...
"Third cousin, what are you doing here? No, it won't be good for you if someone finds out. I'm leaving now."
The Delin Hall contains the place where Zheng Yutong and Jing Lu once met in secret. After Zheng Yutong came out of the side hall, she strolled along the palace path and unknowingly came to this room.
Upon entering, Zheng Yutong saw Jing Lu sitting alone in the room. She felt a mix of joy, sorrow, and fear, afraid that she would be caught red-handed like she had been at Liushang Pavilion last time.
Now that she is the Second Prince's wife, if she is caught red-handed again, she will definitely be deposed, and then she will truly die without a burial place.
Zheng Yutong lifted her foot to leave, but Jing Lu grabbed her from behind and pleaded with her.
"Yutong, why are you leaving now that you've come? Couldn't you just stay with me? Didn't you come here because you missed me?"
"If you don't miss me, just say the word and I'll let go immediately."
Seeing that she couldn't struggle and Jing Lu pressed her for answers, Zheng Yutong had no choice but to nod and admit it.
"Of course I miss you."
She also found it absurd. Previously, she had been distant from Jing Lu, with only a fraction of her true feelings for him. Now, however, she was extremely fond of Jing Lu's kindness.
Immediately, her words were laced with bitterness: "What's the use of me missing you? You are now the principal wife, with concubines on both sides of you. Soon, the concubines will be giving you children."
"Why do you keep thinking about me, making it impossible for me to forget you? Aren't you just hurting me?"
Jing Lu buried his head in Zheng Yutong's neck, shaking his head repeatedly: "No, they are not you, so what if I have more?"
"Even if Suyun has my child, I can't forget you. Have you forgotten me? It's because Second Brother treats you very well."
"If it's good, I won't bother you."
Jing Lu's voice grew softer, and the arm that had been tightly wrapped around Zheng Yutong loosened.
When Zheng Yutong felt the embrace behind her loosen, she turned around in fear and rolled up her sleeves to complain.
“You say this is good? He hates you for breaking his leg, and he takes it out on me from time to time.”
“How could I possibly like him, Third Cousin? If you can take me away, I’d rather leave the palace with you and eat coarse food.”
She rolled up her sleeves, revealing large bruises and welts, all from stick marks, and some unspeakable teeth marks.
Jing Lu stared in shock, his pupils filled with heartache. He was horrified: "How could Second Brother treat you like this? Does Grandmother Cheng know? Doesn't she care?"
Zheng Yutong sneered: "Jing Shuo spends most of his day in his room wallowing in self-pity. When he's tired, he makes fun of me. With such a lack of ambition and a dark heart, how could Empress Dowager Cheng possibly have any hope for him?"
She turned around, cupped Jinglu's face in her hands, and gently shed tears for him: "Third cousin, do you feel sorry for me? If you do, then save me and don't let me suffer."
Zheng Yutong's claim of leaving the palace to eat chaff and wild vegetables was not true; she simply couldn't bear Jing Shuo's torment any longer.
Jing Lu is at least likable, and she hopes he can come up with a way to help her divorce Jing Shuo.
Jing Lu was in a dilemma: "I...I don't know what to do. If Father listens to me, he won't know that I like you, and he'll still let you marry my second brother."
As he spoke, he raised his hand and slapped himself in the face: "Yutong, it's all my fault, it's all my fault for being incompetent. If I were as capable as my brother, maybe things would be easier for you."
"Unfortunately, I'm not capable."
Seeing Jing Lu like this, Zheng Yutong would normally be proud that she had Jing Lu's heart firmly in her grasp, but now she only felt powerless.
Unfortunately, Jing Lu was the only one she could rely on at the moment, so she hurriedly took his hand with heartache and stroked his reddened cheeks.
"Why do you still hit yourself all the time? Doesn't it break my heart to see you like this? Aren't you going out to see anyone later?"
"If there's no other way, then there's no other way. I can still put up with it. At least he can't kill me right now."
“Sigh, I can’t blame you for not being as capable as His Highness the Crown Prince. It’s because he was the focus of attention from the entire Jing Kingdom from birth, and all the good things were sent to him.”
"His Majesty likes you, but only because you are obedient and well-behaved."
Although her words were a complaint, she only wanted Jing Lu to remember her; the rest was just a fleeting feeling.
Jing Lu suddenly said dejectedly, "Yes, Father Emperor is just treating me like a silly son. Once my sister-in-law gives birth to Father Emperor's eldest grandson, I, the youngest son, will be forgotten."
Even Jinglu, who is usually carefree, was worried, which made Zheng Yutong feel even worse, so she comforted him.
"Third cousin, don't be sad. Who says the Crown Princess is definitely carrying the Emperor's grandson? It could also be a princess. Isn't Cheng Suyun pregnant? Maybe she'll give birth to His Majesty's grandson first."
"Once you, the youngest son, have His Majesty's first grandson, no one will be able to steal your thunder."
Jing Lu felt even more distressed. He held Zheng Yutong's hand tightly and stroked the scars on her arm: "Whether Su Yun gave birth to a grandson or not, I don't care. Besides, I can't save you from your second brother's suffering."
"I really hate him now, I wish I could disown him as my second brother, as long as I can get you out of here."
As Jing Lu spoke, he became angry like a child.
"Tell me, wouldn't it be better if my second brother made a big mistake on his own? That way, if Father punished him, and maybe he was sent to another place to reflect on his actions, wouldn't you feel better?"
"But my second brother can't walk, and he can't do politics, so how could he make a mistake?"
Zheng Yutong, heartbroken, listened to Jing Lu's ramblings. Some thought somehow entered her mind, and she gripped Jing Lu's hand tightly, saying excitedly.
"Third cousin, I know what wrong Jingshuo has done to deserve punishment. Crown Princess, the Crown Princess's unborn child was harmed because of him, so Jingshuo will definitely not escape punishment."
"What? Yutong, don't be impulsive. If the Empress Dowager is in trouble, the Emperor will definitely not let it go. Besides, such a big mistake, the Second Brother will definitely not receive a simple punishment," Jinglu urged Zheng Yutong to calm down in fear.
Zheng Yutong's injuries were aggravated by the slightest movement, and she could no longer calm down.
The best medicine for her to calm down is to make Jing Shuo stop torturing her.
"What's wrong? Are you even afraid of this? Do you want to watch me get beaten to death? I didn't ask you to do it, so what are you cowardly about?"
Zheng Yutong disregarded Jing Lu's attitude, shook off his hand, and prepared to leave.
"Jing Shuo is such a good-for-nothing. So what if something unexpected happens? No matter how severe the punishment, His Majesty wouldn't take his life."
"I'll go back right now."
Zheng Yutong already had a plan in mind. She abandoned Jing Lu and went out to find Jing Shuo.
Jing Lu watched Zheng Yutong walk away in ecstasy, his panic vanished, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
...
The time for the banquet had arrived, and people in the side hall gradually made their way to the main hall.
When Jing Yan came to pick up Yue Jiang, he happened to meet Jing Lu coming from the opposite direction. The two looked at each other, and Jing Lu happily called out to Jing Yan, "Your Majesty."
"Brother, congratulations! You're going to be a father soon."
Since realizing that his younger brother was not as innocent as he seemed, Jingyan had gradually become more wary.
He smiled faintly: "Third brother, there's no need to just congratulate me. Aren't you about to become a father too?"
Upon hearing this, Jing Lu scratched his head and smiled shyly: "I'm not ready to be a father yet, so I'm sure I won't be as good as my elder brother."
Jing Yan smiled silently.
The two were exchanging pleasantries by the door when suddenly a sound of porcelain shattering came from inside. They both rushed into the hall following the sound.
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