Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Don't Think Too Much
On the way back to the Eastern Palace, Li Cheng, for once, didn't ride a horse. Instead, he and she squeezed into a small carriage. The carriage was decorated with ornate canopies and green canopies, its wheels moving rhythmically forward. The eaves were etched with the Eastern Palace's unique emblem.
In fact, the carriage was not small, but the man with an imposing aura sat in it with great force, which made the space seem cramped, and Liang Hanzhang almost breathless.
She stole a glance at the man sitting on the mattress opposite her, holding a book in his hand, and then lowered her head, not daring to move, for fear of disturbing the crown prince from handling official business.
"You are afraid of being alone." Li Cheng's clear voice rang out in the silent carriage. Leaning against the backrest, his slender fingers were slowly flipping through the book.
A few rays of sunlight filtered in through the car window and fell on the man's fair and gaunt face. Liang Hanzhang could even clearly see the tiny hairs on it.
At that moment, one inexplicably had an illusion, as if the two were a loving couple, bored and huddled together, lazily basking in the sun to kill time.
But how could that be possible? He was the crown prince, and she was a lowly, dust-covered lower-class person. They were born worlds apart.
"Um"
The man repeated it without waiting for an answer. His gaze, sharp enough to pierce a person's heart, moved from the book to her, with a hint of suspicion lingering between his brows.
Liang Hanzhang was so shocked that she couldn't focus on anything else. She answered frantically, "No...I don't have any." She was deceived by the man's gentle and elegant appearance, and almost forgot that he was the heir to the throne.
A man who can sit firmly on the throne of the crown prince, apart from the favor and support of the emperor, is also inseparable from his own ability. How can such a resourceful person be as harmless as he appears?
It was just a disguise. The funny thing was, she almost believed it. Liang Hanzhang was still frightened when he thought about it.
Li Cheng raised his eyelids and glanced at the opposite side lazily, but saw that the woman was as if facing a great enemy, her face was pale with fear, and she insisted that she was not afraid. No one would believe her if she told others.
He couldn't help but wonder, was he really that scary? He'd actually frightened her to such an extent that he regretted getting in the car. But if he just got off, wouldn't she, given her overthinking nature, be terrified again, afraid that she'd angered him in some way?
He was caught in a dilemma, neither leaving nor staying. He was always a man of strategy, but faced with such a delicate lady, he was unusually at a loss.
He hadn't forgotten his purpose for getting on the bus, so he asked, "I heard from Li Fu a while ago that you were suffering from depression?"
Liang Hanzhang was still terrified, and only dared to stare at the tips of his shoes. He answered in a trembling voice, "Yes, I just caught a cold, but I'm recovered now."
"I have something I want to ask your opinion on." He rarely rode in the same car with a woman. He smelled the fragrance coming from not far away, and his long fingers holding the scroll turned slightly white under the force.
"Are you unhappy in the East Palace?"
The woman suddenly looked up at him in shock, her mouth opening wide in surprise, "Why do you say that, Your Highness?" He was not going to chase her away, was he?
Oh no, why does that jade pendant in his hand look so familiar? Liang Hanzhang's mood was like a roller coaster, up and down. She hadn't noticed it much during their time together today, but now that they were so close, her eyes were instantly drawn to the jade pendant.
How come he also has this jade pendant that is almost identical to the one in the Taoist box? No, what is his relationship with the Taoist?
Liang Hanzhang's heart nearly leaped into his throat, his palms sweating in shock. The old Taoist priest was a veteran of the previous dynasty, intent on restoring his kingdom. The Crown Prince also possessed an almost identical jade pendant. Could he... possibly be collaborating with the enemy?
Although this conjecture is quite incredible.
Otherwise, how could he have such a jade pendant? Liang Hanzhang believed his eyes. The jade pendant he was playing with was a pair with the one the old Taoist treasured. The difference was that the one in his hand was yang, while the one in the Taoist's hand was yin.
The harmony of yin and yang forms an exquisite jade pendant that is moist all over.
Following the woman's undisguised gaze of shock, Li Cheng looked at the jade pendant in his hand, frowned, and hid it in his clothes.
He said seriously: "I took you into the Eastern Palace without asking your wishes at the beginning. Now I think it is not appropriate. If you are attached to your hometown and want to return home, I will respect your opinion and give you gold, silk, money and fine things to return home and share the family life with your family."
"No, Your Highness," came the timid voice of a woman, looking at him with a pool of eyes, and said intermittently: "Thanks to Your Highness's mercy, I can finally get rid of the life of a slave for more than ten years and live a normal life. To me, Your Highness has given me a new life. I am afraid that I will never be able to repay Your Highness's kindness in my lifetime."
"As for returning home in splendor, I dare not even think about it." She lowered her eyes, and her thick eyelashes fluttered, causing a pool of clear spring to turn into water droplets rolling down.
"The old woman I depended on for survival passed away last year. Now I am just a floating duckweed. I have no home anymore, so how can I talk about the happiness of family life?"
She smiled bitterly and said, "I never dared to imagine this kind of life. I have been wandering alone since I was a child. For me, having a bowl of hot soup is already great."
"Your Highness doesn't know that since my mother passed away last year, the neighbors have always regarded me as a burden and even tried to sell me to a low-class brothel for money. Fortunately, I am capable and found a job in Fengle Building. Although I am beaten and scolded all day long, I finally have a decent income. It is because of this that the neighbors gave up their previous idea."
"If I hadn't met Your Highness that day, I would still be a lowly servant, toiling away every day for a living." The woman cried softly, her tears making her look even more delicate. She raised her misty eyes:
"I don't know what I did wrong to make His Highness unhappy. Just tell me, I will definitely change." She cried as she knelt and crawled to the man's legs, crying breathlessly, her eyes full of panic.
"Please don't chase me away, Your Highness. I will be honest and do my best and will never embarrass Your Highness. Can Your Highness..." Her voice was choked with sobs and she almost ran out of breath. She couldn't even continue speaking.
When Liang Hanzhang talked about how his uncles and aunts considered him a burden, Li Rong felt a sinking feeling in his heart, perhaps because he was thinking of himself.
When he lost consciousness, he found that someone was holding his calf. The woman was crying miserably, and her heartbroken look seemed extremely terrified.
Startled, he quickly leaned over to pull the man up, and coughed lightly: "No, I will not drive you out of the East Palace. If you don't want to, no one can influence your decision."
"Really?" The woman's eyes were moist, and her tear-stained eyelashes were blinking anxiously, repeatedly confirming, "Your Highness really won't drive me away."
Li Rong shook her hand, trying to make the woman feel more secure in this way, and nodded firmly: "Well, it was me who talked nonsense just now and made you feel uneasy. It's my fault."
"How could Your Highness be wrong?" The woman burst into laughter. Under her brilliant smile, Li Cheng felt that the light in the carriage suddenly became brighter, as if he was surrounded by soft spring light. The faint sounds of orioles and swallows could be heard in his ears, which made him feel relaxed and happy.
"I was too rude. I took your words out of context without even listening to them fully. It was really reckless. I hope Your Highness will forgive me." She realized belatedly that she was in a very awkward position and staggered to stand up from the ground.
Li Cheng also noticed that he was holding the other person's soft, boneless hand. Although he could still feel the calluses on it, the overall touch was still very soft.
How could it be so soft? He was secretly surprised, wondering if all women's hands were so soft. Unfortunately, apart from the young lady from the Changsun Mansion, he had never touched other women's hands, so the answer to this question was unknown.
Realizing his impoliteness, the man took a step back and quickly pulled away the woman's hand, trying to sort out his messy thoughts and trying not to look at her:
"I heard from Li Fu earlier that you were depressed, and I thought you were not used to living in the East Palace. If that's the case, I think it would be better to let you go home, maybe you can feel happier."
Liang Hanzhang's gaze lingered on the jade pendant on his waist. She noticed the hidden meaning in the man's words and immediately shook her head. Her voice was hoarse, a sound that was only seen after crying: "Actually, I have a lot of thoughts on this, because..." She carefully observed the man's expression, still debating whether to continue.
"Just say it," since the two of them let go, his eyes have been on the burning Boshan stove next to him, and he no longer looked at her.
"I feel uneasy... I'm worried that Your Highness will abandon me," Liang Hanzhang said through gritted teeth. Since things have come to this point, and the man has just taken the initiative to touch her hand, with this ambiguous atmosphere, maybe the relationship can go a step further?
Even if you can't, it's always right to pretend to be weak and win a man's sympathy.
As expected! Li Cheng sighed inwardly. He had already guessed what she was thinking when she hesitated just now. He never thought that she looked so well-behaved and lovely on the outside, but could she have so many crazy thoughts behind her back?
Was it because he was too busy with official duties that caused his neglect? The man couldn't help but blame himself. It was he who lost control and forced her on him that day, and now he took her into the East Palace but didn't treat her well. It was really not a gentleman's behavior.
Now that things have come to this, she has become his woman. Li Cheng's eyes gradually became firm. He will definitely treat her well in the future and will never let the woman be so fearful again.
"Don't worry, as long as you don't want to, you will always be the Queen of the Eastern Palace. Even if... there are other people entering the backyard in the future, my promise today will not change."
"Thank you, Your Highness," the woman trembled and said, "There is one thing I don't understand."
"What's the matter?" For some reason, Li Cheng was surprisingly good-tempered when facing her, without his usual impatience. If Li Fu was beside him, he would definitely be shocked.
"Your Highness, do you dislike me?" Even though it might seem like he was being too arrogant, Liang Hanzhang had to ask clearly today. It was one thing to see that he didn't dislike me, but it was another to get the man to admit it himself.
She was sure that after today, their relationship would progress by leaps and bounds and would be very different from before.
Hearing this, the man's dark eyes finally fell on the woman, and he said very solemnly: "I have never hated you. If I hated you," he smiled bitterly, "I would not have brought you back to the East Palace."
"Why do you have such doubts?"
Liang Hanzhang bit her lip and thought for a long time before answering: "During the time I have been in the Eastern Palace, Your Highness has never come to the backyard..." Her voice became smaller and smaller, and her tear-stained face was stained with a suspicious red mark.
She asked this question as if she was particularly eager for His Highness to come to the backyard. It didn't matter if he misunderstood her, as long as it could enhance their relationship.
The man was stunned, as if he hadn't expected her to ask such a question. He felt a mixture of emotions. If he called her timid, she could directly complain about her dissatisfaction. If he called her bold, she would burst into tears at the slightest provocation.
So, he really ignored her.
"I'm very busy with official duties, and you've been staying in the front yard before you came to the East Palace. It's just a habit, not because I'm dissatisfied with you, so don't think too much about it."
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