Chapter 7 (Chapter 7) A Mind in Turmoil and Confusion

Yuan De was the first to notice that his prince's expression was off, especially the throbbing veins on his neck, which were clearly signs of suppressed and restrained emotions.

But His Highness did not call a halt.

Yuan De didn't dare to interrupt rashly. After bandaging the prince's palm and forearm, he pondered the prince's thoughts and tentatively asked, "Your Highness, would you mind going through the trouble of treating the prince's chest wound as well?"

Chi Ying was struck dumb, stunned and unsure of what to do.

Qingze had already bandaged his chest when he came yesterday, so she had forgotten about this spot.

"Your Highness's chest wound is too severe; I dare not touch it..."

She looked at King Zhao with difficulty, hoping that his fastidiousness and reluctance to let strangers get close would help. After all, the chest was not a place like the arms, and it was not a place to look at improperly. She was not a real queen after all.

To everyone's surprise, King Zhao smiled faintly and readily agreed, saying, "It's alright."

Her voice, as clear as shattered jade and broken bamboo, had a slight hoarseness, and her enunciation carried a seductive quality.

Chi Ying felt a sudden flush in her ears, and seeing him dressed neatly, she felt even more at a loss.

Yan Xuecui said, "Help me undress."

Chi Ying was slightly taken aback.

Isn't he able to move freely and doesn't need anyone to help him change his clothes? Can't he take off his clothes by himself?

After struggling internally for a moment, seeing that he was calm and had no intention of making a move on her, Chi Ying had no choice but to bite the bullet and slowly move forward, stopping only half an arm's length away from the man and leaning forward.

They were so close that they could see every intricate detail of the belt around his waist.

Yan Xue lowered her eyelashes slightly, "looking" at her.

Chi Ying knew he was blind, but she couldn't ignore his strong presence.

The fragrance of galangal filled the air, and the man's hands, hidden beneath his wide sleeves, rested casually at his side. From a certain angle, it looked as if she were being held in his arms.

Chi Ying's cheeks flushed, her throat tightened, and she suppressed the urge to back away. She cautiously raised her eyes, and the man's exquisite and handsome face was right in front of her.

Her jawline was clear and smooth, her lips were pinkish, and her skin was very white with a jade-like luster. Further up, half of her high, straight nose was covered by a snow-white veil, and a clear, elegant woody scent floated gently with each breath.

Chi Ying remained stunned for a long time until she saw his Adam's apple bob slightly. Only then did she snap out of her daze and, with trembling fingers, reach to undo his belt.

Aunt Fangchun had taught her these things, but at that time she never thought she would have close contact with King Zhao. So she only learned the general idea and nothing more. In addition, they were too close, and the man's body temperature enveloped her almost impermeably.

Chi Ying was so nervous that her hands were trembling. After hesitating for a long time, she finally found the hidden clasp. With a "click", the jade belt buckle came undone, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She kept her eyes closed the whole time and braced herself to undo his clothes and gauze.

Without him noticing, a strand of hair gently fell, brushing lightly across the man's waist and abdomen.

Yan Xuecui was plunged into complete darkness; in addition to her vision, all her senses were heightened.

The girl's fragrance permeated every nook and cranny, her soft hair brushing against her waist and muscles, sending a distinct tingling sensation through her.

She seemed very nervous; the rustling of her clothes mingled with the pounding of her heart. Her soft fingertips rested on his chest, carefully untying the knot of the gauze, then slowly pulling down his left sleeve. Her slender arms wrapped around his waist, untying the gauze from his shoulders and neck to his back chest, circle by circle.

Even though she was very careful, her delicate and smooth fingers still unintentionally brushed against his body again and again.

As soon as the gauze was completely removed, the woman's slightly disordered breathing fell unimpeded onto his chest. Yan Xue's Adam's apple bobbed, and his body tensed up again.

He lowered his brows, but he could still feel her gaze lingering on him, unwavering.

What is she looking at?

Is it his chest or his waist?

Yan Xuecui felt that the gaze was extremely hot.

Like the tiny flame that licked his palm last night, so gentle and weak, yet it forcefully branded itself onto his flesh, the burning pain causing him to instinctively lose his senses.

Chi Ying's forehead was slightly sweaty. She just wanted to finish applying the medicine and leave as soon as possible, but when the man's lean and strong upper body was exposed in front of her, she couldn't help but hold her breath for two breaths.

The dark red scars on his chest were grotesque, the skin and flesh rolled up, and the undulating waist and abdomen were crisscrossed with old wounds that had long since faded.

Like a piece of cold jade covered with chisel marks, it adds a touch of breathtaking sharpness.

Chi Ying's mind went blank, her cheeks and neck flushed red, and she couldn't quite describe how she felt.

She forced herself to come to her senses immediately, scooped up the medicine with the silver spoon in her hand, and carefully applied it to the man's chest. However, perhaps because her hand was unsteady, she heard him groan.

Chi Ying was instantly panicked, and the silver spoon in her hand almost fell to the ground. The shyness on her face turned into deep fear.

It was only then that she noticed the bulging veins on his forehead, and said in a trembling voice, "I'm clumsy, I hurt Your Highness..."

Seeing that she was pale with fright, and unable to figure out why His Highness insisted on keeping the Princess Consort to apply medicine, Yuan De was in a dilemma and could only step in to smooth things over: "Your Highness, the Princess Consort doesn't look well."

Yan Xue tightened her palm without making a sound.

After a long while, a clear and cool voice rang out: "In that case, go back and rest first."

Chi Ying immediately felt relieved, not noticing the slight huskiness in his voice compared to usual, and whispered, "Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness. I will take my leave now."

As the turmoil in Yan Xue's chest gradually subsided, he heard her light footsteps as she retreated. A smile returned to his lips as he said kindly, "Thank you for troubling me today, Your Highness."

Chi Ying had already reached the door when she heard this. Her back trembled violently, and she stiffly turned around, bowing again to take her leave.

Aunt Fangchun had seen everything and comforted her along the way, saying, "Your Highness, please don't blame yourself. Qingze has served His Highness for many years, and it's inevitable that there will be times when he's not paying attention. Besides, His Highness's wound has already scabbed over, and there are so many people serving him at Yan Gui Lou, so you don't need to worry."

Chi Ying nodded gently, her face still somewhat pale.

Aunt Fangchun smiled and said, "Don't be afraid. After spending these two days together, you can probably tell that our prince is not a monster. He is usually gentle and always smiling."

Chi Ying pursed her lips: "...Mm."

Aunt Fangchun was pleased to see His Highness and the Princess getting along so well. She thought about inviting His Highness to return to Shuyuzhai to stay in the next few days. What kind of newlywed couple would live in separate rooms? If Consort Zhuang found out later, she would have to worry about it again.

Unexpectedly, the princess caught a cold that night, and when she woke up the next morning, her face was extremely pale and her forehead was covered in cold sweat.

Fangchun was terrified and immediately sent someone to fetch a doctor. She also sent a message to Yan Gui Lou, saying that the princess was unwell and could not come to change her dressing today.

The dark, thick medicinal soup was served. Chi Ying frowned as she drank it, her mouth feeling bitter, but she felt a sense of relief.

Perhaps the long-standing anxiety and unease had been building up in her heart, causing her to toss and turn all night. When she closed her eyes, all she could see in her mind was King Zhao's blood-soaked hand, his chest and abdomen covered in wounds, and... and when he wrapped his arms around her waist, his deep, hot breath fell on her forehead, their body temperatures touching, the heat almost making her bones go numb... She simply got up and sat by the window for a while, and drank two cups of cold tea. After the heat on her face subsided, she caught a cold.

It could be considered a blessing in disguise. Although I was feeling unwell, I was able to stay at Shuyuzhai in peace for a few days, which was much more comfortable than constantly seeing Prince Zhao.

Afterwards, Judge Lin also came to take her pulse and gave her some instructions, which Chi Ying noted down one by one.

After leaving, Judge Lin turned around and went back to Yan Gui Lou to report.

"The princess has indeed caught a cold, but fortunately the symptoms are mild. As long as she takes her medicine on time, she will recover in less than half a month."

Yan Xuecui stroked the relief on the cup with her fingertips and uttered a soft "hmm".

Lin Yuanpan said, “I have just confirmed that the perfumes and cosmetics used by the Princess are popular among noble ladies in the capital. The incense used in the room is also appropriate. Furthermore, judging from the Princess’s pulse, there are no worms or other harmful substances in her body that can disturb people’s minds.”

Seeing that Prince Zhao was deep in thought, Lin Yuanpan pondered for a moment and said, "Your Highness is blind and is already extremely sensitive to smells. If the fragrances used by the Princess Consort are not to Your Highness's liking, you may ask the Princess Consort to change the fragrances or stop using such strong-smelling incense. I have observed that Your Highness's pulse has been irregular recently, and your emotional disorder seems to be more serious than before."

Since the death of Prince Ding on the battlefield, outsiders only know that Consort Zhuang couldn't bear the shock and fell into a state of delusions overnight. Little do they know that Prince Zhao was in an even more difficult situation, constantly on edge, always on guard against schemes, which led to long-term stagnation of his energy, excessive thinking and insomnia, and mental exhaustion. Later, he damaged his eyes, and even lost control of his five senses and his seven emotions became extreme. Yet, in front of outsiders, he always appeared calm and composed, suppressing his emotions and only able to release and relieve them by hurting himself and others. Even Judge Lin is now helpless.

It's not that I dislike it.

The feeling was hard to describe, Yan Xuecui said, "It was very strange."

Driven by primal bodily desires, he had an instinctive longing for her.

However, there is nothing wrong with the spices, and these feelings need not be shared with outsiders.

Yan Xuecui changed the subject, asking Emperor Yongcheng, "How has Father been feeling lately?"

Lin, the Imperial Physician, said, “It is the same as before, except that His Majesty summons the Imperial Preceptor to an audience every day. Compared to the prescriptions from the Imperial Medical Academy, His Majesty trusts the elixirs made by the Imperial Preceptor more. Those elixirs do indeed have the effect of nourishing blood and strengthening bones and muscles. His Majesty looks to be in good health.”

Emperor Yongcheng has reigned for over twenty years. Now in his fifties, he has begun to emulate ancient emperors by hiring alchemists at great expense in search of ways to prolong life. The current national advisor is Dongyangzi, whom he invited from Qingxu Temple on Lingtai Mountain. Dongyangzi is known among the people as a "Taoist immortal" and is skilled in alchemy and feng shui. He is highly trusted by Emperor Yongcheng.

Yan Xue casually sipped her tea, nodded slightly, and then dismissed him.

Judge Lin bowed and took his leave, but before leaving he couldn't help but say, "Your Highness is emotionally unstable and his desires are hard to quell. Now that you have married the Princess, you might as well consummate your marriage as soon as possible. This is a way to relieve your pent-up emotions."

"Judge Lin has spoken too much."

Yan Xue's smile faded slightly, and her aura turned cold and oppressive.

Judge Lin was terrified. He didn't even bother to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead and hurriedly bowed and retreated.

A note from the author:

----------------------

King Zhao: There must be something wrong with the spices.

Aying: It's just her natural scent. [Chin resting on hand]

King Zhao: That means there are Gu worms.

Aying: No, thank you. [Chin resting on hand]

King Zhao: His methods were brilliant.

Aying: Just breathing [resting chin on hand]