Chapter 91 Chapter 91 "Let's eat, the food is getting cold." ...
Yishoutang flower hall.
The faint smell of blood seemed to still linger beneath the low curtains, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.
The bloodstains on the ground had been wiped clean long ago, and the dark grey floor tiles reflected the bleak sky outside the window, and everything was silent.
Inside the warm room, Sheng Puzhu was holding a bowl of pitch-black medicine in his hands, and was feeding the dark brown medicine spoonful by spoonful to the old lady's mouth.
"Just leave it there and let Nanny Jiang come."
"How could I bear to let you serve me personally?"
The old lady was half leaning on the couch, her voice weak and her lips pale, as if all her energy had been drained away overnight.
"It's only right for your granddaughter-in-law to serve you."
Sheng Puzhu said gently, "Besides, Nanny Jiang always obeys your orders. If your granddaughter-in-law doesn't keep an eye on you, you might have someone secretly throw away the medicine again."
The old lady forced a smile, her lips and tongue tasted bitter, so numb that she could not taste the medicine, and her eyes were drooping, unfocused.
After such a commotion, the relationship between the two families was completely broken off.
When the bowl of tranquilizing medicine was finished, Sheng Puzhu took the handkerchief from Nanny Jiang.
Suddenly, a withered and cold hand trembled and raised up, tightly grasping her wrist.
Sheng Puzhu paused and looked up.
"Puzhu, tell me the truth, am I really wrong?"
"Shouldn't you have been soft-hearted from the beginning? Otherwise, why would your mother and father have to flee to Tianchang Temple and waste a year or two in such a miserable place?"
When she said this, the old lady's cloudy eyes turned red, her lips trembled, and her expression became dazed.
She pressed her palm hard, her nails almost digging into Sheng Puzhu's delicate skin. With deep despair, she said, "Even if he's my first child and doesn't want to learn martial arts, studying is fine too. He'll have a bright future. It's because of me that I indulged him time and time again that he dared to test my limits so recklessly."
It must be because I drank the tranquilizing soup. Many things that I couldn't say when I was sober, I didn't hesitate to say them when I was confused.
Nanny Jiang was so frightened listening to this that she didn't dare to breathe.
Sheng Puzhu remained calm. He changed the wet handkerchief and wiped the old lady's tears. He then coaxed her to lie down slowly: "You are tired."
The old lady closed her eyes and shook her head. "I thought that after all, we are flesh and blood. Even if the bones are broken, the tendons are still connected. Even if he is ambitious, he should always remember the mother-son relationship between him and me."
"Back when his father died in battle at Yumen Pass, I should have been ruthless enough to separate our family and stop him from harboring any dissenting thoughts."
Xie Qingshu's marriage was like a knife, tearing apart the already shaky balance between the two families.
Xie Juyuan's ambition and calculations hurt the old lady more than ever before.
Sheng Puzhu did not answer immediately, but just listened quietly.
The open window let in daylight, and the warm yellow evening sun outlined her calm profile. "Grandma, it's not wrong to be soft-hearted, and it's even more wrong to care about family ties. As the saying goes, when parents love their children, they plan for them in the long run."
Sheng Puzhu gently grasped the old lady's cold, trembling hand. She paused, her gaze almost gentle. "The one who's wrong is the one who took advantage of your softness, constantly demanding things, and even intending to destroy the century-old Xie family."
"Compared to other things, the more important thing right now is that you take good care of your health. As long as you are here, the Xie family will definitely remain in order."
"Once the Crown Princess gives birth to a legitimate son, the Crown Prince's position as heir will be secure. No matter how good Xiao Xuan is, he will only be a side branch of the Xiao family and will never amount to anything."
The old lady looked at her blankly, her throat rolled violently, her lips moved, and after a long while, she swallowed back the words she hadn't said.
She didn't dare to say it, and couldn't say it.
I’m afraid that my words will come true and destroy the century-old foundation of the Xie family.
It was late at night and the dew was heavy. The lanterns under the corridor were spinning in the wind, making the human figures look slender and ethereal.
Sheng Puju dragged her slightly tired steps back to Yunyu Hall. The lights in the room were on. Without thinking much, she lifted the curtain and went to the inner room.
As a result, when she looked up, she saw Xie Zhiyan standing next to the screen with his back to her. He had just taken off his complicated official robe and his undershirt was pulled down to his waist.
He was dressed in cold skin, revealing the smooth and strong lines of his shoulders and back. The candlelight cast alternating light and dark shadows on his chest and abdomen. His waist was wrapped in snow-white gauze, revealing a bloodstain like a flower. There was a faint smell of blood in the air.
"Are you back?" Xie Zhiyan didn't turn around immediately when he heard the footsteps, but just turned his head to the side, with a barely perceptible hint of tiredness in his voice.
"You were fine before you went out, how did you get injured?" Sheng Puzhu frowned, not caring about being shy at all.
"It was just a little accident, it's nothing serious." Xie Zhiyan threw his official robe on the screen neatly, apparently preparing to take a bath.
Sheng Puzhu took the initiative for a rare occasion. She turned around and went to the side room to get clothes for him. Her eyes swept across his dusty clothes and she knew that he had rushed back at this hour with injuries on his body. He must be in a hurry to finish the things at hand and go to Yishou Hall to visit the old lady.
"You don't have to go over there, my husband."
"Hmm?" Xie Zhiyan walked up to her and stood behind her.
Sheng Puzhu raised her clear almond-shaped eyes and said softly, "Grandmother has taken a tranquilizing decoction and is now asleep. The imperial physician said this is a heart disease and she needs to rest."
Upon hearing this, Xie Zhiyan paused what he was doing, then slowly raised his head.
The candlelight illuminated his face, which was as elegant and refreshing as the night breeze. There was fatigue between his brows after running around, but his phoenix eyes were still bright.
He lowered his gaze, the shadow at the corner of his lips slightly deepening: "Has Madam had dinner yet?"
Sheng Puzhu shook her head: "I had some soup with my grandmother. After all the trouble today, I really don't have much of an appetite."
"Well." Xie Zhiyan stared at her, stretched out his hand, as if wanting to touch her soft cheek with the back of his hand, but he restrained himself and softened his voice, "I'll take a shower first. Madam, can you accompany me to use some later?"
Sheng Puzhu stuffed the clothes into his arms and didn't answer. Instead, she urged, "My dear, you should go take a bath quickly."
Xie Zhiyan smiled and turned to go to the bathroom.
An hour later.
The couple sat opposite each other and had their dinner in silence.
The dishes were very exquisite, obviously prepared carefully by the kitchen at the request of Aunt Du.
Sheng Puzhu was thinking about something and was not in a very good mood. She pondered for a moment, finally put down her silver chopsticks, and carefully recounted what had happened in Yishou Hall today.
"Qingshu is childish. She must have been frightened at her grandmother's place today."
"The eldest lady, on the other hand, would be unlikely to agree to her second daughter, who had been raised in pampering, marrying a playboy, given her usual fondness for Qingshu. But I don't know what benefits the eldest uncle promised, but she remained silent throughout, seemingly surprisingly satisfied with the match."
Xie Zhiyan listened quietly, his face expressionless. He only occasionally picked up his chopsticks and put some light bamboo shoots into the porcelain bowl opposite him.
The bamboo shoots in early summer are sweet and refreshing, and they reveal the vigorous vitality that is unique to plants. Sheng Puzhu loves them very much. She stews them in chicken soup, and after the juice is reduced, she sprinkles a handful of green onions on them. The aroma is so fragrant that even if she has a poor appetite, she can still eat several slices in a row.
"Qinghui took her daughter to her parents' home, and Xie Mingzong followed. The couple seemed to be deliberately avoiding each other."
"Although my father beat my great uncle nearly to death, my mother finally persuaded him to stop. However, my grandmother was so angry that she became very weak."
After Sheng Puzhu finished speaking, Xie Zhiyan slowly put down his silver chopsticks, poured tea himself, and took the wet handkerchief beside him to wipe her mouth.
His movements were gentle, and each one revealed his usual composure.
"This matter..." Xie Zhiyan said in a calm voice, "If Qingshu doesn't want to, I'll come to you and beg you."
He paused slightly, as if weighing the pros and cons, and finally said, "You can consider it as appropriate and help her."
At this point, Xie Zhiyan smiled silently, his elegant eyebrows and eyes as deep as those outlined by thick ink: "I think, as long as she meets Xiao Xuan in person, she will probably agree."
Sheng Puzhu was slightly startled: "Why?"
Xie Zhiyan looked at her bright and beautiful face with a half-smile on his face: "Because Prince An is handsome."
"How beautiful is it?" Sheng Puzhu's eyes suddenly lit up.
The smile on his lips paused, and he looked up at her, his eyes like water, yet deep and unfathomable.
Sheng Puzhu realized she had asked the wrong question and pursed her lips slightly: "Isn't it okay for me to ask this even though I don't plan to go see it myself?"
Xie Zhiyan seemed to have no way to deal with her high-sounding excuse. He held the fingertips that were wiped red, put them to his lips, and bit them lightly as a punishment. It was not called a bite, it looked more like he was sucking, and licked the fingertips with the tip of his tongue.
Sheng Puzhu was so shocked that she cried out, and hastily withdrew her fingertips: "If you don't want to say it, then don't say it."
But she secretly added in her heart that when she got the chance, she would go and see for herself the handsome man. She would look up and down to see how good-looking Prince An's son, Xiao Xuan, could be.
Xie Zhiyan seemed to have seen through her thoughts, but he didn't point it out. He continued calmly, "If Xie Qingshu is willing."
Their eyes met, and neither of them took the initiative to move away.
Xie Zhiyan's voice was almost cold and calm as he spoke word by word, "That is the path she chose for herself. Madam, there is no need for you to interfere."
These words were like a cold stone thrown into the calm water, causing ripples.
Sheng Puzhu's breathing stagnated and her eyes widened. She had thought that he would analyze the pros and cons, but she had never expected such a clear-cut attitude.
"Why?"
"Isn't Qingshu also your biological cousin?"
Sheng Puzhu asked subconsciously.
Because she knew that although he seemed indifferent, he actually protected every sister in the family. Otherwise, during the winter hunting last year, Xie Lingyi was plotted against. He seemed to have done nothing, but he forced Xie Juyuan to leave Chang'an for half a year.
Xie Zhiyan didn't explain. He picked up his chopsticks again and picked up a piece of bamboo shoots that she liked. His movements were natural. "Let's eat. The food is getting cold."
Sheng Puzhu looked at him. There was an almost rational indifference in the man's narrow eyes.
"Ma'am, is there anything else you would like to ask?"
"Will the Duke's Mansion split up?"
Xie Zhiyan frowned slightly and did not answer immediately. Instead, he remained silent for a long time before slowing down his voice: "At least not for now."
Sheng Puzhu didn't feel relieved immediately upon hearing this. Instead, her brow furrowed even further. "My dear, you should be able to guess why your uncle wants Qingshu to marry the Prince of An."
"Is it because the health of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has always been a cause of concern? Great Yan has been established for less than a hundred years, and the health of the crown prince is related to the foundation of the country."
Sheng Puzhu lowered his voice. Although he hesitated, he finally spoke out the anxiety that had been weighing on his heart: "If something really happened, even though Your Majesty is in his prime, there is no suitable prince in the palace except the Crown Prince. At that time, I am afraid that he will only be able to adopt a son from the royal family."
"My uncle is going to bet Qingshu's life on Prince An, that's exactly what he's planning."
Xie Zhiyan listened quietly, then stood up, reached out and held the man in his arms, breathing close to him, his voice becoming deeper: "It's not the worst yet."
His eyes held the composure of someone who had already seen through everything. He spoke slowly, "Over the years, the Saint has been sending people to secretly search for the wandering Master Yundeng. Confirmed news arrived a few days ago."
"Master Yundeng?"
Sheng Puzhu was surprised and asked, "Is there really such a person?"
"I've heard legends about him since I was little. He said his medical skills were extraordinary and there was no disease he couldn't cure."
She then counted on her fingers, "So he's a hundred years old? When my grandfather talked about him, he already looked like a white-bearded immortal."
Xie Zhiyan looked at his wife in his arms and found her expression quite amusing. "Master Yundeng isn't even a hundred years old yet, and he's already on his way to Chang'an."
"However, His Royal Highness's body is weak from birth, and a cure is not easy. However, Master Yundeng is an expert in health preservation and may have a way to prolong his life."
His tone suddenly became more cautious than ever before, and he said firmly, "At least it can ensure that His Highness doesn't die young."
Sheng Puzhu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Xie Zhiyan shifted his gaze and said coldly, "So the possibility of a clan relative adopting him is not very high."
"If the eldest wife really has this in mind, hoping to use her daughter's marriage to get close to the future heir, it is undoubtedly a foolish dream."
"If the Crown Prince is healthy and lives a long life, and there are still people among the clan who harbor such thoughts, then the only option is to rebel."
Xie Zhiyan's gaze lowered, and the candlelight cast an extremely cold and murderous aura in his deep eyes.
Sheng Puzhu's heart suddenly trembled, and when she met his cold gaze, she understood everything in an instant.
It's not that he wasn't worried, but he had already calculated all the possibilities and made preparations for the worst.
No wonder he told her not to interfere as much as possible in Xie Qingshu's marriage. The more she interfered, the deeper she would get into trouble.
Sheng Puzhu passed her arms through his slender waist and hugged him tightly, pressing her cheek against his broad, reassuring chest. "My husband once asked me if my life was hard when I was thirteen."
"So these years."
"Do you feel bitter, my dear?"
Xie Zhiyan's whole body suddenly froze, and his calm eyes were filled with turbulent emotions.
It wasn't soft sweet talk, but it was like a feather, scratching the most vulnerable soft flesh in his chest without warning.
Since he was born, he was raised as the heir of the family. Not only was he under the expectation of his family, but he also faced pressure from the palace.
Ever since he could remember, he had to learn to restrain himself, observe propriety, and be calm and steady. The world only saw that the Third Son of the Xie family was young, swift and cunning, and held a high position. No one had ever seen that beneath his scarlet court robes was the glory of the entire family.
"Madam, do you want to know?" Xie Zhiyan's throat rolled, and his warm eyes gradually revealed the greed of a wolf king.
The next moment, Sheng Puzhu felt dizzy and found herself being picked up by the waist.
"Is it bitter?" Xie Zhiyan exerted force on his arm and gently bit Sheng Puzhu's earlobe with his thin lips, his breath burning. "You can experience it yourself."
As the words fell, a fierce and fierce kiss came down.
Xie Zhiyan stared at her closely, his dark eyes surging with a long-suppressed undercurrent that seemed as tangible as a substance.
At this moment, he didn't want to think about the disputes in the court, nor did he want to care about the interests of his family. He just wanted to confirm her existence and use the most primitive way to deeply imprint her into his bones and blood.
All he could give was unreserved plunder and possession.
It seemed that only through physical entanglement could he convey to her all the secrets that he had been carrying during all these years of being alone and difficult to tell her.
Her clothes were disheveled, her hair was loose, and the air became thick and hot as she heard the sound of cloth being torn.
Sheng Puzhu could barely handle it at first, but the second time, she felt like her soul was about to be pierced by him.
The two of them had just been intimate last night and should have rested today.
But Xie Zhiyan just bit her ear and whispered, "Puzhu, you bumped into me yourself."
"no."
"I'm...full." A faint red appeared at the corners of Sheng Puzhu's eyes, and his breathing was unstable. It was clearly a refusal, but he had the ability to turn a small spark into a prairie fire.
"I had a small dinner and only a bite of dessert."
"This is a midnight snack, I can't refuse."
Xie Zhiyan bit the extremely sensitive snow-white neck with his thin lips, and his voice was hoarse.
"Madam, don't you want to know how I've been doing these years?"
The cold palm pressed against the delicate and smooth waist, and every word was a temptation: "Where do you want to start?"
Sheng Puzhu was on the verge of losing consciousness, but she still managed to maintain a clear mind: "Let's start from when my husband can remember."
She was a greedy girl, curious, and cautious in exploring his past.
Little did they know that this was exactly what Xie Zhiyan wanted.
Ever since he could remember, he had been telling her about how hard it was to practice calligraphy and martial arts during these long nights. He could probably talk to her for two days and two nights straight and still not be able to finish.
Half of Sheng Puzhu's face was sunken in the brocade quilt as soft as clouds, her breathing was broken, and the crimson in the corners of her eyes seemed to be overflowing.
The two people's breaths intertwined, and their emotions that had nowhere to be vented were like dewdrops dripping from the eaves, becoming thicker and thicker as time went by, and accumulating more and more.
Later, Sheng Puzhu seemed to be unable to stop the unbridled sound of water: "I don't want to listen anymore."
"This is the fourth time, and you're still talking about practicing calligraphy at the age of five."
Xie Zhiyan chuckled softly, put his arm around her waist, and held her tighter in his arms from behind: "Just bear with it a little longer, you'll be six soon."
"no."
"My knee hurts."
"I won't be able to walk tomorrow."
Sheng Puzhu screamed, her instep suddenly straightened, and she almost cried out.
"If you can't walk, I'll carry you."
Xie Zhiyan saw redemption in her, and he stubbornly possessed her, unwilling to leave for a moment.
Until dawn, the clouds and rain stopped inside the tent.
In the mess, the two people sleeping in each other's arms looked like conjoined twins, and it seemed as if it was supposed to be that way.
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