Chapter 2 Similar People Zhao Linzhang only saw the new wet nurse...
Zhao Linzhang noticed that the new wet nurse turned pale upon seeing him. Over the years, he had seen women who were obsequious, humble, or ingratiating, but none of them had ever seen anyone so afraid of him.
Is he really so repulsive that not only the child is afraid of him, but even this wet nurse is afraid of him?
"Liu Hu, am I really that terrifying?" Liu Hu, who was serving at the door, was completely baffled by this question.
"The prince is just stern and doesn't smile much, which inspires awe in outsiders!" In fact, the prince is intimidating even without anger, and he is frightening when he doesn't smile, but even more frightening when he laughs. Liu Hu scratched his head and praised him against his conscience.
"Have you heard anything from the people down the mountain?" Zhao Linzhang stopped worrying about his appearance and asked about the matter that had been on his mind.
"Your Highness, there are several villages at the foot of Wanglong Mountain, with hundreds, if not thousands, of young women. We are secretly investigating them one by one."
Liu Hu looked worried. Ever since the prince returned from suppressing the bandits, he had been looking for a woman, but he wouldn't say her surname, name, or what she looked like. All he knew was that she had been in a cave that day.
This was like finding a needle in a haystack. These thousands of people were all young women, and out of consideration for their reputations, the prince forbade them to ask directly, so they could only inquire in secret.
After returning to his room, Zhao Linzhang took out a worn-out sachet he had been keeping in his bosom. The coarse cloth with a blue background and white flowers was so worn that the edges were cracked.
Zhao Linzhang held the sachet under his nose, the fragrance growing fainter and fainter, but he still hadn't found his girl.
He reached out and touched the teeth marks on his shoulder beneath the brocade, closed his eyes, as if his warm, wet lips and tongue were still there. The woman cried out in pain and bit him in desperation, but at that moment he couldn't control himself.
That's why he told Liu Hu to secretly search for unmarried girls. He thought about how he had lived an upright and honest life, but had harmed the girl who had kindly saved him. He wished he could kill himself to atone for his sins, but he also had to find the girl and apologize to her in person.
Zhao Linzhang's eyes dimmed. He carefully put away the sachet, stood up and let out a long sigh. He would dig three feet into the ground if he had to find that person.
Shen Yunrong lived in fear for several days, but Prince Zhuang did not show up again. She must have mistaken him for someone else. How could a prince appear on that mountain?
Zheng Zhuer entered the Prince's Mansion a few days earlier than her. She had also worked as a wet nurse in a wealthy family before. She had already given birth to three daughters, and her husband kept asking her to have a son, but the family was so poor that they couldn't even afford to eat, so she had no choice but to become a wet nurse.
These past few days, thanks to Zheng Zhuer's guidance, she has been able to adapt to the rules of the Prince's mansion so quickly.
The young master sleeps as soon as he's full, making him even easier to care for than a daughter. The food here is quite refined. Although the wet nurse can't eat spicy food and faces many dietary restrictions in order to feed the young master, every meal includes fish and meat, which is much better than the wild vegetables she used to cook at home.
During her time in the Prince's mansion, besides worrying about her daughter and mother, she was relieved that Liu Hu would return home every few days to bring her news that her daughter and mother were safe. A month passed in the blink of an eye.
Over the course of the month, she gradually learned that the young master was not the prince's biological son. The young master's father was originally a subordinate of the prince, but died unexpectedly. His mother also died in childbirth, leaving only his elderly grandparents to take care of him. The prince immediately took him into the palace and adopted him as his godson, but did not change his surname. He still took his father's surname, and his name was given to him by his biological father, Zhang Siliang.
Unexpectedly, the seemingly dignified and unsmiling prince was also a man of deep affection and righteousness. He felt sorry for this young master who had lost his parents at such a young age, and loved him even more from the bottom of his heart.
She and Zheng Zhu'er took turns looking after each other, one during the day and the other at night, every three days.
It was her turn to look after things during the day, and there was a chorus of greetings and salutations at the door. Shen Yunrong knew that the Prince Zhuang had returned.
After returning home from a month-long trip, Zhao Linzhang washed his hands and the first thing he did was to visit Zhang Siliang. Since he had recognized Zhang Siliang as his adopted son, he would treat him as his own child.
No matter how scared she was, there was nowhere to hide. Shen Yunrong knew she couldn't avoid Prince Zhuang. The young master was his son in name only, and she was the wet nurse who took care of the child. She kept encouraging herself, thinking that anything was possible in this world, and besides, the two of them just looked alike.
The man kept his eyes closed, his face kind, unlike King Zhuang's deep, lake-like eyes, which made people afraid to look directly at him. She didn't have time to think, Zhao Linzhang had already entered the room, and she could only grit her teeth and kneel down to pay her respects as the man approached.
"No need for such formalities!" Zhao Linzhang quickly stopped the new wet nurse from bowing when he saw her holding the child.
As soon as he stepped inside, a familiar fragrance mixed with the scent of milk wafted into his nostrils. Zhao Linzhang pressed the sachet in his chest and looked at Shen Yunrong with a puzzled expression.
He took a closer sniff and found only a strong milky aroma. He quickly stepped back and sat down on a nearby armchair.
Shen Yunrong, who was bent over and looking down, did not see Zhao Linzhang's backward movement. She hugged her child tightly with tension and panic. If it had been a month ago, she would probably have been trembling all over.
The four-month-old baby boy had just woken up after a good sleep and was eating. He turned his bright, black, gem-like eyes around and smiled at people, which made Zhao Linzhang quite curious.
Before, this little guy would either be fast asleep or crying loudly.
"He smiled at me!" The adorable little guy could melt anyone's heart. Zhao Linzhang put aside his previous doubts and felt a surge of affection before finally taking a proper look at the new wet nurse.
"When the young master is well-fed and well-rested, he will smile at people when he is in a good mood." Shen Yun wished she could bury her face in her chest. Hearing Zhao Linzhang speak, and with the maids standing at the door, it seemed as if the words were being spoken to her, so she had no choice but to reply.
Even though there were other maids in the room, she was still nervous and flustered because of the man's approach, and her face turned as red as rouge.
"You've taken good care of the child, you're rewarded!" Zhao Linzhang's usually deep and cold voice was warmed by the child's smile.
Liu Hu, who was waiting at the door, hurriedly came in, took out his money bag, poured out a few gold melon seeds, and said with a smile, "These are a gift from the Prince, quickly thank him!"
Unexpectedly, there was this pleasant surprise. Hearing Liu Hu's familiar voice again, Shen Yunrong's heart stopped beating so fast. She held the child in her arms, and Liu Hu placed the golden melon seeds on the table next to her. The golden light made her fear lessen and made her look up happily.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" These few gold melon seeds are more than her monthly salary. In this way, she will be able to save up a sum of money in no time and go home to be with her daughter.
Zhao Linzhang's eyes never left Xiao Siliang. When Shen Yunrong looked up, he could see her clearly. Her face was as beautiful as a lotus emerging from the water, and her large, misty eyes revealed joy.
Zhao Linzhang was only momentarily stunned before quickly regaining his senses. He had seen countless beauties, but he never imagined that this wet nurse would be so beautiful.
Zhao Linzhang was afraid of frightening the child, so he didn't dare to stay too long. He took a few glances and then left, and Liu Hu hurriedly followed.
"Do you know this wet nurse?" Zhao Linzhang's voice returned to its low, cold tone.
“Your Highness is truly discerning. This wet nurse, Chen, is my neighbor. She was widowed at a young age and raises her child and elderly mother alone. She makes a living by washing clothes for others and often goes hungry. I felt sorry for them, which is why I recommended her to Granny Li.”
Liu Hu chuckled. He knew he couldn't hide anything from the prince just from talking to Miss Shen.
"Hmm!" Zhao Linzhang raised an eyebrow when he heard that she was a widow.
"Your Highness, she came from a village at the foot of Wanglong Mountain to visit relatives. Her family background is impeccable, and she is absolutely reliable!" Liu Hu thought Zhao Linzhang was displeased, so he quickly patted his chest to assure him.
"At the foot of Wanglong Mountain?" Zhao Linzhang frowned. It wasn't that he would look down on widows as bad luck like most people, but a fleeting feeling of regret crossed his mind.
It was a pity, like a fine piece of porcelain being broken.
"Yes, I even tried to subtly ask her if she knew any girls from the village who had been up the mountain. She must have just gotten married and didn't know many people from the village."
Liu Hu was somewhat annoyed. He could inquire about such a nice mother and daughter, but he wasn't very familiar with the girls in the village. They had already left the village long ago, so even if he knew them, it wouldn't be of any use.
Zhao Linzhang stopped asking; she was already married and had children, so it couldn't possibly be her.
As night fell, Zhao Linzhang had that same dream again on his bed. He had been ambushed by bandits, thrown heavily from his horse, and fainted as everything went black.
Liu Hu and Zhang Feng carried him out of the encirclement and escaped to Wanglong Mountain. They placed him in a hidden cave and then went out to lure away the bandits.
After the excruciating pain subsided, he felt burning hot all over and was extremely thirsty, but his eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and he couldn't open them no matter how hard he tried.
His throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and he couldn't make a sound. Just when he was in despair, a drop of sweet and fragrant juice fell onto his chapped lips. He couldn't help but raise his head, wanting more.
As he wished, sweet juice dripped into his mouth continuously. Slowly, the burning sensation in his body subsided, the pain dissipated, and he felt lazy and comfortable all over. It was as if he could open his eyes and look up. He felt as if he were in a bridal chamber with a big red "double happiness" character pasted on it.
He didn't know why he was getting married so suddenly, nor did he know who his wife was. A voice in his head told him that they had already gone through the wedding ceremony and that he should do what a husband should do.
Later, the stinging pain in his shoulder brought him a moment of clarity, but he only had time to see a large expanse of dazzlingly white, tender skin before desire pulled him back into the throes of depravity.
When Liu Hu found him, he was still unconscious. Strangely, his clothes had been taken off. In his haste to leave, Liu Hu did not examine the details and hurriedly helped him put on his clothes. He also picked up the sachet that Liu Hu thought was his.
If it weren't for the sachet and the teeth marks on his shoulder, Zhao Linzhang would have thought it was all a dream.
When he woke up, he went to the cave again and saw traces of vines being ground by stones. He brought the vines back for the imperial physician to examine.
Only then did he realize that this vine was a poisonous plant that could cause hallucinations, and also had aphrodisiac effects unknown to ordinary people. Although it had the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying, ordinary people dared not use it. A small dose would cause him to fall into hallucinations and be driven by desires, while a large dose could cause people to go crazy and die.
Inside the cave was a bamboo basket filled with dried herbs. He figured it must have been a girl from the village down the mountain who had come up to gather herbs and met him. She had kindly saved him, but he had taken her virginity. His immediate priority was to find that girl.
When he woke up, the morning light was like scattered gold, spilling across the windowsill. Zhao Linzhang hadn't dreamed of that girl for several days. The sound of her panting and crying still echoed in his ears. Sure enough, he felt a damp coldness beneath him. He had never known the pleasures of love before, but after his first taste, he had become addicted. Even someone as abstinent as him had absurd dreams.
I got up and changed into clean clothes. I pinched the deformed sachet back into its original shape and carefully placed it on my chest. But then I thought it was inappropriate. If I put it on my chest like this, it would be rubbed by my clothes. I was afraid it would break after being rubbed a few times, so I put it under my pillow.
Scented sachets are made from common household fabrics and filled with common spices that can repel insects and refresh the mind. As a result, the owners of these sachets, which are found in every household, are virtually unknown.
The thieves have all been apprehended and convicted yesterday. Now I can spend more time with this poor child.
The child smiled at him yesterday, and he couldn't help but smile slightly. He used to dislike these little guys because their crying was annoying, but now that he has one of his own, he finds them adorable every time he looks at them.
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