Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 76 Father and Son (Part )

It's July again,

Gongzi Chao took a carriage and invited his good friends in the Mohist school to accompany him back to Zhongmu.

"Zhongmu is a big city, much more prosperous than Nie City. I will take you around and go on an outing!"

Yes,

Gongzi Chao did not think that he introduced these famous Mohist disciples to his father simply because he wanted to introduce his hometown to his friends.

However, among the friends who were invited, only two agreed.

Zhongmu is indeed a prosperous place.
But the prosperous places that Mohist School had seen were not limited to one place.
Moreover, Gongzi Chao has a special identity. What would people think if they knew that he was accompanied by the Mohist school, one of the most famous schools in the world?

then,

Gongzi Chao could only disappointingly take the two friends who had promised him a ride back to Zhongmu.

When he set out, he passed by Guanhe.

The divine turtle in charge of Guanhe River poked its head out of the water, ignoring the burning gazes of the two Mohist disciples, and simply asked Gongzi Chao:
"You left in July too..."

"How long will it take until you come back next time?"

The young master sat happily on the carriage, waved to the tortoise and said, "At most one month!"

"My ambition is to travel all over the world. I don't want to stay in one place for too long!"

Zhongmu is where he was born.
Nirvana is where he grew up.
But none of them can stop Gongzi Chao from pursuing his dream.

"Well, I wish you a safe journey!"

"Definitely!"

The young man whipped the coachman, chatted with his friends, and walked towards his hometown.

……

When he returned to Zhongmu, Gongzi Chao happily went to visit his father.

He had always been spoiled, and the Zhou rituals had never been taught at home.

then,

Gongzi Chao didn't wait for the servant to report and ran directly to the backyard where Zhao Huai was.

He saw Zhao Huai, who had aged a little because of state affairs, holding a young child and making him laugh.

Zhao Huai's wife was standing nearby, also watching with a smile, and softly told Zhao Huai to be careful with his movements so as not to hurt the child.

"Is this my brother?"

Gongzi Chao looked at this scene. Although he was a little surprised that his father had a new child and did not tell him, he was still happy about it.

He ran over, saying, "I didn't know this news, otherwise I would have asked the Mo family in Niecheng to prepare a gift for me!"

Gongzi Chao has also personally appreciated the various exquisite wooden toys made by the Mohist school!
However, Gongzi Chao's happiness did not receive equal response.

His younger brother, who was less than two years old, was afraid of the stranger and threw his arms around his father's neck and began to cry.

The lady looked panicked and took the child back into her arms to coax him.

Zhao Huai was a little embarrassed.

After he became the ruler, he paid great attention to etiquette and solemnity. Who would have thought that today, when he was entertaining the children himself, he was seen by his eldest son.

"You are about to get your crown, and you are still so ignorant!"

"Why didn't you let someone know before coming in?"

Gongzi Chao didn't care. "I'm going home to visit my father. Why should I ask others to inform me?"

"Father, don't you already know my character?"

Zhao Huai frowned, looking unhappy, "Then you shouldn't have run over here yelling and scared your brother!"

The child cried even louder in his mother's arms, which made Zhao Huai feel very distressed.

Gongzi Chao was originally happy because he had a new brother, but when he turned around, he was scolded by his father for it.

then,

Gongzi Chao was also unhappy.

He just showed kindness, and was rude because he couldn't help himself. How can you blame him?
What's more, the mother failed to coax the child and instead made the child even more unhappy. It's not his fault!

Gongzi Chao pointed at the child and complained to Zhao Huai, "Why haven't I received any news about my brother now that he's grown up?" "It's because after you left, your mother got pregnant, but her condition was very poor, and the baby was born weak."

"I hid his story from you in order to keep him healthy and prevent the ghosts from taking his life."

Zhao Huai explained to his eldest son, "He's two years old now. He's been kept in the yard and we don't dare let outsiders see him."

After hearing the explanation, Gongzi Chao calmed down and started to worry about his younger brother's health again. "So that's how it is!"

"You should have told me earlier so that I could pray to the gods and ask them to bless my brother and make him healthy!"

When Gongzi Chao first met the Divine Turtle,
I also talked about this with Zhao Huai.

But in Zhao Huai's opinion, his eldest son always looked pure.

It was hard for a mature adult like me to believe what he said.

What divine turtle?
Don't be fooled!

Madam Zhao Huai couldn't help but whisper, "I'm afraid that the ghosts and gods will take Cheng's life, so I don't dare to pray."

In other words,
If the ghosts and gods knew that he had a child with poor health in his family, he would be in big trouble.

"Guanhe River God is not a ghost or god who will take people's lives at will!" said the young man with his hands on his hips.

When Mrs. Zhao Huai heard his rebuttal, she burst into tears, "Young Master is right!"

"It's just that I finally had a child like Cheng after so much difficulty. I can't help but feel worried and anxious!"

"Please don't take my words too seriously!"

Gongzi Chao was confused by her crying and couldn't help scratching his head. He felt that the mother who raised him was suddenly unrecognizable to him.

Before, although Madam Zhao Huai also appeared weak, she would not cry so easily.

When Gongzi Chao was playful and refuted his teacher's requirements for studying, his mother would support his rebelliousness with a gentle smile.

In Gongzi Chao's opinion, he could be rude to his parents, so he acted so casually before.

Now that he heard someone crying, he immediately felt uncomfortable.

The young man bowed to the lady and said, "Mother, why do you have to talk to me like this?"

"I pissed you off, so you can just scold me. But please don't be sad, it's not good for your health."

"Also, I apologize to Cheng. It was indeed me who suddenly ran over and scared him just now."

The lady just continued to lower her head and wipe away her tears weakly.

Zhao Huai was standing nearby, feeling a little annoyed. He couldn't help but say to Gong Zi Chao, "Okay, okay, you should go and clean yourself up first. The coming-of-age ceremony will be held in two days. Don't be an eyesore here!"

The young man said "Oh" and left obediently.

After he left, Zhao Huai's expression eased and he said to his wife, "You see, Chao's nature is not bad, he will be a good brother!"

"Your worries are totally unnecessary!"

Just two months after Prince Chao was conferred the title, Madam Zhao Huai became pregnant.

Zhao Huai was very happy to have a son in his old age and wanted to announce it widely.

But the lady said, "My pregnancy is not going well, let's wait until it is stable."

When the child was born, the wife said, "The child is weak, and being too flamboyant will offend him. Let's wait until he grows stronger."

When the child was old enough to walk, Zhao Huai thought that he should tell his eldest son instead of telling others. Then his wife held the child and suddenly cried to Zhao Huai, "I am really worried about Cheng!"

"Chao's character is not good, and he has always regarded himself as your successor, and even hopes that you will compete for the throne."

“If he knew he had a brother to compete for status with, would he become violent and do evil things?”

Zhao Huai said, "Chao is just a child, how could he be jealous of his brother?"

But the lady insisted, "I have been married to you for so many years and finally gave birth to Cheng, so naturally I have to think more about the child!"

So Zhao Huai had no choice but not to tell Gongzi Chao about this matter.

it's good now,

Gongzi Chao was not angry about losing his only son. He even took the initiative to prepare gifts for his brothers, which shows his friendship.

Zhao Huai felt that his wife should be able to rest assured.

The lady nodded slightly and said nothing more.

(End of this chapter)