Chapter 17 I have never seen His Highness like this before.
Commander Lu Chen, holding his sword, stood expressionless in the shadows. He appeared calm, but his tightly pursed lips and the sharp gaze that occasionally swept into the distance betrayed his inner turmoil.
He had followed His Highness for many years and knew that His Highness was always very measured in his actions, and had never been so... "absurd" before. Today's actions were all for that person in the Glazed Pavilion.
Su Jingyu's head maid, Yun Shu, and another trusted maid, Jin Shu, were even more anxious, their faces pale, their hands tightly twisting their handkerchiefs. The concubine's body was delicate; if she returned so late and caught a chill or was frightened, how could they bear the blame from His Highness!
Just as the water clock was about to lock, the clatter of hooves and the rumble of wheels finally approached from afar! An ordinary blue-canopied carriage sped up in the twilight and came to a steady stop in front of the side gate.
"You're back!" He Yongchang breathed a long sigh of relief, almost bursting into tears of joy, and quickly led everyone forward to greet them.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Crown Prince Xiao Jingzhan stepped out first. He was still wearing the same black brocade robe he had worn when he left, but the collar seemed slightly wrinkled, and his expression carried a subtle hint of languor and gluttony. However, when everyone's gaze fell upon him, they all froze instantly, not daring to breathe!
The Crown Prince was carrying someone horizontally in his arms! He was completely wrapped in the dark cloak with gold dragon embroidery that he had worn when he left home, with only a small section of a lotus-colored skirt and a pair of slender feet in soft satin embroidered shoes showing.
The person's entire face was buried in his chest, so his features were not visible, but from his slender figure and the few strands of black hair that were visible, everyone knew that it was Su Liangyuan!
What was most alarming was that Consort Liang's once neatly tied black hair was now completely disheveled, flowing down like a waterfall, some of it even wrapping around the Crown Prince's arms and clothes! A fair and slender hand hung limply outside the cloak, swaying gently with the Crown Prince's steps.
This...this is clearly...a deep, sound sleep, or even...a state of unconsciousness!
He Yong was shocked and almost bit his tongue. He had served His Highness for over twenty years and had never seen His Highness like this before! His Highness was such a noble and proper person, yet now he was carrying a disheveled, unconscious woman back to the palace as if she were a rare treasure!
How incredibly obsessed must His Highness be to exhaust Consort Su like this? His Highness's affection for Consort Su goes beyond simple pampering; it's practically an obsession!
Lu Chen's pupils contracted slightly, and his grip on the sword tightened. As a martial artist, his senses were far more acute. He clearly saw that His Highness's arm around Consort Su was as steady as a rock, the careful posture as if the person in his arms were fragile glass. And Consort Su's completely dependent and unguarded sleeping posture also demonstrated the extent of her trust in His Highness.
This Consort Su had transformed the cold and aloof Crown Prince into such a... flesh-and-blood, passionate, and ordinary man in such a short time. He silently lowered his head, his vigilance towards the Glazed Pavilion rising to its highest level once again.
Yun Shu and Jin Shu were startled at first, then their faces quickly flushed red, and they hurriedly lowered their heads. As his personal attendants, they naturally understood what this meant. Yun Shu felt both heartache and relief: His Highness treated Consort Liang with utmost care, as if she were a precious gem. Jin Shu, on the other hand, secretly clicked her tongue: His Highness… was far too unrestrained; how could Consort Liang, so delicate, possibly endure this…
Xiao Jingzhan ignored the various expressions on everyone's faces; all his attention was on the person in his arms. He steadied his arm around her and whispered the order, his voice softer than ever before, as if afraid of disturbing the peaceful sleep of the person in his arms: "What are you all standing there for? Lock the doors."
"Yes! Yes!" He Yong snapped back to reality, quickly signaling the little eunuch to close the door and lock it, while he bowed and led the way, his voice extremely low: "Your Highness, hot water and dinner are ready. Shall we deliver them to the Liuli Pavilion?"
"Hmm." Xiao Jingzhan responded lightly, carrying Su Jingyu in his arms, and strode quickly and steadily toward the Liuli Pavilion. Wherever he passed, the palace servants and eunuchs knelt down and bowed their heads, not daring to look him in the eye.
Back at the Glazed Pavilion, Xiao Jingzhan went straight into the inner room and carefully placed the person in his arms on the softly quilted bed. His movements were as gentle as if he were placing a piece of exquisite porcelain. He didn't even let go immediately, but gazed at her peaceful sleeping face in the dim candlelight.
She was exhausted and slept soundly. Her long eyelashes cast faint shadows under her eyes, and her slightly swollen lips only added to her charm.
Strands of hair covered the pillow, carrying the unique scent of the lake breeze and the afterglow of love.
He reached out and gently brushed a stray, damp hair behind her ear, his fingertips lingering on her delicate skin, his eyes dark and deep.
Today, he truly lost control. On the painted boat, amidst the rippling blue waves, the alluring, confused state of the woman in his arms drove him wilder than any aphrodisiac. He was hooked, unable to resist, and spent the entire afternoon entangled with her, indulging in her playful antics.
"Sleep well, sweetie." He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her smooth forehead, filled with endless love and contentment.
After carefully tucking her in, Xiao Jingzhan straightened up, his usual cold expression returning to his face. He walked out of the inner room and instructed Yun Shu and Jin Shu, who were waiting outside, "Keep a close watch on her and don't wake her. If she wakes up later, report to her immediately and then serve her a meal."
"Yes, Your Highness," Yun Shu and Jin Shu quickly replied.
Xiao Jingzhan glanced at the direction of the inner room one last time before turning to leave; he still had a backlog of official business to attend to. However, at this moment, his heart was no longer filled with the solemnity he usually felt when handling official duties, but rather with a kind of indescribable sense of fulfillment and warmth.
The tranquility that the Eastern Palace maintained was completely shattered the day the Crown Prince returned from outside the palace carrying the unconscious Su Jingyu with her hair disheveled.
Crown Princess Li feigned illness and remained out of the palace, leaving Changchun Palace filled with a oppressive atmosphere and the scent of sandalwood. Consort Zhang smashed several sets of porcelain, cursing the "vixen" through gritted teeth, yet dared not provoke the woman in the Liuli Pavilion again. The other concubines, of even lower rank, lived in constant fear and trembling with fear.
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