Chapter 40 What I Smelled
The night was deep and dark, as thick as ink. Zhu Wenqin stood in the courtyard of the mansion with an anxious look and a furrowed brow.
The hour of Xu had passed, but Jing Siye had not returned yet. He couldn't help feeling uneasy.
"Will the prince be kept in the palace?" Zhu Wenqin whispered to herself.
Today, the Emperor suddenly summoned the prince and Wang Zhiyan into the palace together. Zhu Wenqin felt a dull pain in her heart and her thoughts were in a mess.
He couldn't help but imagine whether the prince was with Wang Zhiyan at this moment, being deceived by her sweet words and flattering appearance?
When Zhu Wenqin thought that Jing Siye might show tenderness to the woman, she felt a tightness in her chest and difficulty breathing.
He looked up at the dark night sky, feeling mixed emotions. He was looking forward to the prince's early return, but at the same time he was afraid to hear some news that he didn't want to face.
The lights in Qinghua Palace were bright. When Jing Sirui heard that his second brother Jing Siye was about to arrive, he could not contain his excitement and waited outside the palace gate early.
Soon, the sedan chair slowly drove over and stopped in front of the palace gate. Concubine Chen was helped down from the sedan chair by two maids.
Seeing this, Jing Sirui hurriedly stepped forward and saluted: "Greetings, mother, and second brother."
Concubine Chen smiled slightly and raised her hand to signal him to stand up:
"Okay, Rui'er, no need to be so polite."
After that, she was supported by her maid and walked slowly into the hall, followed closely by Jing Siye and Jing Sirui.
Inside the hall, after Concubine Chen sat down, she gently waved her hand, signaling the maids and eunuchs in the hall to leave.
Concubine Chen's eyes fell on Jing Siye, and her tone was somewhat tentative:
"Second Prince, I don't want to get too involved in the affairs of the court, but Rui'er has been losing his appetite recently and has been worried all day long, all because of Li Xiao's matter. So, today I want to ask you, what are your plans for this matter?"
After hearing this, Jing Siye was silent for a moment before he slowly spoke:
"My Lord, I don't have any clear plans yet. I have been trying to track down the source of the so-called 'evidence', but I still have no clue."
When Jing Sirui heard this, he couldn't help but take a step forward, his voice filled with anxiety and pleading:
"Second brother, is there really no solution? In ten days, General Li will be executed! Second brother, please think of a solution! General Li...he was wrongly accused!"
Seeing this, Concubine Chen sighed softly and raised her hand to signal Jing Sirui to calm down:
"Okay, Rui'er, mother believes that your second brother will find a way. If he really can't be saved, it is God's will and cannot be forced."
Jing Siye did not respond to her words, but just lowered his head slightly, speaking calmly:
"Empress Chen, I have just returned to the capital and there are still many matters in the palace that have not been properly handled. If there is nothing else important, I will take my leave first."
Concubine Chen nodded, her expression showing no emotion.
"Well, if there's anything I can do for you, just let me know."
Jing Siye bowed and then turned and left.
Outside the palace gate, the accompanying carriage was still waiting quietly, but Jing Siye had no intention of riding it.
He casually took the guard's horse, climbed on it, whipped the horsewhip, and galloped towards the palace.
The night wind whistled past his ears, but Jing Siye's heart had already flown to Zhu Wenqin.
He knew that if he didn't come back for a long time, the little guy would definitely have all kinds of thoughts.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but whip the horsewhip faster.
Inside the palace, Zhu Wenqin was lying on the windowsill, staring blankly at the dark night.
His fingers tapped on the window frame unconsciously, his heart filled with anxiety and uneasiness.
Just when he was feeling uneasy, a familiar figure came into his sight, with clothes fluttering.
"Your Highness!" A hint of joy flashed in Zhu Wenqin's eyes. She quickly stood up and ran towards the man.
Jing Siye subconsciously opened his arms and caught Zhu Wenqin steadily.
The person in his arms hugged his waist tightly, with a bit of grievance and worry in his voice:
"Your Majesty, you are finally back. Qin'er thought you..."
Jing Siye looked down at him, gently stroked Zhu Wenqin's hair, and asked in a low voice:
"What do you think this king will do?"
Zhu Wenqin's cheeks flushed: "Nothing." She answered while sniffing in Jing Siye's arms.
Jing Siye didn't understand what he was doing and was about to ask, but he heard the little guy's inner voice:
[The storybook says that when you are worried about a man, come back and smell if he has any other perfume on him. 】
Jing Siye was slightly stunned, and then felt at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
He looked down at the little guy in his arms, his expression serious as if he was doing something big and important.
He actually took action based on the plots in the books and tried to find some "evidence" from him.
What is this guy thinking about all day?
Jing Siye thought to himself, but an indulgent smile unconsciously appeared on the corner of his mouth.
He reached out and gently pinched Zhu Wenqin's cheek, with a teasing tone:
"Do you smell anything?"
Zhu Wenqin was startled by his sudden action and quickly raised her head, her eyes dodging in panic:
“No, nothing…”
Jing Siye felt even softer in his heart when he saw his guilty look on his face. He lowered his head and leaned close to Zhu Wenqin's ear, lowering his voice and saying:
"Besides your scent, what else could this king have?"
When Zhu Wenqin heard this, her ears instantly turned red.
He looked up at Jing Siye, hesitated for a moment, and couldn't help asking:
"Your Majesty, why did the Emperor summon you to the palace?"
When Jing Siye heard this, his expression froze for a moment, but he quickly returned to normal. He reached out and rubbed the top of Zhu Wenqin's head, speaking in a relaxed tone:
"It's nothing serious, just some trivial matters in the court. You don't have to worry."
[Then why did you call Wang Zhiyan along?] 】
Although Zhu Wenqin could sense the perfunctory tone in his words, she did not ask any further questions.
He knew that Jing Siye didn't want to say more, and he certainly had his reasons. He just nodded slightly and whispered:
"I'm glad your Majesty is alright."
Jing Siye looked at his well-behaved appearance and felt a tenderness in his heart.
He stretched out his hand and took Zhu Wenqin into his arms, whispering in his ear:
"Qin'er hasn't slept well these past few days. How about I help Qin'er take a bath before she rests?"
"Will you wait for my bath?"
When Zhu Wenqin heard these words, her ears instantly turned red. She subconsciously wanted to move away, but Jing Siye's arms held her tightly, preventing her from moving.
Jing Siye raised his eyebrows, with a hint of teasing in his tone:
"Why, Qin'er doesn't want to?"
Zhu Wenqin's heart beat faster and his mind was in a mess. He bit his lip and thought secretly:
[I haven't finished discussing the matter with him during the day, why not take this opportunity to bring it up? If you don't say it now, it might be too late. 】
Jing Siye seemed to suddenly remember this matter. His eyes fell on Zhu Wenqin's face, and he waited quietly for him to speak.
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