Chapter 9 I Won't Love Her
The second day.
Jun Zechen woke up from a daze, only to feel a splitting headache, as if thousands of small insects were biting his brain, and a thousand-pound weight seemed to be pressing on his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe.
He frowned and opened his eyes with difficulty.
When he lowered his head and glanced, he saw the woman wearing a bellyband sleeping peacefully in his arms.
In an instant, some details of yesterday flooded into my mind like a tide.
He was secretly drugged by his mother and sent to Xiyan Palace. In a daze, he seemed to say that he wanted to consummate his marriage with Su Jingyao, and then he pressed the woman under him and kissed her passionately.
What happens next?
Jun Zechen's gaze slowly moved towards his naked body, his heart filled with doubt and confusion. Could it be that they really had consummated their marriage?
The sinister look in Jun Zechen's eyes became more intense, and without any hesitation, he forcefully pushed the woman in his arms away.
Su Jingyao was suddenly awakened by his sudden action. Her eyes were a little dazed at first, and then slowly opened, like petals covered with dew in the early morning, gradually relaxing.
Then, the confusion quickly dissipated, and she sat up in shock, wrapped in the quilt. Just as she was about to speak, she was ruthlessly interrupted by Jun Zechen's icy voice.
"I didn't know that Concubine Su had such a trick and hid it so deeply! I wonder if Concubine Su was satisfied with what happened last night?"
Jun Zechen's voice was like the north wind in winter, chilly and full of sarcasm. Every word seemed to be filled with ice, piercing Su Jingyao's heart directly.
Su Jingyao was already unhappy about being woken up. Was she being too polite to this bastard?
She raised her chin and looked at Jun Zechen firmly and calmly. Her eyes were clear and sharp, as if they could penetrate people's souls.
She opened her red lips and said in a clear voice: "I have always had a clear conscience."
After that, she paused for a moment, and then continued in a cold tone: "I know that I am of humble status and unworthy of serving His Royal Highness. Therefore, I did not tarnish His Royal Highness's innocence last night, please rest assured."
There was a flash of disbelief in Jun Zechen's eyes. He stared at Su Jingyao intently, as if he wanted to find a trace of flaw in her face.
However, Su Jingyao's expression remained calm without any fluctuation.
After she finished speaking, she threw back the quilt without hesitation. Her movements were quick and decisive, without any dragging, and she got out of bed lightly, like a blooming white lotus, swaying gracefully.
She casually picked up a piece of clothing from the hanger beside her and put it on quickly. Her movements were skillful and natural. Her casual movements revealed a hint of charm.
Her bare feet stepped on the cold ground as she walked step by step towards the place where she usually dressed. She walked firmly, as if everything around her had nothing to do with her.
Through the screen, Jun Zechen could see her walk to the dressing table, slowly sit down, then pick up the comb and gently comb her inky long hair. Her movements were gentle and graceful, like a beautiful painting...
He stared at her back, feeling a sudden surge of regret in his heart.
Those hurtful words just now were like a sharp blade, stabbing her mercilessly again.
And he seemed to have hurt her many times...
But what happened last night?!
If he hadn't touched her, then what could have removed the aphrodisiac from his body?
Jun Zechen pondered over it, but still couldn't figure it out.
He pursed his lips tightly, his heart was in deep entanglement, the lines of entanglement were clearly visible between his brows.
He wanted to ask the little girl who was hurt by his words, but every time the words came to his lips, he swallowed them back, not knowing how to start.
Jun Zechen slowly got up from the bed. His movements were a little slow, and every movement was accompanied by a hint of hesitation and struggle.
He casually put on a plain and elegant moon-white robe. The hem of the robe swayed gently with his movements, and the sleeves fell casually on his sides like flowing clouds.
His inky long hair had lost its former neatness. A few strands of hair fell in disorder in front of his forehead, lightly brushing his well-defined face, adding a bit of unruly air.
His brows were slightly wrinkled, forming a deep "Chuan" character, and the wrinkled brows also told of his inner pain and struggle.
Jun Zechen's eyes were wandering, sometimes to where the woman usually combed her makeup, and sometimes moving away. His feet seemed to be nailed to the ground. He wanted to go over, but couldn't take that step.
There was deep regret and confusion in his eyes, his hands were clenched tightly, his finger joints turned slightly white due to the force, and one could even see the protruding blue veins throbbing under the skin.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally decided to calm down and prepare to go out.
Just after leaving the bedroom, Miaoyun, who had been waiting outside, saw the prince appear. A barely perceptible strange look flashed across her eyes, and she recalled her master's instructions last night.
She stepped forward and bowed quickly, saying softly, "Your servant greets His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. May Your Highness be blessed."
"Get up."
"I wonder how your Highness is feeling today? The 'Bai Du Qing' that the master gave you last night has no other side effects on your body. I have already informed Eunuch An Shun, and for the sake of your health, he has gone to ask the imperial physician to take care of you."
"Hundred Poisons Clear?"
Jun Zechen felt doubtful and his brows furrowed even more tightly.
"Your Highness, 'Bai Du Qing' was the master's dowry. Madam Su spent a hundred gold coins to get it for the master from the miracle doctor. It is a pill that can cure most poisons on the market."
Jun Zechen was shocked when he heard this, but he remained expressionless.
He never imagined that Su Jingyao would be willing to give him such a precious "Bai Du Qing" just to avoid consummating their marriage.
But if he had detoxified himself, why were they both naked this morning and so intimate?
He couldn't figure it out, so he took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and decided to turn around and return to the bedroom to find Su Jingyao to find out...
He walked slowly and quietly like a ghost, and silently went behind the screen where Su Jingyao's dressing table was placed.
He was tall, and even before he crossed the screen, he could clearly see Su Jingyao in the bronze mirror.
At this moment, she was lowering her head slightly, her shoulders trembling from time to time, and tears were falling from the corners of her eyes like pearls falling from a broken string.
She is crying...
Jun Zechen felt as if there was a heavy burden in his heart, he was extremely depressed, and the pain was like a needle prick, spreading gradually throughout his body like a tide.
He took a deep breath, stepped over the screen, and walked into the house.
Su Jingyao heard the noise and hurriedly raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
She lowered her head almost to her chest, then stood up and bowed to him.
"I pay my respects to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
Her voice was mixed with uncontrollable crying, which seemed to be there and not there, but was clear to the ears.
Jun Zechen raised his arm slightly, as if he wanted to help her up, but he only extended half of his arm and then retracted it abruptly.
He just said, "Get up."
Su Jingyao slowly stood up and stood straight, but still kept her head down, as if she wanted to hide all her sadness and grievances.
Jun Zechen naturally knew what she was thinking. He had said many hurtful words before, but Su Jingyao had never cried in front of him.
"Why do you cry secretly?"
There was a hint of concern in his voice that he himself hadn't even noticed.
Su Jingyao stood there quietly, biting her lips so gently, the shallow tooth marks left by her teeth on her red lips carried a hint of stubbornness and grievance that was hardly noticeable.
After a short silence, she uttered those three words in a voice as small as a mosquito's hum: "I couldn't help it..."
"If you feel wronged, why don't you explain the cause of the matter clearly, and why don't you cry in front of me."
Wouldn't it make him feel more distressed if I cried in front of him?
The corners of Su Jingyao's eyes turned slightly red due to crying, like a fading sunset in the sky, which made people feel pity.
Her eyes, soaked with tears, were as clear as if washed by spring water, clean and pure, but there was a hint of sadness in the depths of her eyes.
After a pause, Su Jingyao slowly raised her head, her autumn-water-like eyes slightly raised, and her eyes met Jun Zechen's.
"Because I will only cry in front of people who love me. Crying in front of people who don't care about me is just a joke."
There was a hint of stubbornness and helplessness in her voice, and every word seemed to be squeezed out with great difficulty from the depths of her heart.
Jun Zechen clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white due to the force, his lips were pressed into a straight line, and his complex gaze was firmly fixed on Su Jingyao.
Doesn't he feel sorry for her?
Then why is his heart aching now?
"Since you gave me the 'Bai Du Qing', why were we so close and disheveled this morning?"
Jun Zechen bluntly raised his doubts, with confusion and questioning in his eyes.
Su Jingyao's delicate body trembled violently when she heard that. Her eyes, which had been soaked with tears, were now sparkling with tears, like the twinkling stars in the night sky. Her long eyelashes were trembling slightly.
"Shouldn't you ask your Highness yourself?"
There was a hint of resentment and grievance in her voice, and every word was filled with endless sadness.
Jun Zechen knew that after taking the Chinese medicine last night, he had pinned her down and bullied her.
However, after taking the antidote, he barely remembered what happened. Could it be that he was still holding her tightly and refusing to let go?
"I misunderstood you, you..."
Before Jun Zechen finished speaking, Su Jingyao interrupted him coldly: "I know that Your Highness only has the Crown Princess in his heart, and I only treat my sister as a relative in the East Palace. Your Highness is my sister's husband, and no matter what, I will not have anything to do with Your Highness."
Her voice was icy cold, yet it carried a determination that could not be ignored.
She slowly turned her head away and stopped looking at Jun Zechen, but she still had to make things clear.
"Last night, His Highness was brought to Xiyan Palace by Aunt Jinhua. When I found that His Highness was in an abnormal condition, I immediately sent a maid to ask my sister to bring His Highness back to Qiluan Palace. But I waited and waited, but my sister never showed up."
"I don't know if you have misunderstood, Your Highness, it would be better for you to go find your sister and explain it to her as soon as possible. I have let go of what happened this morning and I don't care."
After saying this, she lowered her head again, like a beautiful and lonely sculpture, standing there quietly, waiting for Jun Zechen to leave.
At this time, Jun Zechen's thoughts had changed.
He stared at the woman in front of him, and his original suspicion completely disappeared.
Maybe in her heart, I am the person she hates the most.
If she wanted to seduce him, last night was the best opportunity.
However, she used the 'Bai Du Qing' that her mother had prepared for her on him, just to remove the aphrodisiac poison that had infected him.
At this point, Jun Zechen finally understood that it was not that he did not want to consummate the marriage, but that she was simply unwilling to consummate the marriage with him.
Jun Zechen's eyes were fixed on the top of the woman's head.
As she said, I should go to Qiluan Palace and explain to Ling Yue everything that happened last night.
But the cold rejection from the woman in front of him was like a cold current that penetrated his body and made his heart a mess.
It shouldn't be like this.
Jun Zechen's eyes became even deeper. He stepped forward firmly, stretched out his right hand, and lifted her chin without hesitation.
Su Jingyao had no choice but to raise her eyes helplessly and was forced to look him in the eye.
"Has Concubine Su forgotten your responsibilities? You are the concubine given to me by my father. How can you say that you have nothing to do with me?"
Jun Zechen's voice was cold but stern. He was the prince, so what even if he was wrong?
He can reject anyone, but no one can reject him, and no one dares to disobey him like this!
Jun Zechen's tall body leaned forward slightly, emitting an invisible sense of oppression.
Su Jingyao's eyes were filled with confusion and grievance. She bit her lower lip lightly, and her slightly trembling body revealed her inner anger.
"Snap!" The crisp sound echoed in the air.
Su Jingyao resolutely opened the man's hand and then quickly took a step back.
Jun Zechen's face suddenly became extremely gloomy, like the sky before a storm, cold and depressing.
"Concubine Su, do you know what it means to commit treason? Is this how the Su family raised you?"
Su Jingyao had endured his harsh scolding many times today, and finally, tears burst out of her eyes like a flood.
"Your Highness, what exactly do you want me to do? On the first day I married into the East Palace, Your Highness set rules for me, asking me not to harm the relationship between you and my sister. Isn't that good enough?"
Her voice was choked with sobs, like a nightingale crying blood, heartbreaking.
Tears slid down her pale cheeks, like crystal pearls, dripping to the ground.
"How do you want me to fulfill my duties as a concubine? Ever since I entered the East Palace, Your Highness has repeatedly doubted and insulted me. I really don't know what I have done wrong."
She raised her voice slightly, with a hint of despair in it.
Then, she murmured again: "If His Highness really doesn't like me, I would rather not appear in front of His Highness for the rest of my life..."
Jun Zechen's heart trembled as he listened to the woman's questions.
He himself didn't know what he wanted. He was extremely reluctant to marry her and even didn't want to have any contact with her. But what about now?
Seeing the woman's heartbroken expression and her resolute words, he didn't want to, didn't want to have nothing to do with her, didn't want to be a stranger to her.
Jun Zechen's lips trembled slightly, wanting to say something, but he didn't know where to start.
Then he let out a long sigh, slowly reached out his hand, and gently wiped away the tears on the woman's cheeks.
"I was wrong today. I will never doubt you again. You did a great job. Everyone says that the daughter of the Su family is the model of young ladies from aristocratic families. I finally understand today that you are the only one who deserves this praise."
"I will try to buy you the medicine you gave me again."
After he finished speaking, Jun Zechen resolutely turned around and left.
After Jun Zechen's figure completely disappeared from her sight, Su Jingyao slowly raised her right hand, raised her onion-like fingers, and gently wiped away the crystal tears still remaining in the corners of her eyes with her fingertips.
The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, revealing an imperceptible smug smile. There was something cunning and calculating in her smile, like a little fox whose trick has succeeded.
The prey eventually fell into the trap carefully set by the hunter.
Jun Zechen walked slowly towards the Qiluan Palace, his eyes always fixed forward.
When he arrived outside the Qiluan Palace, Jun Zechen stopped, looked up and stared quietly at the plaque with three large characters "Qiluan Palace".
The plaque shone with golden light under the sunlight, but it could not dispel the haze in his heart.
Every time he came here, his steps were always brisk and his face was filled with a happy and relaxed smile.
But today, his steps seemed to carry a thousand pounds, and every step seemed so difficult. He stood there, his brows tightly wrinkled together, and his two thick eyebrows seemed to be twisted into a rope, revealing his inner distress.
After hesitating for a moment, Jun Zechen finally walked into the Qiluan Palace.
Ling Yue saw Jun Zechen approaching from a distance, but found that he had lost his usual cheerful expression.
When Jun Zechen approached, Ling Yue couldn't help but sarcastically asked, "Your Highness, did you have a good rest last night?"
There was a hint of sarcasm and dissatisfaction in her voice.
When Jun Zechen heard this, his brows furrowed even tighter, with a hint of helplessness in his expression.
"I didn't have any relationship with the concubine last night."
Ling Yue listened to it, and although she appeared calm on the surface, her heart was already filled with turbulence.
She could never have imagined that Jun Zechen would still deceive her at this time.
Could it be that the words she heard last night were all her hallucinations?
Her husband pressed another woman who rejected him under him, and called her "Yaoyao" affectionately, claiming that Su Jingyao was his woman and had no right to reject him.
Ling Yue just felt that he was extremely ridiculous at this moment.
Tears gradually welled up in her eyes, and her heart was filled with grievance and pain.
She had a hot temper to begin with, and now she could no longer control her emotions, so she stood up abruptly.
The voice was sharp and he shouted, "Is it you who doesn't want to have anything to do with her, or is it she who doesn't want to have anything to do with you? Your Highness, don't you know it in your heart?"
Jun Zechen's expression turned gloomy in an instant. He stared at Ling Yue closely, the light in his eyes deep and complex.
"Yue'er, do you know what you are talking about?"
Under his gaze, Ling Yue lowered her head gradually, her lips trembling slightly. She wanted to say something but didn't know where to start.
The anger and pain in her heart were intertwined, making her unable to calm down.
She really wanted to scold this man who made her heartbroken, but she was afraid that her quarrel would make this man leave completely.
She was afraid that the love between them would gradually fade away because of quarrels and eventually disappear completely.
Jun Zechen looked at her who was lowering her head, aggrieved and silent, and his heart softened.
She softened her tone and said, "It was my mother who drugged me last night and sent me to Xiyan Palace."
"I have always had you in my heart, but you have not been able to get pregnant yet. My mother and father have been putting pressure on me. The concubine is the daughter of Minister Su. Since she married into the East Palace, I have ignored her for nearly a month because of you."
Ling Yue stared at Jun Zechen in astonishment, her eyes full of disbelief, and asked in a trembling voice: "So Aze came here today just to tell me that Aze will not continue to ignore Concubine Su?"
"Yue'er, as the crown prince, it is my responsibility to prolong the lineage of succession. Even if I don't favor Concubine Su, my mother and father will give Concubine Li and Concubine Wang one after another. Do I have to marry them all and keep them as vases?"
Ling Yue opened her mouth, but didn't know how to respond. Tears welled up in her eyes and silently slid down her cheeks.
Jun Zechen watched her cry silently, feeling a little distressed.
He involuntarily stretched out his hand, wanting to wipe away her tears, but stopped in mid-air, and finally just let out a sigh.
It was he who failed to fulfill his promise, but Jun Zechen also had resentment in his heart. Why couldn't Ling Yue get pregnant? If she was pregnant, even if the Queen Mother and the Emperor forced him, Jun Zechen would have the opportunity to argue with reason.
Rather than just accepting it helplessly like we do now.
The royal family education he received since childhood told him that he could not give up his offspring for a woman. As a crown prince, offspring was not a personal matter, but related to the stability of the monarchy.
Ling Yue's eyes gradually became confused, as if they had lost all their luster.
She also felt deeply resentful towards herself. Why was she the only one who couldn't have children?! Her body was trembling slightly, which made people feel pity for her.
Jun Zechen couldn't bear it, so he slowly walked forward and held her tightly in his arms.
His hand stroked her back gently. Ling Yue hugged Jun Zechen tightly, as if she had grabbed the last straw. Her heart was filled with fear, afraid that this man would leave her.
That fear was like a bottomless abyss, dragging her down continuously.
"Aze, it's all my fault that I can't have children, otherwise this wouldn't have happened."
"Aze, you can favor Concubine Su. I won't blame you."
"But Aze, will you fall in love with her?"
When Jun Zechen heard her last question, his body suddenly stiffened and a trace of pain flashed in his eyes.
He hugged Ling Yue tightly and said firmly, "No."
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