Chapter 7 She Shouldn't Have Touched Him. The young master was still fast asleep, and Granny Li saw...
The young master was still fast asleep. When Granny Li saw her coming, she instructed her to send a maid to inform her if there was any movement. Granny Li was old and exhausted after a long day, so she had to go back to rest first.
Shen Yunrong readily agreed to all of them. She and the child were in the inner room, while two maids stood guard outside.
She didn't know how long she waited, but she drifted off to sleep by the bedside. The baby's whimpering woke her up, and she quickly picked up the baby to breastfeed.
I don't know how long I slept. It was quiet outside, except for the gurgling sound of the little boy drinking milk.
Perhaps he was extremely hungry, because the young master, who used to be full after being fed from one side, was humming and not satisfied, so Shen Yunrong fed him from the other side.
Seeing her child suckling contentedly, Shen Yunrong's worries lessened somewhat. If the child could eat and sleep well, then there should be no major problems.
Hearing heavy breathing behind her, Shen Yunrong froze, turned around, and was so frightened that she was completely at a loss.
Zhao Linzhang was standing behind her without her noticing. The young master was eating happily when she lifted up all her clothes. When she turned around, her chest felt like it was holding a little white rabbit, and she jumped up suddenly.
Her face was filled with panic and tension as she quickly turned around: "This servant did not know that Your Highness had arrived."
Zhao Linzhang was summoned to the palace by imperial decree. It turned out that his elder brother, the emperor, wanted to arrange a marriage for him again. He declined the marriage proposal, but he couldn't refuse to drink a few cups with his elder brother.
The evening breeze made him feel a little dizzy when he returned. Worried about his child's condition, he went to the child's room. Two maids in the outer room were dozing off at the table. He quietly entered the inner room and saw Shen Yunrong sitting in front of the bed. He assumed she was coaxing the child to sleep.
As he got closer, he saw that her skin was so white it reflected light, and so delicate and smooth, like a ripe peach dripping with dew. He immediately thought, "Don't look at what you shouldn't see," but his body, which was focused on drinking, was too sluggish to turn around.
Shen Yunrong didn't know if Zhao Linzhang had noticed her disheveled appearance. He must have seen it since they were so close. At this moment, she just hoped that the candlelight was dim so that he couldn't see clearly.
She was anxious and embarrassed, and had no way to send him away. She turned around, pulled her clothes down with one hand to cover her chest, and only uncovered the side where the little boy was nursing.
Her voice was as gentle as a river in the quiet night, with a tremor that mixed with timidity, yet possessed a unique charm and beauty.
Zhao Linzhang's Adam's apple bobbed twice, his voice even deeper after drinking: "How is Siliang?"
"Young Master slept for three hours and just woke up. He drank a lot of milk." Only then did Shen Yunrong smell the strong smell of alcohol on him, and she shrank further into the bed.
"Hmm!" Zhao Linzhang gave them a deep look, then turned and left. This time, he didn't tell her to take good care of the child, so it seemed he was really drunk.
As soon as the person left, the suffocating pressure also disappeared.
Shen Yunrong's heart, which was pounding so hard, gradually calmed down. She realized that the prince was so terrifying after drinking. His eyes looked like he wanted to tear her apart and devour her. The shame of being seen was no longer so obvious.
As Zhao Linzhang walked, he became more and more lucid, but the image of white snow and red plum blossoms lingered in his mind. Xiao Liu, who was serving in the room, came up to him and asked, "Master, have you been drinking?"
Xiao Liu wasn't the sixth in his family; rather, he had six fingers on his left hand. He was abandoned by his family at a young age and was considered an ominous person by those around him. When Zhao Linzhang met him, he was being beaten half to death by street thugs.
He rescued Xiao Liu, who was only ten years old and had nowhere to go, so he kept him in the Prince's mansion.
"Hmm." Zhao Linzhang disliked the scent of women's rouge and perfume. Xiao Liu, being clever and sensible, gradually took care of Zhao Linzhang's daily life in the Prince's mansion. After Xiao Liu helped Zhao Linzhang wash up, she said, "Master, please rest for a while. I'll go to the kitchen and get some hangover soup."
Zhao Linzhang didn't speak, he closed his eyes. How could he be so drunk after just a few cups of sake?
After drinking the hangover soup, Zhao Linzhang wondered who had assigned this wet nurse. He would have to have Liu Hu investigate thoroughly tomorrow. This person knew his preferences too well, and had actually arranged for such a woman to be by his side!
My mind was a complete mess, and I drifted off to sleep in a daze. I felt a burning sensation all over my body, and there was someone in the room!
Zhao Linzhang suddenly opened his eyes. A slender shadow appeared in front of his bed. He was about to scold who dared to break into his bedroom at night.
Before he could utter a sound, the woman slowly unbuttoned her clothes, and the moonlight streaming in from the window allowed him to see her graceful figure in full.
A woman's soft, timid voice rang out: "Your Highness, it is this servant. This servant has long admired Your Highness!"
The moonlight shone on her face, casting a soft glow. To Zhao Linzhang's surprise, he could see her face clearly. He used to despise servants for using such sordid and lowly means to climb into someone's bed, but seeing her bright eyes, he couldn't utter a single word of protest.
The woman climbed onto him with both hands, her soft red lips lightly touching his body, just like in all his previous dreams. Only today, he could see the woman's appearance clearly, and her body trembled like two cute little white rabbits.
He reached out to embrace and kiss her, but his hand fell to nothing. He woke up with a start, looked around, and saw no woman anywhere. The dream was becoming more and more absurd, yet it felt so real.
He got up and put on his coat. Xiao Liu, hearing the noise, rubbed his sleepy eyes and asked, "Master, would you like some water?"
"I'm going out for a while, you go and rest!" Zhao Linzhang stepped out of the courtyard without looking back and knocked on the door of Imperial Physician Shen.
Imperial Physician Shen had already retired for the day. Hearing the knock on the door, he hurriedly got up, so flustered that he didn't even put on his shoes. When he saw that it was Zhao Linzhang, he asked anxiously, "Your Highness, is the young master unwell?"
"He's fine, it's me who's unwell!" Zhao Linzhang looked around, and even though the servants were calling out to him, he still kept his voice low.
"Your Highness, are you unwell?"
Zhao Linzhang walked into the guest room and gestured for Imperial Physician Shen to close the door.
"I've been having nightmares lately," Zhao Linzhang said softly, after careful consideration, as the imperial physician Shen waited expectantly.
"Nightmare? May I ask what kind of nightmare Your Highness has?" Imperial Physician Shen invited Zhao Linzhang to sit down, extended his hand to take his pulse, and after a long while, shook his head and nodded at the same time.
Zhao Linzhang's heart sank with each shake of his head, then rose again with each nod. Waiting in vain for the imperial physician's diagnosis, he spoke first: "What's wrong? Am I ill?"
"Your Highness is young and vigorous, but his yin and yang are imbalanced, and his kidneys are weak. Furthermore, Your Highness was poisoned by the Illusion Vine last time, and the residual poison has not been cleared." Imperial Physician Shen opened his eyes, stopped shaking his head, and said word by word.
Zhao Linzhang suddenly realized that the reason why he had been acting so strangely lately was because the lingering effects of the poison had not yet been eliminated.
"Is there an antidote for the remaining poison?"
"Your Highness, there is currently no cure for this illusion vine; we can only wait for it to dissipate slowly."
"When will it dissipate?" It's been over a year. At first it was only ten days or half a month, but now I have those erotic dreams almost every day. The poison is getting more and more serious.
"Your Highness is probably overworked and exhausted. Getting more rest should help."
Zhao Linzhang nodded. That was possible. After returning from suppressing the bandits, he wanted to rest for a few days, but then he encountered corrupt officials. As the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, he was in his residence, but his mind never had a moment's rest.
Official duties are never-ending, but life is only once. Zhao Linzhang decided to follow the doctor's advice and get some rest.
After the young master recovered, Zhao Linzhang decided to take them to the manor for a few days. It was late autumn, and there were hunting grounds around the manor. Xiao Siliang's father was a skilled hunter, so he could see what hunting was like.
Without any female relatives, the journey was simple and quick. Zhao Linzhang rode a horse himself, while Shen Yunrong, with her child and two maids, rode in a carriage, accompanied by a dozen guards, discreetly observing the departure of the wealthy family.
The manor was located on the outskirts of the capital, only a short distance away. The maids and guards tidied her clothes, and she carried the child as she strolled around the manor with Zhao Linzhang.
At midday in late autumn, the sunlight, like gold foil, filters through the falling leaves, scattering fine fragments underfoot, making crisp sounds as you step on them.
Little Siliang had never been outside before. With her big, round eyes, she looked left and right. Zhao Linzhang's heart softened at the sight, and he reached out his hand: "Siliang, let your godfather carry you to see the big horse."
Xiao Siliang grinned, dripping a string of clear drool. Shen Yunrong hurriedly tried to wipe it away, but Zhao Linzhang didn't care and hugged the child tightly.
He strode across the path lined with vegetable gardens, then through a sea of vibrant flowers, where busy servants knelt to pay their respects.
Shen Yunrong wasn't holding the child and felt completely relaxed. She looked around at the enormous estate that left her speechless. She saw the vegetables and flowers, realizing that their daily groceries were delivered from here, as well as the fresh flowers that were everywhere in the Prince's mansion.
Arriving at the back gate of the village, a breathtaking view unfolds: an endless woodland, its leaves turning golden yellow, making the earth seem entirely golden.
Shen Yunrong grew up in a mountain village and had never seen such a beautiful view before. She stared at it with wide, watery eyes.
Zhao Linzhang wanted to see if she had followed, and when he turned around, he was met by a pair of eyes reflecting the golden fallen leaves.
Instead of bowing her head in submission, she displayed a charming and graceful demeanor.
Zhao Linzhang couldn't take his eyes off her until Shen Yunrong, noticing his gaze returning to him, asked, "Your Highness?"
"Ahem, let's go back and have lunch first!" Zhao Linzhang cleared his throat awkwardly. The steward at the estate had just said that lunch would be ready soon.
Shen Yunrong responded with a "yes" and reached out to hug the young master. Zhao Linzhang walked quickly and steadily, and the young master was reluctant to get down, so he snuggled into his arms and brushed away Shen Yunrong's hand.
Zhao Linzhang burst into laughter: "You little rascal, you're not even drinking your milk anymore?"
Shen Yunrong found it amusing; even a child knows who is the most important person to him.
Zhao Linzhang carried the child back. The manor covered an area of 100 acres, with a large courtyard in the middle. The servants of the manor lived in the front yard, and the servants cleaned the back yard every day, so that Zhao Linzhang, the master, would occasionally have a sudden idea to stay for a few days.
In the past, when the prince came to stay temporarily, he was always accompanied by men. Today, there was a woman with him. Not only were the servants curious, but even the steward of the estate couldn't help but glance at Shen Yunrong.
Shen Yunrong was completely unaware of this. She was currently coaxing the young master down from Zhao Linzhang's body. The prince was about to have his meal, so how could she let him keep holding the child?
"My dear young master, shall I take you outside to pick some flowers?"
This trick used to work really well outside, but it backfired today, and the child snuggled straight into Zhao Linzhang's arms.
"It's alright, I'll hold him while we eat." Zhao Linzhang was quite pleased to be so dependent on the child.
No sooner had he finished speaking than the child grabbed a bowl of scalding hot soup in front of Zhao Linzhang. Being a martial artist, he was quick-witted and swiftly pulled the child away.
It was too late to hurry. The scalding soup spilled all over the floor. Shen Yunrong, who had just turned around to have her meal, looked back and was so frightened that her blood froze.
The maids were startled by this turn of events, some cleaning up the broken bowls and others tidying up the hot soup on the floor.
Shen Yunrong snapped out of her daze and tried to take the child away again. Little Siliang was frightened and clung even tighter to Zhao Linzhang's arms.
Helpless, Shen Yunrong looked down at the prince holding the child in his arms, whose robes were soaked with hot soup. Afraid that he would be burned, she hurriedly took out a handkerchief from her bosom to wipe him.
After wiping it a few times, Zhao Linzhang groaned, "It's alright. Check if the child got burned."
After saying that, he put the child, who was still nestled in his arms, into Shen Yunrong's arms and strode into the inner courtyard.
Shen Yunrong, belatedly realizing what she had just touched, blushed crimson. She hadn't meant to.
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