Chapter 887 - 888 Preparing to Return Home_1
After a moment’s thought, he added, "I’ve never seen anyone as indifferent as you. Do you not realize that because of a single word from the Emperor, countless people would be willing to wait for years? Even those Advanced Scholars, waiting to fill official positions, need to wait a year, but you—you couldn’t stand to wait even a day. Forget it, wait for a month. When the time comes and you leave, if the Emperor asks, I can say you rushed back to see your child. Considering your heartfelt paternal love, he won’t say anything."
With a deadline set, Ye Zi’an naturally felt at ease and nodded, "Alright."
Baili Yan saw that he was agreeable now and snorted coldly.
Old Mu also came over, shook his head at his attitude, but said nothing. He could understand Brother An’s feelings, as he too had been eager to rush home when he heard of Linhao’s birth while serving in the military.
He reached out and patted Ye Zi’an on the shoulder, not saying a word.
The commotion Ye Zi’an caused with Baili Yan in the other courtyard certainly didn’t escape the Emperor’s notice.
Upon hearing that Ye Zi’an wanted to return home, the Emperor’s face darkened instantly. This ungrateful brat, was he not taking his word seriously?
So it was rather strange that, that very night, the Emperor attended the Qionglin Banquet, chatting merrily with a few Advanced Scholars, while Ye Zi’an, whom he had said he would seriously consider at the Golden Throne Hall, was ignored by everyone.
After the banquet ended, people began to wonder if the Emperor’s statement was just casual talk.
But some thought it might be better to wait and see, and this waiting lasted almost a month.
Ye Zi’an began to have his belongings packed up, even setting the date of his departure.
"You’re leaving tomorrow?" Mu Shaoling finally found the time to come and tease Ye Zi’an after settling Li Family’s affairs.
"Yes, all my belongings are packed," replied Ye Zi’an, thinking that almost a month had passed and it was already late May. By the time he got home, Xiaxia probably would have given birth.
Xiaxia was pregnant and he hadn’t been by her side for even a day; she would give birth and he wouldn’t be there either. If the child was born and he still didn’t return, he wouldn’t know how to face her for the rest of his life.
Mu Shaoling nodded, "I’ll go back with you."
"What for?" Ye Zi’an bristled at the thought of him going, making it obvious how strongly he opposed Mu Shaoling’s visit.
"Me?" Mu Shaoling said languidly, "I’m going to see Xiaxia, and by the way, check if Xiaxia’s son is handsome. If I have a daughter in the future, maybe they could be betrothed."
Ye Zi’an scoffed, "First have a daughter for me to see, will you?"
Mu Shaoling snorted and didn’t respond, but a figure dressed in colorful attire flitted through his mind. In a flash, he chased the image away.
"I won’t see you off tomorrow," Baili Yan said indifferently, his old illness flaring up again these past few days, leaving him looking pale.
"Cousin, what is this illness exactly? Can’t Mu Shaoling cure it?"
Though he and Mu Shaoling often ribbed each other, Ye Zi’an fully recognized Mu Shaoling’s medical skills. Surely no one could be better than Mu Shaoling, right?
"It’s nothing, just an old ailment," Baili Yan did not wish to talk more about it; there was no point in having one more person worry.
Mu Shaoling then said, "Don’t worry, during my trip to Funan, I’ll secretly speak with the local fishermen. If they find any pearls, they’ll reserve them for me."
"You might as well not waste your effort; black pearls aren’t so easily found," replied Baili Yan, shaking his head. "If we make too much fuss, it’ll become widely known. Even if some are found, they won’t end up in our hands."