Chapter 62: The Emperor’s Intention

Chapter 62

Yuwen Hao laughed and said, "I recommended you because I feel you are more suitable. Eldest brother probably wants to do it himself, but I don't like eldest brother, so of course I wouldn't recommend him."

Tang Yang's expression also darkened as he said, "Your Highness, this recommendation of yours will harm Prince Chu."

Prince Sun was taken aback, "How would it harm him? I was just casually saying it, it can hardly count as a formal recommendation. Father wouldn't listen to me anyway. Tang Yang, you're just being too cautious. Living like you do, how can you find any joy?"

Tang Yang didn't know whether to laugh or cry. You certainly have some self-awareness, since you know His Majesty wouldn't listen to you, why say it at all? This Prince Sun really is naively innocent.

Seeing everyone's unhappy expressions, Prince Sun realized he may have misspoken. He slapped his own mouth and said, "This foolish mouth of mine, have I said something wrong again?"

"It's nothing," Yuwen Hao shook his head, "You didn't say anything wrong. Second brother appreciating me and recommending me is certainly not wrong."

His eyes kept glancing outside. Consort Yuan Qingling hadn't come back yet. Father was still furious, how would he deal with her?

After Prince Sun finished eating the snacks, he left. About half an hour after he departed, Consort Yuan Qingling finally returned.

Yuwen Hao didn't wait for her to sit down before asking, "How did Father deal with it?"

Yuan Qingling looked at him and said, "He didn't punish me. He also didn't say much about the South Pearl incident, only asked about you taking a concubine, then dismissed everyone. After that, His Majesty had us leave the palace."

His injuries were actually not suitable for moving, but Consort Yuan didn't say this out loud.

What did his life and death have to do with her?

"The matter of South Pearl was just dropped like that?" Yuwen Hao didn't believe it, but any news from the study was always kept secret. He had no way of inquiring about it.

"Yes, it was dropped," Yuan Qingling said expressionlessly.

However, Tang Yang picked up on the key point. "His Majesty spoke of the matter of the Prince taking a concubine? How did the Princess respond?"

"I agreed," said Yuan Qingling.

Tang Yang was a bit surprised. She readily agreed, just like that?

News of his severe injuries had been suppressed by Father and not allowed to spread to the imperial harem. That was why he had been staying in the subsidiary palace, precisely to avoid the rear palace finding out.

Yuan Qingling closed her eyes and leaned against the window, feeling the cool breeze seeping in. Her heart also seemed to be tinged with the bleakness of autumn.

Yuwen Hao looked at her. The autumn sun shone on her cheek, with a gentle, warm radiance, while the other side of her face was cold and gloomy.

Just a few days ago, she had been all warmth and softness. Now, only bleakness and coldness remained.

Upon returning to the Prince Chu estate, Yuan Qingling got out of the carriage and went back to Feng Yi Pavilion with Old Mama Xi.

Lv Ya and her mama were very surprised to see her bringing a palace mama back. Yuan Qingling didn't feel like explaining and just told her mama to arrange lodging for Old Mama Xi, then instructed Lv Ya, "Come prepare hot water with me. I want to take a bath."

The hot water was brought up and poured into a large tub. Lv Ya was about to add dried flowers, but Yuan Qingling said, "No need to add anything. You may leave. Don't come in unless I call you."

"Yes!" Lv Ya felt she was acting strangely but didn't dare ask. She turned and left, closing the door behind her.

Yuan Qingling took off her clothes and slid into the tub. Her wounds weren't actually suitable for water yet, but she needed to relax.

The water temperature was slightly scalding. The pain from her wounds was distinct. She held her breath and submerged her head in the water until she felt her chest would explode. Only then did she surface and take a deep breath, feeling her breath and blood circulation slowly returning to her limbs and every part of her body.

The room was perfectly quiet. Outside there were sounds of people walking. Her hearing was especially keen, able to hear the sound of leaves falling, and some other recognizable sounds were dogs barking, though they seemed to be coming from very far away.

The sound of the dog barks gave her a feeling of real life.

In fact, these past days she had been living especially dreamily, a cruel dream, walking on ground that felt unreal. Every night before falling asleep, she would think that perhaps opening her eyes, she would find it was just a nightmare.

But these barks made her see the mundane world.

It had been a long time since she dreamed of the lab. She hoped that tonight, falling asleep, she could dream her way back to the lab once, to have a place where she could breathe.

After soaking for about fifteen minutes, the water gradually cooled and she got up.

Disinfecting, applying medicine, giving herself injections—she felt her hands could actually twist behind her back to handle her injuries on her spine with no difficulty, her neck as well. She could even see her own back. Turns out the original Yuan Qingling had very good flexibility.