"Whether it's a boy or a girl, it's fine. As long as it's a child, I'll love them all the same," Chen Xi said, his usual calm demeanor returning, though a hint of joy still lingered on his face.
"Really?" Chen Lan asked, slightly excited.
"Really. Boys require more attention, while girls are a bit easier to handle," Chen Xi smiled, reassuring her. Although he spoke casually, Chen Lan could sense that he wasn't just trying to comfort her.
"But I still hope that the child in my belly will be like you," Chen Lan said with a gentle laugh. "So, it would be nice to have a boy."
Chen Xi smiled but didn't say anything. Even if they had a son, raising him to Chen Xi's level was something he wasn't confident about. The times were constantly changing, and while the educational system two thousand years later might be flawed, it did allow those who wanted to learn to gain an immense amount of knowledge. But in this era, that wasn't possible.
"Get some rest and stop doing these things," Chen Xi said, patting Chen Lan to remind her not to overexert herself. She was already pregnant, yet she was still up late making baby clothes, which was worrisome. There were many skilled maids in the Chen household who could handle such tasks.
"Chen Yun, keep an eye on her. If she continues to stay up late sewing, come and tell me," Chen Xi instructed, turning to Chen Yun, who had been standing quietly by the side.
"I understand," Chen Lan replied softly, her face filled with tenderness.
"Alright, now rest well. I'll stay here and watch over you until you fall asleep," Chen Xi said as he tucked her in, gently patting her to help her relax.
Time passed, and while Chen Xi was almost dozing off, Chen Lan seemed to become more and more awake.
"Husband, you should return to your room to rest. With you staring at me like this, I can't sleep," Chen Lan said with a soft laugh, covering her mouth.
"Alright, I won't disturb you anymore," Chen Xi said, realizing that even he was starting to feel sleepy just from being in the room.
As he left the room and closed the door behind him, Chen Xi gazed up at the sky and muttered to himself. Life before having children and life after having children were completely different.
"Jian'er, you're still here?" Chen Xi asked with a smile when he saw Fan Jian waiting outside.
"I'm here to wait for you, husband," Fan Jian replied with a slight bow.
Chen Xi smiled again, noticing the subtle hint of sadness in Fan Jian's eyes.
Chen Xi didn't go out of his way to spread the news of Chen Lan's pregnancy, but soon enough, everyone who needed to know had found out, and gifts started arriving early.
"Congratulations!" Liu Bei said, bringing over a jade cauldron with a pleased expression. "Zichuan, congratulations!"
"Congratulations to you too, Lord Xuande," Chen Xi replied with a smile.
"Congratulations to us both," Liu Bei said with a chuckle, quickly switching his words. Madam Gan was already four or five months along.
Chen Xi accepted the jade cauldron and handed it to the guards behind him. Smiling contentedly, he looked at Liu Bei. Although the recent dreams about the jade disc had made him feel a bit restless, compared to the joy of the news, that restlessness was nothing.
"I've been waiting for this day for a long time," Liu Bei said, walking alongside Chen Xi with a wide grin. "You've finally got a child on the way. I never expected it to happen so soon."
"You've been waiting a long time?" Chen Xi raised an eyebrow, pouring tea for Liu Bei and himself before taking a sip. They had long dispensed with the formalities of offering tea and then politely inviting someone to leave; it wasn't necessary between them.
"Of course I've been waiting. I want your daughter to marry my son as his wife," Liu Bei said excitedly.
Chen Xi felt slightly annoyed and sarcastically replied, "I don't even know if it'll be a boy or a girl, but you're already so sure that your firstborn will be a boy."
"And if it's a girl, I'll let her marry your son instead. How about that?" Liu Bei said nonchalantly. "Satisfied now?"
Chen Xi was speechless.
"You're really something," Chen Xi said with a mock salute to Liu Bei. "I give up. We'll see what happens when the time comes..."
Before Chen Xi could finish speaking, Wu Anguo rushed in and bowed to Liu Bei. "My lord, urgent news from Adviser Jia: General Zhang has been defeated by Lü Bu. Generals Xu and Guan have both been injured. Lü Bu is even stronger now than he was at Hulao Pass!"
"What?" Liu Bei exclaimed, immediately standing up. He had been uneasy about letting Zhang Fei duel Lü Bu, but Zhang Fei had insisted, and Liu Bei couldn't restrict him too much. To ensure Zhang Fei's safety, Liu Bei had sent Xu Chu as backup to Yanzhou and later moved Guan Yu from Licheng to press toward Yanzhou. This was not only to allow Zhang Fei to fight without worry but also with the intent to eliminate Lü Bu.
Rewinding to the moment when Lü Bu's cavalry overran Zhang He, we see that under Wei Xu and Hou Cheng's leadership, the Bingzhou wolf riders were struggling against the Xian Deng death warriors. However, when commanded by Lü Bu, they seemed to come to life. With the enhancement of Lü Bu's army talent, the Bingzhou wolf riders possessed almost the same charging power as the Xiliang Iron Cavalry and the archery skills of the White Horse Volunteers.
When Lü Bu's forces encountered Zhang He's, the great halberd in Lü Bu's hand sliced through the elite Xian Deng warriors, splitting their formation in one swift strike. He moved with the grace of a butterfly and the fluidity of water, tearing through the enemy with ease.
Zhang He wasn't slow to react. As soon as his Xian Deng warriors suffered heavy casualties, he reformed his ranks, intending to use their robust bodies to withstand the charge of the Bingzhou wolf riders. He also quickly sent orders to inform Tian Feng and Xun Chen to deploy their crossbowmen for suppressive fire.
There was no flaw in his command, but Zhang He had underestimated the strength of the current number one warrior in the world. With just one arrow, Lü Bu shattered Zhang He's spear and pierced his armor, breaking the command banner in the process.
To be honest, if Lü Bu hadn't run out of arrows after dealing with scouts and had resorted to using a light arrow, that single shot would have been enough to end Zhang He's life. Even so, it was enough to knock Zhang He off his horse.
After that, Zhang He lost the will to face Lü Bu. He realized that they weren't even on the same level; killing people as easily as Lü Bu did was no exaggeration.
Without Zhang He's command, the Xian Deng warriors, though still elite, were soon shattered into pieces by Lü Bu and his Bingzhou wolf riders, forcing them into a retreat.
When Zhou Ang, Shen Rong, and others arrived as reinforcements, the situation was already beyond saving. Before they could even form their ranks to support the Xian Deng warriors, Lü Bu and his Bingzhou wolf riders stormed in like a whirlwind. A rain of arrows fell, and Lü Bu, leading the charge, shattered the Hebei army's formation, driving his spear deep into their ranks.
In an instant, chaos erupted. Within the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the Hebei reinforcements were on the verge of collapse. With all their command flags down and Lü Bu personally leading a small group of guards into the fray, the Hebei army crumbled like a punctured balloon, breaking apart and fleeing in all directions.