Chapter 3: When the people found Zhao Linzhang and went to see the child again, just...
When Zhao Linzhang went to see the child again, just as he reached the door, a melodious and gentle tune, like the murmuring of flowing water, began to play softly.
He waved to stop the maid who was about to bow, then stood at the door. His ethereal and distant voice seemed to have a magical power, able to wash away one's troubles and gloom, bringing inner peace.
Shen Yunrong was holding her child, singing a lullaby as she slowly walked around, gently patting the child to sleep. When she reached the door, a tall figure startled her, and the tune she was humming abruptly stopped.
Their eyes met, and Shen Yunrong's mind went blank; she forgot to bow.
Zhao Linzhang spoke first: "Well sung."
This sentence was like a drop of cold water into a pot of boiling oil, causing a blush to appear on Shen Yunrong's face. She was humming a tune haphazardly, and Zhao Linzhang had been listening to it for who knows how long.
"This servant was unaware of Your Highness's arrival. Please forgive me!" After bowing, she felt a little scared. She had heard that Your Highness was not interested in women and disliked rude people the most.
Will she be blamed for not bowing? She held her sleeping child anxiously, at a loss for what to do.
"Is it because I didn't make a sound and didn't frighten the child?" Zhao Linzhang's eyes were only on the child.
"Young Master is fast asleep," Shen Yunrong stammered. There were no maids or Liu Hu at this moment, only her and Prince Zhuang, separated by a threshold.
"How is the child doing lately?" After so long, Zhao Linzhang realized that he hadn't asked the child about his daily life in detail.
"Young Master is doing well. He nurses every two hours or so during the day and only wakes up once at night." Zhao Linzhang stepped over the threshold and moved closer to her. Shen Yunrong replied, wishing she could take a big step back while holding the child.
The man's cold aura wafted over her. Shen Yunrong gripped the back of her other hand with one hand while holding the child, the pain preventing her legs from giving way and causing her to fall.
"Shall I hold him?" Zhao Linzhang looked at the sleeping child whose little mouth was still smacking, and couldn't help but reach out his hands. He was afraid the little guy wouldn't let him hold him when he was awake, but now that he was asleep, he should be able to hold him.
Shen Yunrong dared not say no. Zhao Linzhang was a head taller than her, so she tiptoed and gently placed the child on his arm.
Zhao Linzhang's hands, which had once held swords and slain bandits, now felt as if they were facing a formidable enemy. The small, soft, warm lump of flesh was stiff, and he remained bent over, not daring to move.
His stiff and awkward demeanor lessened Shen Yunrong's fear of him considerably. Seeing the young master struggle uncomfortably, she couldn't help but say, "Your Highness, please relax."
Zhao Linzhang, who had never held a child before, didn't dare to move. Shen Yunrong couldn't bear to watch any longer and boldly pushed his arm back, saying, "Your Highness, please loosen your grip."
"This child is going to fall!" Zhao Linzhang hurriedly shoved the child back into Shen Yunrong's arms as Xiao Siliang twisted her body again.
In his panic, he only felt something soft, and Shen Yunrong noticed it too, her face instantly turning as red as rouge.
Aside from that girl, Zhao Linzhang had never been so close to any other woman. He turned away awkwardly, saying, "I have other matters to attend to. You should take good care of the child!"
Rushing out of the room as if fleeing, Zhao Linzhang realized he had inadvertently touched something. He hadn't meant to, but he didn't realize he would feel so guilty.
As Zhao Linzhang left, so too did the invisible pressure he exerted. She breathed a sigh of relief, no longer bothered by the touch on her chest.
However, the high and mighty prince seemed to be in an even more predicament than she was. It was no wonder that many beauties would flock around a man of his noble status.
Strangely, she had been in the Prince's mansion for so long and had never seen a woman who looked like one of the Prince's wives or concubines. She couldn't figure it out, so she stopped thinking about it. The most important thing now was to earn more money so that she could go home sooner.
Startled awake from another nightmare, Shen Yunrong sat up. The man's warm breath from the dream sprayed onto her, causing her to shiver.
The scent of vine sap kept wafting into her nose and mouth. When the man grabbed her, she was in a daze; otherwise, she could have escaped. She didn't push him away then, and it can't be entirely blamed on him.
The mother talked about the toxicity of the vine, saying that people used to feed it to cattle and horses for breeding, but it often poisoned the cattle and horses. Later, people gradually stopped using it as medicine, and she realized that she had almost killed that man.
The vines could kill, and she tossed and turned in fear all night. In the end, she couldn't escape her conscience; she wanted to save him but ended up harming him instead.
The next day, she mustered her courage and went to the cave again, but there was no sign of the man. She didn't know if he was alive or dead. The vines at the entrance of the cave had been torn in a large gap, and now anyone passing by could find the cave. She didn't dare to stay long for fear of being discovered, so she left in a hurry.
If she hadn't saved him, he wouldn't have survived that night.
In that instant, all her hatred for that man vanished, but the birth of her daughter was an unexpected surprise.
Thinking back to when she first found out she was pregnant, her world turned upside down, and she thought her life had reached its end.
Fortunately, her mother stopped her from committing suicide. With the arrival of her lovely daughter, all her suffering was not in vain. Her daughter disrupted her life, but it was also her daughter's arrival that gave her hope.
She still had to take care of the young master during the day, so Shen Yunrong stopped thinking about it, closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep. As for that man, she would just consider him dead. If he wanted to take her life, he could come after her alone.
Zheng Zhuer had some family matters to attend to, so she asked Granny Li to let Shen Yunrong take care of the young master during the day for the next few days. Shen Yunrong had no objections, but the prince, whom she usually only saw twice a month, came to see the young master every day.
Perhaps because they were familiar with each other, the young master would occasionally let the prince hold him.
That day, she had just finished feeding the young master when Liu Yu, the maidservant beside Granny Li, came to call her: "Nanny Chen, Miss Xue has come to see the young master. The prince wants you to take the young master to the back garden."
Shen Yunrong quickly straightened her clothes, then followed Liu Yu with the giggling little boy who wanted to play with her.
This was the first time an outsider had wanted to see the young master since she had been in the manor for so long.
Just as they reached the arched gate in the back garden, a woman's voice angrily shouted, "Cousin, your fiancée has been dead for so many years, can't you forget her, that's why you haven't gotten married yet?"
It turns out that there is no princess in this palace yet. Shen Yunrong didn't know that the seemingly dignified and terrifying Prince Zhuang was such a sentimental person.
"This is not something a young girl like you should ask." Zhao Linzhang's voice was indifferent and distant, lacking the warmth a cousin would show to his cousin.
"Your Highness, the young master has arrived!" Liu Yu stepped forward to report.
Shen Yunrong followed behind Liu Yu, the child in her arms wriggling around, looking left and right. The short journey left her covered in a light sweat.
"Greetings to the Prince and Miss!" Shen Yunrong quickly curtsied.
"Cousin, is this the adopted son you've chosen?" Xue Mingxin frowned with disdain as he looked at the drooling, waving child. Suddenly, he saw Shen Yunrong looking up as she tried to avoid being hit in the face by the child's waving hand. His heart skipped a beat. How could there be such a young and beautiful woman in his cousin's mansion?
Thinking about what others had said—that her cousin's adopted son might be his child with another woman—she couldn't sit still any longer and rushed over first thing in the morning.
Upon seeing Shen Yunrong, her anger flared up instantly, and she pointed at her, shouting, "Who are you?"
Shen Yunrong didn't know what she had done wrong to displease Miss Xue. She replied tremblingly, "This servant is the young master's wet nurse!"
“Wet nurse!” Xue Mingxin looked her up and down, then turned to Zhao Linzhang and said, “Cousin, this wet nurse looks like a vixen, how can we let her take care of the child?”
Upon hearing this, Shen Yunrong felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave, and her fingers holding the child turned white.
She couldn't do without this job. Liu Hu told her that her daughter had fallen ill a few days ago and the doctor's visit had cost her almost a tael of silver. Fortunately, she had the golden melon seeds that Prince Zhuang had given her a few days ago. Without this job, where would she find such a good job to support her daughter and mother?
"Miss Xue, Your Highness, I... this servant didn't..."
Seeing the tears in her eyes and her trembling body, Zhao Linzhang's displeasure with Xue Mingxin intensified: "Xue Mingxin, you have overstepped your bounds! You have seen the child. I have other matters to attend to, so I will not keep you any longer. Liu Hu, see the guest out!"
"Cousin!" Xue Mingxin stamped her foot, but Zhao Linzhang ignored her and gestured for Shen Yunrong to carry the child and follow him.
Watching their departing figures, Xue Mingxin bit her lip in anger. She had admired her cousin for a long time, but he had been engaged since childhood. Ten years ago, her cousin's fiancée passed away, and she was secretly pleased that she finally had a chance.
Who would have thought that after so many years, no matter who proposed to him, he would refuse. He is twenty-five years old this year, and she has waited for him for fifteen years. She is almost an old maid now. Her mother had also hinted to him that she wanted to marry her off to him, but Zhao Linzhang flatly refused.
She thought her cousin still had feelings for his fiancée, so she waited patiently for him. Fortunately, no other woman appeared in her cousin's life. She believed that one day her cousin would see her good qualities. But that day never came. Instead, a beautiful wet nurse appeared, and she couldn't stand her at all.
"Miss Xue, please!" Liu Hu had no choice but to bite the bullet and see the woman out, seeing that she was still angry.
"Fool, I can walk by myself!" Xue Mingxin turned around heavily. If it weren't for the fact that this was the Prince's mansion, she would have kicked Liu Hu to vent her anger.
Shen Yunrong followed behind Prince Zhuang, wanting to explain that she was neither a seductress nor capable of being one, but the man suddenly turned around: "Let me hold the child!"
Zhao Linzhang has long legs and takes big strides. Shen Yunrong, who is carrying the child, is having some difficulty keeping up. Upon hearing this, she couldn't wait for him to carry the child.
Zhao Linzhang reached out to hug the child, and as he looked down, a rich milky scent mixed with a familiar fragrance wafted over. This time he wasn't mistaken; the spices in that sachet were patchouli, mint, and calamus. None of the spices he had found smelled like the one in that sachet.
For a moment he was lost in thought, and the child had already turned around and thrown himself into his arms. His hand felt heavy, and he came to his senses. He must have been bewitched. This wet nurse was already married and had children. It couldn't possibly be her.
I've been dreaming about that girl every night for the past few days. I guess I'm thinking too much, and everything I see is related to her.
Shen Yunrong felt a sense of relief. Zhao Linzhang held the child in silence, swallowing her explanation and daring not to utter it aloud. The silent Prince Zhuang looked terrifying.
Zhao Linzhang carried the child to his residence. This courtyard was specifically for the young master and was the closest to his own residence.
No sooner had he arrived than Liu Hu rushed over: "Your Highness, Xiao Zheng is back."
Xiao Zheng was sent to Wanglong Mountain to search for someone. Upon hearing this, Zhao Linzhang returned the child to Shen Yunrong and turned to leave, asking, "Where is he?"
Watching the two leave in a hurry, Shen Yunrong placed the child on the crib and breathed a sigh of relief. The prince probably wouldn't send her away.
Zhao Linzhang rushed to the study, and Xiao was about to bow when he stopped him: "Have you found the person?"
"Your Highness, I have secretly learned that a woman went up the mountain to gather herbs that day, and she suddenly moved away not long after, telling her neighbors that she was going to stay with relatives." Xiao Zheng reported the information he had painstakingly gathered.
"Moved away suddenly? What was that woman's name?" Zhao Linzhang tapped the table lightly with his fingers.
"Shen Yunrong".
Shen Yunrong had put the child to sleep and was preparing to sew clothes for the young master when she pricked herself as soon as she picked up the needle. Seeing the beads of blood oozing from her finger, she felt a sudden panic in her heart.
Fearing that the man would come looking for her, she told Liu Hu the name of another woman in the village, Shen Rongniang, which differed from hers by only one character.
It just so happens that this Rongniang lost her husband and was rejected by her husband's family, so she was sent back to her parents' home. Unless the real Shen Rongniang is found, no one will know that she is not Shen Rongniang.
Unable to sew the clothes due to her panic, she took out her daughter's little garment and smelled it. She had left in a hurry and mistakenly took one of her daughter's little garments when packing her clothes. She didn't know that she would be unable to go home for so long after entering the palace. Fortunately, she had this little garment. She would take it out to look at it when she missed her daughter and mother to the extreme.
Zheng Zhu'er's ability to take leave and go home made her eager to go back and see her children too.
My daughter is about the same age as my son, so she should be able to giggle too.
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