The Foolish General's Mute Spouse - Chapter 76

76: Busy with Nothing

Fu Yanxiao was swamped with work, so Xia Xiu went to the general’s residence to keep Fu Yu’an company. However, he soon discovered that Qi Ren had also become busy, disappearing all day without a trace.

“Maybe they’re working on the same thing.” Xia Xiu mused, stroking his chin. “Could it be related to the Crown Prince…”

“Shh! Be careful—walls have ears! I asked Qi Ren, but he wouldn’t tell me what he’s been up to. It’s strange.”

Xia Xiu felt slightly reassured and nodded. “Perhaps they’re truly occupied with something major and don’t want us to worry. By the way, I asked Fu Yanxiao to look into your matter, but there’s no result yet.”

Fu Yu’an understood. Something that had happened so many years ago couldn’t possibly yield answers so quickly.

That night, Qi Ren returned looking utterly exhausted, his face marred with a few small cuts.

Fu Yu’an was startled and stepped forward to help him remove his cloak, his voice laced with concern. “What have you been doing? How did you get hurt? Let me get the medicine.”

Qi Ren said nothing, only pulling him close and kissing him fiercely, as if trying to press him into his very being.

Fu Yu’an was caught off guard, nearly suffocating from the intensity of the kiss.

When it ended, Qi Ren’s eyes gleamed with an unusual light, like a wolf returning from the hunt, eager to show off his spoils to his mate.

“The Crown Prince is finished.” he said. “It’s almost over. It’ll all be over soon.”

His fingers traced Fu Yu’an’s face, his voice rough.

Fu Yu’an didn’t understand where this sudden declaration came from, but based on what Xia Xiu had mentioned, perhaps the Fourth Prince and his allies had finally begun their move.

The news he brought arrived early—three days later, the Emperor issued an edict stripping the Crown Prince of his title.

Already under house arrest, the public had long speculated that he had fallen out of favor, and his removal was only a matter of time.

But no one expected it to happen so quickly.

Qi Ren continued leaving early and returning late. Sometimes, he’d vanish before Fu Yu’an even woke up, not coming back until deep into the night.

Occasionally, he returned with injuries, his once-pristine clothes covered in dust, as if he’d been rolling around somewhere.

At first, Fu Yu’an was displeased, but Qi Ren refused to explain no matter how many times he asked. After a while, Fu Yu’an simply grew numb to it.

One day, Qi Ren came back with another gash on his face—this one worse than before, bleeding profusely.

Fu Yu’an cleaned and treated the wound, asking, “What exactly are you doing? Even fighting a wild boar wouldn’t leave you like this, would it?”

Qi Ren burst into hearty laughter, saying it wasn’t about the wild boar but something else.

Fu Yu’an asked what it was, but he still wouldn’t say, shaking his head with a faint smile and only replying that he’d find out soon enough.

“The Emperor suddenly fell ill and is now bedridden.” he said. “Do you want to go to the palace to see him?”

Fu Yu’an naturally had no desire to: “Why should I go see him? I don’t want to lay eyes on him.”

Nor did he want to see Concubine Jue—otherwise, his mind would inevitably wander, and he’d be upset for days.

Qi Ren pulled him into his arms, lifting him by the thighs to face him. “Do you know why the Crown Prince was deposed?”

Fu Yu’an was somewhat uncomfortable with this embarrassing position and tried to press his legs together, but that only made Qi Ren grip his waist even tighter.

He gave up struggling and rested his head on Qi Ren’s shoulder, asking why.

“He was caught in an affair with one of the Emperor’s Concubines and was reported.”

“Didn’t the Empress try to clear his name?”

“She couldn’t. There were witnesses and material evidence, and the Concubine herself confessed. The Emperor slapped her, causing her to go into premature labor. She gave birth to a baby boy, and the Emperor was furious, immediately demanding a bl00d test to confirm paternity.”

“And the results proved it was the Crown Prince’s?”

“Yes. The Concubine was executed on the spot—though she was already barely clinging to life after the birth.”

Fu Yu’an frowned slightly, clearly disgusted by the idea of using a child as a pawn in political struggles.

Every child was innocent and shouldn’t be sacrificed for power games.

“What happened to the baby?”

“It’s a family scandal. The Emperor only deposed the Crown Prince, but the child likely won’t survive either.”

Fu Yu’an couldn’t bear it, his fingers tightening on Qi Ren’s clothes.

Qi Ren pulled him back in disbelief, widening his eyes. “No way—don’t tell me you want to raise him?”

Fu Yu’an shook his head, biting his lower lip in distress.

“I can’t even take care of myself, let alone the Crown Prince’s child, who’s no relation to me… It’s just a pity. He’ll have to leave this world so soon after being born.”

Political struggles are this brutal—Qi Ren wanted to say it, but Fu Yu’an’s mother had also been a casualty of the harem’s infighting. He couldn’t bring himself to say such words to his face.

“Elder Sister said she would find a way to send the child out of the palace. Eventually, they’ll be given to a childless merchant family—it’ll be a decent end for them.”

Concubine Jue hadn’t actually said that, but Qi Ren did.

And he would definitely find a way to make it happen.

Fu Yu’an’s lips curled slightly, finally feeling somewhat comforted. He threw himself into Qi Ren’s arms and nodded emphatically.

“By the way, the day after tomorrow is the Lantern Festival. I heard there are lantern displays in the west of the city, with riddles to solve. The best prize is a gilded horse lantern with auspicious patterns—do you want to go?”

Qi Ren thought for a moment and answered cautiously, “The day after tomorrow… I might be busy. Well, I’ll see. I’ll try my best to make it. If I can’t, you can go with Xia Xiu. That kid’s clever—he might even help you win the top prize!”

“…” Fu Yu’an felt deeply disappointed. He knew that if Qi Ren said it like this, the chances were slim he’d actually come.

Who even cares about that horse lantern, really!

Besides, people probably want to spend time with their own families. Fu Yanxiao isn’t like you, with nothing better to do all day.

But unexpectedly, on the day of the Lantern Festival, Xia Xiu did show up at his door with a bitter expression.

“That bastard Fu Yanxiao! Said he had paperwork to deal with and told me to come find you instead! Ugh… Is there no justice in this world?!”

Fu Yu’an looked at him with a mix of amusement and exasperation, pointing at himself. “Qi Ren is also out—maybe the two of them are busy together. Stop crying already; you’re acting like some resentful housewife. Come on, let’s go solve lantern riddles.”

Xia Xiu let out a few more exaggerated sobs, saying that he had argued with Fu Yanxiao before leaving and stormed out in such a rage that he forgot to bring any money.

Fu Yu’an couldn’t help but laugh, though inwardly, he felt a twinge of envy at Xia Xiu’s straightforward way of interacting with Fu Yanxiao.

His own relationship with Qi Ren always felt restrained and awkward. Whenever something happened, his first instinct was to evade or hide it. Even their arguments usually ended up with him sarcastically berating Qi Ren all by himself.

Every time they made up, it was always Qi Ren who took the initiative. Fu Yu’an thought it over carefully and realized that he had always been the one being spoiled in this relationship.

Well, when Qi Ren comes back tonight, I’ll treat him better! He must have some unspeakable reason for leaving early and returning late. I should try to understand him more.

Since it was still early, Fu Yu’an kept Xia Xiu at the manor for a bowl of sweet rice dumplings before having Xiao Zhu arrange a carriage.

Li Ke, too, was working tirelessly under the stars. The three of them could be considered comrades in shared misery.

Just as Xiao Zhu reached the gate of Guhe Garden, she ran into an unexpected guest.

“Greetings, Concubine Jue.” Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft as she bowed in respect.

“At ease. Is Yu’an here? I brought him some pastries. Would it be convenient?”

Hearing the commotion, Fu Yu’an exchanged a puzzled glance with Xia Xiu.

Concubine Jue stood there in deep green robes, her flowing shawl fluttering slightly in the breeze, every bit the picture of dignified grace.