Fear
As soon as the imperial concubine said this, the whole room fell silent.
The queen's face turned red with anger, but she couldn't say anything. It was an indisputable fact that Xiao Junluo was put in solitary confinement.
Xiao Junbai, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly stood up and asked, "What happened to him falling into the water?"
"Second brother, don't you know that some time ago, Second sister..." Xiao Juntang widened his eyes in surprise, looked at the emperor's sister-in-law in confusion, and explained casually.
Unexpectedly, before she could finish her words, Qi Qinghe stopped her and said, "Your Highness is busy with affairs. How can I disturb Your Highness with such a small matter?"
"Your Highness is right. I am in the Eastern Palace, enjoying all kinds of splendor. I should serve the other ladies more. I am disrespectful to you. I will keep this in mind and follow the palace rules in the future."
As Qi Qinghe spoke, he covered his lips and coughed lightly. His body was swaying, his face was pale without a trace of blood, and the forced smile at the corners of his mouth was very glaring in Xiao Junbai's eyes.
The Queen looked at him coldly and was about to say something when she heard Xiao Juntang exclaiming repeatedly.
"Sister-in-law! What's wrong with you?"
Looking closely, the Crown Princess, who was originally kneeling and curled up in a ball, had her beautiful eyes closed and collapsed on Xiao Juntang, unconscious.
Xiao Junbai strode over, bent down and picked up Qi Qinghe, took a few steps out of the hall, and his figure quickly disappeared from everyone's sight.
The Queen had no one to vent her feelings to, and the words she wanted to say felt like a lump in her chest, making her feel uncomfortable.
The imperial concubine sat down leisurely, sipped her tea, and secretly cheered for the Crown Princess.
She was originally worried that with the Crown Princess's temper, she would be eaten alive in the palace, but she didn't expect that this little girl was not someone who could be easily dealt with.
This tactic of advancing in order to retreat is very appropriate.
"Don't worry about them. Your father will be here soon. Sit down carefully." The imperial concubine stopped Xiao Juntang who was about to follow her out and told her to sit still.
Xiao Junqi raised his eyes and watched his second brother leave with someone in his arms, with an ambiguous smile on his lips.
The emperor had a lot of things to attend to and arrived late. By then, most people in the hall had already arrived and were chatting and laughing, with the whole place full of joy.
"What are you talking about so happily?" The emperor stepped into the hall, and everyone in the hall stood up and saluted. "Okay, it's a family dinner, and there are no outsiders. Just relax."
"Didn't the prince return to the palace? Where did he go now?" His Majesty glanced around and asked casually.
Xiao Junqi lowered his head and pretended to be deaf and dumb. Xiao Juntang was about to say something when his mother gave him a look that froze him in place. As for the fourth prince, Xiao Junhui, he was a man of few words and was even less likely to speak.
Fu Jingyuan stood obediently in the corner, not daring to say a word, wishing he could shrink into the crack of the wall.
The Imperial Concubine sat below the Emperor, her slightly upturned peach blossom eyes sparkling as she said with a smile, "Your Majesty, are you confused? The Crown Prince is now married, not to mention that the Crown Princess is ill. It's time to go back and see her."
"Having said that, she has been in the palace for so long and there is no sign of pregnancy. Your Majesty, why don't you take a few more concubines for the Crown Prince? There will always be some with good foundation who can give birth to children for the royal family." The Queen's expression was calm, without a trace of her previous anger.
"We'll discuss this later." The emperor threw down these words and summoned the palace servants to serve the meal. "If the second son doesn't come, let him go. There's no need to ask him."
The Crown Prince mentioned above has already returned to the East Palace. The imperial physician is already waiting there to take the pulse of the unconscious Crown Princess.
Qi Qinghe forced herself to open her eyes and said weakly, "It's just a small matter. Your Highness, don't worry. I'll be fine after a good sleep."
Xiao Junbai frowned and raised his hands to cover her mouth, only to find that his hands were trembling.
"Your Highness, the Empress has a high fever. I will prescribe some medicine so that she can rest well." The old doctor stroked his beard, paused, and continued, "Your Highness, please remember not to let the Empress worry too much. Worrying is harmful to her health."
Qi Qinghe's ten fingers were deeply embedded in her palms. The dull pain made her wake up. She pricked up her ears and listened attentively. Seeing that the imperial physician had nothing to say to her, she felt relieved.
God knows how many medicinal supplements she has taken these days. Her health has improved and she doesn't seem to be seriously ill. So before going to the banquet, she specially called Yun Xing and Yun Tao and poured a large basin of cold water over her. The cold made her shiver all over.
Fortunately, it is somewhat useful, but it is too useful.
Qi Qinghe was wrapped in quilt, but she still felt cold and her whole body was trembling. The layers of shadows made her eyes dazzled and she couldn't see the prince's face clearly.
It would be better if this kind of thing didn't happen again. At the moment before falling asleep, she thought vaguely that if there really was a next time, she would definitely not use such a method.
The entire Mingcheng Palace was awake all night. Yun Xing and Yun Tao had never seen the prince look so serious. While trembling, he remembered the queen's instructions and did not mention the water splashing incident at all.
The two maids and Chengxi, who stayed in the palace, exchanged glances and explained the matter clearly.
Xiao Junbai couldn't describe how he felt when he learned about this, whether it was shock, fear, or a hint of regret.
His whole heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by someone. Although it was only for a moment, it still made him unable to straighten his back.
He slowly sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at the Crown Princess carefully.
The Crown Princess seemed to be restless even in her dreams, her slender willow-shaped eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and she was mumbling something to herself. Her round face, which had worked so hard to make, had become thinner, and her pointed chin was a little prickly.
Xiao Junbai withdrew his gaze, stood up, lowered the curtains beside the bed, sat upright behind the desk, and did not sleep all night.
Until the dark red sunlight shines through the window sill onto the table, and then gradually dyes it golden.
The whole bedroom was illuminated by the brightness; the sunlight after the rain is always exceptionally strong.
Qi Qinghe, who was sleeping soundly, groaned, turned over and wrapped himself in the mattress to continue sleeping. Unexpectedly, a person in a dream cannot tell the direction and accidentally fell to the ground.
In the silent hall, only a thud could be heard, followed by the woman's scream.
A faint smile flashed across Xiao Junbai's eyes. He strode through the gauze curtain and picked the person up.
"How do you feel now?" He put the person down gently, pulled the quilt over and wrapped him tightly, and called the palace maid to invite the imperial physician.
Qi Qinghe blinked very slowly, her chaotic mind gradually clearing up. She vaguely remembered what happened yesterday. Startled, she quickly turned over and sat up, "Your Highness, I was just seriously ill yesterday. I didn't mean to be rude. Please don't blame me."
After all, yesterday was the Mid-Autumn Festival family dinner, and His Majesty and the Queen were in person. Not only did she arrive late, she also fainted and missed the dinner.
She still remembered that last night, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince tacitly allowed Miss Fu to sit beside him without even saying a few words.
The only question he asked her was why she fell into the water, nothing else.
Qi Qinghe felt a lump in her throat, her eyes reddened, and she lowered her eyes, not daring to look at the prince.
The irritability from last night came back to Xiao Junbai's mind, and the thought of covering her mouth, which he had suppressed, emerged again.
He slowly leaned over, pressed his palms on the Crown Princess's shoulders, and slowly fell onto the bed. The face that he had been thinking about day and night enlarged in his eyes, and the bloodless lips were within reach.
Xiao Junbai didn't think much about it. He lifted her chin slightly and pressed it down directly.
Qi Qinghe was startled by the warm touch. She rested her head on the soft surface, and the refreshing breath that belonged only to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince hit her face. His broad palm fell on her cheek, and the thin callus rubbed her so hard that it hurt a little.
He swallowed all the nagging words of defense back into his stomach, and his calm skin became hot again, making his cheeks flushed and his eyes watery.
After a long time, Qi Qinghe felt that she could not breathe, so she put her hands on the prince's waist and pushed him gently.
The tall and strong Crown Prince was pushed down on the bed by her light push.
Qi Qinghe widened his eyes and raised his hand to look at the sticky stuff on it.
When she saw the bright blood on her hands, her eyes suddenly narrowed and she shouted for help.
After a stick of incense, Doctor Song suddenly realized that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness the Crown Princess were here to afflict him.
One of them was seriously injured in the waist and abdomen and was bleeding profusely, but he was asked to see the sick Crown Princess.
A man with a face as red as blood and a burning body, was asked to see the seriously injured Crown Prince.
Doctor Song felt so overwhelmed that he could only order the palace servants to hold the two people down and treat them one by one.
By the time this hectic morning was over, it was almost noon.
Doctor Song politely declined the Empress's suggestion to stay for dinner and hurriedly left the Eastern Palace.
Qi Qinghe was still in good health, and he leaned against the door frame and asked Yuntao to send the imperial physician.
The various rare supplements she had used before were not in vain, and she could still hold on for now.
There was another person who couldn't hold on any longer and had collapsed on the bed, his face as pale as paper, with layers of white cloth around his waist and abdomen, with a hint of dark red.
Xiao Junbai stared at Qi Qinghe closely, watching her smile lightly and stretch out her hand, asking the imperial physician to take her pulse, watching her frown and cough, and watching her ask someone to send the imperial physician away.
She turned around and walked slowly towards him with the sunlight behind her. Her face was blurry, but her eyes, as black as ink and her pupils like crescent moons, were bright and lively, clearly reflected in the prince's eyes.
Under the Crown Prince's gaze, Qi Qinghe felt as if she had nowhere to escape. She shuddered, pausing for a moment before continuing. She sat down on the edge of the bed, complaining, "Your Highness has suffered such a serious injury, why didn't you tell me about it?"
"If I hadn't noticed and touched His Highness's wound, wouldn't I be to blame?"
Xiao Junbai seemed not to have heard and gently held the Crown Princess's hand, "It's just a minor injury, you didn't mention it either."
What the prince was talking about was naturally the incident of the Crown Princess falling into the water.
Xiao Junbai has always been smart and could vaguely guess that the Crown Princess must have done this on purpose, but there was no need to say it out loud.
As soon as these words were spoken, Qi Qinghe bit her lips, which turned bright red. Her eyes were full of helplessness. Her whole body trembled, and she subconsciously withdrew her hand, turned her back, and avoided the prince's gaze.
I don't think her little trick can be hidden from the prince. The first time she copied the book casually, but this time...
Xiao Junbai's hands suddenly felt empty. He lowered his eyes and looked at her small figure, his mind incoherent.
Is she scared?
This thought flashed through his mind, stirring up a storm in Xiao Junbai's eyes.
As the old saying goes, marriage is made for marriage.
As husband and wife, we are one body, sharing weal and woe. How could it be like this...
Xiao Junbai thought about it over and over again, but still didn't understand. He reached out and pulled Qi Qinghe, intending to ask directly.
At this moment, Cheng Xi knocked on the palace door, "Your Highness, Master Fu is here and wants to see you."
Qi Qinghe's eyes lit up, and she quickly stood up. "Since Your Highness is busy, I won't bother you any more. Please take care of yourself and be careful of your injuries."
After saying that, she slipped away quickly, and her figure soon disappeared in the dazzling sunlight.
When Fu Jingxuan followed Cheng Xi into Mingcheng Palace, he saw that the usually expressionless Crown Prince had a look of anger and shame on his face, which disappeared in an instant.
Fu Jingxuan immediately stood still, secretly cursing himself for coming at the wrong time, and said directly: "I have found some clues about what Your Highness asked me to investigate."
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