Chapter Sixty-Two: Whose Child Will Buy Soy Sauce First (Special Release)

Liu Ling’er was thrown onto the bed, and there was little Shuangshuang already lying there. She landed right on Shuangshuang’s small hand, making Shuangshuang cry out, “Oh no, who’s crushing my hand?”

“My goodness! Listen, I think I heard a child’s voice! They already have a child so soon, that’s incredible!” Someone shouted from outside, the sound shaking Liu Ling’er so much that she lost her balance, and as she tried to get up, she landed on Shuangshuang again.

Shuangshuang cried out once more, and another voice from outside immediately joined in, “I heard it too! Listen, it sounds like there are two children in there—must be twins!”

“Yes, exactly! Just think about it, if they weren’t twins, how could it match up with the Prince’s tireless efforts from morning till night...”

Oh, the stories were getting more and more absurd, making Bai Li Xian sound like a stallion, toiling nonstop from dawn to dusk. Liu Ling’er nearly burst out laughing—if that were true, wouldn’t he have exhausted himself to death by now?

Bai Li Xian’s face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, and the jokes outside were growing wilder, even dragging the innocent Liu Ling’er into the mess. Hey! It’s one thing for them to joke about Bai Li Xian, but to involve her as well—if word got out, how could she, a young woman, ever hold her head up again?

Furious, Liu Ling’er took a deep breath and shouted, “Silence!” To her surprise, Bai Li Xian shouted at the very same moment, “Silence!” The couple’s voices rang out together, and instantly, the noise outside vanished.

Though Bai Li Xian was a leisure prince who never meddled in court affairs, he was still a prince, the emperor’s brother. If he really got angry, no one would come out unscathed.

By the time Liu Ling’er had composed herself and made her way to the front hall, most of the civil and military officials had already dispersed. On the one hand, they had come to the General’s Mansion to offer birthday gifts, on the other, they needed time to digest the important information about Bai Li Xian.

If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, how would they know Bai Li Xian was different from the rumors? This news alone would be enough for the court factions to hold a meeting.

Listening to her father’s analysis, Liu Ling’er suddenly understood, and looked at Bai Li Xian with a giggle. Bai Li Xian gave her a disdainful glance, “Liu Ling’er, did you get your head soaked silly in the lake just now? If you turn into a fool, I won’t want you as my princess.”

Liu Ling’er rolled her eyes at him, “I was laughing because you can finally shake off the rumors about your ruined face and crippled body. After today, who would dare say such things about you? Isn’t that a good thing?”

Good? If only you wouldn’t keep repeating those rumors all the time, that would be truly good! Bai Li Xian, as a leader of a powerful faction, of course wouldn’t stoop to argue with Liu Ling’er—it would be beneath him.

Calmly sipping his tea, he didn’t expect Liu Rufen to speak up when everyone else had forgotten him, “Your Highness, may I trouble you for one thing?”

“Please speak, General!” Bai Li Xian immediately straightened up at the mention of serious business.

“I am getting old, and Ling’er is my only daughter. Now that she is your wife, no matter how many women Your Highness may take, I ask you to treat our Ling’er kindly. She grew up without a mother and may not know much; please do not hold it against her,”

Liu Rufen spoke slowly, his tone nearly pleading. In this moment, he was no longer the awe-inspiring general who commanded the battlefield, but a loving father entrusting his daughter’s happiness to another.

Liu Ling’er admitted that her heart felt a little sour at that moment. But when she saw Bai Li Xian’s odd look as her father mentioned her lack of understanding, Liu Ling’er astonishingly understood what his eyes were saying:

She, lacking understanding? Clearly, her father didn’t know his daughter well at all! Not only did she not lack understanding, she knew far too much—especially about matters between men and women. She was practically a master in the field.

It might be a bit exaggerated, but the meaning was clear. Liu Ling’er immediately realized her father’s emotional speech was wasted. Hmph, happiness wasn’t something to beg for—it had to be fought for.

Her eyes spun, and she quickly interrupted her father’s sentimental words, “Father, you say you’re old—how can that be? Your eyes aren’t dim, your hair isn’t white, you’re only forty-something, in your prime! As the saying goes, a woman at thirty is like a wolf, at forty like a tiger, at fifty... well, you’re only forty, and I’m still counting on you to give me a little brother to play with! Besides, you’ve just taken a new concubine. You can’t let her languish in loneliness, can you? How about we compete to see whose child goes out for soy sauce first?”

Pfft—Bai Li Xian was so startled by Liu Ling’er’s bold declaration that he spat out his tea, coughing uncontrollably. Liu Rufen fared no better; he pointed at Liu Ling’er, his eyes wide, all traces of scholarly elegance gone, nearly coughing up blood and just short of calling her a rebellious daughter.