045

The two hugged each other for a while, and Lu Jingzhuo sat up.

Without calling any palace maids or eunuchs in, he took the tinder and lit the candle himself.

Chu Yin wrapped the quilt tightly and stuck her head out to look around.

The insect appeared above the window frame again.

"Your Highness, over there!" She pointed.

Lu Jingzhuo held the candle and shone it upwards, only to see that it was a mountain cricket.

This insect is larger than a caterpillar. Although it does not have spines, it is still quite scary because of its dark color and thousands of legs.

Chu Yin's hair stood on end. "Isn't this a centipede? Centipedes are poisonous. Your Highness must be careful." After a pause, "How about calling Dong Ling to fight? The centipede is one of the five poisonous creatures. What if Your Highness is poisoned?"

He is the crown prince and cannot take risks lightly.

Unexpectedly, Lu Jingzhuo refused without hesitation: "No need."

Then he added, "This is a mountain cricket."

"Your Highness, can you tell them apart?" Chu Yin was surprised. "It looks very similar to a centipede."

"This insect can be found in the forest and is non-toxic." He often went hunting when he was young, so this was not the first time he had seen one.

Chu Yin felt relieved.

However, when the cricket was illuminated by the candle, it immediately hid in the darkness.

It has many legs and runs very fast.

Lu Jingzhuo put down the candle and looked for a weapon.

Suddenly he found Chu Yin's purse on the table, and took out a copper coin from it.

Chu Yin thought of the time when he picked up stones and knocked down the pomegranate flowers.

Always hit the target.

This skill is going to be used to kill insects again.

A smile appeared in Chu Yin's eyes as she stared at her husband who was concentrating.

For fear of startling his prey, he stopped lighting the candle and looked around silently.

Look at every inch.

The light from the candles could not reach above the beams, and my eyes inevitably felt a little sore.

As he reached out and rubbed it gently, an idea suddenly came to his mind.

He is simply crazy!

A prince like him is actually looking for bugs in the middle of the night!

In fact, it would be enough to ask Dong Ling to get a gauze tent. Is it necessary to go through so much trouble?

He didn't really want to kill bugs, did he? Although Chu Yin asked him for help, it made him happy...

But he wanted to go home, and after rubbing his eyes he did not give up.

Just then, the mountain cricket climbed onto a beam.

The copper coins popped out from his fingertips very quickly.

With a "puff" sound, the insect turned into a ball of juice.

Chu Yin was too far away to see clearly.

"How was it? Did you hit it?"

"Killed it," he moved the candle to another place and searched the house again, "There shouldn't be any other bugs," he sat down beside the bed and asked Chu Yin, "Can you fall asleep now?"

"Well, thank you, Your Highness." Her eyes were like crescent moons. "With your riding and archery skills, it's really like killing a chicken with a butcher knife to kill this bug."

Of course.

If it weren't for her, he would never have done such a thing.

His eyes fell on Chu Yin's smiling face, and he couldn't help but reach out and stroke it gently.

The tenderness touched by my fingertips makes my heart feel soft.

His treatment of Chu Yin was indeed different from before, and he didn't know if it was because she always acted coquettishly to seduce him...

He had to admit that Chu Yin was very cute at that time.

The man's eyes were somewhat deep and dazed. Chu Yin didn't know what he was thinking. Just as she was about to ask, there was a sudden sound of light footsteps outside, coming from far away and stopping at the door.

Lu Jingzhuo came to his senses, turned around and blew out the candle.

It must be that a palace maid or eunuch noticed the light here and thought something had happened to them.

Chu Yin whispered, "Your Highness, go to sleep quickly. You still have to meet those farmers tomorrow."

He hummed.

The two were very close to each other, but they didn't hug each other.

When they were sleeping, he said, "What if a bug gets in through the crack of the door..."

When Chu Yin heard this, she instinctively hid in his arms.

His chest shook slightly and he hugged her tightly.

The next day, Lu Jingzhuo got up quietly as usual.

Magistrate Zhang himself did not show up, so he sent his chief clerk instead.

Lu Jingzhuo thought about Chu Yin's request for fish yesterday, so he suggested having fish porridge.

A bowl of delicious fish porridge is perfect on a cool autumn morning.

Chu Yin was very satisfied and took small sips.

Lu Jingchen was naturally there too.

Glancing across at him, I saw my brother sitting straight as a pine tree, with grace in every move, truly a gentleman. The only difference was that the wound on his lip had scabbed over today, and the color was quite dark, making it very noticeable.

My brother is not perfect, but he is always calm and composed and never feels awkward.

After eating half a bowl of porridge, Lu Jingchen suddenly asked, "Brother, I forgot to ask you yesterday, what's wrong with your mouth?"

Lu Jingzhuo didn't react, but Chu Yin was irritated and coughed.

It was indeed broken by kissing...

Lu Jingchen looked at Chu Yin and thought, "Big brother is always serious, how can he be so passionate in private?" Unfortunately, that is not a weakness, and he cannot use it to defeat Big brother.

Meeting his gaze, Chu Yin was afraid that he would ask her a question, so she couldn't help but think about how to answer.

It's not okay to tell the truth, it's okay to tell lies...

Lu Jingzhuo is not a child, you can't say that he hit his lip while riding a car, right?

It's really embarrassing.

"You don't have to worry about such a small wound," Lu Jingzhuo said at this time, "You should spend more time thinking about the affairs of Haixian and Minxian."

Lu Jingchen: “…”

When he was hit on the neck by his wife at Wenshu Temple, he was a little flustered when his father asked him about it, not to mention a broken mouth. But his brother didn't even blush, as if nothing had happened.

I really admire you.

Seeing that Lu Jingchen stopped asking questions, Chu Yin breathed a sigh of relief.

But thinking that Lu Jingchen noticed Lu Jingzhuo's injury, those officials might also find out. Chu Yin felt a little annoyed and regretted biting him. She didn't know how such a misunderstanding could have arisen.

She frowned slightly, and felt that the fish porridge was not fragrant anymore.

After dinner, she pulled Lu Jingzhuo to the bedroom and said, "I have a darker lip balm, how about covering it up for Your Highness?"

Lu Jingzhuo: “…”

It seems that her second brother's words have influenced her.

But wouldn’t it be even weirder to put on lip balm?

"Don't try to cover it up. I already have a family. What if others guess it? Besides, those officials only care about their own futures, and the farmers only care about whether they can have a good harvest next year. Do you really think they care about my injury?"

Chu Yin thought about it and said, "I worry too much."

"It doesn't matter if you worry more or less," Lu Jingzhuo stared at her cherry lips, "The important thing is that you don't bite me again next time."

That kind of misunderstanding should not happen again, Chu Yin said: "Okay."

It was getting late, and Magistrate Zhang and other officials were already waiting outside.

The two also walked out of the bedroom and headed to the farmland.

With the experience in Nanyang County last time, Lu Jingzhuo quickly resolved the farmers' worries this time. However, after hearing some simple things, the farmers tested him in various ways, which lasted for half an hour.

Yi Jian always says what he wants.

Seeing that they could handle it, the farmers were very happy and praised him for his prowess.

When returning, Lu Jingzhuo told Yi Jian: "Tomorrow you and Jingchen will go to the other two counties. It will be easier with you around."

Yi Jian understood: "I understand, but if I am not here, how will Your Highness and the Crown Princess deal with those farmers?"

"It's not difficult. Your fluent answers today will surely spread to everyone. Once they believe you, this matter will become easy." This is what is called the will of the people. Moreover, Nanyang County and Anfeng County are the richest counties among the six major counties, equivalent to the eldest and second sons in a large family. Once they have no doubts, other counties will follow. Lu Jingzhuo is very sure.

But Yi Jian was still afraid of accidents, so he thought for a moment and said, "I have written down all my hard work over the years in a book, and I carry it with me at all times. If Your Highness does not mind, we will deliver it to you. If the farmers still have concerns, Your Highness can answer them for me."

Lu Jingzhuo nodded and praised: "You have considered it very carefully."

As princes, Lu Jingzhuo and Lu Jingchen were away from home to share the worries of Emperor Jianxing, while the other one could only stay in the palace and do nothing.

Concubine Hui sighed softly and bit off the silk thread in her hand.

The newly made arm guard is thick and warm, yet also exquisite, decorated with rolling cloud patterns, dotted with flower and bird patterns, and sealed with gold thread.

"The Third Prince will probably like it," the maid Yin Xing asked, "but do you want me to deliver it to him now?"

Concubine Hui was not so optimistic.

When her son was born, Emperor Jianxing did not like him very much, saying that he was as thin as a cat and his cry was shrill, which made people feel uncomfortable. She was timid and had no one to rely on. She was afraid that Emperor Jianxing would blame her for this, so every time she saw him coming, she would put her son somewhere else. Later, her son grew up, but Emperor Jianxing still did not like him. She did not know what to do, and she gradually distanced herself from her son. Later, her son often went to Queen Jiang.

She herself drove her son away.

It was also she who caused his hand to become disabled.

If she had cared more about him at the beginning, her son would not have tried to please Queen Jiang, and would not have gone out with her that day and fallen into the trap.

Concubine Hui's eyes turned red and she shed two lines of tears.

Ginkgo hurriedly advised, "Don't be sad. I think the Third Prince still has feelings for you. Didn't he sit with you for a while last time? If he really hated you, he would definitely not stay."

"Really?" Concubine Hui's expression was somewhat naive.

The queen is naturally beautiful, and even at this age, she still looks charming. Ginkgo said, "Whether it is true or not, I will send this arm guard to her to try and we will know."

"Well," Concubine Hui warned, "Be careful not to be discovered... Tell His Majesty later, I'm afraid he won't be happy."

When she was in Prince Cheng's mansion, her son could be raised by her side. But things were different after Prince Cheng ascended the throne. As a concubine, she was not allowed to interact with the prince and could only do so secretly, so they could only see each other a few times a year.

"That's for my use." Ginkgo walked away quickly.

Arriving at Hongyi Hall, she handed the arm guard to the eunuch guarding the door and said, "You must tell the Third Prince about the Queen's intentions."

The eunuch didn't know whether he should take it or not, so he went to inform Lu Jingrui first.

Upon hearing that his biological mother had sent someone to deliver the arm guard, Lu Jingrui could not help but smile softly.

Really interesting.

She hadn't shown any interest in him in the past ten years, but this year she has changed. She's taking care of his life-long affairs and sending him gifts. Is it because she's getting older and is beginning to yearn for a mother-son relationship?

Unfortunately, late care is worthless!

If he were to ask himself honestly, he didn't want the arm guard and even felt disgusted with it, but it was just a passing thought and he still decided to accept it.

His father had no feelings for him, but it was different for Concubine Hui, for whom he had some old feelings.

He can't predict the future, so he's not in a hurry to draw a clear line.

Maybe one day, Concubine Hui can help him.

Lu Jingrui doesn't mind taking advantage of his biological mother.

Upon hearing that her son had accepted it, Concubine Hui was extremely pleased. She thought it was never too late to mend the situation. As long as she treated him better and gave him more, she might be able to mend the relationship between mother and son.

Taking out the needle and thread, she planned to make another pair of shoes.

Bright light poured in from the windows and doorways, illuminating every corner of the house clearly.

Chu Yin thought of the bugs yesterday and was still frightened, so she asked Rendong and Lian Xu to look around.

Although Lu Jingzhuo said that mountain crickets are not poisonous, what if a centipede comes tonight?

Chu Yin was startled at the thought.

We can't let Lu Jingzhuo fight again, right?

No, no.

Still need a gauze tent.

Chu Yin ordered Ren Dong: "Go buy a gauze tent. There are bugs in here at night."

Honeysuckle's eyes widened. "Crown Princess, you are too easy to talk to, aren't you? The gauze curtains should be provided by the county government, but you are asking you to buy them with your own money? I will go and tell the county magistrate now. He is really too unreasonable!"

"Come back." Chu Yin called her.

If Magistrate Zhang wants to be an honest official, let him continue to be so.

As the Crown Princess, she did not want to be caught by others and accused of being bossy and ordering the county magistrate to buy the gauze account.

Chu Yin said, "How much does a gauze tent cost? I can't afford it. Do you want me to be accused of being a thief? Go now!"

Honeysuckle had no choice but to take the silver and go out.

Compared with the ones in the palace, the gauze curtains in this county are really crude. They are not light, the embroidery is poor, and the colors are not so bright, but they are enough to keep away insects.

Honeysuckle bought it back quickly.

She called Lian Xuan to help with the gauze curtains.

When Lu Jingzhuo appeared at the door, the two of them were still tidying up, one was hooking the gauze curtain and the other was hanging sachets.

This should be Chu Yin's order...

She's really fast.

Chu Yin noticed him and said with a smile, "Your Highness, you worked hard yesterday. You don't have to trouble your Highness to do anything today. I can sleep peacefully now."

Lu Jingzhuo raised his eyebrows slightly: "Did you not sleep well last night?"

He held her all night.

"It's always safer to have a gauze tent. Even if a bug crawls in through the seam, it can't touch me."

At that moment he suddenly had the bad intention to scare her. If he had known this would happen, he should not have said it.

Underestimated her fear of bugs.

Tonight she will definitely not be like yesterday. Lu Jingzhuo touched the copper money in his sleeve with his fingers, feeling an inexplicable feeling for a moment.

Just then, Lu Jingchen arrived.

He bowed to them and said, "Anfeng County is the second largest county. The county I'm going to tomorrow is very small. I'm afraid I won't be able to buy anything suitable... Sister-in-law reminded me to bring a gift to Feiyan last time. If it's a valuable item, it's definitely not as good as what you can get in the capital. Do you have any good suggestions?"

She only bought a shuttlecock that day.

It only costs ten cents, but the feathers on it are extremely beautiful, perhaps they fell from some kind of bird unique to Nanyang County.

Chu Yin groaned: "I can't think of it even if I think about it this way. I have never been to Anfeng County..."

"Then sister-in-law, do you want to go now?"

Lu Jingzhuo: “…”

He should have said this, but who would have thought that Lu Jingchen would actually encourage Chu Yin to take to the streets.

Chu Yin originally planned to go out and have fun once she came to a county town, so she didn't object: "That's fine."

"If sister-in-law goes, brother will definitely go too," Lu Jingchen looked at Lu Jingzhuo and smiled slightly, "Brother, you don't mind if I go with you, right?"

Lu Jingzhuo: “…”