Chapter 27 Chapter 27 What if this is my child? ...
"What's wrong? What's wrong?" He opened his thin lips slightly, his brows fixed on him calmly. There were too many things in those complex and deep eyes, and the faint pressure was strong and brazen.
Even if he didn't want to admit it, he had been living in He Anting's shadow since the day he met him.
He seemed to be born with a high wall, inheriting everything from Old Master He: old-fashioned, cold, and scheming. Ye Yunzheng felt that he could never hide from him.
He suppressed his anger, tried to keep a straight face and said, "No, there's nothing wrong."
He Anting raised his left eyebrow slightly: "That's good, I'll be leaving first."
He passed by Ye Yunzheng, the wind blew the corner of his black clothes, and the cold fragrance of plum blossoms was mixed with a very faint sweet fragrance.
It seems like a demonstration, as if it is playing a prank.
He looked down at him with disdain, not even willing to hide his feelings. Ye Yunzheng's face turned ashen, and it felt like a stone was pressing on his chest.
He suppressed the urge to question and told himself calmly, no, there is no solid evidence.
Ye Yunzheng's thoughts were in a mess, and he unknowingly walked to Lanxiang Pavilion.
He pushed the door open and walked in.
Jing Yao was holding the embroidered handkerchief in a daze. When she noticed the movement, she came back to her senses. This time, Ye Yunzheng caught a slight hint of panic.
His heart sank, and an unprecedented sense of stagnation arose in his heart.
"What were you doing just now?" He tried to keep his tone gentle. After all, she was pregnant with his child. Yes, they had a child.
Even if He Anting had some intention of coveting her, he would definitely be tempted by her beauty and would not take it seriously. He did not believe that He Anting would want a woman who was pregnant with another child.
Jing Yao was already feeling guilty, and was startled by his question. She thought Ye Yunzheng had discovered something: "I... Madam Gu asked me to go there."
She regretted it right after she finished speaking. Why had she spoken so quickly? Madam Gu hadn't even called her. What if the prince went to ask? Wouldn't that expose her secret?
"How did the prince know that I went out?" she asked dryly.
Ye Yunzheng smiled and said, "Your face is flushed, as if you were tanned by the sun. The weather is getting hotter and hotter. Yao'er, you should go out less. I see that there are not many people in your room. How about this, I will give Mingyi to you."
Jing Yao clenched her palms and said "OK".
Ye Yunzheng gently stroked her cheek, feeling the smoothness of his palm. Yao'er was simple and timid, like a captive animal. Not only was she easily deceived, but she must have been terrified when facing someone like He Anting.
It's also his fault for not caring enough about her.
After all, he is the son of the Earl of Lingyun, the son of a noble earl. How could he be a waste who can be manipulated by others?
"Your birthday is coming up soon, and I'd like to have a great time with the whole house. Although I can't invite all the noble ladies from the capital to a banquet for you, I can take you to the market to have some fun. You've always liked acrobatics, so you can go anywhere you want."
Jing Yao's eyes lit up, but then she calmed down. She still remembered the last time she stood him up. She forced a smile and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, but it's not necessary. Your Highness is very busy with official duties and it's difficult for him to accompany me on this."
Ye Yunzheng was anxious: "I mean what I say, Yao'er, just wait and see."
Jing Yao just smiled and didn't take it seriously.
After He Anting returned home, he looked happy and even his steps were heavier than usual. His clothes fluttered in the wind, like an old and silent mountain that finally made a slight commotion.
Seeing him come back, Qing Wu said, "Master, something happened."
"What's wrong?" he asked casually.
Qing Wu followed him into the room and told him everything that had happened today.
"Doctor Han was suspicious and felt something was up, so he told his subordinates to tell you that the thing the Second Miss requested, Doctor Han feared something might happen, so he pretended to use rice flour as medicine and gave it to the Second Miss."
He Anting's expression seemed to have turned cold when he heard this.
It doesn't hurt the body but the pulse seems to be in pain. It's nonsense. There is no need to think that she is using it to harm people.
"Does He Qingyu think there's no one to supervise her in this mansion? How dare she do such a thing? Go and investigate her. Find out what she's up to."
Qing Wu immediately took the order and retreated.
…
Jing Yao always thought that Ye Yunzheng was just talking, and what would happen when the time came was another matter.
As a result, the next day Yun Qiao told her in surprise that the prince had invited a famous acrobatic troupe from the capital and had sent someone to invite them.
Jing Yao was also a little bit incredulous, and her first reaction was: "Then, what was the young lady's reaction?"
"I don't know either, but the prince is still the prince, and his say is still more powerful than the young lady. Auntie, let me change your clothes for you."
Ye Yunzheng specially sent someone to invite her, so Jing Yao would naturally not refuse.
Jing Yao left the room and realized it was Ming Yi. He smiled and said, "Auntie, from today on, I will be your bodyguard. If you want to buy anything, eat anything, drink anything, or have fun, you can tell me. The prince said that everything will be paid for on his private account."
Jing Yao was a little dazed by this unexpected opportunity, and followed Ming Yi in a daze.
The acrobatic troupe set up a stage in the Begonia Garden of the Bo Mansion. Before Jing Yao even stepped inside, she was intrigued by the hustle and bustle inside.
"Auntie, look." Yun Qiao exclaimed. The technicians on the stage in the courtyard stacked up and threw bowls onto the head of the person at the top, one after another. This was the acrobatics that Jing Yao liked to watch most when she was young.
Ming Yi took her to the garden and sat her down. Tea and snacks were prepared. Jing Yao quickly put aside her uneasiness and became attracted by the acrobatics on the stage. She even applauded loudly when she saw the wonderful parts.
Ming Yi looked at her with a smile and said at the right moment, "Auntie, the prince said today is just an appetizer, there will be something more exciting on your birthday."
Jing Yao's heart was really piqued now: "Ming Yi, thank the prince for me."
"You don't have to thank me, Auntie. The prince said that these are what he should do. After all, he is your husband."
Jing Yao was stunned on the spot.
Husband? She thought she had misheard, but Ming Yi showed no intention of changing his words. Only then did Jing Yao become certain that he was indeed talking about husband.
How could he be the husband? The right person to call him the master is the master. He is not her husband, but He Qingxuan's husband. He Qingxuan is her wife.
She cautiously did not respond and looked away as if nothing had happened.
But after all, this circus troupe made her happy for a long time.
Ye Yunzheng's high-profile move naturally could not be hidden from the two families. He Qingxuan was so angry that she smashed things in the house. She wanted to ask someone to call Jing Yao, but was stopped by Ming Yi.
This young lady really has no status at all. The acrobatic troupe performs so grandly that no one needs to report it. The cheers from afar can be heard by the county lady.
After some inquiries, the county lady found out that Ye Yunzheng had invited him with great fanfare in order to please the concubine.
She looked displeased. Even if she was pregnant, she couldn't be so ignorant of her own limitations. That night, she sent someone to call the three of them over.
Unexpectedly, only He Qingyun came. The county lady looked at Ming Yi standing in the hall with a sullen face: "Where is she?"
"Replying to the county lady, the prince said that he went shopping with his aunt today. If there is anything, we can talk about it after they come back." Ming Yi was neither humble nor arrogant.
The Princess of Pingyang slammed her hand on the table and cursed, "This is outrageous! What a disgrace! He's always flaunting that vixen around town. Is he afraid that others won't know that he favors his concubine over his wife?"
Ming Yi bowed and said, "Why do you say that, County Lady? The Crown Prince has always respected and loved the Young Madam, but now an heir is more important. Please forgive the County Lady and the Young Madam for your understanding. Otherwise, I will have to kneel in the He Mansion's ancestral hall to apologize for my sins at night."
The county lady was speechless upon hearing this.
She really couldn't make things difficult for Ye Yunzheng by asking him to kneel in the ancestral hall of the He Mansion. He Anting was already dissatisfied with her frequent interference in the affairs of the Bo Mansion. If she made things worse, she didn't know how her adopted son would blame her.
Ming Yi finished speaking and retreated respectfully. As he left, he met an unexpected figure: "Master He."
He Anting stood in the shadow outside the house, his hands behind his back. The strong pressure made Ming Yi lose his ease.
"Where did you say they went?"
Ming Yi didn't know the inside story, so he told her honestly, "It's just a street joke."
"The market is full of good and bad people, and it's so crowded that it's hard to move. How can it be a place for them to have fun? Ye Yunzheng is already an young man, but he still has such childish thoughts? Stupid." He Anting scolded coldly.
Ming Yi simply thought he was dissatisfied with the Crown Prince's playful nature and thought he was not stable. "After all, the Crown Prince has just come of age and has not yet gotten rid of his youthful nature. Naturally, he is not as steady and proper as you. My aunt is younger and is bored at home all day. The two of them... please bear with me."
In the final analysis, it is nothing more than that the two are young and it is normal for them to like to play, while He Anting is mature and old-fashioned, so it is his responsibility to be tolerant of the younger generation.
He glanced at Ming Yi, and Ming Yi felt a chill on his forehead and got goose bumps.
He Anting walked into the room with a cold face. He Qingyun was crying inconsolably and swearing a lot, which made the veins on his forehead throb.
"shut up."
He Qingxuan was startled, and with her red and swollen eyes like peaches, she looked at her brother pitifully and aggrievedly, but He Anting turned a blind eye: "As a lady from a noble family and the wife of the Crown Prince, where are all the etiquette and books you learned every day? You jump up and down like this when encountering a little thing, you idiot."
He Qingxuan was stunned by the scolding. The county lady was unhappy when she heard it: "She is your sister, how can you say that to her?"
"I taught her a lesson because she is my sister. It's a pity that she looks like this. Don't say she is my sister when you go out, so as not to embarrass the people in the He family." He Anting's words were like poison.
"You can't even take care of your own husband, and all you do is come back and cry when something happens. If you have the guts, go to the market and force him back. It's better than just crying here."
The county lady looked at him suspiciously, feeling that something was wrong.
He Qingxuan was also confused. She bit her lip and said, "Who wants to rush me..."
"Then go back to the mansion and stop crying here. It's noisy and annoying." He Anting said with a half-smile, "It seems that you are indeed not as good as Jing."
He Qingxuan stood up immediately after hearing this: "Who said I'm not as good as that vixen? I just don't want to learn those despicable tactics. If I go, Zhenglang will definitely come back with me."
He Anting gestured with his hand, and He Qingyun glared at him angrily, then turned around and gathered a group of people and went out in a mighty procession.
He Anting straightened his clothes and stood up soon after. The county lady looked confused and asked, "What are you going to do now?"
"A'an is impatient, so I'll go and keep an eye on her to prevent her from making a scene in the street." He Anting said calmly and left.
Jing Yao didn't expect that Ye Yunzheng would be willing to accompany her to stroll around the city. Although they only walked a few steps, they sat by the window on the second floor of a restaurant and watched the fireworks and people's homes from afar.
Ye Yunzheng straightened his robe, which had become a little wrinkled from being squeezed by others. His face looked a little bad. Jing Yao noticed his discomfort and took the initiative to say, "Sir, let's go back."
He breathed a sigh of relief, "Okay."
Jing Yao didn't know why he suddenly became so nice, maybe it was because of the baby in her belly? But she would also reciprocate and consider the other party's wishes.
The two of them sat for a while. Jing Yao really enjoyed sitting in such a busy but lively restaurant, feeling the river breeze and eating snacks. She hadn't felt so comfortable in a long time.
But Ye Yunzheng was also very annoyed and even disgusted with such an environment. He had a deep-seated contempt for ordinary people. He did not discriminate against them, but he did not think they were worthy of sitting with him.
He felt even more annoyed when he thought about having to go back through the crowd.
The Qinhuai River was the most lively at night. Ye Yunzheng deliberately used his arms to separate himself from the crowd. There were many invisible guards behind him, and he held her hand tightly.
When He came to stop the crowd, he was shocked by this scene.
"Sir." She gave a wink, and the people from the Bo's Mansion immediately evacuated the crowd. When the crowd dispersed, Jing Yao was grabbed by a hand that appeared from nowhere, and then her mouth was covered and she was taken away.
"Yao'er?" Ye Yunzheng stared at his empty hands in a daze, looking around in panic, "Yao'er, Yao'er."
"Is it you? Where is he?" Ye Yunzheng asked his wife coldly.
He Qingyu couldn't believe it: "You..."
Jing Yao's mouth was covered and she was quickly taken away from the crowd. When the hand covering her mouth was released, she was about to scream at the top of her lungs, but her voice was blocked by a pair of cool and soft lips.
She was stunned.
"Still shouting?" The deep voice sounded like a roar in the chest, and Jing Yao immediately shut up. "Why is it you, sir?"
She also asked, "How dare you run to such a place? What if it's not you but another man who takes her away?" With the sieve guards around Ye Yunzheng, even cats and dogs could rub against her.
He should have taken her away directly, hidden her in a separate courtyard, and let her reflect on her actions.
No one could understand the sense of loss he felt when he saw the two people sitting by the window just now.
What's so good about Ye Yunzheng that makes her so devoted to him?
"I want to go back. The prince will be worried if I'm gone." Her words were like adding fuel to the fire, making him feel uncomfortable all over and wanting to teach her a lesson for her little mouth.
"I'm here to ask for an answer. Have you thought about what I asked you last time?" He Anting asked directly.
Jing Yao looked as if she had completely forgotten what she said that day and had just remembered it. She looked dull and naive, with a hint of cautious tentativeness in her expression.
He Anting's face darkened.
"I think... it's not good for me to go with you like this." She said sincerely. If she disappeared without telling anyone, the uncle's house would definitely be in an uproar, and her mother would also be worried. Her mother was not in good health, so she couldn't be so selfish.
One move can affect the whole body. A'niang still has to make a living at the hands of Cui, and Cui is in cahoots with the county lord. She doesn't think He Anting will disobey his mother.
Just like her, in her heart, her mother is the most important.
"Master He, why do you want to take me away so much?" She mustered up the courage to ask what she had always wanted to ask.
He Anting said in a cold tone: "Is this important? You won't come with me."
Jing Yao murmured, "I'm just asking. And please don't kiss me so casually next time. It's not right. You're getting married soon, and it's not fair to your future wife if we're still entangled."
He Anting laughed out of anger. He really couldn't stand the way she cut ties with him.
The little thing dares to turn against you.
"Kiss you casually? Are you entangled? Oh? I don't know who was pulling my sleeve when the drug attacked, acting coquettishly and hugging me, and even asking me to touch you and kiss you. Have you forgotten? Aunt Jing." He emphasized the last three words.
Jing Yao's eyes widened, and her face from her ears to her cheeks suddenly turned red like persimmons.
This is not the end yet.
"Kissing and touching isn't enough. I don't know who complained about my cold fingers, but still rubbed me for more. Yaoyao, you're so hypocritical and you don't recognize me. If this mouth above can't speak, you can use another one."
He finished his words with a cold face. Jing Yao's face was already as red as a shrimp, and she wished she could find a hole to crawl into: "Stop talking."
"Dare to do it but not take responsibility?"
What should she do? Jing Yao was desperate. She never expected He Anting to say that. She felt so ashamed and embarrassed. Was this really her?
How can she be described as Chen Shimei, who turns his back on people and refuses to acknowledge them?
"Then what do you want to do?" She didn't retreat, but looked at him eagerly.
"I've changed my mind. Since you don't want to leave with me, then take the initiative to tell Ye Yunzheng that you want to leave the Bo Mansion and ask him to give you a concubine's letter. Alternatively, I can go."
Jing Yao quickly said, "No, no, you can't go." If she went, wouldn't that confirm his adulterous identity? How would others look at her? There would probably be a lot of ridicule.
He Anting looked at her quietly: "Then you go."
Jing Yao was in a dilemma: "Master He, I was wrong to do what you said, but I will never do it again. I am pregnant, and the prince will never let me leave."
He Anting's eyes dropped: "Maybe this child is mine?"
Jing Yao looked up in disbelief, somewhat surprised that he would think so: "Master He, you are not sure either, are you?"
He Anting was silent.
"Are we just going to let it go like this, Yaoyao? I can't let you take advantage of me for nothing." He remained calm.
Jing Yao was embarrassed again. How could he say these words without changing his expression? Did the teachings of Confucius and Mencius teach him to speak wildly?
She was now basically certain that He Anting was unwilling to accept his fate and felt that he had suffered a loss at her hands. His stubbornness in wanting to take her away was also due to his possessiveness as a man.
"What do you want?" she asked desperately.
He Anting pressed on: "You are not allowed to go out with Ye Yunzheng again, you are not allowed to get close to him, and you are not allowed to sleep with him."
And he said slowly: "If you don't agree, I will go to him and explain it clearly."
Jing Yao said helplessly: "I promise you."
"Can you let me go back then?"
He Anting reluctantly agreed. He raised his eyelids and caught sight of the anxiously searching figure outside the alley.
Ye Yunzheng sensed something and looked over.
He Anting raised his eyebrows slightly, looking quite disdainful. He never hid when he did things. He went back and found a way to destroy the document of taking a concubine.
Jing Yao wanted to leave, but He Anting stopped her and leaned forward slightly: "You have something here."
Jing Yao didn't move and let him take it away.
"Is the circus troupe very good?" He Anting suddenly asked her.
Jing Yao was surprised: "How do you know I saw the circus?"
He Anting smiled lightly. He knew a lot more, such as what time she went to bed and when she had her meals every day. Whenever he thought that Ye Yunzheng, the fence-sitter, knew more than him, He Anting felt uncomfortable.
"Be good, come with me on your birthday, and I'll give you something." Ah, but the prince...
From Ye Yunzheng's perspective, the two of them were cuddling intimately and kissing passionately, what a perfect match.
Shameful, hateful, and abominable.
The corners of Ye Yunzheng's lips twitched slightly, and his expression turned gloomy in an instant.
When Jing Yao was sent back, she took the initiative to explain that the crowd was too tight and separated her from the prince.
Ye Yunzheng looked at her quietly, as if he had never known her before.
On the way back, Ye Yunzheng remained silent. Jing Yao was already sleepy and was about to fall asleep in the swaying carriage.
Even at this time, Ye Yunzheng still blamed all the mistakes on He Anting, and it must be him who forced Yao'er.
It doesn’t matter. At least Yao’er is still pregnant with his child. No matter how much He Anting covets her, this piece of sweet fruit is his and he alone can taste it.
After returning home, Ye Yunzheng whispered to Jing Yao, "Go back and rest."
Jing Yao nodded and turned away.
After watching her leave, Ye Yunzheng left the uncle's house under the cover of night. He turned two streets and came to a house. He knocked on the door.
Then the door opened a crack: "Who?"
"I am the Prince of Lingyun, and I come to seek an audience with His Royal Highness the King of Yin."
Xue Ningzhen has just left her sister's place, and there has been no news from He Anting recently. I guess he has given up on pursuing the matter, but the marriage cannot be delayed like this.
Mother Qian was very sharp-eyed: "Hey girl, look, isn't that the Prince of Lingyun?"
Xue Ningzhen turned around and saw that it was indeed Ye Yunzheng, following quietly behind Uncle Wu.
"He is actually here." Xue Ningzhen smiled amusedly.
"What would happen if the prince knew that Jing was involved with his eldest brother-in-law?"
Mother Qian was terrified: "Miss, aren't you afraid that Lord He will hear about this? That would expose us."
Xue Ningzhen said nonchalantly, "Since he's here, it means he's in trouble. He's He Anting's brother-in-law. What could have made him leave He Anting behind and come to King Yin?"
Mother Qian was surprised: "Then it must be... related to Lord He."
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