CH 172

Seeing the lamps still lit inside the study, the intendant Lin sighed, “Everyone retire now.”

“Yes.”

It was already late past midnight, the crown prince once again was going to stay up all night, how could his body stand it in the long run?

The next day, after the morning court, Zhao Zhi was called to the study by his father.

Zhao Nanyu had raised his son himself, and he knew very well in his heart what kind of temperament Zhao Zhi had.

“Your mother is very worried about you these days, she said you have lost weight.”

That he was thin and pale.

Zhao Nanyu, with a brush in his hand, indifferently glanced at him, “Since these are your matters, you handle them yourself, but there is one thing, do not make your mother worry.”

Zhao Zhi bowed his head and lowered his eyes, “Yes.”

“It’s just a dead person in your backyard, right? As I see it, you didn’t like her very much anyway.”

Zhao Zhi was unable to answer, and he simply did not speak.

Zhao Nanyu knew about the fact that he had forcibly snatched the daughter of a common family, but he didn’t care and was too lazy to care. Now, the person was dead, and he was the only to blame for not looking after her properly, no one else could be blamed.

“Since it was your weakness, it may not be a bad thing to have lost it.” Zhao Nanyu said those words with deep meaning.

Zhao Zhi raised his pale face, “Is that so?”

His hoarse and dry voice trembled a little.

He once thought so too, the crown prince was not supposed to have any weakness.

“I don’t know, that’s something you have to ask yourself.”

Zhao Zhi did not like anything that made him lose control, he had an extremely strong control over everything in his life. He suddenly could understand the reason why in those illusions-like dreams, he would see himself forcing her to die, time and time again.

The reason for this was that he did not want to let himself be bound by love.

Zhao Nanyu took a look at him and added, “If you can’t figure things out, go out on a trip to relieve yourself.”

Zhao Zhi hummed.

Song Luan was very happy when she learned that her son had finally stopped locking himself up in the capital and was going on a trip for a break.

Zhao Zhi looked thinner and thinner each day, he really needed a good rest.

Song Luan asked him where he was planning to go.

Zhao Zhi truthfully said: “I have not decided yet. “

Song Luan laughed, “Your older cousin happens to be going to Yangzhou tomorrow, why don’t you go with him and then come back together?”

Zhao Zhi did not really want to go to Jiangnan. He put down the cup in his hand, “Forget it, I’ll go to the village to pick up my sister, lest she hold a grudge against me in her heart for a long time.”

“She wouldn’t bear to hold a grudge against you.”

Zhao Zhi smiled and did not say a word. But in the evening, he suddenly changed his mind and decided to go to Yangzhou with Song Huaiqing.

The reason was none other than the jade crown that Ming Zhu had given him, it was cracked.

This was one of the few things she had given him.

He heard that there were many skilled craftsmen in Yangzhou, and he wanted to properly fix this jade crown.

(TL’s note : I think the author made a mistake here, because if I remember correctly, Zhao Zhi himself smashed that jade crown, and broke it in pieces, so that jade crown isn’t supposed to only be “cracked”)

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(62.1)

In this blue and rainy day, the surrounding water mist blew on people’s face, dazzling and blurring the vision in front of the eyes.

Wei Chiyu, in a panicked haste, chased after the voice, only to see the graceful back of a figure. He clenched his fists, trying his best to restrain his emotions.

Although it was only a fleeting glance, but he would never mistake her for anyone else.

After a while, Wei Chiyu gradually calmed down, he had clenched his fingers so hard, one could hear the harsh sound of misaligned bones. His face was taut like frost, as he went back to the Duan residence.

Ming Zhu and Hong Ling had not expected that it would rain, the weather in the south was really unpredictable.

The two, lifting their skirts to pass by the rain puddles, hurried back home. Fortunately, they walked quickly, and their clothes were not completely soaked by the rain.

Hong Ling locked the courtyard door with two locks while she said, “This weather is a bully, we just arrived home and look, it’s not raining anymore.”

Ming Zhu was a little cold, she poured a cup of hot tea, and held the cup of tea in the palm of her hands to warm herself up.

Hong Ling continued to ramble, “Zhu Zhu, I think it’s better that we look for a guard to protect the residence. Just now, I felt that someone was following us.”

Ming Zhu was not as perceptive as she was, “Really?”

Hong Ling nodded, “My intuition is never wrong, besides you are beautiful, there might be a lecher trying to do you harm.”

Ming Zhu felt that Yangzhou was a safe city, but Hong Ling had a point, two women living alone, it indeed didn’t seem very safe, it was easy for people to notice and target them.

“But how are we going to hire a guard?”

“I also don’t know.” Hong Ling wasn’t clear about anything related to spending silver, but she continued, “But it’s okay even if we don’t hire one, it’s not like I can’t beat intruders on my own.”

If Hong Ling didn’t have some skills with her fists and legs, she wouldn’t be able to survive to this day. She rummaged through the cupboard and found two axes used for chopping firewood. Holding the handles, she lifted her hands and slammed the blades on the surface of the table, saying, “I’d like to see who dares to bully us.”