The Prime Minister is Pregnant with Dragon's Seed - Chapter 3

The night market in Chang’an Street bustled at night with dazzling lights, fragrant breezes, luxurious carriages, lively street stalls, and crowded taverns.

Chu Huaiyin stood quietly in a dimly lit area, watching Meng Zhou slowly disappear into the crowd. The noise that had seemed distant suddenly pierced through like a blade cutting through fog, becoming sharply distinct.

He frowned slightly. From the desolate northern banks of the Yangbo River to the bustling capital—though both under Great Wei’s territory—the difference was like heaven and earth. How pitiful.

A man in black silently approached. “Master.”

“Mm.” Chu Huaiyin took out a stack of papers from his robe and handed them to the shadow guard. “Investigate someone named Zhang Zhou. The daughter of Vice Minister of War today…”

The shadow guard caught on and continued, “Miss Lin disappeared after being carried into the Wang residence. Not only her—also missing is Yan Duo, the eldest son of Minister Yan of the Ministry of Personnel. But the Yan family publicly claims he’s out traveling for studies, with no fixed return date.”

The shadow guard put it in a euphemistic way, but in fact it meant elopement.

“By tomorrow morning, all of the capital will know that Miss Lin disappeared without reason on the very first night after marrying into the Right Prime Minister’s residence.” Chu Huaiyin clasped his hands behind his back and faced north, his expression indifferent. His tone was light, though it had shown slight fluctuation earlier when he mentioned Zhang Zhou.

The shadow guard looked up in shock. The three families were covering up the scandal. What is master going…. He immediately lowered his head, not daring to speculate further.

“Understood.”

Early the next morning, the capital was abuzz with gossip. The news seemed to sprout legs, spreading rapidly. Tea houses and restaurants chattered with delight:

The Right Prime Minister’s daughter-in-law ran off with someone!

Wang Youxiang, the Right Prime Minister, and the Vice Minister of War stormed to the Yan residence, demanding answers. Minister Yan insisted that his son was away studying under a master with no contact.

“Your daughter went missing after entering your in-laws’ house. Shouldn’t you be asking the Right Prime Minister where she is?”

“Nonsense! Everyone knows your son Yan Duo likes Lin Wan. He must have instigated her!” Wang Youxiang’s thick neck reddened with anger.

“Marriage is determined by parental command and matchmaker’s words. Let Yan Duo release our Wan’er immediately. A forced melon is not sweet¹!” The Vice Minister of War pleaded earnestly, his tone subtly blaming Yan Duo for coercing Lin Wan.

“Hmph, so you do know forced melon is not sweet.” Minister Yan blew the froth off his tea, deflecting the blame with ease.

The three men quarreled furiously. Their political stances were already misaligned—now they used this scandal as fuel, clamoring to have the Emperor intervene.

“Prince Huai has arrived—!”

The room instantly quieted. All three men stood and saluted. “These humble servants greet Prince Huai!”

Each felt uneasy. Chu Huaiyin had guarded the border for five years—decisive in battle, merciless like a Yama incarnate. The bl00d on his body was probably more than the tea they had drunk! This fierce murderous intent could not be washed away by the water in the capital even after ten years!

Especially Wang Youxiang, he is with the Second Prince’s faction, he’d done many shady deeds behind the scenes. His greatest fear was that Chu Huaiyin might one day be displeased enough to simply chop off his head.

How could someone who came back from a battlefield filled with swords and corpses be reasonable? The Second Prince’s faction used this line to brainwash the Emperor constantly—even Wang Youxiang himself believed it to some extent.

But they all chose to ignore the fact that before the death of Empress Zhaoyuan, Chu Huaiyin had studied Confucian classics and governance since childhood—cultivated as the crown prince. Before being pushed onto the battlefield, he too had once been a refined and capable prince.

Chu Huaiyin swept his gaze across the three men, reining in his momentum. His voice was surprisingly gentle. “I have some questions to consult with Minister Yan on a few matters, and happened to pass by your residence. My father is burdened with state affairs day and night—might I ask what business the ministers have to report. I’d like to hear it.”

He looked toward the Right Prime Minister—who held the highest rank among them.

Right Prime Minister: “Let Minister Lin explain!”

Clearly not good news—each tried to pass the buck. In the end, seeing Chu Huaiyin’s expression darken, Minister Yan reluctantly gave a brief account.

Chu Huaiyin sneered. “I thought ministers stayed up nights thinking of ways to ease His Majesty’s burdens… yet you bring him matters of the boudoir?”

Then his tone shifted. “As for whether Miss Lin ran off on her own or is being hidden away, a search of the Right Prime Minister’s residence will reveal the truth. To ensure fairness, my guards will conduct the search—to clear the Right Prime Minister’s name, of course.”

“Good idea! I bet Miss Lin is in your house!” Minister Yan said to Right Prime Minister Wang unhappily. “My son won’t shoulder a crime like elopement!”

“Let’s see what you say if no one’s found!” Right Prime Minister Wang was livid at the accusation.

Before long, Chu Huaiyin’s guards surrounded the Wang residence. By the time the Right Prime Minister and Vice Minister of War realized something was amiss, it was already too late.

Even if they’d caught on sooner—would anyone dare stop Prince Huai once he decided to investigate?

Following Chu Huaiyin’s order, his guards quickly found a woman inside the Wang residence, beaten half to death.

She wore rough linen, her skirt old and tattered—clearly not a maid. Her clothes were disheveled, and despite being unconscious, her wounded hands still clutched her collar tightly.

“Right Prime Minister, who is this?”

Chu Huaiyin’s face darkened, demanding accountability.

Wang Junyang had abducted the woman and hidden her in the house. Even the Right Prime Minister was clueless about it.

“Steward, explain this!”

“M-Master…” the steward stammered, unable to form a coherent explanation.

Seeing this, the Right Prime Minister’s heart sank. He vaguely felt that everything that happened today was a trap, and he had fallen into it!

“Drag this wench away! Don’t dirty Prince Huai’s eyes!” The Right Prime Minister threw a look at the steward. “Last night during the wedding, a thief snuck in. This must be the culprit. The servants… interrogated her too harshly. I ask Prince Huai’s forgiveness.”

“Hold it.” Chu Huaiyin sneered inwardly. Beating a girl like that and still trying to cover it up?

“This morning, a woman stopped my carriage, crying that her daughter was missing. This one looks familiar. Bring her in to identify her.”

A peasant woman was brought in. Upon seeing the girl’s pitiful form, she nearly fainted. “Its Ajuan… Ajuan, wake up and look at your mother…”

The girl didn’t respond. The woman looked around with a dazed look in her eyes, then knelt down in front of Chu Huaiyin. Looking around, she knelt before Chu Huaiyin. She didn’t recognize the prince—but his presence was dominant, clearly someone of great power.

She kowtowed. “My lord! Please uphold justice for my Ajuan! She was kidnapped by Wang Junyang! …My poor child has always been stubborn since she was a child. If, if…”

“Shut up!” Right Prime Minister Wang’s face turned steel gray.

At that moment, Wang Junyang who was knocked unconscious by Chu Huaiyin, just woke up. Seeing the crowd outside, he staggered out, holding his neck crooked.

“What’s going on? Ugh, why is that damned woman here?! Steward! Lock her up! Starve her a few days—see if she obeys then—Ah! Father! Why’d you hit me?!”

Such things were no rarity in the capital these days. But the Vice Minister of War thought of the unfathomable scheming of Prince Huai and shuddered. Soldiers risked life and limb on the front lines, while capital scions indulged in debauchery. The Prince Huai had a clear purpose today, and it was impossible for it to end well

It was a fact that his daughter had run away from marriage. She had probably run away with that wild boy. Now, in order to save her reputation…

Burning with rage, he turned and pointed at Wang Junyang. “My good daughter married into your family—and you actually…! Wan’er is innocent and naive—she must’ve run away after seeing the filth in your house. She was afraid that I would scold her, so she didn’t dare to go home… My poor Wan’er, your Wang family must compensate me for my daughter!”

The Right Prime Minister stared at his in-law, dumbfounded at how fast he turned. With tears and fury, he condemned the Wang family.

Wang Junyang, never having met Chu Huaiyin before, exploded. “Who cares! Look at that girl on the ground—there’s no woman in this world I, Wang Junyang, can’t have!”

The Right Prime Minister kicked him aside to stop him from saying more outrageous things. He practically wanted to stuff him back into his mother’s womb!

*****

Meng Zhou heard about Wang Junyang’s abduction scandal that evening, he had abducted a commoner girl, angered Prince Huai, and was waiting for his fate. Chu Huaiyin’s action was like a hammer blow to the capital’s playboys. His reputation among the people soared.

Meng Zhou had long felt that Chu Huaiyin’s aura was different from that of the people in the capital, but he did not expect that it was the Prince of Huai who had just returned to the capital!

Prince Huai sneaking into the Right Prime Minister’s residence clearly wasn’t a simple act. With the dispute over the throne on the surface, the court was in turmoil, and there would inevitably be a major change.

He slapped his thigh, regretted deeply that he’d actually lied and told him his name was “Zhang Zhou”! 

Once, a thick, golden thigh had been placed right in front of him. He hadn’t cherished it. If Chu Huaiyin gave him another chance, he would definitely cherish it. He’d never go east if told to go west!

The red handprint on his leg hadn’t faded when he heard the next day—Yan Xiang had impeached the Wang Youxiang for embezzling military funds, nearly costing the Wei army its life.

That was four years ago. As soon as Chu Huaiyin left for war, their supplies were cut off. The Second Prince’s faction clearly meant for him never to return—even with the cost of the loss of the territory of Wei. Their plan was for Chu Huaiyin to fall in battle—then replace him with one of their own.

What they never expected was that Chu Huaiyin would win the first battle after a desperate battle. Nor could they predict that the commoners’ reverence for Empress Zhaoyuan would transfer to him.

With the help of the people along the way, and shared hardship, the army swept across the north and secured a foothold—building farms and raising troops, enough to rival the central court.

Chu Huaiyin had returned to the capital settle the score—and his first strike was against the Right Prime Minister!

The ministers present broke out in cold sweats, and after seeing Yan Xiang present a stack of evidence, they became more convinced of this guess.

Prince Huai had come fully prepared. The ministers who once became a hindrance to him were now terrified.

The Vice Minister of War was sweating with anxiety. He almost boarded the ship of the Wang family to protect his family. He immediately knelt. “This official was confused!”

When Emperor Tianyuan asked for an explanation, the Vice Minister relayed the events about Wang Junyang and added, “I am not as clear-minded as my daughter. I am ashamed. I beg Your Majesty to punish me and to dissolve her marriage with the Wang family for my daughter’s innocence.”

The Emperor agreed, fined him three years’ salary and prohibited him from promotion within five years.

Though the wedding had already taken place, he called it an “engagement.” Right Prime Minister Wang stared at him resentfully, wondering who was the first to propose marriage!

The Second Prince sat motionless, ignoring the Right Prime Minister’s pleading gaze.

Sacrificing the knight to save the king—it’s human nature.

Someone regarded the country as a bargaining chip, which Emperor Tianyuan would naturally not tolerate. He removed the Right Prime Minister on the spot, exiled him two thousand miles, and punished all nine generations of his clan.

Life or death decided—no need to explore further.

The Right Prime Minister collapsed, knowing the Emperor did not want to investigate further. Even if it had been the Second Prince’s doing—he couldn’t even cry out his grievance.

To appease Chu Huaiyin, the Emperor promoted Yan Xiang to Right Prime Minister. His vacancy at the Ministry would be filled by a candidate of Chu Huaiyin’s choosing.

The Second Prince had lost a vital arm—Chu Huaiyin had won a resounding victory.

The Vice Minister of War felt grateful the elopement had occurred—and that Prince Huai had caught wind of it. Yet he still didn’t understand why, with solid evidence already in hand, Chu Huaiyin had taken the trouble to deal with Wang Junyang’s scandal.

Maybe he truly loved the people like his own children.

He jogged to Yan Xiang’s side, smiling obsequiously. “My daughter and your son…”

Since it was a political marriage either way, he didn’t consider it a loss.

Yan Xiang replied mysteriously, “My son is still away on his studies—how can there be talk of marriage?”

The Vice  Minister of War: “…………” Still pretending???

Chu Huaiyin’s string of swift, ruthless actions showed clearly: he was not one to suffer fools, and always repaid his debts.

Meng Zhou decided to lie low for now, eat more, and go out less. In the ancient times when the imperial power was supreme, lying to the superiors could have serious or minor consequences. Until he fully understood Chu Huaiyin’s temperament, he wouldn’t dare appear in front of him again.