Chapter 126 His Stance
I feel physically exhausted and weak; even opening my eyes is difficult.
Ye Mingzhu opened her eyes for only a moment before closing them again, exhausted.
A soft laugh reached her ears. She took a sip of water from the man's hand, then closed her eyes as he fed her a few mouthfuls of porridge. After that, she refused to eat anything else.
"Are you this tired?" Sheng Yunche asked, suppressing a laugh, his voice revealing his pride and satisfaction.
Ye Mingzhu wanted to hit him, but she was too weak and could only groan.
"Alright, I won't bother you anymore." Sheng Yunche kissed her on the cheek, gently placed her on the bed, and patted her back. "I applied medicine to that spot before, let me see if it's healed? If it is, I want more tonight."
Ye Mingzhu: "..."
I finally couldn't resist.
Rather than suffer the hardship herself, she gathered her strength and kicked him.
With her limited strength, she caused no harm to Sheng Yunche at all, only eliciting a burst of unrestrained low laughter, and the canopy bed seemed to shake again.
asshole!
Ye Mingzhu cursed inwardly, then, embarrassed and annoyed, pulled the quilt over her head and went back to sleep, ignoring him completely.
For three consecutive days, Ye Mingzhu and Sheng Yunche stayed at Yunxi Mountain Villa.
Since we're here, we should definitely soak in the hot springs.
The weather is much cooler and calmer than in the summer. Soaking in the hot spring pool, feeling the warm water gently washing over my body and limbs, is much more comfortable than it was on Qixi Festival.
However, soaking in a hot spring is not simply about soaking in a hot spring.
The night was dark.
Ye Mingzhu lay on her back on a large rock in the open-air hot spring pool, watching the stars twinkle and sway in the sky, listening to the rippling sound of water, and closed her eyes.
She was shocked and embarrassed on Qixi Festival.
She was shy today, but...
I've gotten used to it.
When she came to her senses, she even noticed that the corners of her lips were turned up, revealing a gentle and sweet smile.
...
No matter how absurd and chaotic things may be, they will eventually return to the human world.
During the several-day holiday, Sheng Yunche had a lot of official business to attend to. After sending Ye Mingzhu back to Linfeng Hall, he hurriedly went to Suxue Hall.
Without the male master present, the maids dared to act recklessly.
They all laughed and teased Ye Mingzhu.
After a while of laughter and banter between the mistress and servants, Ye Mingzhu suddenly asked, "I just realized that you were calling me 'Madam' instead of 'Miss'? And you weren't calling me 'Duke' anymore, but 'Son-in-law'?"
Baozan and the others exchanged glances and burst out laughing.
“You and your son-in-law haven’t consummated your marriage yet, and we’ve always been a little hesitant about it. We’ve always unconsciously called you ‘Miss’ because we feel it’s more appropriate.”
"I haven't dared to say it, but I'm afraid that the marriage won't go through and there will be other changes in the future."
"Perhaps from the bottom of my heart, I always called you 'Miss' when you were still unmarried. Now that you and your husband are finally married, I don't know why, but I subconsciously changed how I addressed you."
"Madam, haven't you noticed? You used to be very respectful to your son-in-law, but these past few days you've stopped using honorifics towards him and have even been scolding him..."
"..."
Listening to the chattering of the four maids, Ye Mingzhu felt helpless and picked up a round fan to cover her blushing face.
It seems that it really is true.
She herself was the same.
In her previous life, she and Sheng Huai'an had been married for three years but had not consummated their marriage. She was ignorant about matters between men and women, filled with gloom and frustration, and even somewhat repulsed by them.
Because all she ever felt from Sheng Huai'an was rejection, indifference, and disgust, she unconsciously adopted a defensive posture to protect her self-esteem.
In this life, Sheng Yunche's obsessive pursuit has pulled her into a new world.
Although she was mentally prepared and knew that she and Sheng Yunche would eventually consummate their marriage, things were completely different from what she had imagined when they actually happened.
The man's deep breathing, his burning hands, and his unwavering gaze into her dark phoenix eyes all made her feel deep down that he cared about her.
He liked her.
It was because of her passionate and unrestrained excitement.
The shadow cast by Sheng Huai'an had been hidden deep in her heart, making her uncertain, insecure, and even self-doubting, though she hadn't realized it before.
But in the past few days, without her noticing, the shadow cast by Sheng Huai'an gradually faded away and eventually disappeared.
Because of Sheng Yunche.
Because of him.
Two marriages in this life and the next.
It's a completely different feeling.
How could it be the same no matter who you marry? Because the people you spend your life with are different, your life will be completely different.
Even if it's a marriage of convenience, it's still a marriage.
With a slight smile, Ye Mingzhu instructed Baozan, "Go and tell the kitchen to prepare a bird's nest soup for me, and also to make a nourishing soup for the Duke."
Baozan couldn't help but laugh again: "Oh dear, Madam feels even more sorry for her son-in-law now."
Ye Mingzhu was both embarrassed and amused. She pointed at her with her fan and said, "If you tease me again, I'll find you a servant tomorrow and marry you off!"
"Then forget it!" Baozan stuck out her tongue and said smugly, "If I'm going to get married, I'll marry someone I like, not just anyone!"
Ye Mingzhu couldn't help but laugh.
Just as they were laughing and joking, a maidservant came to the door to report that someone was requesting an audience.
Ruyi hurriedly went to inquire about the situation and brought back a letter, which she handed to Ye Mingzhu.
"Madam, the gatekeeper said the person who came to the door was a young man who looked like a soldier and didn't seem to have any dealings with the Duke's mansion. But the man said that you would see him as soon as you read the letter, and he would wait outside the door."
"A soldier?" Ye Mingzhu opened the letter with a puzzled look, a thought vaguely emerging in her mind.
It can't be...
She had only read two lines of the letter when she jumped up from her chair in delight and said to Baozan, "Quickly, invite him in and let him meet us in the flower hall!"
...
The person who came was Qin Xuefei.
After several months apart, Qin Xuefei no longer resembled a young lady from a wealthy family.
She had striking features and an upright posture.
Wearing a brown robe with leather cuffs, he looked dashing and had a faint smile in his bright eyes. As soon as he saw Ye Mingzhu, he strode up to her and gave her a tight hug.
"Sister Mingzhu!"
Ye Mingzhu looked up at her with a smile and asked in surprise, "Why did you suddenly come back from the border? Did you have something to do, or were you just homesick?"
"Indeed, there is something I need to tell you. Without further ado, Sister Mingzhu, I've come back to tell you some news in person."
"What news?" Ye Mingzhu asked hurriedly, while telling Baozan and the others to leave.
Once only the two of them remained in the flower hall, Qin Xuefei spoke up: "The Emperor is currently unwell, and the Crown Prince and the Third Prince are fiercely vying for power. The borders are unsettled, and there is also considerable unrest in the interior. We don't know when things could descend into chaos. It would be best if you and the Duke of Wei discussed this carefully and made preparations as soon as possible."
"Is there any connection between the unrest on the border and the power struggle within the imperial court?" Ye Mingzhu asked astutely.
Qin Xuefei glanced at her admiringly and nodded, saying, "I suspect that the Third Prince has betrayed his country and colluded with the enemy! But I dare not act rashly, let alone carefully search for evidence, so I cannot be 100% certain."
"I came back here specifically to tell my family and to you, so you can have peace of mind."
“The Third Prince is now very powerful, while the Crown Prince is lukewarm. I’m worried that if the throne falls into the Third Prince’s hands, there will be a wave of turmoil in the court.”
Both Prime Minister Qin and Sheng Yunche held important positions in the court, making them easy targets for involvement.
Therefore, the time has come to choose between the Third Prince, the Crown Prince, or remaining neutral.
Ye Mingzhu understood Qin Xuefei's unfinished words.
but……
Did she have a choice?
No.
Madam Sun is the Third Prince's person. The Third Prince must be behind the deep hatred she harbored in her past life. She simply cannot stand by and watch the Third Prince ascend to the throne.
But what about Sheng Yunche?
He had previously told her to withdraw the people monitoring Xiao Sunshi, saying that Xiao Sunshi was inextricably linked to the Third Prince and involved in the power struggle within the imperial court, and that she should not get involved.
But he did not say what his position was.
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