Chapter 20 Chapter 20 For the lonely hair
The next day was a day off, and since Li Cheng didn't have to attend the morning court, he rose early to practice martial arts in the back garden. As the sun rose, the birds chirped, and the spring breeze caressed his face, the prince had no idea how long he had been in the back garden.
Li Fu, standing by, watched the man in front of him, sweating profusely, marveling. No wonder His Highness left last night, looking strange, not long after spending time alone with the Empress. Even after returning to the front hall and taking the medicine prescribed by the physician, he was still too hot to sleep. He'd woken up in the middle of the night to take a cold shower in the bathhouse. It turned out to be the blood-red wine.
The Empress had given so much thought, and Fengyi had waited so long in Zhilan Residence. Li Fu couldn't understand why his Highness, clearly still in love with the Empress, wouldn't take this opportunity to be a loving couple with Fengyi again, so they wouldn't have to worry about disappointing the Empress's kindness. Instead, he had to get up in the middle of the night to take a cold shower to put out the fire.
Although he was a eunuch without a penis, he knew that the best way to put out a fire was with a woman. His Highness was evading this, so was there something he couldn't explain?
Li Cheng's sword rustled in the wind, his posture erect and agile, his dark casual clothes highlighting his imposing frame. He didn't notice the increasingly perturbed look in the eunuch's eyes.
-
It was springtime, but Liang Hanzhang felt blinded. He covered his dizzy and aching head with his hands, groaned, and slowly opened his eyes.
Nannies Sun and Liu were already waiting outside. Upon hearing the noise, they hurried over, lifted the curtain, and asked with a smile, "Has the queen risen?"
Liang Hanzhang thought he was hallucinating, so he rubbed his eyes and opened them again. Seeing the two unfamiliar maids, he couldn't help but ask, "Who are you?"
Nanny Sun looked at the woman sleeping on the bed with a flushed face and suspicious red marks on her neck. Her smile deepened as she explained:
"The two old servants were assigned by Your Highness to serve Her Majesty. From now on, we will serve Her Majesty in Zhilan Residence. I hope Her Majesty will take good care of us."
Liang Hanzhang looked carefully at the two maids. They were about the same age as Nanny Song, and they looked kind and amiable, with kind smiles on their faces. He couldn't help but wonder, "Why have I never seen these two maids in the East Palace?"
Nanny Liu set up the pillow for her and explained patiently: "The two old servants were sent by the Empress Dowager to serve Your Highness when he was named the Crown Prince. Unexpectedly, Your Highness was stubborn and didn't like to be served, so the two old servants have been living in the side courtyard of the East Palace. Until last night, Li Gui came in person to inform us that Your Highness asked us to concentrate on serving Your Highness in the future."
Liang Hanzhang was shocked. They turned out to be the Empress's people! They even asked her to take care of them. How could she, a mere Eastern Palace attendant, dare to take care of the Empress's people! It would be more like they were taking care of themselves.
So she smiled awkwardly and said, "The maids are of noble status. From now on, it will be Zhang Niang who will rely on your care."
"What are you saying, Her Majesty?" Nanny Sun disagreed, crossed her hands and spoke in a strong and powerful voice: "Although we old slaves are the Queen's people, we have been serving His Highness wholeheartedly since we were transferred to the Prince's Mansion. Now His Highness has ordered the two of us to serve Her Majesty carefully. We are slaves and Her Majesty is the master, so naturally Her Majesty should take care of us."
"Is the Queen going to get up?" Madam Liu nodded in agreement and asked.
After dawdling for so long, the sleepiness in her body had long gone away. So she nodded and said, "Get up."
"This old servant will take care of the Majesty while she washes and brushes her teeth." The two maids were older and more experienced, and indeed, they were much more steady in taking care of people than Dongzhi and the others. Moreover, they sincerely regarded Liang Hanzhang as their master. Although they were assigned by the prince to serve in the small Fengyi Office, they did not show any resentment on their faces.
While she was combing her hair, Dongzhi ran in and reported: "Your Majesty, the two sisters Chunfen and Xiazhi are kneeling outside the hall, here to thank you."
Liang Hanzhang glanced at the two maids inconspicuously, and then said softly: "Tell them to wait first, I will go out and take a look later."
"Yes," Dongzhi trotted out.
Aunt Liu looked at Dongzhi's figure running away and couldn't help frowning: "This little girl is too unruly" and her movements were clumsy.
He couldn't help but say to Liang Hanzhang, "If I were to ask you, Your Majesty, you could just send them back. Why bother going out to meet them in person? Otherwise, you would lose your status."
Although she lived in the side courtyard, she was fully aware of the crimes committed by Chunfen and Xiazhi. What was the point of keeping such an ungrateful maid? It would be better to get rid of her as soon as possible.
Liang Hanzhang's thoughts happened to be on the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. The Autumn Equinox was useless, the Winter Solstice was too young, and the two maids were the Queen's people.
If she takes any action in the future, she will be alone and subject to the control of others, and everything will be extremely difficult.
Although Chunfen and Xiazhi are a little arrogant, they have good intentions. This time, she saved the two of them. Although they cannot be said to be grateful to her and obey her in everything in the future, they are still easier to control than Sun Liu and Qiufen.
If I cultivate her carefully in the future, maybe I can help her.
Yin laughed and said, "Madam, what are you talking about? I was also born a slave, and my status is much lower than that of Chunfen and Xiazhi. How can I say that my status is lowered?"
She looked at herself in the mirror and said firmly: "Besides, the two of them were beaten with thirty sticks last night. I don't know how serious their injuries are. I will feel at ease if I go out and take a look."
Madam Liu shook her head: "Your Majesty is still too kind." At present, it was nothing that she was the only mistress in the Eastern Palace. But in the future, when His Highness ascended to the throne, there would always be other mistresses in the harem. The Majesty's gentle nature would be at a disadvantage.
Nanny Sun had no such concerns. She nudged Nanny Liu with her elbow, signaling her to be quiet. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that His Highness treated the Empress with special care; otherwise, he wouldn't have specifically sent the two of them to serve her.
It's true that the Empress is gentle, but what if Fengyi is the only master of the Eastern Palace in the future? Although this sounds incredible, it is not impossible. His Highness is not sentimental and has few desires, and is not interested in women.
The current emperor has only one empress in his harem, and he can only take one scoop from the vast ocean. Your Highness is the emperor's eldest son, and perhaps he has inherited the emperor's character.
If Fengyi gives birth to a son in the future, it will be extremely precious. I am afraid that even if the Emperor and Empress do not say anything, Your Highness will have to ask for an order to promote Fengyi.
Therefore, the queen is a person with a noble destiny, so why should these servants worry about her?
After Liang Hanzhang finished washing up, he wanted to go out himself, but after being persuaded by Aunt Liu, he let someone in.
Thirty lashes of the cane were a very severe punishment for a woman, not to mention that the servants judged the situation by their own judgment and knew that the two men had angered His Highness, so every blow they struck was in vain.
The Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice were so painful that her face turned pale. She struggled to move her steps into the room to pay her respects, and kowtowed to the ground with her forehead: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness."
Judging from their expressions, it was clear that they hadn't received any medicine after being beaten last night. They had brought bad luck upon His Highness, and if they didn't take the initiative to seek treatment, how could others dare to help them in secret?
Moreover, Chunfen and the other two usually behaved in a bizarre manner, looked down on others, and had a bad relationship with others. As a result, no one would help them.
Liang Hanzhang ordered Dongzhi: "Go find a doctor to treat them." With such serious injuries, it was unknown when they would recover.
"Your Majesty," Nanny Liu couldn't help but said, "The doctors in the Eastern Palace have always only treated the masters. How can they treat the servants? In my opinion, it is a great grace to let Dongzhi get some medicine to treat their injuries."
Only then did Chunfen and Xiazhi realize that the person they had previously despised was actually the one who cared about them the most. They couldn't help but burst into tears and choked with sobs as they advised:
"Your Majesty, we, the humble servants, are truly unworthy of your great grace." You can't let your Majesty break the rules because of these two people.
Nanny Sun rarely interfered with Liang Hanzhang's decisions, but she nodded. His Highness had personally ordered the punishment of these two, and showing too much leniency would be detrimental to His Highness's authority.
Seeing that both maids objected, Liang Hanzhang realized that this was inappropriate. He smiled and said, "Then I'll do as you say. Thank you for your advice." He then instructed Dongzhi, "Go get some medicine to treat their injuries."
On the winter solstice and spring equinox, the three of them saluted and prepared to go out.
I glanced around and found Qiufen missing. That girl was always a pushover, always trying to show off and act like a maid. I didn't expect that after so long today, I still wouldn't see Qiufen.
Dongzhi looked at her cautiously, then replied in a low voice: "Your Majesty, Sister Qiufen has been sent to the farm by His Highness."
What! Liang Hanzhang's eyes widened in disbelief. Wasn't Qiufen the prince's spy? Why was she suddenly sent to the manor? And Qiufen's behavior yesterday was quite decent. What on earth had angered His Highness?
Could it be that I misunderstood her?
Nanny Liu sneered, "I've long seen that Qiufen is a restless little fox. It's better to get rid of her so as not to upset His Highness' temper."
Is this actually... true? Liang Hanzhang was once again inwardly amazed. He felt that the decision to demote Qiufen was a bit too hasty.
After breakfast, Nanny Sun, who had been out for a while, came over mysteriously and said, "Your Highness, His Highness is taking a day off today and is currently practicing martial arts in the back garden. Your Highness, why don't you have someone bring some soup and go see him in person?"
When Liang Hanzhang heard the nanny mention the prince, the memories of last night that had been silent in his mind came to his mind one after another.
Although she wasn't a heavy drinker, the blood-red wine wasn't strong enough. She felt dizzy, but far from unconscious. She vaguely remembered being so drunk that she felt hot all over, and not only did she ignore His Highness's advice, she even kissed him for some reason!
She didn't notice the prince's expression, but she thought it must be extremely ugly. After all, being kissed by a woman was shameful no matter how you looked at it.
Later, he carried her to the bed. When his heavy body pressed down on her, she thought her plan had succeeded. However, she didn't expect that His Highness would leave halfway after taking off his clothes!
Is she really that unattractive? She can clearly feel the man's passion, so intense...
After this incident, Liang Hanzhang was too embarrassed to see the prince again. Whenever she saw him, she couldn't help but think of the embarrassing scene last night. She... would she be exposed?
Nanny Sun didn't give Feng Yi any time to speak. She just ordered someone to prepare the soup and dragged him out of the door.
The Queen Mother has been longing for a grandson for many years, and as a servant she has to add fuel to the fire for her master.
-
Li Cheng practiced martial arts for much longer than usual this time, perhaps to distract himself. Li Fu's feet went numb from standing so long as he looked at his master not far away.
Suddenly, footsteps were heard along the path. Li Fu looked back and met Liang Hanzhang's timid gaze. He was instantly overjoyed. His Highness wanted to hide, but now he saw where he could hide.
The breeze was not dry, and it brought with it the unique fragrance of a woman. Li Cheng was in a trance, and he almost lost his grip on the sword and stabbed it towards the back of his hand.
"Your Highness!" Liang Hanzhang hadn't wanted to interrupt, but he subconsciously called out when he saw the man in such danger. Li Cheng turned around and saw the man who had caused his unrest today.
He danced with his sword and placed it upright behind him, then walked over as if nothing had happened. He took the tea that Li Fu brought over, looked ahead, and asked casually, "Why are you here?"
The woman's voice was low, delicate and charming, her hands carefully placed in front of her, her expression nervous as she clutched the handkerchief, "I...want to come and see Your Highness."
Li Cheng held the teacup in his hand and glanced at her cowardly behavior at the moment. He sneered in his heart, wondering who was so bold last night to actually... He put the cup heavily on the tea tray, not wanting to think too much.
The man handed the sword in his hand to the servant beside him and was about to take a handkerchief from the tray to wipe his sweat, but the woman quickly held his hand and said with a smile: "Your Highness, let me help you."
Without waiting for his reaction, Liang Hanzhang took her handkerchief and walked to him on tiptoe. Her small, jade-white hand was across his face, wiping it meticulously, her eyes full of seriousness.
The fragrance from her body suddenly became stronger. Li Cheng's breathing became rapid, and he subconsciously clenched his fists. His ears turned red and his body was stiff, but he didn't struggle free.
Nanny Sun looked at the handsome man and beautiful woman in front of her and sighed in her heart that Empress Fengyi was really sensible.
Li Fu's attention was on the prince standing behind the woman. Tsk tsk, did His Highness know this at the moment? His face turned red again.
Li Cheng felt that this time was quite long and was really a little unbearable. Finally, he snatched the handkerchief from her hand and whispered, "I will do it myself." He took back his words that she was a coward.
Liang Hanzhang naturally noticed the man's unnatural expression and found it quite interesting. She wanted to tease him and couldn't help but smile and took his arm and said, "Your Highness, I asked someone to make some soup. Your Highness has been practicing martial arts hard, so why don't you drink some to relieve your fatigue."
The man froze, his eyes fixed in a daze, and he even forgot to wipe his sweat. After a moment, he replied calmly, "Okay, I'll go back and shower first, and try it later."
He raised his eyes and motioned Li Fu to take the food box containing the soup. Unexpectedly, the woman took the lead again and said, "I will go back with Your Highness. I can also take the food box back with you after Your Highness finishes eating."
Li Cheng: ...
Is it true that the dignified Donggong Fengyi cares about a small food box? In other words, if she really wanted a food box, she couldn't send a maid to leave it behind. Such a small matter is not worth letting her, the master, do it herself.
She simply wanted to go with him. Li Cheng, fully aware of this, felt a complex mix of emotions. After last night's incident, she seemed to be acting even more recklessly, relying on the knowledge that he wouldn't impose any substantial punishment, and she was acting even more recklessly.
Does she...remember what happened last night? If not, why are her every move reminiscent of the woman who forcefully kissed him last night? If she does, then her current actions...
Li Cheng didn't get enough rest last night, and he felt dazed at the moment.
Forget it, let her be.
The group returned to Wanfeng Pavilion. Li Cheng went into the bathing room first, as if deliberately creating a private space for the two of them. The maids and eunuchs were waiting outside and did not come in.
Liang Hanzhang carefully placed the food box on the desk. Listening to the sound of water dripping from the inner room, he felt increasingly bored. Fortunately, there were still some books and essays on the desk.
The moment he flipped through the pages, his fingers hesitated for a moment. This was clearly the desk where His Highness occasionally handled official business, and the secrets of the state were laid out so openly on the desk. Was it the Crown Prince's negligence, or was he deliberately testing the waters?
The screen blocked the view, preventing the maids and eunuchs outside from seeing in. Furthermore, she had borrowed books from the Crown Prince before. After a moment's hesitation, Liang Hanzhang finally reached for the item on the desk, feeling uneasy.
Most of them were classics and historical texts, along with good statecraft. The yellowed pages showed that the man had frequently read them. They were densely marked with notes, and the strong and vigorous handwriting showed the writer's character.
Liang Hanzhang didn't know whether to be disappointed or relieved. He felt as if his heart was being tightly grasped in someone's hand and he couldn't breathe. It seemed that his every move was under the prying eyes of the person behind the scenes.
Under extreme tension, he was sweating profusely, with beads of sweat as big as beans running down his forehead.
When she was about to put the books back to their original place, a letter sandwiched between the books fell to the ground as she moved. Liang Hanzhang took a closer look and found that it was a letter written by Zhao Wen, the right general, to the prince.
Her palms were sweating, knowing that if this was deliberately arranged by His Highness, and if he found out, she would be killed without a burial place.
But she couldn't wait any longer. A few days ago, when she went to Taoranju, Zan Niang told her that the poison in her brother's body had broken out again. He was in unbearable pain and had been tortured to the point that he was indistinguishable from a human or a ghost.
If she doesn't get any useful information, my brother will really die.
Liang Hanzhang looked around. It was quiet all around. The morning sunlight climbed in through the Wanshou window lattices. Dust was floating in the air, as if countless elves were floating and rolling in the air.
She made up her mind and carefully opened the letter. It was a report from Prince Consort Zhao Wen to the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince had recently suspected that there were many rebels in the court who were colluding with the Liang Dynasty. However, since the new dynasty was just established and people's hearts were unsettled, it would be difficult to eradicate them completely without solid evidence.
The key to a country is military defense. Li Cheng was worried that there were traitors colluding with the rebels in the military camp, so he asked Zhao Wen to observe carefully and report immediately if anything was wrong.
In the letter, Zhao Wen stated that General Zhu Wenxiao of the Right Guard seemed to have rebellious intentions, and at the end he listed the reasons for his suspicion in detail.
Liang Hanzhang's face gradually turned pale. The Right Guard General was Yan Guang's man. Outside the window, the sound of birdsong filled the air, a gentle breeze rustled the air, and the green bamboo cast hazy shadows on the desk.
Everything was magnificent, serene and elegant. Liang Hanzhang, however, had no time to admire it. Nervously, she tucked the letter back into the book, carefully put the things back in their places, then stood up from her chair and walked towards the window.
She stared at the swaying bamboo in the yard, lost in thought, unsure whether she should report the shocking secret she had uncovered. Regardless of fairness or personal motives, she didn't want Yan Guang to win. However, he held her brother hostage, so she had no choice but to obey him.
Liang Hanzhang was extremely conflicted, her hands clenched into fists, her thoughts wandering. What should she do? Should she tell the truth? If she told the truth, would it reveal that everything she had done today was just a trap set by His Highness?
When her mind was in a state of confusion, her perception of the outside world was not as sharp as usual. It was not until the man's cold voice sounded from behind her that she shuddered and reacted.
Li Rong was wearing a white inner garment, and his hair was still wet and hung on his shoulders. As soon as Liang Hanzhang got close, he could feel the dampness on his body.
"What are you doing?" His inner garment was loose and his belt was not fastened, his wheat-colored muscles faintly visible. He looked relaxed, completely lacking the usual dignity and solemnity of a crown prince.
Almost in an instant, Liang Hanzhang recalled that last night her hand had reached into his collar and touched him wantonly. The man's muscles were hard and the scorching temperature almost burned her to death.
Her face couldn't help but burn. She lowered her head, not daring to look at him, and tried to make her voice sound normal: "...Nothing...Nothing."
Feeling that her words were a bit dry, she added: "Your Highness, the scenery of this courtyard is very beautiful, with a bunch of flowers here and a bamboo there. It is both bright and beautiful, and elegant and refined."
She was slow-witted, unable to cite classics, and her words were like chewing bark. From her daily conversations and behavior alone, it was clear that she was not of the same ilk as the crown prince and the eldest princess, members of the royal family.
How could they be the same? One is as high as the moon, the other is as low as dust.
Li Cheng raised his eyebrows and chuckled: "You are quite good at talking." Then he noticed her red ears and evasive eyes, and suddenly realized that he was dressed indecently at the moment. The woman was probably shy.
Having been teased by her many times since last night until today, seeing the embarrassment on her face, Li Cheng felt that he had finally gotten back at her.
He couldn't help but teasingly said, "My hair isn't dry yet, why don't you do it for me?"
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