Zhao Zhi suppressed her doubts; nothing was more important than Shen Hanshan's health right now.
"Why didn't Du Heng and Su Mu come with you?" she asked, puzzled.
"Su Mu is in Chaoyang County, working with Xu Hui to strengthen the defenses between Chaoyang County and Chunsheng County." Shen Hanshan held Zhao Zhi's hand and sat on the bed, gently stroking her round belly, saying with heartache, "You must have suffered a lot."
He seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps asking Zhao Zhi a question.
Zhao Zhi shook her head, reached out and gently touched his messy stubble, her eyes seemingly holding a pool of spring water.
"Shen Hanshan, you look so ugly!" She feigned disgust and called out, "Zhaoyan, bring me some face wash!"
Asagao arrived at the call, carrying a wooden tray with a silver washbasin on it. The warm water in the basin was steaming, and next to it were a soft cloth and a small jar of soap pods that emitted a faint herbal scent.
"Madam, everything is ready." Chaoyan said softly, gently placing the wooden tray on the small table beside the bed. She then stepped aside, glancing at Shen Hanshan and Zhao Zhi from time to time, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
That's great! The son-in-law and daughter have finally made up!
Zhao Zhi gently patted Shen Hanshan's hand, signaling him to sit down, while she slowly stood up herself.
Although she had a very round belly, her movements were exceptionally nimble, without the slightest clumsiness.
"Sit still, let me do it." Zhao Zhi's voice was full of gentleness that left no room for refusal. She took the cloth from Chao Yan's hand, first gently soaked it in warm water, then carefully wrung out the excess water, and then gently wiped the stubble and dust off Chen Hanshan's face.
Shen Hanshan closed his eyes, letting Zhao Zhi's fingertips trace his face. This long-lost peace and warmth filled him with an indescribable emotion.
He recalled the battles he had led the Shen family army on the front lines. After each escape, those greenhorns would eagerly await the day they could return home to their wives and children and enjoy some quality time together.
He used to laugh at them for being so spineless, that they would talk about a woman all the time.
But now he realizes the benefits of having a wife, children, and a warm bed.
As the soapberry melted in her palm, Zhao Zhi gently applied it to Shen Hanshan's face with her fingertips, rubbing it carefully.
He was not even twenty years old, yet he had suffered the loss of his parents in childhood, wandered through mountains of corpses and seas of blood as a teenager, and now he had been stripped of his title as a prince and become a commoner.
“Shen Hanshan, although you are no longer a prince, don’t be afraid. I am still the Princess Chaoyang of Da Xuan. I have a salary, which is enough to support you and the children.”
As Zhao Zhi spoke, she gently wiped Shen Hanshan's face with a soft cloth, taking away the dirt and fatigue.
Shen Hanshan opened his eyes and looked into Zhao Zhi's loving eyes, a warm feeling welling up in his heart. He reached out and gently stroked Zhao Zhi's round belly, and said with a smile, "From now on, this humble subject will be living off Your Highness's money. Your Highness, please don't mind."
Zhao Zhi slowly shaved his stubble with a razor blade, laughing as she said, "Shen Hanshan, you're the first person to openly say the words 'living off a woman.' If you ask me, people who are constantly exposed to the elements really are different!"
"What's different?" Shen Hanshan asked with a smile after Zhao Zhi finished shaving him.
"He's shameless!" Zhao Zhi laughed heartily after saying that.
She looked at Shen Hanshan's face; after the stubble was removed, his originally handsome face was revealed.
"Shen Hanshan, thank you for not giving up on finding me," she said emotionally.
He reached out and took Zhao Zhi's hand, his eyes sparkling with tenderness. "I should be thanking you, Zhizhi. Meeting you is my greatest fortune."
Asagao watched this scene quietly from the side, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.
Tears welled up in Zhao Zhi's eyes as she gently leaned on Shen Hanshan's shoulder. The two sat quietly, enjoying this rare moment of peace and warmth.
Outside the window, the wind and snow began to rise again. Zhang Wan and Zhao Shouzhen sat around the stove, listening to the howling wind outside, and said, "I wonder how Yun'er is doing now?"
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