Chapter 14 Changing Clothes Xiao Siliang felt more comfortable and started making a fuss...
Now that Xiao Siliang felt comfortable, he insisted on going out even more, clinging to Shen Yunrong and refusing to let anyone else hold him.
Shen Yunrong carried the chubby little boy around the palace every day. When they came to the Wanxiang Courtyard with twin flowers, Xiao Siliang danced with excitement and wanted to go in. He heard the sound of a zither inside.
Shen Yunrong remembered that Zhao Linzhang had told her that she could go anywhere in the Prince's mansion except for the study. Seeing the child pouting as if he was about to cry, she carried him inside.
A maidservant had already gone to announce their arrival, and two beautiful women with lithe figures walked gracefully towards her and the young master, bowing to them.
"I was unaware that you and my sister were coming. Please forgive me!"
They couldn't leave this small courtyard, which was the closest to the prince yet the furthest from him. Zhao Linzhang had never stepped into their courtyard. In the few months since he entered the prince's mansion, he had only seen him twice. Apart from the prince, no one else had ever come here.
They could not hide their joy upon learning that the prince's adopted son had come.
"Please rise, ladies. I am but a wet nurse and do not deserve to be called elder sister!" Shen Yunrong knew her place. Even if they were to become the prince's women one day, they would be half the mistresses of the prince's mansion, which was completely different from her being a servant.
Xiao Siliang came in and looked around, but couldn't find anything she liked. Disappointed, she pulled Shen Yunrong to leave.
“Sister is the young master’s wet nurse and entered the manor before us, so she deserves to be called sister by us! I am Qingdai, and she is my younger sister Feiyun.” Qingdai saw Shen Yunrong carrying the child and about to leave, and hurriedly gave her younger sister a wink.
Feiyun, being her twin sister, was of one mind with her. She turned around, picked up a small drum about the size of a palm, and gently tapped it: "Young master, this drum has a gentle sound, would you like to play with it?"
Xiao Siliang was indeed attracted by the drum. She tried to pat it with her little hand, and the drum made a buzzing sound. She looked at Shen Yunrong happily and smiled, revealing two white teeth that had just emerged from her little mouth.
Xiao Siliang hadn't had enough fun, so Shen Yunrong, at Qingdai's invitation, sat down in the courtyard, where Feiyun served her warm tea.
"Sister usually has a lot of contact with the prince, but she doesn't know what the prince likes. We have been in the manor for a few months and are grateful for the prince's kindness in taking us in. We don't know how to repay him."
Qingdai spoke softly, finding it rare to encounter someone so close to the prince. It was even more difficult to find someone in the prince's mansion than in the palace. In the palace, one could bribe someone to learn about the emperor's preferences, but here, even if one wanted to bribe someone to gather information, it was hard to know who to bribe.
A woman's most beautiful years are these few years, and more than half a year has already passed. How can she not be anxious?
Shen Yunrong had no idea what the prince liked. She was afraid of him and wished she could avoid him altogether. Besides, as a wet nurse, she only took care of the children, and the only time she saw the prince was when he came to visit them.
“I am also a servant. The prince usually only visits the young master and then leaves.”
Besides, even if she really knew Zhao Linzhang's preferences, she couldn't possibly tell these two women who weren't very familiar with him.
“Sister is right. If the young master likes it, he is welcome to come and play more often in the future.” Qingdai realized that she had been too hasty and quickly changed the subject.
"Well, it's getting late, young master should go back for his afternoon nap. Shall we come back to play another day?" Shen Yunrong wanted to return Si Liang's little drum, but Si Liang clung to it and refused to let go.
“Sister, the young master likes it, so this little drum is for him to play with.” Fei Yun quickly placed the little drum in the child’s hands.
After leaving Wanxiang Courtyard, Shen Yunrong couldn't understand how Zhao Linzhang could bear to leave two such delicate beauties unattended.
Everyone says that the prince is still hung up on his deceased fiancée. She is quite curious about what kind of woman she was that could make a prince in such a high position so devoted to her.
She understood their intentions. In fact, she was just like them. In this palace, they all had to rely on the prince and guess his moods. However, they used their beauty to serve him, while her duty was only to take good care of the children.
Looking at the carefree young master, she thought of her daughter again. The young master had already grown two little teeth, and she wondered how her daughter was doing.
Liu Hu went out with the prince, but even if she didn't go out, after Steward Tan entered the mansion, he strictly forbade outsiders from entering the backyard. It was very difficult for her to see him even if she wanted to ask him to deliver a message.
What you fear most is what happens. She was holding the young master in the backyard watching the red plum blossoms when she suddenly saw Zhao Linzhang returning home looking travel-worn, followed only by Steward Tan.
It was too late to avoid it, so Shen Yunrong could only hold the child and curtsy.
Zhao Linzhang was busy with official duties and successfully banished the image of spring peaches dripping with dew from his mind. Unexpectedly, he saw this little wet nurse as soon as he entered the mansion.
Her lowered face seemed to be rouged, and her black hair, styled in a bun, made her delicate earlobes appear even redder, like red plum blossoms on a wall.
His throat bobbed, the weariness from his journey making his voice even deeper: "How is Siliang's illness?"
Tan Zhongxin sent messages to Xiao Siliang every day via carrier pigeon, reporting his every move.
"Your Highness, the young master should be teething. He has already grown two teeth." Shen Yunrong often gets bitten hard by the little guy while she is breastfeeding, which hurts so much that tears almost come out of her eyes. Looking at his innocent and naive eyes, she can only gently tell him that he can't do that.
Xiao Siliang saw Zhao Linzhang and excitedly waved her arms, wanting him to hug her. Zhao Linzhang leaned back slightly and said, "Your godfather is covered in dust. I'll hug you after I change my clothes."
Xiao Siliang didn't care. Seeing that Zhao Linzhang had no intention of hugging him, he pouted and was about to cry.
Zhao Linzhang had no choice but to reach out and hug him.
Shen Yunrong followed him with her head down and eyes lowered. This little devil was someone she was afraid of and wanted to hide from. Now, thanks to him, she not only couldn't hide, but she also had to follow him closely.
Shen Yunrong lowered her head and could clearly see that the hem of Zhao Linzhang's outer robe was covered in snow water mixed with mud. No wonder he refused to hold the young master.
Other princes and nobles would travel in several carriages, followed by a long procession of people, creating a spectacular scene.
Zhao Linzhang never put on such a show. He was always frugal and traveled by horseback with his guards. It was only after the snow had just melted that he was covered in mud.
Zhao Linzhang carried the child directly back to Qingfeng Courtyard. Xiao Liu had already prepared his change of clothes and went out to prepare his meals.
Holding the child, Zhao Linzhang couldn't change his clothes, so he handed the child back to Shen Yunrong and slipped behind the screen.
Little Siliang burst into a sharp cry, her small body like a little colt, insisting on following him inside.
Shen Yunrong was on the verge of tears. The prince was changing his clothes. Zhao Linzhang helplessly poked his head out and said, "Father is just changing his clothes. Never mind, just bring him over here!"
With tears welling up in his eyes, the little guy watched as Zhao Linzhang took off his outer robe, leaving him only in a white undergarment. He then changed out of his undergarment as well, revealing his strong and powerful chest and clearly defined waist and abdomen.
Xiao Siliang had never seen Zhao Linzhang shirtless before. His big eyes stared in amazement, and drool dripped down his cheeks.
Zhao Linzhang chuckled to himself at the sight of that lecherous little face: "When you grow up, I'll take you horseback riding and archery!"
You can also become a real man like him.
When Xiao Siliang heard him talk about riding a horse, he made a babbling sound and asked Zhao Linzhang to carry him.
Forced to watch the prince change clothes, Shen Yunrong was too ashamed to look up. Even so, she could still see the muscles in Zhao Linzhang's forearm bulging slightly with the movement, and his skin was just the right amount of firm.
These strong, powerful arms quickly slipped onto a dark, narrow-sleeved python robe, the buttons not even fastened, before they picked up the child who kept trying to climb onto them.
Zhao Linzhang held the child in one arm and tried to fasten the buttons on the pot with the other, but couldn't manage it after several attempts.
Standing to the side, Shen Yunrong could not ignore it: "This servant will help Your Highness!"
Zhao Linzhang nodded, watching her tiptoe, her fingertips glowing white against her dark robe.
Shen Yunrong didn't dare to breathe loudly. She carefully held the clasp, her eyes sweeping over Zhao Linzhang's sharply defined jawline, his smooth Adam's apple, and his thin lips lingering in her eyeliner.
She quickly lowered her eyes, focusing only on the Chinese knot buttons in front of her.
When she got to the topmost button, she couldn't get it on no matter what she did, and Shen Yunrong broke out in a cold sweat in the dead of winter.
Zhao Linzhang saw that she was wearing the cotton-padded clothes of a maid in the Prince's mansion. The loose clothes could not hide her full curves. He had seen it with his own eyes. His eyes darkened, and he shook his head slightly to clear his mind of the image.
He reached out a large, calloused hand and grasped the cold fingertips: "These buttons have shrunk after being washed once; you'll need to use some force to button them up."
Shen Yunrong trembled as he grasped her hand, and she managed to hold back with all her might.
His warm breath sprayed onto her neck, and Zhao Linzhang saw the rosy blush on her face slowly spreading to her neck, making him want to take a bite.
He was a man with exceptional self-control, yet he repeatedly harbored inappropriate thoughts towards the young wet nurse, to the point that he himself was bewildered and unsure of what was happening to him.
Zhao Linzhang took a step back while holding the child, trying to hide his almost irresistible urge to kiss him.
Shen Yunrong moved a few steps away from him and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Linzhang suddenly asked her, "Did you go to Wanfeng Courtyard?"
Knowing that her every move was under his watchful eye, Shen Yunrong truthfully said, "The young master heard the singing inside and cried and wanted to go in to play."
She walked and sat upright, and said nothing more.
"Well, I brought a box of little trinkets from the south. Take them back for Xiao Siliang and see if he likes them," Zhao Linzhang said casually as he carried the child out the door.
Shen Yunrong hurriedly agreed. After she carried the young master back to Wangyue Tower, the little box lay quietly on the Eight Immortals table in the inner room.
She opened it out of curiosity. There were clay figurines, silk flowers, and painted fans. Only one rattle drum was suitable for the young master to play with; the rest seemed to be toys for women.
Shen Yunrong was puzzled. It must have been Zhao Linzhang who ordered his men to buy it. These rough men had no idea what children liked. They must have been tricked by the vendor.
Picking up the small rattle drum, Shen Yunrong was surprised to find a gold-inlaid jade dragonfly hairpin underneath. The hairpin felt warm and smooth to the touch, and the dragonfly looked lifelike. How could such a valuable hairpin be kept in a box meant for children to play with?
She hurriedly wrapped the hairpin carefully with the handkerchief she had on her. It was a woman's item, and she was afraid that the prince had intended to give it to some noble lady, but had mistakenly put it in the box meant for the young master.
She suddenly became anxious. She dared not let the maid send such a valuable hairpin back. The young master was already fast asleep, and it was still early in the night. Qingfeng Courtyard was just next door.
She gritted her teeth and tucked the hairpin into her bosom. She had to return it to the prince as soon as possible. If she met the noble lady and couldn't produce the hairpin, causing him to lose face and blame her, she couldn't bear the consequences.
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