The person named Xuanjing sits on the side, wearing a pure colored silk robe, exuding an aura of tranquility and transcendence, but there are subtle traces of worry lingering between his brows.
He adjusted his robe, spoke calmly, "Your Majesty, this matter is lengthy to speak of and involves some past incidents related to worldly ties. Though I have been in the Buddhist order for many years, the world is ever-changing, and due to the convergence of causes and conditions, by accident I have these two children."
Emperor Xuanwen's entire demeanor instantly brightened upon hearing that the two children were his own. He set down the red ink brush in his hand and curiously focused on him, inquiring, "What happened? Speak and let's hear."
Due to the fact that this son was a member of the Buddhist order, even upon returning to the royal family, he did not relinquish his status as a layman. He has always worried in his heart that the Wei Palace will become extinct.
He's thinking how to persuade him to return to lay life.
He couldn't believe it had already led to children, and there were two of them.
Xuanjing's expression was slightly unatural, and he slightly adjusted his thoughts before calmly stating:
"Your Majesty, several years ago, there was a scorpion spirit causing trouble in Zhoujiazhuang village, harming the people. At the invitation of the villagers, I went to Zhoujiazhuang village to exterminate the monster. During the fight, I was inadvertently poisoned by the scorpion spirit's seductive poison. Though I exerted all my strength to kill the scorpion spirit, the poison in my body remained unremoved. By chance, I had physical contact with a commoner woman, and these two children are her offspring."
He did not mention Yuyao's identity, only substituting her with "a commoner woman."
One reason is that he does not want to bring her trouble. Another reason is that Yao's identity as a spider demon is not suitable for exposure.
People are all afraid of demons. If the emperor knew that the two children were born of a demon, he would inevitably feel fear and aversion, and there is even a possibility that he might secretly have them killed.
"It seems like fate is playing tricks on people. You can both be compassionate and protect all beings, and also take on the responsibility of a father. This reassures me greatly."
The Emperor Xuanwen did not inquire about the identity of the commoner woman who gave birth to the two children, nor did he ask where she was. Since Xuanjing did not mention it, it can be presumed that either she had died or had no outcome with Xuanjing.
He does not care about either reason.
"Since they are your children, they are part of the royal bloodline, and they should be given the appropriate status and protection."
The Emperor Xuanwen placed the edict he was holding aside and spoke again.
Xuanjing bowed slightly, respectfully saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. I will endeavor to raise them with all my heart and soul, not to disappoint your high expectations."
"Mm, you can rest assured that we can trust you in handling this matter."
The Emperor Xuanwen nodded slightly and then changed the topic, "Since you have already had children, you might as well return to lay life. The heart that contains Buddha is a place of cultivation wherever it is. Why be bound by formality?"
Xuanjing's heart was a whirlwind of mixed emotions, and a shadow of pain flickered in his eyes.
Xuanjing originally did plan to return to lay life, but since Yuyao had rejected him, what was the point of reverting back to the Buddhist order?
His only wish now is to see the two children grow up. Once they come of age, he will return to Wanfo Temple and live out the rest of his days with ancient Buddha statues and Buddhist scriptures.
Xuanjing suppressed the tumultuous waves within his heart and watched Emperor Xuanwen with a calm expression.
"Your Majesty, I may have had children, but I have broken the Buddhist precepts. However, my dedication to the Buddha has never wavered. At present, my only wish is to raise these two children and take responsibility for them. Regarding returning to lay life, Your Majesty, I have no immediate plans for it."
The Emperor Xuanwen's brow furrowed slightly, showing signs of displeasure, and he wanted to say a few more words to persuade him. However, seeing his son's determined gaze, he realized that it would be futile to continue.
He did not open his mouth to persuade him, thinking that Wei Palace had also inherited a successor, whether or not to return to lay life would be left to him.
There is no need to stir up discord between father and son over this matter.
"All right, since you have made up your mind, I will not force you. But remember, as a member of the royal family, you should be responsible for the royal house and also make plans for the future of your two children. Don't withdraw too much from worldly affairs."
Xuanjing bowed again, "Your Majesty, I understand. I will definitely not fail to fulfill your charge."
The hall fell into silence, with only the sound of Emperor Xuanwen reading decrees and the faint sounds of him writing on them.
Xuanjing's mind was filled with thoughts, reflecting on the appearance of his two children and the past with Yuyao, and before he realized it, he had drifted into reminiscence.
Brief as it was, it was beautiful enough to be worth savoring for a lifetime.
Emperor Xuanwen looked up and saw him looking distracted, his mouth curved into a faint smile, clearly very pleased.
This son is usually of austere and simple nature, with a face without emotion, and even his emotions are rarely revealed. It was indeed unexpected for him to smile.
Emperor Xuanwen did not inquire about his thoughts, waving his hand and saying, "You may leave for now. When you have free time, bring the two children to the palace for me to see."
"Yes, your son obeys the edict."
Xuanjing stood up, bowed in response, and left the Imperial Palace's study, returning to Wei Palace with a complex expression on his face.
The remaining rays of the setting sun fell on the cobblestone path, lengthening his lonely shadow, and although his steps were steady, the turmoil within his heart was undeniable, with waves rising and falling uncontrollably.
He went straight to the side hall, wanting to see if the two children were all right.
As soon as he stepped into the side hall, a warm laughter greeted him.
Yuyao was kneeling on the cushion, with An An and You You surrounding her, laughing and tapping her playfully with their small hands. They shouted, "Mother, let's play together!"
The scene was warm and beautiful, with Yuyao radiating a maternal glow, her face filled with a warm, intoxicating smile. It was the warmth that Xuanjing had long missed.
As he watched, his nose suddenly felt sour, and his heart felt bitter and sour. His eyes reddened, and a faint moistness appeared in the corners of his eyes. Two tears silently slipped from them.
To avoid being noticed, Xuanjing quickly turned around, wiped his tears away with his sleeve, and returned to his usual calm and composed expression.
Yuyao sensed the movement at the door and turned her head, seeing Xuanjing standing there.
A faint smile on her face momentarily froze, but then quickly returned to its usual expression.
She didn't get up either, still kneeling on the cushion and playing with the two children, murmuring, "I've come to see the children."
In reality, she came secretly every day, but usually chose when Xuanjing wasn't around. She hadn't expected to run into him today.
It's a bit awkward.
Xuanjing nodded and entered the side hall, kneeling down by the cushion.
His gaze wandered between her and the two children, finally settling on her stunning face, his eyes filled with complexity. "The children miss you very much. They keep calling for a mother's embrace at night."
Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, Yuyao's expression was not pleasant. Hearing his words, her heart was not at ease either.
She lowered her eyes, avoiding Xuanjing's gaze, "I will come to see them often from now on. You don't need to tell me this."
Xuanjing was slightly stunned, a sense of loss rose in his heart, and his eyes gradually dimmed.
His lips trembled slightly, and he wanted to say something, but didn't know where to start.
He slowly stood up, looking at her and the two children, his voice slightly hoarse, "As long as you can come to spend more time with them, I will be content."
She did not respond, but focused on playing with the two children.
Xuanjing stood quietly to the side, watching the warm and beautiful scene before him. The innermost part of his heart was painfully bittersweet.
"Yao'er, have you really made up your mind?"
He struggled to open his mouth, every word felt like it was being pulled from his throat.
Yuyao avoided his gaze, gently caressing the hair of You You, "Xuanjing, I know you love me, but at the same time, I cannot ignore the deep affection of Duodu Zhou. Between the two of you, I can only choose one. I have also given both of you a fair chance. It's you who hesitated."
Xuanjing's eyes were filled with bitterness, and his heartache was almost unbearable. He struggled to keep his emotions in check, trying to make his voice sound calm.
"Yes, it was me who hesitated, and then lost to Duodu Zhou. That's why I lost you. I did not blame you, only myself for not loving you as much as Duodu Zhou, who loved you without hesitation."
Although Xuanjing showed a calm demeanor, she could still feel the intense emotions churning beneath his calm exterior.
Just about to say something.
Just at this moment, the sound of hurried footsteps entered the side hall.
It was a servant from Wei Palace, "My lord, a eunuch named Fu'an has brought an imperial edict. It is intended for the two young ladies."
Xuanjing was not surprised; he nodded slightly and turned to Yuyao, "Wait here for a moment. I'll take the children out to receive the edict first."
As soon as he finished speaking, he wrapped An An and You You in his arms and left.
Since she couldn't go out with him, and she was curious about the content of the edict, she concealed her presence and stealthily followed behind.
Following him to the garden, she saw a rotund eunuch holding the yellow paulownia edict, accompanied by numerous palace guards and eunuchs in a grand procession.
The round and fat eunuch was Fu'an, the head eunuch of Emperor Xuanwen.
Xuanjing, holding An An and You You, knelt to receive the edict. The slaves of Wei Palace kneeled on the ground in a sea of bows.
Fu'an looked at Xuanjing and the two children in his arms, slowly unfolded the edict, and read it out loud:
"The Weizhuang King, Duodu Zhou, has great contributions to the country and has brought blessings to the people. Now, his son Duodu Rui has been born into this world, inheriting the grace of the heavenly fate. This is indeed a blessing for our imperial family. Therefore, I hereby declare that Duodu Rui will be crowned as the heir of Wei Palace, and Duodu Min as the Princess of Changle District. May they continue to honor the legacy of their ancestors. This edict is issued by decree."
After the reading was complete, Xuanjing handed An An and You You to the nursemaid behind him, stood up, approached to receive the edict, and bowed deeply in gratitude for the imperial favor.
Yuyao, hidden in the shadows, watched this scene with both joy and complexity in her heart.
Suddenly she felt that it was a good thing to give the children to Xuanjing.
If the children followed her to the Eastern Palace, even if Duodu Zhou was very good to them and would not mistreat them, there would still be an awkwardness in their status.
If they remained by Xuanjing's side, there would be no such problems, and they could inherit the whole Wei Palace in a natural way.
And You You, who is the noble Princess of Changle District, will be loved by her father and occasionally visited by her. As long as she doesn't marry the wrong person in the future, she will have a happy and carefree life.
With the two children safe, she felt at ease.
She left without saying a word to Xuanjing, quietly disappearing.
After sending off Fu'an and his entourage, Xuanjing took back the edict, turned back to the side hall, and found Yuyao had already left.
A trace of sadness flashed in his eyes.
He slowly walked to the cushion side, squatting down, and touched the place where she had previously knelt with her fingers. As if he could feel her remaining warmth and the joyful laughter she and the children had left behind.
However, this warmth soon faded, leaving only him alone in the silence of his memories, filled with sorrow and solitude.
