The young girl in his arms was so gentle and charming that Liang Xiao's heart skipped a beat.
"Brother Xiao..." Xiao Qing's voice trembled slightly.
Yuan Jin informed Xiao Qing that her physical condition was good and she could bear children. Lü Yi and Wang Canghai no longer objected. After all, continuing the royal lineage was a matter of utmost urgency. They were even willing to "borrow seed" if necessary. Once an intimate relationship occurred, Liang Xiao would immediately be made the驸马 (imperial son-in-law)...
But now, she couldn't bring herself to say it!
"What's wrong?"
Liang Xiao looked at the girl in his arms with confusion. He saw her eyes darting away, a blush on her face, and a look of wanting to speak but hesitating, which made him stare dazedly.
Xiao Qing felt a lump in her throat. Her slender hand stroked down Liang Xiao's chest, her face flushed red.
Seeing this, Liang Xiao came back to his senses. He lifted Xiao Qing's chin. The girl gazed at him, her eyes full of tenderness like flowing water.
Liang Xiao couldn't help but kiss her.
Xiao Qing felt as if she were melting.
After a long while, Liang Xiao reluctantly pulled away from Xiao Qing's red lips and said softly, "Shuang'er is not yet an adult, yet for the sake of the royal family, for your Brother Xiao, you always suffer."
Xiao Qing lowered her head, not daring to look at Liang Xiao.
She was willing, but if it weren't for the fact that she was the only one left of the royal family, with her temperament, she would never have been so forward.
Liang Xiao held Xiao Qing tightly, his voice gentler than ever, "The Prime Minister has already spoken to me about recruiting talented individuals from Jiangnan. When your Brother Xiao returns, we will give everyone a happy outcome. By then, it will probably be your birthday. No one is allowed to make Shuang'er suffer, including your Brother Xiao!"
Just a moment ago, Liang Xiao had almost lost control.
Xiao Qing finally sobbed in Liang Xiao's arms.
Why, at this critical juncture, did he still not bear to hurt me!
Xiao Qing nestled in Liang Xiao's arms, listening to him speak softly, telling her stories.
"Alibaba and the Forty Thieves? What a strange name~" Xiao Qing said charmingly. "But this story is quite captivating!"
"It's a story I heard someone tell me in a dream. The collection of stories is called 'One Thousand and One Nights'," Liang Xiao said with a smile.
Xiao Qing's beautiful eyes lit up, "A thousand and one stories? Then in the future, Brother Xiao must tell Shuang'er more stories, even if you make them up yourself! Shuang'er will have the palace maids copy them down and give them to Brother Xiao to be compiled into a book. Perhaps your bookshop will be very popular in the future!"
Liang Xiao smiled and nodded.
After telling the story, Xiao Qing was held in Liang Xiao's arms all night, listening to him talk until she fell asleep.
Looking at the sleeping beauty in his arms, Liang Xiao couldn't help but feel affectionate. He kissed Xiao Qing's forehead, gently put her down, covered her with the quilt, and bid farewell to Ning Xuejun.
Ning Xuejun looked at the properly dressed Liang Xiao with a hint of confusion. She had her shadow guards escort him away, then quietly pushed open the door and went in.
Seeing Xiao Qing, whose clothes were neatly arranged, Ning Xuejun sighed softly, "Truly a destined husband granted by heaven to His Highness."
Of course, she could guess that Liang Xiao couldn't bear to harm Princess Ning Shuang, as she was not yet of age, only seventeen by lunar reckoning.
At this moment, Ning Xuejun truly looked at Liang Xiao with admiration and respected him from the bottom of her heart.
Xiao Qing woke up and saw Ning Xuejun. She was so ashamed that she hid her face with the quilt and said, "Grandma Ning, am I so incompetent..."
Ning Xuejun, with tears in her eyes, said softly, "No, it's that His Highness's Second Young Master Liang is too good, too good. Only he in this world is worthy of His Highness! It was I who was too eager and disregarded His Highness's feelings, causing His Highness to suffer."
Xiao Qing said with a choked sob, "I can understand my maternal uncle and Prime Minister Grandpa's caution, but..."
Ning Xuejun comforted her, "His Highness has already allowed Second Young Master Liang to marry and take concubines. Second Young Master Liang's character is so good, he surely won't mind these things. Besides, doesn't His Highness enjoy teasing Second Young Master Liang?"
Xiao Qing then broke into a smile.
"Yes, tease him!"
But soon, Xiao Qing said coquettishly, "Even with Xiao Shuangzi's status, he teases me. I can't do anything about him anymore, and I dare not spank him. Grandma, he just bullies me..."
Looking at the embarrassed and annoyed Xiao Qing, Ning Xuejun couldn't help but smile.
The young sage-like ruler in the eyes of the world actually had such a shy and lovely demeanor!
Should the world envy Liang Xiao, or envy her master?
When Liang Xiao returned to his residence, he saw a lonely, elegant figure sitting at his doorstep.
Jian Qinwan looked at Liang Xiao with a mournful expression, biting her lower lip. After a long moment, she asked, "Have you and Princess Ning Shuang already..."
Liang Xiao shook his head. "She's not of age yet. You've been learning medicine from your mother, haven't you?"
"So, you couldn't bear to..." Jian Qinwan's expression was complex, and she sighed. "Thinking about it, it's true. If something unexpected were to happen, it wouldn't be good..."
In the Great Qian Kingdom, it was common for women to marry and have children at fourteen, and correspondingly, these women suffered from illnesses more frequently.
Liang Xiao smiled and said, "Bodhisattva, you understand medicine too!"
Jian Qinwan pursed her lips, her mood even more complicated.
As the head disciple of the Sage of Medicine, Imperial Physician Yuan Jin naturally doted on Jian Qinwan and told her the truth about the royal family's urgent need to continue their lineage.
But this philanderer seemed unaware of Xiao Qing's true situation?
Leaking the emperor's secret was punishable by extermination of the nine generations. Moreover, with Mu Xueqin's repeated instructions, Jian Qinwan naturally couldn't reveal the truth, but her jealousy only grew.
"Hmph! Enjoying blessings without knowing it!"
After saying this, Jian Qinwan ran back to her room, humming.
She quietly took out the poems and lyrics by Liang Xiao that she had recently copied from the cabinet, and Jian Qinwan became engrossed in reading them.
The three sages of Great Qian were outstanding and unparalleled. They did not care about the eyes of the world and even allowed her to be a concubine to Liang Xiao, as long as she was happy.
But as a successor of the Three Sages, she did not want to disgrace them by being a low-ranking concubine without status.
However, it would be good to be able to stay by such a philanderer's side. Status and reputation were no longer important, even if their relationship remained as it was for a lifetime...
Jian Qinwan had to admit in her heart that she had long fallen in love with the life of seeing this philanderer every day!
The next morning, Liang Xiao went to the Ministry of Works for a perfunctory registration, and discussed the details of movable-type printing with Zhang Yang and others.
At this time, only Liang Xiao, Zhang Yang, and Huang Xing were in the room.
"Liang Xiao, why did His Majesty let me share in the credit for movable-type printing? Did you say something to His Majesty again?" Zhang Yang asked with confusion.
Liang Xiao's expression changed. "Oh, you always slander my reputation. This is not the act of a gentleman!"
Zhang Yang looked bewildered, then chuckled heartily. "That's fine too. His Majesty secretly rewarded me with another hundred taels of gold, so I can donate a few more private schools."
Huang Xing looked approvingly at Zhang Yang, then at Liang Xiao. "The movable-type printing provided by Marquis An is brilliant! Woodblock printing is still in its infancy and is much more convenient than copying by hand. This movable-type printing can indeed be widely promoted while woodblock printing has not yet developed. We cannot let the Ouyang family control the entire country's book industry. This is also detrimental to His Majesty!"
Since the Gu family and Mu family decided to cooperate with Liang Xiao, families like the Huang family had also accepted Liang Xiao's "family" concept and decided to support Xiao Qing and Liang Xiao.
"But I have something I don't understand and deeply worry about!" Huang Xing sighed again. "The land requisition order promoted by His Majesty is very enlightened in its content. However, Minister Ouyang and others are taking advantage of the situation. This morning, they are instigating His Majesty to buy a large amount of land, clearly intending to use their power for personal gain. The national treasury doesn't have that much money, and His Majesty actually agreed! Shouldn't Marquis An try to persuade His Majesty?"