Chapter 886: Recounting

"Dahu, bring a basin of hot water."

"Yes!"

Liu Dahu brought over a basin of hot water together with towels.

"Come. Take off your clothes. Dad will wipe you down."

As Zheng Fan personally wrung out a towel in the hot water, he said:

"You sweated so much just now. You need to clean yourself off, otherwise you'll sleep badly and might catch a chill."

"Father, I can do it myself."

"Be good."

"Oh."

Tian Tian removed his upper clothes.

Zheng Fan used the warm, damp towel to wipe him down.

Tian Tian cooperated very naturally.

When he needed to raise an arm, he raised it.

When he needed to turn around, he turned.

When Zheng Fan wiped beneath his arms, he deliberately used a little extra force.

"Hee-hee-hee..."

Tian Tian burst into laughter from the tickling.

After the first pass, Zheng Fan took a fresh dry towel from Liu Dahu and wiped him down again.

Once he was finished, he told Tian Tian to put on clean clothes.

"Take your trousers off too."

"Mm..."

Tian Tian looked around.

His Crown Prince little brother was smiling.

Liu Dahu smiled warmly too.

Smack.

Zheng Fan tapped Tian Tian on the forehead.

"When you were little, you climbed all over me with your bare backside hanging out. What are you embarrassed about now?"

Tian Tian had no choice but to obey and take off his trousers.

Zheng Fan wiped him down with the hot towel.

The Crown Prince stood nearby, looking from Tian Tian to the Prince and then back again.

In an age that emphasized strict fathers and the principle that sons obeyed fathers, fathers generally had to maintain a certain posture in order to preserve their dignity before their sons.

His own Imperial Father had already been somewhat unusual in that regard.

But ever since becoming Emperor, the sovereign's authority had grown naturally around him, and between father and son there now stood the rituals of ruler and subject.

Normally, the wealthier and more prestigious the household, the more seriously it treated rigid hierarchy between father and son.

If a father showed too much obvious "love" toward a child, the customs of the age could even find that improper.

But Godfather... really was wiping Tian Tian down with tremendous care.

Liu Dahu did not think nearly so much about it.

He already knew exactly how much the Prince doted on Tian Tian.

As for the Prince himself... he had never married in his previous life.

Naturally, he had never had children.

In this life, by the time he awakened, the Demon Kings had already opened the inn.

He had opened his eyes to a maid wiping his body.

After that, all along the road he had always had people waiting upon him.

When had he ever served anyone else?

But he was a father now.

And in his heart, his feelings toward Tian Tian, though the boy was not his biological son, were in no way inferior to what he would feel for his own flesh and blood.

Even setting Tian Wujing aside, this had been an obedient, sensible child raised in front of him from infancy.

How could he possibly not like him?

How could he not treasure him?

After wiping below, the Prince even flicked the little elephant's trunk with one finger.

"Mm!"

Tian Tian immediately covered himself and backed away.

"Hahahahaha!"

The Prince laughed loudly.

Then he helped Tian Tian put on his trousers.

The clothes Tian Tian had been wearing earlier were tossed aside.

After being wiped clean, he changed into fresh ones.

The two children had stayed at South Gate Pass for so long.

One was Crown Prince.

The other was an Heir Prince.

To put it unpleasantly, if the front lines lacked grain and supplies, that genuinely could not always be helped.

But if the officials here could not even prepare enough clothing and daily necessities for these two children, then every last one of them might as well find a tree and hang himself.

"Good boy. Lie down."

Zheng Fan picked Tian Tian up and laid him flat on the blanket.

Then he lay down beside him at an angle.

He stretched out his right arm and patted it.

Tian Tian blinked.

Then he rested his head on Zheng Fan's arm, facing him.

His eyes narrowed into happy crescents.

The Crown Prince obediently climbed onto the blanket too and lay down on Tian Tian's other side.

"Sleep. Everything in dreams is fake. All of it."

"Mm."

"Dad is right here beside you. No matter what happens in the future, even after your little brothers and sisters are born, you'll always be Dad's good son. Dad's eldest son. The big brother of your younger brothers and sisters.

"Oh, right.

"And Chuanye's elder brother too.

"We'll always be one family.

"Always."

"Mm-hm."

Tian Tian nodded hard.

On the other side, when the Crown Prince heard himself included, a happy smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

The two children quickly fell asleep.

Zheng Fan's eyes remained open.

He lowered his gaze toward Tian Tian lying in his arms.

Tian Tian had said he dreamed that once Zheng Fan had biological children, he would no longer want him.

Zheng Fan naturally did not believe that.

First of all, Tian Tian had been frighteningly intelligent and sensible since childhood.

It was difficult to imagine him harboring that sort of insecurity.

More importantly... when this child was still swaddled, he crawled over a zombie's coffin lid every day.

At night, he slept beside a resentful infant spirit.

Before the Crown Prince came, his playmates were basically demons, monsters, and ghosts.

Even if Tian Tian had not been born with an extraordinarily hard fate, merely surviving such a childhood environment without dying young would long since have hardened his fate to a terrifying degree.

Ordinary evil influences, nightmares, and similar things should have found it almost impossible to invade his thoughts.

A nightmare?

Tian Tian probably knew what the phrase meant.

But perhaps he had forgotten one thing.

From birth until now... he had never had a single nightmare.

Instinct told Zheng Fan that this nightmare was unusual.

Very likely... it was related to the Demon King prophecy.

Had Tian Tian been frightened and hidden the truth because he was afraid Zheng Fan would worry?

Or... had there been someone else present, making it inconvenient to speak?

Zheng Fan's gaze unconsciously shifted toward Crown Prince Ji Chuanye sleeping on the inner side.

Then he lowered his eyes again and looked at Tian Tian's face.

He valued Ji Old Sixth's son.

Not because the boy was Crown Prince.

But because he was the son of a friend.

And by "friend," he meant something close to what later generations would call a brother.

Even so... the child Zheng Fan valued most remained Tian Tian.

Just as the ladies of Prince Pingxi Residence all understood, no, just as everyone in the residence understood that the Prince doted on Sister Feng above all others.

When it came to something like "love," demanding that every bowl of water be held perfectly level was impossible.

Love itself was not level by nature.

It was biased.

When Tian Tian had been trapped in that nightmare earlier, Zheng Fan had genuinely cried from panic beside him.

On the battlefield, he had never even shed tears.

Yet this child occupied the softest place in his heart.

Touch it even lightly... and his tear ducts seemed to become impossible to control.

Demon Child had tried to wake Tian Tian from the nightmare early.

She failed.

And Zheng Fan did not intend to interrogate the boy immediately.

He could wait.

After some time, when Tian Tian felt ready to speak, he would come and tell him.

In matters like this, his son had always been very good.

They would wait a while.

Then see.

Suddenly, Zheng Fan felt Tian Tian's hand clench the fabric of his clothes.

Almost as though the boy were terrified he might leave.

A faint smile appeared on the Prince's lips.

He bent down and lightly kissed Tian Tian's forehead.

Whatever the original you would have become... whatever road you would have walked... none of that matters anymore.

There is no need to care.

"I'm here."

After a pause, he whispered:

"Dad is here."

...

The next morning, Zheng Fan opened his eyes.

He turned his head.

Both children were staring at him.

The instant they saw Zheng Fan wake up, Tian Tian and Chuanye scrambled upright in a panic.

They climbed off the blanket.

Then climbed directly over Zheng Fan and rushed out of the tent.

At first, Zheng Fan was confused.

Then realization dawned.

Because he had slept on the outside edge last night, neither child had wanted to wake him.

So both of them had been holding in their urine all morning.

"Heh-heh."

Zheng Fan sat up.

He stretched.

Then rolled his neck and enjoyed the crisp popping sounds.

After leaving the tent, he sat facing the morning sun.

Liu Dahu and Zheng Man came over carrying washing things and helped the Prince wash.

Soon, hoofbeats came from outside.

A messenger rushed over.

"Your Highness, Xu Wenzu, Administrator of Yingdu, requests an audience!"

Zheng Fan nodded.

"See him."

Judging by their present location, Yingdu was actually still quite far away.

For Xu Wenzu to have ridden this far west with his physique had not been easy.

No matter what... he deserved to be seen.

Fatty Xu arrived covered in dust from the road.

The moment he saw Zheng Fan, he dropped to his knees.

"This subject congratulates Your Highness on your great victory!"

Zheng Fan did not exaggerate by rushing forward to personally help him up.

Instead, he laughed.

"Get up. Get up. Why put on airs?"

Xu Wenzu laughed loudly as he rose.

Many times, when two people who had once been close and familiar experienced a great change in status between them, some awkwardness naturally appeared.

Usually, however, it was not the person whose status had risen who felt awkward.

That person only needed to stand there.

The lower-status person would naturally reposition himself and adapt to the relationship as it now existed.

Years ago, the little Trade Escort Lieutenant under Xu Wenzu had already stood more than a head above him once he became a Marquis.

Afterward came the princely title.

Then came the political influence produced by this great victory.

Today's Prince Pingxi was, without exaggeration, what Prince Jingnan had once been.

The gulf between their positions was enormous.

Zheng Fan invited Xu Wenzu into the tent.

Xu Wenzu carried written proposals with him.

There was little idle chatter.

He briefly discussed the recent war.

Then he focused on the future development plans for the Yingdu region and eastern Jin.

Eastern Jin lacked people.

Yingdu did not.

So Xu Wenzu's proposal was that over the next several years, the two regions should complement one another's strengths.

And by "complement one another," he essentially meant that his own side should provide eastern Jin with as much support as possible, allowing eastern Jin to complete its development and growth more quickly.

That did not mean Xu Wenzu had abandoned Great Yan and intended to cling desperately to Prince Pingxi Residence.

A frontier official of his rank no longer needed to cling to anyone's thigh.

Even if he chose a political side, he could do so with dignity and composure.

His purpose in making these plans was to ensure eastern Jin would hold a stronger hand in the eventual war of unification.

In other words... to give Great Yan greater confidence.

It genuinely came from public-mindedness.

Zheng Fan listened seriously to Xu Wenzu's proposals and designs.

Then expressed his approval.

Afterward, Zheng Fan smiled.

"For matters like these, why did you need to come all this way yourself?"

"It's different. I guessed you'd be rushing home in a hurry. The two Princesses are about to give birth. I know you. You value your bonds. I didn't want to delay you for long, so I came over personally and made sure we settled the foundation first.

"Once we understand each other, everything below becomes much easier."

"Good."

Zheng Fan nodded.

Then laughed.

"We've been talking so much I forgot. You haven't eaten yet, have you?"

"Of course not."

Xu Wenzu slapped his belly.

For a moment, waves seemed to roll across it.

Zheng Fan had not eaten breakfast either.

He immediately ordered Chen Xianba and the others to prepare food.

Breakfast was simple.

Congee and pickled vegetables.

On the road, getting something hot into one's stomach was already good enough.

There was no need to become deliberately fussy.

Even trying to buy better food would only delay the journey.

Xu Wenzu alone drank two enormous basins of congee.

He still did not feel satisfied and asked for more.

"People all say congee nourishes the stomach. But to me, congee never fills you up. Feels like drinking slightly sweet water. No matter how much you eat, it won't carry you to the next meal."

Zheng Fan nodded.

"Right."

Liu Dahu went to fetch more congee.

He carried one basin away.

Then returned carrying another.

Outside, where breakfast was being served, Xu Wenzu's astonishing appetite caused a problem.

Chen Xianba, Zheng Man, Tian Tian, and the Crown Prince had not even managed to get their own breakfast yet.

Only after Xu Wenzu's eating finally slowed did they manage to fill their bowls.

Chen Xianba handed a bowl of congee to Tian Tian.

Then he noticed that when Tian Tian took it... the boy's eyes and expression were filled with guilt and unease.

Chen Xianba was puzzled.

What kind of expression was that?

Once everyone at the command tent had eaten their fill, the traveling camp set out again.

Fatty Xu did not hurry back on his own.

They were traveling in roughly the same direction anyway.

He might as well go with them.

Over the following days, though the traveling camp did not move at the insane speed used during wartime, it still maintained a very fast pace.

As they approached Yingdu, Xu Wenzu departed with his advisers and guards.

Several nights earlier, he and Prince Pingxi had finalized a five-year development plan for central Jin and eastern Jin.

By the time the traveling camp reached the Wang River, they were receiving daily reports from the Brocade-Clad personal guards dispatched from Prince Pingxi Residence.

Xiong Liqing was close to giving birth.

The Prince truly was burning to return home.

But there was no helping it.

After what had happened last time, everything had to be handled steadily.

More importantly... once he entered his own territory, the Prince still had one extremely troublesome task to deal with.

He needed to soothe the various eastern Jin armies under his own command.

Originally, the armies of eastern Jin, together with the Standard Households, had all been rubbing their hands and preparing to follow the Prince on campaign.

Then their own Prince suddenly performed a light-cavalry crossing of the river.

Wonderful.

The fighting over there became thunderous.

Great victory after great victory followed.

And who got to enjoy all the glory?

Other people.

Meanwhile, their own men stayed home staring dry-eyed into the distance?

They certainly did not dare harbor resentment.

Given the Prince's present status, he could suppress even outside armies into complete obedience.

How could his own people possibly dare make trouble?

But it was like dealing with one's own spoiled pet.

It became proud.

Jealous.

Out of balance.

You could not simply ignore it.

You had to find time to stroke its fur smooth again.

Once Zheng Fan promised a military expansion over the next several years, together with continued improvements to soldiers' benefits and treatment, both commanders and ordinary troops became satisfied.

That same night, after Zheng Fan finished meeting Gongsun Zhi, Tian Tian came alone to the command tent.

The Crown Prince, who was usually inseparable from him, was absent.

"Father."

Zheng Fan put down the memorial he had been reading.

He looked at Tian Tian.

Then waved one hand, signaling Chen Xianba and the others to leave first.

At the same time, he ordered the Sword Saint to come inside.

The Sword Saint had already gone to rest.

His tent arrangement never changed.

No matter where they camped, his tent was always stubbornly placed right next to Zheng Fan's command tent.

"What happened?"

The Sword Saint entered and saw only father and son inside.

He looked puzzled.

"Come. Listen to my son tell a story."

The Sword Saint was trustworthy.

Even without what had happened during the breakout from Qian, when the Sword Saint had used himself as bait to create an opening for Zheng Fan, Yu Huaping had long since been, in Zheng Fan's eyes, truly one of his own people.

Besides... the Sword Saint already knew about the Demon King prophecy.

Learning a few more details now made little difference.

At present, the Blind Man remained at South Gate Pass cleaning up affairs there.

Xue San had been sent back to Prince Pingxi Residence early.

In this age, childbirth was a major matter.

Just as when the Sword Saint's own wife had given birth, Third Master needed to arrive early and prepare.

A'Ming, meanwhile, had been sent downstream along the Wang River before the crossing to Fan City, carrying instructions to Gou Moli.

So apart from Demon Child... the only Demon King remaining with Zheng Fan in the traveling camp was Fan Li.

Whether Fan Li came in to listen did not especially matter.

They could leave him out for now.

Once everyone gathered back at the residence, Zheng Fan could explain the matter again properly.

There was another reason to call the Sword Saint inside.

With him present, Zheng Fan could guarantee nobody would "listen in."

There were no electronic listening devices in this age.

But some people's methods worked even better than such devices.

And the escort army around him had been directly detached from the campaigning force to protect him on his return journey.

Outside, their loyalty to Zheng Fan was unquestionable.

But once they returned home, there might be men among them who meant him no harm yet happened to possess an extra pair of ears.

Anything connected to the Demon King prophecy had to be handled with extreme care.

It could not be allowed to leak.

Zheng Fan picked Tian Tian up.

The boy sat in his father's lap and began recounting the dream.

"At first, I heard water. I thought Crown Prince little brother had wet the bed..."

Tian Tian spoke slowly.

He tried not to leave out any detail.

Sometimes he paused and did his best to remember what he had seen.

Zheng Fan listened without interrupting.

When Tian Tian finished, the child silently looked up at his father.

"Good boy. Go rest. Don't tell anyone else about this. Understand?"

"I understand."

"Son. Tell me. Who is your father?"

"Great Yan's Prince Pingxi, Zheng Fan."

"Right. Then Dad will tell you what's truly in his heart too. No matter what happens later, no matter who you encounter, remember who your father is.

"In your father's eyes, foundations, princely titles, all of that put together is still less important than the safety of our family.

"Your biological father is Tian Wujing.

"But your dad... is me."

Zheng Fan held Tian Tian's face in both hands.

His expression turned exceptionally serious.

"Even if you cause a disaster big enough to overturn Heaven, Dad will be here to cover for you. Understand?"

"Mm! I understand!"

"Go rest."

"Your son withdraws."

Tian Tian left the command tent.

Zheng Fan looked toward the Sword Saint.

"What do you think?"

"It was only a child's dream..."

"Mm."

The Sword Saint frowned.

"No. Wait. According to what he described in the dream, I was responsible for taking care of him. How could he possibly have ended up wandering outside?"

"Because I was there."

"You were there?"

"Forget for a moment whether, without me, you would still have fought Old Tian outside the capital region. Even if the two of you did still fight, perhaps because you appreciated one another, perhaps because you recognized each other.

"If I hadn't existed... what would have been the meaning of Du Juan entrusting the child to you?

"Where would you have sent him?"

"..." The Sword Saint.

"And after that entire story, this tiny side detail is what caught your attention?"

"Then what caught yours?" the Sword Saint asked back.

Zheng Fan took a cigarette from the iron case.

He tapped it against the back of his hand.

Then pressed his lips together.

"In the dream, the person Tian Tian saw sitting on the dragon throne at the very end... was Chuanye."

Zheng Fan frowned.

Then sighed.

"Fuck.

"Is that bastard Old Sixth Ji really that short-lived?"

[End of Chapter 886]