Chapter 656: Bound to the Child-Bearing System and Becoming a Winner in Life Chapter 657: Background Rabbit Spirit (29)

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

On the third day after the New Year, the male master of the Yong Prince's Mansion left this world filled with terror and resentment.

Unlike when the late Princess Yong passed away, with white sails hanging everywhere, Yong Wang's posthumous treatment plummeted, most notably in some funeral rites; perhaps this was also due to the Yong Crown Prince and Crown Princess taking matters into their own hands.

"Yong Wang's first half of life was transparent, his second half was glorious; before death he was terrified, and after death his funeral rites were shoddy," Shen Yao leaned in Lin Xingzhi's arms, somewhat unsure how to evaluate Yong Wang's life.

At this moment, the couple had just left Yong Wang's Mansion and boarded the carriage for their return journey.

Both being Imperial Clan Relatives, no matter how much they disliked Yong Wang himself in their hearts, the proper rites still had to be observed; after all, he was Lin Xingzhi's Imperial Uncle, and the Emperor had not stripped Yong Wang of his title.

"When a person dies, everything ends; now Imperial Uncle no longer needs to live in fear," Lin Xingzhi raised his eyebrows, then reached out and patted Shen Yao's shoulder, "The title of Yong Wang's Mansion will undoubtedly fall to the Yong Crown Prince; it's just that this nephew of mine is truly rather dull."

Well, calling him dull was a kind word; to be precise, this person simply couldn't understand what was said.

The more you told him not to do something, the more he insisted on doing it, and he never admitted he was wrong; even when gently pointed out, he still refused to change.

Hiss

Lin Xingzhi thought to himself that it was better for the cheap Imperial Uncle to have passed away now—out of sight, out of mind, at least he didn't have to worry about these stupid descendants (even though he himself wasn't smart either).

Shen Yao couldn't help but let out a "pfft" laugh, and was even more shocked by Lin Xingzhi's hellish remarks; it seemed the relationships among these Imperial Clan relatives really weren't great—on the surface they called each other uncle, aunt, nephew, and niece affectionately, but behind their backs they badmouthed each other without holding back.

The carriage slowly left Yong Wang's Mansion; Shen Yao saw through the gap that another carriage had appeared not far behind them, knowing that the Yong Crown Prince had just returned from entering the palace to pay respects.

Ai yo

His Qin Zi had already been laid out, and wearing mourning clothes he still had to run to the palace to pay respects; when would this Yong Crown Prince ever drop the title of Crown Prince and become the true Yong Wang?

Shen Yao shook her head, feeling that sighing could no longer describe her speechlessness; she looked up and met Lin Xingzhi's gaze, and the couple laughed out loud at the same time.

The carriage was filled with a joyful atmosphere, completely different from the Wangfu behind them draped in white cloth.

Although the contrast of these two emotions was somewhat inappropriate, they had shown Yong Wang enough respect at Yong Wang's Mansion; now that they had already left that oppressive Wangfu, they certainly couldn't be asked to continue feeling miserable.

Lin Xingzhi and Yong Wang, this pair of uncle and nephew, really weren't close; having grown up, they had met only a handful of times, just slightly better than strangers.

…………

In the third month of spring, snow melted into water, spring returned to the earth, and all things revived.

The three little ones, sealed for an entire winter, chirped and chattered as they moved about in the Wangfu Garden; they ran, jumped, and bounced with even more agile steps, and the servants attending them had increased considerably.

Several wet nurses had already been given silver by Shen Yao at the beginning of the year and sent back to their homes.

After all, Shen Yao didn't want her children to be close to the wet nurses, placing her, their birth mother, in what position.

"The Host is worried about affecting the main mission, right?" the system clanged in one sentence, hitting the nail on the head.

Shen Yao sat in the pavilion at the center of the garden; not far away were the three children playing wildly; her side had a wide view, allowing her to watch the children and enjoy the scenery at the same time; "Aren't you worried? This is the foundation by which we can constantly transmigrate."

System: ……

"Of course, as expected of the Host," clever~

Shen Yao rolled her eyes at the system that betrayed her so naturally, stood up, and smiled as she walked toward the three children.

Lin Chengjing, as a thoughtful little padded jacket, caught sight of his birth mother's figure with sharp eyes and cried out with his little voice as he rushed over.

The solid little fatty bumped into Shen Yao, causing her to fall back; luckily she didn't kick out the child hugging her thigh.

Helplessly shaking her head, Shen Yao bent down and wiped Lin Chengjing's little flower face.

"Mischievous"

"Mother Consort~"

Lin Chengjing liked his Mother Consort who smelled fragrant and soft, also liked his Father King who smelled fragrant and hard, and liked his elder brothers who smelled stinky and soft.

It was just that after the elder brothers played wildly, they had to wash themselves fragrant; otherwise Lin Chengjing would disdainfully keep pinching his nose.

Shen Yao, as an adult, successfully joined the three children's little game; one big and three small played to their heart's content; only when returning to the room did she notice there was still a deep-boudoir resentful husband waiting for her.

"Xingzhi"

"Yao Niang"

Lin Xingzhi wore a light blue long robe today, with gold silk threads embroidered at the collar and sleeves, wearing a white undershirt, with his hair tied into a horse tail and placed behind his head.

A pair of eyes looked at Shen Yao with moisture, as if he had suffered enough neglect and grievance.

"Not seeing each other for half a day," that was too deliberate; Shen Yao came to Lin Xingzhi's side and raised her hand to touch his forehead.

"A day without seeing you is like three autumns apart." Lin Xingzhi pulled the small hand at his temple and gripped it tightly in his palm, "Xingzhi and Yao Niang have not seen each other for half a day, but in my heart it has already been half a year."

Shen Yao: ……

This man was good at sweet-talking her; setting that aside, love words came as soon as he spoke; even though she prided herself on being rational and clear-headed, she would still be bewitched into a muddle.

Her body was like it had no bones, and she very naturally leaned against Lin Xingzhi's arms; several strands of black hair hanging on her chest inevitably became entangled.

Like the two of them, originally they were quite normal, but slowly the flavor changed.

Breathing hurried, lips and teeth meeting.

The two fell onto the couch at the same time; as the clothes on their bodies scattered to the ground, the two finally bared themselves to each other.

Fooling around for who knows how long; when Shen Yao regained consciousness, she was already lying back on the bed.

An arm lay firmly across her slender waist; Shen Yao wanted to get up but couldn't break free.

Helplessly turning back to push the culprit who caused all this before her eyes; unexpectedly, the culprit not only didn't let go, but held her even deeper.

"Yao Niang"

Lin Xingzhi held Shen Yao in his arms, his lips by her ear, speaking softly, "If we depart from the capital in another two days, the journey by boat and carriage will be extremely arduous; how could Xingzhi bear to let Yao Niang endure extra hardship?" So the interest had to be collected in advance.

Shen Yao: ……

Shen Yao's cheeks were dyed with rosy color; she raised her eyes and spat fiercely at the nonsense-speaking Lin Xingzhi.

Lin Xingzhi saw his expression and remained calm, then leaned close to Shen Yao's ear and whispered a few words, making Shen Yao tremble all over, both angry and ashamed.

"Intimacy between husband and wife is but natural," as the saying goes, love knows where it begins, once it starts, it runs deep.

Lin Xingzhi never held back in speaking his love for Shen Yao, but Shen Yao, having lived in Jingcheng for years, grew ever more shy and bashful.

It was as if they had swapped their personalities, yet getting along this way had its own flavor.

"Yao Niang, don't you want to? Truly don't want Xingzhi? Unwilling to be close to Xingzhi?"

Lin Xingzhi pressed on step by step with ill intent, teasing Shen Yao until her eyes welled up, only relenting when she turned the tables on him.

But seeing Lin Xingzhi enjoy himself so much, it seemed making Shen Yao angry was part of his plan; occasionally letting the other side take the initiative also helped the couple grow closer.

Because Lin Xingzhi deliberately tempted her (and Shen Yao went along with it), the couple fooled around excessively in the days before leaving.

Fortunately, the departure date was set, or Shen Yao truly worried she would never leave the bed.

The Imperial Guards had already left Jingcheng ahead of time and waited on the road; now setting out from Qin Wang Fu were the family of five and the servants who attended to their daily needs and errands.

Of course, among them were also Qin Wang Fu's own guards, whose skills surely could not match professionally trained Imperial Guards, but they were more than enough to handle sudden incidents or mountain bandits and robbers.

Lin An had now been promoted several ranks and commanded several platoons of ordinary guards.

Seeing the Prince go out, Lin An hurriedly went up to him, saying he had checked the surroundings repeatedly and absolutely no danger would slip in.

Lin Xingzhi grunted and nodded, saying calmly that this trip would take three to five years, "Have the family relatives been properly arranged?"

Hearing this, Lin An's face was full of gratitude, "Prince, rest assured, I have explained everything clearly," if he returned safe and sound, all would be well; if he could not return, with so much silver and grain as a foundation, the Qin Wang Fu would continue to look after them, and the family would have food and clothing without worry.

"Go prepare, we depart shortly."

Lin Xingzhi waved his hand, turned around, and entered the Che Xiang.

Shen Yao had already lain on her side on the Chuangyi beforehand, looking lazy like a kitten just waking up.

She beckoned with her hand, smiling as she got up and leaned over to press her face against Lin Xingzhi's, "How are Yan'er and the others?"

Hearing they were going out to play, the three children were all a little wild, especially since they had been neglected these past few days, so that when they woke up in the morning they were still throwing tantrums.

"It's nothing; the carriage has their favorite toys and pastries to eat," children's happiness has always been simple—having food, drink, play, and companionship, unlike the two of them, who would have to live frugally for a good while afterward.

Shen Yao helplessly shot Lin Xingzhi a glare but ultimately said nothing more.

The carriage beneath them moved slowly forward, facing the faint dawn light in the distance, and slowly disappeared at the Xiang Kou ahead.

When they met up with the Imperial Guards waiting outside the city, the long-dragon-like car fleet, even if deliberately low-key, still could not hide the overwhelming pressure surrounding it.

"Host, we're leaving; what about the Imperial Selection in the palace?" The system suddenly grew anxious, jumping up and down, completely at a loss.

"Imperial Selection? Since the Emperor already knows the inside story, of course it depends on his own thoughts."

Whether to join forces with Huang Jue Si and Dao Guan to imprison the cuckoo birds and eliminate future trouble, or to borrow the cuckoo birds' abilities and make them his own.

"The Emperor has monks and Taoists by his side; even keeping a Demon Consort is nothing to fear," the system felt this cuckoo bird would most likely enter the palace; though demons were uncontrollable, its beauty was truly stunning, and the Emperor was a normal man.

Shen Yao hummed in acknowledgment, indicating that listening to the system's so much inner-house gossip had not been in vain; she could finally think more deeply.

One person and one system found the palace more boring than anything, after all there was nothing interesting on the road; they could only wait until reaching a town to get off and stretch their legs to relieve boredom.

Yuanshui Cheng

This was the first city they reached on this trip, where people lived along the Yuan Shui encircling the city.

When the group arrived at Yuanshui Cheng, the sky was already dark; colorful strip-like rosy clouds hung across the sky, enveloping the entire Yuanshui Cheng, as if draped in a layer of Brocade Satin.

A long line of carriages and horses entered the city to lodge, while the Imperial Guards left some behind to guard outside the city.

The current Prefect of Yuanshui Cheng, accompanied by a host of officials, waited at the Yi Zhan smiling to welcome this great celebrity of Li Guo, Jing Prince Highness.

Even outside Jingcheng, his name was like thunder in the ears, but what a Golden Thigh!

"Jing Prince Highness"

"Prince, may you be well"

Lin Xingzhi:...

Just as he got off the carriage, he came face to face with a group of middle-aged sturdy men wearing Official Robes, full of flattery and lowering their postures; one could imagine how helpless Lin Xingzhi's heart was.

Shen Yao followed closely behind; seeing her husband's figure stiffen for a moment, how could she not understand the other's feelings.

Sigh

Going out meant dealing with endless lawsuits and meeting endless officials.

Chatting happily with this group of officials they had just met about the sights and sounds of Yuanshui Cheng, promising to continue talking with them tomorrow, Lin Xingzhi saw off these killjoys, turned around, and returned to the Yi Zhan to sleep.

This was an Inn under official jurisdiction, usually mainly for officials to stay.

The whole Building was no more than Three Floors high, low-key inside, rooms spacious and bright, with yamen runners often coming to patrol; though not as luxurious as those Restaurants in the city, the experience after staying was still excellent.

The three children were already tired and asleep, even their Dinner had to be coaxed into them.

Shen Yao and Lin Xingzhi casually ate some rice and dishes, then used hot water to wash up a bit, before they had the mood to sit on the Chuangyi and chat.

"Yuanshui Cheng is close to Jingcheng, and not far from Luogui City either."

"The Prefect here is a new official appointed the year before last, and has not had much involvement with the local gentry in Yuanshui Cheng," the reason he chose this place as the first stop was also considering that the Prefect of Yuanshui Cheng was not easy, and the Emperor was even more unwilling to frequently change the governing officials in towns around Jingcheng.

"How many days will we stay in Yuanshui Cheng?" Receiving officials was not a matter of a moment; besides, Lin Xingzhi meant to bolster the courage of the Prefect of Yuanshui Cheng.

The most direct method was to use Thunderous methods to deliver a Fatal Blow to certain big households in the city who liked to jump around, thereby deterring other Forces from daring to move rashly.

Lin Xingzhi smiled brightly upon hearing this, "Who knows me, none but Yao Niang."

He planned to stay in Yuanshui Cheng for about seven days, and had already chosen the person to establish authority.

Shen Yao rested her head on Lin Xingzhi's knee and silently said a surname, "Qi?"

Lin Xingzhi nodded, "Yuanshui is special; the common people in the city live their lives, the Qi family is famous for water transport, for a hundred years already."

One could say that when Li Guo was just founded, the Qi family had already formed Forces around Yuan Shui.

And later, as Li Guo developed, the Qi family's power in Yuanshui Cheng was very severe; why was a new Prefect transferred here? Wasn't it because the previous several Prefects were all entangled with the Qi family?

Since it was unclear who the true master here was, there was no need to insist.

Before leaving Jingcheng, Lin Xingzhi had entered the Imperial Palace to bid farewell to the Emperor; when he came out, he held several Imperial Edicts personally written by the Emperor, among them three Blank Imperial Edicts stamped with the imperial seal, to be used just in case.

Mm.

I truly hope they won't have to use a Blank Imperial Edict just after leaving the capital.

After resting one night, I feel refreshed in mind and spirit.

The bedding beside me had long turned ice-cold; after Shen Yao got up and asked about the situation, she only heard the Servant mention that before dawn had even broken, an Official had come over requesting an audience.

Fortunately, the Official Courier Station has few people and ample space; the only proper masters are Lin Xingzhi's family of five.

"The Prince is currently receiving the Yuanshui Cheng Officials who have come," what they are saying is naturally impossible for them to know.

Shen Yao gave an "Mm" of acknowledgment and nodded, waving her hand to signal the Kitchen to prepare the Morning Meal, including sending people to deliver to Lin Xingzhi's place as well, bringing those Officials along too.

"They are all loyal subjects who serve the sovereign, sharing the country's worries," it is merely a single meal, yet it can still be considered displaying the Emperor's vast grace on behalf of the Emperor who sits in command of the capital and cannot come out freely.