Chapter 23: The Dancer from the Western Regions
Yunzhu was very concerned about the boundary between herself and the Prince Huan's residence.
Xiao Mingzhang originally wanted to reach out and tease her again, but after hearing Yunzhu's words, he ultimately refrained from further misbehavior.
He watched as Yunzhu got up, not as if waiting for his answer, but following Ying's instructions, she began to methodically pack his things.
His clothes, the medicine cup he drank from… Yunzhu never used to do these things at home; they were usually left to the maids or Xiao Mingzhang himself. But now, for him, she was truly diligent and conscientious, without a single complaint…
"Xiao Mingzhang, all these things of yours are such a hassle!"
"..."
What you think about comes to pass.
Xiao Mingzhang listened to Yunzhu's complaints and smiled helplessly.
Yunzhu turned back to look at him, completely bewildered, not knowing what he was laughing at.
Clutching the clothes in her arms, she thought, "These are truly troublesome. Last time, when I came to tidy up Xiao Mingzhang's bed and bedding, Yunzhu brought several maids and servants with her. I just gave instructions, and they naturally did the work. This time is different. There are so many people staying in the government office, and besides me, only Ayan stayed with me."
"If it's too much trouble, just leave it for now. Apart from the clothes, there's nothing else that needs special handling," Xiao Mingzhang said. "When Wuqi comes over, have him take the clothes back to the Prince's Mansion to be washed."
Wuqi was Xiao Mingzhang's servant who had followed him since childhood. Upon hearing this, Yunzhu nodded and said, "It's good to send him back to the Prince's Mansion. Sending him back to the Prince's Mansion will save me the trouble of figuring out a solution."
Since Xiao Mingzhang had said so, Yunzhu naturally wouldn't bother washing his clothes anymore. She packed up his old clothes and placed them aside. Looking at the medicine cup on the side, she thankfully refrained from saying the absurd thing of sending the medicine cup back to the Prince's mansion as well.
As she picked up the medicine cup, she said, "Xiao Mingzhang, I'm only treating you this way because you're sick. Once you recover, you'll have to pay it all back!"
"Okay." Xiao Mingzhang lay on the bed and chuckled as he agreed to Yunzhu's request.
Yunzhu looked at him in surprise, wondering if it was an illness that had completely turned Xiao Mingzhang into an easy-going person.
You should know that Yunzhu used to think that Xiao Mingzhang's brains were not best suited for being a prince, but for doing business.
After all, no merchant is without cunning; the most shrewd people in the world are merchants.
Just like a businessman, Xiao Mingzhang never easily agreed to anything she asked for. Whenever she asked him for something, he would always ask clearly what she wanted and what she wanted to do before he would consider whether to give it to her or not.
It's strange now; he agreed without even asking her what she wanted.
Yunzhu rolled her eyes but didn't say anything more. She took the medicine cup out, told someone to take the things to the kitchen to wash, and then went to the kitchen herself to check on the food at the government office before returning.
Upon returning, Yunzhu saw Xiao Mingzhang with his eyes closed again.
"He must be really asleep this time," Yunzhu thought.
She then tiptoed to Xiao Mingzhang's bedside and, unusually for her, observed his sleeping face.
In the past, Xiao Mingzhang was full of energy. Whenever they made love, no matter how late it went, Yunzhu would fall asleep first. It seemed that Yunzhu had never been able to catch Xiao Mingzhang sleeping soundly in front of her. Now, she finally did.
Unfortunately, he fell ill.
Yunzhu couldn't help but feel melancholy. She did want to see Xiao Mingzhang asleep, but she really didn't want to see him fall ill.
She extended her index finger and traced his entire face from head to toe, carefully outlining his features before releasing her hand and touching his forehead.
It's alright, not too hot.
The doctor gave her the prescription and instructed her to take it three times a day, morning, noon and night. Yunzhu had just given the prescription to the cook and told her to remember to prepare it for each of her three meals.
Hmm...it seems like taking care of Xiao Mingzhang doesn't require much work? Yunzhu thought that besides tidying up her clothes and medicine cups, there wasn't much else she could do for the time being.
Ying gave her many instructions, but most of them were about supervising Xiao Mingzhang to prevent him from overworking and to make sure he went to bed on time, rather than actually doing any dirty or strenuous work.
So she sat down in front of Xiao Mingzhang's bed.
Suddenly, Yunzhu heard, "Would you like to come up to the couch and lie down for a while?"
"Huh?" Yunzhu stared wide-eyed in surprise at the person in front of her who should have been fast asleep long ago.
"You're still awake?"
"I wasn't asleep," Xiao Mingzhang said honestly, opening his eyes once more.
This time, Yunzhu was completely blaming him: "You should sleep more when you're sick. Aren't you tired when you're sick? You should go to sleep!"
"But I can't sleep." Xiao Mingzhang was also innocent. He wanted to sleep, but perhaps because Yunzhu was there, he just couldn't fall asleep no matter what.
He finally reached his hand out from under the covers and grabbed Yunzhu's hand.
Xiao Mingzhang said, "How about you sleep with me?"
"Me?" Yunzhu instinctively wanted to refuse, but then she thought, what's the point of refusing? Although it was only mid-afternoon, she would still have to share this bed with Xiao Mingzhang at night.
She simply nodded, and without thinking twice, took off her outer clothes and squeezed onto a couch with Xiao Mingzhang.
Having been used to sleeping on the large bed in the Prince's mansion, Yunzhu found it quite strange to be squeezed onto such a small couch with Xiao Mingzhang for the first time.
She seemed to have never felt so clearly that there was someone lying next to her, and that they were huddled together under the same blanket.
Xiao Mingzhang gave Yunzhu half of the bedding, and Yunzhu deliberately moved her hands and feet under the covers. The cramped bed truly amplified all her senses instantly…
"Alright, stop moving." Finally, Xiao Mingzhang reached out to stop Yunzhu from continuing her foolishness. He hugged Yunzhu tightly and pressed her down in front of him as before.
Okay, Yunzhu stopped moving.
Xiao Mingzhang is injured, so she has to prioritize his needs in everything she does.
She quietly looked up at Xiao Mingzhang, and seeing that he had closed his eyes again, she quietly closed her eyes as well.
What Yunzhu didn't know was that shortly after she closed her eyes, the person who had been embracing her opened them again.
He looked down at her peaceful sleeping face and silently curled the corners of his lips into a smile.
After closing his eyes again, Xiao Mingzhang finally slept soundly.
—
Yunzhu stayed at Xiao Mingzhang's government office for a total of four days.
For the past four days, almost everyone has known that the Crown Prince is ill and that the Crown Princess has been staying in his study.
There were already many rumors about Yunzhu in the government office. Some said that she was not trusted by the princess, so the princess never allowed her to set foot in the government office; others said that the prince and princess had a very bad relationship and were just a couple in name only. The prince disliked the princess and therefore never brought her into the government office. And so on. In the past few days, because of Yunzhu's presence, all of these rumors have finally been disproven.
All the officials suddenly realized that their princess consort not only had free access to the government office, but also had a very good relationship with the prince. Otherwise, why would someone be willing to leave the grand house in the royal palace and come all the way to the government office?
In just a few days, their attitude towards Yunzhu changed again and again. From the initial caution and respect, to now, when they see Yunzhu, they will affectionately call her "Princess Consort".
In the past few days, Yunzhu has gotten to know all the people in the government office.
As she said, if Xiao Mingzhang continued to be ill for a few more days, and she stayed in the government office for a few more days, then the Yunzhou government office would probably have almost no secrets for her.
Fortunately, Xiao Mingzhang was almost fully recovered by the fourth day.
Because of Xiao Mingzhang's good health, he has never been sick for more than three or four days since he was a child.
That day, Yunzhu supervised Xiao Mingzhang to finish his medicine. Seeing that he was almost fully recovered, she asked, "Should we move back to the Prince's Mansion together tomorrow?"
Living in the government office all the time isn't very convenient. I didn't go home a few days ago because I was sick and didn't want to be exposed to the wind, but now I don't have that problem anymore.
As long as he keeps his cloak on, given Xiao Mingzhang's physical condition, returning home safely shouldn't be a problem.
"Alright." Xiao Mingzhang thought for a moment and decided to go home. At least there were many servants at home, so Yunzhu wouldn't have to work so hard.
"And what about after that? After you're fully recovered, will you continue to live here?" Yunzhu asked. "Has the matter in Qingzhou still not been resolved?"
“We won’t move,” Xiao Mingzhang said. “When we go back, we will stay at the Prince’s Palace. I have sent Yu Zhouling to stay in Qingzhou to deal with the Prince of Sui and the Prince of Yi on my behalf. We will first try to get through the current situation in Qingzhou. We will find another way to deal with the drought later.”
Having been ill for the past few days, no one dared to disturb Xiao Mingzhang. While Yunzhu listened to Ying Shi's advice not to let Xiao Mingzhang worry too much about official business every day, she was also worried that if she interfered too much, it would cause Xiao Mingzhang to delay the progress of his work.
Thankfully, nothing happened.
Yunzhu knew that Yu Zhouling was Xiao Mingzhang's right-hand man. The two people Xiao Mingzhang trusted most were Yu Zhouling and Wang Xingchen. Perhaps because of Yu Jingsi, she naturally favored Yu Zhouling more than the other.
Moreover, this person is tactful and good at talking. Given the current complex situation in Qingzhou, it would be good to leave him there to manage things.
"Then I'll treat you well once you're done with this busy period!" Yunzhu said, winking at Xiao Mingzhang.
"Hmm? How should we reward you?" Xiao Mingzhang asked Yunzhu, raising an eyebrow.
"...A reward is a reward, what do you mean by how to reward someone?"
Yunzhu didn't know what Xiao Mingzhang wanted to ask. In her opinion, rewarding someone meant cooking a big feast, then taking him out for a walk, horseback riding, and enjoying the scenery, letting him relax freely for a day.
"Such a reward..." Xiao Mingzhang deliberately dragged out the last syllable, lingering in Yunzhu's heart.
Yunzhu looked up at him, feeling that Xiao Mingzhang's words were ill-intentioned. She wanted to ask Xiao Mingzhang what kind of reward he wanted, but before she could ask, she realized that she had been suddenly lifted off the ground.
Her feet left the ground, she cried out in surprise, and grabbed Xiao Mingzhang's shoulders with both hands.
"Xiao Mingzhang, what are you going to do?"
Xiao Mingzhang carried her all the way to that narrow and cramped daybed.
If Yunzhu still doesn't realize what he's about to do by now, then she's truly unworthy of being a wife for two years.
She immediately moved her hands to press against Xiao Mingzhang's chest, which allowed her to exert some more force.
"I thought this was how you would be rewarded..."
But Xiao Mingzhang kissed her lips without saying a word, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get a kiss.
Yunzhu's mouth was filled with the aroma of herbs...
So that's how bitter the medicine Xiao Mingzhang has been drinking these past few days has been. Although Yunzhu has been supervising Xiao Mingzhang to take his medicine these past few days, she never knew that the herbs he was drinking were so agonizing.
She had only tasted a little of it from his mouth, yet she was already frowning in discomfort.
Seeing her like this, Xiao Mingzhang couldn't help but chuckle.
Upon hearing this, Yunzhu clung to Xiao Mingzhang's shoulders, panting, her body glistening with desire, and said, "Xiao Mingzhang, you're so wicked!"
"Um……"
Xiao Mingzhang spoke, yet it was as if he didn't, continuing to smile gently as he held Yunzhu's lips in his mouth. If the previous kiss was like a violent storm, then this time Xiao Mingzhang's kiss was like a gentle spring rain, nourishing everything silently.
Yunzhu was once again captivated by his kisses.
She was always like this; no matter how much she disliked Xiao Mingzhang, she was always exceptionally satisfied with him when she was in bed with him.
Satisfied with Xiao Mingzhang's physique, satisfied with Xiao Mingzhang's movements, satisfied with everything about him...
What should have been a study for handling cases in the government office gradually began to emit sounds that did not belong in this place.
These past few days, Yunzhu has been lying with Xiao Mingzhang, but they can't do anything together. In fact, Yunzhu is extremely greedy now.
But she was still concerned about Xiao Mingzhang's health. At the crucial moment, she grabbed Xiao Mingzhang and finally asked the question that had been bothering her: "Is your body... alright?"
"Ask this now?" Xiao Mingzhang's forehead was already covered in a light sweat. He was ready to pounce, but when he heard Yunzhu's question, he couldn't help but sneer. "But it's too late. Even if you're worried that I'll pass on my illness to you, you can't escape it now!"
He knew perfectly well that wasn't what she was asking!
Enraged, Yunzhu bit Xiao Mingzhang's neck.
Xiao Mingzhang's laughter became even clearer in her ears.
Well, since he doesn't care about his own health anyway, she doesn't need to worry about him unnecessarily. As she closed her eyes, Yunzhu thought that she should just enjoy herself; any future discomfort would be Xiao Mingzhang's own problem.
She no longer worried about Xiao Mingzhang, but instead focused on immersing herself in the storm he had brought her.
In this storm, she was a sailor going against the current. She thought she could ride the storm and brave the waves, but the last wave came and soaked her to the bone.
Muddy and scalding hot.
The sailors ultimately suffered a crushing defeat.
...
Moving back to the Prince's Palace happened the following day.
Yunzhu was still a little too tired to get up because of her indulgence the night before. When she woke up, Xiao Mingzhang had already packed all her things.
She looked around the room and saw that the screen in front of the bed had been put away, and the table that used to be full of books had been tidied up neatly and filled with books, as if nothing had happened.
Yunzhu blushed shamefully.
She thought Xiao Mingzhang had just squeezed into bed with her last night, but he was too ambitious. The couch wasn't enough, so he took her all over the house. In the end, the screen was knocked over, and the things on the desk were swept off the floor. He still wasn't satisfied and made her lean against the door to listen to the rain outside.
Oh right, the sound of rain... Yunzhu suddenly perked up, remembering that it had rained in Yunzhou last night.
In her hazy state, she heard that the rain outside was heavy and torrential.
Just then, Xiao Mingzhang pushed the door open and came in, and she asked, "Is the ground outside still wet?"
"Yes." Xiao Mingzhang nodded.
"It's still raining in Yunzhou right now, so will it actually not be affected much?" Yunzhu asked.
Xiao Mingzhang shook his head, knowing that Yunzhu wanted to talk about the possibility of a drought next year.
"The rain that falls now won't last until next year. In places that are already short of water, it's often difficult to survive if they miss even a month of rain."
As expected, she had underestimated the situation.
Disappointed, Yunzhu shrank back into the blankets.
Xiao Mingzhang scooped her up again: "Didn't we say we were going back to the Prince's Mansion today?"
"It's all your fault!" Yunzhu wanted to go back, but she was really tired right now.
Before she was even dressed, Xiao Mingzhang examined the marks left on Yunzhu's still-uncovered body from the previous night, and slowly said, "If you want to stay here tonight, that's fine with me."
"No!" Yunzhu shouted immediately.
She looked around the room again, flustered and embarrassed, thinking that after this departure, she probably wouldn't want to come to Xiao Mingzhang's yamen for a very, very long time.
Xiao Mingzhang smiled and found her some clothes: "In that case, let's go home."
Yunzhu finally got up reluctantly and followed Xiao Mingzhang back to the Prince's Mansion.
Knowing in advance that they were coming back, Madam Ying prepared a very sumptuous lunch for them at the Prince's Mansion.
To be precise, it was Xiao Mingzhang.
Yunzhu was well aware of her importance in front of the Ying family, and she didn't like to force things that didn't belong to her.
The meal was neither particularly good nor bad. After all, Yunzhu couldn't possibly reconcile with Ying Shi because of this one meal, and Ying Shi couldn't possibly let go of all her prejudices against Yunzhu just because she took care of Xiao Mingzhang for a few days.
After finishing their meal, Yunzhu and Xiao Mingzhang were finally able to return to their own courtyard.
Ying personally accompanied them back to the hospital.
Yunzhu didn't understand why Madam Ying was suddenly so enthusiastic. She had never accompanied them back to their courtyard after calling them for a meal before. Could it be because Xiao Mingzhang had been ill? It was true that she cared for Xiao Mingzhang.
But when Yunzhu returned to the courtyard accompanied by Ying, she realized that she had made a big mistake.
Ying didn't accompany them back because of Xiao Mingzhang; she simply left someone in their courtyard.
Yunzhu looked at the exotic-looking girl in front of her. Her features were deep, her face was delicate, and her skin was so smooth that it seemed like a doll that had been carefully sculpted from a pile of porcelain.
Her hands and feet instantly turned cold. Turning to face Madam Ying, she heard Madam Ying say, "Mingzhang has been ill these past few days, and Yunzhu, you've worked hard taking care of him. This is the dancer who performed at the banquet at the Zhang family a few days ago. I thought since you're from the Western Regions, and she happens to be from the Western Regions as well, I brought her back. Perfect, she can keep you company and let you speak your native dialect. If you want to go out and have fun, she can also keep Mingzhang company for you. What do you think?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Ying Shi: I feel a little guilty, but not much...
Here it is! The crematorium is currently at 80% capacity! [Let me see!]
Although the synopsis only mentions the male protagonist's cremation, it's quite obvious that the story will end with the entire royal family's cremation. [Sunglasses][Sunglasses][Sunglasses]
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