Chapter 56 I will never touch you again

The year passed by in such a lively manner. Perhaps because Yanyun returned home, the Second Madam's face was always full of smiles. Yangqing felt a little jealous. This mother's favoritism was too obvious. Couldn't she just pretend a little?

However, Yan Yun's life was indeed full of twists and turns. She was born with poor health and had to take medicine all year round. She finally married a talented and handsome husband, but he turned out to be a weakling who was easily fooled by a bandit.

This bandit was especially shameless; he wouldn't stop even during the New Year, coming to every banquet, and even when there wasn't one. The Second Madam ignored him, so he fawned over Master Chi.

Rongyue didn't like him either. Ying Sheng was obviously illiterate and probably couldn't even recognize a few characters. He was also extremely crude in his speech and actions.

She hated people like that the most. Even if he couldn't read and write because of his poor background, he was now a fifth-rank Left General appointed by the emperor himself. He was a person of some importance. How could he still be the same as before?

It's one thing to not learn to read and write, but to do this is simply unreasonable and disruptive.

Today was another similar situation. Perhaps he had just finished his shift, as he was wearing the armor of the Imperial Guard, which looked much more pleasing to the eye than his usual blind imitation of the clothing of noble children. He looked quite imposing.

Nowadays, the strict separation of men and women is not so severe, and it is not unusual for men and women in a family to sit together at the same table. However, there is no reason to have one's daughter accompany and entertain unfamiliar guests.

Master Chi was a rare man with a mild temper, but he couldn't help but feel annoyed by Ying Sheng's pestering. He said helplessly, "General, it's getting dark. You should go home soon."

Unfortunately, when a scholar encounters a soldier, reason is useless; when Master Chi encounters bandits, reason is even more impossible.

Ying Sheng showed no sign of being unwelcome and continued to grin, "I'm also quite hungry, so please have mercy and let me stay for dinner, Your Excellency."

Master Chi was already at his wit's end. If he were to fly into a rage, Ying Sheng would have to be subservient. Having lived for so many years, Master Chi had met and associated with many respectable people, though not all of them could be described as gentlemen. When he encountered someone as shameless as Ying Sheng, he was truly at a loss.

The censor filed a complaint, the punishment was handed down, and the beating was endured, but Ying Sheng, being thick-skinned and resilient, still came as usual the next day.

Master Chi often served at the Imperial Academy, so he was quite well-informed. It seemed that news of Ying Sheng's infatuation with his daughter had already reached the Emperor, but His Majesty just laughed it off, treating it as a joke among young people.

This made him break out in a cold sweat, fearing that the disaster that had befallen the Prince of Ning's mansion would repeat itself.

It wasn't easy to coax and trick them into leaving, but once inside, they were filled with remorse and uttered cries of utter disgrace.

The second wife sneered, "If it weren't for your cowardly behavior as a father, how could they have dared to ride roughshod over you?"

Yang Qing snorted, "It's all that guy surnamed Yun's fault."

She also found out how Ying Sheng managed to curry favor with the emperor despite being neither good at literature nor martial arts.

It was nothing more than the saying, "If there were no hunger or thirst, how could one be a bandit? Now that we live in a prosperous age, we should wash away our sins."

He had a reputation for robbing the rich to help the poor in the border areas, and it seemed that bandits were not so hated in the past.

Yang Qing didn't think so. Although she didn't do anything by forcibly abducting Yan Yun, she ruined Yan Yun's reputation and caused her to divorce and return home. Isn't that a crime that can be made public?

There's only one visible one; who knows how many more are unseen?

Acting solely on one's own conscience will inevitably lead to numerous mistakes.

She refused Li Shangxuan's invitation to the hot spring resort last time, but Princess Shengping sent an invitation a few days later. It's highly likely that he was behind it.

Come to think of it, it's been a long time since they last saw each other...

Chu Ying was very excited. She had never been to a royal estate before. After this visit, she would have another place to brag about to her girlfriends.

Two more days passed before they set off. Zhuangzi was not far from the capital, and the journey by carriage would only take a little over an hour.

But to everyone's surprise, apart from Princess Shengping and a group of housekeepers and young ladies, there was really no one else there. This puzzled Yang Qing. Could it be that she was just overthinking things?

Although it was winter, the hot spring water was already hot, and steam filled the air, making one wonder if this was some kind of fairyland.

Chu Ying was like the little white dog that Xin Wanyou raised. Once it got into the water, it became restless. Even though it couldn't swim, it wandered around and chased and played in the water, making people break out in a cold sweat.

Although the pool has been renovated, some parts are still deep enough to submerge a person's head.

Princess Shengping said she would stay here for three days. The next afternoon, Yangqing was still on the bed, half asleep, when she vaguely saw a figure at the head of the bed.

She had expected this, so she didn't panic. She just glanced at him, then quickly closed her eyes again, as if to say, "Don't disturb my sleep."

Li Shangxuan found it amusing and pinched her cheek. "Why do you love sleeping so much? Are you some kind of little pig?"

Chi Yangqing was extremely annoyed by this guy who was disturbing her sleep, and slapped his hand away with a huff, "You're so annoying."

Li Shangxuan's tone remained unchanged, "You're getting bolder and bolder."

The last syllable of his voice was slightly upturned, conveying a tender and lingering meaning.

Spring came too late. Even though it's much warmer here than in the capital because of the hot springs, you still need to cover yourself with a quilt for an afternoon nap.

To avoid Li Shangxuan's harassment, she pulled the blanket up over her head.

He was quickly pulled down again, and Li Shangxuan's voice came, "Don't sleep with your head covered."

Yang Qing muttered softly, "I won't sleep with my head covered if you don't keep staring at me."

Li Shangxuan smiled and said, "You stingy little thing, you won't even let me stare at you? We haven't seen each other for so many days, and you don't even say you miss me, and you're so heartless."

Yang Qing's face flushed, and she couldn't help but think of her past life.

What was he planning when he invited her to the hot spring resort?

It was the same in our past life. One winter after we got married, he said he would take her to a hot spring. But it turned out that we weren't going to the hot spring at all; he was just playing with her.

This dog is a born pervert.

She said irritably, "Who knows what you're up to? I don't want to see you in a place like this."

Li Shangxuan thought back carefully. He hadn't seen Yang Qing for the past few days, so he couldn't have done anything to upset her. He immediately asked curiously, "What did I do wrong this time? What made you not want to see me again?"

He pulled the blanket over her, leaving Yang Qing nowhere to hide. She said, embarrassed and annoyed, "I'm annoyed just seeing you. You pervert! You always touch me inappropriately every time you see me. I hate you so much!"

Li Shangxuan remained silent for a moment before saying, "What do you mean I'm always getting handsy? Don't you enjoy it?"

Yang Qing lay down on her side, her back to him, and sneered, "How could I enjoy it? Only a shameless scoundrel like you would do that. You forced me to do it, and I hate it so much."

Li Shangxuan's face darkened. He was a chosen one of heaven. Ever since he became the crown prince and entered the Eastern Palace, everyone else fawned over him and flattered him. Yet, he had repeatedly run into obstacles with Yang Qing.

In the past, he would have just taken it as a bit of fun, but today her rejection was so obvious, and she emphasized again that she was being forced, which made Li Shangxuan very angry.

The first time was a series of unexpected events, and it was clearly her initiative. How could it be considered that he forced her?

In the following few times, he was indeed a novice in matters of the heart. Every time they met, he couldn't help but get close to her. But clearly, when she said no, she was also sweet and coquettish. Where was there any sign of her being harsh or stern?

Li Shangxuan said sternly, "I'll ask you one more time, did I force you? If you say yes, then unless you ask me for it yourself, I will never touch you again!"

Yang Qing retorted stubbornly, "I will never ask you for anything!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of him slamming the curtain shut and leaving was heard, and Liu Ye'er and another maid entered the room.

After the commotion, Yang Qing was wide awake and sat up, only to meet Liu Ye'er's worried face.

Liu Ye'er: "Your Highness is too domineering. Just now, several eunuchs and maids blocked me at the door, and I didn't dare to shout. This is not home. If the other young ladies in the mansions find out, how will you face them?"

Yang Qing said, "He's riding high right now, so who would dare to speak ill of him?"

Liu Ye'er said, "I'm just worried that others will talk badly about you, Miss."

Yang Qing yawned, drank a bowl of sweet soup that was served to her, and got up to put on her outer garment.

The sky outside has turned gloomy again; it looks like it's going to start snowing again.

I had originally planned to go see the flowers with Chuying. The flower nursery here has carefully cultivated many flower varieties that can only be seen in spring and summer, but if it snows, the roads will be very slippery, so we definitely can't go.

She couldn't help but think of Li Shangxuan. He was a very busy man and definitely couldn't stay here overnight. He had to attend the morning court session tomorrow and had to get back before curfew.

If it starts snowing halfway through the journey, it will definitely be difficult to travel.

The moment the thought crossed Yang Qing's mind, she immediately began to despise herself.

Li Shangxuan just yelled at her so hard, what does it have to do with her whether the road is easy or not?

She was actually hoping the snowstorm on the road would be even heavier, so he would fall off his horse and split his buttocks in eight pieces.

He even had the audacity to say that "he would only touch her if she begged him," but who cares?

Isn't he the crown prince? Let him go find whoever he likes; Yangqing shouldn't have to put up with this anymore.

In less than half an hour, snowflakes began to fall outside. Yang Qing stretched out her hand from the window and caught a snowflake in no time. It was white, soft, light and thin. But as soon as she held it in front of her, the stove in the room was burning brightly, and the snowflake immediately melted into water and slipped through her fingers.

Upon seeing this, Liu Ye'er immediately brought a handkerchief to wipe her hands, muttering, "What if she catches a cold and gets frostbite? If the Second Madam finds out, she'll definitely blame me for not taking good care of her, and she might even beat me to death."

The snow outside is getting thicker.

Yang Qing didn't take it seriously. It was only because they were on Princess Shengping's territory that she thought it was a problem. If they were at home, she probably would have gone out for a snowball fight with Chu Ying in such heavy snow.

Willow Leaf always liked to exaggerate like that.

Yang Qing deliberately said, "What are you afraid of your mother for? You'll be going home to get married in two months at most. What can she do to you then?"

Liu Ye'er blushed and scolded, "Miss, you're talking more and more inappropriately. What kind of young lady talks about getting married all the time?"

Yang Qing snorted, "What a boring thing to say. Does that mean all women will stop getting married if I don't say it? It's a fact right in front of us, and I'm not allowed to say it."

Liu Ye'er said, "Miss, it doesn't matter what you say now, but once you enter the palace, you must never do that again. I just saw that His Highness looked very unhappy when he left. Did they argue again? Miss, His Highness is His Highness after all. What if you really anger him..."