ITVCFITB CHAPTER 69

Chapter 69 – Another Baby Push

Luo Shuyu’s throat felt scratchy. He was sipping plain congee and had barely blown on his second spoonful when Li Mingjin burst in like a storm, with Physician Lin Yuan at his heels and Qingwang panting hard behind them.

Luo Shuyu couldn’t help laughing. “It’s nothing serious. Why the panic?”

Li Mingjin reached for his wrist, then noticed the spoon in his hand and instead sat close. “You’re sick, how could I not be worried?”

“I just coughed a bit. Hardly a big deal.”

“Not a big deal?” Li Mingjin turned at once. “Physician Lin, check him now.”

Knowing exactly what had the prince on edge, Lin Yuan said tactfully, “Your Highness, there’s no need to rush. Let His Highness finish his congee, then I’ll take his pulse.”

If there might be a little one in that belly, Li Mingjin thought, better not let him go hungry. He forced himself to stand aside and watch.

Being stared at like that made Luo Shuyu uncomfortable. “Why don’t we do the pulse first? I’ll drink when it cools.”

“Very well,” Lin said.

Li Mingjin immediately helped Luo Shuyu to the small couch.

“I’m not dizzy, and I haven’t gone weak,” Luo Shuyu told him, amused. “I can walk on my own.” With all this fussing, he felt like a dying patient.

In the past, Luo Shuyu took meticulous care of his health and rarely fell ill. For minor aches he’d call a physician, and Li Mingjin wouldn’t think much of it. But things were different now. Since Lin Yuan had said the lingering toxins in Luo Shuyu’s body were nearly cleared and the impact on fertility was fading, Li Mingjin had been certain a child couldn’t be far off. And Luo Shuyu had never had dry heaves with any illness before.

This time had to be different.

“Let the doctor take a look first,” Li Mingjin insisted.

“Fine,” Luo Shuyu agreed, still not understanding why Li Mingjin was suddenly so keyed up. Truth was, his throat just itched.

Lin Yuan took his pulse. Li Mingjin stood by, unusually quiet. People who knew him understood he had a good temper; it was only his appearance that misled others.

Watching him so tense made Luo Shuyu tense in turn, half expecting to hear he had something incurable.

Lin finished, asked a few questions, and reached his conclusion.

Li Mingjin stared at him, expectant, every muscle taut as if awaiting a bombshell.

Lin Yuan avoided his gaze and addressed Luo Shuyu. “Your Highness has no grave ailment. The weather’s cold; the spleen and stomach have taken a chill. I’ll prescribe a few doses. Keep warm these next days, and keep the vents mostly closed.”

Li Mingjin blinked. “No other symptoms?”

Lin shook his head. “None. Don’t worry, Your Highness. Two days of medicine and he’ll be fine.”

“You’re sure?” Li Mingjin pressed. “Maybe check again? He, uh, retched.”

That was enough for Luo Shuyu to pinpoint the real concern. He shot Qingwang a look to see the doctor out.

When Lin had gone, only a faintly disappointed Li Mingjin and a completely unfooled Luo Shuyu remained.

Servants reheated the congee and brought two veggie buns at Luo Shuyu’s request. Strangely, his appetite perked up as soon as he saw Li Mingjin.

After eating, he looked across the table. “All right, what’s going on with you?”

“It’s nothing,” Li Mingjin said. “Just focus on getting better.”

Luo Shuyu reached up and smoothed a finger over his brow. “Look, your forehead’s wrinkled like an old granny’s. ‘Nothing,’ huh?”

“It really is nothing. I’m just worried.” Stubborn to the end.

Leaning closer, Luo Shuyu murmured, “I believe you’re worried. But today you seemed to be hoping for… something else too.”

“…” His spouse had hawk eyes.

“We agreed to let things happen naturally,” Luo Shuyu reminded him gently. “If it happens, it happens; if not, then not. Don’t tighten yourself into knots. Take care of your body first. I’m not in a rush.” He hadn’t wanted to bring it up, but his own health had already weighed on Li Mingjin. Better to pull out that thorn.

Li Mingjin sighed. “You always know how to comfort me. What spouse doesn’t want a child with the person he loves?”

“Most do,” Luo Shuyu said softly. “I do, too. But don’t put so much pressure on yourself. We’ll have a child, no need to force it this instant. And truly, I’m not anxious about it. Believe me. For now, you have two tasks: stay healthy and look toward our future.”

If he couldn’t understand after that, Luo Shuyu thought, all this talk would be wasted. The situation was unstable, and the future, uncertain. If a child came now, they might not be able to protect him. If one didn’t, that was its own kind of safety, it would spare a little life from needless hardship.

Li Mingjin breathed deep. “I understand. I won’t get tangled up over it again.”

“This is normal,” Luo Shuyu said with a smile. “Trust me, it’ll happen.” At least now he knew Li Mingjin’s earlier reluctance hadn’t been lack of desire but physical limits. Given his past life’s tenderness toward him and a child, how could he not long for one together?

Li Mingjin kissed his forehead. “You’re too good to me. Don’t go out today, wind will make it worse. Stay in and rest.”

Luo Shuyu coughed lightly. “Got it.”

When you’re sick, health really does come first; only with a sound body can you do anything else.

While Luo Shuyu recuperated, Li Mingjin rarely left the residence, hovering over him and timing every dose of medicine. Luo Shuyu was tempted to shoo him off to drink with Lin Haiming, anything to escape the bitter decoctions. Medicine tastes awful, all right?

Five days later, Lin Yuan returned for a follow-up and declared him recovered. Only then did Li Mingjin stop hovering and throw himself back into strengthening the city’s defenses.

In a blink, year’s end arrived.

Winter hit the north fast. Like the other officials, they stocked vegetables and fruit early for the cold months.

---

Once the capital settled, Li Mingjin, at Luo Shuyu’s urging, wrote several letters to Emperor Tiansheng, inquiring after his health and advising him not to overwork. Truth be told, he often didn’t know what to write; he and the emperor weren’t that close. With Luo Shuyu sick, he dashed one off rather perfunctorily, even copying Luo Shuyu’s habit of short, frequent notes.

That day in the imperial palace, the old eunuch brought the letter with a grin. “Your Majesty, a letter from Third Highness! Shall we read it now?”

Annoyed after an afternoon of memorials, the emperor perked up. “Bring it here.”

These days, the only thing that brightened him was letters from Old Third. They were full of trivialities and domestic nonsense, which he adored. Far better than endless memorials or the bickering in the harem.

Lately, Li Mingjin’s letters had become the emperor’s greatest pleasure.

Only this time, no matter how he turned the page, there wasn’t much to read.

“Not reading, Your Majesty?” the eunuch asked when he saw him set it down after a glance.

The emperor unfolded the single sheet, baffled. “Did he forget the other pages? Why is there only one?”

Short, indeed.

“Strange,” the emperor mused. “No trouble with the northern Guiyan tribe, no battles… Did he quarrel with his spouse?”

The eunuch chuckled behind his hand. “Your Majesty, Third Highness and the Third Consort are getting on splendidly. Perhaps it’s just a lovers’ tiff.”

“Tsk. Now his mood is affecting me,” the emperor said, half amused.

The eunuch, ever the old fox, offered exactly what the emperor wanted to hear. “He has Your Majesty’s favor. He’s being playful, pouting to you.”

The emperor smiled at the letter. “That’s true. Only he dares show a little temper to me. Grind the ink. I’ll write him a proper reply.”

“At once,” said the eunuch.

---

Unaware that his lazy short note had only made the emperor dote on him more, Li Mingjin soon received not just a reply but wagons of winter clothes and produce from the capital. In the cold, everything kept beautifully.

So in the dead of winter, Luo Shuyu and Li Mingjin were eating fresh vegetables from the capital.

Hearing of the feast, Chen Rong came to freeload, Physician Lin tagged along shamelessly, and Li Mingjin invited the Wei brothers and Lin Haiming as well. With so many people, stir-fries went cold too fast; the servants set up a hotpot so everyone could swish meat and vegetables.

They ate and drank with gusto. Luo Shuyu accompanied Li Mingjin the whole time, even clinking cups a few times himself.

Since moving north, he’d grown more relaxed about such niceties. To help Li Mingjin, he needed to know his people.

Some had tried to pit Li Mingjin against the Wei family, but they’d refused to play by the script and ended up getting along. With the Weis’ support, their plans in the north went smoothly. Prefect Zhu, once their biggest obstacle, had already been escorted back to the capital to await punishment. He’d backed the Eldest Prince and hauling him in was a clear sign of Li Mingjin’s loyalty to the throne.

Zhu had never imagined the Eldest Prince would fall so fast. Too late for regrets.

Over drinks, they talked about the northern Guiyan state. Their victory this year wasn’t only due to Li Mingjin; the Guiyan were also tearing themselves apart, tribes squabbling over spoils, the first and second princes at each other’s throats, and an aging king.

In that, they resembled Great Xia: a weakening sovereign and ambitious princes plotting their futures. Power always draws the crowd.

Wine and hotpot: a simple human joy.

Li Mingjin was delighted. In the north, he’d gained two more true friends.

The table grew livelier as more joined. In the end, Li Mingjin got drunk, and the others were helped off to guest rooms.

That night, he hugged Luo Shuyu and out of nowhere squeezed out two tears. “Shuyu, having you is the best thing. You’ve brought me so much luck.”

“It’s not my luck,” Luo Shuyu said. “It’s your own character.”

Li Mingjin promptly swept him onto the bed. “Then let me repay you with myself!”

The forcibly repaid Luo Shuyu: “…” Knew his righteousness wouldn’t last a minute!

---

Before they knew it, the New Year arrived.

On New Year’s Eve, several wagons of “stones” came to their gate.

This time, the news wasn’t from the capital but from Li Mingjin’s hidden guards.

The carts weren’t carrying stones at all but ore.

They had found the mine Luo Shuyu had described.

Li Mingjin brought him the news at once.

Luo Shuyu hugged him tight. “That’s wonderful! Seal off the roads around it, no leaks.”

Li Mingjin was excited too. “Then next…”

They could mine and forge weapons. Whether they’d need them was another matter, but the mine must be secured.

For them, this was monumental.

At the same time, word came from the capital: Shen Mingyun had formally become the Fourth Prince’s principal consort; all ceremonies completed. One had to admit, Shen Mingyun’s luck was impressive.

Luo Shuyu didn’t mind. Shen Mingyun was the novel’s protagonist backed by a system, blessed with fate. But in this life, they had the mine, while Shen had only just ascended to the position of principal consort, and the Fourth Prince had only begun to show his face in court.

The Crown Prince was a tough bone to gnaw. If the Fourth wanted a fight, he’d need Shen Mingyun’s help.

As things stood, it was anyone’s guess who would be laughing in the end.

After the New Year came spring.

Following last year’s plan, Li Mingjin and Luo Shuyu planted new crops. The previous results had been good; through the winter, Gucheng saw no famine. Collapsed roofs from snowfall had been dealt with as well.

With the new prefect yet to arrive, Li Mingjin temporarily took over local affairs, which only broadened what he could accomplish.

After spring plowing, more news arrived from the capital: the Fourth Prince and the Crown Prince were at each other’s throats. Emperor Tiansheng sided with the Fourth at every turn, and the Left Chancellor helped as well.

In the fifth month, Shen Mingyun presented a method to enrich the imperial coffers and won many rewards, yet he was dissatisfied. If he wasn’t given a cut, how was he to fund the Fourth Prince’s climb?

So he set his sights on the Crown Prince. The system obligingly issued quests targeting the Crown Prince; for now, the Third Prince in the north could wait.

From then on, Shen Mingyun hosted banquet after banquet, always finding new gimmicks to delight his guests.

He and the Crown Princess had held a grudge since the chrysanthemum banquet two years prior and clashed often. The Crown Princess couldn’t match his flair and lost repeatedly. They complained to the empress more than once, but with the emperor shielding Shen, he strutted away smug each time.

In early sixth month, the Crown Princess and Shen Mingyun both became pregnant. The Crown Prince and Fourth Prince guarded them like treasure.

By mid-sixth month, a letter arrived for Li Mingjin from the emperor: why hadn’t they conceived yet? Along with the letter came an imperial physician from the Academy of Medicine.

Holding the letter, Li Mingjin looked over at Luo Shuyu, who was poking at a slice of watermelon. “Father Emperor is pushing for a baby again.”

Luo Shuyu glanced at Lin Yuan. Lin looked back at Li Mingjin and said, “Your Highness, you don’t have any problems now.”

Li Mingjin’s eyes lit up. Luo Shuyu immediately turned away. Don’t look at me.

---

Author’s Note:
Third Prince: Beloved, tonight you’re the frail strategist and I’m the headstrong general. To make me heed your plan, sneak into my command tent after dark!
Luo Shuyu: The frail strategist startles at the general’s roar, suffers cardiac arrest, and dies.
Third Prince: …

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