Chapter 75 Worried about whether Eunuch An is pressuring you
Xu Huayue's worry was genuine. She was no foolish concubine; she knew An He's intention in leaving Zhao Liangxu in Nan Zhou. Hearing that An He had previously captured Zhao Chengxin but then let him escape, Xu Huayue couldn't help but worry that all of this was part of An He's scheme.
In this way, Zhao Liangxu is actually of little use to An He. Even though she had previously used her relationship with An He to make him treat Zhao Liangxu a little more leniently, given An He's current state, she finds it hard to believe that her words will have any effect.
It seems that Zhao Liangxu is alright now, but what if she only reports good news and not bad?
If An He were to do something to Zhao Liangxu in private, or if he were to harbor murderous intentions again, Xu Huayue would have little chance of knowing.
Zhao Liangxu was always touched by Xu Huayue's kindness and thoughtfulness. She squeezed Xu Huayue's hand and said, "Your Highness, I was just about to tell you about this."
"What do you mean?"
Zhao Liangxu said, "I am now in a relationship with Eunuch Tong'an."
As Zhao Liangxu expected, Xu Huayue gripped her hand tightly upon hearing this. Even with her extensive experience, Xu Huayue was still taken aback by these words.
She quickly realized what was happening, and with worry etched on her face, Xu Huayue asked seriously.
"Are you serious? You and him have really become a couple?" Xu Huayue asked in disbelief.
Zhao Liangxu nodded very seriously: "Yes, I'm not lying."
But in Xu Huayue's heart, the thought "I knew it" actually came to mind.
No wonder Zhao Liangxu is still alive and well. She seems to be eating and dressing quite well, and she can even attend banquets as a clerk.
Given Anhe's current power and status, he could make Zhao Liangxu experience all of these things, as long as Anhe was willing.
only......
Xu Huayue frowned and looked Zhao Liangxu up and down again. She noticed that Zhao Liangxu's clothes looked expensive, but they were obviously newly made. She was dressed very warmly, completely covered up. Xu Huayue suddenly understood something.
Xu Huayue gently touched Zhao Liangxu's arm and asked, "Did he force you?"
Did he force you to do something? Are you injured?
Zhao Liangxu was puzzled.
What does that mean...? What did Anhe do to her?
Seeing that Zhao Liangxu remained silent, Xu Huayue looked at her with heartache, wanting to roll up Zhao Liangxu's sleeve to take a look but afraid of hurting her.
What other reason could there be for this outfit? Zhao Liangxu was wrapped up tightly, which was the best way to cover up something unknown to others.
If An He were to force Zhao Liangxu to become his partner, how could she possibly refuse?
Zhao Liangxu chuckled and rolled up her sleeves to show Xu Huayue, "What are you thinking, Your Highness? Nothing's wrong with me."
Her arms were clean, without a single scratch.
“Your Majesty, I am doing this voluntarily,” Zhao Liangxu said earnestly.
"You did it voluntarily? But you were afraid of Eunuch An, so you told him about this to save your life?" She still didn't quite believe it.
"That's not true," Zhao Liangxu said helplessly.
Xu Huayue carefully observed Zhao Liangxu's expression; she showed neither distress nor reluctance.
Light streamed through the paper window, reflecting on Zhao Liangxu's light-colored pupils. The stars twinkled along with Zhao Liangxu's amber eyes. Only then did Xu Huayue realize that when this aloof girl spoke of Anhe, her eyes were filled with pure sincerity.
Was it truly entirely voluntary?
Anhe... Anhe is a good child, but people often change.
Even for anyone else, a young master from a respectable and upright family, Xu Huayue would probably need to know more about him, but An He...
Xu Huayue straightened her face and said, "You suddenly said this to me out of the blue, which is alarming. Tell me properly, what exactly happened? Why did you suddenly become lovers with Eunuch An? Have you thought this through?"
Zhao Liangxu said, "It's only natural that we'd develop feelings for each other after spending so much time together. Don't worry, Your Highness, I know what I'm doing."
“He wouldn’t kill me; otherwise, if he had that idea, he would have done it already.”
Xu Huayue sighed: "He refuses to kill you... If the two of you have developed feelings for each other, would you be happy and at ease just because he doesn't kill you? You're satisfied with this little thing, how can I not worry? You know these principles, and you know how ruthless An He is, yet you still chase after him... Do you really like him?"
It wasn't that Xu Huayue was prejudiced against Anhe. She had witnessed Anhe's rise to prominence and rise to the position of the Ninth Prince from the late emperor's heyday to his decline and now. She had seen more than Zhao Liangxu and naturally knew more about Anhe's past actions that had alarmed her.
Zhao Liangxu hummed in agreement without hesitation.
But in Xu Huayue's eyes, her enthusiasm was seen as naiveté.
Zhao Liangxu intended to convince Xu Huayue, but she chose the most direct reason of "to kill or not to kill," which made Xu Huayue feel even more uneasy.
Zhao Liangxu added, "Eunuch An never resisted my contact; he was very indulgent towards me."
In fact, Anhe would sometimes stop Zhao Liangxu from getting close, but Zhao Liangxu could tell that Anhe just had some concerns, not that he didn't want her to get close.
She then took it all as a sign that he liked her.
Xu Huayue gazed at Zhao Liangxu for a long time before letting out a soft sigh, though her brows remained furrowed.
"Since that's how you are, I have nothing to stop you from doing so. But you have to tell me, Anhe has never hurt you or forced you to do anything, right?"
“If he has really done something outrageous, tell me. Don’t keep it to yourself.”
That's all she can do and say. After all, Zhao Liangxu is currently living next door to Anhe. If something really happens between the two of them, she, being deep in the palace, can only wait for Zhao Liangxu to tell her about it most of the time.
Zhao Liangxu shook her head and said, "Your Highness, at least until now, he has never been willing to hurt me in the slightest. He was the one who took the injury for me a few days ago."
Upon hearing this, Xu Huayue felt slightly relieved.
It seems that Zhao Liangxu hasn't completely lost her mind; she still has some judgment.
"And another thing," Xu Huayue said softly to Zhao Liangxu, "have you thought this through? No matter how good Eunuch An is to you, there are still some differences. He is the Ninth Prince, and he... cannot give you a child. Have you considered these things?"
Xu Huayue, living in the harem, had a child in her early years, but the child was harmed before birth, which damaged her health and made her unable to conceive again. She never had a child in her life, which is why she felt happy and comfortable watching Xiao Qing and the others.
Therefore, not having children was a painful wound in Xu Huayue's heart; she had no chance to be a mother, but Zhao Liangxu was different.
“I know that you were in poor health before. Lady Qiu said that it would be best for you not to get pregnant in the next few years. But once you recover, you can still have your own child. However, if you really get together with Anhe, no matter how good he is to you, he cannot give you a child. Have you thought about these things?”
She hoped Zhao Liangxu would think things through carefully and not regret it.
It's normal for a young girl to be caught up in love and not think about these things. Xu Huayue thought that after her advice, Zhao Liangxu would seriously consider the matter, but Zhao Liangxu didn't think for long before saying, "It just so happens that I don't want children either, so it's no big deal."
“You, you,” she shook her head. “Don’t take this lightly. When you reach that age, all your peers will have children and grandchildren, but you won’t have any. You’ll know how painful that will be.”
She was talking about Zhao Liangxu, but in reality, she was also lamenting her own situation.
Zhao Liangxu said, "Your Highness, aren't Xiaoqing and the others in the palace already causing enough trouble? Not all children are well-behaved and sensible; they inevitably cause us worry."
Zhao Liangxu sensed the melancholy in the Empress Dowager's words, and her mention of Xiao Qing and the others was to comfort Xu Huayue.
Furthermore, Zhao Liangxu really didn't like children. Whether it was pregnancy or childbirth, those days were by no means comfortable for her. Women would also suffer from various illnesses and problems due to childbirth, which would require a lot of effort to treat even in modern times. It would be even more unbearable under the conditions in ancient times.
She values her life very much.
“You may not have any ideas now, but who can say for sure what will happen in the future?” Xu Huayue thought she could gradually forget the past with time, but seeing the lively palace maids still brought back painful memories.
“Yes, Your Highness, who can say for sure what will happen in the future?” Zhao Liangxu smiled. Who could be sure that she would want children in the future?
Xu Huayue rubbed her forehead: "Sigh, I can't argue with you, so whatever."
"But you must always think of yourself and not wrong yourself." Xu Huayue felt that what she said was a bit like talking to someone who was not in her shoes, and she didn't know how An He treated Zhao Liangxu.
When Zhao Liangxu left the palace of the Dowager Consort, she saw Xiao Qing standing outside the door with a blank expression, holding a bitter medicine that she was blowing on to cool it down.
Seeing Xiao Qing's pale face, Zhao Liangxu knew that Xiao Qing had overheard her conversation with the Empress Dowager.
Zhao Liangxu stepped forward, took the bowl of cold medicine, drank it down in one gulp, frowned as she finished it, and handed it back to Xiaoqing: "Cold medicine is just as bitter."
Xiao Qing, having just recovered from her daze, hurriedly handed Zhao Liangxu a candied fruit.
Zhao Liangxu took it and put it in her mouth, saying, "Xiao Qing is really thoughtful."
Xiao Qing didn't chuckle as usual. She had noticed that Zhao Liangxu hadn't come for a long time and wondered if Zhao Liangxu was still taking medicine to nourish her body. But she still prepared the medicine as usual and prepared to give it to Zhao Liangxu. However, she overheard Zhao Liangxu's conversation with Xu Huayue.
This won't do! The Ninth Prince is such a terrifying person.
She was shocked by the conversation and stood there blankly outside the hall, where the medicine had gone cold.
"Princess Zhao, is everything you just said true?" Xiao Qing asked tremblingly.
"It's true, it's all true." Zhao Liangxu said helplessly. These two people were very concerned about her, but they could also see what kind of terrible reputation Anhe had in the palace.
"Then, where are you going now? Are you going to find Chitose?"
Xiao Qing swallowed hard, still finding it hard to believe.
This reminded Zhao Liangxu that she didn't know if Anhe was staying in the palace today. If he was going back, Zhao Liangxu naturally couldn't miss the time she could spend with Anhe, so she wanted to go back with him.
Just as Zhao Liangxu was hesitating whether to return to Qianqing Palace to inquire about Anhe, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure standing at the gate of the Dowager Consort's palace, instructing palace servants to move some brocade and silk items into the Dowager Consort's storeroom.
The man, also dressed in a python robe, was giving orders with his usual smile; he was none other than Anhe's capable godson, Zhang Sheng.
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Author's Note: I think Xu has been very proactive, so when will we finally get to "du" (a sound effect)?! I'm so anxious! ( )
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