The Darker the Night, The Brighter the Stars

Fu Yanqing wasted no time in ordering Si Chong to prepare for their journey then he went to visit his mother, formerly the Empress was now the Empress Dowager since Fu Jinlou's ascension as a puppet to the throne.

Fu Yanqing's only real objective was to take one of his mother's people with him. He wasn't really there to visit because he was still sour about his mother's actions.

His indifference towards the person that had birthed him became even more magnified as they slowly became estranged after the Empress Dowager's attempts to force him to bed the women she had brought.

"You want to take Court Lady Choi with you?" His mother said with disbelief. This son of hers did not even bother beating around. It was like he was in a hurry to leave and was more direct than usual.

"I require her knowledge and expertise on some matter." Court Lady Choi was his mother's most faithful servant and she had faithfully served beside the Empress Dowager since she was still a young maiden.

Court Lady Choi had spent her youthful years with the Empress Dowager, never marrying. She even took care of the young Fu Yanqing when he was sick before as a child because the previous emperor was too busy with his scandalous activities to care about Fu Yanqing.

"What would you need her for?" Fu Yanqing wasn't obligated to answer but he briefly said that he needed the court lady to do something important for him.

Of course, he wouldn't tell her that she needed his mother's court lady to attend to his little woman who was currently pregnant. That was simply asking for trouble.

He wouldn't reveal anything until he was sure that his little woman has agreed to marry him and come back to Zhao Country with him. It wouldn't be easy but the difficulty was because of his own actions.

Fu Yanqing would atone and seriously repent. He'd make sure of it.

He wasn't surprised when he saw that his mother was suspicious. But then again, he grew not to care anymore. He had gotten used to her always doubting behavior towards him.

"You are going somewhere again?" She sounded very worried. If those snakes in the court found out her son was gone again, they'd be actively plotting schemes once more.

It was only recently that Fu Tian Su was also poisoned. Concubine Ning had fallen sick because of worry and she has been bedridden for a while.

It was their fortune that Buddha was kind and the young princess was saved. The Empress Dowager has watched over Fu Tian Su since, fearful that she might get hurt and she has sent the best Imperial physicians in the court to Concubine Ning.

If only the Empress Dowager could be this sensible towards him, Fu Yanqing wouldn't have to worry. He wouldn't have to worry about his motives being questioned let alone his whereabouts.

Ever since the incident, Fu Yanqing's trust towards the Empress Dowager wavered even more. His already frosty heart turned icy cold once more whenever the Empress Dowager was in the vicinity.

His animosity and hate towards the female population did not exempt his own mother because she had been one of the reasons why Fu Yanqing couldn't trust women.

His weak yet scheming mother had thoroughly desensitized him from all women. He no longer felt like they were equals as humans and would always be wary of them. There were a few exceptions but they were rare in between just like Zhang Yuan's wife.

"Brother Jing, take me with you!" Fu Tian Su energetically requested. It has only been two months since her recovery but she was already so active and loud.

Fu Yanqing shook his head. He wasn't a doting older brother like Zhang Yuan but he atleast respected that he was related to this little sister and that she was his only sister by blood.

"I am going away for a while. Be good and accompany the Empress Dowager." His formal address wasn't unnoticed by the Empress Dowager. She closed her eyes but didn't reprimand him.

On the other hand, the fifteen-year-old made a face. Fu Tian Su has always been spoiled since birth because she was the only princess among three siblings.

The Empress Dowager and her biological mother, Concubine Ning doted on Fu Tian Su a lot so she almost always got everything she wanted. Concubine Ning and the Empress Dowager weren't like the other women in the harem.

It was because they were cousins and good friends that they have a good relationship.

Fu Yanqing wasn't too worried. There was Zhang Yuan as the Chancellor and he was one of Fu Yanqing's people. Zhang Yuan was loyal to Fu Yanqing. They grew up together, joined the army together, and fought the palace snakes and rouges together.

And all this for the country's prosperity. They have the same goal and that was to ensure Zhao Country's peace and prosperous days.

He was the only person that Fu Yanqing actually trusts. Zhang Yuan was already informed of his plans and has already spoken his grievances and complaints aloud.

"You're going to leave me with those snakes again? Fu Yanqing, you are supposed to help your brother! Don't you know that those stinky old men have been bothering me about your marriage? And now you're going to leave again!" Zhang Yuan, a grown man who was only two years older than Fu Yanqing was crying dramatically and trying to guilt the cold Prince Jing yet again.

This very man was also the youngest Chancellor in the history of Zhao Country.

"I'd be more than happy to deal with these snakes if only you weren't so stiff and were willing to help. Look at me, I've married already and have a beautiful and lovely wife waiting for me at home. And you, you are twenty-five this year and you don't look like you have any plans on getting married at all!"

Zhang Yuan paced around him, nagging like an annoying older brother, admonishing him for not trying to fulfill his duties as part of the younger generation.

Zhang Yuan wasn't even afraid of calling Fu Yanqing using his full name because he was aware that Fu Yanqing would never slight him for it. They were like brothers and trusted each other very much. Formalities were almost nonexistent between them unless they were in front of other people.

When they were alone together, it can be said that they look like a regular pair of brothers.

Fu Yanqing ignored Zhang Yuan's desperate cries of protest. Calmly, he said, "Chancellor Zhang talks a lot."

"Tch, Tch. You, Fu Yanqing, because you aren't married, you don't know how difficult it is for me to let my wife wait. You don't know how good it is to have a wife... To have a beautiful and lovely woman waiting for you to come home. To have someone cook your meals and take care of you..." Zhang Yuan said while shaking his head at Fu Yanqing.

"Oh, you stiff man don't even know how soft a woman's body is. This is why you're always looking like people owe you money. Because you've never released your pent up frustrations and you-"

"Are you done?" Fu Yanqing interrupted, wanting to leave immediately.

"You..." Zhang Yuan was unable to continue.

"My pregnant wife is waiting for me. It's not good to let a wife wait, right?" Fu Yanqing said using a tone filled with ridicule.

Zhang Yuan's eyes widened. Did he hear it right? Fu Yanqing, the stiff man has a wife that was pregnant? When? Where? How?

How is this possible? Zhang Yuan looked at the 'stiff' Fu Yanqing with a skeptical look on his face.

"You evil man... which poor soul..." Before Zhang Yuan could finish, Fu Yanqing left, his glorious robes fluttering behind him along with his long dark hair.

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