CH 175

“Don’t you want to find a good husband? I think he’s not bad.”

At the very least he was attentive, and he seemed not to care whose baby the child in Zhu Zhu’s belly was.

Ming Zhu also understood that Wei Chiyu was very good to her, regardless of whether he could get anything in return, but she could not get over that barrier in her heart, and always felt guilty inside.

Hong Ling couldn’t bear to see her sad expression, and asked, “Do you like him?”

Ming Zhu said truthfully: “I did before.”

Hong Ling did not understand very well the feelings between men and women, “And then what happened after?”

Chapter 175

(62.4)

In the past, Ming Zhu’s relationship with Wei Chiyu was like a younger sister being dependent on her older brother. Later, she fell in love with Zhao Zhi, and experienced once all the joys and sorrows of life, she also died once.

Even now, whenever she thought of Zhao Zhi, her heart still hurt.

She lowered her eyelashes, “After, I was deceived by someone else.”

“Ah, you are very silly, it is not strange that you would be deceived.” Hong Ling said her most sincere and heartfelt words to her, “Anyway, I think this Lord Wei is very good, definitely better than that man you had before!”

Ming Zhu still felt sad.

She was not completely devoid of feelings for Wei Chiyu.

Last night, she even dreamed of him. She dreamed that she and he had successfully gotten married.

***

Not many people were aware that Zhao Zhi and Song Huaiqing had arrived in Yangzhou.

Song Huaiqing had heard about the death of the crown prince’s favorite concubine, which was why he was in a bad mood. So, on the entire journey, Song Huaiqing did not say anything unpleasant in front of him.

The beauty died at such a young age, and even he felt some kind of indefinable regret in his heart.

The vulgar women in his backyard were tasteless and boring.

Song Huaiqing was very perceptive and did not mention one word about Ming Zhu in front of him, pretending not to know about the death of this person.

However, after a few days, Song Huaiqing felt that the rumors were wrong, no matter how he looked at it, Zhao Zhi did not look like he was particularly sad.

“Your Highness, there is a temple in Yangzhou, I heard that going there to pray for marriage is the most effective.”

“You want to go?” Zhao Zhi didn’t have any interest in it and gave him an indifferent look, “I’m not available.”

Song Huaiqing had a lot of girls pursuing him, so naturally, he did not lack any potential brides. But he had committed too many sins, and every place he went to, he would always go to the temple to wash away the foul aura on him, “Then I will go by myself.”

“As you wish.”

Song Huaiqing really did go to the temple, where he burned two incense sticks and donated some money. When he was leaving the temple, he saw a woman with a bulging belly, whose appearance and demeanor inexplicably attracted him.

She was a few steps away, he watched her from afar, a veil was hiding her face, but her eyes looked exceptionally beautiful, reminding him of another woman.

Song Huaiqing felt it was a pity, if this girl was not a married woman, he might have taken her back to the capital and given her to Zhao Zhi.

Let’s not mention anything else, this girl’s charm and grace looked exactly like Zhao Zhi’s favorite concubine. Bringing her back as a substitute wasn’t something impossible.

When Song Huaiqing came back from the temple, he told Zhao Zhi about this matter, Zhao Zhi listened to him speak, without any interest.

Song Huaiqing did not speak any longer either, lest his good intentions would bring the opposite effect.

There was a vendor selling tanghulu on the street. The infantile voice of a crying child was piercing to the ears.

“Daddy, I want to eat candy.”

The man carried his daughter on his shoulder, “Alright, alright, alright.”

The little girl got the tanghulu, which she almost loved too much to eat. She could only bear to lick it little by little. The man smiled and walked away while carrying his daughter.

Zhao Zhi watched the scene, somewhat in a daze.

“The abbot of the temple told me that dead souls can’t be reincarnated if they don’t get released from the purgatory.” Zhao Xin had pleaded Song Huaiqing, which was why he said those words, “Besides, that child of yours is a girl, you also can’t bear to let her become a wandering soul that can’t be reincarnated.”

Zhao Xin’s face turned white inch by inch, it was like his brain was being hammered with nails, like sharp thorns were piercing his temples, he clenched his teeth, trembling lightly.

Zhao Zhi, who felt a little breathless, told him to shut up.

Song Huaiqing still went on to say, “Your concubine is of low status, so it is indeed inappropriate to conduct a funeral, but the child is your flesh and blood, you should not be so cruel.”

Zhao Zhi’s eyes felt so painful he couldn’t open them. The corners of his mouth pulled up in a smile, his chest seemed to be tearing apart, as he asked, “What am I going to do a burial with?”

Her corpse was incomplete.

The child was even not yet formed, even the ashes and bones were indistinguishable.

It was unsure who he was asking that question to while he swallowed back the overflowing blood in his mouth as if nothing was the matter.

(63.1)

Song Huaiqing was stumped by his question and remained speechless for a while.

Zhao Zhi pursed his lips and swallowed the fishy and sweet blood. His countenance remained cold like jade, as he said: “I still have things to do, I’ll leave first.”

Song Huaiqing watched him walk away, before going back to his secondary residence in Yangzhou.

Zhao Zhi inquired about where to find a skilled craftsman and went to visit one with the jade crown. The craftsman took it and put it under the sunlight to examined it carefully.

The fine crack was not too big.

After a pause, the craftsman then told him the truth: “But if you’d like to restore it to its original state, it is not very possible.”

Zhao Zhi paid the silver. His voice sounded slightly cold, “I’ll trouble to give it a try.”

Looking at his clothes, the craftsman could see that he did not look like a poor man and could not help but ask: “This jade crown is not worth much, the silver you gave is enough to buy several more of these.”

Why bother to mend the bumps and bruises on the corners of this thing? This was neither a rare nor precious thing, so if it was broken, why not just replace it?