Chapter 17 Sweet
Qiluan Palace.
"Master, His Highness has returned. Someone below has reported that His Highness is on his way to Qiluan Palace."
Meixiang stood aside and reported to Lingyue softly.
When Ling Yue heard this, her delicate body trembled slightly and a sad expression appeared on her face.
"Mei Xiang, I don't know how to face His Highness anymore."
As she spoke, her eyes were filled with tears. After returning to the East Palace this morning, her tears had been flowing like beads from a broken string.
Whenever she thought of how Jun Zechen and Su Jingyao were being intimate last night, her heart ached as if it were being cut by a knife.
Meixiang saw this and hurried forward to comfort him, saying, "Master, you must be strong and never conflict with His Highness again. If you continue to argue with His Highness, won't that push His Highness further and further towards Concubine Su?"
Ling Yue bit her lip and frowned slightly.
"Mei Xiang, you are right. Aze still loves me. He must have come to explain to me what happened last night. I can't be angry with him anymore."
Ling Yue gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and said with all her might.
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived——"
The eunuch outside the palace saw the prince from afar and immediately shouted loudly.
Jun Zechen walked into the hall with slightly heavy steps. At this moment, his heart was full of confusion and he didn't know how to face Ling Yue.
But some things must be resolved and made clear.
Ling Yue looked up and saw Jun Zechen walking towards her slowly. She took a deep breath, stood up and walked forward.
"Your Highness, I pay my respects to you." Her voice trembled slightly and her posture seemed a little weak.
Jun Zechen looked at Ling Yue in front of him, and a strange feeling surged in his heart.
In fact, he had long ago exempted Ling Yue from private greetings and allowed her to call him by more intimate names in private. He was a little uncomfortable with her politeness today.
But he didn't say much. Jun Zechen now understood that some things should not be promised lightly.
"Get up." His voice was as calm as water, without any emotion in it.
Ling Yue stood up and looked at him aggrievedly with red eyes. Jun Zechen sighed in his heart and gently held her in his arms.
Because of his gentle gesture, Ling Yue could no longer hold back her tears, which burst out like a flood.
"Woo woo, Aze, I thought you didn't like me anymore."
Her voice was filled with deep grievance and resentment, and her shoulders kept shaking.
Jun Zechen didn't say anything, but slowly stretched out his big hand and gently stroked her soft hair. His movements were extremely gentle, as if he was soothing a wounded beast.
There was tenderness and compassion in his eyes, but also some complicated emotions; his dark pupils were as deep as a dark pool, making them hard to fathom.
Ling Yue cried for a long time, until her tears gradually stopped, Jun Zechen finally spoke.
"Last night, the concubine accidentally drank the scented tea from Mofenglou that was spiked with ingredients, so I went with her..."
Having said this, his voice paused slightly, and an imperceptible complex expression flashed across his brows.
What Jun Zechen didn't say was that the more important reason was that he himself couldn't control himself. In the ambiguous atmosphere last night, he couldn't resist Su Jingyao's temptation and even enjoyed it.
After hearing his explanation, Ling Yue felt a little relieved.
As long as Jun Zechen didn't deliberately violate their agreement, she could accept it.
However, she knew clearly in her heart that Jun Zechen had been attracted to Su Jingyao!
"Aze, as long as you have me in your heart, I don't care how many women you have. You will be the emperor of the country in the future, and the ministers will not allow their emperors to have few heirs."
There was a hint of helplessness and compromise in Ling Yue's voice, and her eyes were full of determination and persistence.
"I... I don't know why I haven't had any children yet, but I would love any child of Aze's. I just hope that I can grow old with Aze and live and die together."
Her words revealed deep sorrow and hope.
When Jun Zechen heard Ling Yue's words of enduring in silence, he suddenly felt a surge of guilt in his heart.
He originally thought that he understood her well enough, but he never imagined that she would become so submissive for him.
He felt sorry for Ling Yue, who had become more and more mature after being in the harem, but he could do nothing but hug her tightly and comfort her.
Only at this moment did Jun Zechen realize his selfishness.
He couldn't make a choice between Ling Yue and Su Jingyao. He was greedy for Ling Yue's affection, but couldn't resist Su Jingyao's temptation.
"Okay, Yue'er will always be my wife."
Jun Zechen's voice was deep and magnetic, as if it carried a kind of magic that rekindled a glimmer of hope in Ling Yue's broken heart.
When Ling Yue got his response, a bright smile suddenly appeared on her face. She raised her face and embedded herself tightly in the man's arms, greedily absorbing the warmth and sense of security from him.
Xiyan Palace.
After Su Jingyao came back, she leisurely stepped into the bathtub filled with flower petals, and the warm water soothed her fatigue.
She soaked in the hot spring for a long time before she slowly stood up and let Miaoyun and the others gently wipe her skin with a soft towel.
Afterwards, she asked Miaoyun and the others to perform a complete set of body skin care and massage for her. Their techniques were skillful and gentle. Su Jingyao felt that the fatigue from being tortured by that bad man last night had dissipated a lot, and every inch of her skin was enjoying this care.
After everything was done, Su Jingyao lay limply on the beauty couch, like a lazy flower after blooming.
Her hair was slightly wet and scattered casually on the couch, adding a bit of charm to her.
Miaoyun sat on a low stool, holding a round fan gently in her hand, fanning Su Jingyao from time to time.
"Master, after His Highness came back today, he went to Qiluan Palace and never came out again. I heard that all the memorials were brought to Qiluan Palace by An Shun, and then His Highness reviewed them in Qiluan Palace."
Su Jingyao heard this and chuckled.
"It seems that our Crown Princess has finally begun to know how to coax a man."
The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, with a barely perceptible hint of teasing.
Su Jingyao didn't even need to think about it, Ling Yue must have been "showing weakness to the enemy". If she was still as reckless as last night, Jun Zechen would have rushed out of the door in anger.
"Then won't the master snatch His Highness away?" Miaoyun asked softly.
"Robbed? Since I entered the East Palace, I have never been robbed. Didn't Your Highness bring it to me?"
There was a hint of laziness and confidence in Su Jingyao's tone. She slowly opened her eyes, and wisdom shone in her bright eyes.
"Miaoyun, you have to remember that even if you snatch something that is out in the open, it won't smell good."
After Su Jingyao finished speaking, she closed her eyes again, enjoying the rare comfort. She looked relaxed and at ease, as if the whole world had nothing to do with her.
Miaoyun nodded, not quite understanding. Although she could not fully comprehend what her master said, she believed in her master from the bottom of her heart.
Just look at the current prince and you will know. Didn’t he swear solemnly that he didn’t like the master and didn’t want to touch the master, but now he is taking the initiative to approach the master, isn’t he?
These past few days, Su Jingyao has been living a very comfortable and relaxed life in Xiyan Palace, either reading or writing, or playing the piano or painting. In short, even when she is not trying to please a man, she still has to make herself feel comfortable.
On this day, Su Jingyao was sitting in her study, writing quietly. Her posture was dignified and elegant, and her expression was focused and peaceful.
Miaoxue, the most lively of the four maids, walked in quietly.
She came to the right rear of Su Jingyao and stood there hesitantly, with some hesitation in her eyes.
Miaoxue opened her mouth, wanting to speak but stopping herself, her voice timid: "Master, Miaoyun, Miaoxia and Miaoyue don't dare to ask you..."
Su Jingyao paused for a moment, but she didn't look up. She just asked calmly, "What do you want to ask me? You've been with me for so many years, why are you still so impatient?"
Miaoxue pursed her lips slightly, mustered up her courage and said, "Master, Crown Princess, as long as His Highness comes back to the East Palace in the next few days, I will immediately send someone to invite His Highness to the Qiluan Palace."
"It's fine that His Highness hasn't come to our place these few days, but Miaoyue was harassed when she went to the kitchen of the East Palace to get the ingredients. Is the Crown Princess deliberately making things difficult for us?"
Su Jingyao is very particular about her meals on weekdays, and usually takes them to her own small kitchen in Xiyan Palace to be carefully prepared by Miaoyue.
"Don't talk nonsense, how did the kitchen make things difficult for you?"
Su Jingyao's voice remained calm, and the pen in her hand continued to dance on the paper.
"Yesterday Miaoyue wanted to cook fish for you, but the kitchen said that all the fish were dead. However, there were still many fish in the water tank next to it. After Miaoyue asked, the chief eunuch in the kitchen said that those fish were cooked for the Crown Princess and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
Miaoxue became more and more angry as she spoke, with a hint of grievance in her voice.
"Today, the fine salt in our Xiyan Palace's small kitchen ran out, so I went to the main kitchen to ask for some. However, the steward of the main kitchen ignored me the whole time. He only gave me the fine salt after dinner time, and his expression was very unfriendly."
There was a glimmer of darkness in Su Jingyao's eyes, and she frowned slightly.
It seems that the naive Crown Princess finally knows how to fight back, but her methods are still too immature.
Su Jingyao didn't want to waste time on these trivial matters.
As for Ling Yue asking Jun Zechen to go to her Qiluan Palace every day, Su Jingyao just watched it like a show.
Ling Yue still has too high expectations of men. If she blocks Jun Zechen every day, Jun Zechen might go to Qiluan Palace to accompany her and coax her because of the guilt and heartache he felt on the day of the Flower Festival.
But this has been going on for several days in a row. Not only does Jun Zechen have to deal with state affairs every day, he also has to coax women when he returns to the East Palace.
For Jun Zechen, it's enough for women to coax him.
Because of the promise Jun Zechen made to her, Ling Yue has always placed herself and Jun Zechen at about the same level, and always felt that Jun Zechen would love her, coax her, and get used to her.
If they were truly equal, there would be nothing wrong with them getting along like this.
可是君澤辰的身份就顯示了他的不一般，不是他哄女人，而是女人要一直保持對他的吸引力。
愧疚這種無用的情感可留不住多久君澤辰。
“今天殿下也去栖鸾殿了？”
蘇婧瑤微微擡起頭，臉上神情平淡如水，聲音也淡淡的問道。
“今日沒有，聽說栖鸾殿的人也去請過殿下，不過殿下說今日處理政務繁忙，身子疲憊，他就在毓德殿休息。”
妙雪語氣中有些幸災樂禍。
蘇婧瑤聽後，嘴角微微上揚，露出一抹不易察覺的嗤笑。
和她想得差不多嘛。
君澤辰本就變心了，更何況君澤辰對她的感覺還處于最新鮮的階段，被淩悅這般提防着，阻礙着，君澤辰心中只怕也煩悶吧。
畢竟沒吃夠的食物，總是會想着念着。
“今日天色暗沉，可能晚上有雨。”
蘇婧瑤緩緩擡起頭，望向窗外，如墨般的天空仿佛要壓下來一般。
妙雪有些不解，不明白為什麽主子突然提到天氣。
“主子，今日應該會下雨，不過應該就是些毛毛細雨，今日下午也下過，總不會打雷的，主子不必害怕。”
“主子若是害怕的話，奴婢到時候來陪您。”妙雪眼神真摯地看着蘇婧瑤，臉上滿是關切。
蘇婧瑤笑了笑，随後揶揄道：“若是我想讓殿下來陪呢？”
“那奴婢就去毓德殿給主子将殿下請來。”妙雪眼神堅定，毫不猶豫地說道。
“好，今晚就叫你去請殿下。”
蘇婧瑤的眼神中閃爍着一絲狡黠，聲音飽含深意地說道。
妙雪聽後，心中一陣激動，臉上露出喜悅的笑容，主子終于要開始争寵了。
戌時初，剛剛洗漱完的蘇婧瑤，身着一身輕薄的嫩粉色紗裙，宛如一朵嬌豔欲滴的桃花，袅袅娜娜地走到軟榻邊坐下。
如瀑般的長發随意地披散在肩頭，更增添了幾分柔美與妩媚。
軟榻中間的矮桌上擺放着一張白紙，蘇婧瑤伸出纖纖玉手，輕輕地拿起毛筆，蘸了蘸墨汁，然後在紙上緩緩地書寫着。
她的神情專注而認真，寫好後，蘇婧瑤滿意地看了一眼紙上娟秀的字跡，嘴角微微上揚，露出一抹甜美可人的笑容。
她将紙張小心翼翼地折好，放入一個精致的信封中，随後遞給了站在一旁的妙雪。
“妙雪，去吧，親自給殿下哦。”
蘇婧瑤調皮地眨了眨靈動的大眼睛，眼中閃爍着狡黠的光芒。
“是，主子。”妙雪開心地應道，她雙手緊緊握着信封，仿佛握着一件珍貴的寶貝。
妙雪出去後拿起一把傘，向殿外走去。
殿外細雨綿綿，妙雪小心翼翼地将信紙藏在懷中，不讓它被雨水打濕。
毓德殿外，安順看見妙雪過來，急忙迎上前去。
他的臉上露出一絲複雜的神情，既有幾分恭敬，又有幾分無奈。
他在這東宮侍奉了十幾年，如今面對栖鸾殿和夕顏殿的兩位主子，真是有些左右為難。
安順原本以為這位容貌出衆的側妃在東宮得不到殿下的寵愛，還為此可惜，現在才知道，他錯得多離譜。
這位側妃可不簡單啊。
“妙雪姑娘，下着雨，你來所為何事？”安順的聲音中帶着一絲關切。
“安順公公，主子讓奴婢給殿下送來一封信，還說要奴婢親自遞給殿下，公公可否通傳一聲？”妙雪的聲音清脆悅耳，眼神中充滿期待。
“妙雪姑娘稍等，老奴進去問問。”
安順說着，轉身走進了毓德殿。
君澤辰端坐在首位，他身姿挺拔，氣宇軒昂，手中拿着書，正專注地看着，明亮的燭光在他俊美的臉上跳躍，将他的五官映照得更加立體分明。
他的臉龐線條剛毅，卻又帶着一絲柔和，眉眼深邃，鼻梁挺直，薄唇緊閉，沒有任何表情，看起來冷峻而又神秘，宛如神只一般，讓人不禁心生敬畏。
“殿下，外面蘇側妃的貼身宮女妙雪求見。”安順微微躬身，輕聲說道。
君澤辰聽聞是蘇婧瑤宮中的，如寒潭般深邃的眼眸微微閃動了一下，随後他淡淡地問道：“所為何事？”
“妙雪說蘇側妃給您寫了信，并吩咐讓妙雪親自給您。”安順恭敬地回答道。
“讓她進來吧。”
“是。”
安順應道，然後轉身出去，不一會兒便帶着妙雪走了進來。
妙雪跟在安順身後，心中有些緊張，她小心翼翼地邁着步子，來到君澤辰面前。
“奴婢請殿下安。”妙雪微微屈膝，恭敬地說道。
“起來吧，呈上來。”
君澤辰的聲音依舊平淡，但總是給人一種壓迫感。
妙雪趕忙站起身來，雙手恭敬地将信封呈上。
君澤辰接過信封，拆開，然後展開信紙，仔細地看了起來：
今夜雨絲綿綿，惜無雷鳴，望殿下安卧。
就三句。
君澤辰皺着眉頭，他微微眯起眼睛，有些不太理解這小女人的心思。
“你主子可還有其他吩咐？”君澤辰擡起頭，看向妙雪問道。
妙雪見殿下面露疑惑，心中也好奇主子給殿下寫了什麽，但是主子确實并未吩咐她什麽，她也如實回答道：“回殿下，并未。”
“嗯，你回去吧。”
君澤辰揮了揮手，示意妙雪退下，妙雪恭敬地行了一禮，然後慢慢地退了出去。
妙雪出去後，君澤辰拿着信紙，細細地看了一遍又一遍，眉頭微微皺起，眼中滿是疑惑不解。
他修長的手指輕輕地摩挲着信紙，似乎想要從中尋找到一些隐藏的線索。
今夜外面确實淅淅瀝瀝地下着小雨，君澤辰也清楚記得，小女人向來是害怕打雷的，可她卻在信中可惜今日沒有打雷。
這不是很矛盾嗎，更何況若是沒有打雷，他不是應該能更安穩地入眠？
那她為何還要可惜？
君澤辰的心思完全被這封信所占據，連手中的書都看不進去了。
腦海中不斷地思索，這小女人博學多才，這三句話難道還有什麽更深的含義？
君澤辰百思不得其解，心中更是被撓得癢癢的。
“安順，去夕顏殿。”
君澤辰低沉的聲音在殿中響起，眼神中閃過一絲急切。
安順聽到君澤辰的吩咐，心中一驚，今日殿下可是拒絕了太子妃的邀請，若是今晚殿下去了夕顏殿，明日太子妃可要怎麽想。
蘇側妃就寫了一封信，殿下便心心念念坐在那裏看了良久，甚至現在下着雨還要去夕顏殿。
側妃真是好本事呀。
雖然心中百轉千回，安順還是恭敬應道：“是，殿下。”
等君澤辰到了夕顏殿時，寝殿內只有一盞燭火在微弱地跳動着，小女人已經正在安睡。
君澤辰輕手輕腳地走進寝殿，沒有發出一絲聲響。
他靜靜地立于床邊，目光溫柔地凝視着她。
她的睡顏甜美而寧靜，在昏暗燭火的映照下，睫毛在眼下投出一片淡淡的陰影，小巧挺翹的鼻子微微翕動着，嫣紅可愛的唇瓣微微上揚，整張臉美得如夢似幻。
君澤辰就這樣靜靜地看着她，仿佛時間都在這一刻靜止了。
過了許久，蘇婧瑤似乎感覺到了什麽，卻并沒有睜開眼睛，只是保持着睡姿。
“殿下還要看妾多久？”蘇婧瑤的聲音帶着一絲慵懶和調皮。
君澤辰微微一怔，沒想到她竟然已經察覺到了自己的存在。
“瑤瑤怎麽知道是孤？”
蘇婧瑤睜開眼睛，側過身子，手撐着頭，笑盈盈地看着君澤辰，笑容調皮又可愛。
“因為妾與殿下心有靈犀，這不殿下一來，妾就感覺到了。”
“油嘴滑舌，今日為何給孤送信，送了信還睡得這般早。”
“妾讓妙雪冒着雨給殿下送信，殿下不知道什麽意思？”
君澤辰微微抿了抿唇，他确實還不知道她信中所表達的具體含義。
不過他的臉上依然沒有任何表情，不想在這個小女人面前暴露自己的無知，他堂堂太子，難不成文學造詣上還能輸給她一個小女子？
君澤辰大步上前，高大的身子瞬間将蘇婧瑤籠罩住。
他彎下身子，雙手撐在女人兩邊，眼神深邃而熾熱，與她水潤的眸子對視着。
“既然要孤安眠，又為何可惜無雷？”君澤辰的聲音低沉而富有磁性。
“沒有雷聲，妾如何有理由鑽進殿下懷中呢。”
蘇婧瑤笑靥如花，眼中閃爍着狡黠的光芒，然後緊緊抱住男人勁瘦的腰，笑臉也貼在他的胸膛上。
君澤辰心中一顫，眼神突然愣了一下，她是怎麽說出這樣的話的！
君澤辰的眼神變得更加熾熱，仿佛要将她融化一般。
“嘴怎麽這麽甜！”他的聲音低沉暗啞，帶着一絲不易察覺的情欲。
君澤辰眼中開始帶火，呼吸也變得有些急促。
“因為妾的心是甜的。”說罷，蘇婧瑤将君澤辰的手放到她的心口，“殿下感受到了嗎？”
“孤沒有感受到。”
君澤辰将嘴唇抵在她耳邊，聲音又低又緩，還帶着絲絲沙啞，仿佛是故意在誘惑她。
"I miss your Highness. Your Highness is in my heart, so my heart is sweet."
Su Jingyao blinked her big, twinkling eyes and looked at Jun Zechen sincerely.
Jun Zechen couldn't bear it any longer. Where did this woman learn these seductive tricks from?
"Then I want to taste it!"
He leaned over and kissed her lips hard, sucking her sweetness greedily.