Let Me Go, I’m Not Pregnant - Chapter 66

In the afternoon, Luo Shen decisively went for a stroll.

 

The chains on him had been replaced with shorter ones to avoid making it too heavy for him to walk. The chains were also made very thin; Luo Shen estimated that one good strike could cut them. Satisfied, he walked outside with En Shu following behind.

 

Initially, it was expected that Luo Shen would carefully observe his surroundings to facilitate an escape later. However, Luo Shen walked only a short distance before spotting a pavilion in the courtyard and immediately demanded to sit there.

 

And then he refused to leave.

 

“En Shu, I want to eat some pastries.”

 

The weather was bright, the water clear, and fish swam in the pond. The view was a lush green, with flowers blooming around the pavilion. Seven or eight guards stood around, all fierce-looking. Luo Shen spoke languidly, “Those flowers look nice too. Pick one for me.”

 

En Shu’s lips twitched. “Your Majesty…”

 

Luo Shen glanced sideways, feigning confusion. “If you’re unwilling to pick it, just have someone else do it. I won’t mind.”

 

Is this really about being unwilling?

 

En Shu’s face stiffened. Internally, he thought it was audacious how Luo Shen was practically handing himself over to the enemy. Didn’t he realize that everyone around was a subordinate of the former Prime Minister?

 

He didn’t dare call anyone to pick the flowers, fearing they might act on impulse and kill him. So, he bent down and asked, “Which flower would Your Majesty like, this one or that one?”

 

Luo Shen smirked slightly. “I want all of them!”

 

En Shu: “…”

 

There were over ten types of flowers in the pavilion. If he picked them all, wouldn’t he be exhausted?

 

En Shu relented and called someone over. “You pick them.”

 

A guard stepped forward, wearing a simple vest that revealed his robust muscles. Even in the cold autumn weather, one could almost feel the heat radiating from him.

 

Luo Shen observed him for a moment, comparing him to the former guard. Although the former guard had returned from the northern borders, he was not much worse than these people.

 

He wondered how the former guard trained. He looked far more impressive, with well-defined muscles that displayed vigorous strength every time he exerted himself.

 

Luo Shen’s face reddened slightly, and he bit his lip, then called En Shu. “By the way… have someone bring me some water. I’m thirsty.”

 

En Shu, wary of the guard, heard this and was once again speechless. He gave a glance to the side, and the person next to him shot Luo Shen a glare before turning and leaving.

 

Moments later, a pot of water and a plate of pastries were brought. Luo Shen was about to pick up a pastry when En Shu hurriedly said, “Wait.”

 

“Mm?”

 

En Shu stepped forward, took the pastry from the plate, and handed it to the guard. “You try it first.”

 

The guard’s face twitched and he glared at En Shu.

 

En Shu quickly understood. “You want to poison the Emperor?”

 

Luo Shen, now fully alert, jumped up from his seat, eyes wide, and exclaimed, “You’re trying to poison me?!”

 

The guard glared at En Shu angrily and said, “So what if I did? En Shu, you’re Changqing’s man. Doesn’t Changqing hate him? I don’t understand why you continue to keep him alive!”

 

En Shu frowned. “Don’t you remember? Prince Qin is still in the palace. If you kill the Emperor, the former guard will definitely have Prince Qin buried with him!”

 

Upon hearing this, everyone present froze in place.

 

The one who was going to poison Luo Shen seemed to recall this point, his face showing a hint of hesitation. “That former guard is just a rustic man. Why should we fear him?”

 

“Ridiculous,” En Shu said, laughing in anger. “It’s you who can’t even handle a rustic man. Otherwise, why is it that things have come to this?”

 

“Who says we can’t handle him?”

 

En Shu raised an eyebrow. “Handle him? Wasn’t it your people who were injured and killed a while ago? Did the assassins you sent return?”

 

Everyone fell silent, unable to answer.

 

En Shu continued, “Besides, he has military power, the Gu family army, and even Lady Gu has female soldiers. Which of them can you defeat? Even if you beat them all, with so many people behind them, can you guarantee to protect Prince Qin?”

 

His words left everyone speechless, their heads bowed.

 

En Shu slammed the pastries on the table and said coldly, “From now on, I won’t test for poison. If the Emperor dies, Prince Qin will undoubtedly die too. If you give up on Prince Qin, Lord Ping will be more than happy. You decide what to do!”

 

Everyone fell silent. After a moment, they all stepped back and cupped their fists in respect. “We will follow Young Master En Shu’s instructions!”

 

“Alright, get a new batch of pastries and water!” En Shu said, and someone immediately took away the contaminated food and brought a fresh batch.

 

En Shu indeed did not test the poison again. Instead, he said, “Your Majesty, weren’t you hungry?”

 

Luo Shen: “…”

 

“Very well.” He picked up a piece of pastry and, under En Shu’s watchful eye, slowly ate it.

 

The osmanthus cake was fragrant. After eating a piece, Luo Shen felt reassured and asked En Shu to pour him a glass of water to accompany it.

 

As he ate, he could sense the conflicting looks of those around him, some wishing for him to die quickly while others were afraid he might die immediately. He found it amusing and enjoyed his food even more.

 

After eating some pastries, the flowers were picked and presented. Luo Shen admired them for a while, then grew tired of them and ordered them to be replanted.

 

The guards were left frustrated, wanting to hit him but unable to find an opportunity. They had to dig and replant the flowers.

 

Moreover, Luo Shen found the new flower arrangement unsatisfactory, directing the guards to dismantle the flower bed and replant it.

 

This series of actions left the household staff exhausted. Unable to kill Luo Shen and with En Shu standing guard, they could do nothing but feel resentful.

 

Yet, Luo Shen, having stirred up trouble, yawned and said he was tired, wanting to return to rest. They were left unable to express their anger.

 

“Your Majesty, you’ve made too many enemies. It might be difficult for you in the future,” En Shu reminded him as they returned to the room. “I can only restrain them temporarily and cannot protect you at all times. If anyone gets provoked, you might lose your life.”

 

Luo Shen dismissed the concern. “Changqing won’t let me die.”

 

He wanted to attain this position but still needed to keep Luo Shen alive until the end.

 

If Luo Shen was still alive, Luo Ming taking the throne would be considered rebellion.

 

If Luo Shen died and Luo Ming ascended, Changqing seeking the throne would also be rebellion.

 

Changqing was not from the royal family, so to claim the throne, they needed a legitimate reason to do so in a plausible manner.

 

Therefore, he must first deal with Luo Ming, then deal with Luo Shen.

 

En Shu’s lips twitched.

 

He watched the changing expressions on Luo Shen’s face and thought, as expected, Luo Shen was no fool.

 

So he said, “Since Your Majesty understands, should we help Prince Ping first and deal with Prince Qin?”

 

Luo Shen laughed upon hearing this.

 

“Why?”

 

En Shu: “…”

 

He looked puzzled and tentatively asked, “Otherwise, if Prince Qin wins, wouldn’t the next step be to deal with Your Majesty?”

 

Luo Shen chuckled softly, “Everyone wants to kill me. Why should I help?”

 

Instead, he thought it would be better to let them fight until they were battered and exhausted, then step in to clean up the mess.

 

En Shu had never considered this possibility. After hearing this, he was left stunned.

 

At this moment, Gu Xingzhi returned. Seeing someone with Qin Cheng’s face, Luo Shen quickly ended the conversation and urged him to leave. “I’m going to sleep now. En Shu, are you staying here to warm my bed?”

 

En Shu’s expression changed immediately. “I have no such intentions toward Your Majesty. Please rest well. I’ll be leaving now.”

 

As he left, he courteously closed the door behind them.

 

Gu Xingzhi walked over to Luo Shen, his eyes slightly narrowed. “Warming the bed? Does His Majesty want to find someone else to warm his bed?”

 

Luo Shen quickly moved closer and hugged him, smiling. “No one is as comfortable as you.”

 

Saying that, he squeezed Gu Xingzhi’s waist and buried his head in his shoulder contentedly.

 

At the same time, En Shu left the room and walked toward the pavilion.

 

He planned to give some advice to the former subordinates of the old Prime Minister to prevent them from causing trouble.

 

Just as he approached, he saw En Cheng standing among the guards, smiling.

 

“Brothers, why are you working so hard today? Did Prince return?”

 

“Yes, he returned,” the guards exchanged glances, then lay back down, grumbling, “If you didn’t know, it’s fine. It’s not something you can understand. Anyway, you don’t need to worry about it.”

 

En Cheng listened, his smile fading, and his eyes shifted as he recalled what En Shu had said a few days ago about a certain young man favored by Changqing.

 

His hands involuntarily clenched.

 

Although Changqing had returned from the palace, he hadn’t visited him or sent anyone to inform him. Every time he got news and went out, the person was already gone.

 

How long would it take for him to establish his own position?

 

En Cheng squinted and smiled slightly. “You’re talking about the person with a big belly, just like me, right?”

 

The guards lying on the ground looked puzzled. “You know about that too?”

 

“Of course I do.” En Cheng pursed his lips and ground his teeth slightly. “It seems that you were tormented by him today?”

 

He frowned in sympathy. “He’s just a plaything for Prince. How dare he treat you like this! I’m furious for you!”

 

The nearest guard looked confused. “What are you talking about…”

 

Before he could finish, another guard interrupted, “Master En Cheng, I didn’t expect you to care about us. We thought you’d be like your brother, Young Master En Shu, reprimanding us for not treating him well. With your words, we feel much better.”

 

The guard threw a glance, and the nearest guard quickly added, “Yes, we don’t know where he got his arrogance from. Prince Ping still favors you, Master En Cheng. He acts like the head of the household. We feel wronged for you!”

 

Hearing this, En Cheng was filled with rage. “He’s bullying you. He’s nothing special. If Prince knew, he’d definitely make him pay!”

 

“Don’t, Master En Cheng. Please don’t go.” The earlier guard said again, “He’s pregnant, and Prince Changqing dotes on him. I heard he even got angry this morning. If Prince Changqing hears about this, he might blame us instead.”

 

“Hmph, just because he’s pregnant doesn’t mean I haven’t been pregnant,” En Cheng said, raising his chin. “Wait here, I’m going to get revenge for you!”