[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-am-the-xu-family-s-son":3,"chapter-i-am-the-xu-family-s-son-i-am-the-xu-family-s-son-chapter-37":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I Am the Xu Family's Son",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2307815,4510,"Chapter 37: The Empress Summons","i-am-the-xu-family-s-son-chapter-37",37,"\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing had naturally heard vague mentions from Sun Shi about the Gu family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These past days, Gu Yan Kai had secretly replaced the blood-tonic medicine sent by the Qin family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The time had not been long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his age, Gu Tingyu was naturally in the peak of vitality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the Qin family’s diminishing effects on him,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>with the tonic’s enhancing effects, plus his own youthful age,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Tingyu’s health began to improve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clever boy had no idea that it was his stepmother who had alerted Gu Yan Kai to switch the tonic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He only wondered why his body had felt so comfortable lately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the lingering pressure in his chest had vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His complexion, though still pale, had lost its previous withered yellow hue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before, he caught colds easily upon stepping outside, leaving him exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now his energy slowly returned, and being cooped up at home daily made him restless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combined with his confusion over his improving health, his brow was permanently furrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when practicing calligraphy, he could not steady his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then he heard his younger brother pestering to visit the Xu family, and Gu Tingyu’s heart stirred—he went along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing looked at Gu Tingyu in the room and found him different from the TV drama.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Tingyu resembled his mother—a strikingly delicate handsome man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his eyebrows, like Gu Tingye’s, were inherited from his father: swordlike brows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This gave him an air of masculine vigor distinct from his delicacy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Tingyu also noticed the Xu family’s third legitimate son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had seen Xu Zaijing’s archery performance at the Emperor’s birthday banquet and deeply admired it—it was truly impressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing’s heart stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big brother, Uncle Tingyu and Brother Tingye came to our mansion to play—why not go to the riding field? We could even fish by the pond.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Tingye’s eyes instantly lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Tingyu was equally eager.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zai Duan readily agreed—he didn’t want to be stuck in the study either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ordered a servant, and soon fishing gear arrived at the riding field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing and the others strolled over; Gu Tingyu looked at the Marquis Mansion and silently thought: over the years, it had indeed declined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the way, many carved patterns and decorations had not been repainted; the window frames’ wood was worn, long overdue for fresh lacquer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he saw the Xu family’s riding field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoa—Gu Tingyu was stunned by its vast size.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ningyuan Marquis Mansion had a riding field too, but it was barely half this size.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xiangyang Marquis Mansion had remained prominent these years, but Gu Tingyu rarely went out and had never seen it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The imperial gift horse, a black stallion, galloped joyfully across the field, occasionally nuzzling its groom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Tingye’s eyes gleamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jing-ge, your horse has foals—can you give me one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing replied vaguely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the pond, servants had already placed stools and fishing gear; the kitchen had prepared bait nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pond was small, but stocked with fish fry—good for guests to pass the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun was mild; under the trees, the air was neither cold nor hot, and a breeze stirred the leaves into a rustling chorus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Tingyu closed his eyes, thoroughly enjoying it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, Xu Zai Zhang called out loudly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tingyu-ge, Tingyu-ge, your float just moved!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Tingyu opened his eyes, calculated briefly, then waited before lifting the rod—moments later, he pulled up a fish half a foot long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The joy of catching fish seemed etched into every man’s heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The five fished a while longer, but only Xu Zaijing caught anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Tingye grew bored and suggested archery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remembering Xu Zaijing’s performance, Gu Tingyu wanted to test his own skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As guests had ideas, servants hurried to prepare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The groom held back his nephew Gao Yun, instructing him to fetch lighter hunting bows—otherwise, he feared the other four couldn’t draw them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zai Duan and Xu Zai Zhang were long accustomed to their younger brother’s strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while of shooting arrows, all five ached painfully in their arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Tingyu looked at Xu Zaijing with deep admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jing-ge, how can you draw your bow so many times in a row? Truly impressive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just practice, Uncle Tingyu—you flatter me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While daylight still lasted,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the five played toss-pot in the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Xu Zaijing excelled at archery, he had to commend Gu Tingye for his toss-pot skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fellow clearly devoted all his energy to toss-pot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Xu Zaijing could match him; the other three stood no chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just before dinner, Gu Tingyu pulled Gu Tingye, still unwilling to stop playing, back to the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The frown on his brow had eased considerably since arriving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After seeing off the Gu family,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing had not yet entered the gate when he saw a palace sedan chair turn the street corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ordered Gao Yun to inform his mother, then waited at the gate with his brother to greet the imperial envoy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Sun Shi emerged, Xu Zaijing learned the reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empress had given birth to a prince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last year, three imperial consorts had been pregnant, but by this year, only the Empress had delivered a prince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the other two consorts was Rong Fei, the Emperor’s favorite, who had miscarried and lost her child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the Empress invited Sun Shi to the palace, hoping for good fortune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, in the Empress’s view, whether it was Qi Heng from the Pingning Princess’s household or Wu Da Niangzi, who had given birth to her first son and now carried a second,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>both had good relations with the Xu family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing’s aura still seemed to be working.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Shi received the imperial decree, thanked the Empress, and the envoy returned to the palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor’s gifts were carried inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Emperor of the Great Zhou had difficulty producing heirs—he had once fathered seven children, each by a different mother, all of whom had died in infancy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the Empress’s fourth child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing had been in this world for six or seven years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing he had managed was to use his own efforts to spare Bai Shi from the danger of childbirth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Gu Tingye would not lose his birth mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had indirectly prevented the scheming Xiao Qin Niang from entering the Marquis Mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This prince should be the court shock that Sheng Hong encountered during his first audience after arriving in the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither the TV drama nor the novel explained how this child ultimately died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing dared not speculate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, Sun Shi rose early, dressed, and took Xu Zaijing into the palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the Empress’s hall, the Pingning Princess had also arrived with her son Qi Heng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the Pingning Princess had been raised under the Empress’s care, she had been about Xu Zaijing’s age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now she had a son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empress looked well, wearing a lavish golden headband, speaking through a screen with several imperial relatives from the Cao family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Xu Zaijing had arrived, she specifically ordered a lady-in-waiting to bring him behind the screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the healthy, robust Xu Zaijing, her eyes filled with affection; she beckoned him closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She asked about his daily routines, favorite foods, and ordered a lady-in-waiting to bring a embroidered stool for him to sit beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Xu Zaijing’s view, though nearing middle age, the Empress still radiated dazzling grace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, she favored simplicity—she looked no older than thirty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1254,"2026-06-20T10:32:38.675Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","9dd055f557a1783bf02482c4c79c6df7bd0a36758c80d3085990eff02b30f1e8","i-am-the-xu-family-s-son-chapter-38","i-am-the-xu-family-s-son-chapter-36",790,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-am-the-xu-family-s-son-cover.jpg"]