Chapter 22 Deliberate Methods (Two-in-One) "Kissing the forehead and..."

As soon as he finished speaking, footsteps came from the side of the bamboo path.

It turned out that Lady Ji had returned.

Qian Yin's anxious heart finally calmed down a little.

She cautiously raised her head, a smile still lingering on Ji Xiaoniang's face, her clear eyes sparkling. Upon seeing His Highness the Crown Prince, she immediately complained, "My cousin was drunk last night and I couldn't find you."

Without saying a word, His Highness the Crown Prince grabbed her hand and pulled her into the Snowdrift Pavilion.

Ji Xiaoniang didn't understand what he meant and cried out in pain when she was pinched.

The palace servants all looked up and exchanged bewildered glances. One of the eunuchs, puzzled, asked, "Sister Qianyin,...should we continue?"

Qian Yin hesitated for a moment, seemingly lost in thought: "Let's stop for now." She had a feeling that her young mistress probably wouldn't be able to leave.

"What are you doing! You're hurting me!" Banban was completely confused, thinking he was still drunk and acting crazy. She got angry and said, "Do you know how strong you are? Let go of me!"

He did indeed suddenly release her. She was trying to pull her hand away forcefully and almost fell because she was not prepared, but fortunately she caught herself by the screen.

She tilted the heavy screen a few inches off course, almost causing it to fall over.

"Cousin!!" Banban shouted, clutching his wrist, furious.

He whirled around, his handsome face dark with anger: "Why do you always think about leaving me? Haven't I treated you well?"

Startled by his expression, Banban unconsciously took a half step back. Her anger at his treatment vanished instantly. After a moment, she stammered, "I'm just going home..."

So that's why she was angry. But it's not like she didn't tell him; it was his fault after all.

"Cousin, are you angry?" Banban still smiled. "I'm not leaving you, why would you think that?"

She keenly sensed that besides anger, her cousin's face also contained an anxiety that she couldn't quite understand, an anxiety that fueled his growing rage.

He was frightening at that moment, but she knew he wouldn't hurt her.

"Then what are you doing?" Ying Zheng stared down at her, his Adam's apple bobbing several times before he finally asked in his most restrained manner, "Do you need to pack your things to go home? You're not planning to come back, are you?"

She was confused and at a loss, not knowing what he was talking about. "I am leaving the palace, but my father and mother have moved to Xianyang, which is outside the palace. We can still see each other every day."

So what is the difference between living inside or outside the palace?

She still had to go to the palace to study every day.

"us--"

"I won't allow it!"

Before she could finish speaking, he suddenly raised his voice and interrupted her, "Don't mention this matter again. No means no!"

"Have them bring their luggage back and settle it properly." With that, he went out to give instructions to the palace servants.

Banban was stunned and stood there for a long time. Seeing that he was really about to go out, she grabbed him and said, "No."

Seeing that she was disobedient, Ying Zheng's expression darkened slightly.

Two pairs of eyes, one pair harboring a hidden flame, the other filled with incomprehension.

She was obsessively determined to get an answer to the question, "Why?"

Ying Zheng replied without hesitation, "There is no reason why."

His silence and refusal to communicate made her feel unfamiliar with him, and that sense of estrangement returned, frightening Banban.

She couldn't believe it. "You're not going to lock me up here for the rest of my life, are you?"

The question, "What do you mean by being locked up here for life?" completely ignited Ying Zheng's anger. "You said you wouldn't leave me, that you couldn't bear to be separated from me, were you all lying to me?!"

Ying Zheng's eyes were filled with disappointment, his face ashen. "Was it all a lie to me, Ji Chengyin?!"

This was the first time he had called her that, and Banban panicked. She pushed him away without a second thought, unleashing a torrent of insults, "You bastard! Do you treat me like a pet, only good for circling around you? Then why don't you follow me? Why should I follow you?"

"Is this how you think of me, my pet?" Ying Zheng roared in anger, grabbing her arm without a second thought.

"I hate my cousin!!" Banban was already feeling wronged, and with all her might, she pushed him away. Of course, this was just something she said in anger, but she didn't care. "I hate my cousin!"

Ying Zheng hadn't used much force to grab her, and was pushed right in the face.

The heavy screen finally swayed and fell down with a loud bang. The vase on the round table was smashed and fell with a crisp sound. Porcelain shards were scattered all over the floor, and bright petals rolled everywhere with water droplets.

His movements froze, and his pupils suddenly moved upwards and fixed on her face.

After she finished cursing, she turned and ran away in a huff without the slightest hesitation.

Hearing the sounds inside, Qian Yin and the others were very worried that His Highness the Crown Prince would be rough with the concubine, but as palace servants, how could they dare to stop the Crown Prince?

She knelt by the door, as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

Before long, the young woman rushed out, lifted her skirt, and ran away without looking back, her face covered in tears.

Qian Yin was completely confused. She hesitated and got up, feeling lost. She heard footsteps by the door and looked up.

His Highness the Crown Prince appeared at the door, his clothes slightly disheveled, his dark robes as thick and gloomy as the night, and blood dripping from his left hand.

Qian Yin was horrified. She crawled forward on her knees and grabbed the prince's forearm. Upon closer inspection, she saw that there were two sharp porcelain shards stuck in his palm, which appeared to be fragments of a vase.

The edges of the shards were deeply embedded in his palm, flesh and blood blurred together, and dark red blood dripped stickily down.

His palms were trembling slightly, perhaps from pain.

"Send the message to the doctor quickly!!!"

Banban left the palace. The guards at the palace gates dared not stop her from leaving, not to mention that she had a token bestowed by the Queen. People sent by the Queen were waiting outside the palace gates early in the morning, and she only needed to get into the carriage.

Back at the Ji family home, she felt as if she had cried all her tears out, but the grievances in her heart had not lessened at all; on the contrary, they had intensified.

Pang was surprised that Banban had returned home. She hugged her tightly and said, "My darling, you're back. Where is His Highness the Crown Prince?" She looked back but did not see the Crown Prince's entourage.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this question, the granddaughter immediately burst into tears.

Madam Pang was stunned and kept asking her what was wrong, whether she had quarreled with the Crown Prince.

Banban shook his head and refused to speak, only sobbing in his grandmother's arms.

However, the whole family was overjoyed to be back. Madam Pang ordered someone to prepare a large table of delicious dishes. After calming down, Banban went to the main courtyard to see Madam Zhu.

Madam Zhu was fast asleep, still in her postpartum confinement period. Hearing the commotion outside, she heard that her mother had returned home, and hurriedly asked someone to help her up.

Banban didn't dare to rush over, so she sat on the edge of the bed and asked, "Mother, how are you?"

Zhu touched her forehead ribbon and smiled casually: "I'm fine, but what's wrong with you?"

Banban wiped away her tears sadly, "My cousin and I had a fight, and we may never make up again."

Upon seeing her mother, she harbored no resentment and recounted everything that had happened that day in detail, sobbing as she spoke, showing how deeply she had been wronged.

After hearing this, Madam Zhu sighed deeply, "Alright, if you don't want to, you can stay at home from now on. Your mother will always be on my side, thinking of you and worrying about you, no matter when or where."

She reached out to Banban and gently hugged her, saying, "Don't cry, let Mom hug you."

Banban felt a moment of peace only after holding her mother.

“However,” Zhu’s voice rang out again, “I only heard from my son that His Highness the Crown Prince is probably very afraid of being separated from you.”

"Scared?" Banban didn't understand. She gently got up, her little face full of confusion.

After a moment of silence, Zhu said softly, "Banban, these are not matters for a commoner like me to comment on His Highness the Crown Prince. You should think about it carefully yourself and let it go."

"His teacher, who was both a father and a mentor to him, has passed away. Yue Ji has always been strict with him, and he has no fatherly or son relationship with the king. You are probably the only one by his side."

Completely bewildered, as if understanding something yet still lost in confusion.

Seeing that she was not quite right, Zhu patted her head and said, "It's alright if you don't understand."

She used to think that no one else was good enough for her daughter. The Crown Prince of Qin was of unparalleled nobility, and Qin was the most powerful of the six states. She was proud that her daughter could marry into Qin.

When she became pregnant with her second son, she became much more indecisive. Stripped of her noble status, she began to wonder if her daughter was suited to live in the palace.

When they dined at home, no one mentioned His Highness the Crown Prince; instead, they ate, drank, and had fun in a harmonious atmosphere.

As night fell, Cong Yun took Banban to her courtyard to see the place, excitedly chattering as she introduced everything: "Little sister, these, these, and those are all arranged by the head of the family according to the layout of the family home in Handan. Don't they look familiar?"

Banban kept exclaiming "Wow!" and nodding repeatedly. "Father treats me the best, but this house was a gift from my aunt. It's so big, twice the size of our home in Handan!"

Cong Yun whispered, raising her hand to cover her mouth, "Little lady, I've heard that the mansion bestowed by the Queen is of a standard comparable to that of a Marquis; it's incredibly prestigious."

"I wonder if the Queen will ask the King for the throne on behalf of the head of the family."

Wasn't it Lady Huayang who, in the past, secured the title of Lord Yangquan for her younger brother?

"Huh?" Banban blinked, uncertainly thinking that her father wasn't cut out to be an official.

When Mr. Ji Hao was alive, Ji Xiu often came here to listen to lectures, but he didn't understand as much as Banban. He only knew how to do business and open shops.

Sigh, he's probably not cut out to be an official.

After talking with Congyun until late at night, Banban lay down to sleep, but always felt that something was missing and couldn't fall asleep.

The night was still and silent.

She leaned forward and glanced at him. Cong Yun was sitting by the bed, keeping watch and dozing off, while she looked out at the night sky and felt a pang of regret.

Wasn't she being a bit too harsh in saying those things about her cousin?

My repeated attempts to fall asleep all failed.

All night long, Banban lay curled up in bed, unable to find peace.

For the past two weeks, her cousin has been sleeping with her. She wants to hear stories, so he tells her. His patience with her seems endless.

Yes, her husband was dying, and she began to feel sorry for him. But then she thought, he was already the crown prince of a country. What could he not want? What was there to pity about him?

Two thoughts kept intertwining in her mind. She recalled how she had vented her dissatisfaction that afternoon, saying that he only treated her as a pet, and the hurt that flashed across his eyes in his anger.

But he wouldn't let her go home. What right did he have to forbid it?

She tried to convince herself that her anger was justified, but Zhu's words, "He is afraid of being separated from you," kept echoing in her ears.

Actually, she was also afraid of separation, but he had given her so much that she never even considered the possibility of them separating. She was so confident, her mind was rarely preoccupied, and she didn't think about the uncertainties that might arise in the future.

But he was different; perhaps it was because he had experienced far too many separations.

So, that's why he was so anxious back then?

Would he feel worried and afraid if he couldn't see her or know what she was doing?

Banban sat up abruptly.

Cong Yun was dozing off when she woke up with a start, rubbing her eyes. "Does my lady need to get up in the middle of the night?"

"I..." Banban didn't know what to say, a surge of impulse welling up inside her.

Just then, two servants carrying lanterns came in from outside and called out from the window, "Young lady, young lady, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived."

Banban quickly jumped off the bed barefoot. Congyun woke up instantly, picked up her two shoes from the floor, and hurriedly followed.

The sky outside was just beginning to lighten. Summer days are long, and it was only a quarter past dawn. All was quiet except for the breakfast stalls on the street, which had opened early and were carrying out steaming equipment.

The new house was huge. Banban rushed to the front yard, already panting. Everyone in the house was staring at her. Suddenly, she slowed down and stood hesitantly by the door.

She asked herself what she had come here for, and she knew she hadn't done anything wrong.

The thought had barely formed in my mind...

The person at the head of the table suddenly stood up, took a few steps forward, and checked her from left to right. After confirming that she was alright, he relaxed slightly and then his gaze fell on her bare feet.

Banban has a reflexive sense of guilt. Her cousin doesn't like seeing her barefoot on the ground and has told her several times that cold air entering the body is bad for her health.

But it's summer.

She was self-righteous, but subconsciously she tucked her right foot behind her trouser leg, curling her toes, as if that would allow her to avoid being scrutinized by others.

"Banban, His Highness the Crown Prince is worried about you. Look, he came looking for you before dawn," said Madam Pang. She had already washed and dressed, but walking was difficult. After the Zhao army's ambush, her legs were completely weak, and she needed a cane. "Please don't get angry with him. Be good, okay?"

Banban listened to his aunt's urgent instructions with his head down, and for some reason, he felt a lot of irritation. He swallowed back the word "cousin" that he was about to say.

Why isn't it him who's throwing a tantrum at her? It's as if she's the one being unreasonable.

The regret brought on by the loneliness of sleeping alone dissipated at this moment.

Ying Zheng stared at his cousin, who was hanging her head and refusing to speak. His face was as cold as ice, but he was never one to let emotions override reason. He lowered his gaze slightly, and after a few breaths, his eyes slowly lifted again, with a smiling expression:

"Alright, let's not discuss this anymore. It was my fault for not considering your feelings. This is your home, and it's only natural for you to want to go home. I shouldn't have stopped you."

Banban was inwardly fretting about how to argue with her cousin when she heard this. She suddenly looked up, her eyes wide with disbelief and confusion. "Cousin?"

"Can you forgive me?" He gently raised his hand and stroked her cheek.

He's already apologized, what else can she...?

"I..." She said something about forgiving or not, but she regretted saying those angry words that very night. However, she couldn't bring herself to say it. Her gaze shifted, and she noticed that her cousin's hand, which was touching her face, was wrapped in layers of gauze. "Cousin, your hand?"

In a flash, she recalled the argument that afternoon. She had shoved her cousin, and taking her by surprise, he had toppled over the screen and the round table, shattering the vase on the floor. His hand was—

In an instant, tears streamed down her face, and all the lingering resentment in her heart vanished. She threw herself into his arms and cried guiltily.

The moment his cousin entered his arms, Ying Zheng closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened his eyes, revealing a calm expression.

He felt no joy at having something lost and then regained it; only a sense of relief... a feeling that's hard to describe.

Banban's crying shattered the invisible barrier between them, dissipated the tense atmosphere, and brought intimacy back.

She would take Ying Zheng to visit the Ji family's new residence, then inquire about the condition of his hand injury and whether he had slept well the previous night, but ultimately she would circle back to the matter of returning to the Ji family, which was of utmost importance.

Banban led the Crown Prince on a tour of his new residence, and Ji Xiu and the others, being very perceptive, did not come out to disturb him.

“I’ve come up with a compromise,” she said, pulling him to sit down in the pavilion and discussing it with him. “I’ll go to the palace for half a month and then return home for half a month. What do you think, cousin?”

Since her cousin only has her left, it wouldn't hurt for her to keep him company.

Ying Zheng frowned slightly. "No."

"The Grand Tutor in the palace won't skip class for you."

Banban reluctantly thought again, "Then I'll go home for ten days every month?"

Ying Zheng shook his head again.

"Nine days?"

He spoke up, "If you want to go home, I'll come back with you for a meal and some fun."

Is it not even allowed for one day?

Banban refused to accept this, and simply conceded the biggest concession yet: "Then five days!!"

He looked at him directly, his tone slightly hesitant.

"Alright, alright, four days! It's settled then. I know my cousin promised, and he's a man of his word!" Afraid he might say something else unpleasant, she shoved his shoulder. "Back to the palace, back to the palace! Oh dear, we've reached an agreement, so shut your mouths and don't say anything more. Many people in my family are still resting."

Ying Zheng indeed remained silent.

He didn't speak, but Banban, after getting into the carriage, belatedly realized that the four days off in January, although more than many princesses and princes, strangely reminded her of the unfortunate high school girl in her previous life.

...They also have one day off per week and live in a closed-campus school.

Oh no, is she destined to be a miserable high school girl?

Thinking about it this way, she felt a little indignant, and no matter how she looked at it, she felt that her cousin was utterly evil—ah, one shouldn't think such things carelessly.

But perhaps the reconciliation after an argument is more intimate than usual. Once she got into the carriage, she snuggled up to Ying Zheng, babbling on and on about what had happened after she returned home the day before and how she had tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep.

Although she is usually unreasonable, good at sophistry and slandering others, she becomes soft and very self-reflective when faced with serious matters. "I spoke without thinking yesterday. My cousin has never treated me like a pet. I was just saying things in anger. My cousin, please forget about them."

“I know, I’ve never held a grudge.” He gently stroked her soft hair. “Don’t blame yourself.”

"And your hand..." She pouted, hesitated for a long time, and then asked, "Does it hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt." He shook his head.

Banban whispered that he was a liar, saying that how could he not feel pain when he was bleeding? He was just being stubborn.

He opened his palm, and bright red bloodstains soaked under the gauze, faintly staining the gauze red. It looked like the dressing hadn't been changed since it was bandaged in the afternoon.

"Where is the medicine? Have Qin Ju bring it to me. I need to change my cousin's dressing." This gauze looks almost useless.

Qin Ju, who was standing under the car, was quick-witted. He seemed not to hear what was said and kept walking forward with his back bent.

"I left in such a hurry that I forgot to bring it. When I get back to the palace, I'll have someone change the dressing. What if I scare you? You've always been timid." Ying Zheng shook his head with a smile, indicating that she shouldn't worry.

"I'm not a coward." Banban said this without much confidence, but as the Crown Prince's personal eunuch, how could Qin Ju not bring all the necessary items when the Crown Prince was injured and still had to travel?

However, his coming to find her at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM) was indeed an act of desperation, which makes sense.

She hesitated for a moment, then stopped thinking about it.

Yun glanced at Qin Ju, who looked up at her and smiled in a friendly manner. She smiled back.

It wasn't convenient to talk at this time, but Qin Ju was very perceptive and offered to help Cong Yun carry the bundle she was carrying.

Cong Yun, wary, immediately clutched his bundle and shook his head, indicating that he was ready.

The Ji family was not far from the palace gate. After the carriage had traveled for about 35 minutes, Banban saw the majestic and towering palace gate.

She jumped off the carriage first, and only after dismounting did she notice that the carriage was covered with a thick layer of soft cushions, something that had never happened before. Even if she rolled around in it for an hour, she wouldn't get hurt. She had gotten on in such a hurry that she hadn't noticed the soft cushions under her feet.

Compared to her palm, it was as thick as two of her palms. Looking up, she noticed that not only that, but every corner and sharp edge of the carriage was covered with soft, plush cushions.

Ying Zheng followed closely behind, disembarking from the carriage. His dark shoulders obscured her view. "What? Want to go back up and rest a while longer?"

He teased her, and she pouted and turned her head away, "I'm going back to Taxue Pavilion to sleep. My cousin is going to give me leave, so I won't be attending class today."

"Okay, whatever you say." How could he not listen to her?

The two returned to the Qin Palace hand in hand. Outside the Taxue Pavilion, Qian Yin eagerly awaited their arrival. Overjoyed, she rushed forward to greet them, saying, "This servant greets Your Highness the Crown Prince. May Your Highness be well!"

"Young lady, you're back!"

"I'm back, I'm back." Banban gently patted Qianyin's forearm and stepped aside to let Congyun pass. "This is Congyun, my maid since childhood. Now she has also entered the palace as a palace slave, but she is different from ordinary palace slaves. You should treat her well. She will still serve me personally in the future."

Normally, palace servants would not be allowed to enter the palace without going through layers of screening and inspection. This person from Yunyi skipped all these steps as soon as he arrived, which is definitely due to the Crown Prince's indulgence.

Qian Yin's heart sank, and she glanced almost imperceptibly at the Crown Prince, then curtsied and said, "Yes."

The crown prince showed little reaction and did not even glance at the silver.

Qian Yin's heart sank to the bottom. She bit her lip slightly, then smiled amicably, "Sister Cong Yun, come with me."

Yun nodded with a smile, passed by the entrance of Taxue Pavilion, looked it over carefully, and finally stared at Qian Yin with indifferent eyes.

Qian Yin could not help but notice Cong Yun's scrutiny. She was unwilling to give up, but pretended to be obedient. "No wonder you serve me personally, sister. Your demeanor is different from that of the palace maids. You look like a young lady from a wealthy family, which makes me admire you."

Seeing that she had changed to a humble form of address, Cong Yun smiled and said, "You are right. My family has always doted on my mother, and we have no other children. My mother and I are very close, so my treatment at home is naturally excellent. Otherwise, on the day my mother returned to Qin with His Highness the Crown Prince, I would have been sold off instead of being able to live a life of luxury at home." Her words were loaded with meaning, and she was obviously giving Qian Yin a veiled warning.

Don't think that just because she's been by Ji Xiaoniang's side for a while, she can outdo her!

There are two people, but there is only one position for Ji Xiaoniang's head maid.

When Yun finished getting ready and came out, she found that His Highness the Crown Prince had not left yet. He lowered his head and bent over, while Banban tiptoed and placed a light kiss on his forehead.

The crown prince was clearly stunned, and subconsciously raised his hand to touch his forehead.

Cong Yun smiled and stood to the side watching, without approaching.

After kissing her, Banban returned to her original spot, put her hands behind her back, and said shyly, "Although I don't know the difference between kissing the forehead and kissing the cheek, I know that you like me, so I'll kiss your forehead too."

She hesitated for a moment, seemingly unsure how to explain, "I will never leave my cousin. If one day my cousin says he no longer loves me, I will be very sad. I am also very, very, very afraid of being separated from my cousin."

“My heart is the same as my cousin’s.” She wasn’t good at saying such profound things, and after a few words, she awkwardly changed the subject:

"When you come back, we'll have dinner together. I'll have Congyun cook the food we ate in Handan."

She waved goodbye to him.

Ying Zheng was slightly taken aback. Slowly, he came to his senses, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, and he revealed a faint smile.

"good."

On the way out, no one spoke. The Crown Prince did not send out a sedan chair, and Qin Ju dared not disobey, so he had no choice but to have someone follow not far behind.

He mentally prepared his words, pondering what he should say.

But then he saw the white gauze wrapped around the Crown Prince's hands being removed, and strips of it falling to the ground. He picked them up as he followed, "Your Highness? This is..."

The gauze was stained with blood, but it was not the Crown Prince's blood. His injury was indeed serious, but what kind of quick-acting medicine was not available in Xianyang Palace?

Even though the crown prince's dominant hand was not his left, the imperial physician did not dare to be careless and used the best medicine and the best methods to bandage him.

Not long after the medicine was applied, the wound stopped bleeding. The wound had been carefully treated by the physician, and it looked as if there was no wound at all. However, his palm was slightly red and swollen, with two red marks from porcelain shards.

He wrapped himself in so much gauze and deliberately stained it with blood just to win over Lady Ji's heart. His Highness clearly succeeded, so why does he seem unhappy?

And then they took all the gauze apart and threw it away?

Surely he doesn't regret deceiving Ji Xiaoniang.