Category: Didn’t Love You Enough

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Chapter 118 – Temporary Imperial Residence

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Xuan Yuan Han Cheng looked at Jia Bao’s beautiful sleeping face and felt extremely satisfied. He finally gobbled up his darling, and the taste was a hundred times better than what he had imagined.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng had tried hard to restrain himself, wanting to be gentle. He only did his baby twice but it still made Lin Jia Bao lie in bed for two days and unable to get out of bed.

When the ship arrived in Li Province, Lin Jia Bao’s legs were still weak, so Xuan Yuan Han Cheng carried him off the ship. Lin Jia Bao was very embarrassed. He buried his head against Xuan Yuan Han Cheng’s neck with a red face and refused to raise his head.

The officials waiting at the Li Province port saw His Royal Highness carrying a person off the ship and they knew right away that this must be the rumored Lin-cejun whom His Royal Highness favored very much.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng’s group got onto the carriages that came to pick them up and they were escorted all the way to the temporary imperial residence in Li Province. After getting off the carriage, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng continued to carry Lin Jia Bao in his arms.

“There’s no need to carry me anymore, I can walk by myself.” Lin Jia Bao said softly.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng still had Lin Jia Bao in a princess carry. “Darling, you’ve had a good rest these past two days. Tonight, Husband can love you well again.” His murmured words of love made Lin Jia Bao blush and his heart rate speed up.

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

The temporary imperial residence in Li Province was located to the north of the province. It was a palace with a strong Jiang Nan style, taking the true nature of natural landscapes and the characteristics of various gardens in the south of the Yangtze River. There were countless beautiful pavilions in the temporary imperial residence, as well as lakes both large and small. Water pavilions were built between these lakes and served as bridges.

The pavilion was in the middle of the lake, with vast open spaces on both sides and rippling blue waves below. It was picture-perfect in all directions. It truly has the poetic flavor of “the flying angle is high, the empty eaves are bright, the sky is shining above and below, and the shadows are falling in the sky.”

[T/N: I know nothing about ancient Chinese poetry, so the above is a very, very literal translation.]

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng walked around the palace with Jia Bao in his arms, appreciating the main scenery inside the temporary imperial residence.

“We are going to be staying in this place for some time. My darling can take the time to have a nice stroll around here in the future.”

The people serving in the temporary imperial residence were very surprised when they saw this situation. This was not the first time that the crown prince has come to the temporary imperial residence. Every time he came to this place, he always looked expressionless and cold. But now they could see the crown prince favoring this Lin-cejun so much that he couldn’t even bear to let Lin-cejun down to take a stroll. Today, they saw how much His Royal Highness valued this Lin-cejun, and they all secretly decided to serve Lin-cejun well, not daring to neglect him the slightest bit.

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Chapter 117 – Temporary Imperial Residence 

After these few days of hardship, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng really couldn’t bear it any longer. His body and mind were clamoring to take possession of Jia Bao completely. Only by having his darling truly become his could he feel at ease.

Lin Jia Bao felt the heat and hardness of his husband, and he understood that it has been very hard for his husband to endure this for so long.

“Okay…”

As soon as he finished speaking, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng lowered his head and kissed Jia Bao hard. He used his dexterous tongue to exchange breath with his darling, and the sweet taste made him addicted.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng unfastened Jia Bao’s inner clothes and left red marks on his delicate neck. Then he went to the collarbone and left little marks there as well. His darling’s fair and tender body was exposed in front of him. The two red beans on his chest were so delicate and beautiful.

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As selected by VIP Choice, this bonus update goes to DLYE. This one is for you Valpknas! Happy Reading!

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Chapter 116 – Temporary Imperial Residence (38.1)

The news that Xuan Yuan Han Cheng and Lin Jia Bao fell into the river and went missing was quickly sent to the capital. The emperor was furious when he saw Cao Yan’s letter of apology.

“Isn’t Xuan Yuan Zhao Hong dead already?! Why is his ghost still lingering*?!”

[*T/N: “Why is his ghost still lingering?!” – the belief that the soul of the deceased is still lingering in the world of the living and causing trouble for the living]

His crown prince, the heir apparent to the Xuan Yuan Dynasty… The emperor was so angry that he spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted dead away.

“Your Majesty… Your Majesty, what’s wrong?” Zhao Yong stepped forward to support the emperor. “Quick, call for a imperial physician!”

The emperor fell ill. The atmosphere in Qian Qing Palace was gloomy. The empress stayed by the emperor’s beside and secretly shed tears. Her husband has fallen into a coma and was bedridden while her eldest son’s safety was uncertain. Her life was collapsing around her…

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

The second prince, who was accompanying the empress, blamed himself. They had clearly confirmed Prince Li’s death and he was even immeasurably self-satisfied with his achievement. Alas… He never thought that things would turn out like this. It was tantamount to him indirectly harming his elder brother.

When the emperor woke from his coma he said to the empress in a weak voice, “Don’t let the news of the crown prince’s disappearance spread, and pass out our* decree, have the local governors stealthy search for the crown prince, they must… they must find the crown prince.”

[*T/N: The emperor is using the royal “we/our” pronoun]

This news was a huge blow to the emperor. It came too sudden…

With red-rimmed eyes, Xuan Yuan Han Qi knelt down. “Imperial Father, erchen is at fault. This is all erchen’s fault.”

The emperor waved his hand and said, “We don’t blame you…” He did not have the energy to be assigning blame to anyone right now. He was only thinking about what he would do if something unexpected happened to the crown prince… His thoughts kept racing in his head…

Fortunately, after two days of anxious waiting, good news came from the Jiang Province that the crown prince had been found. They learned that the crown prince was only slightly injured, and that both he and Lin-cejun were safe. The emperor and empress finally let go of their worries. What a false panic it was. The emperor’s health recovered without the use of medicine.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng learned that his imperial father had vomited blood and fell into a short coma due to the news of his disappearance. He blamed himself and was very upset. This time, his carelessness not only put him and his darling in danger, but it also caused his father to fall ill. It was all because of him. Fortunately, his imperial father’s illness was not serious.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng read over the decree from his imperial father. His imperial father had heard that he was injured and was very concerned. He specially ordered the crown prince to go to the temporary imperial residence in Li Province* to recover before returning to the imperial palace in the capital.

[*T/N: “the temporary imperial residence in Li Province” – in Chinese it is only four characters 郦州行宫, but when translated into English it becomes a much longer phrase, please bear with it for the accuracy]

The temporary imperial residence in Li Province was not far from Jiang Province, and it only took four to five days of travel by boat. The temporary imperial residence in Li Province had pleasant scenery and suitable climate for rest and recovery.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng prepared to stay in the temporary imperial residence in Li Province for some time. While he was recuperating, he also had to take care of Jia Bao’s health. His darling fell into the river and swam for such a long time, and then he worked so hard to make money. It was really hard on his darling’s body. For all the weight that his darling had lost, he planned to make up for it!

In the evening, inside their bedroom abroad the ship, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng told Jia Bao that they were going to stay at the temporary imperial residence in Li Province for a while.

“The temporary imperial residence in Li Province is very beautiful. You will definitely like it, my dear. There are also hot springs there, which are good for your health.”

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

Lin Jia Bao was very happy after hearing this. He hugged Xuan Yuan Han Cheng and acted coquettishly. “It’s great! It’s great! I’m so happy! Hot springs… I’ve never seen one before!”

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng really loved this bright and lively side of Jia Bao. He lowered his head and kissed those soft and sweet lips. Lin Jia Bao very naturally opened his mouth in response to him, like he was completely willing to let his lord take whatever he wanted from him.

The hand that was wrapped around Jia Bao’s back caressed up and down and slowly moved south. When the hand reached Jia Bao’s perky butt, it squeezed.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng pressed Jia Bao up against him so that his darling could feel the heat coming off of his body.

Lin Jia Bao felt that his husband was very different from usual today. He was not as gentle as usual. Today’s kiss was like a violent storm and he barely had time to breathe. “En… Husband.”

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng picked Jia Bao up and gently placed him on the bed. His darling looked at him with such trust and dependence.

“Darling… let’s not wait for your birthday, okay?”

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As requested by VIP Choice, today’s bonus update goes to DLYE. This one is for you Pacman__Bruja! Enjoy~

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Chapter 115 – Inspection Tour, Part 3

Lin Jia Bao carefully brought in a large bowl of chicken soup and fed Xuan Yuan Han Cheng with a spoon. “Husband, drink some more and get better soon, okay?”

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng drank half of it and pushed it back towards Jia Bao. “You should drink some too. You’ve worked hard these past two days.”

“I’ve already drunk some. Husband, you should drink it…” In the end, they passed the bowl back and forth, one spoonful for you and one spoonful for me, until the large bowl of chicken soup was finished between the two of them.

“By the way, did Aunt Wang call you Lin Yuan Er just now?” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng suddenly asked.

“En, I thought it would be better to use a pseudonym, and ended up saying this name.” Lin Jia Bao said proudly.

“Silly. Wouldn’t that make your husband a cheater?” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng pinched his darling’s little nose.

“Haha, Husband is not like that!” Lin Jia Bao laughed.

Over the next two days, Lin Jia Bao continued to make snacks for the wealthy households in the village, and finally managed to earn enough money for their travel fare. By then, the wound on Xuan Yuan Han Cheng’s shoulder was mostly healed, so Lin Jia Bao made an appointment with the village’s expert cart-driver to take them to Jiang Province the following morning.

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

Early the next morning, Lin Jia Bao and Xuan Yuan Han Cheng gave thanks to the Wang family for their hospitality before setting off on the road. Aunt Wang even prepared some dry rations for their journey.

Lin Jia Bao looked at the small mountain village where he had lived for the past few days and he suddenly felt a little reluctant to let go of the days when he could boldly and publicly call Xuan Yuan Han Cheng his husband. Noticing his darling’s gloomy mood, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng hugged him with his uninjured hand.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng spoke into Jia Bao’s ear, “Don’t be sad, darling. When we return, this husband will send someone back to properly thank them.”

“Oh, look at that, you two are so intimate. I bet you’re newlyweds.” The middle-aged carriage driver said. “I remember when my wife and I used to be like that. We were so intimate every single day. Alas, it’s good to be young.”

The man driving the carriage was very talkative, “I heard that you are distant relatives of the Wang family. Are you going to Jiang Province to visit relatives?”

“Yes, we are.” Lin Jia Bao answered the coachman.

The man looked at Xuan Yuan Han Cheng and asked, “Such a stately young man. What do you do for a living? Do any handiwork?”

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng didn’t answer. Lin Jia Bao thought for a moment and said, “My husband doesn’t earn a living… and he doesn’t do manual work.”

Support the translator. Read this on: vmnovels.com

When the man heard this, he started talking up a storm again. He said earnestly to Xuan Yuan Han Cheng, “Young man, ah, even though you married a ger you can’t treat him badly. I heard that your ger is very skilled with his hands, but a big man like you can’t be a loafer and depend on your ger to provide for you! It’s unacceptable for you to eat soft rice*…”

[*T/N: “eat soft rice” or “soft rice man” = usually refers to a man who doesn’t work and depends on his (female) partner to provide everything for him. It’s not exactly like a sugar baby, because a man who eats soft rice is supposedly in an equal relationship with his partner, whereas a true sugar baby would have less power in the relationship]

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng’s face darkened considerably after hearing this. Lin Jia Bao didn’t quite understand and said doubtfully, “My husband is still healing. He cannot eat very hard foods, otherwise it will affect his healing process.”

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry after hearing this…

All throughout the journey, the coachman kept talking to Xuan Yuan Han Cheng about the evils of eating soft rice. Eventually, they arrived in Jiang Province.

When a small group of soldiers passed by, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng saw the leader and immediately shouted, “Cao Yan!”

The leader of the group was General Cao Yan. These past few days, he has been extremely tense. His Royal Highness and Lin-cejun disappeared in the Jiang Province Canal. This news made them and the Jiang Province officials very anxious. If anything happened to His Royal Highness and his entourage, then their little lives would be at risk…

On the day of the incident, as soon as Cao Yan got the report from Yuan Fu, he immediately sent people out to search in all the tributaries of the Jiang Province Canal. However, they found nothing in the past few days.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

Cao Yan thought of how he had already sent a letter of humble apology back to the capital and he anticipated that the emperor would be greatly anger over the news. When the Son of Heaven was angry, corpses would surely line the streets…

When Cao Yan heard the crown prince’s voice, he immediately turned around to follow the sound. Upon seeing His Royal Highness, he said excitedly, “Your Royal Highness! It’s great to see that you are okay.” Cao Yan immediately dismounted from his horse and bowed to the crown prince and Lin-cejun.

As soon as Cao Yan knelt down, the soldiers behind him also knelt down. “Greetings to His Royal Highness the crown prince! Greetings to Lin-cejun!” Upon realizing what was going on, the common folk in the vicinity also knelt down.

The coachman was dumbfounded. He followed everyone’s lead and got down on the ground while his body trembled all over. Internally, he was freaking out. The guy that he had pegged as a soft rice man was actually the crown prince!

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The author has something to say:

Meow Meow: I’m so scared. =^-^=

Crown Prince: Arrange a boat scene for my darling and me right away and I will forgive you.

Meow Meow: I already wrote the boat scene!

Crown Prince snorts coldly: Don’t pretend to be stupid!

Meow Meow: Bed scene or boat scene? Please enunciate your words, Your Royal Highness ~\(≧▽≦)/~

Crown Prince glares murderously.

Meow Meow: Okay, okay, whether it’s bed scene or boat scene, I’ll make it happen. =^-^=

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Chapter 114 – Inspection Tour, Part 3 

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng endured the impact and tried his best to cover Jia Bao. The momentum of the impact sent a sharp piece of wood piercing through his left shoulder. Xuan Yuan Han Cheng let out a muffled grunt. He gritted his teeth and bore the pain.

Lin Jia Bao heard the grunt and asked, “Husband, what’s wrong?”

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng was panting and the broad expanse of his chest was painted red with blood. “Husband is fine. Don’t worry, baby. We just have to swim to the shore.”

Lin Jia Bao swam with all his might. When he looked up, all he could see was the vast waters of the river. There was no boat in sight. Xuan Yuan Han Cheng’s left hand was gradually feeling heavier and heavier. Black spots dotted his vision, but he still kicked his legs vigorously. They kept swimming and swimming until they came across a big log floating along the river. The two of them got onto the log and was finally able to take a breather.

It was only then did Lin Jia Bao realize that Xuan Yuan Han Cheng was injured.

“Husband, you’re hurt, you’re bleeding… wu wu…”

“Husband is fine… it’s just a small injury.” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng said soothingly to his darling.

They swam aimlessly for a long time, and at long last, they spotted land. By then, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng’s head was already spinning. He had lost a lot of blood due to heavy exertion. He finally made it to shore with some assistance and then he collapsed, completely drained of strength.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

“Husband, wake up… we have reached the shore, husband… husband.” Lin Jia Bao anxiously called to Xuan Yuan Han Cheng.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng heard Jia Bao’s voice beside his ear, and he really wanted to respond, but he was too weak to do so. In the next blink of the eye, he lost consciousness.

When Xuan Yuan Han Cheng opened his eyes again, he found that he was in a broken thatched house. His head was still a little dizzy, and when he looked around he couldn’t see his darling’s figure anywhere. Xuan Yuan Han Cheng felt a little anxious. He could only remember swimming to shore with Jia Bao and then losing consciousness.

The door opened with a creak. “Oh my, you finally woke up.” A fat auntie came inside. “You’ve made your family’s ger really anxious. I don’t know how many buckets of tears he has shed these past few days!”

“Excuse me, auntie, where is my family’s ger?” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng interrupted the woman anxiously.

“Don’t worry, young man. Your ger went to the village head’s place to make longevity peaches*. You really are blessed. Your ger’s craftsmanship is really good. His hands are quick and the longevity peaches he makes are beautiful. The flavor is also very good.” The auntie enthusiastically talked about what happened in the past few days.

[*T/N: 寿桃 shou tao – “longevity peaches” is a dessert bun made in the image of a peach. It alludes to the peaches of immortality found in Chinese mythology, and represents a wish for long life, so it is often used to celebrate birthdays]

The auntie’s husband, Uncle Wang, found Lin Jia Bao and Xuan Yuan Han Cheng when he went to chop firewood. At that time, Lin Jia Bao was dragging Xuan Yuan Han Cheng towards the village. The kind-hearted Uncle Wang hurried forward to help and brought them back to his home.

Uncle Wang and his wife were both very cordial, and they promptly invited the village’s doctor to treat him. Xuan Yuan Han Cheng had developed a high fever and his wound did not look good after soaking in the river water for so long. The situation was very critical.

Support the translator. Read this on: vmnovels.com

Thanks to the doctor’s efforts, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng’s wound was treated and his condition finally stabilized. But Lin Jia Bao then fell ill. Fortunately, the village’s doctor was very skilled in medicine and Lin Jia Bao recovered quickly.

After Lin Jia Bao got better, he discovered an important problem. He and Xuan Yuan Han Cheng were penniless. The river had washed away all of their money and accessories. It was Uncle Wang’s family who helped pay for their medical fee.

The doctor said that Xuan Yuan Han Cheng’s condition has improved and that he would wake up within two days. Lin Jia Bao also wanted to buy some chicken and make stew for his husband to help him replenish his health. Presently, they owed Uncle Wang’s family money, and Uncle Wang’s family was not particularly well off. Lack of money really was a problem.

Lin Jia Bao immediately started looking for work in the village when he got better. It just so happened that there was a banquet in the village, so he went to help as a cook. Afterwards, Aunt Wang introduced him to a rich family village to make desserts for them. That family was celebrating the birthday of an elderly, so Lin Jia Bao offered his services in making longevity peaches. The rich family saw that the desserts that Lin Jia Bao made were very exquisite and they liked it very much. Thus, they paid Lin Jia Bao to make a hundred longevity peaches and various other desserts. After working hard for two days, Lin Jia Bao finally earned a few taels of silver.

Lin Jia Bao found out that the small mountain village they found themselves in was to the east of Jiang Province and it was more than half a day’s travel by carriage from Jiang Province. He and his husband needed to return to Jiang Province, so he had to earn enough for the travel fare first.

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

After Lin Jia Bao came back from a long day of work, he heard Aunt Wang say, “Lin Yuan Er, your husband is awake!”

Lin Jia Bao ran in quickly after hearing this and saw Xuan Yuan Han Cheng sitting up in bed. “Husband, you’re awake. Are you feeling better?”

“I’m much better. Baby, you’ve suffered these two days.” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng said with distress.

“Not at all. I’ve managed to earn enough for our travel fare these past two days. Once husband is better, we’ll rent a vehicle and go back to Jiang Province.” Lin Jia Bao had already planned everything.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng looked at his baby. It was as if he had become mature and strong overnight. His heart hurt. He could imagine how fearful and worried his darling must have been while he was unconscious.

Lin Jia Bao suddenly patted his own head, “By the way, I made chicken soup for you. I’ll go get it…”

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Chapter 113 – Inspection Tour, Part 3 [37.1]

Lin Jia Bao didn’t understand what a flower boat was until he boarded the vessel. The boat didn’t have any flowers at all. There were only a few scantily dressed women playing the qin. Their skills on the qin were quite good, but Lin Jia Bao didn’t like how they kept throwing flirtatious glances at his crown prince.

Lin Jia Bao drank scented tea listlessly. Xuan Yuan Han Cheng forbade him from drinking alcohol, so he could only obediently drink scented tea.

“I want to go back,” Lin Jia Bao said.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng put his arms around Jia Bao and kissed his darling’s slightly pouting mouth. The reason he rented out the entire pleasure boat was just to satisfy his darling’s curiosity and nothing more. He could feel a faint sense of jealousy from his darling. Feeling happy, he turned to Yuan Fu and said, “Tell them to bring the boat to the shore.”

“Understood.”

At this time, a loud noise suddenly came from the aft of the pleasure boat and the entire boat shook. The women screamed.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng asked sharply, “What’s going on?”

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

Yuan Fu took a look at the situation outside and reported back anxiously, “Your Royal Highness, there are assassins! The assassins bore a hole into the boat. The guards are fighting with them.”

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng felt the sinking of the boat, “Get to the shore, quick.”

The decorated pleasure boat was small and there were only a few women abroad, so Xuan Yuan Han Cheng had only brought along a few imperial bodyguards. He was too careless this time.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng shielded Lin Jia Bao as they walked outside. The fighting was still going on. The boat was already starting to tilt and it was still far from the shore. It was hard to know where to go.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng saw a person that he did not expect. It was Prince Li, Xuan Yuan Zhao Hong! There were several scars on Xuan Yuan Zhao Hong’s face. He wore a murderous expression and he looked like he has aged a lot.

“Xuan Yuan Han Cheng, I have been waiting for you for a long time.”

When the second prince besieged Xuan Yuan Zhao Hong in Ciyun Temple, Prince Li and his body double exchanged clothes. Then he escaped through a secret passage in the temple, and rushed to Li City along with two of his trusted sishi*.

[*T/N: 死士 si shi – a person that is willing to sacrifice their life for a cause]

But unexpectedly, he came across bandits along the road. There were a lot of bandits. Prince Li and his two sishi were robbed and beaten badly, so they could only find a place to lay low and recuperate. By the time he returned to Li City, he learned that all of his heirs and family members had been executed, and all of his confidantes were either dead or arrested. Seeing that everything had already been determined and there was no possibility of a comeback, Xuan Yuan Zhao Hong turned gray overnight.

When he heard the news that the crown prince would be visiting Jiang Province, he arrived early to Jiang Province and lied in wait. His chance came when he saw Yuan Fu renting out a pleasure boat. Xuan Yuan Zhao Hong and his two sishi sneaked onto the stern of the boat and bore a hole into the side of the boat. This was all so he could take Xuan Yuan Han Cheng down with him in mutual destruction…

“Xuan Yuan Zhao Hong!” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng gritted his teeth and called Prince Li’s name.

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Xuan Yuan Zhao Hong had been subdued, but he was laughing crazily. “This prince has nothing left. It’s worth dying if I can take you – the crown prince – down with me! Ha ha ha ha!”

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng stepped forward and finished him off with a knife. Such was fate. Xuan Yuan Zhao Hong still died by his hands in this life.

“Your Royal Highness, this boat won’t last long. It’s about to sink,” the imperial guard said anxiously.

The wooden boards beneath their feet were already splitting apart.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng looked at the worried Lin Jia Bao and asked, “Darling, can you swim?”

Lin Jia Bao thought for a bit and replied, “A little bit, my elder brother taught me before…”

“Don’t be afraid, baby, everything will be fine.” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng ordered the others, “Paddle quickly to the shore. If that really doesn’t work then we’re going into the water and swimming back. We shouldn’t be too far from the shore.”

“Understood.” Yuan Fu and Yuan Qing nodded solemnly. Fortunately, everyone who boarded the boat today knew how to swim, and no one raised any objections. The imperial guards all rowed vigorously with their hands.

At this moment, the two female entertainers started crying.

“This slave does not know how to swim… my lord, please help me…” A woman ran along the rickety plywood and rushed towards Xuan Yuan Han Cheng.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

Lin Jia Bao, who was beside Xuan Yuan Han Cheng, was caught off guard by the woman’s sudden approach. With a lurch of the boat, he fell into the river.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng stretched out his hand to grab onto Lin Jia Bao, but he only managed to grabbed a piece of his clothing. Without hesitation, he followed his darling into the river.

From the boat, Yuan Fu and the imperial guards shouted, “Your Royal Highness! Lin-cejun!”

The river water was very cold. Lin Jia Bao tried hard to recall the correct swimming posture, to not let himself sink, but he still ended up drinking several mouthfuls of water.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng swam to Lin Jia Bao’s side. He aided Lin Jia Bao in the water and they swam in the direction of the boat, but just as they were about to reach the vessel, an accident happened. With a loud bang, the stern of the boat broke apart. A pile of broken wood crashed into them, knocking them far away in a split second.

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Chapter 112 – Inspection Tour, Part 2 

When the middle-aged couple saw that the tables around their wonton stand were full of guests, the middle-aged man hurried forward and greeted them warmly, “Would these guest like some wontons? They are all made fresh today. There are small wontons and big wontons. The big wontons are stuffed with cabbage and pork.”

After visiting the night market and walking around so much, the food from dinner has already been digested, so Lin Jia Bao thought for a while and said, “Give us each a big bowl of wontons.” As he spoke he looked to Xuan Yuan Han Cheng for consent. Naturally, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng had no objection.

As soon as he got the order, the middle-aged man immediately told his lover to make the wontons. He also went over to help his lover, passing him bowls and such. The two cooperated tacitly, and soon the wontons were done. Lin Jia Bao was the first to have a taste. The soup tasted very fresh. It was likely a bone broth that’s been simmered for a long time. The wontons were big and the seasoning was just right. Lin Jia Bao gobbled up the big bowl of wontons one by one.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng stared at Lin Jia Bao eating wontons without blinking at all.

His ardent gaze made Lin Jia Bao feel embarrassed. “The wontons are delicious, but they won’t taste good when they get cold.”

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng lowered his head and ate the wontons. He was now very satisfied with his darling’s appetite. His darling has finally put on some weight and feels very nice to hug.

Lin Jia Bao’s group finished eating the wontons and paid the middle-aged couple with a silver ingot. The couple was extremely grateful.

Support the translator. Read this on: vmnovels.com

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng and Lin Jia Bao left the stall holding hands. As they walked, Lin Jia Bao asked Xuan Yuan Han Cheng, “Will we be like them in the future?”

“In this lifetime, we will definitely be together until we’re old and gray.” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng vowed that no matter what difficulties there were in this lifetime, he would never let go of Lin Jia Bao. Xuan Yuan Han Cheng held Lin Jia Bao’s hand tightly. He really wanted to hold this hand and walk together forever until the end of time…

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng and Lin Jia Bao stayed in Luo City for a few days. After admiring the beautiful scenery of Luo City with Jia Bao, they boarded a big ship and set off for the next stop of their inspection tour – Hu Province. The final stop of the inspection tour would be Jiang Province.

This big ship was specially built for His Royal Highness’s inspection of the Luo River Canal. The hull was very large. It was two stories high on top and also had a floor below. It could accommodate over a thousand people. The huge ship sailed along the Luo River very smoothly.

This was Lin Jia Bao’s first time riding on a ship, and on top of that it was such a huge vessel. Riding on a ship was very different from being on land. When he walked along the plywood surface of the ship, the ground would sway beneath his feet. Looking at the water lapping against the hull of the ship, Lin Jia Bao smiled with delight. Everything was so new and fresh for him.

After sailing for two days, the ship docked in Hu Province. Like Luo City, there were already many officials awaiting their arrival.

They stayed in Hu Province for two days. Xuan Yuan Han Cheng inspected the unfinished river embankment in Hu Province, checked the speed of progress, and made some arrangements with the officials in Hu Province.

After that, they boarded the ship again and set off for Jiang Province. After three days of sailing, they finally arrived in Jiang Province. In Jiang Province, they met with Dai Heng, the vice-minister of the Ministry of Works. Xuan Yuan Han Cheng saw the completed embankment in Jiang Province and praised Dai Heng profusely.

“With this embankment, the Luo River will never be afraid of the spring flood at peach-blossom time.”

Dai Heng was very excited to receive His Royal Highness’s praise.

“Thank you for your appreciation, Your Royal Highness. Without your support, I would not be able to do this. My subordinates will continue to work hard and supervise the completion of the embankment projects in other river sections as soon as possible.”

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“Dai-daren has worked hard and accomplished a meritorious deed. When we return to the capital, I will ask His Majesty to reward you.” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng said.

A few days later, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng finished his official duties and took Lin Jia Bao around to enjoy the scenery of Jiang Province. The canals in Jiang Province have been connected to the Luo River, with branches extending in all directions. The port was very prosperous, and the shops along the shore were still very lively even at night.

In addition, there were a few decorated pleasure boats docked along the shore. The melodious sound of a qin could be heard coming from the boats. Lin Jia Bao heard the music and praised, “These boats are so beautiful and the music is very nice!”

Seeing that his darling liked it, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng ordered Yuan Fu, “Go and rent out a pleasure boat.”

Yuan Qing with his loose lips said, “That’s a flower boat, right?”

Curious, Lin Jia Bao asked, “Flower boat? Is there a flower shop on board?”

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng was amused by his darling’s expression. “You will know if you take a look.”

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Chapter 111 – Inspection Tour, Part 2

When Xuan Yuan Han Cheng came to pick up his darling, he saw that Jia Bao’s eyes were red. His expression turned cold in the next moment, and he asked, “What’s wrong, darling? Did you cry?” Did someone bully his darling? Did his treasure suffer any grievances while they were apart?

“En, I watched a very touching opera this afternoon. Yuan Er is so pitiful…” Lin Jia Bao explained the content of the show to Xuan Yuan Han Cheng, talking about Liang Xian’s betrayal and Lin Yuan Er’s infatuation.

“My silly treasure, next time don’t watch these tragedies again. I don’t want you crying anymore.” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng held Lin Jia Bao’s little hand and gave this order. Xuan Yuan Han Cheng couldn’t even bear having his darling cry for him, so how could he be willing to let Jia Bao cry for some insignificant person or thing? In Xuan Yuan Han Cheng’s heart, his darling’s tears were more precious than pearls.

“Understood.” Lin Jia Bao obediently nodded his head.

The prefectural magistrate’s wife stood off to one side, not daring to interrupt at all. His Royal Highness was really domineering, ah!

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Xuan Yuan Han Cheng looked at the prefectural magistrate’s wife, “Thank you for your hospitality today, Madam Zhong…”

“Oh no, not at all, not at all. To have Lin-cejun come to our manor as a guest is a great honor for us.” The prefectural magistrate’s wife said quickly.

After leaving the prefectural magistrate’s manor, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng took Lin Jia Bao to the best restaurant in Luo City for dinner. There was already someone waiting in the private room of the restaurant and this person was Liu Ze Qi.

“This is my former study partner, Liu Ze Qi. He is currently the vice minister of the Ministry of War.” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng introduced Liu Ze Qi to Lin Jia Bao, and then he said to Liu Ze Qi, “This is your future master. Treat him like you would treat me.”

Liu Ze Qi listened to His Royal Highness the crown prince’s words, straightened his clothes, and saluted solemnly. “Greetings to Master Lin.”

Lin Jia Bao also replied courteously, “Rise, Liu-daren.”

Liu Ze Qi was finally able to meet the crown prince’s sweetheart in person. Lin Jia Bao was very different from what he had imagined, but Lin Jia Bao was undeniably much better than what he had imagined.

Liu Ze Qi has been in Luo City for a long time, so he was very familiary with the local scene and culinary delights. Lin Jia Bao was very interested in hearing his stories. Seeing his darling and Liu Ze Qi chatting so enthusiastically, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng’s expression gradually darkened.

“Darling, eat a little faster. When you’re done with dinner I’ll take you to the night market.” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng personally added food to Jia Bao’s bowl.

“En. Yummy…” As Lin Jia Bao ate the delicious food, his big eyes narrowed in delight. He was extremely cute.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng gently wiped the sauce from Jia Bao’s mouth.

Liu Ze Qi saw a completely different side to His Royal Highness today, and for a moment he even wondered if this was a fake pretending to be the crown prince. When had His Royal Highness ever treated someone so tenderly and carefully before? That loving look in his eyes made goosebumps rise on Liu Ze Qi’s skin.

Liu Ze Qi looked at Lin Jia Bao with some scrutiny in his gaze. He hoped that this Lin-cejun would be worthy of His Royal Highness’s devotion.

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After dinner, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng dismissed Liu Ze Qi, and then he brought Jia Bao to the famous night market in Luo City. The guards that followed them all wore casual clothes and blended in with the crowd, leaving only Yuan Fu and Yuan Qing to follow them openly.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng took Jia Bao by his hand and they strolled leisurely through the night market.

The night market was very lively and there were many people. Lin Jia Bao held Xuan Yuan Han Cheng’s hand tightly. Even when he was having fun picking through knickknacks, he would be holding onto Xuan Yuan Han Cheng with the other hand, never letting go.

After strolling through the whole night market, Lin Jia Bao still couldn’t get enough of it. Yuan Qing, who was following behind them, was already loaded down with parcels both big and small. However, Lin Jia Bao was a bit tired after all the walking so when he saw a wonton stand along the road, he said, “Let’s go eat a bowl of wontons and rest our feet.”

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng naturally agreed with his darling’s decision. It just so happened that there were no other customers at the wonton stand and it was fairly clean. Xuan Yuan Han Cheng sat down at a table with Lin Jia Bao, while everyone else sat down at the tables around them.

The owners of this wonton stand were a middle-aged couple. The middle-aged ger was responsible for making the wontons and cooking them, while the middle-aged man was responsible for errands that required legwork, serving the customers, and cleaning tables.

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Chapter 110 – Inspection Tour, Part 2 (36.1)

As per the prefectural magistrate’s wife’s kind invitation, Lin Jia Bao went to the magistrate’s mansion as a guest. The mansion was not very big, and the layout was very simple and atmospheric. The cherry blossoms in May were already in full bloom, decorating the backyard and looking very beautiful.

After lunch, the prefectural magistrate’s wife invited the best theater troupe in Luo City to sing opera. She even had Lin Jia Bao choose the opera play he wanted to see. Lin Jia Bao looked at the opera names on the cards. They were all new to him, so he picked one at random. Lin Jia Bao partook in refreshments while watching the opera. He thought he was very interesting.

Seeing that Lin Jia Bao was watching the opera very seriously, the prefectural magistrate’s wife happily asked, “Does Lin-cejun also like to watch opera?” The prefectural magistrate’s wife was already in her thirties and she loved going to the theater on the regular. She never thought that Lin Jia Bao, who was still so young, would also like operas.

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“Her Majesty likes opera very much, and I would often accompany her. But the repertoire in the palace is different from the repertoire here.” The opera performed in the palace were all specially arranged for the imperial family’s enjoyment, and any taboo subjects were strictly restricted. The opera performed in the palace were generally auspicious and lively dramas.

The prefectural magistrate’s wife heard that Lin Jia Bao often accompanied the empress to watch opera, and thought that this Lin-cejun was truly favored.

The theater troupe was currently performing a play called “Yuan Yang Kou.”

[T/N: Yuan Yang Kou 鸳鸯扣 – yuan yang 鸳鸯 are mandarin ducks. The Chinese believe that mandarin ducks mate for life, so they are used to symbolize the love of devoted couples. Kou 扣 means button.]

This opera play told the story of Liang Xiang, a scholar, and Lin Yuan Er, the daughter of a rich family. They fell in love at first sight after a spring rain. They used a mandarin duck button as a token of love. After that, the two eloped regardless of their family’s opposition, and they got married and lived in a place where no one knew them. Although life was difficult, the two were as sweet as syrup, gladly enduring the hardships as long as they were together.

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Thanks to her excellent needlework, Lin Yuan Er was able to support Liang Xian in his studies. And Liang Xian did not disappoint Lin Yuan Er. He passed the imperial exam as the top scorer. However, the good times did not last long. The princess took a fancy to Liang Xian and conferred him the title of the emperor’s son-in-law. Liang Xian abandoned Lin Yuan Er for fame and fortune. Back home, Lin Yuan Er waited for Liang Xian’s return, but he did not come back for a long time. Eventually, she heard the news that Liang Xian had married the princess. Completely disheartened, she held the mandarin duck button in her hand and threw herself into the Luo River.

The huadan* actor playing Lin Yuan Er on stage had a pretty face. Both his singing and movements were excellent. His singing voice carried Lin Yuan Er’s love, grief, and despair so well that it moved Lin Jia Bao to tears.

[*T/N: huadan 花旦 – role of vivacious young female in Chinese opera]

After the opera play ended, Lin Jia Bao specifically asked for the huadan actor who played Lin Yuan Er to come forward. Upon a closer look, he saw that the huadan was also a ger, and he immediately felt a connection with the other person.

“You sing really well!” Lin Jia Bao gestured to Shu Qin, who was behind him, and Shu Qin stepped forward to reward the huadan.

“Many thanks to the nobleman for the reward!” The huadan received the hefty reward, knelt down, and kowtowed to Lin Jia Bao. He felt very grateful. Then he withdrew.

When the huadan returned to the troupe, several other gers who had a good relationship with him stepped forward to surround him. “I heard that the one watching the show today is His Royal Highness’s favorite cejun. Is he really beautiful? Aye, for a ger to get to his status is really worth it! Quick, tell us… by the way, did he give you a reward?”

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Another ger said, “That’s right. Except for poor peasants who can’t afford to take a woman as a wife, who else would take a ger as a wife?!” A ger’s status in the Xuan Yuan Empire has always been very low. “I heard that that cejun started out as a palace servant. I hope that His Royal Highness will always love him in the future. Then our status as gers will also be improved a little bit.”

“That cejun’s temperament is very good and he is extremely beautiful. His temper is also very gentle, and he doesn’t have the arrogance of a nobleman at all. May the heavens protect and bless him. Here, look…” The huadan opened the bag of reward to find it filled to the brim with silver. The sight dazzled them all.

“Wow!” There were more than thirty taels of silver. Everyone was very happy.

When Xuan Yuan Han Cheng came to pick up his darling later, he saw that Jia Bao’s eyes were red. His expression turned cold in the next moment, and he asked, “What’s wrong, darling? Did you cry?” Did someone bully his darling? Did his treasure suffer any grievances while they were apart?

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