It was the Winter Solstice Festival again.
The Xiangsi Lake was frozen over, with the ice layer more than a foot thick. Rows of small vendors carried their stalls, chiseled out spaces on the ice, set up their hoods, fired up their stoves, and began to hawk their wares.
Men and women in colorful clothes walked onto the Xiangsi Lake, hand in hand, their faces beaming with joy and happiness.
In the middle of the lake, a sacrificial altar had already been set up. Lu Yan, the newly crowned King Xia Yong of this year, would ascend the high - altar after tomorrow to pray to Xing Tian on behalf of Li Xia for a year of good weather.
"Snapping!" A crisp sound of a folding fan.
The storyteller in an ice - side teahouse opened his fan, fanned it slowly a few times, and said in a sing - song voice, "As we left off last time, the statue of Xing Tian in the Golden Peak Temple was burned, and the thousand - jun statue of Xing Tian collapsed, flattening the Golden Peak Temple.
"As a result of offending the gods, the fire raged on, and Li Xia was plunged into two years of darkness, which was later known as the Calamity of King Li. According to Records of Li Xia, King Li of Xia was cruel and tyrannical. He employed sycophants and dismissed good generals. The court of Li Xia was paralyzed, and the common people suffered unspeakably.
"However, although King Li was tyrannical, he still remembered to repair the statue of Xing Tian and invite the god back to the Golden Peak Temple. The God Xing Tian couldn't bear to see Li Xia ruined by King Li any longer, so he appointed a new lord of Li Xia, and the common people were able to live and work in peace."
Below the stage, a little girl raised her hand and said in a clear voice, "Sir, our teacher said that the new lord of Li Xia rose up against the old king because he felt sorry for the suffering of the people and then took the throne. It has nothing to do with the God Xing Tian!"
The storyteller blushed and felt a bit embarrassed. He waved his fan and said, "Nonsense! You little girl, what do you know!"
The little girl was not convinced. She put her hands on her hips and said, "How do I not know? The Prime Minister set up the Hundred - School Hall, and my teacher went there for further study. This is exactly what the Prime Minister said!"
At a table in the corner, a young man in white clothes moved his fingers, lifted the bamboo hat with white veil in front of him, and took a sip of tea.
"You, you little girl, what are you talking nonsense about!" The tea - drinkers around began to discuss. The storyteller felt so ashamed that his face turned bright red.
"Yes, my son also mentioned this when he came back from school last time. It was said to be what the Prime Minister said. What was the exact words... "
"I know. The exact words of the Prime Minister seem to be - 'Relying on the gods while neglecting human efforts is foolish; relying on religion while neglecting the country is idiotic. Man is the lord of the world, and the gods are the lords of the heavens. Man lives in the world, not in the heavens. Therefore, in all things in the world, man will prevail over nature.' "
"Right, that's it!"
"The question in last year's imperial examination, which I took, was said to be set by the Prime Minister."
The tea - drinkers were in an uproar. The storyteller finally couldn't bear it anymore. He quickly ended his story and slunk off the stage, leaving behind table after table of discussions.
"What are you laughing at?" Lu Yan, who was incognito, lifted his mask and looked at Shen Qingfeng beside him. "Are you so satisfied?"
Shen Qingfeng curled his lips and said, "What? Is the king, who is about to conduct the sacrifice, not happy with what I said?"
"Why would I be unhappy? I've never believed in that Xing Tian, let alone my father..." Just as Lu Yan said this, he closed his mouth and said, "Forget it, let's not talk about it."
Shen Qingfeng looked at him and lowered his eyes. "A Yan, the set of ideas I'm promoting... It's an attempt of mine, but I don't know if it will succeed. After all, the people of Li Xia have believed in Xing Tian for generations. If the common people lose their faith, where will they go? And how can we unite the people... I don't know..."
"So you need to proceed step by step, don't you?" Lu Yan reached out and put his arm around his waist. "Start from the schools and let this idea take root in people's hearts. Let the common people know that relying on people rather than gods, Li Xia will be more vibrant. Besides, the faith of the common people is not something that can be easily shattered. Without Xing Tian and the protection of the gods, doesn't Li Xia have any faith?"
Shen Qingfeng looked up at Lu Yan. He paused for a moment, as if he suddenly understood something, and then suddenly smiled. "You're right. Without Xing Tian, man's faith is man himself. Man creates all things with his hands. One history book after another, one character after another, is the faith of the people."
Lu Yan looked deeply into his eyes, then lowered his head and kissed his forehead. "Don't worry, Feng'er. I'll accompany you on the road ahead."
Shen Qingfeng held his hand emotionally. Just as he was about to say something, Lu Yan suddenly took out a shiny thing from somewhere and held it in front of him.
"Ice flower." Lu Yan said.
"Do you still remember the custom of the Winter Solstice Festival?" Lu Yan smiled brightly, and the mole at the corner of his eye was extremely alluring. "Giving an ice flower to your sweetheart on the Winter Solstice Festival means that we will be together forever."
Shen Qingfeng's eyes flashed. His nose felt sour, and a warm current surged in his heart, making his whole body tingle as if electrocuted, and his eyes became slightly moist.
"A... A Yan..." Shen Qingfeng's hands trembled, and his words were a bit stuttering.
Lu Yan's eyes curved into a smile. He tightened his embrace and joked, "So touched~ Why don't you thank your husband well tonight?"
Shen Qingfeng was stunned, and his face instantly turned red. He snatched the ice flower and held it tightly in his palm. He scolded, "In public! How shameless!"
"What's there to be ashamed of?" Lu Yan glanced at the noisy teahouse. They were sitting in the most secluded corner, and no one noticed their strange behavior. Lu Yan had a mischievous thought. The hand around Shen Qingfeng's waist slipped under the hem of his clothes and groped inside. "No one can see..."
"You... You..." Shen Qingfeng never expected that Lu Yan would be so bold. After being stunned for a while, he began to struggle. "You... Let go of me!"
"Come on, your husband just wants to touch you. He won't do anything."
Libertine!
Shen Qingfeng almost blurted out the scolding. How could this guy not do anything! How could he! He could clearly feel that something was already...
The discussion in the teahouse became more and more intense. Shen Qingfeng's hand trembled on the table. From under the drooping white veil of the bamboo hat, there came some ambiguous sounds.
Shen Qingfeng's mind went blank. He never thought that in front of so many people, his upper body would be neatly dressed, while his lower body...
Extreme shame brought extreme pleasure.
Shen Qingfeng's body trembled more and more.
Just as it was about to reach the climax, he suddenly felt dizzy, his stomach churned, and a strange feeling rose in his throat. He wanted to shout, but couldn't hold it back. He vomited with a "wow".
Shen Qingfeng was stunned.
Lu Yan was completely shocked.
After a flurry of activity, Shen Qingfeng was taken back to the Bian Palace.
Lu Yan summoned Imperial Physician Zhang and stood outside the room dejectedly.
What should I do if my wife vomits at me? Urgent. Waiting online.
However, before Lu Yan could be sad for long, Imperial Physician Zhang rushed out in a hurry, lifted his robe, and knelt down on the ground with a thud when he saw Lu Yan.
"Your Majesty... The Prime Minister he... He..."
-
"Pregnant?" Liu Mei stared at Shen Qingfeng and Lu Yan sitting in the room with wide - open eyes. After a month of traveling day and night, she had just arrived in Lige City when she was stunned by this news for a long time. "Stretch out your hand. Let me take a look."
Shen Qingfeng, who had been vomiting non - stop for a month, leaned in Lu Yan's arms and weakly stretched out his hand.
Liu Mei felt his pulse for a while, then let go and pinched her chin. "Hiss—"
Shen Qingfeng almost rolled his eyes. He took a few deep breaths and said, "Shopkeeper Liu, I asked you to come because I remember when you gave me the merman's tear, you said it was a female fruit..."
"Yes!" Liu Mei slapped her head. "It's the female fruit, all right."
Lu Yan frowned and said, "Then why didn't you say earlier that eating that female fruit would make one pregnant?"
Liu Mei glared at him. "The merman's tear only produces fruit once every hundred years, and only two fruits at a time. I've never eaten it. How would I know?"
Shen Qingfeng sighed. He looked down at his slightly swollen belly. Although a month had passed, the continuous vomiting in this month had not made him fully accept this reality. He gritted his teeth and said, "How can a man give birth... Find a way to help me get rid of it."
After hearing this, Lu Yan suddenly looked down at him, his eyes full of refusal. But thinking of how uncomfortable Shen Qingfeng was, he swallowed the words of refusal.
Liu Mei looked at him for a while and shook her head. "A man giving birth already goes against the laws of nature. Aborting a pregnancy is very harmful to a woman's body, and it may be even more harmful to a man..."
Lu Yan said, "Then what should we do?"
Liu Mei scratched her head. She couldn't think of any way for a long time, so she stood up and said, "I advise you not to do anything for now. Let me go to Xirong and ask Sen Ya to secretly check in the palace."
Shen Qingfeng sighed and had no choice but to agree.
A month later, Liu Mei sent a message.
The pregnancy cannot be aborted, as it may be life - threatening.
Shen Qingfeng hugged his belly, which was as big as a football, and angrily knocked over the bowl of soup for nourishing the fetus and qi on the table.
It was difficult for any man to accept such a fact. Shen Qingfeng was in a bad mood for a month. Finally, as his belly got bigger, he was too tired to lose his temper. He leaned in Lu Yan's arms, gasping for breath.
Lu Yan rubbed his round belly and nibbled on his ear. "Good Feng'er, stop being so naughty. Just give birth to the baby."
Shen Qingfeng rolled his eyes. After slapping Lu Yan, he reluctantly nodded.
One day seven months later, the lights in the Bian Palace burned all night.
King Xia Yong was so anxious that he didn't even put on his shoes. He paced back and forth in front of the bedroom door, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead as he walked.
In the middle of the night, a baby's cry echoed through the sky. Immediately, there was an unusual phenomenon in the sky. The clouds dispersed, and the moon shone brightly, revealing a faint dragon shadow in the vast sky.
Without saying a word, Lu Yan rushed in, hugged Shen Qingfeng, and burst into tears. It wasn't until the midwife - yes, it was Liu Mei - brought the baby in front of them.
"You only care about the adult and ignore the baby!" Liu Mei said angrily.
Lu Yan kissed Shen Qingfeng's sweaty face and murmured, "Of course the adult is more important..."
Liu Mei rolled her eyes and turned to leave.
I wonder what this child would think if he knew that his father valued him so little in the future.
Shen Qingfeng weakly took the baby into his arms. He looked blankly at the wrinkled little one in his arms sucking his fingers obediently and couldn't help but smile. "He's not fussy."
"Yeah." Lu Yan reached out and hugged both the big and the small in his arms. His heart was filled with sweetness. He couldn't help but gently rock them. He lowered his head to kiss the big one and then the small one, too happy to speak.
"Let's give him a name." Shen Qingfeng said.
"I've already thought of one." Lu Yan's eyes curved. "Let's call him Lu Shuang."
"Shuang..." Shen Qingfeng was stunned for a moment and then smiled slightly. "Okay, let's call him Lu Shuang."
"Lu Shuang."
"Lu Shuang..."
"Lu... Shuang...?"
Qin Huaiqiu stared at the name for a long time. He seemed a bit unsure. He closed the book and looked at the cover. The gilded words "Biography of King Yong" came into view. He was stunned for a moment, then grabbed a copy of Records of Li Xia, opened the page with a similar name, compared them, and said to Sikong Ting, who was sitting leisurely beside him, "Which one of Biography of King Yong and Records of Li Xia is the official history?"
Sikong Ting propped his head up and looked at him. "Guess?"
Qin Huaiqiu pinched his chin and thought for a while. "Records of Li Xia should be the official history. Biography of King Yong looks more like a storybook. Two men having a baby... It's a bit absurd."
Sikong Ting seemed a bit unhappy. He snorted and squeezed next to Qin Huaiqiu, sitting on the same chair with him. He opened the Biography of King Yong and said, "Didn't you see the line 'If Gentleman Ruwei gets the female fruit of the merman, he can conceive like a woman'?"
"What is the female fruit of the merman?"
"It's a legendary thing in the ancient Xirong Kingdom." Sikong Ting took out a copy of Book of Xirong from somewhere and opened it, pointing to it. "See, 'It produces two fruits once every hundred years. Whoever gets it can cure all diseases.' "
"But it doesn't say it can make one pregnant. Isn't this just a made - up story in the unofficial history?" Qin Huaiqiu didn't care. "Both Xirong and Li Xia have been destroyed for more than five hundred years. Where can we verify it? As for that Lu Shuang, I think he's probably the child of King Xia Yong and one of his concubines. If he really loved Gentleman Ruwei, why didn't he give him a title?"
Sikong Ting looked down at him and said meaningfully, "Maybe Gentleman Ruwei is different from you. He was a civil official, not a military general. A military general can achieve great feats and gain a good reputation, but a civil official can only rely on governance. Which civil official in history who got involved with the harem ended up with a good reputation?"
Qin Huaiqiu was stunned for a moment and then nodded. "There's some truth to that... It's a pity that although these two left their names in history, Li Xia couldn't even last for ten years after King Xia Yong abdicated and lived in seclusion. It's really a pity."
Sikong Ting pulled him into his arms and kissed his neck. "At that time, the princes in the Central Plains were divided, and there were strong enemies outside. The situation was already unstable. But it's different now. With my great general guarding the territory of Dacheng, it's very stable."
Qin Huaiqiu suddenly pushed him away and scolded, "Hey, you're acting really strange today. You dragged me here and rambled on. What on earth do you want?"
Sikong Ting wasn't angry when he was pushed away. He just smiled and pulled him back. "I've sent people to look for that female fruit of the merman."
Qin Huaiqiu was stunned for a moment, and then he shouted angrily, "Si! Kong! Ting! How dare you!"
Sikong Ting grabbed him. "Don't be in a hurry. Whether we can find it is still a question. Sichuan is such a vast place. It's a bit difficult to find the ruins of Xirong."
"Is this about whether we can find it or not!" Qin Huaiqiu was furious and stood up to leave. "You can give birth if you want! I don't want to!"
Sikong Ting grabbed him. "Where are you going?"
Qin Huaiqiu scolded, "Back to the Protector - General's Mansion!"
Sikong Ting smiled slyly. "How can you leave the capital without a waist token?"
Qin Huaiqiu was stunned. He reached out and touched his waist. Then he turned his head and glared at Sikong Ting, his eyes almost spitting fire.
"Want it?" Sikong Ting twirled the waist token on his finger a few times. "Make me happy, and I'll give it to you."
THE END