"Fourth Brother, will this work?" Thirteen was still uneasy. Hearing the sound of the bells being shaken in the shaman's hand and the strange words he was chanting, he felt even more agitated.
"Whether it succeeds or not, it is still a hope. I heard that the Crown Prince also invited a shaman to heal that concubine," Prince Yong replied thoughtfully.
Thirteen frowned and sneered, "What is the Crown Prince doing? She's just a concubine. Why are you making such a big fuss? Aren't you afraid of incurring the Emperor's wrath? The Crown Prince really cares a lot about that woman."
He already disliked that woman, and now with this added incident, he felt even more strongly that he was connected to her, and his disgust intensified.
He always had a feeling that if that woman hadn't suddenly appeared, Heyue wouldn't be the way she is now.
At this moment, he wished that the woman would just be gone, but on the other hand, he hoped that good news would come from the other side, so that there would still be hope for Heyue.
Mentioning that woman, Prince Yong's eyes darkened: "The Crown Prince certainly values that woman highly. Although the Crown Prince loves beautiful women, he has never lost his composure like this before. It seems that woman is quite capable."
Whether it was the woman herself or her "ability" that he valued, remains to be seen.
If Prince Yong had some doubts about what He Yue had said before, after He Yue and that woman had both encountered trouble, he was now almost certain of it.
He couldn't think of any other explanation for such a strange illness besides divine retribution.
So it seems that Heyue was really implicated by that woman, and keeping her around will only bring trouble in the end.
Yes, after hearing He Yue's words, regardless of whether the matter was true or false, he did not intend to keep that woman around.
If it's true, it would be a disaster for him and Thirteen. If it's false, even if the Crown Prince doesn't completely believe it, he'll still have some doubts, which would be bad for both of them.
However, given how much the Crown Prince values that woman, it will likely be difficult to get rid of her without anyone noticing.
Thirteen was preoccupied with Heyue and paid no attention to Fourth Brother's words.
What other women do is none of his business. Even if the Crown Prince is punished for this, it is his own fault.
※
Heyue slept soundly through the night and woke up feeling great the next day. He was relieved to hear that Thirteen had gone outside to practice swordsmanship.
Last night, Yue was filled with fear and apprehension, worried that Shisan might really do something to her, and she lingered in bed for a long time.
Finally, seemingly impatient, Thirteen picked her up and threw her onto the bed.
Just as He Yue was angrily preparing to fight to the death even if she couldn't win, Thirteen held her tightly in his arms, leaned close to her ear, and said with a half-smile, "Don't worry, I won't lay a hand on you until you're willing, but don't even think about me leaving."
Heyue still couldn't feel at ease. After the other person hugged her and she closed her eyes, she kept trying not to sleep. Afraid of angering him, she forced herself to let him hold her.
With her eyes wide open and body tense, counting sheep in her mind for two hours, Heyue finally couldn't resist the drowsiness and her eyelids started to droop.
Seeing that he was breathing steadily and sleeping soundly, she also chose to believe this person who had the exact same face as Thirteen.
Even if they are from two different worlds, they are still the same person, and their natures should be similar. They wouldn't go so far as to force a woman.
So Heyue stopped forcing herself, closed her eyes, and quickly fell asleep.
That night, the other party really didn't do anything to her. Perhaps it was because he had the same aura as Thirteen, but He Yue felt that the person next to her was Thirteen, and she slept very peacefully that night.
Thinking about how she had slept unguarded all night, even if the other party meant no harm, Heyue couldn't help but feel regret.
My vigilance is still too low; I can't let this continue.
After Hailan and Yuying finished dressing and grooming, the children still came to pay their respects. This time, Heyue didn't dare to be too affectionate with Hongchang, lest the other children cause trouble again.
Although they were imprisoned, the children were not greatly affected. Except for Hongchang, who was the eldest and born out of wedlock, and was therefore quiet and steady, the others were more lively.
The Fourth Prince Hongjiao and the Fifth Prince Hongmian happily rushed into Heyue's arms and acted coquettishly: "Mother, will you teach your sons to practice calligraphy today?"
Looking at the two children's expectant eyes, one can imagine how much they longed for it, since the original owner rarely taught them to write.
Seeing how close they are to Heyue, yet still retaining their childlike innocence, one can understand that Zhaojia and Heyue were originally very gentle and loving mothers who were very successful in raising their children.
Heyue couldn't bear to refuse their request, but her calligraphy was really not good enough. After thinking for a moment, she still refused with a heavy heart: "Let your father teach you instead."
Anyway, the thirteenth prince doesn't have to attend court now, and he has plenty of time every day, so Heyue doesn't mind handing this matter over to him and letting him handle it.
To everyone's surprise, the two children turned pale, immediately stepped back and stood at attention, shaking their heads like rattles, their eyes pleading: "Mother, your son was wrong, your son will definitely practice calligraphy obediently and never make you angry again, please don't let Father teach us calligraphy."
He Yue was taken aback. Seeing that their expressions didn't seem fake, and that they were genuinely afraid, she couldn't help but wonder, was the thirteenth father here so strict with the children? That's why they were so frightened.
In her memory, Thirteen was always very gentle and loved Hongchang and Tongxuan, who were just born. Of course, he didn't love the eldest princess, Tonghui.
Thirteen was indeed indifferent to the eldest princess, and had never hugged Tonghui even once. After all, she was not his biological daughter, and Heyue understood, so she did not force him.
He Yue thought that Thirteen was a loving father in every world, but from the first time she met these children yesterday, their discipline in front of Thirteen and their fear today seemed to indicate that Thirteen here was indeed a strict father who was frightening.
Since that was the case, Heyue didn't bring it up again, but then Thirteen's cold snort came from the doorway: "What? Are you so afraid of your father teaching you calligraphy? In that case, everyone will write one hundred large characters today, and I will check them personally afterwards."
It turned out that Thirteen had returned from practicing swordsmanship. He was wearing a light blue robe, and his stubble had been cleaned, which made him look quite handsome and refined.
Starting with the Third Prince Hongtun, everyone wore a bitter expression. Only Hongchang hesitated for a moment before obediently agreeing.
Hearing his words and seeing the children's angry but silent expressions, He Yue was dissatisfied. They were just a few years old or teenagers; this was going too far.
“Hongchang and Hongtun are one thing, but the others are so young, why write so much?” Heyue glared at her in dissatisfaction.
Thirteen was stunned, seemingly not expecting Heyue to talk back to him.
Aside from Hongchang and Hongtun, several younger children's eyes lit up as they stared expectantly at Thirteen, hoping he would change his mind.
He Yue wasn't afraid of him at all. She was always exceptionally soft-hearted when it came to the child, even if it wasn't her own, it was still the original owner's. Since He Yue had temporarily taken over her body, she had a responsibility to take good care of the child before leaving.
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