Chapter 239 Throw it to feed the fish, go to the Ji residence
In the study of Prince Yong's mansion, there is a Luohan bed inlaid with jade.
As the morning light streamed in, two people lay on the bed, which was meant for a short rest.
Tao Wanyin woke up very early.
She curled up like a sleeping baby, just as she always had.
This time, however, her back was nestled in the warm and thick embrace of a man.
Last night, Prince Yong sat at his desk and continued reading, while she stayed in the study. However, due to her pregnancy, she was prone to sleepiness, and as the night wore on, Tao Wanyin found herself on the daybed.
Her head rested on his arm, and behind her ear, she could hear Zhao Minghong's even breathing.
The two people had to squeeze together sideways to lie down on the small bed, and Tao Wanyin dared not move.
She opened her eyes idly, her gaze sweeping across every corner of the study, when she suddenly noticed something she hadn't paid attention to before.
Famous calligraphic works were displayed in front of the desk, and the bookshelves behind it were filled with books and elegant objects.
The inkstone on the table was a zither-shaped She inkstone with fish roe, which she had always wanted, and on the wall hung a couplet inscribed by her favorite poet from the previous dynasty.
Tao Wanyin's eyes were visibly shaken.
She was even more shocked than when she heard Prince Yong profess his love for her in the backyard of the princess's residence last night.
Hearing is unreliable, seeing is believing.
It turns out that Prince Yong wasn't just saying it casually; he truly cared for her.
She never mentioned her preferences to anyone, yet Prince Yong noticed them. It is easy to imagine how difficult it was for him to collect so many famous treasures.
Prince Yong had never mentioned it, but he was using this method to wait for her to see it.
For a fleeting moment, Tao Wanyin anxiously shook the man behind her awake to confirm her discovery.
She hesitated for a moment, then slightly raised her arm, which was immediately felt by Zhao Minghong, who was still asleep. The man's heavy hands and feet immediately wrapped around her.
This time, Tao Wanyin was as if she were tied up; she couldn't move her arms or legs at all.
His heavy breath hit her neck, and Tao Wanyin called out softly, "Your Highness."
No one responded.
Prince Yong was fast asleep; his actions just now were entirely subconscious.
This time, Tao Wanyin felt even more anxious.
She didn't want to confirm with Prince Yong whether these were his intentions; she longed to touch the inkstone and old calligraphy she yearned for.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Soon after, the indistinct voices of two people could be heard again.
One voice was that of Eunuch Changlu, who served Prince Yong, and the other was a woman's voice, tinged with sobs.
At first, she couldn't tell who the person was, but as the person's cries grew louder and louder, Tao Wanyin recognized her as Du Yufang's maid.
Zhao Minghong was also woken up by the noise, his brow furrowed.
"Where did this annoying toad come from? Tie it up and throw it into the pond to feed the fish."
Then he wrapped his arms and legs even tighter and sighed, "Where did such a comfortable pillow come from? I'll sleep a little longer."
Tao Wanyin felt like he was suffocating her.
She nudged him and said, "Your Highness, it must be the concubine who needs to see you."
Upon hearing her voice, Zhao Minghong finally opened his eyes.
His gaze hadn't yet returned from its daze when he glanced at the woman lying beside him, her back to him, and his hand suddenly loosened its grip.
Tao Wanyin breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to sit up, Zhao Minghong pressed her down with his arm.
Zhao Minghong had a splitting headache from a hangover and looked at her with a strange expression.
He asked, "Why are you still here?"
These words imply that she is not welcome here.
Tao Wanyin said, "I will return to Jinmo Residence immediately."
After she finished speaking, she tried to get up, but Zhao Minghong wouldn't let her get up. He buried his face in her shoulder and took a deep breath.
When he looked up again, his eyes gleamed with golden light as he said, "Wanyin, it really is you."
Tao Wanyin finally understood what Prince Yong was doing: he was sniffing her scent to confirm who she was.
Is her face really that hard to recognize?
But she hadn't showered last night and still smelled strongly of his alcohol; it must have smelled awful.
Tao Wanyin's face flushed slightly, and she moved away a little.
Seeing her awkwardly back away, Zhao Minghong calmed down a bit.
But thinking about what Tao Wanyin had said in the study last night, she wanted to stay with him; this was her home.
Prince Yong's lips curled up, and he coughed to cover it up.
"Chang Lu!"
The door was opened, and two people came in.
Upon seeing that it was a maid from Du Yufang's room, Zhao Minghong felt his good mood was ruined and frowned in annoyance.
"What's wrong now?"
The maidservant entered and knelt down to kowtow: "The concubine has been suffering from stomach pain all night. Please, Your Highness, come and take a look."
Tao Wanyin sat quietly on the edge of the daybed, her expression serene, as if she didn't care.
Zhao Minghong glanced at her and said sternly, "Didn't the Princess Consort return to the manor last night and have a doctor examine her? Why is she still in pain all day long?"
Tao Wanyin left Du Yufang all alone at the banquet because of his affair.
The maid was frightened by his angry appearance and said in a trembling voice, "Perhaps, perhaps the doctor did not treat her properly, but the concubine is still in pain."
Zhao Minghong said in a sinister tone, "The doctor didn't treat you well? You mean the princess didn't treat you well, right?"
The maidservant said, "This servant wouldn't dare, this servant is only telling the truth..."
Zhao Minghong said calmly, "Chang Lu."
"Take it out to feed the fish."
Seeing that the situation was not good, the maid wanted to rush to Tao Wanyin's place to cry and beg for mercy.
But before he could even reach the ground, Prince Yong kicked him hard to the side, and he was half-conscious.
"You blind fool! What happens to servants who try to bite their master? Today, I'll show the whole mansion what happens to them."
Chang Lu rarely saw Prince Yong so angry, so he bowed his head respectfully and pulled the man out.
Seeing that Prince Yong had a stern face and was furious, he had dealt with Du Yufang's most capable maid in a short while.
Tao Wanyin's expression was stunned.
Zhao Minghong turned around and looked at her, his expression still cold and his brows furrowed.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
The maid didn't even manage to touch half of her clothes, Tao Wanyin shook her head.
She said, "Yesterday I consulted Doctor Liu from Qingchuntang, and he said the concubine..."
"None of your business."
Zhao Minghong's eyes were filled with tenderness as he touched her hair.
"Were you scared?"
Tao Wanyin lowered her head. After her mother passed away, no one had stood up for her.
Therefore, her first reaction to a problem is to remain silent. People who don't believe you won't believe you no matter how you explain.
Thinking of some old memories, Tao Wanyin felt a pang of heartache that reached her eyes.
Zhao Minghong squatted down and saw that she was perfectly fine, but her eyes were bloodshot.
He grasped her hand and asked anxiously, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Before she could answer, Zhao Minghong called someone in.
"Go and fetch the doctor from Qingchuntang!"
Tao Wanyin said with a noticeably nasal tone, "I'm fine, I just..."
Just as the young eunuch was about to leave, Zhao Minghong called him back.
"The princess is crying in pain! Take my token and summon the imperial physician!"
The young eunuch took the token and quickly left to carry out the order.
Tao Wanyin wanted him to calm down, so she called out again, "Your Highness."
Zhao Minghong's forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat as he paced back and forth on the ground.
He called the young eunuch, who had just left the study, back.
"I don't trust the imperial physicians either. You'd better go to the Ji residence!"
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