TEWRAWTEC CH 38

Chapter 38: Taking Advantage of Pregnancy

In the past, Yun Mingzhuo would never have dared to defy the Emperor’s authority. But now that he carried Murong Zichen’s child in his belly, he wasn’t the least bit worried about what Murong Zichen might do to him.

“Forgive me, but I must refuse,” Yun Mingzhuo said, his lips curling into a mocking smile as he coldly spat out those four words.

“Yun Fei, are you trying to disobey my imperial decree?” Murong Zichen’s tone darkened. For the child’s sake, he had been willing to show Yun Mingzhuo some leniency, but it seemed that the man was getting far too bold.

Yun Mingzhuo looked as though he was frightened, but his tone was calm and detached—clearly challenging the Emperor.

“Your Majesty, please understand, this concubine would not dare!”

Using the baby in his belly as his shield, Yun Mingzhuo had grown bold enough to flirt with danger!

“Yun—Fei!” Murong Zichen barked, enraged by his insolent attitude.

Yet Yun Mingzhuo remained composed and continued in an even voice, “If Your Majesty insists on taking Mo Hua away, then you’ll have to kill me first.”

“You think I won’t?” Murong Zichen’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“How could I think that? You are the Son of Heaven—my worthless life is nothing but an ant before Your Majesty.”

That was true enough. Yun Mingzhuo’s status was low, and his life wasn’t worth a single coin. But the life in his belly—that was precious beyond measure. Murong Zichen cared far too much about the child. Yun Mingzhuo knew it, and he gambled that the Emperor wouldn’t dare harm him.

“My Yun Fei truly has courage,” Murong Zichen sneered, laughter laced with anger. Inwardly, he resolved that once Yun Mingzhuo gave birth to the prince or princess, he would make sure to properly teach him a lesson.

No matter how the Emperor tried—be it through threats or persuasion—Yun Mingzhuo refused to yield. He would not give Mo Hua away.

Although Murong Zichen was seething with anger, he couldn’t risk upsetting Yun Mingzhuo and endangering the baby. He could only retreat for now, though his mind was already scheming how to “take” Mo Hua for his younger brother in secret.

Yun Mingzhuo saw the look on the Emperor’s face as he left and knew instantly—the man had taken this to heart.

***

The next day, Yun Mingzhuo dragged Mo Hua along to Shang Xuan’s palace.

“You—remember to apologize properly when you see Shang Xuan later!”

“Why should I apologize to him?” Mo Hua frowned.

“Because you made him cry!”

“I didn’t! It wasn’t my fault—he started crying for no reason!”

Mo Hua’s expression was full of reluctant frustration. He hadn’t done anything wrong, yet his master was forcing him to apologize. He was not happy about it.

“It doesn’t matter whose fault it was,” Yun Mingzhuo said matter-of-factly. “Little Xuan-Xuan is delicate. You must yield to him, learn to lower your head, and show some grace.”

“Delicate?” Mo Hua furrowed his brow, clearly disagreeing with the choice of words.

“Of course! Little Xuan-Xuan is thin and fair, with skin like jade. I’ve never seen anyone more fragile or beautiful.” Yun Mingzhuo stroked his chin in thought. “He’s like a male Lin Daiyu^[1]—graceful and heartbreakingly delicate.”

“…” Mo Hua fell silent.

Fragile? Impossible! He had trained Shang Xuan in martial arts before and found him to be strong and naturally gifted—a rare martial prodigy. How could someone like that be called delicate?

Mo Hua shook his head, silently grumbling that Yun Mingzhuo was far too obsessed with appearances.

“Remember—don’t say anything shocking this time and make the little beauty cry again, understand?” Yun Mingzhuo reminded him seriously before they entered.

He’d heard that Shang Xuan hadn’t been eating or drinking ever since he was rejected by Mo Hua. Yun Mingzhuo worried that if Mo Hua said something wrong again, Shang Xuan might… do something foolish.

In Yun Mingzhuo’s mind, the only reason Shang Xuan had cried before was because Mo Hua had said something unintentionally hurtful to his fragile little heart.

When Shang Xuan saw Mo Hua coming to find him of his own accord, he was thrilled. But the moment he noticed Yun Mingzhuo standing behind him, his expression immediately darkened.

(To be continued…)