There were still two hours before tonight's bonfire banquet.
He Changdi was sulking while sitting inside Prince Jin's tent. Although his handsome face was as cold as ever, but it was also very pale and haggard.
Prince Jin lifted the tent flap and saw his good friend was sitting beside the table in a daze.
He glanced at him calmly with his blue eyes, "What's wrong? Why do you look so lifeless?"
He Changdi's thin lips were tightly pursed and his eyes were lowered, as if he was a statue that couldn't speak.
Prince Jin took off his cloak and handed it to the attendant beside him. After that, he walked towards He Changdi and carefully examined him from head to toe a couple of times.
His clothes were disheveled. He appeared haggard and miserable. He had an unkempt beard and bloodshot eyes with dark shadows under them. Tsk… What in the world had happened to this guy?
As soon as Prince Jin sat down, a maidservant brought over a warming soup.
He hadn't even lifted his spoon when He Changdi gloomily said, "Give me a bowl, too."
Prince Jin was stunned now. He held the spoon and looked at his close friend with furrowed brows, "With the meals that Jinyi cooks, you still want the food prepared here?"
When Guilin Restaurant had still been open, he would go to the restaurant to satisfy his cravings. Even a dignified prince had to visit a restaurant in order to satisfy his appetite. On the other hand, He Changdi was actually going around outside to eat other people's 'crudely made' food. What a joke.
He Sanlang was indifferent to Prince Jin's teasing and said faintly, "I haven't eaten anything for a whole day and night."
Prince Jin: …
"Would Jinyi starve you?" That girl was a foodie. She was probably stuffing her face whenever she was free. There was no way she didn't prepare any food. Even if she didn't make it herself, she still had two maidservants, who had learned some of her skills, beside her!
No matter what, He Changdi wouldn't be starved.
He Sanlang didn't say anything and remained silent. When the maidservant brought another bowl of soup over, he held it up and finished it in one breath.
He wasn't tasting the food at all and was just simply trying to fill his stomach.
Prince Jin was somewhat dumbfounded and shook his head helplessly, "I wanted you to taste it properly. Although the soup isn't as delicious as the foods that Jinyi makes, it's still considered a delicacy."
While Prince Jin was drinking his soup, his attendant came in to make a report.
"Reporting to Fourth Prince, Honoured Lady Jinyi sent over some wild game. Would you like to try some right now?"
Prince Jin was stunned and raised his brows. Look at that. The moment he mentioned Chu Lian, she had sent over some food for him to eat.
"Bring them in."
The attendant hastily went out. A moment later, he came in with a food box. Then, he took out the two plates of meat from the food box and placed them on the table.
A plate of venison and a plate of duck meat, which were already sliced up.
They had just been roasted, so the roast meat inside the plates was still steaming with heat. The fragrance of the meat billowed up into their faces.
Prince Jin picked up his chopsticks and pointed at the two plates in front of him, "You've been exposed. Can you still say you didn't eat anything? Jinyi wouldn't have sent all the roasted meats that she prepared over to me, right?"
He Changdi had a bitter expression on his face because it was true. Chu Lian hadn't left any of her cooking for him to eat.
Without hesitation, He Sanlang picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of roasted meat, and stuffed it into his mouth.
It was crispy and tender, a taste that was unforgettable for a lifetime. It had definitely been roasted with Chu Lian's recipe.
However, his mouth was filled with bitterness when eating such delicious delicacies.
Prince Jin didn't think his good friend would suddenly start digging into his food.
He complained, "Hey, aren't you being too rude? Jinyi sent these for me to eat. If you want to eat, then have Jinyi make some for you. You can eat as much as you want. Why are you taking my share?"
Although Prince Jin complained, he didn't stop his friend's action. He knew his friend was in a bad mood. He had only interrupted to distract his friend from his thoughts.
The two plates of roast meats were soon cleared by these two grown men.
Prince Jin leaned back against his chair slightly. His gaze fell upon his friend, who was still in a daze, "Say it. What happened? Did you have an argument with Jinyi?"
He Sanlang rubbed his stiff face and took a deep breath, "Lian'er is mad at me."
Prince Jin lifted his pair of unique eyes, "Tell me about it."
He Sanlang and Prince Jin were sworn brothers who had grown up together. Since their previous lifetime, they had been best friends who could risk their lives for each other. Thus, there was nothing they couldn't talk about.
After some deliberation, He Changdi told him the whole story.
Prince Jin was slightly stunned after listening to him. His blue eyes flickered in disbelief, "You wouldn't actually be interested in that brat Leyao, right?"
He Changdi was dumbfounded by his friend's question. He had a grim expression on his face and his voice had a sense of anger, "Lu Yi, what do you mean?!"
Prince Jin sneered coldly, "You embraced her and you've been accompanying her. Doesn't that mean you're interested in that brat?"
He Changdi: …
"Don't misunderstand. Imperial Princess Leyao is only eleven years old. I'm not a pervert!"
"Haha."
"It was His Majesty's order. I can't reject an imperial order."
Prince Jin gave his idiotic friend a glare and scoffed, "Are you an idiot? Leyao is already eleven years old. Are there any imperial children who are actually naïve? Don't tell me that Leyao is still young. In another year, she is going to be twelve. Even for noble families, marriage arrangements can begin when they're twelve. Leyao is resentful towards Jinyi. Haven't you ever considered Jinyi's feelings? In my opinion, you're probably worse than Xiao Bojian!"
Prince Jin's last comment was somewhat harsh, but when facing someone so oblivious, he had to knock him awake somehow.
When He Changdi finally understood Prince Jin's words, he instantly felt enlightened.
His expression suddenly became grave, while he felt guilty and terrified inwardly.
He clenched his fist and finally restrained his erupting emotions. He asked in a cold voice, "Ah-yi, how's the investigation going?"
A dangerous glint instantly emerged within Prince Jin's previously jeering and teasing gaze.
"Both Leyao's injury and Jinyi's fall from the horse were prearranged, but I haven't been able to track down the real mastermind. I can't be certain that the mastermind is Sixth Brother."
A dangerous and icy glint flashed through He Changdi's deep gaze.
Prince Jin tapped on the round table with one of his slender fingers, "However, there's something I don't understand. I can understand them scheming against you, but why are they also harming Jinyi? Even if Xiao Bojian still has lingering feelings for Chu Lian, he didn't need to risk his life. Moreover, he did it in front of Father."
This was indeed a mystery. During this lifetime, Chu Lian didn't have any relationship with Xiao Bojian at all. Furthermore, she had nothing to do with all the fighting and scheming for power. However, she had been unknowingly implicated into this struggle for power. Even He Changdi, who was a reincarnator, couldn't figure this out.
"What do you think?"
He Sanlang shook his head, "You don't have to worry. I'll protect Lian'er."
Prince Jin didn't continue speaking. They remained silent for a while before Prince Jin began telling him to leave.
"Alright, hurry up and leave. I have to rest. I can't sleep while looking at your ice block face."
He Changdi stood up and left with a frosty expression.
There was still an hour before the bonfire banquet that the emperor is hosting. He wanted to go back to check on Chu Lian, but he still felt somewhat awkward about the situation.
He Sanlang looked around, then turned and walked towards Captain Guo and Zhang Mai's tent.
Captain Guo's wife was completely unrelated to the imperial family, so he had come to the spring hunt alone this time and stayed in the same tent as Zhang Mai.
He walked up to the tent and looked at the familiar curtain. He remembered the time he had spent at the northern border with his brothers in the military.
He Changdi's stiff expression slightly loosened up.
The soldier at the entrance recognised He Changdi, so he immediately went in to report his arrival after giving him a salute. A moment later, the soldier lifted the curtain and he strode inside.
Captain Guo and Zhang Mai were sitting around a small table, while drinking wine and eating roasted meat.
They were spending their days quite leisurely.
When Captain Guo saw that it was He Changdi, he quickly waved at him, "Zixiang, come and sit down."
He Changdi strode towards the small table and sat on the floor together with them. A woolen carpet was spread out on the floor of the tent, so it wasn't cold.
He pursed his lips as his gaze swept over the two familiar-looking plates of roasted meat on the small table.
Captain Guo was a rough old man who didn't really observe other person's moods, so he bluntly said, "Your wife had someone send them over. It's so damn delicious. You're such a lucky guy."
As he spoke, he ripped off a piece of roasted meat with his hand and threw it into his mouth, while also displaying a blissful expression.
Frustration piled upon He Changdi at the sight.
He decided to just lower his head. If he didn't see it, then he wouldn't be bothered by it.
Zhang Mai, who was beside them, was much more sensitive than Captain Guo. He carefully observed He Changdi and creased his brows, "Zixiang, what's with your appearance?"
He Changdi normally wasn't very concerned about his appearance, but he would at least maintain a clean and tidy appearance. Under decent circumstances, he wouldn't treat himself poorly.
Most of all, he had Chu Lian to take care of him. After returning to the capital, he had been wearing fine clothes and eating delicious foods.
He had a well-proportioned figure with broad shoulders and slender waist as well as a handsome face. Although he always kept a cold expression on his face, he possessed a charming air.
As long as he dressed up a little, he would look the same as any noble gentlemen.
Some of his peers were even imitating his style in secret.
Taking for example, the green jade thumb ring that he wore on his hand. It was originally just something that military officials would wear to protect their finger when shooting. Ever since He Changdi had started to wear that thick jade thumb ring throughout the year, even the literary officials in the court had also started wearing jade thumb rings.
Rather unlike his usual neat appearance, He Changdi looked quite 'rough' right now.
He looked even worse than when he had been at the northern border.
He Changdi had a cold expression on his face. After a while, he uttered a response, "I have a subordinate whose wife is angry at him. Over these past few days, he has been absent-minded and doesn't know how to coax her."
After he said that, Captain Guo stopped eating and exchanged glances with Zhang Mai. They both looked at He Changdi as if they had seen a ghost.
What the heck? Did this guy even know how to lie? His story sounded too fake. Wasn't the subordinate that he mentioned... himself...?
Captain Guo and Zhang Mai couldn't help the twitching of their lips.
So even the highly skilled Marquis Anyuan, who was firm and decisive on the battlefield and talented at training troops, faced such mundane problems.
After a brief pause, Captain Guo and Zhang Mai started getting excited.
It was so rare that He Changdi needed their help with something! They had to do their best as caring older brothers and help solve his problems.
Captain Guo adjusted his expression, "Oh? Did your subordinate mention about his wife's current situation?"
He Changdi narrowed his eyes as he thought with a stiff expression, "She's ignoring him, not cooking for him, and not speaking to him."
Captain Guo became even more enthusiastic as he listened, "They're a young couple, so it's normal to have a few quarrels. And it's typical for women to be slightly unreasonable. She might already be regretting it, but she's too thin-skinned and embarrassed to say anything."
"Right, a man should be thick-skinned. You need to take the initiative to apologise to her, then sway her with some sweet words."
He Changdi frowned. He clearly had doubts with Captain Guo and Zhang Mai's suggestions. In his heart, Chu Lian wasn't a woman who liked to make a fuss without reason.
Captain Guo noticed that there was still some suspicion on his face, so he gritted his teeth and revealed his ultimate trick.
"Listen to this old brother. If that still doesn't solve the problem, then work it out in bed. If one time doesn't work, then do it twice! Anyways, this trick is especially effective with your sister-in-law."
He Changdi: …
Captain Guo roughly patted He Changdi's ramrod-straight back and tried to encourage him. "That's just how marriage works. Look, I've been together with my wife for so many years, and we've even had this many kids, yet our relationship is stronger than ever. Listen to me, it'll work."
These two old bastards were going overboard with their advice, so He Sanlang quickly stopped them.
He said, "Alright, it's getting late, you should return to the area, brothers!"
Before leaving, Captain Guo and Zhang Mai reminded He Changdi to pass on their advice to his so-called subordinate.
He Changdi's mouth twitched; Captain Guo and Zhang Mai were clearly doing that on purpose. The story about his subordinate was just a pretense, and everything referred to He Changdi himself.
Chu Lian didn't attend the bonfire banquet. While those at the banquet were feasting, gambling, and partying, she had already gone to bed alone.
Perhaps due to the many mishaps during this spring hunt, the original schedule had been considerably shortened.
The emperor's decree had already been passed down that afternoon. They would head back to the capital the next morning instead of staying an extra day as previously planned.
On the way back, they would only make a stop at the imperial residence in Shangjing for a night, and everyone who participated in the hunt this time would be rewarded with a trip to the hot springs.
Perhaps due to the fact that they were leaving the next day, the bonfire banquet was more lively than usual, but this was no longer of any concern to Chu Lian.
It was only at midnight that the emperor dismissed the banquet.
He Changdi returned past midnight. He again went behind the screen to peek at Chu Lian before going to rest on the chaise outside.
The next day, it took until late morning for the spring hunt party to prepare to leave. The imperial residence in Shangjing was only a short journey away, so there was no hurry.
As He Changdi was considered a military official, he had to guard the emperor alongside the Left Military Guards and the Yulin Army. Therefore, he had been called away by He Lin's messenger early in the morning.
Chu Lian hadn't seen him since she woke up.
The last time she had spoken to him was when he had followed the emperor to the hunting grounds, so they hadn't spoken to each other for two whole days.
Wenqing saw the dull expression on Third Young Madam's face and sighed inwardly. She asked, "Third Young Madam, everything has been packed. Shall we set off?"
Chu Lian scrubbed her cheeks and forced a smile. When she stood up, she had a dizzy spell, and felt as if the world was spinning.
Wenqing was startled by this. She hastily caught hold of Chu Lian and asked, visibly anxious, "Third Young Madam, are you alright?"
"Woozy…" Chu Lian replied softly.
Wenqing helped her back to her seat.
Once she sat down, the dizziness subsided.
Wenqing stroked her back soothingly. "Third Young Madam, shall I call for the female imperial physician?"
The imperial physician that Sima Hui had sent to check on Chu Lian's well-being had just been sent back this morning. If Wenqing and Wenlan had known that Chu Lian wasn't feeling well, they wouldn't have sent the physician back.
Chu Lian wasn't the type to stubbornly refuse treatment, so she waved her hand to tell Wenqing to get the physician.
However, before Wenqing could leave the tent, there was news from the Yulin Army to set off.
The Yulin Army's words were basically the same as an imperial edict; no one could disobey.
Helpless, Wenqing turned back and informed Chu Lian of this.
Chu Lian had no choice but to endure it for now. Luckily, the emperor had given permission for several injured members to travel back by carriage this time. This list included Chu Lian, Princess Leyao, and Xiao Bojian.
Enduring the dizzy feeling, Chu Lian had Wenqing and Wenlan support her onto the carriage.
Once Chu Lian had settled down, Wenqing wanted to look for the female physician, but was stopped by Chu Lian.
"The journey is pretty short. It can wait until we reach the imperial villa at Shangjing." The imperial physicians who came on the hunt had to ride on horses. They also had to pack their tools and medicines, so they were much busier than them.
Wenlan covered Chu Lian's knees with a soft blanket, worry in her eyes as she asked, "Third Young Madam, will you be able to last till then?"
Chu Lian smiled. "I'm already feeling a lot better. There shouldn't be a problem unless I stand for too long. Perhaps this happened because I ate too little over the last two days. Do we have any snacks? Bring me some."
Wenqing quickly opened an exquisite, fragrant rosewood box and took out several intricately designed white porcelain plates from it.
"This servant expected Third Young Madam to get hungry along the way, so this servant prepared your favourites, Third Young Madam."
The snacks displayed on the beautiful porcelain plates were shredded beef jerky, special dried anchovies, candied kumquats, and preserved peaches.
Wenlan poured a cup of warm honey water from a silver pot and served it to Chu Lian.
Chu Lian received it and took a sip, then glanced at the snacks placed on the table.
In the end, she picked the slightly sour candied kumquats and preserved peaches.
With the warm honey water filling her tummy and something delicious in her mouth, Chu Lian felt a lot better.
Wenlan watched as Chu Lian ate the candied kumquats and preserved peaches and found it strange. The dried anchovies were usually Third Young Madam's favourite; she could eat an entire dish without getting sick of it. Why wasn't she touching them at all today?
However, she didn't voice her thoughts.
She just silently watched as Chu Lian finished eating and stowed away the remaining snacks.
The carriages that the emperor had sent specially for the injured were incredibly comfortable. Although they weren't big, they were lined with thick, soft carpets.
The wooden walls of the carriage had also been covered with a soft fabric. Along with the relaxing incense inside, it was so comfortable that people could fall asleep easily.
Halfway through, He Changdi took great efforts to have someone swap shifts with him so that he could go over to the carriage. He wanted to speak with Chu Lian, but when he approached Wenqing and Wenlan, he learned that Chu Lian was asleep.
Since his wife was asleep, he couldn't just rouse her for this.
Chu Lian seemed to be taking naps very often over the past two days, which He Sanlang found strange. He wondered if she was really that tired, or if she was just avoiding him.
With a thread of helplessness and disappointment, He Changdi continued riding his horse next to the carriage with a frosty expression, guarding Chu Lian's carriage for thirty minutes.
As expected, the imperial residence in Shangjing wasn't far at all. They had departed in the morning, and they arrived in the middle of the afternoon.
The attendants of the imperial residence had already received notification some time ago. They were aware that the emperor would bring the rest of the imperial family and officials from the spring hunt over to rest, so they had already arranged rooms for everyone on the list.
Their dwellings were distributed according to their ranks.
Marquis Anyuan was a second-ranked title, so the temporary courtyard they were assigned to would obviously be fitting of that title.
The neighbouring courtyards were for Lord Yang and Marquis Dingyuan.
Once Chu Lian had settled down, Wenqing immediately set off to get the imperial physician.
Chu Lian laid down on the bed, leaving only her left wrist free and uncovered. Physician Li gently grabbed her wrist and put two fingers on her pulse, spending quite some time to measure it.
Physician Li thought for a bit, then took the pulse on Chu Lian's right wrist as well.
Physician Li's brows drew together as she finally put down Chu Lian's wrist and sunk into deep thought.
Wenqing became impatient from looking at the physician's expression. She asked, "Physician Li, how is our young madam?"
After much deliberation, Physician Li found the pulse too light to make a decisive diagnosis, so she gave a safer answer instead. "Honoured Lady has been overly anxious over the past two days, and along with the shock she's received, she has a lack of both qi and blood now. There isn't any sickness in her body; all she needs is more nutrition to recover."
Chu Lian felt silly now. So she was only feeling weak because of low blood sugar…
Relief washed over Wenqing and Wenlan as they heard Physician Li's words.
A sliver of a smile finally appeared on Wenqing's face. "Sorry for troubling you, Physician Li."
Physician Li waved her hand in protest. "This is part of my duty. Honoured Lady, since you've come to Shangjing, perhaps you could consider going for a soak in the imperial residence's hot springs?"
Chu Lian nodded with a smile, then had Wenqing see Physician Li out.
The fact that Chu Lian had sent for the imperial physician naturally couldn't be kept away from He Changdi. He Changdi once again strove to get some time away from his duties with the emperor, and rushed to the courtyard Chu Lian was at.
Physician Li had already returned to the area where the other imperial physicians were resting.
The physician who had come along for the spring hunt this time was the Imperial Physician Institute's Imperial Physician Sun.
Imperial Physician Sun was in his fifties, and his family had all come from medical backgrounds. Currently, other than the director of the institute, he possessed the highest official position and status in the Imperial Physician Institute.
He had great medical expertise and had ample experience. Although he wasn't a match for the legendary Great Doctor Miao, he was still a well-known physician.
The field that Imperial Physician Sun specialised in wasn't pediatrics, nor external or internal injuries. It was gynecology.
He possessed the lauded title of the Godly Gynecologist.
Physician Li was a female physician of great skill in the palace. She had also received pointers from Imperial Physician Sun.
Once she met up with Imperial Physician Sun, she described Chu Lian's pulse in detail to him.
"Uncle Sun, Honoured Lady Jinyi seems to have a slippery pulse. Do you think Honoured Lady Jinyi is pregnant?" Physician Li couldn't confirm if this was the case, so she had chosen not to mention this to them earlier.
Imperial Physician Sun stopped what he was doing and stroked his white beard.
"From what you described, there's a seventy percent chance that she's actually pregnant, but it could also be a symptom of her weakened body. You made the right choice with your diagnosis. As physicians of the Imperial Physician Institute, we shouldn't make rash claims without certainty. Even if Honoured Lady Jinyi is pregnant, this isn't a good time to diagnose her condition. Just wait a few days, and we'll be able to confirm it."
Physician Li nodded, she very much agreed with Imperial Physician Sun's view.
It was better to speak cautiously when treating royalty. If she claimed that Chu Lian was pregnant, everyone might become overjoyed, but if it turned out to be a mistake, the consequences would be terrible for her. It was always better to take the safe route for an imperial physician.
Marquis Anyuan wasn't someone she could provoke, with his lofty position.
Furthermore, Honoured Lady Jinyi was on good terms with a personage like Princess Wei.
Thus, due to a combination of many factors, Chu Lian's pregnancy was temporarily kept a secret.
When He Changdi hurried over, Physician Li was already long gone.
There were only a couple of unfamiliar servants outside the room, who were maids of the imperial residence.
Wenqing and Wenlan were both inside the room.
Laiyue stayed outside as He Changdi walked in. His sharp eyes swept around the room, but all he saw was Wenqing and Wenlan who were cleaning up.
"Where's your young madam?"
He Changdi frowned and asked.
Wenqing and Wenlan were feeling rather unhappy with He Changdi, but they didn't dare to show any disrespect to him.
The two sisters bowed their heads and answered, "Third Young Madam has gone to the back to soak in the hot springs."
HeChangdi paused, then took off his cloak and handed it to Wenqing. He walked two steps over to a table and sat down.
His voice was akin to frosty winds in their ears as he asked, "What happened? Why did you call for the female physician?"
Wenqing reported every detail of the matter of Chu Lian feeling unwell to He Changdi.
"And what did Physician Li say?"
"Her diagnosis was that Third Young Madam has suffered from too much worry and lacks qi and blood. Third Young Madam requires more nutrition to recover."
With his memories of his previous life, He Changdi had no faith in the physicians from the palace, be they imperial or lady. He was worried about Chu Lian's well-being, so he had already concluded that he would have Great Doctor Miao give her a check-up once they returned.
"When did Lian'er go in?"
Wenqing estimated the time. "It has been a while, approximately thirty minutes."
He Changdi was worried that Chu Lian had lost consciousness from staying too long in the hot springs, so he took off his robe and entered the adjoining bathing hall where the hot springs were.
As expected of the imperial family's holiday villa, they were not only situated at the mouth of the hot springs itself, but the baths in the villa were also extremely luxurious.
This villa had been built in the previous dynasty with massive amounts of manpower and resources. However, this luxurious palace hadn't been completed for long before the previous dynasty came to an end, leaving the next dynasty to reap the unexpected benefit.
He CHangdi lifted up the heavy blinds covering the entrance to the inner hall's bath.
Since the hot spring water came from the ground, there was a special sulphurous smell lingering in the air. That heavy smell was further mixed with incense and flower fragrances, making it hard to breathe.
He Changdi kept his footsteps light and silent.
As he passed under the last set of blinds, a slender figure in the wide oval bathing pool came into view.
Chu Lian's nerves had been strung tight for the past two days thanks to the fall and the situation afterwards. It was a rare chance for her to visit a hot spring, and its waters did not disappoint. The warmth of the hot spring water surrounded her weary body and allowed her to relax completely.
She sat to the side of the pool, where there was a specially carved curved platform to sit on. The water went up to her collarbone, leaving her fair, smooth shoulders open to the air.
Her long, silky hair had been pinned up by a simple wooden hairpin, leaving two locks of hair to frame her lovely face. They made a wavy trail where they touched the water, the picture of an elegant portrait.
Afraid that she would slip deeper into the pool, Chu Lian was resting her slender arms on the white jade steps behind her, which were covered by a thick carpet. One hand was placed upon the railing, the end of which was carved into the shape of a phoenix's head.
The steam billowing up from the pool made her sleepy. She leaned her head on her forearm and shut her eyes as she laid partly on the carpet.
This was the beautiful scene that greeted He Changdi when he entered the bathing area.
Chu Lian was currently sitting with her back towards him.
Half of her fair back was revealed to the open air, while the other half remained hidden under the steamy waters. Her delicate shoulder blades, so similar to butterfly wings and wet from the water, reflected the dim glow of the lanterns.
A few stray locks of hair trailed down from her long, elegant neck.
Two thin arms stretched out over the woolen carpet laid on the white jade steps.
Her snow-white skin looked like exquisite porcelain against the dark crimson of the carpet.
The Adam's apple on He Changdi's throat dipped as he gulped once.
For some reason, Captain Guo and Zhang Mai's words rang through his head once more.
His pupils dilated, and his entire body tensed as his breathing grew heavy.
Wenqing and Wenlan were guarding the door outside, so Chu Lian wasn't expecting any intruders. The warmth of the waters had already lulled her into a sleepy state, so she didn't notice that He Changdi had entered the hall and was standing by the pool.
He Sanlang clenched his hands tightly and took a deep breath. He shut his eyes as he tried to suppress the desire that had flared up in his heart.
He slowly walked over to Chu Lian as he battled fiercely with himself.
Two sides of him warred against each other, but finally, the evil side won over the good one...
With a deft movement of his fingers, he took off his belt and tossed it to one side. It was quickly followed by his outer robe, which flew off to another corner.
He Sanlang was left only in his inner clothes in a short moment.
He entered the water from the other side of the pool. Chu Lian was leaning on the edge of the hot spring pool with her eyes shut, so she was completely unaware of his movements.
While still in a daze from all the steam around her, Chu Lian suddenly felt a pair of strong arms hugging her from behind.
Her slight body was pulled flush against a hard chest.
One of He Changdi's arms reached around Chu Lian to grope the softness he loved the most, while the other slid down to the side of her waist and belly to stroke it gently.
Chu Lian's eyes had already widened in alarm the moment she had been caught. The haze that had been hanging over her head dissipated at once, and she subconsciously thought of screaming and struggling.
However, before she could even draw up the wits to shout, the intruder took her by the chin and forcefully turned her head, entwining his tongue with hers.
All she could do was let out muffled protests.
In the midst of her struggles, Chu Lian's almond-shaped eyes finally caught sight of the person who was attacking her.
The sight of those familiar features made the tension in her thumping heart fade away. However, what came next wasn't happiness or excitement, but endless sadness and grievance.
Since her mouth was still covered, all she could do was complain loudly in her own mind.
How could He Changdi act this way!
He had clearly been ignoring her for the past few days and he hadn't even dared to meet her once. Yet he had now appeared without any warning and was bullying her! Did he know how scared she had been when a strange man's arms had been wrapped around her so suddenly?!
The combination of the lingering fear and her thoughts made the tears she had been holding back for so long spill out of her eyes. They rolled down her cheeks like strings of pearls.
After fighting a cold war for so long, all that was inside He Sanlang's head was the desire to soothe his longing for Chu Lian. He continued pressing her down with his kisses.
He used his tongue to explore her mouth, teasing her and entwining with her soft tongue.
Her hot breath on his face, her light pants, they only fanned the flames in his heart.
Just as he was immersed in her warmth, he suddenly tasted something strangely bitter.
The hands teasing and roving over Chu Lian's body sensed a different kind of tension.
He finally opened his eyes, only to be met with Chu Lian's tear-streaked face.
The excitement and desire in He Changdi's eyes slowly ebbed away. He hadn't expected Chu Lian to react this way.
He quickly let go of the soft and boneless figure in his arms. His voice carried some huskiness and heartache as he asked, "Lian'er, what's wrong?"
Chu Lian was feeling especially wronged right now. Her almond-shaped eyes reflected both rage and grievance as she glared right at him.
He Changdi felt completely helpless in the face of this.
He tried to wipe away Chu Lian's tears with one hand.
"It's all my fault, Lian'er. Please don't cry?"
The usually cool He Sanlang was terrible at comforting women. As much as he tried, all he could come up with was these two phrases.
How could the fires raging in Chu Lian's heart be put out by such simple and thoughtless words?
Disappointment radiated from her gaze as she pushed He Changdi away from her.
Of course, He Sanlang wasn't willing to let her go just yet.
Chu Lian struggled even harder. In her extreme rage, she landed a slap on He Changdi's face.
The crisp sound of that blow echoed in the wide halls of the bath.
Chu Lian had put enough strength into her slap that a bright red mark in the shape of her palm quickly surfaced on half of He Changdi's handsome face.
Taking advantage of He Changdi's momentary daze, Chu Lian slipped out of his arms.
She quickly climbed out of the pool, snatched up her nightgown off the privacy screen and pulled it on, then ran out of the bathing area barefoot.
Leaving behind a stunned He Changdi alone in the steaming hot spring pool.
After a long moment, He Sanlang broke out of his statue-like pose to look after where Chu Lian had disappeared. He let out a long sigh and let his body crumple against the wall of the pool.
He shut his eyes again. In his mind, the image of Chu Lian's angry, aggrieved, pitiful expression streaming with tears haunted him.
Damn it! He really was a scoundrel!
He deserved that slap.
He Changdi covered his eyes and thought carefully back to all that had happened the past few days.
If He Sanlang refused to reflect even at this point, then he really would be brainless.
Xiao Bojian's plans, Imperial Princess Leyao's little plot, Feudal Princess Anmin pushing things along, as well as Sixth Prince, who was likely to be the mastermind behind this all…
All these were easy enough to figure out, but it was only the emperor's abnormal attention and care for Chu Lian that left him befuddled.
The expression on He Sanlang's face turned even more grave. He had a feeling that there were some secrets he hadn't been able to find out in his previous life, and that those very secrets would implicate him in some way this life.
The moment He Changdi had straightened out his thoughts, the haze over his mind cleared up.
When he recalled his earlier actions, He Changdi scrubbed furiously at his face.
Damn Captain Guo and Zhang Mai! Their advice wasn't helpful at all! He had to find a chance to take revenge on them!
Chu Lian had already left in a fury, so He Changdi didn't have any more desire to soak in the hot springs. He got out of the pool and changed into a dry set of clothes before heading off.
When He Changdi looked out into the hall, Chu Lian was nowhere to be found.
He Changdi: ...
His icy gaze swept over to the maidservant standing guard nearby, who couldn't help but tremble under his watch. "Re… Replying to Third Young Master, Third Young Madam took Wenqing and Wenlan over to Royal Princess Duanjia's. Third Young Madam has informed this servant that she will be staying with Royal Princess Duanjia tonight. Third Young Master doesn't have to wait for her. She asked Third Young Master to sleep earlier."
Faced with He Changdi's dangerous gaze, the maidservant finished her report full of stutters.
He Changdi didn't say anything in reply. The storm on his face simply turned even darker.
He changed into another set of clothes and headed for Prince Wei's hall. However, he was stopped by Prince Wei's manservant at the entrance.
The manservant smiled kindly and said, "Marquis Anyuan, this servant apologises greatly for the inconvenience. Their Highnesses have already settled down for the night. If milord has any business at hand, please wait for tomorrow morning!"
There were other guards at the entrance and Prince Wei's status was special. He Changdi couldn't enter by force.
He could only stay at the entrance.
When the manservant saw that He Changdi still stood there silently with a cold expression, he tried to persuade him to do otherwise. "Marquis Anyuan, please rest assured. Her Highness treats Honoured Lady Jinyi as her own daughter. How could Honoured Lady suffer any bit of mistreatment here with Her Highness? Honoured Lady will return to you without a single hair missing. It's getting late, so Marquis Anyuan should head back to rest!"
He Changdi continued standing there in his black robes, hands behind his back, as if the manservant hadn't spoken at all.
The manservant had no other way to deal with this stubborn marquis. "Well, if that's what you want. This servant won't bother you any longer."
After saying so, the manservant waved at the guards. The crimson gates of the courtyard were quickly shut, leaving He Changdi outside.
The remaining two guards outside didn't even glance at He Changdi and stood at their posts with ramrod-straight backs, looking like a pair of statues.
After a moment, the gates didn't open again and the inside was as quiet as could be.
Laiyue couldn't bear seeing the situation like this and tried coaxing, "Third Young Master, why don't we head back? Nothing will happen to Third Young Madam here. We still have a long journey to the capital tomorrow, and you still have to accompany the emperor!"
He Changdi turned his head slightly to look at Laiyue. Following that, he pressed his thin lips together and waved his hand, clearly ordering him to return to their hall first.
Laiyue knew that he hadn't succeeded at all. His Third Young Master was a stubborn one. There was no swaying him at this point.
However, as He Changdi's manservant, he couldn't really just head back by himself. He couldn't sit back and relax while his master was suffering.
Thus, he resigned himself to his fate and stood in front of Prince Wei's dwelling with He Changdi.
They had only been standing there for an hour, when a sudden bolt of lightning followed by a roll of thunder announced the start of a thunderstorm.
Heavy rain began to pour in the darkness of the night.
Within a side room in the courtyard, Chu Lian was about to get to bed under Wenqing's careful attendance.
She had been feeling tired throughout the day, and had even received a surprise 'assault' from He Changdi during the night. Her mind had been on edge for a near 24 whole hours. Now that she finally got to relax, the exhaustion piled up upon her.
However, the moment she laid down, there was a rumble of thunder, and then came the pitter-patter of raindrops against the roof tiles.
Chu Lian stared blankly at the ceiling. She blinked her almond-shaped eyes several times, then pulled up the blanket to cover her ears in an attempt to isolate herself from the annoying sound of rainfall.
Wenqing stood to one side, contemplating whether to speak or not. She had already received news of Third Young Master coming over and waiting outside the gates.
It was evident that Prince and Princess Wei had no intention of keeping He Changdi's actions from Chu Lian.
The final say was left to Chu Lian. Even though Wenqing was concerned about the well-being of her master, as a mere servant, it wasn't her place to say anything.
Chu Lian reached out and made a gesture for Wenqing to go and said, "You've worked hard today. Go get some rest too."
Wenqing sighed inwardly. The quarrel between Third Young Madam and Third Young Master must be really bad this time. Even at this point in their relationship, there were still obstacles between the two of them.
"This servant will retreat for now. This servant will have a rest on the chaise right outside; please call for this servant if you need anything, Third Young Madam."
Once Wenqing's footsteps faded away, Chu Lian pulled down the blanket covering her face.
As she looked at the peaceful turquoise-colored canopy, her mind was filled with chaotic thoughts.
She forced her eyes shut, but the pelting rain and cracking thunder still managed to pierce her ears, each assault like hammers slamming down on her heart.
Chu Lian tossed and turned but she just couldn't fall asleep. Her mind was consumed by the words reported by a servant who had come by earlier.
"Honoured Lady, Marquis Anyuan has come over looking for you. The princess ordered the guards to stop him from entering and the guards have advised him to leave, but it doesn't seem like Marquis Anyuan intends to do so. He has been standing at the entrance for an hour. Do you have any orders?"
It had never occured to Chu Lian that it would rain tonight, and that it would be such a heavy downpour.
That lunatic He Sanlang wouldn't actually be so silly as to stand in front of the gate all night, right?
The entrance only had small eaves hanging over the door to serve as protection from the rain.
Wouldn't he be soaked by now?
It was already spring, and summer would soon come, but it was still easy to fall ill by staying out in the rain like this.
Even though they had Great Doctor Miao, the Great Wu Dynasty wasn't like modern times. They didn't have any advanced medical equipment. Thus, even the smallest cold could end up taking a person's life.
Chu Lian's thoughts went wild. The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became.
The maidservant had said that Laiyue was there as well. That fellow wouldn't just stand there and watch his master get soaked, right?
He Sanlang would have to stay by His Majesty's side as a guard the next morning as well…
After tossing and turning restlessly in bed for another fifteen minutes, Chu Lian couldn't continue lying down anymore. She got up and listened to the pouring rain, praying that it would lighten up, but the heavens paid no heed to her wishes. The rain outside didn't get any softer at all; it felt like it grew louder instead.
Chu Lian finally had enough. She shouted for Wenqing who was resting outside.
Wenqing quickly entered. From her attire, it was obvious that she hadn't gone to sleep at all.
Chu Lian gripped the blanket tightly with both hands, took a deep breath, then ordered, "Wenqing, go to the entrance and check if he has left."
Wenqing's eyes brightened up. She quickly answered in the affirmative and bowed to Chu Lian, then immediately walked off to complete the task.
Chu Lian watched as Wenqing left impatiently and sighed. They had probably guessed that she would be too soft-hearted to ignore this situation.
Oh well, what's done is done, She had never had the heart to watch He Changdi suffer anyway.
At the entrance, the originally suave and charismatic He Sanlang was now so soaked that he looked like a drowned rat.
The two locks of hair framing his face now clung to his skin due to the rain, and water droplets were streaking down his stubborn expression and dripping from his chin.
He raised one hand to wipe away the rainwater on his face.
He maintained a frosty expression in the pouring rain, but his back was straighter than ever.
Even the two guards couldn't bear to watch him do this to himself.
"Marquis, please come over here for cover. The spring rain is chilly, and it will be easy to fall ill if Marquis stays there."
He Changdi didn't move an inch. It was as if the two guards didn't even exist.
The two guards were at a loss for what to do, so they secretly had someone report this to the higher-ups.
Unexpectedly, the servant who went to pass the message returned and told them to leave Marquis Anyuan alone. As long as Honoured Lady Jinyi remained silent, this would be none of their concern, even if he stood there the entire night.
The two guards shared a look. They had no choice but to keep their mouths shut.
Laiyue was standing there holding two umbrellas and was incredibly anxious as well. He was completely soaked, and he had tried to persuade Third Young Master to take an umbrella or go back for now, but He Changdi stayed unmoving like a stone statue.
Like a fool, Laiyue held the umbrellas without opening them, accompanying his 'crazy' master to stand in front of the entrance.
If it wasn't for the fact that these guards refused to let him enter as well, he would have already gone in to look for Third Young Madam with tears in his eyes.
Right as Laiyue began to fall into a daze, he caught sight of someone in his peripheral vision; it was a familiar figure to him.
He abruptly raised his head, and his eyes met with Wenqing's searching gaze.
Laiyue immediately brightened up. He waved at Wenqing from outside the courtyard like an idiot. His smile was so wide that it revealed all of his white teeth.
Wenqing served Third Young Madam personally. Since she had come here at this time, it had to be by Third Young Madam's order.
It seemed like Third Young Master hadn't gotten soaked for nothing. The rainbow had finally come after the storm.
This had truly been an arduous mission.
Wenqing glared at him, then shifted her gaze to He Changdi. She sized him up, then turned away and left quickly.
Laiyue moved closer to He Changdi and said with a silly smile on his face, "Third Young Master, did you see who that was? It was Wenqing."
He Changdi sent a chilly gaze at him, and Laiyue immediately curbed his smile and shut his mouth.
Wenqing narrated what she had seen in full detail to Chu Lian.
Chu Lian sat by the bed, a little stunned. The dim yellow candle light shone on the side of her face, making her small face seem even paler.
As Wenqing didn't hear any reply from Chu Lian, she had to probe again, "Third Young Madam, what should we do?"
Chu Lian sighed softly. "Wenqing, take him to the opposite room and have Wenlan get him a clean set of clothes. Okay, I'm going to sleep now; don't disturb me unless it's for something important."
Wenqing felt a burst of joy inside. Although the majority of the blame for the couple's fight fell upon Third Young Master this time and she wanted to get justice for Third Young Madam as well, the men were still the ones who held the power in the Great Wu Dynasty.
If the relationship between husband and wife deteriorated, Chu Lian would always be on the losing side as the wife.
Wenqing personally went out and conveyed Chu Lian's words to Third Young Master.
This time, He Changdi managed to smoothly enter the courtyard smoothly. He changed into clean, dry clothes in the room beside Chu Lian's.
He wanted to go take a look at Chu Lian, but Wenlan informed him that Third Young Madam had already gone to sleep.
On the other side, the lights were still on in Royal Princess Duanjia's room.
A maidservant was standing beside her and softly reporting something to her.
Once she heard all of it, Royal Princess Duanjia pouted and gestured for the maid to leave.
When she was the only one left inside the room, a tall and burly figure appeared from behind a screen.
He Changjue walked over to the table and sat down. "Third Brother and Third Sister-in-Law have always had a good relationship; why are they suddenly fighting?"
Royal Princess Duanjia rolled her eyes without any care for her image. "Honestly, your brother's heart is like a blob of corniness. Getting soaked in the rain? He obviously did that on purpose! That silly Chu Liu would probably let everything go after he coaxes her a little."
He Changjue awkwardly coughed. "Sanlang isn't as bad as you think. He just really loves his wife."
"Bullshit! Who even shows their love for their wife like this? And is he blind or something? He's been so close to that damned brat Leyao."
He Changjue stiffened up as he was unable to refute that.
Royal Princess Duanjia suddenly turned her head and glared at He Changjue. She pointed her finger right in his face and proclaimed, "If you dare to treat me like this in the future, I'll immediately divorce you!"
He Changjue's face turned black.
The next day, everyone was preparing to return to the capital early in the morning.
As He Changdi had to stay by the emperor's side as a guard, he had already gotten up before dawn.
Before he left, he stood in front of Chu Lian's window for fifteen minutes, finally leaving while suppressing his coughs.
When Chu Lian got up, He Changdi was already long gone.
She endured the urge to ask about He Changdi's condition.
However, her complexion seemed to have greatly improved after a proper night's rest.
Once everything was packed, they boarded the carriage. Only an hour through the journey back to the capital, someone knocked on the window.
Wenlan raised the curtain of the carriage. Seeing the person outside, she greeted, "Good morning, General Sima. Have you come to look for our Third Young Madam?"
Sima Hui was riding on a snow-white horse. Looking incredibly suave in her martial attire, she nodded towards Wenlan with a smile.
A few moments later, Wenqing and Wenlan stepped off the carriage and got onto horses instead, leaving the space in the carriage for Chu Lian and Sima Hui.
The moment Sima Hui entered, she looked around the spacious carriage and even touched the decor. A smile surfaced on her lips as she said, "As expected of the imperial family's carriage. If I hadn't known beforehand, I would have thought that the person riding in here was a prince or princess!"
Chu Lian gave her a look of disdain. "This is a carriage granted by the emperor himself; of course it would be high-quality."
Sima Hui laughed. "That's where you're wrong! The one that Xiao Bojian is riding in isn't as good as this one!"
"Sister Hui, have you come here just to make fun of me?"
"Alright, alright, I'll stop joking with you."
Seeing Sima Hui's serious expression, Chu Lian set aside the smile on her face. With clear eyes and a slight frown, she asked, "What is it?"
Sima Hui sat right next to her, awkwardly clearing her throat before asking, "Lian'er, just what happened between you and He Sanlang?"
Chu Lian: …
Right now, Chu Lian truly wished that she could find a hole and bury her head inside it. Why was it that this insignificant matter between her and her husband was known to everyone around them?
After coming to her tent for a free meal on the first day, Sima Hui had stayed by the emperor's side with the other military officials. The two hadn't even seen each other until now, yet Sima Hui had still caught wind of this.
The corner of Chu Lian's mouth twitched. Only one possibility came to mind. "Was it Fourth Prince who told you about it?"
Prince Jin was the lunatic He Changdi's best friend. If he needed to confide in someone about this, Prince Jin would be his first choice.
Sima Hui smiled and didn't deny it.
After spending some time together in the north, Sima Hui had gotten some understanding of Chu Lian's personality.
She didn't continue pressing Chu Lian about her relationship with her husband and turned the conversation elsewhere. "Lian'er, I wasn't trying to pry. I'm just a messenger sent by Fourth Prince, here to inform you of some facts."
Chu Lian looked confused as she faced Sima Hui.
Facts?
When Sima Hui noticed the dazed look on Chu Lian's cute little face, she knew instantly that her silly friend wasn't in the know.
She sighed inwardly, cursing at He Changdi in her mind for keeping everything hidden from his wife. That man had stuffed all his bitterness and hatred into his heart and suppressed it there. If not for this special situation and Prince Jin's inside knowledge, then this couple's relationship might really have gone beyond the point of repair.
"The silver mine that He Changdi and Prince Jin have been hiding in the north is being investigated."
Chu Lian's eyes widened in disbelief.
Was she joking?! A silver mine?! The discovery of any silver mines had to be reported to the court immediately so that the Ministry of Revenue could make an official report of it to the emperor. The emperor himself would then order the cabinet to pick a few suitable officials to lead a team to develop the mine.
The law here was that no one could develop mines on their own, not even the princes!
He Changdi was way too bold! He actually developed a private mine of his own with Prince Jin!
Thinking back to when they were in the north and how He Changdi's subordinates had kept disappearing, a chill sprung up in Chu Lian's heart. It was her fault for not reading the story to the end and not finding out if there was any information related to the silver mine.
No wonder he had been so generous with his money back then. He had bought her accessories and even that storefront… When she had asked, all he had said was that the money was his and that he had gotten it through legitimate means that had to be kept secret.
Well, now she knew exactly why it had to be kept secret. That money had come from the silver in his illegal mine!
If the emperor really wanted to pursue the matter, he could definitely mete out a heavy punishment. Taking away his official position as well as his noble rank were all within expectations.
"Does His Majesty know?" A tremor had developed in Chu Lian's voice.
Sima Hui nodded gravely. "His Majesty found out right before the spring hunt."
Chu Lian immediately realised how serious the matter was. Her own expression took a turn for the worse.
"And Imperial Concubine Wei knows about this matter as well," Sima Hui calmly added. This bombshell made Chu Lian want to collapse.
She couldn't hold back her gasp.
"But you don't have to worry too much. Prince Jin and Marquis Anyuan have already controlled any news leaks, and there aren't many who know about it. His Majesty has also quietly given them permission to hand over the silver mine to the court through the proper channels instead."
Prince Jin was still the emperor's flesh and blood after all. Although this incident had turned the emperor's impression of him towards the negative, the benefits brought to the country by discovering a new silver mine were enough to grant him some merit for the achievement, enough for the emperor to overlook his mistake.
Chu Lian suddenly thought back to the morning she had seen He Changdi accompanying Imperial Princess Leyao.
Sima Hui seemed to have guessed her train of thought.
"Marquis Anyuan has been accompanying Princess Leyao for the past two days, partly because of the emperor's order, but also due to Imperial Concubine Wei's threats. Imperial Princess Leyao got crippled because of her own reckless actions. Unfortunately, because Marquis Anyuan was nearby when it happened, Imperial Concubine Wei feels that it was Marquis Anyuan's fault for not saving her in time."
Chu Lian's eyes widened. She really couldn't believe what she was hearing.
There were really all these various reasons behind his recent cold behaviour towards her?
Why didn't He Changdi talk to her? When she wanted to open her heart to him, he had kept avoiding her.
As if she were some scary beast.
Sima Hui noticed that Chu Lian had lowered her head and closed her eyes. Her lips were pressed tightly together. The general knew that her friend had taken her words to heart.
"Alright, I'm not going to say anything else. The rest is between you and your husband. If you have the time, go and have a good chat with him."
Sima Hui stroked Chu Lian's smooth hair before lifting the curtain entrance of the carriage and jumping straight out, smoothly landing on her mount. She wielded her horse whip gracefully, and her horse shot forward to join the rest of the military officials further in front.
When the spring hunt party passed the gates of the capital, they each returned to their own estates.
Only a few officials still had to follow behind the emperor and enter the palace for further orders. Chu Lian was intending to wait at Xuanwu Gate for He Changdi so that they could return home together. Unfortunately, Laiyue came out with a special message from He Changdi, telling her to head home first.
Chu Lian thought it over for a moment before shooting a look at Laiyue, who was waiting respectfully at the side. Instead of instructing the driver or the guards to move, she started questioning He Changdi's manservant. "Where did you go last night?"
Laiyue looked up in shock at the question, but quickly lowered his head again to hide the flash of panic in his eyes. He tried his best to calm down and answered, "Replying to Third Young Madam, this servant didn't go anywhere. This servant went to sleep the moment it got dark?"
The usual soft and watery gaze in Chu Lian's eyes was gone, replaced by a frigid glare that could rival her husband's. When it landed on Laiyue's frame, he couldn't bear the pressure and started trembling uncontrollably.
Laiyue's head shrunk even lower. Chu Lian didn't continue speaking and simply stared.
Finally, Laiyue broke under the weight of her gaze and confessed everything. "Third Young Madam, this servant deserves death for lying to you. However, Third Young Master already gave me an order… Last… last night, this servant and Third Young Master went into the forest to pick medicinal herbs. It wasn't until midnight that we finally found all the ingredients that Imperial Concubine Wei needed."
What!
Chu Lian stared at Laiyue in shock, her almond-shaped eyes even wider than usual.
Laiyue thought that Chu Lian didn't believe his words. He pleaded with a sincere and put-out tone, "Third Young Madam, this servant is speaking the truth this time. If this servant lies, then this servant will never…"
"Alright, alright, I heard you. I believe you," Chu Lian cut in. She let down the curtain covering the carriage entrance and settled back into her seat.
Imperial Concubine Wei!
Chu Lian was all puffed up with anger. That woman actually dared to bully her man!
That lunatic He Changdi… He was clearly just a fool! He was so stupid to actually agree to such a ridiculous demand too! Oooh, she was so angry!
Although Laiyue could sense that Third Young Madam was angry, the carriage remained stationary outside of the palace gates.
Did this mean that Third Young Madam was going to wait for Third Young Master to be done?
Laiye perked up. While Third Young Master and Madam had been fighting, he had been the one who suffered the most.
Even he thought himself pitiful.
He Changdi stood with his back ramrod-straight as he strode quickly down the white jade steps of the palace.
His face was ashen. His healthy pink lips were now white and peeling. He would also let out a low cough from time to time; it was clear that he had fallen sick.
However, his icy aura and cold demeanour leant a hint of beauty even to his ill pallor.
While walking along the path to Xuanwu Gate, he kept his gaze lowered. It wasn't until he reached the gates that he looked up.
Only to see a familiar carriage stopped right outside the palace gates, with Laiyue and the estate's guards standing next to it.
He Changdi's eyes lit up; two sparks of light shining steadfastly in the depths of the darkness.
The heart he had encased in ice suddenly melted, as if wrapped in a cocoon of warmth, giving him the urge to sigh from the comfort.
Unknowingly, his steps underneath him quickened.
Laiyue seemed to have spotted him from afar. Since Laiyue couldn't pass through the palace gates, he stood where he was and waved at He Changdi.
For He Changdi, it was as if the clouds had parted, letting the sun shine brightly in his heart once again. He didn't mind Laiyue's silly grin for once and walked over to his manservant in a rare good mood.
Once he stepped out of the palace gates, Laiyue grinned at him and said, "Third Young Master, you've finally come out of the palace! Third Young Madam has been waiting for you for close to two hours!"
The spark in He Changdi's eyes was still resplendent. His expression was as cool as ever, like an icy mountain, and his tone was calm as he instructed Laiyue, "After I board the carriage, tell them to return to the estate."
Laiyue complied with a smile.
He Changdi immediately turned and got onto the carriage after that order.
There was only Chu Lian left in the carriage now. Wenqing and Wenlan seemed to have guessed that he would sit in the carriage with Chu Lian on the way back, so they had gone out and would be returning on horses instead.
Chu Lian was lying on her side on the long bench of the carriage. The bench had been covered in a thick and fluffy fleece carpet. An exquisite coral fleece blanket had been draped over her body. Even in her sleep, her brow was furrowed, showing how badly she slept.
He Changdi made it to her side in two steps and sat down beside her. He reached out and hugged her tightly, pulling her to sit on his lap with her head resting on his broad shoulders.
Chu Lian hadn't been sleeping too deeply, so she was woken by his movements.
For some reason, waking up in this position in his embrace and seeing his pale face closeup brought a pang of heartache. Tears gathered in Chu Lian's eyes and quickly began to fall.
Throwing her arms around his neck, Chu Lian returned his embrace as she curled a hand to wipe at her tears.
She was a little frustrated with herself. What was going on with her mood? Why was she crying for no reason? She had never been a crybaby!
He Changdi's heart had already been aching for his wife ever since the day he had seen her with tear tracks on her face. Now that she was crying right in front of him, his heart ached even more.
He lifted her chin with one hand and bent down to kiss the teardrops off her face. He followed the flow of her tears up to the wet corners of her eyes.
"Lian'er, don't cry, it's all my fault." He didn't know how to comfort others. All he could do was to repeat those two lines.
However, the emotion in his voice held a miraculous power that somehow helped to calm Chu Lian down.
Under his gentle reassurance, her tears quickly stopped flowing.
Chu Lian sniffled pitifully and tightened her hold around He Changdi's neck, pressing her face into his chest.
He Changdi called out gently, "Lian'er?"
"He Changdi, let me lean on you for a while. I don't want to talk right now…" Chu Lian's voice was muffled from where she had buried her head in his chest.
Thus, He Sanlang pressed his lips together and kept his right arm around her waist, using his other hand to stroke her back with a soothing motion. He looked as if he were comforting a child who was feeling wronged.
The carriage started moving slowly.
He Changdi didn't speak and simply kissed the top of Chu Lian's head from time to time, enjoying the familiar sensation of his wife in his arms and her enchanting scent.
Chu Lian hid in the safety of his chest for a long while before finally lifting up her head and looking at He Changdi.
She could tell that he hadn't been very well for the past two days. Stubble was growing on his chin and his lips were peeling. There were also dark circles under his eyes that hadn't been there before.
Chu Lian couldn't resist the urge to kiss him, so she reached up a little and kissed his coarse chin. His stubble was all prickly under her soft lips, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was just… special.
He Changdi started for a bit from Chu Lian's sudden action, and his body froze up for two seconds. Slowly after that, life started returning to his eyes and he met her gaze steadily without blinking, as if he were scared that she would disappear if he blinked.