Luo Wenhao had also heard some of the conversation. He was somewhat communicative with the Crown Prince and knew that he only appeared unapproachable because of his personality. So, after discussing business in the tent, he hesitated and asked, "...Should we find some maids and nannies to serve us?"
Gu Zhen stood beside the table with his hands behind his back. Upon hearing this, he looked at him calmly, "Why do you say that?"
After much hesitation, Luo Wenhao said sheepishly, "There are only a bunch of rough guys in the camp who don't know how to take care of people. Song is the only woman in the camp now, and I'm afraid it will be inconvenient if there's no one to take care of her."
The main reason was that I heard that His Highness had been taking breakfast back to the tent every day recently, and Song had not come out for several days. When she occasionally came out, she looked haggard. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell what was going on. Therefore, in order to take care of her, I suggested finding a few maids and nannies.
Gu Zhen thought for a moment, his aura of coolness and composure. He stared out the window for a long time before whispering, "No need. I'm afraid that if I ask the maids and nannies to come, dirty rumors will spread."
Luo Wenhao was stunned for a moment, then he understood what His Highness meant. If a few women were suddenly brought into the camp, the people would certainly use them as a topic of conversation after dinner. When the rumor spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred, it would spread everywhere, and it would eventually have an impact on the camp.
"I've sold most of my properties in the capital, and some have been moved to the villages and towns ahead. I asked my housekeeper to buy a house there. It's quiet and beautiful, and I'll move in after I clean it up."
Luo Wenhao sighed deeply, thinking that His Highness had already prepared to settle down in the villages and towns. He probably thought of this when he opened the hot pot restaurant, and also arranged for Situ and others to live in the villages and towns. This was also good.
The house that Gu Zhen bought could not be described as grand and magnificent, but it was small but had everything it needed. There were pavilions and towers, flowers and trees all over the mountain, forests and mountains, a wall in front and a back support, and it was surrounded by mountains and waters. It did not look like a house you would find in a frontier area.
A few days ago, Song Jiaren had only dreamed of having a small courtyard. Now she realized that she was short-sighted. It must have taken some time to renovate such a house into its current size. "When did you buy this place?"
Gu Zhen thought for a moment and said, "Before you went to Wusun last time, I had someone search for it. I happened to find this manor. It was also the old house of a wealthy merchant. I asked the housekeeper to bring people to renovate and rebuild it. The process was a bit long, but now it is just right. There are only some small things left to be added."
It was a rare occasion for Gu Zhen to reveal his noble and elegant demeanor without any concealment. "How is it? Are you satisfied?" The flowers and trees in the garden were all carefully planted by craftsmen. The pavilions and towers were a bit old, so the craftsmen renovated them. The beds, tables, chairs and dressing tables in the house were all newly made by carpenters. The carvings and seals were exquisite and complicated. They were the drawings drawn by Situ and the other two. He felt that Song Jiaren would like things of such craftsmanship. She had looked at the furniture for a long time when she was at Situ's house.
Song Jiaren showed a little joy on her face and nodded continuously, "Very satisfied, but...is it a little too big?" It seems that there are no need for such a large house for just the two of them. In modern times, this is a tourist-level place.
Gu Zhen laughed. "I didn't ask you to take care of it. There are maids and servants to clean the shops. Just take care of the shops that were given to you before, and take care of your health at the same time."
She had been infected with the plague before, and later caught a cold and had a fever. If she didn't take good care of herself, it would be difficult for her to have children for a while.
According to modern customs, when moving into a new house, one should invite relatives and friends to celebrate the occasion, or heat up the pot and cook a sumptuous dinner.
Song Jiaren obtained the consent of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and invited Situ and several others, General Luo, and Shi Tou, who barely made up a table.
There were more than a dozen steaming dishes on the mahogany round table, some of which were even recipes provided by Song Jiaren. Although ancient food was delicious, it was too light, so she suggested that the kitchen prepare a few dishes according to her recipes, including boiled fish, mapo tofu and spicy diced chicken.
There were several red dishes on the table with spicy spices and hot oil floating on them, which looked very spicy. Fortunately, each person had a bowl of sweet soup or meatball soup to relieve the heat.
Although Luo Wenhao, Situ Ti, and Situ Yin brought many gifts, they were not good at expressing themselves, so Situ Zhi could only congratulate them on their behalf, "Your Highness, Madam, today is truly a day of great fortune and luck, with both jade and gold heaped upon you. Congratulations on your new home."
Gu Zhen raised his hand and held up the teacup. "I'll have tea instead of wine. Thank you."
Song Jiaren was ordered not to drink, so she just took a few sips of the sweet soup and ate a few bites of fish and chicken slowly.
Yue Nu opposite seemed more lively than the last time I saw her. She no longer looked like a puppet. Her belly was very big, as if she was about to give birth.
"Have you seen the doctor? When is the due date?"
Situ Yin put some light dishes into Yue Nu's bowl and said, "Just in these few days."
"Have you found a midwife in advance? Don't be in a hurry when the time comes. You have to prepare everything in advance." Song Jiaren seemed to be very experienced when talking about giving birth. In fact, her colleagues and friends in modern times are all married and have children. Every time they have a meal and chat together, they talk about how to take care of the baby during the confinement period, so they are familiar with it.
She started to talk non-stop, "You will be very weak after giving birth. You must not be exposed to the wind. Eat more eggs and drink more soup. Also, make sure the environment is clean and tidy. You must wipe your body every day. And..."
Situ Yin and Situ Zhi simply moved closer and listened while taking notes. Situ Ti didn't move closer either, but also pricked up her ears and listened carefully.
Gu Zhen was a little confused, but he knew that he wouldn't get anything out of her if he asked her. She would definitely say that she read it in a travelogue, so he remained silent and didn't seem unhappy.
Luo Wenhao still felt a little guilty, thinking that he was the one who drove His Highness and His Majesty out, so he was in a trance the whole night. Now seeing His Highness drinking tea by himself, he raised his glass and filled it with wine, intending to make amends.
"Your Highness... you shouldn't be staying here originally, but there are some inconveniences in the camp, so I have to inconvenience Your Highness and Madam."
Seeing that he was still upset, Gu Zhen patiently explained, "I was exiled here, but I wasn't meant to stay in the camp forever. I was new here and unfamiliar with the surroundings, and the enemy invaded, so I've been staying in the camp for quite some time. I decided to move here a long time ago, so you don't need to worry. Besides, I've already petitioned His Majesty to revoke my title of Crown Prince. From now on, I'll be an ordinary person, and ordinary people should live in seclusion."
Revoke the title of Crown Prince?
There was silence at the table, everyone was shocked by the news.
However, the person involved was very calm in eating and drinking tea, not taking it seriously at all.
The wind blew at night, and the few people did not stay long. They all took the carriage and went home, leaving Song Jiaren and Gu Zhen facing the silence in the room.
The maid made the couch and came over to say, "Madam, the couch is already made."
Gu Zhen stood up and took Song Jiaren's hand, walking towards the inner room. She was still a little dazed and let him hold her hand blankly.
It wasn't until he sat down on the soft couch covered with several layers of mattresses that he came to his senses and asked, "Is what you said at the table true? When did it happen?"
Why didn't she know that? And why did she do that?
Gu Zhen stared at Song Jiaren lying in the pile of brocade. Her skin looked translucent and fair against the red silk quilt. He stared into her confused eyes and felt like teasing her.
He sighed pretentiously, "Since His Majesty ascended the throne, I shouldn't have continued to hold the title of Crown Prince. It was because he respected me that he held back from speaking. Now that the court is stable and the surrounding countries are also at peace, perhaps I am no longer of any use to him, so he has discarded me like a worn-out shoe..."
Song Jiaren quickly took him to sit beside the couch, brushed his long hair away from his face, and comforted him, "You were born His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, no one can say anything about it, but now that the new emperor has ascended the throne, your title of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will be revoked sooner or later, so it's better to give it up as soon as possible."
Gu Zhen put his arm around her slender waist, holding her in his embrace. He looked at her with his dark eyes. "Then will you despise me... for no longer being the Crown Prince?"
Song Jiaren thought that whether he was the prince or not had nothing to do with her.
But she still had to comfort him, so she rummaged through the ebony box he had given her earlier and took it out. "Look, all your property is here, and this house is enough for you to squander for several lifetimes. Since you have decided not to return to the capital, I think the title of crown prince is not a problem for you."
As a commoner, I really can't reach the level of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Now that he has lost that noble title, I feel much closer to him when I look at him.
"Why do I feel that you are very happy?"
Song Jiaren met his narrowed eyes and said with a laugh, "How could that be? You think too much."
"Now I only have you, and there won't be any other princesses or anything like that. These shops and houses can only be managed by you, but you also said that you are afraid of inequality, so..." Gu Zhen changed the subject, "Therefore, I decided to make you my principal wife."
Song Jiaren was speechless and asked after a while, "What did you say?"
"I would like to make you my legal wife, but unfortunately I am no longer the crown prince, and you can't be the crown princess either." This was the reason why Gu Zhen submitted a memorial to Gu Shen, requesting that his crown prince title be removed. Because as long as he was the crown prince, Song Jiaren would never be able to become the crown princess. If he was no longer the crown prince, then Song Jiaren, a commoner, would be his legal wife.
Song Jiaren propped herself up on the bed, picked up a pillow that had been specially made for her some time ago, and held it softly in her arms. Still a little confused, she saw that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was looking at her quietly. His fingertips, with a slightly rough touch, touched her cheek and said, "Do you understand?"
She nodded blankly, "I think... I understand."
Gu Zhen couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips. "Since you have been appointed as the legal wife, you should take care of all the matters concerning the shop and the housekeeper. So... go to bed early. Tomorrow you will go and learn how to manage the household from the housekeeper."
After saying that, he pulled back, and Song Jiaren fell on the couch. Looking at his eyes full of meaning, she pleaded softly, "I have to get up early tomorrow..."
Gu Zhen only raised an eyebrow, still refusing to give up easily. He only said nice things to coax her to be obedient. His low, hoarse voice was like a whisper. Looking at the dark circles under her eyes, he only sighed and kissed her for a long time before letting her go. "...I'll spare you this time, and make it up to you another day."
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