CH 49

T/N: Thank you so much for the ko-fi, Jessica! Double updates today as my token of appreciation. Enjoy~ 

Su Guifei saw Jiuzhu come out and glanced at Xiangjuan, who shook her head slightly to indicate that Ming guniang was not summoned by them.

She immediately smiled: “Jiuzhu is right. Although Ning Fei is at fault, it does not extend to her son. Xiangjuan, send someone to the infirmary and invite the best physician for treating wounds.”

“This slave obeys Guifei niangniang’s order.” Xiangjuan smiled, walked to the side and said in a voice neither too high nor too low: “Guifei niangniang is worried about Qi Junwang’s condition. Why don’t you all hurry and summon an imperial physician ?”

“Ning Fei.” Su Guifei looked at Ning, who was kneeling on the ground with a bitter expression. “As his mother, why did you not persuade Yanze against kneeling with you? If this matter spreads, others might think that I, as the Guifei niangniang, deliberately made things difficult for a prince.”

Sighing, she continued: “Look, this child’s face is so pale. Duqing, help your fourth brother up. Assist him in. Xiangjuan, fetch a soft cushion and be careful, do not touch Yanze’s wound.”

“Fourth brother, please get up.” Chen Wang held Yun Yanze’s arm as he struggled.

“Fourth brother.” He smiled. “You should be more careful. If you accidentally fall and your old wounds reopen, you will suffer a lot.”

Yun Yanze was forcefully lifted off the ground. As he stood up, the wounds on his back got rubbed, causing itching and pain, but he endured it.

“Mother Consort Su…” 

“Fourth Prince need not speak anymore.” Su Guifei interrupted Yun Yanze. “Every state has its laws, and every family has its rules. Since Ning Fei made a mistake, it is a matter of the harem. You are not Ning Fei’s child only; you are also His Majesty’s child and a junwang of Da Cheng. If you do not abide by the laws of the state and the family, how will others perceive our court and the imperial family?”

Jiuzhu nodded from behind silently. Guifei niangniang’s words make a lot of sense.

“Why are you nodding?” Chen Wang tapped her head lightly and whispered: “Let me share some philosophy of life.”

“What?” Jiuzhu leaned closer to him.

“When harem women fight, remember to stay away.” Chen Wang pressed Yun Yanze onto a chair, and Jiuzhu noticed Qi Junwang’s brows twitch the moment he sat down.

“Why?” 

“Because if you do not stand far away, blood could splash onto you.” He sighed. He had originally planned to leave early, but it seemed like he wouldn’t be able to leave for some time now.

“Oh.” Jiuzhu stood to the side, pondering for a moment, then turned to look at Chen Wang.

“Why are you looking at me?” He asked in confusion.

“I was just wondering what I should do if the women of Your Highness’ backyard quarrel with me after we get married.” She rubbed her forehead in distress.

Chen Wang’s expression changed several times and finally ashened. “You haven’t even married me but you are already thinking about pushing me to other women?”

Seeing his unsightly expression, she took a step back. “Your Highness, why are you angry?”

Chen Wang snorted. Dealing with just her is already enough of a headache. Why need others? 

See them gather and do idle chit-chat?

“You–” Chen Wang reached out and flicked her forehead. Doing so, he remembered that he had made her forehead red earlier, so he coiled back. “Can’t you think of something good?”

“Then…” Jiuzhu hesitated: “Hope Your Highness’ backyard remains harmonious and without quarrels?”

She lowered her head and looked at Chen Wang’s sleeve. Imagining a strange young girl tugging at this piece of clothing, her shoulders drooped unconsciously.

Chen Wang sighed deeply, reminding himself not to get angry with a little guniang like her. He picked up a tangerine from the table and said: “Just be good and eat this.”

Jiuzhu held the tangerine in her hands, sat down beside him without a word and started poking it.

Yun Yanze looked at Ming Jiuzhu, who was poking the fruit with her fingers. The corners of her mouth were pursed slightly, making her seem a little unhappy.

Feeling a gaze on her, Jiuzhu raised her head and saw Yun Yanze looking at her. She blinked and lowered her head, continuing to play with the tangerine.

“Ming Xiaozhu.”

“Ming Xiaozhu?” Chen Wang walked over to her side with a plate of snacks and sat down before her. “Eat some snacks.”

He glanced at the tangerine in Jiuzhu’s hands, took it from her, and peeled it in a few swift movements. “Tired?”

Jiuzhu shook her head.

Chen Wang stuffed the peeled fruit into Jiuzhu’s palm. “Why do you suddenly seem listless?”

Jiuzhu still shook her head. She split the tangerine into two and handed one half to Chen Wang. “Uncomfortable.”

“Where?” Chen Wang stood up, walked to her side, touched her forehead, and then pinched her palm. “Are you sick?”

“No.” Jiuzhu tugged his sleeve without speaking.

“Your Highness, Imperial Physician Wang has arrived.” Xiangjuan entered with an elderly man wearing an imperial physician’s robe.

“Just in time.” Chen Wang looked at him: “Imperial Physician Wang, examine Ming Xianzhu’s pulse.”

Imperial Physician Wang glanced doubtfully at Qi Junwang, who was sitting on the other side. Wasn’t he summoned to treat Qi Junwang’s injury? But he didn’t dare to offend Chen Wang, so he walked over, took out a clean silk handkerchief from the medicine chest and said: “Xianzhu, please extend your wrist.”

Jiuzhu placed her hand on the table and watched as he placed the handkerchief on her wrist to take her pulse. She turned toward Chen Wang. “Your Highness, I really am fine.”

“The Imperial Physician will tell whether you’re fine or not.” Chen Wang didn’t give her a chance to speak. “He is a physician, Ben Wang will listen to him.”

Imperial Physician Wang was moved. His gaze turned to Chen Wang; there was finally a prince who valued his abilities.

However…

After checking Ming Xianzhu’s pulse with both hands, he couldn’t detect anything. There didn’t seem to be any problem ah.

“Your Highness, Xianzhu is in good health.”

“Then why was she cheerful just a moment ago but suddenly became so dispirited now?” Hearing that Jiuzhu was fine, Chen Wang was relieved.

Imperial Physician Wang put away the handkerchief, not knowing how he could explain to Chen Wang that a woman suddenly becoming dispirited from being happy didn’t necessarily mean she was sick. It could also mean she was upset or angry.

After all, an unmarried man wouldn’t understand women. 

“Please don’t worry, Your Highness. Perhaps Xianzhu would feel better after a night’s rest.” Imperial Physician Wang smiled faintly. Don’t be anxious, don’t be in a hurry. Life will slowly teach you a lot of things. 

A man who hadn’t experienced a woman’s anger could not be regarded as mature. 

He stood up, looking at Chen Wang as if he were a watermelon that was about to ripen.

Somewhat uncomfortable at being stared at weirdly by Imperial Physician Wang, Chen Wang clicked his tongue. Who is this old doctor actually treating?

Once Imperial Physician Wang finished checking Yun Yanze’s pulse, he turned to Jiuzhu and spoke up: “Go and sleep if you are tired. I’ll come to fetch you from Mingyue Palace tomorrow morning.”

Jiuzhu nodded reluctantly.

She stood up and glanced at Yun Yanze. Maybe it was because of his relationship with Zheng family, but she couldn’t admire Qi Junwang like others. She actually tensed up whenever he approached Chen Wang.

Thinking for a moment, she sat back down.

“Aren’t you sleepy?” Chen Wang asked in confusion when he saw her sit back down.

“No, I’m not sleepy.” Jiuzhu shook her head. “I still want to sit here with Your Highness.”

She yawned as she spoke.

Not sleepy even after yawning like this? 

He felt helpless: “Go and sleep.”

She leaned on the table, rejecting his suggestion with her actions. Her gold hairpin shone brightly under the candlelight. 

Sure enough, her little temper had grown after supporting him financially. Chen Wang touched the pouch at his waist, which contained the silver Jiuzhu had given him.

Well, since he had accepted the money, it didn’t matter if she threw a tantrum.

Real men don’t fuss over such trivial matters with little guniangs.

“Your Highness, although your wound has started to scab, do not strain it often until it’s completely healed.” Imperial Physician Wang took out a bottle of medicine from his medicine chest. “This is a wound medicine that xiachen personally prepared. Please apply it on time, Your Highness.”

“Many thanks, Imperial Physician Wang.” Yun Yanze smiled bitterly, seemingly helpless.

Imperial Physician Wang closed his medicine chest and said: “Since Your Highness’ injury is not too deep, xiachen wishes to take his leave.”

“Imperial Physician Wang, this slave will see you off.” Xiangjuan took out a pouch of silver and handed it to Imperial Physician Wang. “It’s very cold today. Niangniang felt extremely guilty to have you rush over. Take this money and have a cup of hot tea.”

He refused a few times before putting it into his sleeve.

As soon as he walked to the door, he heard Su Guifei’s voice.

“You have committed a great crime. Ben Gong should have slowly settled the accounts with you today, but since Miss Sun knelt down to plead on your behalf, Ben Gong won’t bother with you tonight.”

“The Sun family has generations worth of literary reputation and produced many well-known and loyal ministers. Ben Gong does not want one of their descendants to suffer because of you. You can go back now. His Majesty will take care of the rest.”

Imperial Physician Wang was bewildered. What exactly did Ning Fei do to warrant Qi Junwang and his wife to kneel down to plead for mercy?

It was widely rumored that Su Guifei looked down on scholars, but did she not think about the Sun family’s face and let Junwangfei kneel and beg for mercy at night?

The harem had many taboos, especially one about the juniors kneeling down at a palace’s gate without distinguishing right from wrong in a matter, making the entire harem laugh at their expense.

Su Guifei allowing him to come and treat Qi Junwang’s wound and letting Ning Fei go back, was all for giving some face to the young couple.

In the side hall, Sun Caiyao had been waiting for a long time, but no one from Mingyue Palace came in. Just when she was distraught with anxiety, she overheard some palace maids mentioning ‘Qi Junwang‘, ‘imperial physician’ and so on. She couldn’t sit still anymore and opened the door to rush out.

There weren’t many people in the corridor. The cold wind made her shiver. She quickened her pace and walked to the main hall.

She stopped outside the brightly lit main hall and looked in.

Ming Jiuzhu was leaning on the intricately carved small table, while Chen Wang was leaning sideways, not knowing if he was looking at her hairpin or her side profile. The atmosphere was particularly harmonious.

She looked across the table.

His Highness?

As she lifted her foot, preparing to step into the room, she realized that his gaze was actually fixed on Ming Jiuzhu.

In that instant, her heart seemed to have plunged to the lowest.

Since their marriage, she had been tormented by a constant mix of guilt and secret joy. She didn’t dare to face Ming Jiuzhu, whose fate she had stolen, but she was elated by Qi Junwang’s tender care and consideration.

She was afraid at the thought of him standing with Ming Jiuzhu because she couldn’t forget that he had feelings for her in that dream.

What she found even more terrifying was that he died at her hands in the dream.

“Your Highness…” She opened her mouth, her voice as thin as a thread.

Surprisingly, the one who heard her voice was Ming Jiuzhu, who was leaning on the table. She suddenly raised her head, her bright eyes looking in her direction. 

She lowered her eyelids, unable to meet the other person’s gaze directly.

“Caiyao.” Yun Yanze followed Ming Jiuzhu’s gaze and looked over: “Why are you here?”

“Your Highness.” Sun Caiyao walked to Yun Yanze’s side, grabbed his arm and forced a smile: “Let’s go back.”

You need to stay away from Ming Jiuzhu, or else you’ll die at her hands.

“Your Highness, Junwangfei.” Xiangjuan entered the hall and smiled at the two of them. “Guifei niangniang was moved by your filial piety and asked you to accompany Ning Fei niangniang back.”

Yun Yanze stood up and thanked her.

Xiangjuan smiled silently.

Having you accompany Ning Fei doesn’t equate to overlooking any of the accounts. 

If anything, it implies that she would deal with it after a good night’s sleep.

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