Chapter 35: 35

Chill (1)

Chu Ning was tired from Xiao Yu making love to her at Lingyan Pavilion.

She sat beside Xiao Yu in the litter on the journey back and was on the verge of dozing off.

The night breeze blew in through the opening. She pulled her clothes tighter and couldn’t help but sneeze softly.

“Are you cold?” Xiao Yu wrapped his arms around her and asked softly.

He had now calmed down and realized that he was rougher than usual just now. He remembered that it was near winter, so the night was cold. He wondered if she had caught a chill.

Chu Ning had nearly dozed off. She was a little annoyed by his voice, but she replied calmly, “My head hurts a little. I think it’s due to the cold wind. How about you, Your Highness? You were unwell for a long time and had just managed to recover. You must be careful not to fall ill again.”

Xiao Yu pursed his lips, hugging her tight. He shook his head and said, “I am fine.”

Although his body was weak, it was not so weak as to be unable to withstand a cold breeze. Before this, he was ill because he was testing poison and overworked himself. Now, after taking a lot of medicine and nourishing herbs, he has recovered.

When they arrived at the Palace of Eternal Spring, Xiao Yu helped Chu Ning to the bedroom to lie down. He also ordered the servants to prepare ginger tea.

Xiao Yu was unusually patient after finding a release for his frustration. He accepted the ginger tea from the maid and used a spoon to feed Chu Ning the sweet and spicy tea.

Chu Ning was feeling better. The closed door and windows blocked the chill from entering the room.

She sat propped up against a pillow and drank ginger tea while telling Xiao Yu the incident concerning Qi Chenxiang at the Palace of Hundred Blessings.

“I think that the Empress Dowager called me to her palace for me to see the potential marriage alliance between the Qi Clan and the Emperor and to inform you about it. She probably wants to put pressure on you.”

Xiao Yu was silent. Judging from his expression, he had expected this. He probably only remained calm because he had vented out all his frustration at Lingyan Pavilion.

“I expected that. After all, she is not the Emperor’s blood relative. Since she could not control him, she decided to ally with him instead. No wonder I heard Qimu sent people to search for Wei family members. They will probably be brought into the palace soon. However, I wonder if my uncle would actually be grateful about it.”

Xiao Kezhi’s mother, Lady Wei, came from a poor family. Her family lived in Yenzhou and were farmers for generations. In the past, Yenzhou was afflicted with famine, and her family was severely affected. To save her from starvation, her family sent her to the palace to become a maid of the lowest rank.

The person that Qimu was searching for was most likely Lady Wei’s younger brother and Xiao Kezhi’s uncle, Weishou.

Based on custom, Xiao Kezhi’s mother would have been the present Empress Dowager and his uncle would be made a Duke.

Chu Ning recalled how Xiao Kezhi behaved over the past days and sighed internally.

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He was completely different from the late Emperor. Although Xiao Kezhi seemed quiet, he thought far ahead and was not easily shaken. Qi Clan’s kind gestures may seem important to others, but to him, they are worth nothing.

Chu Ning wiped the ginger tea stain from her mouth with a handkerchief and said, “I’m just concerned whether this would affect Your Highness unfavorably.”

Xiao Yu paused for a moment before holding her hand and smiling, “The Empress Dowager just wanted to make me nervous, hoping that I would make a mistake. Don’t concern yourself over it.”

Chu Ning nodded, but she noticed that he was not as calm as he wanted her to think.

“That’s enough, we have to return to the East Palace tomorrow. You should sleep. I have some matters to attend to.” He did not want to talk about this matter anymore, so after Chu Ning lay back down on the bed, he went to another room.

Chu Ning did not go to sleep after he left but called for Cui He.

Cui He was ready. The moment Xiao Kezhi left, she came in with a bowl of medicine.

“Madam, you nearly worried me to death today!” she said as she helped Chu Ning sit up.

“Don’t worry, Liu Kang was there. He knew what to do and would not let anyone come near.” Chu Ning finished the medicine in a gulp. She frowned at the bitterness and immediately drank a cup of light tea. “Is the bath ready?”

She couldn’t clean herself up at Lingyan Pavilion, so she was determined to have a bath no matter how tired she was.

“The bath is ready. I asked the other maids to prepare it the moment we came back.” Cui He helped her to the bathroom and whispered, “The Crown Prince always gets angry so easily and makes you suffer. Please soak yourself in the hot water. Hopefully it will warm away the chill, and you will recover the next morning.”

Chu Ning smiled and said, “After the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet, he will be going to Huazhou. We can relax for a while.”

She then stepped into the steaming bathroom, took off her clothes, and climbed into the tub. She closed her eyes as hot water covered her body and began to recall what happened in Lingyan Pavilion.

All that Xiao Kezhi said played in her mind, and she focused on one sentence.

“There are many other women in this world. Why must I go after a married woman with unknown intentions?”

At the time, she thought that he was emphasizing on the fact that she was a married woman. But now, she realized that he was stressing on the word “unknown intentions”.

He had sent his wolf to kill someone during the late Emperor’s funeral. As such, he was not someone who would care that the woman he desired was married.

He had hid himself patiently in Ganzhou for the last fourteen years. As such, he was more concerned about why she approached him. He would want to know whether she approached him for the Crown Prince, herself, or someone else.

However, she was still hesitant. She wondered if she really had to reveal her secret to him.

…

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