52 Temptation
◎This is all my responsibility◎
"I hate her the most. If you see her, don't talk to her as much." Fu Tao didn't even want to pretend to be nice to her.
"A-choo!" Cui Rumei shuddered involuntarily in the palace.
Seeing this, Fu Kang came over and asked her what was wrong, "What's wrong? Are you cold?"
Cui Rumei frowned, looking pitiful, as if she hadn't eaten in a long time. Her face was mournful, and the wound on her slender wrist was visible. "I was worried about Your Majesty the past few days, and I'm a little tired."
The wound was so deep that blood could still be seen through the gauze, and there were bruises around it that were either blue or purple. "What's wrong with your arm?" Fu Kang asked.
"No, nothing..." She immediately pretended as if nothing had happened, and did not rush to retract her arm. Instead, she slowly and leisurely looked at all the palace maids and eunuchs present before she retracted her arm that was stained with scars.
"What is this?" Fu Kang naturally had to ask.
She was a person who was very good at doing things. She would not do everything, but she would make sure others saw what she did. This might have been a habit she had developed during her time as a prostitute.
Patrons, seeing this, were naturally willing to give more rewards, and so she relied on men's favors to climb all the way to the top of the courtesan. This was something Rong Qianyu truly couldn't learn, and she probably wouldn't learn it in her lifetime. She also wouldn't resort to flattery or playing the victim to gain attention.
"This is... I heard that using that blood as a medicine can help cure it faster. Anyway, it's a method, so I wanted to give it a try."
Fortunately, Fu Kang was not Fu Hua. He was not impressed by these tricks and only said a few words of comfort without giving much praise.
"If you have an illness, treat it. What's the point of doing all this? You're ruining your body for nothing. Go down and rest." "Qianyu, you should go down and rest too. Zhang'er is coming today, and we can talk as father and son. You don't have to accompany us."
Cui Rumei was obviously unhappy, as she had accidentally hit the horse's leg. "Yes." Everyone quietly left the room.
"Ms. Cui, please stay," Rong Qianyu called her. She wanted to ask about his condition, both for public and private reasons. "How is your injury?"
Cui Rumei's clever trick failed, and she said reluctantly, "Much better."
Rong Qianyu and him really didn't get along, and they couldn't sit down and have a good conversation. "It's good to have good intentions, but sometimes you have to take the wrong path, otherwise the gain will outweigh the loss."
Sometimes he would sincerely ask her. Rong Qianyu's hostility towards her was only in the harem struggles, and she didn't care about her personally. "Your Majesty, what are you talking about? I don't quite understand. Please try to understand."
Rong Qianyu continued, "You've been working hard lately. I'll ask Pan'er to get you some medicine tomorrow. It wouldn't be good to have a scar on your arm."
Cui Rumei didn't want to pay any more attention to her and turned to leave, "This is all my responsibility."
But Rong Qianyu grabbed her and touched her tightly wrapped arm. She stroked it, feeling smooth and intact, as if there were no wounds. She said softly, "This is different. Thank you. I will arrange for an imperial physician to see you tomorrow. You should also rest. The prince will be displeased if you are exhausted."
Cui Rumei immediately pulled her hand away, looking displeased. The two of them stared at each other, fearing Rong Qianyu would find out she had lied. "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I'll take my leave now."
"Pan'er, get someone to keep an eye on her. It's better to be safe than sorry."
Rong Qianyu also specifically instructed to keep an eye on her. This woman was always playing tricks. One day she would cut flesh and bleed, and tomorrow she would come up with something else. These things were not important, but she was worried that she would still have evil intentions. People were in a panic at the moment, and if she did something else, it would be disastrous.
In addition to Fu Kang's bedroom, she lowered her eyes and saw a shadowy figure on the high platform. It was Princess Liu of Jin, whom she had seen last time at the banquet.
She looked to be in her early twenties. Although she had already given birth to a pair of children, her temperament was still outstanding and bright. At first glance, she was obviously the daughter of a wealthy family.
She walked slowly and squarely to Rong Qianyu and bowed politely. "Greetings, Her Majesty the Crown Princess!"
Rong Qianyu also greeted them with a smile, "Is the Princess of Jin with His Highness?" She had always been very gentle and generous in front of these ladies, especially after the last epidemic, all the voices criticizing her had disappeared.
Instead, she became a well-behaved and decisive Crown Princess.
Liu Yuan nodded her chin slightly and smiled politely, "Your Majesty has a good memory. I am so pretty that I can still make you look good a few times."
The two found a pavilion in the imperial garden and sat down to rest.
"You're not saying that, Princess. You're dignified and elegant. That's what makes people remember you forever." They exchanged pleasantries. This was the first time Rong Qianyu had spoken to her face to face. "Princess, you look young. You don't look like someone who has given birth to two children at all."
It was true that this was a compliment, but Liu Yuan didn't respond at all. Instead, she kept talking about Fu Kang's condition. "Your Majesty, you have been taking care of him for a long time. It is indeed very hard. It is also an old problem. Moreover, Your Majesty is old, so some things are really hard to say."
Rong Qianyu heard the hidden meaning in the words of the person opposite her, and she leaned back slightly. The smile on her face instantly turned into a gloomy and serious look.
She was a little hesitant and didn't know how to continue. After all, this person was her sister-in-law, and there was no reason to embarrass her on the first meeting.
She took a sip of tea, which seemed to ease the awkward atmosphere. "Your Majesty is still young, this is just a minor problem. Your Majesty, you are being too pessimistic."
The other party also sighed, "This illness is most taboo to get angry. Your Majesty, you don't know, many years ago, His Majesty also had an attack of illness. Do you know what the cause was?"
"Why?"
"At that time, the Crown Prince wanted to take Cui in as a maid, but His Majesty certainly wouldn't agree. The two had a huge argument, and His Majesty fell ill. He was recuperating for more than ten days before recovering. After that, the Crown Prince never dared to openly mention the idea of taking Cui in again. It was only thanks to the Crown Princess's cleverness that the matter was resolved with just a few words. It's true that marrying a virtuous wife is the right thing to do. The Crown Prince will listen to you. If Your Majesty gives birth to another legitimate son, you will enjoy endless wealth and glory in the future."
Apart from what Xue Ji said about Fu Hua and Cui Rumei in the past, she had never heard anyone else talk about them. It didn't seem appropriate to talk about their love story at this time.
Whenever Rong Qianyu heard their love story, she always found it very strange. If he loved her so much, why would he have children with another woman? With her status, she definitely could not be his legal wife, but even if she was a concubine, she would be no different from his wife if he didn't marry again in the future.
But Fu Hua would sing praises of their unbreakable love while at the same time he couldn't help but favor the palace maids. Liu Yuan said these words simply to ridicule Rong Qianyu. However, she didn't know that after being the Crown Princess for more than a year, she no longer cared about children and favors. The only thing she cared about was her life and self-preservation.
She remained indifferent, her previous reserved state immediately relaxing. "Princess, you really know how to joke. Why does it have to be a son? Yan'er is also very cute."
Liu Yuan just smiled and said, "Although raising a child is hard, it can also be fun. Your Majesty, you are still young and you will understand it in the future."
Rong Qianyu felt disgusted. She was just like her aunt, meddling in other people's affairs. She urged them to have a baby after just a few words. She said, "It's too early for me. It all depends on fate."
"I married Your Highness at the age of sixteen. We've been married for eight years and have a son and a daughter. Xiao'er is like Your Highness, a smart little kid with no schoolwork, and we never have to worry about her. Yan'er is almost three now, and she's at the age when she can't leave us alone. She's curious about everything. Not long ago, she broke a white porcelain vase that was part of my dowry. She's really a source of worry."
It was hard to change the subject. This adult was really annoying, but children were always innocent. "Shu'er is about the same age as Yan'er. When you have time, bring Yan out more often. They can play together and have company."
These words frightened the calm and composed princess. She quickly stood up and was about to kneel down, but Rong Qianyu quickly helped her up.
She looked as if she had felt deeply wronged. "This isn't right. Yan'er is a naughty and troublesome child. If she comes to the palace too often, she might think this is her home and refuse to leave. That would be bad."
Her behavior was truly unexpected. She had always seemed nice and sensible, but now she was a character that made people feel embarrassed. "Princess, you are too formal. We are all family, so there is no need to say so much."
She gestured to stop Rong Qianyu's words, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. The monarch and his subjects must not be too close, otherwise it will easily cause trouble."
The children have a good relationship with each other, and it is normal for people of similar age to interact more often. Who would have thought that she would talk about the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects? It was nothing more than saying that she had no rules.
Rong Qianyu wasn't to be outdone. Since she was so disgusting, there was no need to feign a good temper. She had already handled the situation with ease. "Whether or not someone has a heart, they still need to be taught. Yan'er is only a few years old, so we need to teach her well. If we can't teach her well, then it's the adults' fault. What do you think, Princess?"
Hearing her say this, Liu Yuan could only nod her head, "Your Majesty is right. I will go back first. I had a good chat with Your Majesty today. I am not good at speaking, so please don't mind if I say anything wrong."
"Okay, I won't see you off. Farewell, Princess." She was about to leave, and Rong Qianyu didn't try to keep her. She just watched her walk away without moving.
There were only her and Rong Pan left in the pavilion, and no one was there to help them in such a foreign country. Now that the leader wolf was sick, all sorts of people came out to make a scene.
"Your Majesty is back." Yuan Qing came in to report, "The Fifth Princess has been waiting for you in the room for a long time."
"wait for me?"
I hurried back to Weixuan Hall and saw Fu Tao sitting beside the bed with a worried look on his face. "Sister-in-law, you are finally back. I have a lot of things I want to tell you."
Before she could say what it was, Rong Qianyu teased, "What's wrong? Have you finished your homework?"
"Sister-in-law..." "I've encountered some problems recently and want to ask you for advice?"
"Is it related to Master Huang?"
"Hmm..." Fu Tao nodded timidly.
"Do you like him?"
【Author’s words】
The daughter of the King of Jin was named Qingyan, which is pronounced as yuan.
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