Chapter 75 Cui Huai chuckled softly: "Indeed."
Knowing that Cui Huai had people secretly watching her, Shen Yunzhi also knew that news of her going to the clinic to get medicine would reach Cui Huai's ears. She roughly calculated the time, and by the time the news was reported to Qiyun Residence and Cui Huai arrived, she should be able to prepare the contraceptive soup and drink it.
Cui Huai arrived faster than expected, so much so that he was caught taking the medicine on the spot.
But Shen Yunzhi did not think she was wrong.
The painstakingly prepared herbal medicine was spilled on the ground, soaking it.
The medicine bowl shattered into several pieces.
Shen Yunzhi glanced down at the mess at her feet and then at Cui Huai. She really didn't want to argue with him, so she walked past him and left the kitchen. After instructing the servants to clean up the kitchen, she ordered a carriage to be prepared.
Cui Huaiyin's chilling voice rang out behind her: "Do you despise me to this extent?"
Shen Yunzhi remained indifferent, stepped out from under the eaves, and prepared to leave.
Cui Huai was so provoked by her indifferent attitude that he grabbed her from behind.
Shen Yunzhi was forced to stop. Annoyed, she turned around and questioned, "Is it wrong to hate you?"
"Whether or not I have children, and whose children I have, is my own business. Do I have to take orders from you?"
"How dare you spill the medicine I painstakingly prepared?"
Enraged by Shen Yunzhi's words, Cui Huai's eyes reddened, and he tightened his grip on her wrist, pinching it until it turned red. A sharp pain shot through her, and she frowned, trying to shake off his hand, when she heard Cui Huai angrily say, "When have I ever forced you to have a child with me?"
Shen Yunzhi tried to break free from Cui Huai's grasp again but failed. She replied impatiently, "Fine, you never have."
"But I need to get medicine, so let me go."
Enraged, Cui Huai gave a cold laugh: "Do you think I don't care about your health and only know how to do whatever I want to you? Do you think you were lucky before and that you were just taking advantage of me?"
“Why not?” Shen Yunzhi told him directly, “If it weren’t for the inconvenience caused by your constraints in the past, I would have gone to see a doctor for medicine just the same.”
Cui Huai gazed at her for a few moments, then released her hand: "Okay."
Shen Yunzhi rubbed her wrist, turned and took a few steps forward. Turning back, she saw Cui Huai standing there, looking dejected. She couldn't understand what he was angry about or why he was acting this way. Her lips were almost pressed into a straight line. She walked back to Cui Huai and decided to get to the bottom of it: "If it wasn't luck, what is it? Did you secretly drug me?"
Cui Huai turned his face away, replying defiantly, "So what if it is?"
Shen Yunzhi turned and left without saying a word.
However, just as she was about to board the carriage to go to the clinic again, Cui Huai opened the carriage door from the outside.
Shen Yunzhi raised her eyes, and Cui Huai suddenly said, "I've taken my medicine."
"What?"
"I've taken contraceptives."
Shen Yunzhi didn't quite understand Cui Huai's words: "What contraceptive?"
Standing by the carriage door, Cui Huai frowned slightly, seemingly quite uncomfortable with the matter being brought up: "You were injured several times before, and your body is somewhat depleted. In addition, the imperial physician also said that you have a weak and cold constitution. I once read in a medical book that the contraceptive decoction is a very cold medicine, and pregnancy and childbirth are extremely dangerous for women. Therefore, I ordered someone to find a secret medicine."
Shen Yunzhi was skeptical: "Why have you never mentioned this before?"
Cui Huai's expression darkened, and his brows furrowed even deeper as he asked, "Is it something to be proud of?"
Shen Yunzhi glanced at Cui Huai again.
She pondered for a moment and said, "I have never heard of such a secret medicine before, and no one can guarantee its efficacy."
Cui Huai was frustrated and his face looked extremely pale.
"If it were useless, how come you've never had my child, given how unrestrained we are?"
Shen Yunzhi's desire to get him back might not be entirely unrealistic, but seeing Cui Huai's expression, she feared he would be greatly agitated, so she held back and only said, "I believe you didn't lie to me, but I don't dare believe in that so-called secret medicine."
She must take control of her own body and cannot entrust her fate to people or things she cannot be certain of.
Even if Cui Huai hadn't said a single falsehood, she didn't want to gamble again like she had before.
However, Shen Yunzhi also understood why Cui Huai had asked that question in the waterside pavilion today.
She refused, but he continued taking his medication.
"It would be best if you truly cared about my health and didn't put me through any more trouble."
After saying this, Shen Yunzhi leaned over and closed the carriage door, then instructed the driver to go to the clinic.
When I returned, Cui Huai had already left.
She went to the kitchen and brewed herself another bowl of medicine.
Once again, before Shen Yunzhi could even administer the medicine, Cui Huai returned.
Physician Ge followed behind him.
Cui Huai had Physician Ge examine whether the medicine she had picked up had caused any harm to her body, and also had Physician Ge take her pulse. After confirming everything, he did not stop her from taking the contraceptive soup. In addition, Cui Huai had Physician Ge prescribe another set of medicine for her, which she usually used to regulate her body.
Lin Yue saw off Physician Ge, and Cui Huai escorted Shen Yunzhi back to her room to rest.
Shen Yunzhi then thought of another question: "Since you said you had taken contraceptives, why were you so angry when I went to the clinic to get the medicine?"
"You despise me to this extent..."
Cui Huai's expression stiffened. "Don't you want to marry me?"
"Does not wanting to marry you mean I can simply refuse to marry you?" Shen Yunzhi retorted.
Cui Huai said calmly, "Don't even think about it."
"What's there to ask?"
Shen Yunzhi stopped under the eaves and glanced at the sky outside. "It's getting late. Young Master should return to the manor as soon as possible."
As night fell, Qi Song returned from outside.
She told Shen Yunzhi that she had found a place to stay and would move out the next day.
Shen Yunzhi responded and did not try to persuade her to stay.
Qi Song noticed that she looked unwell and asked her a question out of politeness.
Shen Yunzhi looked at Qi Song, and after a long while she finally spoke: "Ruzhu, you know very well that I also know your secret. So can you tell me the truth today? Did Cui Huai tell you anything?"
Qi Song said, "His Highness the Crown Prince instructed me not to inform you."
"No need?" Shen Yunzhi frowned slightly. "Then it's not that I can't say."
"Never mind..."
In the end, she didn't make things difficult for Qi Song and gave up asking questions.
...
The news that Cui Xu was to be made crown prince hung like a sword over Shen Yunzhi's head.
But she met with Cui Xu just before the New Year.
In the depths of winter, the palace held an ice skating event in the West Garden, just as it had in previous years.
Emperor Jiaping led his concubines, imperial relatives, and ministers to watch the ice skating. Shen Yunzhi received a message from the palace and had no choice but to go to the West Garden. There were many people watching the ice skating. She did not dress up deliberately, only seeking to avoid being impolite, and did not chat with anyone. However, when she left her seat to change her clothes and was about to return, Cui Xu suddenly appeared from the side.
Meeting Cui Xu's gaze, which seemed to want to tear her to pieces, Shen Yunzhi politely bowed to him.
Cui Xu smiled, took two steps forward, lowered his head, and spoke almost in her ear, but each word was crushed between his teeth before he uttered it.
"You wretch, how dare you play tricks on me."
"Do you think Cui Huai can protect you forever? Sooner or later, I'll make you kneel down and beg for mercy!"
He would recognize it even if it were turned to ashes.
Shen Yunzhi.
The thought of how she tricked and deceived him, and how Cui Huai outmaneuvered him, ignited a raging fire in Cui Xu's heart.
Those two scoundrels!
Shen Yunzhi was never one to fear threats. Cui Xu hated her, and she hated Cui Xu just as much. Although she worried that Cui Xu would not let her go once he was made crown prince and ascended the throne, she knew full well that it was not something she could stop.
Therefore, it is very simple.
If Cui Xu's ascension to the throne is inevitable, offending him more or less makes no difference; if he cannot, what difference does it make if we offend him more?
In any case, Cui Xu will not make any rash moves or try to deal with her at the moment.
Shen Yunzhi turned her head and met Cui Xu's gaze.
Seeing no fear in her eyes, Cui Xu narrowed his eyes. He noticed her suddenly move closer to him, and before he could figure out her intentions, he saw a look of terror and distress appear on her face. Startled, she took two steps back, her voice trembling but not soft: "Fifth Prince, please have some self-respect!" She had even unbuttoned a button on her clothes, looking as if she had been unjustly humiliated by him.
Not only that, she pulled a gold hairpin from her hair, curled her lips and provocatively asked him, "Has Your Highness forgotten everything that happened before?"
Cui Xu was furious and wished he could immediately arrest Shen Yunzhi and torture her.
You bitch!
How dare they provoke him like that!
However, they are unable to put their inner thoughts into action.
On the contrary, they were glad that no one was around, otherwise they would have been unable to speak out and would have caused trouble, which would have attracted a lot of criticism.
"You wait!"
Veins throbbed on Cui Xu's forehead. He gritted his teeth, threw down a threatening remark, and stormed off in a rage.
Shen Yunzhi smiled faintly.
She stopped smiling and began adjusting her clothes with a blank expression until Cui Xu's figure disappeared from sight.
"How can Princess Huihe be so arrogant?"
Cui Huai, who emerged from the shadows, took the gold hairpin from Shen Yunzhi's hand and helped her put it back in her hair.
Shen Yunzhi said coldly, "Didn't you say you would protect me?"
Upon hearing this, Cui Huai was momentarily stunned, then chuckled softly, "Indeed."
But after the holidays, what was bound to happen finally did.
Amid the festive atmosphere of the New Year, an imperial edict was issued to the court and the public, announcing that the Fifth Prince, Cui Xu, had been appointed as the Crown Prince.
Shen Yunzhi had already heard the news from Cui Huai. Although she wasn't surprised, she wasn't entirely calm. Even Cui Lizhu sensed danger and asked her, "You and Cui Xu and Cui Xuan have both had many conflicts. In the future..." She paused, then said with a hint of annoyance, "Not to mention you, even I am afraid I will have to constantly watch Cui Xuan's expression from now on."
Seeing someone you dislike beaming with pride and smugness is more painful than experiencing your own misfortune.
Choi Yeo-joo sighed.
Unable to offer any comfort to Cui Lizhu, who was facing an uncertain future, and seeing Cui Huai's nonchalant attitude and his enthusiasm in taking her to the pavilion again on the Lantern Festival, she asked, "What is this? It says 'Husband is for pleasure, and pleasure should be enjoyed in time.'"
"I promised last year that I would watch the fireworks with you on the Lantern Festival this year."
Cui Huai answered in a very serious manner.
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