it became. Wei Chongrong couldn’t bear to watch it, so he managed to curb his laughter and motioned to Ji Hui to come over. Although Ji Hui was puzzled, he came closer obediently. 

Jun Hua and Wei Mao were both very curious about Wei Chongrong’s actions, turning their heads to look at him at the same time. They saw that he fiddled with Ji Hui’s bun a little and then re-tied it for him, making it look decent, no different from before. 

Wei Mao was dumbfounded, unable to speak for a long time. Jun Hua said with a smile, “Brother Rong, so you even know how to do this, ah?”

Wei Chongrong smiled and didn’t explain. When he saw that it was almost time, he asked the guards that accompanied them up the mountain to set out the lunch prepared in advance. Wei Mao vaguely felt that there was something wrong with Jun Hua’s question, but the food was on the table, so he didn’t look into it.

During the meal, Wei Mao suddenly sighed. After becoming a married man, he wouldn’t have such freedom. 

Wei Chongrong looked at him, puzzled. Even if he was married, if he wanted to go out and play in the mountains, Wangfei Xiang wouldn’t be able to stop him. 

Unexpectedly, Wei Mao said solemnly: “Although I don’t know which girl Mother Empress chose for me, but since I marry, I will have to obey my wife. This is the tradition of our family.”

Wei Chongrong was drinking water, and when he heard these words, he spurted it out, spraying Jun Hua all over. He hurriedly picked up a towel and wiped the traces of water on Jun Hua’s clothes, thinking in his heart that for nearly three hundred years since the Great Yan was founded, the Wei family really had never had the tradition of obeying their wives. 

Wei Mao glanced at the weird-looking Wei Chongrong, raised his eyebrows and said, “Am I wrong? Look at the way my father treats my mother, look at the way my eldest brother treats my sister-in-law, and look at the way my second brother treats my second sister-in-law. Which one of them is not deeply affectionate and obedient?”

Wei Chongrong sighed and didn’t say anything. Wei Ming didn’t accept concubines and it was fine; anyway, Jun Feili gave birth to three sons. Wei Xuan hadn’t had a son yet and still didn’t accept a concubine, and the courtiers were actually quite in a dissent. The absence of an heir in the Eastern Palace was not a family matter, but a state matter. As for Wei Lan, he and Shangguan Cha had been married for less than two years; who knows what would happen in the future. Meanwhile, the fact that Wei Mao wanted to follow his father and eldest brother’s example even if his wife was not Huo Yingying made Wei Chongrong a little surprised. 

Jun Hua wiped away the traces of water on his face and suddenly asked, “Brother Rong, is it your turn to marry after the Third Prince marries?”

Wei Chongrong didn’t say anything and Wei Mao replied first: “That’s for sure. Fourth Brother is just one year younger than me. Maybe Fourth Uncle already has a candidate in his mind, he just didn’t tell you.” This was the case with the empress. Huo Yingying had just rejected him and there was already a candidate for Wangfei Xiang. With the empress’s character of pursuing perfection in everything, it couldn’t be a decision made on impulse, the information must have been prepared a long time ago. As soon as the girl he personally chose refused to enter the palace, the position was filled for him immediately. 

Hearing Wei Mao’s words, Jun Hua was stunned and somewhat at a loss for what to say. Looking at his bewildered expression, Wei Chongrong couldn’t help but feel heartbroken and hurriedly said, “It’s impossible. My father won’t pay attention to these trivial matters, and I haven’t played enough yet.”

Wei Mao immediately showed an envious expression: “Fourth Uncle is so good, you can do whatever you want.”

Jun Hua was overjoyed when he heard that Wei Chongrong had no plans to get married for the time being. Although he hadn’t figured out what he was happy about, his slightly frowning brow gradually smoothed. 

Two days later, Wei Chongrong and Wei Mao set off for Yujing. Wei Xuan received Wei Chongrong’s pigeon in advance and went outside the city to greet them. Wei Chongrong handed Wei Mao to Wei Xuan intact and went directly back to Wang Qin’s residence without even entering the palace. 

In the early winter, Yujing was already a little chilly, but the warm pavilion in the main courtyard was filled with the stoves that burned vigorously, making the whole space as warm as spring. The first thing Wei Chongrong did when he entered the door was to quickly take off his cloak and throw it to the maid. It was too hot in the room. 

There was a chubby little girl lying on the floor covered with a thick cashmere carpet. She was wearing a bright red coat and was trying to crawl towards Huo Yingying, who was teasing her with a flowery sugar figurine from the opposite side of the room. 

The little girl was trying very hard; her little hands were propped on the ground and her little feet were pedalling, which could be called a combination of using hands and feet. It was just that the effect was not impressive. After struggling for a long time, she had only advanced less than half of the distance, and she was so anxious that she screamed. 

Wei Chongrong couldn’t watch it anymore, so he walked over quickly and picked up the little fat girl from behind. The little girl suddenly flew into the air; not only was she not afraid, but she screamed “yah yah”, her tone very excited. 

“Fat girl, do you still recognise me?” Wei Chongrong put the little girl on one arm and turned her around to face him. 

The little fat girl blinked her slender eyes, her face blank. Obviously, she didn’t remember who Wei Chongrong was. 

Unwilling to be reconciled, Wei Chongrong held the chubby girl’s round little body and threw her into the air twice, continuing to ask her: “Really don’t remember?” This was her favourite game in the past, and he didn’t believe she wouldn’t remember it. 

“Dede, dede…” The little girl’s memory was brought back by the familiar movements, and she called out happily. 

Wei Chongrong was delighted, contentedly took the little chubby girl into his arms and kissed her on the left and right cheeks. 

The little girl was taken aback, then suddenly raised her hands and clapped them vigorously, slapping Wei Chongrong’s face. 

Huo Yingying saw this and laughed so hard she couldn’t stand up: “Haha, finally it’s your turn to get hit, haha…”

In his two lifetimes, Wei Chongrong was slapped by a girl for the first time. Not only was he not angry, but he also said happily: “You people from the Huo family are really talented. How old is the fat girl, she is actually so strong, it’s incredible…” 

Huo Yingying curbed her smile and said with a serious expression: “Don’t mention it, Wang Qin is almost worried to death. Last time he brought her to the palace, she alone beat two. The little princess of the Eastern Palace cried and the little heir of Wang Zhao cried, too. The little princess’s nanny said that, and no one believed her.”

Wei Chongrong finished making up the image in his mind, laughed out loud, and then asked, “Where is my father?”

Huo Yingying replied: “In the study. He says that he wants you to come and see him when you return.”

“Good.” After saying that, Wei Chongrong left holding the little chubby girl in his arms. 

Huo Yingying hurriedly called out to him: “Put Feifei down for me, I still have to coax her to learn to walk.”

Wei Chongrong said in surprise: “The fat girl can’t walk yet? I remember before I left, she could walk a few steps, even though wobbly enough.”

Huo Yingying said helplessly: “I think she can, but she just refuses to walk and wants to crawl.” A few months ago, when she wore less clothes, the little girl could get to her feet quickly. Now it was cold, the clothes were thicker, and her movements were obviously not as flexible as before. 

Wei Chongrong held the little fat girl with one hand, and waved with the other: “She will walk sooner or later, there’s no hurry. You have been playing with her for two months, now it’s my turn. Let’s go to see my father first, and then we’ll come back to teach her.”

Huo Yingying failed to grab the little girl, so she could only stuff the sugar figurine into her mouth. 

At the door of Wei Zhao’s study, before Wei Chongrong could reach out and knock on the door, the little fat girl stretched out her hands and pushed forward vigorously. 

With a squeak, the door opened. The little girl shouted loudly: “Dede, dede…”

Wei Chongrong didn’t expect that. Did his little sister call her brother and her father in the same way?(2)

However, the truth was that such a thing was nothing compared to the surprise that Second Miss Huo had given Wei Chongrong when she first revealed her existence. 

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When Wei Zhao returned from Fuyu, the empress at the time and now Empress Dowager Ji Wan was very concerned about his marriage, and even cooperated with Princess Yuankang to make a list of candidates for Wangfei Qin, expecting Wei Zhao to pick the one he liked. 

However, Wei Zhao refused to marry. Before his death, the previous emperor might have said something to the Empress Dowager. Anyway, after Wei Ming ascended the throne, Ji Wan never mentioned this matter again. It was estimated that Wei Zhao had an heir anyway, so it was really nothing if he didn’t get married. 

Wei Chongrong was not obsessed with Wei Zhao’s marriage. If Wei Zhao wanted to get married, he would definitely not object, and he would respect Wang Qin’s wife or lord consort accordingly. If Wei Zhao didn’t marry, it was fine, too. Anyway, he had Wei Chongrong, who would always take care of him and protect him. 

The only person Wei Zhao had ever liked, Jiang Che, was already married, and Wei Chongrong was worried that after all those unpleasant experiences in Fuyu, it would be impossible for Wei Zhao to fall in love with someone again. 

Over the past years, Wei Chongrong had watched but Wei Zhao hadn’t gotten particularly close to anyone. Perhaps his heart was really dead and he didn’t think about emotional matters anymore. 

Unexpectedly, two years ago, Wei Zhao suddenly gave him a big “pleasant surprise”, which was really surprising and pleasant. 

Because of the heavy injuries suffered in Fuyu, every autumn and winter Wei Zhao would be more or less unwell. Fortunately, there was Sun Ye to take care of him, so there was no big problem, he just needed to be careful. 

Therefore, when Wei Zhao fainted in the Eastern Camp that day, Wei Chongrong was completely blindsided. 

The military doctor came quickly, and as soon as he checked Wei Zhao’s pulse, he froze, shivering and not daring to say a word. 

Wei Chongrong mistakenly thought that there was a big problem with Wei Zhao’s health, and he was so anxious that he almost chopped up the poor guy. He didn’t dare to delay and immediately ordered someone to go to the city to invite Wang Lu’s Lord Consort. Sun Ye was most familiar with Wei Zhao’s physical condition. 

Before Sun Ye arrived, Wei Zhao woke up. Wei Chongrong, who had never believed in Buddhism, said “Amitabha Buddha” twice. 

Wei Zhao glanced at the military doctor who was shrinking in the corner, not daring to speak, and calmly ordered, “Forget everything you saw today.”

The military doctor recovered, thanked him in a trembling voice for his kindness and was driven outside by Wei Zhao. 

Wei Chongrong didn’t know what was going on, so he hurriedly asked, “Daddy, what did you mean by this sentence just now?” Listening to Wei Zhao’s tone, it was as if he knew a lot about what had happened to him. 

Wei Zhao’s face was a little pale as he waved his hand and said, “Don’t ask so many questions, you’ll know when the time comes.”

Wei Chongrong was even more anxious. Since childhood, Wei Zhao had never been perfunctory with him. No matter what he asked, Wei Zhao would always give him as accurate an answer as possible. Unwilling to be sent off by Wei Zhao like this, Wei Chongrong simply knelt in front of his bed and didn’t leave. 

Seeing this, Wei Zhao sighed, raised his hand wearily and rubbed his forehead. Wei Chongrong frowned and said worriedly: “Daddy, are you uncomfortable? What’s wrong with you?”

Wei Zhao didn’t speak, raised his hand and covered his chest, then said: “Rong’er, get out of the way.”

Wei Chongrong refused to move, kneeling in place. 

Wei Zhao’s face changed. Suddenly, he covered his mouth, leaned over the side of the bed and vomited all over Wei Chongrong. 

Wei Chongrong didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. Seeing that Wei Zhao was vomiting so badly, he wanted to pat him on the back, but Wei Zhao shook his head. 

After a long time, Wei Zhao finally stopped and slowly straightened. Wei Chongrong leaned over but before he could speak, he heard Wei Zhao say, “You, you go out and change your clothes quickly.” As Wei Zhao said this, he leaned down and began to vomit again. 

Wei Chongrong was helpless, so he hurriedly went to the next room to change clothes, and at the same time ordered someone to come and clean. 

By the time Wei Chongrong washed up and returned to Wei Zhao, Sun Ye had already arrived. 

Sun Ye had just checked Wei Zhao’s pulse and was talking non-stop: “Ah Zhao, do you have any idea what’s going on with your health? Whoever you like and whoever you want to be with, your Third Brother and I are happy to see it, but you can’t mess around like this…”

It was not easy to wait until Sun Ye had a gap in his speech. Wei Zhao argued weakly, “It was only once, I didn’t expect it either…”

“Ah Zhao, I’m not judging you, your body is your own, but why can’t you be more careful? Do you think your current health is still the same as before? You simply can’t afford the arduous process of carrying a baby, do you know that?”

Wei Zhao shook his head, speaking very slowly and quietly: “I really didn’t expect this to be the case. Don’t they say that for people who took the Suyun pill, the efficacy of the medicine will gradually fade after the age of thirty? I thought it was okay…”

“You see, you know it yourself, the effect of the medicine fades, not completely disappears. It varies from person to person. At least you could have found me to get some preventive medicine.” Sun Ye also sighed when he said that. He and Wei Xiao had been married for more than ten years, and both of them had no problem with their bodies. He himself was extremely proficient in medicine but he could only give birth to Wei Ruo. No matter how they wanted to add a younger brother or sister to him, he couldn’t conceive. But look at Wei Zhao, one night of pleasure, and he was caught. It was really a different fate. 

Wei Zhao was silent for a long time before he said, “Can I not have this child?” He had promised Rong’er that he would have only one child, and that he would only love him, and he didn’t want to break his promise. 

Sun Ye shook his head gently: “Ah Zhao, I don’t advise you to do this. Although it is a great burden on your body to keep this child, your current physical condition is not suitable for abortion. Once winter has passed, the foetus will be bigger, which is going to be even more unsuitable…”

When Wei Chongrong heard this, he couldn’t bear it anymore. He pushed the door open and asked, “Your Imperial Highness Lord Consort, tell me, what should I do to make my father’s health better?”

“Rong’er?!” Wei Zhao stared at him blankly, a little at a loss for words. 

Wei Chongrong walked to the side of the bed, sat down and said softly: “Daddy, I am fifteen years old this year, not five years old. Do you think I will be jealous of my unborn sibling?”

Sun Ye hooked his lips and smiled: “The best way is naturally to give birth.”

Wei Chongrong snapped his fingers: “That’s it, I want to be Big Brother.”

Wei Zhao’s pregnancy reaction was so severe that he would vomit everything he ate. Sun Ye prescribed antiemetic medicine, but the problem was that Wei Zhao vomited even after drinking the antiemetic medicine. There was really no choice but to endure.

Later, Sun Ye came up with a set of ancient prescriptions, which were said to be very effective, but several of the ingredients were not available in the Central Plains and grew exclusively in the Arslan Mountains, so there was Wei Chongrong and Tuoba Xianhan’s trip to Youzhou. 

At the risk of being eaten by a black bear, Wei Chongrong found all the herbs Sun Ye wanted, not daring to let Wei Zhao know about his injury. 

Fortunately, that recipe really worked, and the foetus in Wei Zhao’s abdomen was much more stable as a result. It was only then that Wei Chongrong asked Wei Zhao who the other father of his future younger sibling was, as he was curious about it for a long time. 

Wei Zhao refused to say at first, so Wei Chongrong checked by himself, and finally found the person who was the most likely one but whom he had overlooked. 

“It is Hou Wu’an, right?” Wei Chongrong used to call Huo Qingyang Brother Qingyang, but now he had to be upgraded a generation. Still, Wei Chongrong couldn’t call him Uncle Qingyang, so he could only call him directly by the title. 

Wei Zhao hesitated for a while, but finally nodded. 

Compared to others, Wei Chongrong’s acceptance of Huo Qingyang was very high, and he immediately asked, “Daddy, do you like him?”

Unexpectedly, Wei Zhao shook his head: “I don’t know…”

Wei Chongrong was puzzled and asked again, “Does he know about the child?”

Wei Zhao shook his head again: “He doesn’t.”

“Aren’t you going to tell him?” Wei Chongrong said, glancing at Wei Zhao’s already visibly bulging belly. 

Wei Zhao’s expression was complicated: “I haven’t figured out whether I want to tell him or not.”

Wei Chongrong was speechless; but in the end it was the business of the elders, so he couldn’t interfere too much. 

Wei Chongrong wasn’t sure when Wei Zhao told Huo Qingyang the truth, nor did he intend to ask. As long as his father was happy, it didn’t matter to him. 

Anyway, three days before Huo Feifei was born, Huo Qingyang rushed back from Lingzhou. When Wei Chongrong saw him, Huo Qingyang’s whole person looked like he was walking on clouds, with dream-like incredulity written on his face. 

When Huo Qingyang came, Wei Chongrong had to step back; he could no longer intervene in Wei Zhao’s affairs. 

Due to Sun Ye’s careful regimen, the little fat girl’s birth process went smoothly and she came out of Wei Zhao obediently after a day and a night of tossing and turning. Compared to Wei Chongrong, she was much more well-behaved.

Even so, Huo Qingyang was distressed enough. Before his daughter was born, he said several times that he would have to slap her little ass. But as far as Wei Chongrong knew, Huo Qingyang’s promise had not been fulfilled so far. 

Wei Chongrong originally thought that his sister would be surnamed Wei and could be a county lord or something. However, Wei Zhao gave his daughter the surname Huo, and her name was also similar to Huo Yingying’s. She was called Huo Feifei, which referred to the fragrance of the fourth month. 

When Huo Feifei was one month old, Wei Zhao told Wei Chongrong that this was something he had thought of long ago; no matter if he had a son or daughter, they would be surnamed Huo. 

Huo Feifei opened the door by herself, but her brother didn’t go in. Instead, he stood at the door in a daze. Second Miss Huo became angry, raised her fleshy little hand and slapped Wei Chongrong’s face mercilessly. 

Wei Chongrong was awakened by his sister and immediately stepped over the threshold to enter the room. 

Wei Zhao couldn’t help being surprised when he saw his son holding his little daughter, “What are you doing bringing her here?”

Wei Chongrong smiled and said, “It’s been a long time since I saw the fat girl, so I just want to hug her for a while.”

Huo Feifei was obviously more familiar with Wei Zhao than with Wei Chongrong who had just returned after a long time. She immediately stretched out her hands to Wei Zhao, wanting him to hug her. 

Wei Zhao reached out to take his daughter, and before he could put her on his lap, she slapped his face happily. 

“Huo Feifei!” Wei Zhao raised his voice, startling Wei Chongrong. 

The little girl shrank back, looking like she was about to cry. Wei Chongrong was afraid that Wei Zhao had frightened her, so he hurriedly persuaded: “Daddy, my little sister is still young, you can teach her the rules slowly.”

Wei Zhao glared at him and said sharply: “You don’t know, the last time I took her to the palace, she even did that to the emperor.”

Wei Chongrong was stunned; he really admired his little sister’s ability. Anyway, Wei Ming had a good temper, and he doubted that any of the young county lords in the palace had the guts to do that anyway.