Chapter 546 Mother and Child (First Update)
"Young Master!"
Lian'er pushed open the door and entered. "Why are you sitting here by the window all by yourself? It's so windy, you'll catch a cold!"
Huangfu Xian stared intently at the scenery outside the window, without answering Lian'er's question.
Xiao Jingkong is no longer in the house; there is not even a trace of his presence.
Lian'er quickly walked over and closed the window across the table.
"Don't turn it off," Huangfu Xian said.
Lian'er paused halfway through closing the window, then turned to look at her young master in confusion: "Is it cold?"
"I'm not cold," Huangfuxian said calmly.
"Okay, I'll close it a little bit." Lian'er closed the window halfway.
Huangfu Xian peered out through the crack in the window, his expression indifferent, gloomy, and dejected.
Lian'er had been serving Princess Ning'an for a long time, so she was used to Huangfu Xian's condition, but she still couldn't help feeling sorry for him.
She glanced at Huangfu Xian, whose bloodstains had long since dried, but didn't ask him how he got it, because she had already heard people say that her young master had killed the Seventh Prince's dog.
She whispered, "This servant will fetch water for the young master to wash his face."
Lian'er quickly brought hot water and changed the water twice just to wash her face. When she washed Huangfu Xian's hands, she was surprised to find that the back of Huangfu Xian's hand was cut and had a long gash.
Her face paled: "Young master, you're injured! Why didn't you say so? This...this...this blood on your hand, is it your own?"
Of course, it wasn't all Huangfuxian's blood; that one cut wouldn't have bled that much.
Huangfu Xian frowned impatiently and said, "This is so annoying. Get out. I don't want to see you."
Lian'er said, "I'll go tell the princess to invite the imperial physician."
Huangfu Xian said, "I don't want to see the imperial physician."
Lian'er said worriedly, "But..."
Huangfu Xian said coldly, "If you say another word, get out!"
Lian'er had no choice but to shut her mouth in a huff.
Perhaps it was this wound that caught Lian'er's attention, because she took another look at Huangfu Xian and noticed several faint finger marks on his cheek.
"Did the princess hit you?" Lian'er asked timidly.
Huangfu Xian ignored her.
Lian'er lowered her head sadly and continued wiping Huangfu Xian's hands: "Young Master, can't you please not make the Princess angry in the future? It's hard for her all by herself, she..."
Huangfu Xian scoffed, "What's so difficult for her? Is it raising a good-for-nothing son like me?"
Lian'er was speechless.
After that, Lian'er didn't dare to say another word. She wiped the bloodstains from Huangfu Xian's cheeks, hands, and neck, and then helped Huangfu Xian change his clothes.
But she only changed Huangfuxian's top; Huangfuxian changed his pants himself.
Ever since his crippled leg scared a servant so badly he vomited, he has refused to let anyone change his pants.
When Princess Ning'an arrived, Huangfu Xian was already dressed and sitting quietly in a wheelchair by the window.
"I heard you injured your hand." Princess Ning'an walked over and closed the window.
She is not Lian'er and must obey Huangfu Xian's orders.
On the contrary, Huangfu Xian is her son, so Huangfu Xian should listen to her.
"Let me see," she said to Huangfuxian.
Huangfu Xian did not move.
Princess Ning'an took his left hand: "Such a long cut, why didn't you say so sooner?"
Huangfu Xian turned his face away and ignored her.
Princess Ning'an opened the wound medicine she had brought, dipped her fingertip in it and applied it to his affected area, then applied it to his swollen cheek.
Huangfu Xian tilted his head slightly, avoiding her hand.
“You still don’t like being touched.” Princess Ning’an’s fingertips remained on his cheek.
After applying the medicine to Huangfu Xian, Princess Ning'an said, "I'll come and apply it again before you go to bed. I'm going to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager; would you like to come with me?"
Huangfu Xian curled his lips into a sneer and said, "Are you sure you want the Empress Dowager to see my face, which you've slapped so hard?"
Princess Ning'an clenched her fingers, took a deep breath, placed the wound medicine on the table, and turned to leave.
...
At Renshou Palace, Xiao Heng had official business to attend to, so he left the palace after visiting his great-aunt.
When they arrived, only he and Xiao Jingkong were there; Gu Jiao arrived later as well.
Now that Xiao Jingkong has Jiaojiao, how could he possibly remember his wicked brother-in-law? He waved his little hand and sent him away!
Then he started removing tiles from the roof of Renshou Palace.
As he grew older, his energy increased and his destructive power grew stronger, but Gu Jiao would usually fix him up.
When Princess Ning'an entered Renshou Palace, she happened to see Gu Jiao repairing Xiao Jingkong's swing set.
Princess Ning'an had seen this swing set many times, but she had never asked about its origin.
Prince Ning has two young princesses, which would naturally lead uninformed people to believe that the swing set was prepared for the two young princesses.
"Jiaojiao, is my swing ready?" Xiao Jingkong asked Gu Jiao cutely from behind the swing set.
Gu Jiao said, "It won't be that fast. The seat is worn out, and the rope needs to be reinforced."
Xiao Jingkong thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll go find my great-aunt first!"
Gu Jiao nodded: "Okay."
"Grandma! I'm here!" Little Jingkong waved his little arms and went off.
Gu Jiao squatted down and carefully repaired Xiao Jingkong's swing, unaware of Princess Ning'an at the door.
Princess Ning'an stopped in her tracks, staring intently at Gu Jiao.
After entering the palace, Princess Ning'an returned to the gorgeous attire of a royal princess and occasionally applied makeup, no longer looking as plain-dressed and bare-faced as she had at the border.
Today, she even applied her old begonia makeup to the scar on her left cheek.
At first glance, the red birthmark on Gu Jiao's cheek looks somewhat similar to her begonia makeup.
However, the begonia makeup was drawn on, small and delicate, making the birthmark pale in comparison.
Before her marriage, Princess Ning'an was a lively and active little princess, but when she calmed down, she also had a serene and gentle side.
Gu Jiao exuded an aura somewhat similar to that of Princess Ning'an when she was quiet, only more ethereal and aloof.
"Princess." A palace maid who was sweeping saw Princess Ning'an and bowed respectfully to her.
Gu Jiao turned her head, and Princess Ning'an smiled slightly at her. Gu Jiao nodded.
The fact that Gu Jiao didn't bow to Princess Ning'an in the palace didn't seem strange to any of the palace servants present.
In fact, Gu Jiao did not act obsequiously in front of the emperor, and the emperor and Eunuch Wei still looked completely used to it.
Although Princess Ning'an traveled with Gu Jiao, the two did not interact much. After Gu Jiao fell into a coma in the snow-covered mountains where the remnants of the previous dynasty were, she was always protected on Gu Changqing's back. Upon returning to the military camp, she immediately isolated herself.
On the way back to the capital, Princess Ning'an remained in her own carriage, while Gu Jiao rode alongside the Gu brothers at the very front of the procession.
The two... weren't very familiar with each other.
Princess Ning'an walked around the corridor, through the hanging flower gate, and went to Empress Dowager Zhuang's bedroom.
She couldn't help but turn around and glance at Gu Jiao.
Just then, a young eunuch rushed over, clutching his finger: "Miss Gu! Miss Gu! My finger is broken!"
He was a lowly eunuch without any official rank.
"Let me see." Gu Jiao put down her tools, took out a clean handkerchief, held his hand, examined it carefully, and said, "It's not broken. How did you get it?"
Upon hearing that the break hadn't occurred, the little eunuch breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, "Just now... I was cracking walnuts."
The palace maids sweeping nearby covered their mouths and chuckled.
The little eunuch was so embarrassed that he kept scratching his head.
Gu Jiao said, "Wrap it in a handkerchief and apply an ice pack. If the swelling hasn't gone down by tomorrow, apply it again, and then apply a warm compress two days later."
The young eunuch quickly thanked her, "Thank you, Miss Gu, I will remember this!"
Princess Ning'an withdrew her gaze and continued walking towards Empress Dowager Zhuang's bedroom, but unexpectedly, she ran into the little eunuch again on the way.
The young eunuch must have been new and didn't quite understand the rules. He suddenly darted out from behind the corridor and almost bumped into Princess Ning'an.
Princess Ning'an didn't say anything, but he himself was so frightened that he fell to his knees with a thud: "Princess, spare me! Princess, spare me!"
Princess Ning'an said calmly, "Get up, I'm not blaming you."
"Yes! Thank you, Princess Ning'an!" The little eunuch stood up tremblingly, not daring to raise his head to peek at his master's face.
Princess Ning'an said slowly, "I remember you weren't this afraid in front of Doctor Gu. I don't eat people."
The young eunuch said respectfully, "You are a princess, the Empress Dowager's most beloved princess, a princess of noble birth. This servant would not dare to offend you."
Princess Ning'an said, "Isn't Doctor Gu someone my mother favors?"
The young eunuch said awkwardly, "Miss Gu is also one, but..."
"But what?" Princess Ning'an asked, looking at him.
“Miss Gu, she…she…” The little eunuch stammered, unsure whether he should speak or not.
Princess Ning'an smiled faintly: "She is more approachable than me, and you like her more."
The young eunuch trembled in fright: "That's not what I meant!"
(End of this chapter)
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