Chapter 98 I just want to protect you

Chunhong, Xiazi, Qiulan, and Dongqing all had joyful expressions and were so excited that their eyes were filled with tears.

The four rushed over and hugged Meng Lingge tightly. Meng Lingge was squeezed in the middle and wiped away their tears one by one.

"Were you beaten in prison? You were all crying like little kittens."

“I wasn’t beaten,” Chunhong said quickly. “It’s just that it’s too scary inside. I never want to go in again.”

Xia Zi nodded in agreement: "I heard that being exiled to the frontier is even worse, and many people die on the way. We thought we would never see you again."

Dongqing whispered, "Miss, how did you rescue us? The jailer who released us said that you and Prince Wen divorced, is that true?"

"It's true," Meng Lingge said softly, "but it's temporary."

“Miss…” Dongqing’s tears welled up again, “Did you do this for us…”

"Silly girl." Meng Lingge patted her head, then looked at the remaining three people. "It's none of your business. You are my people, and I won't hide it from you. The Emperor did indeed order me to divorce Prince Wen, but I don't accept it. I believe I can cure my husband and reunite with him, it just will take some time. But there will definitely be danger in doing this."

“If you are afraid, I will return your indentures to you and give you some money. You can go and live a free and peaceful life, instead of having to live in fear with me.”

She was serious.

What she will do from now on will inevitably lead her to oppose the dog emperor, and is destined to be fraught with danger.

She has people and things she can't give up, but there's no need for her maids to accompany her on dangerous missions.

"I'm not leaving, I want to stay with Miss." Dongqing grabbed her, as if afraid she would drive her away.

“We’re not leaving either. Miss got us all out of jail. Every extra day we live is a bonus,” Chunhong said, her attitude very clear.

“Neither of us is leaving,” Xia Zi and Qiu Lan said in unison.

Looking at the four maids, Meng Lingge couldn't bear to refuse them any longer.

"Okay, then I won't leave."

She had long been accustomed to having these four girls by her side and truly couldn't bear to part with them. Since they didn't want to leave, then let them stay.

The youngest of the four maids had been with her for over ten years, and their relationship had long surpassed that of a typical master and servant.

The five of them spent the night in harsh conditions. After catching up, they went back to their rooms to shower and tidy up before finally coming back to life.

After lunch, Chen Luo took the initiative to request a meeting.

Although Chen Luo had always worked for Meng Lingge, he was bound to the Meng family, so he was not implicated in the matter of the Prince of Anshun's mansion this time.

Upon hearing that Meng Lingge had returned to the manor, he hurriedly rushed back from outside.

"Greetings, Miss."

He already knew about Meng Lingge's divorce from Prince Wen, and took the initiative to change his address from "Princess Consort" to "Young Miss".

Meng Lingge nodded slightly and asked softly.

"Where are Prince Wen and Wen Kehao now? Do you know?"

Chen Luo said, "His Majesty bestowed a residence upon Wen Kehao, which is not far from the Prince of Anshun's residence. I went to see it yesterday. It seems that the young master Wen made a fuss for several hours. He only calmed down after that Doctor Su came to the door."

Meng Lingge lowered her head and looked down, and no one could see the worry in her eyes.

After she married Wen Zhiming, the two slept together every night.

This was the first time they had been separated for an entire night. Was Wen Zhiming's fussing for so long because she wasn't by his side, or because the Gu poison in his body had flared up?

After Su Leyan arrived, everything quieted down. Could it be that the Gu worms had already been forced out?

Meng Lingge could no longer sit still and stood up to ask.

Is that place being monitored?

Given the Emperor's suspicious nature, he will definitely send people to keep an eye on things; it's just unknown how many.

Chen Luodao.

"There should be. There are several suspicious-looking people at the main gate and the side gate of the mansion."

Meng Lingge thought for a moment and said softly.

"Dress as an ordinary person and go to see Doctor Su. Tell him that your wife has fallen ill with a strange disease and you need Doctor Su to go to the market on the east street to save her. Doctor Su will understand."

The courtyard where she had previously let Su Leyan stay, Yun Shen Ge, was located behind the East Street market.

Asking for medical treatment without mentioning the illness or asking about fees, and only giving a place name, would make Su Leyan, with her intelligence, guess that it was her who had arranged the meeting.

"Yes." Chen Luo responded and withdrew.

Meng Lingge changed out of her fancy clothes and hairpins, and together with Dong Qing, put on the clothes of the maids who were shopping for supplies in the mansion, and slipped out of the back gate of the Meng mansion.

Although she was eagerly awaiting news from Wen Zhiming, she patiently wandered around elsewhere a few times before finally heading to Yun Shen Pavilion behind East Street.

...

One day ago.

When the officials arrested Su Leyan at the Prince of Anshun's residence, they verified that she was indeed just a guest there and then kicked her out.

When Wen Kehao left the Prince of Anshun's mansion, he couldn't find anyone. After taking Wen Zhiming back to his own residence, he immediately ordered his men to search for Su Leyan.

After waiting for two hours without finding Su Leyan, Wen Zhiming woke up first.

Wen Kehao brought over some tea and helped Wen Zhiming up. "Brother, are you thirsty? Have some water first."

Wen Zhiming waved his hand and knocked the teacup to the ground. The next second, he ran out without a care, but Wen Kehao was already prepared and caught him in a few moves. Fearing that he would run away again, he had the guards tie Wen Zhiming to the bed.

Wen Zhiming was both anxious and angry. "Let me go! I need to find my wife, my father and mother! You bad man, let me go! You're not my third brother! My third brother isn't as bad as you..."

Although Wen Kehao knew that Wen Zhiming had misunderstood him, he was still somewhat hurt by the hateful look Wen Zhiming gave him.

It hurt him more than when his mother beat him in front of everyone.

Wen Kehao sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at Wen Zhiming.

“Big brother, I haven’t turned bad. You said it when we were little, that your third brother wasn’t bad, he was just protecting himself. I’m still the same as before, but now, more than protecting myself, I want to protect you…”

Wen Kehao spoke with heartfelt sincerity, but Wen Zhiming was in no mood to listen to him. He only wanted to break free from his constraints and go find his wife, father, and mother. He didn't even want to look at Wen Kehao.

Seeing that he was struggling and covered in sweat, cursing incessantly, Wen Kehao was worried that he would get sick from anger.

After a moment's thought, he untied the ropes binding Wen Zhiming's hands and stepped forward himself.

"Brother, it's my fault for being useless. I failed to protect you and caused harm to Father, the Queen, and your wife. If you want to hit someone, hit me instead. Don't hurt yourself."

Wen Zhiming's hands were freed, but his body was still bound. He couldn't escape, and the detestable Wen Kehao was right in front of him. He couldn't restrain himself anymore and started hitting Wen Kehao wildly.

"You wicked man! I hate you! You ruined my wife, you ruined my father and mother! I'll beat you to death, I'll beat you to death, you wicked man..."

Wen Zhiming was already strong, and in his rage, he became even more reckless, using every method he could think of to strike, grab, pinch, and rub. Yet Wen Kehao neither dodged nor evaded, remaining completely silent.

Before long, Wen Kehao's face and hands were covered in bloody marks. By the time Su Leyan arrived, he was already covered in wounds, and there wasn't a single unscathed spot on his face.