Since learning that the Prince of Southern Pacification couldn't suppress the unrest in Yunnan, Jin Cheng dispatched officials to govern the troublesome locals and magistrates in the region. Months later, the results were remarkably effective.
In the spring of his thirteenth year, the Prince of Southern Pacification arrived in the capital with his consort.
The feast was prepared, and Jin Cheng chatted with his parents in the imperial garden while waiting for his two uncles and their wives to enter the palace.
Xu Wan teased, "Little one, why did you bring us along when you're just meeting your uncles?"
The little troublemaker scratched his head sheepishly. "I did something stupid and I'm afraid my uncles will team up to beat me up."
After mistakenly suspecting his eldest uncle of ill intentions and even imprisoning his second uncle for over a month, he knew he deserved a thrashing.
Xu Wan burst into laughter. "Hahaha… So even you have this day? Are we just here to break up the fight?"
Jin Cheng nodded vigorously, then blinked rapidly, feigning pitifulness. "Save me, please? You’re the best mother in the world… and father!"
The little rascal knew exactly how to play his parents—first clinging to his mother, then latching onto his father.
Xu Wan neither agreed nor refused, instead teasing, "I think you're overreacting. The Duke of State Protection adores you. He’d never lay a hand on you."
Jin Cheng muttered weakly, "But there’s still my eldest uncle. He seems to love fighting."
Xu Wan frowned. "Didn’t he lose?"
Zong Zhao: "…" He couldn’t bear to listen anymore.
Jin Cheng argued, "But beating me up would be easy for him, right?"
Xu Wan conceded. "You have a point."
Zong Zhao covered his face, stifling a laugh.
The little troublemaker pouted and glanced outside. "Why aren’t they here yet? I’ll go check…"
He took a few steps before suddenly turning back. "Father, if I want to eavesdrop on someone with exceptional martial skills, how do I avoid being detected? Is staying silent not enough? What if I hold my breath?"
Zong Zhao raised a brow. He didn’t even need to guess—his son was clearly up to no good.
He replied, "They can sense your gaze too."
"Ah?" Jin Cheng gasped. "That terrifying?!"
Clutching his chest, the little troublemaker hurried outside.
The imperial garden was filled with artificial rock formations. Jin Cheng found a spot along the inevitable path, choosing a hollowed-out crevice to hide in.
Before long, footsteps approached.
The little eavesdropper held his breath and averted his gaze, determined to listen for any signs of violent tendencies from his uncles—just to assess his own safety.
On the path, Lu Zhu clung tightly to Luo Jingfeng, practically hanging off him.
Luo Jingfeng felt suffocated. "Loosen your grip. Where’s your dignity?"
"No! There’s no one around. I just love being close to my husband!"
Lu Zhu had grown increasingly bold lately, but Luo Jingfeng only scolded her half-heartedly, never truly angry. This only encouraged her to act spoiled, even insisting on clinging to him in the palace.
Luo Jingfeng relented. "If someone sees, let go."
"Got it!" Lu Zhu chirped happily. "Husband, you love me so much now! Even more than the male leads in romance novels!"
Luo Jingfeng flushed red. "Shut up. That’s embarrassing."
Lu Zhu giggled. "But it’s true! You treat me so well. I’ve decided—when we get back, I’ll commission a novel to tell everyone what an amazing husband I have. I’ll make the whole world envy me!"
Luo Jingfeng was speechless. "And this is the best treatment?"
Lu Zhu nodded emphatically. "Of course! But… husband, back when our son was two and I saw you off to war, why did you keep telling me to leave? You seemed so annoyed with me."
She had pondered this for years and finally seized the chance to ask.
Luo Jingfeng halted, his expression complicated. "Didn’t you stop caring about me after receiving your noble title?"
Lu Zhu’s eyes widened. "That’s not true! How could I not care about you? I’ve always adored you—so much it drives me crazy!"
Luo Jingfeng scoffed. "Then why didn’t you come for me when I spent ten days in a concubine’s chamber? Weren’t you indifferent?"
Back then, he had doubted whether Lu Zhu truly loved him or merely coveted the wealth and status he provided. To test her, he deliberately visited a concubine, waiting for her reaction—but after ten days, she never came.
For over a decade afterward, he believed Lu Zhu’s love was insincere and barred her from his heart.
Lu Zhu pouted. "On the first day you returned, I already fought to take you back. If I kept competing with the concubines, people would call me a jealous shrew, and you’d think I was petty."
Luo Jingfeng had never expected this reasoning. He sneered. "Right. You’re magnanimous, and I’m petty."
The angry man shook off her hand and strode ahead.
Lu Zhu panicked and chased after him. "Wait, I’m sorry! I’ll snatch you from the concubines every time from now on, okay? Husband, wait for me…"
Behind the rock, the little troublemaker finally released his pinched nose, his face bright red from holding his breath.
Gasping for air, he muttered, "At least they didn’t mention beating me up. Second Uncle is the best… hehe."
Soon, more footsteps approached.
The little eavesdropper pinched his nose again, ears perked up attentively.
A scolding woman’s voice rang out from afar. "I told you to just explain the truth, but you were too proud to say anything! You even got your younger brother imprisoned because of the Emperor’s misunderstanding. Who handles things like this?!"
The Prince of Southern Pacification yelped in protest. "It was just a couple of tiny, poor, remote places—how was I supposed to know Jin Cheng wouldn’t give them to me… Ow ow ow! Don’t pull my ear! We’re in the palace—save it for home!"
The woman continued berating him. "Oh, now you remember we’re in the palace? And stop calling him ‘Jin Cheng’ so casually—he’s not just your nephew, he’s the Emperor! Show some respect. No nonsense when we get there, and absolutely no questioning His Majesty!"
The Prince of Southern Pacification grumbled. "So I can’t even ask when I’ve been wronged? You’re too domineering!"
The woman snapped. "Ask nothing, or I’ll twist your head off."
The prince whined. "Fine, fine! I’ll just follow my brother’s lead, okay? Let go—if Jin Cheng sees this, my majestic image will be ruined!"
The woman grew even angrier. "You still care about your image after the mess you’ve made?"
The prince stubbornly retorted, "A man lives by his dignity. Without it, what’s the point?"
The woman released him, furious. "Forget it. We’re going back to Yunnan."
"I was wrong!" the prince howled. "Wrong, wrong, wrong! I’ll listen to everything you say. Let’s go—my brother and Jin Cheng are waiting!"
The woman sighed. "Idiot."
The little troublemaker watched them leave, still pinching his nose.
Once they were out of sight, Jin Cheng marveled, "Eldest Aunt is truly formidable. She’s the real one to cling to—if I stay on her good side, Eldest Uncle won’t dare touch me!"
Jin Cheng circled back through the rocks but froze when he heard his second uncle arguing with his father.
Luo Jingfeng scowled. "This is a Luo family banquet. Why are you here?"
Zong Zhao replied coolly, "What do you think?"
Seeing the two generals locking eyes again, the little troublemaker hurried over to mediate: "Ah, Uncle, Aunt, Second Uncle, Second Aunt, please sit down! The dishes are all ready—we’ve been waiting for you to arrive before serving."
After exchanging greetings, everyone took their seats.
The Prince of Southern Pacification noticed Lu Zhu sitting beside Luo Jingfeng, her hands never still—adjusting his utensils, tugging at his sleeve, and, most surprisingly, his second brother even handing her a handkerchief.
Suddenly, the prince recalled his brother’s past words: "Women? Just tools for warming the bed. Do you care how many heating stoves you own?"
Luo Jingyun couldn’t resist teasing: "Second Brother, your ‘heating stove’ seems quite fiery. Do you need a few more?"
The others looked puzzled, not understanding the reference.
Only Luo Jingfeng froze, flushing with embarrassment before snapping, "Mind your own business, Eldest Brother!"
The Prince of Southern Pacification nearly died laughing, leaning over to whisper to his princess and thoroughly exposing his younger brother’s hypocrisy.
Luo Jingfeng was so furious he almost flipped the table.
Lu Zhu, though confused, quickly held him back to prevent any rash actions.
Jin Cheng studied his uncle and aunt—whom he’d never met before—with curiosity. Based on what he’d overheard earlier, he’d expected his uncle to look rough and simple-minded, and his aunt to appear sharp-tongued.
But reality was quite the opposite. The Prince of Southern Pacification was tall and broad-shouldered, with a lean build similar to Luo Jingfeng’s. His aunt, however, was petite and delicate, the very image of a classic southern beauty.
The princess, Shi Yue, was a local physician’s daughter from Yunnan—orphaned, without power or influence. Though she’d married far above her station, rumors said the prince had pursued her for years. Seven years her senior, he hadn’t wed until twenty-five.
Shi Yue was naturally reserved, rarely speaking much, but now she took the initiative: "Your Majesty, my husband is straightforward and impulsive—that’s why he sent those reckless memorials one after another. But he’s since realized his mistake. I hope you can overlook his past errors and forgive him."
Under the table, she kicked the prince, signaling him to speak up.
The prince hastily added, "Ah, yes! After learning how my actions caused misunderstandings between you and Second Brother, I felt terrible. Sorry, Cheng’er—your uncle acted thoughtlessly and scared you."
Seeing no signs of his uncle wanting to throttle him, Jin Cheng quickly seized the chance to smooth things over: "It’s fine, it’s all in the past now. The magistrates involved have been dealt with, and we’ve reinforced the border troops in Yunnan. No one will dare steal your mushrooms again."
The prince brightened immediately. "Ah, Cheng’er, you’re truly considerate! You’ve no idea how infuriating those people were. I tolerated them for years, but they grew bolder, even targeting my new mushrooms! Your aunt discovered them—they’re miraculous! Not only do they curb hunger, but they also heal illnesses. If we cultivate them widely, not just Yunnan but the entire Chu Kingdom will thrive!"
"Really? Are mushrooms that incredible?" Jin Cheng was almost swayed by the enthusiasm.
"Absolutely!" The prince dragged his chair closer, gripping his nephew’s hand. "Listen—if we plant these across the nation, problems like famine and disease will—"
His uncle’s grand claims were so earnest that Shi Yue couldn’t bear to watch.
Jin Cheng giggled uncontrollably.
Xu Wan and Zong Zhao exchanged glances, silently agreeing: No need to intervene here.
Zong Zhao shrugged helplessly.
By the end of the banquet, the prince was still treating his nephew like a comrade, declaring, "Cheng’er, you’re truly heaven-sent—a ruler who understands his uncle’s vision! Don’t worry, once I’m back in Yunnan, I’ll send you samples of every mushroom we have. Let the Ministry of Agriculture study them. If they can’t figure it out, I’ll personally tutor them. I guarantee you’ll grow these mushrooms splendidly!"
His wife looked thoroughly exasperated.
Jin Cheng nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes! I’ll wait for your next visit, Uncle!"
The prince waved. "No need to see us off, Cheng’er! We’ll meet again!"
Jin Cheng beamed. "Of course—until next time!"
