ITVCFITB CHAPTER 124

 Chapter 124 — Extra: Family Day

The ice cuju final only began once Luo Shuyu and Li Mingjin arrived with Chongchong to take their seats on the imperial dais.

This was a fair, open competition, ice cuju had become the most anticipated winter event in Great Xia. Li Mingjin had even ordered a proper rink and tiered stands built. He borrowed the layout from the old flower-queen pageant a decade ago, but this time the crowds came for sport and for a distant glimpse of the Emperor, the Empress, and the much-sheltered Prince Cheng’an.

Rumor said the Emperor would soon name the prince heir apparent, no suspense there, and with only one consort in the harem, the court’s energy was spared the ruinous infighting of past reigns. Three years earlier he’d publicly advocated monogamy. The edict hadn’t been issued (yet), but with the Emperor leading by example, a new generation of officials vowed to marry one spouse and skip concubines. When the sovereign sets the tone, the rest don’t dare crow about keeping extras.

Back to the match.

As he’d grown, Chongchong had learned six archery forms and fallen in love with cuju; he shouted himself hoarse for his team from their family’s private box. Chen Rong had brought his two pupils too, so three boys of similar age could cheer together.

Seeing the prince love the same sport as their own children, the spectators beamed. People might call the Emperor strict, but life had clearly improved since his enthronement, even where hunger remained, you could feel his government working on it. Praise came easily.

The stands thrummed but never tipped into chaos: ringed around them were hard-eyed guards, veterans from the borders who’d seen blood and slain foes. No one was foolish enough to test them.

Luo Shuyu watched joy on countless faces. So much more could be done, he thought. Lives could be changed. The world could be better.

Li Mingjin also loved cuju, but he loved Luo Shuyu more. Sensing his quiet, he slid a hand to his shoulder and murmured, “What is it?”

“Nothing,” Luo Shuyu said, smiling. “Just… life is good. I want Great Xia to grow even better.”

“It will,” said Li Mingjin. “I plan to broaden our borders.”

He had the heart of a hawk; peace was not an excuse to sleep. Luo Shuyu knew as much and approved.

“You can do it,” he said.

“Not I,” Li Mingjin corrected softly. “We.”

“Mm.”

The match ran two halves of three quarters of an hour each. When it ended, the imperial family slipped out and left the honors ceremony to the Cabinet.

A quarter-hour later, Li Mingjin, Luo Shuyu, Chen Rong, and Lin Yuan quietly reappeared with the three boys in West City, an area the Emperor had rebuilt after taking the throne. Once a tangle of slums, starving beggars, lines at the cheapest apothecary, infants wailing for milk, it had been transformed across four years: corrupt officials exiled to the mines, then systematic repair and renewal. Today the streets bustled; faces had color again.

They ducked into a humble roast-meat shop. An San trotted off to order. Roast meat? Of course, roast whole lamb. Four adults could hardly finish it, but there was a small army of hungry shadow guards nearby to help.

An San now commanded the palace guard, but his primary brief remained: protect the imperial family. He no longer had wages docked, he was too busy for the Empress to catch him slacking. Being busy had its perks.

For Chongchong and Chen Rong’s two boys, the cramped eatery was a novelty. Well-brought-up, they didn’t judge the size, only marveled at the crowd.

“Father, there are so many people. Is the meat that good?” Chongchong’s nose twitched at a neighbor’s platter. “It smells amazing.”

“So I think as well,” said Li Mingjin.

Chen Rong’s boys were Chen Bai and Lin Mo. The younger sniffed the air in awe. “It smells so good!”
“Master, I want some too,” said Chen Bai.

Chen Rong had taken them in for simple reasons: Chen Bai, born frail, had been abandoned; Lin Mo, healthy but stolen by traffickers, was rescued but unclaimed. The pair studied under Lin Yuan and Chen Rong medicine for Chen Bai, statecraft for Lin Mo but at this age, they all learned together.

“Some but not too much,” Chen Rong told them, ruffling hair.

Chen Bai’s thin face lit with a sweet smile. “Okay.”

All the adults doted on the boy, bright, sensible, still full of child’s wonder. He tugged at their hearts; without Lin Yuan, they might never have known such a lovely child.

Beside him, Chongchong felt downright feral: water-gun wars one day, catching minnows the next, then begging to ride, endless energy, his father’s son.

First time out for roast lamb with family, what a treat.

“We should do more days like this,” Li Mingjin murmured to Luo Shuyu. He never called himself “Zhen” at home.

“Then tomorrow we go hunting!” Chongchong announced, face, so like his father’s, beaming.

“In winter?” Li Mingjin pinched his chin. “Snow everywhere. Where would we hunt?” And he disliked those games where men loose tame animals and call it sport. Either hunt for real, or don’t.

Lin Mo, undaunted, offered, “Then when winter’s over, a country outing?” Chen Bai couldn’t trek far; spring would be perfect.

“Excellent idea,” said Luo Shuyu. “We’ll go in spring.”

Hearing the children’s opinions was pleasure itself; minds of their own, as hoped.

“So Father and Uncle agree?” Chongchong pressed.

“If we have time, we’ll go,” Li Mingjin said.

“If we have time,” Chen Rong echoed.

“Have time” was doing a lot of heavy lifting, but the boys didn’t hear the thinness in it.

When the lamb arrived, all was forgiven. As they ate, the children chattered about games and teachers, unguarded words that parents quietly filed away.

After lunch, they toured West City, explaining how these homes were built, which designs endure, which are temporary, and why. The boys might not grasp it now, but seeds were being planted. A future ruler needs vision, eyes on the grain of daily life as well as the sweep of a nation. No free pies fall from Heaven; Chongchong must learn to look farther and think longer than others.

By the time they had wandered themselves out, three small bodies were asleep in adult arms on the ride back, content and exhausted.

They didn’t know the grown-ups were already conspiring.

“Brother,” Luo Shuyu said, stroking Chongchong’s warm cheek, “tomorrow give them an assignment, an account of today.”

Chen Rong flashed a thumbs-up. “Now that’s parenting.”

Li Mingjin glanced fondly at his slumbering son. Sorry, little one. Father can’t save you this time.

The next day, Chongchong was still whispering to Lin Mo about snacks and toys when Chen Rong stepped in and set a single task.

“Today’s assignment,” he said mildly. “An essay or travelogue about yesterday, what you saw, what you learned.”

Chongchong stared, stricken. “Why does going out mean writing about it?”

Because your Papa said so, Chen Rong’s smile implied.

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