A Bit of Humor for the Reunion
“My lady!”
Shen Yiqi burst into the room, his face drained of all color. I was in a temporary command post we had prepared inside a merchant building along the inner wall, studying a map spread before me. I had been discussing the county magistrate’s movements and the garrison’s activities with Xiao He and Cao Shen.
“What is it?”
For Shen Yiqi to be in such a rush—it had to be serious. Had the garrison begun their suppression? I asked again, keeping my voice as calm as possible. But contrary to the ominous premonition I had been harboring, when Shen Yiqi finally caught his breath and straightened, his face was lit with unmistakable relief and anticipation.
“Chief Liu has returned!”
His voice rang out like an excited child. “……I see.”
The moment those words reached my ears, something that had been stretched taut inside me snapped. Before I realized it, I had already risen from my cushion. Thump. Thump. Thump. My heart began pounding so loudly it was almost deafening.
“Thank goodness. He arrived safely without any major trouble,” Xiao He sighed deeply in relief.
In truth, we had held a rather grave discussion the night before. It was strange for Liu Bang to be delayed this long. Perhaps he had been caught by government troops on the road. If he had not arrived by this evening, we had even been considering more drastic measures. I, too, let out a breath of relief and took a step forward.
“Guide me. I will meet him at once.”
“Pardon? Chief Liu is already on his way here…”
“I must go out to greet him. Is that not a wife’s duty?”
The resolute tone slipped out before I could stop it. At those words, Cao Shen and Xiao He exchanged glances and let out soft chuckles.
“Ahem. Since the subject has come up, the two of you should come along as well.”
I quickly composed my expression and turned to them.
“As you wish, my lady. However…” Cao Shen pointed at my face, barely suppressing his laughter. “It might be best to cool your cheeks first.”
“……Pardon?”
I hastily raised both hands to my face. It’s burning… They were absurdly hot. On top of that, my heart was pumping blood with the force of a broken pump. ……Ha. It was ridiculous. Even during the life-or-death rebellion, my chest had remained composed, yet simply hearing that man’s name had sent it into such turmoil. I cleared my throat loudly, pretending nothing was amiss, and lowered my hands.
“I must be excited because the operation succeeded.”
“Haha. Yes, of course that must be it, my lady.”
Cao Shen rose with a knowing chuckle, making no effort to hide his amusement. Xiao He also stood, wearing a gentle smile.
“Will you go out dressed as you are?”
“My clothes…”
I was the very picture of simplicity right now. Instead of my usual luxurious silk robes, I wore a loose, comfortable skirt made of plain cotton. “Yes. Let’s go like this.”
For the briefest moment, the terrifying thought I want to look pretty for him crossed my mind, but this was hardly the time. I placed a hand lightly on my swollen belly, then picked up the silk sash I had folded neatly nearby and tied it high around my waist. If he notices the pregnancy right away, it’ll cause an uproar.
I took a deep breath and turned to Shen Yiqi.
“Then let’s depart.”
“Yes, I will guide you immediately.”
We filed out of the room in a line. In the bronze mirror by the entrance, I caught a glimpse of a young woman’s face—cheeks flushed crimson, eyes sparkling like morning stars. It looked strangely unfamiliar.
……
We went to the eastern gate of Peixian—Seongun Gate—where a bribed gatekeeper stood watch, and waited for Liu Bang there. He appeared almost the moment we arrived.
“……”
His face was far more tanned than before. A scruffy beard had grown in. His clothes, patched here and there with leather, were ragged. He looked every bit the beggar. Yet his eyes held a firm, resolute light that had not been there before. So that’s the eye of a dragon.
My father, Lord Lü, had always said it: “Zhi, you are a woman with the eyes of a phoenix. And a phoenix always stays by the side of the yellow dragon, supporting him.” Of course, as a modern person I knew nothing about physiognomy, but it was clear that over the past four months Liu Bang had grown by leaps and bounds.
“Chief!”
Xiao He called out warmly. Liu Bang’s gaze immediately turned our way. His eyes first took in Xiao He, then Cao Shen standing beside him. And finally, me, half a step behind them. Liu Bang’s eyes widened for a moment, then softened with relief and a faint smile.
I slowly stepped forward. First, I should explain the situation. One step. Then ask how he has been. Two steps. After that, discuss what we must do next. Three steps. And then… Four steps, five, six.
Wait a moment…
By the time I came to my senses, I was already running. Why am I doing this…? I hiked up my skirt. Stay calm…! Nearly tripping over a stone. Stop it! I regained my balance and continued toward him. And then.
……What the hell am I doing.
Without hesitation, I threw myself into his arms. Just like the climax of a romance film.
Thud.
“Zhi-ah.”
Liu Bang caught me easily. The familiar scent of earth, sweat, and that strangely comforting smell unique to him. His rough hand gently stroked down my back. ……It’s warm.
His ragged breathing brushed my ear. His broad, solid chest. The heartbeat that matched my own. The rough texture of clothes soaked in sweat and dust. Somehow, all of it eased my heart.
“You’re safe…”
My voice trembled naturally, even though I had steeled myself. It was an unavoidable reaction from Lü Zhi’s body.
“Thanks to you. I’m relieved to see you safe too. Truly.”
Liu Bang continued stroking my back as he answered. Tenderly, as if handling the most precious treasure in the world. And I—
“……I missed you.”
I buried my face in his chest. My eyes grew hot. I didn’t understand why. I had no intention of crying. But the moment I felt his presence against my skin, all calculations, schemes, and everything else vanished. Right now… I was simply happy to be in his arms. The only thing that mattered was that this man was alive and standing before me.
You’re finished as a man, Choi Dae-ri.
Self-mockery rose from deep within. Yet mixed into it was bewilderment. I had resolved to use Liu Bang. Thoroughly, as a business partner. To remain unmoved by emotion, to calculate coldly and act rationally. Knowing he would one day become emperor, I would support him with everything I had. That had been my survival strategy.
Yet here I was, on the verge of tears in this old man’s embrace. Like the heroine of a third-rate romance novel. As if I truly… loved him.
……Love? Me?
A word I could not accept. And at that moment, the body holding me stiffened.
“……Zhi-ah?”
His voice changed. The hand that had been stroking my back froze.
“Your belly…”
……Ah.
I had even wrapped the sash to hide it for a while, but pressed this tightly against him, it was pointless.
“T-this is…”
I tried to pull away from him.
“Wait.”
But his arms refused to release me. Instead, they tightened around me even more as he lowered his head just enough to meet my eyes.
“What happened?”
His eyes were serious. But they held neither accusation nor suspicion. They simply sought an answer. They simply asked me to tell him what had occurred. ……Hmm.
Looking at that face, a mischievous impulse suddenly struck me. Of course, I knew the timing was terrible. This was hardly the moment for a silly joke. But the naughty child inside me whispered: If not now, when will you ever tease the great Liu Bang? Moreover, the man Choi Dae-ri inside me was shouting: Stop acting like a pathetic girl clinging and crying. Take control of this conversation with your usual calm, humorous attitude.
“This is…”
So I averted my eyes. Deliberately. I bit my lip hard, then placed a trembling hand over my lower belly.
“……Please raise it as our child.”
“What?”
Liu Bang’s voice dropped low.
“What… do you mean?”
“……You don’t understand?”
I looked up at him with an expression that looked as if it might shatter at any moment.
“While you were in the mountains… I…”
I deliberately let my words trail off. Vaguely. Suggestively.
“……”
Liu Bang’s face froze. The color drained from it, and his eyes shook. Seeing that expression—
Pfft… This is priceless.
Finally, the pounding in my chest eased a little. Honestly, I wondered if I had gone too far. But at the same time, I wanted to see how he would react. Would he get angry? Panic? Or reproach me? Besides, countless hardships still lay ahead of me. I might be taken hostage by Xiang Yu. Rivals like Consort Qi might appear. Before all that, I wanted to confirm how much this man trusted me and how great his capacity truly was.
And after some time had passed—
“……I see.”
Liu Bang’s answer finally came. His voice held neither anger nor bewilderment. Instead, he—
“……!”
—pulled me into an even tighter embrace. The sudden pressure forced a sharp breath from me.
“M-my lord?”
Liu Bang said nothing. He simply held me. The hands stroking my hair and back trembled faintly. Only after a long while did his voice continue.
“Zhi-ah.”
It was as calm as the sea after a storm.
“I cannot even imagine what you must have gone through.”
“……”
“While I was in the mountains, I could not protect you. I ran away and left you alone in this den of wolves. I made you carry all this… burden by yourself.”
His hand stroked my back once more.
“So no matter what happened, I will not blame you. If anyone is to be blamed… it should be me.”
“……Pardon?”
For a moment, I was at a loss for words. His voice continued.
“No matter whose seed this child carries.”
His hand gently covered mine, which still rested on my lower belly.
“This is our child. I swear it.”
“……”
My breath caught. It felt as if I had been punched in the solar plexus. This… was completely unexpected. No matter what, for the great Liu Bang—the infamous womanizer—to accept it so cleanly. This man…
He was genuinely worried about me. Afraid I had suffered something terrible, afraid I had been hurt. Above all, he was concerned for my body and heart first. Even if something had happened without his knowledge, he was willing to cover it and walk into the future together.
What an absolute fool.
Honestly, it was moving. So moving that—
“……Pfft.”
Laughter burst out of me before I could stop it.
“Z-Zhi-ah?”
Cracks finally appeared in his stone-hard expression. I buried my face in his chest again and continued.
“It seems my husband does not love me after all.”
“What?! W-what are you—!”
“Well, isn’t it true? Your wife tells you she’s pregnant and you don’t even ask whose child it is. Aren’t you jealous at all?”
“That’s because… Zhi, you…”
When I lifted my head again, I saw Liu Bang wearing an incredibly complicated expression. I chuckled and lightly tapped the bridge of his nose.
“Rest easy, my lord. I am a woman with extremely strict views on chastity.”
“Huh?”
“Of course, this child is yours.”
“……What?”
Liu Bang froze exactly as he was. Eyes wide, mouth hanging open—he looked utterly foolish. The arms that had been holding me so tightly went slack, so I easily slipped out of his embrace.
“It’s your child. The one conceived that day on Mangtan Mountain.”
“B-but… that was… your first time…”
“Which makes it even more impressive. As expected, my lord possesses the dignity of a king.”
I took his hand, which had lost its place, and placed it once more on my lower belly. Little rascal, you only behave at times like this. The child, perhaps sensing the mood, was unusually quiet today. I shrugged and patted his hand a few times.
“Well then, now that the touching reunion is over, let’s get to the main topic.”
Thanks to my little “prank,” my heart felt much lighter. Yes, clinging to my husband and sniffling after only four months apart was not like me at all. This level of cheerfulness and composure—that was the real Lü Zhi. I gently pushed him back and straightened my clothes.
“From this moment on, we will begin the full-scale rebellion.”
“……”
“My lord? Are you listening?”
“Zhi… my child…”
Liu Bang still seemed unable to process the update. I playfully slapped his chest and smiled brightly.
“Get a hold of yourself, dear. Our story is only just beginning.”