Chapter 20 I can't bear it anymore!
The front hall of the Prince's Mansion
Ying was sitting at the head of the table, deep in thought.
Yesterday afternoon, Xiao Ming'an hurriedly found her and told her that he was going to Yi County to play. Ying Shi was still furious about her and that poor student a few days ago, and had to hold back her anger according to Xiao Mingzhang's advice. When she heard that she was going to Yi County, she thought that she was going to chase after that poor student, so she immediately objected.
Xiao Ming'an said that she had offended her brother, so she had to go out and avoid trouble.
Ying looked puzzled, wondering what had happened between her and Xiao Mingzhang.
She asked Xiao Ming'an, but he refused to answer, only insisting on leaving. Ying Shi had no choice but to send more guards to escort her away.
She thought that the argument with Xiao Mingzhang was just an excuse and that Xiao Ming'an still wanted to find that poor student. Unexpectedly, she heard early this morning that Xiao Mingzhang had sent people to Yi County to arrest the county magistrate.
Is it really about Xiao Mingzhang?
Madam Ying was surprised and wanted to call Xiao Mingzhang back to ask him what was going on, but she heard that he had a lot of things to do at the government office today. She also heard from the servants that the matter might be related to the Crown Princess, so she directly called Yunzhu over.
She had sent someone to fetch Yunzhu half an hour earlier, but Yunzhu dawdled and it took another quarter of an hour before she finally arrived and appeared before Ying Shi.
"Mother." Yunzhu curtsied as always.
Madam Ying frowned as she watched Yunzhu's bowing posture. Although it seemed no different from before, she subconsciously felt that Yunzhu seemed to have changed in some way.
Never mind that for now, she told Yunzhu to sit down and asked, "I heard you went to Ming'an's courtyard twice yesterday? Did something happen between her and Mingzhang?"
"Hmm? Is that so?" Yunzhu immediately realized that Ying was referring to Xiao Ming'an. But she kept her eyes down and said, "I don't know what happened between them."
"How could you not know?" Madam Ying said, displeased. "One is your husband, and the other is your sister. They have a conflict, and you knew nothing about it?"
"If they don't tell me, how am I supposed to know?" Yunzhu asked blankly.
"You—" Madam Ying wanted to reprimand her, but Yunzhu was always an outsider in their family. It was a habit that the family would tell her everything. She couldn't think of anything to blame her for.
She could only shut up. After a moment, she asked Yunzhu, "Then let me ask you, did you know that Ming'an packed her things and ran off to Yi County yesterday? Did you know that Mingzhang sent people to look for her early this morning?"
"I don't know," Yunzhu shook her head.
"..." There's absolutely no hope for them.
Ying's dissatisfaction with Yunzhu was practically written all over his head.
Yunzhu observed Ying's reaction discreetly, no longer caring about Ying's thoughts.
She didn't speak, so she remained silent as well.
The front hall fell silent for a moment. Finally, Madam Ying noticed Yunzhu's attire today: a pomegranate red brocade dress with tight cuffs that revealed a pair of very delicate hands. Although she was still wearing a skirt, she was wearing a pair of dark black boots with cloud patterns on her feet...
She suddenly asked Yunzhu, "Are you going out horseback riding again today?"
Yunzhu countered, "Does Mother Consort find something amiss?"
Ying: "..."
What could she possibly find wrong? Xiao Mingzhang, taking advantage of discovering their ulterior motives, acted recklessly, insisting on allowing her to go out freely every day and do whatever she wanted. Even if she, as the mother-in-law, couldn't stand it, what could she say?
"You want to ride a horse? You're just about to go out of the city for fun, aren't you?" But then Ying asked Yunzhu again.
"Yes," Yunzhu replied.
"That's perfect. Ming'an will be back from Yi County later. Go ride your horse in the east of the city and bring her back to me. Don't let Mingzhang scold her too much. They're family, what could possibly cause such a huge fuss?"
Ying's words were perfectly reasonable.
If it were the Yunzhu of the past, she might have been willing to go for the sake of family harmony, but now, how could she possibly obediently listen to Ying Shi?
"Mother, Jingsi, Ranzhi, and I have sent a letter. We are going to the west of the city today, not the east."
Ying stared wide-eyed at Yunzhu.
It wasn't her imagination, Ying thought. Yunzhu was indeed different from before. In the past, although she often acted foolishly and made her angry, she would always respect her as her mother. But today, she couldn't see a trace of respect in Yunzhu's eyes.
Could it be that she also discovered something? Did Xiao Mingzhang tell her about it?
No, impossible. Ying shook her head. If he wanted to tell her, he would have done so a few days ago. Why wait until now? A few days ago, when she went to their courtyard, he was clearly coaxing her and Ming'an in a gentle and amicable manner.
That's not it... Ying Shi couldn't think of anything else that could have caused Yunzhu's change.
She carefully observed Yunzhu and saw that her complexion was no different from usual, so she simply said coldly, "Since you don't want to go, then you might as well not go out at all. Go back inside and wait for Mingzhang to come back."
Yunzhu objected: "But my husband promised me that I can go out freely without any restrictions!"
"I am his mother, and I still call the shots in this manor! You are not allowed to leave the house, and that means you are not allowed to leave the house!" After being held hostage by Xiao Mingzhang for so many days, Madam Ying finally stood up for herself in front of her daughter-in-law.
Yunzhu stared at her calmly.
Yes, calm.
Even though it was a time when she should have been angry, Ying Shi didn't know why Yun Zhu was looking at her so calmly.
Those seemingly calm eyes were no different from usual, still big and round, with clear black and white, but as she stared at Ying Shi, it inexplicably gave her goosebumps all over her body.
Suddenly, Ying hesitated. Should she let Yunzhu go out?
But she was truly furious today. She could tolerate Xiao Mingzhang's temper on ordinary days, but why should she have to put up with her daughter-in-law's temper as well? And she was a woman from another ethnic group.
Finally, Ying had no room for negotiation and said, "I think Mingzhang has been too lenient with you lately. When he returns, I will give him a good talking-to. People can be free, but they shouldn't be spoiled too much..."
“But my husband’s decision is based on the doctor’s advice. The doctor said that I need to relax and be carefree often so that I can have a child more easily. Now my mother insists on restricting me. Does she not want my husband and I to have a child soon?”
"you……"
Ying had no idea that Yunzhu, who seemed so quiet, was actually brewing up such thoughts.
What do you mean she doesn't want the child? That's her grandson, how could she not want him? But she...
Ying suddenly focused her attention, staring intently at Yunzhu, and the same conjecture resurfaced in her mind.
Did Yunzhu know what she had done? If not, why was she behaving so strangely today, with her expression and behavior so different from before?
Did Xiao Mingzhang tell her? Did Xiao Mingzhang tell her? Ying Shi gradually became unsure.
She still had a shred of conscience, knowing she had done something shameful. After thinking wildly for a while, Ying said helplessly, "Fine, go wherever you want, just don't hang around in front of me!"
Having finally achieved a satisfactory result, Yunzhu nodded, immediately curtsied, and said, "Yes!"
She didn't say a single extra word to Ying Shi. After straightening up, she turned around and strode out of the front hall to face the blazing afternoon sun.
Ying stared intently at her figure, and seeing her walk away so swaggeringly, she couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.
She squinted, and suddenly, the blazing sun draped over Yunzhu stung her eyes. After turning her head away from the blinding light, she felt a sharp pain in her chest.
I guess it's because of Yunzhu.
Ying wanted to lash out again, but she knew that if she did, she would only anger herself. So she could only pat her chest and choose to ignore it.
—
Yunzhu, Yu Jingsi, and Cui Ranzhi had actually arranged to meet in the east of the city today.
The words spoken to Ying were merely fabrications made up because she no longer wanted to do anything for her.
The three of them, each on horseback and accompanied by their maids, met under the century-old locust tree outside the city gate.
Several days had passed since their last meeting, and Yu Jingsi couldn't help but ask, "What has our Crown Princess been up to lately?"
Yunzhu naturally wouldn't mention that she had just cried her heart out yesterday, so she told them, "I've been reading books about locust plagues and droughts, and I've learned quite a bit lately."
"Hiss—" He was actually reading a book? This was something Yu Jingsi hadn't expected.
Cui Ran asked with concern, "You can recognize all the words in that book?"
"I can't recognize them all," Yunzhu said honestly. "So I asked Xiao Ming'an to help me with my studies."
"She actually helped you with your studies?" Having been friends for over two years, Yu and Cui were quite aware of Yunzhu's situation in the Prince's mansion.
Yunzhu said helplessly, "Naturally, I made some demands."
That's more like it. Based on Yu Jingsi's understanding of that Princess Qingyuan, she's not a kind-hearted person. If you want her to do something, you have to give her something in return.
"So what did you promise her?" Yu Jingsi asked curiously.
It was really inconvenient to talk about this now, so Yunzhu shook her head and ended the conversation.
As they rode out of the city, they talked about the recent locust plague in Qingzhou.
Yu Jingsi's elder brother has been in Qingzhou for some time now. He wrote back yesterday to inform her of the situation, which is now far from optimistic.
"I heard that the young master led a group of people to discuss matters at the government office until midnight yesterday, and this morning he summoned a large number of people to the government office, including my father," Cui Ran knew.
Yunzhu pondered to herself, "Did Xiao Mingzhang come back very late yesterday?" She had cried for so long last night that she had completely forgotten the time outside and did not know when Xiao Mingzhang returned or when he left this morning.
"Yes, I heard that when the young master went to the yamen this morning, the dark circles under his eyes were frightening. My father said that he barely dared to speak!"
If both of them say so, then it seems to be true.
He was busy at the yamen until very late last night. After he got home, he had to coax her to sleep. After she fell asleep, he called a large group of servants to deal with her affairs.
She didn't know exactly when he left this morning... The people in the Prince's mansion didn't treat her well, but there was one Xiao Mingzhang who was truly sincere.
Yunzhu always believed in treating others with sincerity. Since Xiao Mingzhang treated her well, she wouldn't let him give in vain.
As she continued to discuss the locust plague with the two men, she began to think about what kind of nourishing soup she should make for Xiao Mingzhang when she got home that night.
By the way, did Xiao Mingzhang go home for dinner last night? He always seems to get so busy that he neglects to eat anything...
Yunzhu was really not suited to multitasking. As they rode along, only Yu Jingsi and Cui Ranzhi remained to talk. As for her, her mind was far away, with only Xiao Mingzhang on her mind.
"Yunzhu?"
"Yunzhu?"
"Prince Princess!"
Yu and Cui called her several times but she didn't respond until they called her "Princess Consort," at which point she came to her senses.
"What are you thinking about?" Cui Ranzhi asked gently.
"What else could she be thinking about? She must be planning how to properly reward our young master tonight!" Yu Jingsi teased, revealing Yunzhu's thoughts.
Yunzhu blushed and was speechless for a moment.
Seeing that she had indeed guessed correctly, Yu Jingsi burst into laughter, mocking Yunzhu. Even Cui Ranzhi couldn't help but cover her mouth, her delicate eyebrows curving upwards.
The group continued on their way, playfully bickering, without any particular destination in mind. They simply rode along, enjoying the golden autumn air outside Yunzhou City.
As they walked, they came across a train convoy ahead.
Yu Jingsi glanced at it and said, "It seems to be a carriage from the Prince Huan's residence?"
"What?" Yunzhu also looked towards the official road.
—
Xiao Mingzhang was indeed very busy today, even busier than yesterday.
Aside from the matter in Qingzhou, he had another important matter to attend to today—that is, to investigate the reason why Yunzhu cried bitterly last night and to question his own younger sister.
Inside the carriage of Prince Huan's mansion, Xiao Ming'an wept bitterly, regretting that he hadn't been quicker to hide and prevent Xiao Mingzhang from finding him.
Through the handkerchief, she secretly peeked at her brother's face. In just one glance, she felt a chilling wind, colder than iron, suddenly blow towards her. She shivered and unexpectedly found herself staring at Xiao Mingzhang again.
"Is everything you said true?" Xiao Mingzhang asked with a stern face, his words more biting than the winter wind.
Xiao Ming'an nodded hurriedly. At this point, she knew she could no longer lie. She had witnessed her brother's methods since she was a child.
"Brother, I really didn't mean to. I... I didn't want her to know. She just kept asking me and asking me..." Xiao Ming'an pouted, feeling wronged. He had told her the truth and admitted his mistake, but he still wanted to push her away.
If only he could avoid it a little, if only he could avoid a little bit of responsibility, Xiao Ming'an thought. Xiao Mingzhang was like an unpredictable storm these days. Who knew when he would explode, and who knew what he would be like after he completely exploded?
She really didn't want to be affected too much.
Xiao Mingzhang stared at Xiao Ming'an with a cold and stern expression, fully aware of what she was thinking.
But he stared at Xiao Ming'an for a long, long time, and made no further move.
"That's enough," Xiao Mingzhang suddenly turned away.
He thought it was his fault, all his fault. He shouldn't have kept the truth from Yunzhu after he learned it. He should have realized from the beginning that his father and mother were unwilling to live in Yunzhou and would definitely do something to Yunzhu. Since he couldn't kill her, he should have taken precautions against her, prevented her from going out, and prevented her from getting pregnant... What was the use of venting his anger on Xiao Ming'an? Ultimately, the responsibility did not lie with her.
Moreover, what he should be thinking about most now is how to face Yunzhu after returning to the palace tonight, now that she knows the truth.
"..."
Xiao Ming'an waited for a long time, but the punishment he had imagined did not come. His tearful eyes gradually changed from pitiful to secretly overjoyed.
"……elder brother?"
She wanted to test whether Xiao Mingzhang was really no longer angry with her.
But she had barely opened her mouth when she felt a jolt, and the carriage, which was moving, came to an abrupt stop.
She lifted the curtain and heard the guards who had cleared the way riding up on horseback, saying, "Your Highness, Princess, we've met the Princess Consort!"
A note from the author:
----------------------
It's been updated!
Next chapter will be available for purchase (VIP).
—Here's a recommendation for my completed sweet little story:
The Imperial Concubine, My Lord!
Wenxuan was a sickly beauty from a young age. When she turned fifteen and came of age, her family invited a fortune teller to tell her fortune.
The fortune teller said that someone with her extremely yin constitution was already blessed to have lived this long. If she didn't find someone with a pure yang constitution to be with day and night, she might not live more than three years.
The Wen family believed it.
As for those with a pure Yang constitution... the Wen family members unanimously thought of the one sitting in the Golden Palace.
—
Wen Xuan kept her family’s teachings in mind and, after entering the palace, would pester the young emperor whenever she had free time.
While he was reviewing memorials in the imperial study, she would bring him snacks and keep him company.
He went to the horse farm with others to ride horses, and she tried her best to go with him, sitting on the sidelines watching him ride freely.
He went to the pond to feed the fish, and she prepared more than ten kinds of fish food in advance, asking him which kind he wanted to feed them;
He wanted to spend the night alone in the Imperial Study, and Wen Xuan wept bitterly.
"Did I do something wrong to upset Your Majesty?"
The young emperor: "That's not it..."
Consort Wen: "Then why is Your Majesty unwilling to spend the night with me?"
The young emperor said, "The imperial physician says you are not in good health and should not engage in sexual activity for the next few years..."
Consort Wen: "I know, all I want is for His Majesty to be with me."
The young emperor: "...But I am a normal, vigorous man!"
—
The young emperor always believed that his concubine was deeply in love with him.
She was spoiled, but not excessively so; she was considerate and beautiful; she liked to cling to him, and he naturally did not hesitate to give her more affection, making her the only mistress of the harem and enjoying exclusive favor in the emperor's quarters.
Until one day, he thought that she hadn't left the palace to see her family in a long time, and since he happened to have some free time today, he might as well accompany her back to the Grand Tutor's mansion.
Unfortunately, he overheard her conversation with her maid in the corner of the wall—
"Her Majesty has been spending every day with him lately, and her complexion has indeed improved a lot!"
"Right? I think so too!"
"It seems that the Taoist priest was right after all. If Her Majesty spends a few more years with His Majesty, she'll surely be radiant and full of energy!"
The young emperor leaned against the corner of the wall, lost in thought.
So... to her, I was just a medicine?
#Not a palace intrigue novel, just a sweet story of arranged marriage leading to love!
#1v1he
#Do you love me, or do you love your medicine?
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