Chapter 259 Insistence
Meng Lingge snorted coldly.
"When I went to Jiangnan, you and Li Yan'er were inseparable, even sleeping in each other's arms at night, and you even got married. Now that I'm sharing a room with another man, you're making all sorts of demands. So every night I'll just be mute, put on seven or eight layers of clothing, and sleep at one end of the tent while that man sleeps at the other end. Is that alright?"
These words were clearly spoken out of spite, but Wen Zhiming felt deeply ashamed upon hearing them.
“My wife, Li Yan’er and I didn’t manage to have our wedding ceremony, so you are the only one I’m going to have with me. Your leg injury hasn’t healed yet, so there’s no need for you to wear seven or eight layers of clothing. Ordinary conversation is fine, and the tent is only so big anyway, so even if we’re far apart, we won’t get very far apart…”
He understood morality, and he believed in Meng Lingge, but he still felt uneasy.
But when he thought about the time he pretended to be close to Li Yan'er, while his wife was pregnant and alone, and now he was making so many demands on her, it made him seem shameless.
Seeing that he was troubled by this matter, Meng Lingge knew it was just a man's petty jealousy, and she felt relieved.
Now that it was such a critical moment, she didn't want him to be distracted by these things, so she smiled and said softly, "This is actually not difficult to handle. It's just that if you lose a little face, I won't need to share a room with another man."
She also doesn't like to be too close to other men, and even knowing that she has bodyguards protecting her, she probably wouldn't be able to fall asleep at night.
Besides, having an outsider present makes things like applying medicine and changing clothes extremely inconvenient.
"Oh, then what should we do?" Wen Zhiming's eyes lit up as he listened attentively.
He's been a prodigy in his youth, a fool in his youth, and now he's even rebelled. Face and reputation don't really matter to him.
She is no match for my wife at all.
Meng Lingge turned around, reached out and pinched Wen Zhiming's cheeks with all her might, twisting and pinching them hard.
At the same time, he raised his voice and said, "What kind of King of the Northern Frontier is he? He's just a brute. I'll teach you to talk nonsense and bully me..."
She seemed to think the commotion wasn't enough, so she started throwing things around inside the tent, making all sorts of noises.
Wen Zhiming was initially puzzled, then suddenly realized something, and finally slapped himself twice, then started arguing back with Meng Lingge.
"A merchant's daughter is simply not fit for public life. Just because I've shown you some respect, you think you're someone special? You even dared to lay a hand on me? Do you think I'm too kind to hit you?"
"Try hitting it yourself."
The sound of things falling to the ground continued to come from inside.
Hearing the commotion, the guards outside dared not go in to stop them, fearing they might cause trouble, so they had no choice but to ask General Cao for help.
The two people inside the tent, hearing the commotion, knew that the desired effect had been achieved. After taking a deep look, Meng Lingge quickly gathered her personal belongings, grabbed the curtain, and went out.
Her eyes were red and swollen, and she covered her face as she walked away.
"The King of the Northern Frontier has gone too far! If you don't apologize to me this time, don't expect me to pay any attention to you again!"
Cao Ran and the guards who arrived at the scene were quite embarrassed. They had never seen the two of them argue before, and they never expected that their argument would escalate to such a point.
"Strategist, wait..."
Just as Cao Ran was about to offer some advice, the tent flap was suddenly flung open, revealing Wen Zhiming standing angrily by the tent entrance, his face swollen and red.
"Ignore her! She's spoiled and arrogant, as if I can't live without her! Let her calm down. If she doesn't apologize to me first, she's not allowed to come into my tent again!"
Cao Ran and the guards outside took torches, and the firelight shone on Wen Zhiming's face, clearly showing the handprint and fingernail marks. His handsome face now looked extremely comical, and his eyes were still following the direction Meng Lingge left in.
Cao Ran and the guards wanted to laugh but dared not, and they were having a hard time suppressing their laughter.
"Why should Your Highness argue with a woman? The strategist is a young lady who has been traveling all day and is very tired. Your Highness should be more understanding."
“I will not be understanding.” Wen Zhiming interrupted coldly, and said to Cao Ran, “General Cao, I have something to discuss with you. Please come in.”
Even married couples sometimes have disagreements. Given the current commotion between him and Meng Lingge, with neither side willing to back down, it's understandable that they wouldn't see each other for a few days.
The injuries on his face looked serious, but they were actually marks from rubbing himself on, and they would heal in a day or two.
It's just that people will inevitably laugh at him, a dignified prince, for being beaten by a weak woman. Wen Zhiming thinks this loss of reputation is worth it in exchange for Meng Lingge not having to be too close to the man impersonating him.
Cao Ran followed Wen Zhiming inside. The guards outside retreated from the inner tent, keeping a distance that ensured Wen Zhiming couldn't hear them, before they started chatting and joking.
"Did you see the prince's face? It was quite a sight. But the strategist really went all out, slapping both sides of our prince's face so badly that he can't even be seen in public anymore."
"That's right, five finger marks, clearly visible. I bet the prince will definitely wear a mask tomorrow, otherwise it wouldn't be honorable if the whole army knew about it."
"The strategist looks weak, but she is actually fierce. Even the prince has her under her thumb. Look how badly the prince is injured, but she is completely unharmed. It is clear that the prince really couldn't bear to hurt her. Otherwise, a single slap from the prince would have been enough to hurt her."
"The prince and the strategist never usually argue, so why are they fighting so fiercely today? What's the reason?"
"You're not married, so of course you wouldn't understand. Look at our prince's sour face. He's obviously unsatisfied. The strategist is a delicate girl who's been traveling all day and is exhausted. One doesn't want her, but the other insists, so they've fallen out."
"If the prince drives the person away in anger, then they'll be even more undesirable."
"That's right. The prince even said that the strategist should apologize, and that if the strategist doesn't apologize, he won't allow the strategist to enter his tent. I bet that in less than three days, he will personally carry the strategist into his tent."
"I'll bet two days, and I'll bet one tael of silver."
"It's not that bad. This time, the prince made these remarks in front of General Cao and us. I bet he can hold out for five days to save face."
"I'll bet one day that the prince might not be able to hold on and will apologize to the strategist on his own initiative."
"..."
While the guards were arguing and even placing bets, Meng Lingge had already moved into Qiu Lan and Lu Shui's tent.
To avoid worrying the two girls and to be wary of eavesdroppers, Meng Lingge did not reveal Wen Zhiming's actions, only saying that the two had a minor argument and would be staying separately for a few days.
Qiu Lanlu was happy to be able to accompany Meng Lingge, but she was also worried about her relationship with Wen Zhiming. She comforted her and, seeing that Meng Lingge was not too sad, she was relieved.
Fortunately, their bed was big enough that it wasn't crowded for three people to sleep in it.
The two little girls were probably tired from the day, and they soon fell into a sweet sleep, but Meng Lingge was completely wide awake.
The man who insisted on waiting for her to fall asleep an hour ago is probably already riding a fast horse, rushing towards Guandu Prefecture day and night. He has just recovered from his injuries, and it is unknown whether his body can withstand such a strenuous journey, or whether he can arrive in time to save his father.
My heart is pounding wildly, half with worry and half with longing.
But since things had come to this, all she could do was pray for Wen Zhiming in her heart, hoping that everything would go smoothly for him and that he would return safely.
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