Chapter 421: Chapter 424: I’m Worried About You
The people in the next room seemed to be young men. Perhaps they’d had a bit to drink, as they were quite excited and chattering endlessly.
Li Ji found it too noisy and was about to find a quieter spot.
"Wu, if you make it big in the future, don’t you forget about us friends!"
"They all say Prince Zhao’s martial arts are unparalleled and that he’s slain countless enemies, praising him like he’s some kind of War God. But in my opinion, Wu is in no way inferior to Prince Zhao!"
"That’s right! When Wu returns victorious, he’ll surely be made a prince or marquis, even more glorious than that Prince Zhao!"
"Come, come, let’s all toast Wu! May his campaign be unstoppable, and may he slaughter the rebel army until not a single man is left standing!"
Li Ji hadn’t expected to hear his own name mentioned from the next room, and he couldn’t help but pause.
Hua Manman was very curious. ’Who is this person they call Wu? To think he could be compared to Prince Zhao.’
Li Ji met her curious gaze and said casually.
"The Wu they’re talking about is likely Wu Shufeng. The Saint just issued a decree for him to lead the troops and suppress the rebellion."
Hua Manman racked her brain but couldn’t recall anyone named Wu Shufeng.
Afraid the people in the next room would hear, she deliberately moved closer to Prince Zhao, leaned in, and asked in a hushed voice.
"Is Wu Shufeng more formidable than you?"
Li Ji copied her, leaning his head in as well, and replied in a very soft voice.
"He’s just a bookworm who can’t even truss a chicken. I’d only need one finger to kill him."
Hua Manman couldn’t understand.
"Why would the Saint send a bookworm to lead troops and suppress a rebellion?"
Li Ji: "Probably because the Saint finds him more reliable."
The more Hua Manman heard, the more confused she became.
Li Ji explained patiently.
"Wu Shufeng has a clean background, and he’s a scholar who can’t even truss a chicken.
Even if he were to gain control of the army, the Saint wouldn’t have to worry about him committing treason. That’s why the Saint can use him without any reservations."
Hua Manman was speechless. "But how can a scholar lead an army into battle? Isn’t this just reckless?!"
Li Ji’s lips curled into a mocking smile.
"They think the commander-in-chief doesn’t need to personally kill enemies on the front lines, but just needs to sit in the rear and command the army. A bookworm is perfectly capable of that."
The group in the private room next door was still laughing and making a racket.
But Li Ji was no longer in the mood to listen.
He got up and left with Manman, intending to find another, quieter place to be.
As the two of them walked out of the teahouse, Hua Manman suddenly asked a question.
"Prince, do you want to go to Lingnan?"
Without a second thought, Li Ji denied it outright.
"No."
Hua Manman: "Don’t you want to lead troops into battle again?"
Li Ji: "I do."
Hua Manman: "Now is your chance. If the Saint were to send you to Lingnan, you could regain control of the army."
Li Ji helped her into the carriage.
Only after she was settled did Li Ji speak.
"I can’t bear to leave you."
He had actually anticipated that suppressing this rebellion wouldn’t be easy, and he had even thought about using the opportunity to take back his military authority. But the news of Manman’s sudden pregnancy had thrown his plans into disarray.
No matter how important military power was, it wasn’t as important as Manman.
Now that Manman was pregnant, he just wanted to stay by her side and not go anywhere.
Hua Manman took Li Ji’s arm, leaned her body against him, and mumbled softly.
"I’m afraid you’ll regret this in the future."
She remembered that in *Palace Intrigue*, Prince Zhao had used the opportunity of suppressing the rebellion to reclaim his military authority.
This laid the foundation for him to become the Regent King in the future.
If he missed this chance to go to Lingnan and suppress the rebellion, it meant he would also lose his chance at the position of Regent King.
Li Ji casually wrapped an arm around her waist, his tone nonchalant.
"There’s nothing to regret."
「At dawn the next day」, Wu Shufeng, with his luggage and servants, left Shangjing under the watchful eyes of a crowd of friends and family, heading straight for Lingnan.
The eatery was soon renovated, and the Shopkeeper, waiters, and chefs were all hired.
Li Ji’s original name for the eatery was a combination of their own names, but Manman found it too awkward to say. It was finally changed to Pear Blossom Snacks.
Li Ji personally wrote the calligraphy for Pear Blossom Snacks’ sign.
After learning that Prince Zhao was opening an eatery, many people in the capital were secretly paying attention, and even the Emperor had heard about it.
Prince Zhao, who once galloped across battlefields and killed without batting an eye, was now actually selling snacks.
No matter how you looked at it, the picture just wasn’t right!
Out of curiosity, on the eatery’s opening day, the Emperor specially disguised himself and left the palace with Hua Zhaorong.
The two of them, protected by Hidden Guards, arrived at Pear Blossom Snacks.
Before they even stepped inside, they were hit by a rich, fragrant aroma.
Hua Qingqing followed the scent with her eyes and saw a basin of spicy crayfish that had just been brought out.
She couldn’t handle spicy food very well, but she still couldn’t help but swallow.
’It looks so delicious.’
The Emperor was also tempted.
Although he had eaten countless delicacies from land and sea, he had never tried things like crayfish and river snails.
All the tables inside the eatery were full. A waiter politely led the Emperor and Hua Zhaorong to a waiting area to the side, bringing them tea, melon seeds, and peanuts.
"If you two would please wait here for a moment, I’ll come and get you as soon as a table opens up."
This was the first time the Emperor had ever encountered a situation where he had to wait in line for a meal.
He wasn’t annoyed; on the contrary, he found it quite novel.
Hua Qingqing wanted to shell melon seeds for the Emperor, but he waved her away.
The Emperor smiled and said, "There’s no need for so much formality when we’re out. Let’s just act like an ordinary married couple."
Hua Qingqing blinked, her beautiful eyes seeming to sparkle like starlight.
She softly savored the two words "ordinary couple" and couldn’t help but rejoice inwardly.
Seeing this, the Emperor couldn’t help but curl his lips into a faint smile.
’Hua Zhaorong really does love me. Just from hearing that she can be like an ordinary wife to me, she can’t hide her happiness at all.’
’How utterly adorable.’
When a table freed up, the Emperor and Hua Qingqing finally got to taste the crayfish and river snails, which were even more delicious than they had imagined.
The Emperor sighed with feeling as he shelled a crayfish.
"The meat of this crayfish tastes quite good, but the process of shelling it is so undignified."
Hua Qingqing quickly said, "Let this consort help you shell them."
The Emperor smiled. "No need."
Although shelling crayfish was a hassle, doing it occasionally had its own unique charm.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the two strolled around the city for a while longer. It wasn’t until the sun began to set in the west that they took the carriage back to the palace.
The Emperor leaned against a soft pillow and said with a smile.
"We have heard that the Pear Flower Restaurant was opened by Prince Zhao specially for his Princess Consort, and that the dishes in the restaurant were all conceived by the Princess Consort herself."
Hua Qingqing gave a faint smile and said softly, "My sister has no other hobbies. She just loves to fiddle with food in her spare time."
The Emperor: "You probably haven’t seen your sister in a long time, have you? Would you like me to find an opportunity for her to enter the palace and keep you company?"
Hua Qingqing was overwhelmed by the favor. "Is that possible?"
The Emperor smiled, his tone full of indulgence.
"Of course it is."
’For the sake of her sincere devotion to me, I don’t mind indulging her a little more.’
Hua Qingqing gazed at him, the affection in her beautiful eyes almost overflowing.
"Your Majesty is so good to this consort. It is truly my blessing to have married Your Majesty."
The Emperor wrapped an arm around her slender waist, and she obediently leaned against him, nestling into his embrace.
As she lowered her head, the affection in her eyes vanished completely, leaving only a chilling coldness.
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