Chapter 23 Bathroom, Ambiguous
He stepped forward and picked her up in his arms. Jiang Fenghua struggled and turned her face away, not wanting to get close to him. The more she struggled, the tighter he held her. His white coat was stained with the dirt on her body, and both of them were in a sorry state.
Hongxiu, Lianye, and the others stood guard outside the door with trepidation. Seeing the princess so aggrieved, they dared not utter a word to defend her, their eyes filled with heartache.
Xie Shang, holding Jiang Fenghua, shouted at the maids, "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and clean up, and find clean clothes for your princess."
The crowd scattered like birds and beasts, not daring to relax for even a moment.
After saying that, he carried Jiang Fenghua directly to the side room of the bedroom. Lanyue Pavilion was originally Xie Shang's residence, so he naturally knew the layout of the place. Hot water and even a latrine were always kept in the side room.
He placed her on the stool next to him, personally filled the water with water, and tested the water temperature, his actions were extremely gentle.
Jiang Fenghua's eyes were swollen from crying, and her face was flushed. She clutched her skirt tightly. In her previous life, he had also prepared bathwater for Su Tingwan in the same way. Although Xie Shang was a prince, he was not spoiled at all. He gave all his tenderness to Su Tingwan.
Xie Shang said gently, "Let go of my hand and change out of your dirty clothes."
"I can do it myself." Jiang Fenghua's voice was very soft, like a gentle butterfly or a drifting leaf. "Your Highness, please go out first."
She seemed to want to be angry but dared not. Just as her second sister had said, having married into the royal family, she had to live at the mercy of others. This was her true life in the royal palace. However, in front of her relatives, she had to pretend to be a loving wife and a considerate husband.
"You are my queen consort. From now on, I will not allow anyone to bully you. You can stay in the palace in peace," Xie Shang said in a deep voice.
He prepared to take off her soiled clothes.
Jiang Fenghua suddenly looked up, her bright, sparkling eyes fixed on him. Her gaze was filled with confusion and helplessness. "Why is Your Highness so kind to me? On our wedding day, I almost fell into the fire, and it was Your Highness who saved me. And on the day we returned to the Jiang residence, you treated my family so well. Does Your Highness also like..."
Xie Shang's heart skipped a beat. Was he good to her? What about him? Did he like her?
"You've misunderstood, I'm not like that." Xie Shang vehemently denied any stirrings of desire in his heart upon seeing Jiang Fenghua, denied being deeply attracted to her, and denied that the person he loved was Su Tingwan.
He simply couldn't bear to see her so pitiful and fawning. He couldn't believe that such filthy thoughts about Jiang Fenghua could even cross his mind. Was it because she was too beautiful, and he wanted to possess her, or was it because...?
Xie Shang suddenly turned his back to her, "Wanwan may have acted impulsively and made a mistake today, but she's just straightforward and doesn't have any bad intentions. Actually, she's simple-minded. You're more sensible and polite than her, so please be more understanding!"
After saying that, he left the bathroom and instructed the maid to come in and serve him.
Hongxiu and Lianye rushed in and saw Jiang Fenghua's clothes half-open. "Miss, the Prince has bullied you."
She glanced at the door and said gently, "No, the prince is very good to me, but only because he feels guilty, guilty on behalf of Consort Su."
Those who are sensible and polite deserve to be bullied and have to swallow their anger. It was the same in his previous life; he was just that kind of cold-blooded and ruthless person.
After hearing her say that, Xie Shang left without looking back. Jiang Fenghua's attitude dispelled his doubts from today.
Jiang Fenghua stood up, took off her dirty strapless dress by herself, revealing her perfect figure, and only entered the bathtub after she was completely naked.
Her long, beautiful legs were crystal clear, tender, and smooth. She elegantly rubbed her body. Her skin was as white as snow, like porcelain. No matter when Xie Shang saw her, he would be attracted to her.
Actually, she was just one step away from winning Xie Shang over, but what good would it do? He was only bewitched by her beauty, not because he liked her and wanted to be intimate with her. How could that last?
If something happened between him and her, Xie Shang would only feel that he had fulfilled his duties as a husband, and would instead feel guilty towards Su Tingwan.
Su Tingwan wasn't stupid; she knew she was trying to seduce him. If she succeeded in seducing him tonight, wouldn't that make Xie Shang even more suspicious?
Men are inherently fickle; the more unattainable something is, the more they crave it. If they get it easily, they stop appreciating it.
Xie Shang might not be able to sleep when he gets back. He might be confused about whether he likes her or not. The more confused he is, the better. How could a person in a high position only have one woman in his life? It's just that she wants to be the most important woman to him.
There is another important matter to deal with right now: the murder of Yang Jing, the Minister of Justice.
Three years ago, Tan Wanqing and her sister fell into Yang Jing's hands. Her sister was tortured and abused to death by Yang Jing. She managed to escape, but was also tortured beyond recognition. Later, she was rescued by Jiang Fenghua by chance.
Their secret investigation revealed that Yang Jing and his family had committed numerous crimes, resulting in the deaths of countless young girls. As the Minister of Justice, he held a high-ranking position and wielded immense power. He was also one of the Emperor's right-hand men, and no one in the world could bring him down.
In his previous life, Yang Jing was dismissed from his post many years after Xie Shang ascended the throne. He was purging the corrupt officials and that's when he finally found out about Yang Jing, this pest.
Now she's just sending Yang Jing to his death ahead of time, and then using Xie Shang to expose his evil deeds. If Xie Shang can use this case to gain fame and prestige among the people, it's a win-win situation.
In fact, Xie Shang lacked this prestige, which is why he was suspected of plotting to usurp the throne after his ascension to the throne.
Having waited three years, Tan Wanqing couldn't wait any longer, so she acted a bit ruthlessly. Now Xie Shang is in charge of the case, and he has exposed Yang Jing's evil deeds with lightning speed. It's just unknown what the outcome will be.
Judging from Xie Shang's expression today, he may have encountered some obstacles in his investigation. So let's add fuel to the fire and make it burn brighter and brighter.
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After leaving Lan Yue Pavilion, Xie Shang did not return to Tan Xiang Courtyard, but instead went back to Ting Xue Pavilion. Su Tingwan had been too unruly today, even losing her composure. Thinking of the Second Prince Xie Yu's mockery, Wanwan's behavior was indeed undisciplined. So he decided to stay at Ting Xue Pavilion to let her cool off until she realized her mistake.
Upon entering Tingxue Pavilion, he felt a sense of tranquility. The decoration here was very elegant and unique. He was attracted by the books on the bookshelf and casually flipped through a few. They were all ancient classics from ancient times to the present. To his surprise, several of the books here were not rubbings, but were copied by someone. The characters were neat but not delicate, instead appearing grand.
He knew that these were probably prepared by Jiang Fenghua. The Jiang family was a scholarly family, and Jiang Shaofu's daughter was naturally extraordinary.
Judging a person by their handwriting, her handwriting is quite different from her personality.
The moment he opened the book, he was greeted by a fragrant aroma. He leaned closer to smell it and indeed, there was a faint fragrance. The ink must have contained some kind of fragrance, which smelled wonderful and he liked it very much.
He hadn't had a good night's sleep in half a month, and he was so tired that he fell asleep as soon as his head touched the warm, soft pillow.
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