Hongshi had never liked Ulanara Shuzhen. She was just like his wife, rigid in nature, and not as charming as Irgen. She was also forced into the family by his wife, so naturally Hongshi didn't like her.
“Mother, I know. Giving birth to a legitimate son is the most important thing,” Hongshi said quickly. He didn’t want to be forced to have another child with Shuzhen.
Seeing that Hongshi was still unwilling to get close to his niece, the Fujin was secretly anxious, but she did not show it on her face. She put on a loving mother's expression and said, "Hongshi, a legitimate son is important, but it is also good if you can give birth to a son born to a concubine. The reason why I married two people to you at the same time was so that you could give your father a grandson as soon as possible."
Hongshi really didn't want to get close to Shuzhen, but seeing that his wife was pressing him so hard, he could only make a few perfunctory remarks to cover up the ugly situation.
"I will have your uncle discuss this matter thoroughly and let him come up with a solution. If you don't treat Shuzhen well, it's hard to say whether your uncle will be willing to help," the Fujin said, seeing Hongshi's perfunctory attitude.
Hongshi was inwardly distressed, but he had no choice but to agree to the wife's request. He didn't want Hongli to receive such a great boost, but if he wanted the Duke of Ying's support, how could the Duke help him if he didn't treat his daughter well?
Back in his own courtyard, Hongshi was at a loss, unsure where to go. Should he return to the Irgen family's house, or go to the Ulanara family's place?
Hongshi stood in the center of his courtyard, head down, seemingly lost in thought. Irgen was being led by a maid towards Hongshi's room in the center, but Hongshi didn't see her.
Hongshi pondered for a moment, then turned and walked towards the house of the Ulanara clan on the west side. Because the Irgen clan mistress and servant were standing under the eaves and hadn't come out, they were hidden in the corner of the house. Therefore, Hongshi didn't notice them, but they saw him clearly.
"Madam, did the Second Master go to the Ulanara clan's place?" The maid Chunqin subconsciously glanced at Irgen's expression and whispered.
As Hiroshi turned around, a look of surprise and sadness flashed across Irgen's joyful face, but it was fleeting, and she quickly regained her calm and gentle expression.
“Sister Shuzhen seems to have been coughing these past few days. I’m afraid she has a sore throat. It’s only right that I go and take a look,” said Irgen, then turned and walked toward her room. Chunqin quickly followed.
Meanwhile, Hongshi stomped his feet toward Ulanara's house. He could count on one hand how many times he had been here. Since the wedding, he probably had only been to Ulanara's house once, on the day of their consummation, and the rest of the time could be counted on one hand.
One of the reasons Hongshi disliked Ulanara Shuzhen was that she resembled his wife too much. Having grown up under his wife's care since childhood, he had long harbored resentment towards her strictness and rigidity. However, he dared not disobey her because he was her adopted son, coupled with his own timidity and habitual dependence on her.
However, what Ling Hongshi did not expect was that when he got married, his wife would send him a niece who looked just like herself. Ling Hongshi was really annoyed by this, so he never treated this concubine properly after she entered the family.
Hongshi stood hesitantly outside the house, unsure of how to speak to Ulanara Shuzhen, how to get close to her, and how to get her to speak well of him to the Duke of England.
"Master!"
Just as Hongshi stood outside Ulanara Shuzhen's room, head bowed and hesitant to move forward, the door opened and a maidservant came out. She was Qiuwen, Ulanara Shuzhen's personal maid. When she saw Hongshi standing outside the door, she couldn't believe it for a moment, but after confirming it was Hongshi, she called out happily.
Ulanara Shuzhen has been in a bad mood these past few days because her old throat ailment has flared up again. In addition, Hongshi has been very cold to her, which has made her listless and irritable.
Only her personal maid knew that Ulanara Shuzhen was actually a woman with a terrible temper, and that her virtuousness and intelligence were all an act.
"Um, how is your master's throat ailment?" Hongshi looked up in surprise and saw the maid Qiuwen. He could only ask about Ulanara's illness to cover up his panic at the moment.
"Your Highness's throat ailment has improved slightly, and I was just about to go to the pharmacy to get some more medicine for you," Qiuwen said hurriedly. They, as servants, were naturally pleased that Hongshi had come and had taken the initiative to inquire about Ulanara's illness.
"Well, I'll go in and take a look. You go and get the medicine." Since things had already come to this point, Hongshi had no choice but to bite the bullet and go in.
The people inside had already heard the conversation outside. At this moment, Ulanara Shuzhen had tidied herself up and was sitting in a high-backed chair by the window, waiting for Hongshi to come in and see her.
When Hongshi stepped in, wearing a light brown robe, Shuzhen's heart tightened slightly. She knew that Hongshi had never really liked her from the beginning, and no matter how well-behaved and intelligent she was, she wouldn't be able to get his attention.
These past few days, her throat ailment had flared up, and her spirits hadn't been as good as usual, causing her mood to plummet. She began to regret marrying into the family as a concubine. If she hadn't been so greedy for the prosperity of the Yongqin Prince's Mansion, she would have undoubtedly married a man of fifth or sixth rank as his principal wife, given her status as the daughter of the Duke of Ying. But there's no going back. After experiencing months of being neglected like an aunt, Ulanara Shuzhen's heart began to yearn for more.
Shuzhen stood up, and when she looked at Hongshi, tears welled up in her eyes. This was the first time Hongshi had ever looked at Shuzhen so closely. In the past, he had always been forced to stay overnight by his wife, and it was always at night. He had never looked at her so carefully before.
"Master!" Shuzhen called out when she saw that Hongshi was not speaking and was just looking at her.
"I heard your throat ailment has flared up again. I've come to take a look. How are you?" Hongshi said.
"Thank you for your concern, sir. I'm much better now. It's just an old ailment, nothing serious." Ulanara Shuzhen was pleased to see Hongshi's concern for her.
“Master is often busy with the things Father gave me and has neglected to take care of you. If you need anything, just ask someone to get it for you. Madam is kind-hearted. If you need to see a doctor, just tell her. Why didn’t you say anything and just went to get the medicine yourself?” Hongshi didn’t know what to say, so he started by talking about her illness.
Shuzhen was even more moved when she heard Hongshi say this, and said, "It's just a minor ailment, I dare not disturb you, Madam. I'll be fine after taking some medicine."
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