Chapter 24 Awakening... The soft, boneless hand on my forearm still can't let go...
After Shen Changfeng finished speaking, he glanced at Qingsong behind him. The latter understood and slowed down his pace to the end of the crowd.
When Qingsong heard him specifically mention Lin Meizhu, and got a hint from his eyes, he knew that he recognized Lin Meizhu and asked him to take her away and not let these people see her.
To be more precise, they couldn't let Wu Zhizi, one of the group, see her. This was because Wu Zhizi was notorious for his lust. Once he set his sights on a woman, he would do anything he could to seduce her until he got her. Unfortunately, despite being ugly, short, and lustful, Wu Zhizi was highly valued by the Third Prince due to his intelligence. Furthermore, he kept no evidence, so even if someone complained, they would be suppressed.
Not long ago, Wu the Dwarf developed a treacherous plot against a concubine in the cold palace, using a scheme to coerce her into submission. A faction led by the Eighth Prince had intended to bring the matter before the Emperor, but Wu the Dwarf discovered it beforehand and pulled one of his own followers to take the blame, claiming it was a righteous act.
Since then, the Eighth Prince and the Third Prince have been at odds. However, Shen Changfeng, always well-connected in the capital, gifted Wu Aizi a dozen beautiful women under the guise of a festival and then went on an outing with him, hoping to continue waiting for an opportunity. It's not time to sever ties yet; such a situation should be avoided as far as possible.
Qingsong walked quickly to the back of the bamboo house, but saw no one. He wondered if Shen Changfeng had seen her mistakenly. He walked along the path for another ten steps and, as expected, saw Lin Meizhu. He thought to himself: The prince has excellent eyesight; he recognized her at the first sight.
Qingsong noticed that Lin Meizhu was walking very fast, as if something was chasing her, and called out, "Crown Princess!"
Lin Meizhu clenched her knuckles and tensed her back. After a moment of silence, she replied, "What's the matter?"
"The Crown Prince has sent a message to his subordinates: The Crown Princess should stay in the other courtyard for the next two days and try not to go out... If you really need to go out, please wear a veil."
Lin Meizhu sneered, "Why don't I just go back home?"
It was he who invited people to go out for fun, and now it is also he who tells them not to go out. Everything depends on his mood.
Qingsong could tell her tone was bad, and guessed she'd heard what had just happened. But matters at court couldn't be explained in a few words. Who knew that shorty Wu would suddenly pop in? He explained, "That's not the case. The Crown Prince just said that because he wanted to remind his subordinates to take the Crown Princess away. He didn't want her to run into any bad people..."
"So? Should I thank him?" Her voice sounded a bit sarcastic, and filled with the desolation of looking down on everything after reaching the peak of disappointment.
Although he was just a messenger, Qingsong felt ashamed. "I have spoken out of turn. Please punish me, Princess."
You are not the one who should say sorry.
Lin Meizhu didn't make things difficult for him after all, and said slowly, "I understand. I won't leave without permission."
The next morning, Shen Changfeng sobered up, pushed the person in his arms away, rubbed his brow, and slowly stood up. His stomach churned, and he walked to the rinsing bowl and vomited out all the wine he had drunk last night. His voice was hoarse, "Pour me a glass of water."
The woman behind him quickly stood up, poured him a cup of warm tea and patted his back. Shen Changfeng turned his head in surprise, then frowned and his eyes suddenly turned cold.
The singer noticed his displeasure and hurriedly retreated. Last night, when she saw Shen Changfeng drunk, she secretly found an opportunity to run to the bamboo house to serve him, and then secretly snuggled into his arms when he fell asleep. She had wanted to fly to the branch overnight, but looking at his expression, it was clear that he was disgusted. This was completely different from what the rumors said?
Shen Changfeng took the teacup and said in a slightly slower tone, "Go out. I don't need you to wait on me anymore."
The singer felt as if she had been pardoned. She really thought that Shen Changfeng would strangle her to death, so she ran away in a hurry.
Shen Changfeng sat back on the bamboo couch and pressed his solar plexus, then slowly recalled that he had left the banquet at Jiangxin Pavilion before it was half over last night. He had wanted to take a nap in a nearby house, but fell into a deep sleep due to a headache.
His body felt sleepy and weak after a hangover, his stomach began to burn after it was empty, and his mind was in chaos. He felt as if he had forgotten something, but it was like not being able to find the starting point of a ball of wool, he had no clue.
Shen Changfeng's heart was gradually filled with irritation. He squinted his eyes and looked at the sky, and asked, "Qingsong, what time is it?"
Qingsong came in carrying water and replied, "My Lord, it's just past noon."
There was a sound of water behind the bamboo strips, and Qingsong heard him ask, "Where is she?"
Qingsong was stunned for a moment before realizing who "she" was. The only woman who could have caused the Crown Prince to ask about this was probably the Crown Prince's Consort. He immediately replied, "The Crown Prince didn't return to the villa yesterday... The Crown Prince's Consort stayed at the villa during the day, took a walk by the lake in the evening, had dinner after returning, and went to Taiqing Temple early this morning to pay her respects to the Princess. The Crown Prince's Consort wore a veil when she went out, and Chen Yue and the others followed her, and nothing went wrong."
Shen Changfeng paused in wiping his face.
I remember now. He sent a message yesterday saying he would be back.
As he listened, he mapped out Lin Meizhu's movements in his mind. She had waited for a long time at the villa, but he didn't return. Hearing he was having a banquet at Jiangxin Pavilion, she headed for the lake. Because he had told her not to approach Wu Zhizi and the others, she simply watched from afar across the lake, not daring to send anyone to question them. After the moon rose to the top of the mountain, she quietly returned to the villa and forced herself to finish their dinner for two.
The irritability deep in Shen Changfeng's heart turned into anxiety, the burning sensation in his stomach became even worse, and he even began to feel a twitching pain.
Qingsong was just telling the servants to set out breakfast when he saw Shen Changfeng striding out of the clean room while tying his belt. He only heard him say, "No need, go back."
Qingsong chased after him and asked, "Prince, do you want to prepare the horse?"
If we go back to the villa, the road is flat and riding a horse is faster; Taiqing Temple is located halfway up the mountain, right next to Keats Temple. The mountain road is steep and it is more suitable to walk there.
"No need." Shen Changfeng thought for a moment and changed his words, "Forget it, send someone to tell them that I'm going back to the villa."
Qingsong soon understood that Shen Changfeng had always been at odds with the eldest princess, and if he asked him to swallow his pride and go look for someone, he would probably be ridiculed by the eldest princess if she knew the truth.
The two of them walked for a while when they suddenly heard the sound of horses neighing on the mountain road. Shen Changfeng rode forward without looking away until Qingsong called out, "It seems to be the county lady!"
Shen Changfeng gently pulled the reins and turned to see a brown horse charging uncontrollably into the depths of the dense forest. The servant driving the horse was dragged to the ground, and two others rushed forward, yanking the reins from the servant's hands, stopping the horse's movement. Seated on the horse were two people, one large and one small, both terrified. The younger one clung to the horse's neck tightly.
Shen Changfeng turned around and shouted, "Sit up and step firmly into the stirrups! Hold the horse's belly tight!"
Before he finished speaking, the horse under his crotch had already rushed to the side of the out-of-control horse. Shen Changfeng leaped down and grabbed the reins. Su Qinxue, who was sitting on the horse, couldn't help but burst into tears when she heard his voice. "Changfeng..."
When Qin Moyun heard her crying, he burst into tears.
The horse became more and more panicked, neighing loudly and raising its front hooves high.
Shen Changfeng shouted, "Let go!"
Everyone was already on edge, and upon hearing this, they all withdrew their strength and scattered to avoid being trampled by the horses' hooves.
When the horse's hooves had firmly planted their feet on the ground, Shen Changfeng took the reins in one hand, took two or three steps closer, gently stroked the horse's neck, and slowly combed his fingertips along the mane, saying softly, "Okay, be quiet, it's okay..."
The horse's breathing gradually became steady, and finally it calmed down, lowering its head and rubbing his shoulder.
Su Qinxue's legs were still weak when she got off the horse. Shen Changfeng stretched out his arm to let her use it to get off the horse, and then turned around to hug Qin Moyun. When he raised his head, he found that the soft and boneless jade hand on his forearm was reluctant to leave.
Shen Changfeng smiled and said to Qin Moyun: "There are so many people watching us. If you cry again, people will laugh at you."
The hand quickly retracted.
Qin Moyun was terrified and sobbed in Shen Changfeng's arms, "Second Uncle, I was so scared! The horse suddenly jumped up like crazy."
Shen Changfeng comforted her, "It was because the harness was too tight and the servants didn't notice. At first, it was shaking its head and digging the ground just to relieve the discomfort, but the servants thought it was throwing a tantrum and refused to move, so they pulled hard. It was in so much pain that it broke free. Look, the blood on the halter is fresh."
Qin Moyun praised: "Second Uncle, you know so much!"
"I'm glad you're here today."
Su Qinxue had been walking beside Shen Changfeng. The panic she had just felt was gone, and she looked at him with extremely soft and affectionate eyes.
"It's nothing." The indigo eaves of the Taoist temple were clearly visible behind the lush treetops. Shen Changfeng handed Qin Moyun back to the servant girl on the side and added, "Zeyuan's family is my family."
When Su Qinxue heard him mention her husband, her pupils shrank.
Qin Yan was a good person. He was gentle, talented, and impeccable in his dealings with others. His future was limitless. People said she and Qin Yan were a perfect match, but she always felt that this kind of life was missing something. It was too dull, even a little lifeless.
Shen Changfeng was completely different from Qin Yan. He was born to be the center of attention, surrounded by crowds wherever he went. His heart seemed to be perpetually restless, and he exuded an endless vitality. That unbridled passion was inexplicably fascinating.
Su Qinxue sighed softly, "He's just too opinionated sometimes... He traveled so far to manage the river. He's already in poor health, and yet he still has to go through all this trouble. I'd rather he was like you..."
Su Qinxue had a quarrel with Qin Yan over his business trip, and scolded him so much that he ran away from home. That day was Shen Changfeng's wedding, and when the Qin family sent someone to inquire about it, it was Shen Changfeng who went out to find them.
Shen Changfeng interrupted her: "Zeyuan has great ambitions and wants to benefit the people. The emperor also praises him highly. He will have other capable people to assist him in his journey to Heze. Nothing will go wrong, so you don't have to worry too much."
Su Qinxue couldn't help but tear up when she heard him speak in official language. "It's only been a few months since we last met, why are you talking so coldly? You've forgotten our kindness when you've been treated well by others."
Shen Changfeng smiled lightly as he handed the reins to the servant and said, "Remember, when Zeyuan returns someday, I'll come visit you and have a good time together."
Su Qinxue spoke in a low voice, so that only he could hear, "Chen Du, are you still angry with me?"
Shen Changfeng narrowed his eyelids, as if thinking carefully, and replied: "Angry. Last time you lent money to Qin Ting to gamble at Yijing Garden, I helped him vent his anger and got beaten up. I still remember it."
Su Qinxue wanted to say something else, but she saw Shen Changfeng frowning and pressing his abdomen with his hand.
She stepped forward and asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable?"
The closer he got to the Taoist temple, the stronger the smell of burning incense and candles in the air became. If he looked closely, he could even see the misty green smoke above the temple. Shen Changfeng already had a stomachache, and after taking a few breaths of the smoke, he felt his stomach churning again. He couldn't help but hold on to the tree trunk and retched.
"No problem. Just had too much to drink."
Su Qinxue handed over a handkerchief and whispered, "Wipe your sweat quickly." Not paying attention to her feet, she tripped over the tangled tree roots.
Shen Changfeng didn't answer, and subconsciously supported her. After she stabilized, he immediately let go and said goodbye: "I won't go up and ask for a scolding."
Su Qinxue suddenly looked up at a certain point on the mountain, her gaze suddenly becoming distant. She bit her lip and said, "If my sister-in-law sees us like this, she won't think anything bad, right?"
The Yue Lao tree in front of the Taoist temple stands tall, and the red ribbons on the trunk dance in the wind.
There was a small person on the tree, holding a red silk thread and looking towards the mountain path.
Shen Changfeng followed Su Qinxue's gaze and happened to meet Lin Meizhu's.
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