“Chapter 043”

"Chapter 043"

"Dong Ling, with his head bowed and trembling, retreated behind Lu Jingzhuo."

"Hopefully, he was just overthinking."

"Maybe he had misread the situation."

"After all, it was just an insect."

"Would the Crown Prince really compete with him to remove it?"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

"Fearing more caterpillars might fall, Chu Yin moved away from the jujube trees, walking alone towards the west side."

"She didn’t look in Lu Jingzhuo's direction from start to finish."

"As a Princess Consort, she had lost her composure earlier, lacking the poise of remaining unflustered even if 'Mount Tai were collapsing before her'. Too panicked, she feared Lu Jingzhuo might already be blaming her internally; she didn’t want to give him a reason to criticize her."

"She kept a considerable distance from his figure."

"The autumn wind swept across her face, failing to dispel her unease."

"Lu Jingzhuo felt a lump in his throat, unable to breathe out."

"When Chu Yin screamed earlier, he hadn’t ignored it. He quickly noticed the insect on her sleeve and was about to act, but then she suddenly instructed Dong Ling..."

"He was right there, couldn’t she see him?"

"Shouldn’t a wife seek help from her husband first when startled or frightened?"

"Yet, Chu Yin didn’t."

"Thinking about being admonished by her yesterday to 'mind his manners', Lu Jingzhuo's sense of irritation deepened."

"'Your Highness, please enter the sedan chair,' Dong Ling reminded."

"The Crown Prince had actually walked past the sedan chair."

"Lu Jingzhuo paused his steps and turned around."

"Dong Ling lifted the sedan curtain."

"As he lowered it, the light inside shifted from bright to dark. In that instant, his gaze met his master’s, feeling like he was staring at a slab of ice. The relief he had just felt shattered."

"The master must be very bothered by the incident with the insect!"

"Dong Ling's face turned pale immediately."

"Could it be he shouldn’t have followed the Princess Consort’s order?"

"But in that situation, could he, a mere servant, have refused?"

"He wasn’t a mind-reader, knowing the Crown Prince's thoughts. So, it couldn’t all be his fault, right?"

"While Dong Ling comforted himself, Lu Jingchen was full of curiosity."

"From the recent incident, it seemed his brother and sister-in-law were quite at odds."

"What was the reason?"

"He had seen them holding hands, and even when drugged, his brother hadn’t touched another woman. It shouldn’t be like this."

"Could something significant have happened during the journey?"

"Was it something related to the Chu family, or..."

"The more he thought about it, the more curious he became."

"When the small sedan arrived at the county government office, it was already midday."

"The magistrate of Lu County, trembling with fear, looked over old case files, wondering why the Crown Prince had sent him away. What had he done wrong? Surely it couldn't really be about the bed; was the Crown Prince blaming him for not sleeping well?"

"Sweat rolled down his forehead as he wiped it away, hearing that the three had returned."

"The magistrate hurried out to greet them."

"Anticipating his inquiry about lunch, Chu Yin proactively ordered dishes."

"The magistrate then explained the backlog of cases: 'Your Highness, indeed I have several unresolved cases, not due to negligence but truly because the coroner couldn't find anything, or it was...' He scrambled for excuses."

"But which government office doesn't have unsolvable cases? Lu Jingzhuo merely found an excuse to send him away."

"'As long as your conscience is clear.'"

"Hearing this, the magistrate grew even more fearful."

"How many officials could truly claim a clear conscience? To climb the ranks, one often dabbles in murky waters. He feared the Crown Prince might have investigated him, feeling a chill to the bone, he murmured softly, 'Yes, yes, Your Highness is absolutely right!'"

"As he stepped out, he almost stumbled and fell."

"Han Xiancheng quickly steadied him, 'Be careful, sir!'"

"In front of the people, the magistrate of Lu County was a figure of imposing authority, firm in his decisions. Yet in front of the Crown Prince, he was as timid as a mouse. Han Xiancheng found it amusing, though he himself was no different, often ingratiating himself with the magistrate, mixed with a bit of schadenfreude."

"Go and ask them if they want to change their sleeping quarters," the magistrate of Lu County suddenly instructed.

Han Xiancheng couldn't find it amusing anymore.

The three visitors found the suggestion of changing rooms quite peculiar.

Lu Jingchen questioned, "The arrangements are quite good, why change?"

"If it's fine, then good. We were worried it might not suit the three of you," Han Xiancheng glanced towards Lu Jingzhuo, "Are Your Highnesses sure you don't want to change?"

"What's with these county office people? Can't they focus their attention elsewhere?"

Lu Jingzhuo's expression darkened slightly, "No need."

Seeing this, Han Xiancheng hurriedly excused himself.

Lu Jingchen chuckled, "This magistrate sure knows how to ingratiate himself, worried about big brother and sister-in-law not sleeping comfortably." But he completely misunderstood; their discomfort was due to a quarrel, not the sleeping arrangements. He asked about the afternoon's plans, "What do you intend to do later, big brother?"

"The farmers will start sowing tomorrow."

"We need to ensure everything goes smoothly here before moving on to the next county."

Lu Jingzhuo didn’t respond; he was pondering what Chu Yin would do.

"We'll discuss it later."

"Chu Yin had planned to visit various places since leaving the palace, ideally with Lu Jingzhuo. But given his rigid nature and yesterday's incident, she doubted he'd agree."

Chu Yin remained silent.

"Meanwhile, at the Marquis of Xuan Ning's residence, Jiang Lin and Jiang Min knelt before Princess Baocheng, the latter quite young, clutching her mother's leg. Together, they pleaded, 'Father has realized his mistake. He's been kneeling outside these past two days, begging for your forgiveness. Why not give him another chance? He's sincerely remorseful. Mother, please don't be so heartless! You wouldn't want to drive father to despair, would you?'"

"Jiang Xian, seeing her adamant about divorcing, tried everything to make her stay – crying, fasting, even kneeling – and now he started using their two sons, hoping to soften Princess Baocheng's heart."

"But Princess Baocheng only felt disgusted."

"It was only now she realized her husband's only merit was his eloquence, just like his cousin, sweet-talking but treacherous."

"Without this 'merit,' he was nothing."

"She vowed never to marry such a man again!"

"Princess Baocheng ordered her sons to stand up: 'Your persuasion is futile. I must divorce him... Lin'er, Min'er, once I inform my brother, he will support me. Even if he is reluctant, he must agree. When the time comes, I will move out of the marquis’ residence. You are still his blood, so I will leave him his dignity and title, to avoid any loss to you,'" she said with a sardonic smile, "'You said I'm driving him to death? Wait till my brother’s decree arrives, and see if he dares to defy it to the point of death!'"

"If he truly hanged himself, she would have a bit more respect for him, but Jiang Xian was clearly spineless."

"Regrettably, she had been too gullible, believing his sweet nothings over the years, thinking he would be faithful."

"Seeing his mother's resolute decision, Jiang Lin sighed deeply, 'Well, if you really can’t live with father, I won't insist,' knowing he could do nothing against his uncle's influence and his future depended on his mother, 'I will persuade father to let go.'"

"Jiang Min, still somewhat naïve, asked, 'Will mother ever come back if she moves out?'"

"'No, but you and Lin'er are always welcome to stay with me.'"

"As Jiang Min was about to say something, Jiang Lin stopped him, 'Let's leave it at that. It's pointless to discuss further. As sons, we just hope both our parents can be happy.'"

"The elder son, after all, had grown up and learned to weigh pros and cons. Princess Baocheng waved them off, 'Alright, leave me. I need to rest.'"

"The brothers bowed and left."

………………

"Meanwhile, Lu Jingzhuo was sitting in the side room, browsing through agricultural books."

"Dong Ling attended to him while mulling over his own cautious thoughts."

"Should I apologize quickly?"

"The Crown Prince is so adept at concealing his feelings. Just because he hasn’t explicitly pointed out my mistake doesn’t mean he has forgotten it."

"There’s a saying, ‘To serve the emperor is to walk with a tiger.’ I've seen in the palace how some eunuchs, boasting one day, were punished the next, either dead or crippled, always meeting a tragic end."

"Taking the opportunity to pour tea, Dong Ling glanced at Lu Jingzhuo again."

"The master had just flipped back to the page he had turned, clearly not focusing on the content."

"Dong Ling grew even more anxious."

"It couldn’t just be about the insect, could it?"

"It must be because of the argument with the Princess Consort that the master is so distracted."

"Setting down the teapot, his hands twisted together nervously."

"No, I must admit my mistake first."

"Dong Ling knelt down with a 'thump.'"

"The sound was crisp, drawing a glance from Lu Jingzhuo."

"Dong Ling said, 'I should not have touched that insect. Please, Your Highness, forgive my transgression!'"

“……”

"He hadn’t actually blamed him, had he?"

"Lu Jingzhuo said indifferently, 'Get up.'"

"'I will not rise until you forgive me,' Dong Ling insisted, forehead pressed against the floor tiles."

"Lu Jingzhuo raised an eyebrow, 'You think this is a crime? What crime is it?'"

"'The fault lies in not waiting for your command, Your Highness. As your attendant, I should not have acted without your order... Even if it was just an insect, I should have waited for your instructions!'"

"Dong Ling rarely made mistakes. Today, he acted this way because Chu Yin was without her maids, but it was just about removing an insect. He couldn’t believe his own fear."

"Was his behavior really that obvious?"

"He fell silent."

"Dong Ling’s heart pounded loudly, uncertain of what the Crown Prince was thinking."

"Hopefully, he wouldn’t really be punished."

"Lu Jingzhuo suddenly asked, 'Do you feel guilty just because you acted on your own initiative?'"

"'That...'" Dong Ling hesitated, stammering, "'Not entirely. It’s because... since you are the Princess Consort’s husband, it should be up to you... In short, I am at fault!'"

“……”

"He had figured it out; Dong Ling thought he wanted to remove the insect himself."

"But that was just a fleeting thought, and yet it was so easily perceived."

"Did he really... think that way?"

"Lu Jingzhuo pinched the bridge of his nose, 'Get up, I don’t blame you, but don’t let it happen again.'"

"'Your Highness is generous, I will remember this,' Dong Ling said as he rose and stepped back."

"The tea gradually cooled, its aroma fading."

"Lu Jingzhuo thought of Chu Yin's words from yesterday."

"She was prone to changing her mind, but demanding him to be cautious was new."

"The last significant change was after returning from Wenshu Monastery. He thought it was because she felt chastised by him, so she stopped being coquettish, but this time…"

"Could it be that she was actually angry?"

"This word felt somewhat unfamiliar to him."

"He had never seen Chu Yin angry."

"Why would she be angry?"

"Lost in thought, it took a while before he picked up his tea to drink."

"It had completely cooled down."

"In the bedroom, Chu Yin was instructing Lian Qiao and Ren Dong to find a simple and elegant dress for her, so she could look like an ordinary lady."

"She wanted to visit the streets of Nanyang County, and dressing too lavishly would attract attention."

"As Ren Dong searched, she asked, 'Is the Princess Consort going with His Highness?'"

"'The Crown Prince probably doesn’t have time.'"

"Ren Dong was surprised, 'You’re going out alone?'"

"'Why not?'"

"In the palace, she had to follow strict rules and couldn’t leave freely, but she never felt it was a hardship."

"Loss and gain always go hand in hand."

"Now in Nanyang County and able to go out, why shouldn’t she? Besides, she wasn’t without secret guards."

"Frowning, Ren Dong stepped back, 'At least you should inform His Highness, right?'"

"'Of course.' She wouldn’t leave without asking, and she needed to seek Lu Jingzhuo's approval."

"She wondered if he would allow it..."

"Chu Yin instructed Lian Qiao to style her hair in a simple single-coil bun, adorned with a carved white jade hairpin."

"Once ready, Chu Yin planned to head to the side hall."

"But just as she stepped out of the door, she unexpectedly saw Lu Jingzhuo approaching. She paused briefly, then curtsied, 'I pay my respects to Your Highness.'"

"Noticing her change in attire from the morning, Lu Jingzhuo observed, 'Why have you changed your dress?'"

"Not just that, her hairstyle was different too."

"In her light blue dress and white skirt, with rosy cheeks and red lips, she looked like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl."

"Chu Yin replied, 'I wanted to take a walk on the streets, and was just about to ask for your permission.'"

"Her face wasn’t tense; she didn’t seem angry."

"Since her anger seemed to have subsided, she must be inviting him to join her, right?"

"Lu Jingzhuo’s eyes softened slightly, 'A walk might be nice.'"

"'You agree?'"

"'Yes.'"

"It was surprisingly easy, which astonished Chu Yin."

"She thought he would lecture her about propriety, how it’s unbecoming for a princess consort to roam the streets."

"With a slight smile, Chu Yin said, 'Thank you, Your Highness. Then I shall go.'"

“……”

"She wasn’t inviting him to accompany her?"

"Lu Jingzhuo frowned."

"In the unfamiliar Nanyang County, she planned to go out alone?"

"As he saw her figure almost disappearing through the courtyard door, he called out to her, 'Ah Yin.'"

"His voice, deep and commanding, made Chu Yin’s heart skip a beat, fearing he might change his mind."

"Turning around, she said, 'Your Highness, I will have secret guards with me.' There’s no issue of safety, so what reason could he have to stop her?"

"Hearing this, Lu Jingzhuo was certain that Chu Yin’s anger had not subsided."

"She was still upset about the comment in the carriage; all he had intended was a reminder for her to be mindful of the setting."

"Was he wrong? No."

"Even now, he still believed so. However, as his wife, Chu Yin’s initiative to kiss him was seeking a response. From her perspective, her disappointment was understandable. Perhaps he should have responded more softly at the time."

"Lu Jingzhuo declared, 'I’ll come too.'"

"What?" Chu Yin thought she misheard, "You’re coming?"

"'Yes.'"

"It was so unexpected, Chu Yin didn’t know how to react."

"Lu Jingzhuo moved to her side, 'Let’s go.'"

"'Um…'"

"She took a few steps forward then paused, 'Why do you want to come?'"

"He didn’t want to."

"But he also didn’t want Chu Yin to go out alone, so he had no choice but to accompany her."

"The two got into the carriage."

"The coachman in front asked, 'Where do Your Highnesses plan to go?'"

"Lu Jingzhuo replied, 'You decide.'"

"Unfamiliar with Nanyang County, Chu Yin thought for a moment, 'Perhaps the busiest place.'"

"The busiest place would naturally have the most people. Lu Jingzhuo glanced at his wife, still strikingly beautiful despite her efforts to conceal it, 'We probably shouldn’t show our faces there,' and instructed Dong Ling, 'Find two veiled hats.'"

"Chu Yin did not object."

"She was still puzzled by Lu Jingzhuo's attitude."

"It was unlike him to voluntarily accompany her outside."

"Could he be using this as an opportunity to investigate some case?"

"Chu Yin pondered this as she looked out the window."

"The carriage entered a street lined with stalls, filled with constant calls from vendors."

"Her gaze swept over stalls selling fragrant pears, candied hawthorns, dried plums and apricots, and then..."

"Just as she was about to look further, the man beside her suddenly reached out and closed the carriage window."

"Chu Yin turned in confusion, but before she could ask why, he pressed her against the carriage wall and began to kiss her."

"Although the window was closed, the noise from outside still intermittently filtered in, as if it were just inches away."

"Recalling how he disliked her kissing his cheek even on the open road, and now..."

"A thought crossed her mind."

"Could he have been drugged again?"