Chapter 347: 347. The Pride of the Little God

Translator: 549690339

After leaving Nanshan City, Su Liang’s group didn’t travel day and night, and their pace was not too fast.

Gu Ling took half a day to determine the most comfortable carriage speed, making sure the driver maintained it, without going too fast or causing any bumps.

In addition, Gu Ling tried his best to ensure that Su Liang enjoyed her meals, including fruits and desserts, three times a day.

The people traveling with them could clearly see Gu Ling’s versatility and his indulgence towards Su Liang.

When they stayed at an inn again, Qiao Cong couldn’t help but go to Situ Jing’s room to lecture him, “Are you as good-looking as him? Apart from martial arts, what else can you do? He is an excellent cook; can you do that? He is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting; can you do that? His carving skills are unparalleled; do you understand? He can even do needlework; do you know why Su Liang calls him Great God now?”

Situ Jing was somewhat speechless, “Grandfather, I don’t think about Su Liang anymore.”

Qiao Cong snorted coldly, “I’m talking about Gu Ling. He is stronger and knows more than you. His past experiences are not much better than yours. Why doesn’t he want to use power to prove himself?”

Situ Jing’s expression darkened, and he remained silent.

Seeing that he was still unwilling to accept his fate, Qiao Cong recalled what Su Liang had said before, and looked coldly at Situ Jing, “If you insist on seeking your own death, I can’t stop you.”

Situ Jing said solemnly, “Didn’t Gu Ling ask me to be a spy in Liang Country after my eyes recover?”

“If you don’t want to go and would rather stay, I’ll go to Su Liang and beg her! Do you want to stay?” Qiao Cong asked coldly.

Situ Jing shook his head, “Their home will never accept me. I’m not you, and you’re not me. I know you truly care about me, but you don’t have to worry about me in the future. With my sister and Su Liang, you will have a good life. I will deal with the consequences of the path I chose myself.”

Qiao Cong looked at Situ Jing’s determined and decisive eyes, and left disappointedly.

Early the next morning, Qiuyue came to knock on Situ Jing’s door to deliver the washing water, but no one answered for a long time.

Qiao Cong heard the sound and came over, pushed the door open forcefully, and saw the neat bedding on the bed, and the bundle on the table was gone.

“Did the young master… leave?” Qiuyue was stunned.

Qiao Cong’s face was grim, “If he leaves, he shouldn’t come back!”

When Qiao Cong met Su Liang and Gu Ling again, he still spoke for Situ Jing, “I talked to him last night, and my words were a bit heavy. He left overnight. He must have gone to Liang Country as you requested before.”

Su Liang shook her head calmly, “It doesn’t matter.”

Qiao Cong was stunned for a moment, “Don’t you have anything to tell him to do?”

“No. Let him adapt to the situation and try to seize the throne.” Su Liang said, “As long as Situ Xie believes him.”

Qiao Cong sighed deeply. It was really hard to say whether Situ Xie would suspect that Situ Jing had “changed sides” to become Su Liang’s ally. Situ Jing should have known that his situation would not be easy when he returned to Yao City, but he still persisted in doing so.

As for this, Qiao Cong didn’t want to say anything more. Good or bad, Situ Jing would have to bear the consequences himself.

Because they traveled slowly on the road, by the time Su Liang’s group returned to the capital city, Duanmu Chen’s wedding and ascension ceremony had already passed, and there was no turbulence in between.

Su Liang guessed that Duanmu Chen had taken over the group of masters that Duanmu Yi had cultivated for years, otherwise, it would not have been so smooth. This was normal. Those masters were powerful and not aimless death soldiers, so they would naturally be loyal to whoever holds power.

Duanmu Yi’s plan was well calculated, but unfortunately, he was still confused at the moment, overconfident, thinking that being the Grand Emperor would still allow him to control the situation, not knowing that power is only useful when firmly held in his hands. The moment he relaxed, it would be snatched away.

As for this opportunity, Duanmu Yi actively gave it to Duanmu Chen, even making Duanmu Chen appear to be justified. In the end, it was still directly contributed by Su Liang.

They arrived at the capital city at dusk. At the routine inspection at the city gate, Gu Ling, who was sitting in the first carriage, showed his face.

The city guards instantly perked up and quickly bowed, saluting the swaying carriage curtain, “Greetings, Marquis!”

As the group entered the city, news of Gu Ling and Su Liang’s return spread quickly. At the same time, someone hurried to the palace to report. This was in accordance with Duanmu Chen’s instructions to inform him immediately upon Gu Ling and Su Liang’s return.

By the time Gu Ling and Su Liang’s carriage arrived at the entrance of Su Mansion, Duanmu Chen in the palace had already received the news.

To be honest, he was somewhat excited. Although Su Liang had been away from the capital for three months, she still had a significant impact on many people and events. Duanmu Chen also knew that he owed his easy ascension to the throne largely to Su Liang. If not for Su Liang and Gu Ling’s strength and wisdom, making Duanmu Yi wary yet unwilling to eliminate them, it would not have been possible for the throne to fall into Duanmu Chen’s hands.

“Your Majesty, do you wish to invite General Su and Marquis Chang Xin into the palace?” Chang’an asked respectfully.

“You go…” Duanmu Chen began, then glanced at the outside sky, “It’s too late today, go to Su Mansion and check on Su Liang on my behalf. If they don’t request an audience with me, tell Su Liang to come to the palace tomorrow to treat the Grand Emperor.”

Chang’an left the palace to carry out his orders, sighing inwardly that Duanmu Chen’s attitude towards Su Liang remained quite special even though their status had changed.

Afterward, like every other day, Duanmu Chen went to Empress Dowager Xiao’s place for dinner and checked on Duanmu Yi, “reporting” the day’s political affairs to him.

However, in the past, these reports had been genuine, and he had listened carefully to Duanmu Yi’s opinions. Now, he only spoke of his thoughts in front of Duanmu Yi, without needing Duanmu Yi’s appraisal.

“Father, Su Liang and Gu Ling are back, unharmed.” Duanmu Chen wiped Duanmu Yi’s hands with a towel, his face showing a calm smile, “I really want to meet her and have a good talk about what happened during this time. However, it might have to wait until tomorrow. I asked her to come to the palace to treat Father’s illness. But the treatment is not important; the important thing is for her to see Father, who must miss her very much, right?”

Duanmu Yi stared at Duanmu Chen intently, his lips trembling but still unable to utter any clear words.

“Father, don’t be like this. The Imperial Physician said that this disease requires relaxation and rest. Excessive emotional fluctuations will only exacerbate the condition.” Duanmu Chen threw the towel into the basin, placed Duanmu Yi’s hand back under the blanket, and stood up, “I will bring Su Liang to see Father tomorrow.” With that, he left.

When Xing Yuyan saw Duanmu Chen coming out from the inner room, she quickly got up and greeted him with a smile.

They had just married not long ago, and Xiao Shi was teaching Xing Yuyan how to be a qualified Empress. Initially, she was gentle, but soon discovered that Xing Yuyan appeared obedient on the surface but harbored many little schemes. Xiao Shi became displeased and treated her more harshly, implementing strict palace rules and replacing most of Xing Yuyan’s servants with two nannies assigned by Duanmu Chen after consulting with her.

Last night, Xing Yuyan sobbed and complained to Duanmu Chen about the two maids who had served her since childhood being sent back to Marquis Zhong Xin’s Mansion. She said she was not used to being served by others.

Duanmu Chen was impatient but didn’t show it. After all, they were newlyweds, and he was still gentle with Xing Yuyan, explaining that these were palace rules and that the Empress Dowager had her best interests at heart. Soon, there would be a selection for the Imperial Harem, and other noble ladies would enter and become her “sisters.” If the people around her were not competent, it would be detrimental to the image of the Empress.

Xing Yuyan never had any significant ideas, and her little schemes were learned from Miao Shi. Now that they were married, she naturally focused on Duanmu Chen. Hearing his words, she felt he made sense, and the arrival of her “sisters” also gave her a sense of crisis, so she stopped crying and making a fuss.

After marrying Xing Yuyan, Duanmu Chen found her not as bad as he had heard. After all, she came from a noble background. Miao Shi became Xing Ji’s wife purely because she was lucky, and Xing Ji had poor judgment when he was young and impulsive. His first wife, Qin Yuan, had a misunderstanding and passed away early.

Duanmu Chen was never a romantic; he even avoided allowing his emotions to affect his rationality. In his eyes, Su Liang was a capable subordinate and an essential partner. As for the women in his harem, all they needed to do was obediently bear and raise children without causing trouble. Xing Yuyan met these basic requirements.

Ultimately, in Duanmu Chen’s eyes, Xing Yuyan’s most significant advantage was that she was Xing Ji’s daughter. This alone made Duanmu Chen overlook her minor imperfections.

Yang Yu and Ren Dong were overjoyed to see Su Liang and Gu Ling return.

Su Liang asked Ren Dong to prepare rooms, food, and hot water for their guests while she and Gu Ling went back to Yuanming Pavilion. Yang Yu told them to rest first and come to talk later.

As they walked to the stairs, Gu Ling habitually tried to carry Su Liang, but she dodged him, “I can walk by myself. This is our home; I wouldn’t bump or stumble even with my eyes closed.”

“Don’t walk with your eyes closed,” Gu Ling warned sternly.

Su Liang smiled and linked her arm with Gu Ling’s, “It’s just an analogy, can’t you be less nervous, Great God? I need to make sure to have moderate exercise, as it’s good for my health.”

Gu Ling understood and accompanied Su Liang on daily walks, counting the steps to make sure they were neither too many nor too few.

He knew he was somewhat overly anxious, but he couldn’t control it. After all, it was his first time becoming a father, and he had no experience. He always felt that Su Liang was struggling, and he wanted to share some of that burden but couldn’t.

Gu Ling embraced Su Liang as they went upstairs, and the room was decorated with bright red colors. This was supposed to be their bridal chamber on their wedding night, but they didn’t stay home that day.

“It doesn’t seem appropriate now. After the baby is born, we’ll make up for it with a proper wedding night.” Su Liang said with a smile.

Gu Ling nodded, “I’ll remember that.”

Letting Su Liang rest in the room, Gu Ling asked her what she wanted to eat, and he would prepare it.

“Just make something simple at this hour.” Su Liang said. She had previously suggested that Gu Ling didn’t need to cook for her every day, but he insisted, saying it was his way of raising their child together with her…

While Gu Ling was cooking, Chang’an arrived.

In the past, whenever Chang’an came to their mansion, Su Liang would jump out of the window to talk with him. Now, however, she didn’t dare to do that, fearing to scare Gu Ling.

Chang’an stood by the lake in front of Yuanming Pavilion and waited for a while before Su Liang came out.

“Madam Gu.” Chang’an greeted with a bow, changing his address. Su Liang was married now and could no longer be called Miss Su.

Su Liang raised an eyebrow, never having been called this way before. It was refreshing and sounded nice.

“Did His Majesty have any orders?” Su Liang asked.

Chang’an smiled, “His Majesty simply ordered me to check on Madam Gu’s well-being.”

“Alright,” Su Liang nodded, “Thank you for His Majesty’s concern.”

Seeing Su Liang still as she was before, not fond of small talk and not expecting her to take the initiative to go to the palace tonight, Chang’an directly said that Duanmu Chen asked Su Liang and Gu Ling to enter the palace tomorrow.

“Understood.” Su Liang complied.

While Chang’an was wondering why Gu Ling didn’t show up, he saw a figure coming out from the small kitchen beside Yuanming Pavilion. He was wearing an apron and holding a shiny kitchen knife in hand. In the moonlight, the cold and beautiful face was still astonishing. Who else could it be other than Gu Ling?

“Greetings, Marquis,” Chang’an hastily bowed.

Gu Ling didn’t come over, just looked at Chang’an and said, “You may leave.”

Chang’an cast another silent glance at the kitchen knife in Gu Ling’s hand before turning around to leave.

Back in the palace, Chang’an reported his meeting with Su Liang to Duanmu Chen, quickly finishing in a few brief sentences.

“When I went there, Marquis Gu was cooking,” Chang’an described Gu Ling’s appearance at that moment.

Duanmu Chen’s expression was inexplicable, “Gu Ling? Cooking by himself? Wasn’t it always Su Liang who did it before?”

After learning that Gu Ling was actually the “Ning Jing” from Su’s Village, Duanmu Chen was somewhat speechless about the couple’s continuous marriages, which seemed like child’s play. However, he believed that their relationship was genuine now. But he still couldn’t imagine Gu Ling cooking.

“Marquis Gu has always been inscrutable,” Chang’an commented.

Duanmu Chen spoke profoundly, “What’s so inscrutable about it? Before their relationship was settled, they led their lives together and shared responsibilities. Now that Gu Ling has been conquered by Su Liang, he’s willing to do anything for her.”

Hearing this, Chang’an nodded repeatedly, “Your Majesty is wise.”

Duanmu Chen sighed, “Now it seems that, compared to their time in Su’s Village, apart from their relationship changing from friends to husband and wife, nothing else has changed. Whether in a small village or in the capital city, no matter how much wealth or status they possess, they still prefer to cook for themselves and not be served by others.”

Chang’an nodded, “In my opinion, Marquis and Madam Gu have never employed servants because they don’t want to be disturbed. Just now, when I spoke to Madam Gu, Marquis Gu came out with a kitchen knife to drive people away.”

Duanmu Chen’s mouth twitched slightly, “Isn’t Gu Ling’s reaction a bit excessive? Does he really think that any man could steal Su Liang away from him?”

Chang’an shook his head, “That’s impossible.”

“So, think about it, is there anything that Gu Ling dislikes about you that he doesn’t want to see you?” Duanmu Chen huffed.

Chang’an: …He was sure he hadn’t offended the two of them.

“Ah, I really want to go to Su Mansion now and taste Gu Ling’s cooking, but they definitely won’t welcome me.” Duanmu Chen sighed, “Back in the Su Family Village, although those two always didn’t give me face, but now that I think about it, it was quite interesting. I have a real connection with them.”

Su Mansion, Yuanming Pavilion.

After chatting with Su Liang for a while, Yang Yu left, fearing that she would get tired, and let her rest early.

Su Liang was indeed tired, and after bathing, Gu Ling helped her dry her hair and she quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, Su Liang woke up and, thinking about going to the palace today, she asked Gu Ling, “Should I tell the Emperor about my pregnancy?”

Gu Ling nodded, “If you tell him, you won’t have to bow.”

After breakfast, Ren Dong prepared the carriage, and Su Liang and Gu Ling went to the palace. As soon as they left, Old Master Qin, Lin Shuzhi, Madam Xing, Xing Yusheng, and Lin Xueqing’s husband and wife all arrived. Hearing that they had gone to the palace, everyone said it was no problem – those fishing went fishing, those who wanted to chat chatted, all waiting for Su Liang to return.

Chang’an was waiting at the palace gate and took Su Liang and Gu Ling to the Imperial Study.

“Emperor, Marquis Gu and his wife have arrived,” Chang’an reported respectfully.

Duanmu Chen put down the paper in his hand, looked at the door, and said one word, “Enter.”

Gu Ling, with his arm around Su Liang, walked in, and Chang’an, behind them, closed the door. There were no guards, palace maids, or eunuchs inside.

Seeing Su Liang, Duanmu Chen’s face broke into a smile, “You’re finally back.”

“Congratulations, Emperor.” Su Liang stopped and bowed.

Duanmu Chen actually wanted to see if, with their changed status, these two would bow deeply to him when they met him again.

But he just saw them standing upright, not to mention kneeling – they didn’t even bend their waists.

Although Duanmu Chen didn’t demand this of Su Liang and would be surprised if she did kneel, he would certainly exempt her from kneeling.

But Duanmu Chen thought that at least they should bow their upper bodies to show respect, right? After all, he was the Emperor! Were these two testing him? Showing off to him? Provoking him?

Just as Duanmu Chen was feeling a little uncomfortable and thinking about how to react, Su Liang smiled slightly and gently touched her belly, “Emperor, I’m expecting.”

Duanmu Chen was startled for a moment, and then realized that Su Liang was explaining why she didn’t bow. With this reason, Duanmu Chen couldn’t complain. Because, looking at Su Liang’s eyes and smile, she was clearly sharing her joy with him. And it really was something to be happy about. What’s so important about bowing or not bowing compared to Su Liang and Gu Ling having a beautiful and intelligent baby?

Duanmu Chen smiled, “Congratulations to you both! Please sit down! When the child is born, let them recognize me as their godfather!”

When Xing Yusheng said that, Su Liang rolled her eyes at him. When Lian Shun said it, Gu Ling gave him a kick and sent him flying.

But, after all, Duanmu Chen was the Emperor, so Su Liang couldn’t not give him face, so she politely declined with a smile, “There are too many people who want to be the baby’s godfather, and I’m worried that he’ll be spoiled when the time comes.”

Duanmu Chen’s mouth twitched slightly, “Knowing that it’s for the child’s sake, I exempt you from bowing.”

Su Liang and Gu Ling looked at each other and, with the conversation going this far, it would be inappropriate to refuse again.

So Su Liang nodded, “In that case, on behalf of the baby, I thank the Emperor for his kindness.”