RPAGF Chapter 949 The Little Prince
Chapter 949 The Little Prince
Time flies, and it's already the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
After half a month of careful recuperation, Zhang Lao Er's external injuries have healed considerably, and his appetite is also good. However, he still needs servants to take care of his eating, drinking, and bodily functions, which he finds very difficult to adjust to, and his temper is much worse than before.
Xu was usually quick to anger, but at this moment she was unusually good-tempered, never holding a grudge against him, and patiently chatting with Zhang Lao Er to keep him from getting bored.
This deeply moved Zhang Ping'an.
Now that Xiaoyuer is older and understands a lot, she followed Zhang Ping'an's gaze, smiled, and said, "Dad, don't you suddenly feel that it's nice to have someone to accompany you in your old age? Grandma is usually so strong-willed and concerned about her reputation, but at this moment she doesn't care what Grandpa says and coaxes her like a child. It's quite amusing. If you have someone like that by your side for the rest of your life, it would be quite blissful."
After saying that, he glanced at Zhang Ping'an's face and continued, seemingly casually, "Actually, Father, you've been single for so long. If you want to remarry or take a concubine, I won't object. When I was little, I was ignorant. I was really afraid that you would bring back a stepmother for me after hearing other people's gossip."
Zhang Ping'an glanced at his son. "What? Not afraid now?"
Little Fish spread his hands: "Now that I'm older, I have my own things to do. I won't be keeping an eye on this little plot of land at home every day anymore. And sometimes I feel a lot of pressure being an only child. Like father, like son; like brothers, like brothers. Having brothers to help me might make things a lot better."
"Then you'll be disappointed. Even if you were alive now, it would be too late," Zhang Ping'an chuckled.
"So, after I get married, I'm going to have a lot of children, ten or twenty, I can afford to raise them all. When they're old enough, I'll send them to the clan school, and we'll select the best ones to train. Surely a few of them will turn out well," Xiaoyuer replied.
Zhang Ping'an nearly slipped upon hearing this, looking at his son in shock: "Wouldn't that mean a dozen or so kids would be calling me grandpa?!"
Little Fish looked over innocently: "Many children, many blessings, isn't that good?"
Zhang Ping'an was speechless, the words rolling in his throat before he swallowed them back down. He waved his hand and said, "Whatever makes you happy! Just remember our family rules."
Little Fish chimed in nimbly, "I know, I can't be a bully who forcibly takes women, I wouldn't stoop so low!"
This year's Lantern Festival was quieter than in previous years. In addition, Zhang Lao Er was injured, so Zhang Ping An did not go out this year. Only Xiao Yu Er went out to meet friends.
Now Zhang Ping'an has gradually adopted the habits of Zhang Lao Er and Xu Shi. Before going to bed, he will take a walk around the main room, sit for a while, and casually look out the door to see if his son has returned.
He himself hadn't realized it until a servant reminded him that he had developed this habit, and he couldn't help but chuckle to himself, thinking to himself, "Looks like I'm getting old."
As dusk approached, Zhang Ping'an went back to his room to rest. The next day, his biological clock woke him up on time, and he prepared to go to court.
On the way, Zhang Ping'an suddenly remembered, "When did the young master return last night?"
The servant replied, "He returned around midnight."
"That brat!" Zhang Ping'an chuckled and lowered the carriage curtain.
Today is the first official morning court session of the new year, and the topics discussed are all major issues concerning the national economy and people's livelihood. At the end of the morning court session, Zhou Pu suddenly announced that the eldest prince would be made crown prince.
The eldest prince is only six years old now. Whether it is the eldest son or the legitimate heir, he is the first choice. From any point of view, there is no controversy about choosing him.
However, knowing the inside story, Zhang Ping'an felt somewhat conflicted.
With the unanimous agreement of the court officials, the matter was quickly and smoothly settled.
Back at the Privy Council, people continued to discuss it in hushed tones.
Seeing Zhang Ping'an looking over, he quickly fell silent, then put on a smiling face and asked about Zhang Lao Er's injuries.
Such things happen in every government office, and after Zhang Ping'an gave them a few warnings, he let it go.
What he cared about was Li Chong's invitation to have dinner with him that evening.
He could tell that Li Chong was very dissatisfied with Cui Ling's active performance at the morning court session and felt that his limelight had been overshadowed.
It was clearly the work of four people who quelled the rebellion. Even excluding Zheng Ping, who was a eunuch and therefore not included, it should still be the work of three people.
But now Cui Ling seems to be rising above them, as if he is climbing the social ladder by relying on the emperor's favor.
In addition to what Zhang Ping'an had mentioned before, that the Cui family was going to send their daughter to the palace, and now that the empress was out of favor, Li Chong felt even more threatened and even considered selecting some talented and beautiful girls from his clan to send to the harem.
Zhang Ping'an understood that Li Chong wanted to join forces with him, so that the two could work together and stand together in the court. Under normal circumstances, he would most likely not agree and would choose to protect himself.
However, Zhang Lao Er's injury indirectly changed his decision; he needed to take on more insurance for his family.
The day passed quickly, and after finishing his shift in the evening, Zhang Ping'an went to the Li family's private garden as promised.
"You've arrived? Please have a seat!" Li Chong stood up to greet him, then personally poured tea for Zhang Ping'an. "Try it!"
Zhang Ping'an picked up the teacup, took a deep sniff of the tea aroma, and said, "You're too kind. The environment here is nice; it's a quiet place amidst the hustle and bustle!"
Li Chong smiled and casually explained, "This private garden is the property of our Li family ancestors. It has a history of over a hundred years. During the later period of the previous dynasty, the family was in decline and went downhill. It was even sold off once. I only bought it back in recent years and had it renovated. It looks presentable now."
"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, the Li family is now producing many talented people, what does Boyao have to worry about?" Zhang Ping'an flattered.
Boyao is Li Chong's courtesy name, and this way of addressing him carries a sense of intimacy.
Li Chong then felt more confident.
He humbly replied, "Thank you for your kind words! However, I am well aware of the current situation of the Li family. It collapsed too badly in the past, and its foundation in the capital is still somewhat weak. Once my generation has no successor, it will soon continue to collapse. Therefore, the most important thing for the entire family now is the education of our descendants. To become a good person, one must first become talented!"
Zhang Ping'an picked up his teacup and took a sip, waiting for Li Chong to continue.
"But these children need time to grow up, and even more time to become successful. As the eldest son of the Li family, all I can do is provide them with as much time as possible to grow."