He thought that the worried look she had just given him was already quite significant, but now, in comparison, it seemed she had merely been politely furrowing her brows. It was only upon hearing that Lu Jingxing had been injured that Li Huaiyu’s expression truly turned anxious. Her almond-shaped eyes revealed her distress, and her entire demeanor became restless.
“Is the injury serious?” she asked.
Bai Ai shook his head. “The messenger didn’t say, but since he needs to rest in the border town, it must be quite serious.”
Exhaling a breath of frustration, Li Huaiyu clenched her fists and declared, “Let’s go find him!”
“Yes!” Upon hearing this command, Bai Ai smirked, casting a proud glance at Jiang Xuanjin, who was sitting by the bed.
A ploy of self-sacrifice? Even if it were, he couldn’t compete with the shopkeeper Lu! One was the person who had made her fall from grace, while the other was the one who always cleaned up her messes. It was obvious who would garner the prince’s concern.
Seeing her determination to leave, Jiang Xuanjin’s face turned cold. “Are you going to leave without me?”
Huaiyu turned to look at him. “You heard it too; Lu Jingxing has been injured.”
“And so?” With a mocking glint in his eyes, Jiang Xuanjin replied, “I asked if you were going to leave without me.”
The implication was clear: if she left now, she should not expect to travel with him again. She would have to find her way through the cities ahead!
Indeed, this was a threat, the most childish and shameful threat from the once-proud Ziyang Jun. He spoke with anger, his jaw clenched, and his gaze sharp, looking rather fierce.
However, the person before him was not intimidated at all. Meeting his gaze, she spoke almost without thinking, “Perhaps I won’t be able to travel with you anymore. I’ll go ahead; take care of yourself, Your Highness.”
With that, she immediately instructed Bai Ai to gather their things and set off.
Outside, Qingxuan and Chijin seemed to have been waiting for a while. Upon hearing her words, they rushed in and quickly supported her arms.
“Your Highness, the carriage is ready!”
Seeing their excited expressions, Li Huaiyu felt a bit bewildered. “What’s wrong with you all?”
Qingxuan glanced at the visibly displeased Ziyang Jun and shook his head. “Nothing much; we’re just happy that we can finally join up with Jiu Wu and the others.”
Happy? Huaiyu shook her head and lifted her skirt to head outside. “If Lu Jingxing is lightly injured, then you can be happy all you want. But if he is seriously injured, you better be prepared for a punishment.”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Qingxuan, walking a step behind, glanced at the person by the bed and said loudly, “Your Highness cares most about Shopkeeper Lu; we all know that. Who would dare to act recklessly?”
This statement felt overly deliberate. Huaiyu shot him a glance and whispered, “Is that necessary?”
Qingxuan nodded earnestly. “It is necessary!”
Just think about how proud Ziyang Jun was when he first arrived at the southern courtyard! It was as if he had completely forgotten what he had done, even using the princess’s sympathy to his advantage. Just looking at him made one angry!
Fortunately, they still had Shopkeeper Lu on their side.
With Shopkeeper Lu around, one could easily handle two!
Huaiyu shook her head, feeling that Qingxuan was truly too idle. However, she had no time to dwell on such matters. If they were in a hurry to leave, she first needed to bid farewell to Xu Chuniang.
She walked quickly, and in an instant, she was out the door. The previously bright room seemed to darken immediately.
Jiang Xuanjin silently watched her retreating figure. After a long time, he finally realized why he had not threatened her again. If he couldn’t threaten her with companionship, he still had Qingsi!
The autumn wind blew in through the window, carrying the scent of earth and withered leaves, causing his half-draped robe to flutter wildly. He lowered his gaze to his empty palm.
—
“Are you not going to let go?”
“I won’t let go!”
—
That face smiled brightly, holding his hand with a softness and warmth that made him truly feel at ease.
Yet, he still released her without hesitation.
His lips turned pale as Jiang Xuanjin let out a low grunt, pressing his hand against his chest.
“Your Highness?” Cheng Xu, who had gone to fetch medicine, returned. Seeing his condition, he immediately came over to support him. “Is it very painful?”
In the past, Ziyang Jun, who was usually indifferent, would have scoffed at such a question. How could he show weakness to his subordinates? However, at this moment, he nodded seriously.
“Yes.”
It hurts a lot.
Cheng Xu looked around, frowning. “Where is the Madam?”
“She left.”
“Left?!” Cheng Xu was astonished. “But you haven’t even taken your medicine yet! Where did she go?”
Jiang Xuanjin lowered his gaze and leaned back against the bed, exhaling heavily.
As soon as Lu Jingxing got into trouble, she was so anxious that she didn’t even have time to give him his medicine. It was understandable; after all, they had been together for four or five years. When he first met her, they barely exchanged a few words.
What love for Xuanjin? It was probably just a fleeting whim of hers.
With a cold laugh, Jiang Xuanjin thought, since she believes Lu Jingxing is more important, let Lu Jingxing help her figure out how to deal with Ziyang!
He would not help!
Li Huaiyu arrived at Xu Chuniang’s courtyard and found her embroidering something. Jiang Shen was sitting beside her, chatting idly.
“Huaiyu!” Xu Chuniang’s eyes lit up upon seeing her. She stood up and asked, “What brings you here? Is the prince alright?”
“I’m here to say goodbye,” Huaiyu replied. “A friend is in trouble, and I need to go see him.”
“Ah…” Xu Chuniang blinked. “I was just saying that maybe I could travel with you!”
Sitting behind, Jiang Shen squinted. “What kind of wise person would want to travel with us? Your third brother defied the order, and what awaits us is the imperial guards from the capital. The sooner you leave, the better.”
This statement seemed to be a veiled insult towards Huaiyu for being opportunistic. Xu Chuniang frowned and shot him a glance, her lips moving in displeasure.
However, who was Li Huaiyu? She had grown up being scolded; what words had she not heard? Why would she be afraid of his few remarks?
Seeing Jiang Shen’s unfriendly expression, she raised her eyebrows and smiled, sitting down across from him. “According to the second young master’s high opinion, the prince’s defiance will bring disaster to the Jiang family?”
“Is that even a question?” Jiang Shen scoffed. “Defying the order won’t bring disaster? It will bring glory instead? My Jiang family has been loyal for generations and has received the Emperor’s personally inscribed stone tablet. Now that this order has been defied, the efforts of several generations will go to waste. Who knows how the world will judge us!”
Jiang Shen and Jiang Xuanjin had always been close, so if he thought this way, the rest of the Jiang family likely felt the same.
Li Huaiyu sighed. “So, in your eyes, reputation is more important than life?”
“Of course… Wait, what do you mean by that?” Jiang Shen frowned. “Is my Jiang family just seeking fame? Is it wrong to value reputation?”
“I don’t mean to be sarcastic; I’m just stating a fact,” Huaiyu waved her hand. “Please don’t get agitated, second young master.”
Jiang Shen sneered. “What kind of fact is that? If the third brother doesn’t defy the order, are we supposed to lose our lives?”
“Exactly!” Huaiyu nodded.
Jiang Shen was momentarily taken aback, looking at her expression. He felt she wasn’t joking and finally straightened up to ask, “What do you know?”
“If I said that the prince had already decided to leave the capital the moment he first wrote to accuse us, would you believe me?” Huaiyu smiled.
Ignoring the solid evidence, Ziyang Jun changed his usual demeanor and insisted on accusing the Dan Yang faction. When she first heard the news, she didn’t understand, but by connecting it to the events that followed, it became clear what Jiang Xuanjin intended to do.
He had sensed the Emperor’s transformation and ambition, knowing he was also a target the Emperor wanted to eliminate. So, he played along, tripping Situ Jing, and then immediately withdrew.
His decisiveness was far more straightforward than the Emperor’s, to the point that when the Jiang family left the capital, the Emperor had no suspicion at all.
“It was a fortunate coincidence; the Jiang family happened to have the custom of climbing on the Double Ninth Festival,” Huaiyu said. “Otherwise, with so many people leaving the capital together, the Emperor would have tried to stop them.”
Jiang Shen looked astonished and frowned. “Why would the Emperor want to eliminate the third brother? The third brother is his mentor and has been loyal to the court for many years…”
As he spoke halfway, he fell silent because the person before him was pointing at her nose.
“And me?” Huaiyu smiled. “I am his biological sister, and I have been working hard for him since he ascended the throne. Look at my fate!”
Jiang Shen: “…”
“You should be grateful that Jiang Xuanjin is smart; otherwise, if you were trapped in the capital, none of you would escape.” Huaiyu said, “His family law is strict; second young master, you should go visit him when you have time.”
With that, she turned to take Xu Chuniang’s hand, gently saying, “I’ll come find you again when I have the chance.”
“Okay.” Xu Chuniang nodded obediently.
As Li Huaiyu stood up to leave, Jiang Shen finally came to his senses and frowned, calling out, “If that’s the case, why are you still leaving?”
Wasn’t she the one who cared most about the third brother? In the past, she would always comfort him, but now that such a big incident had occurred, she was leaving instead of staying by his side.
Without turning back, Huaiyu raised her hand and waved, showing no intention of explaining further, and left with great ease.
Jiang Shen’s face darkened as he sulked for a while before asking Xu Chuniang beside him, “If you were her, would you forgive the third brother?”
“I wouldn’t.” Xu Chuniang answered without hesitation.
If she had gone to save her lover only to be thrown into prison by him, she might never speak to him again for the rest of her life.
People often said that the Dan Yang princess was narrow-minded, but Xu Chuniang felt that Huaiyu’s heart was already quite broad. She even stood in the prince’s shoes, considering his perspective. She didn’t blame him blindly or seek revenge impulsively; she faced this dead relationship with the most peaceful attitude.
What she held in her heart was not just romantic feelings but also the vastness of mountains and seas.
Xu Chuniang knew she could never become someone like Huaiyu, but she admired her, hoping that one day she could be as carefree as she was.
Jiang Shen had thought she would answer “yes,” but her “no” came quickly and directly, leaving him speechless for a long time.
“Why not?” he frowned.
Xu Chuniang smiled. “You should go see the prince first; you won’t understand a girl’s feelings.”
Nonsense, he had seen countless women. What kind of girl’s feelings could he not understand? Jiang Shen scoffed, but seeing Xu Chuniang’s reaction, he inexplicably didn’t want to ask further. With a dark face, he stood up and left.
When Li Huaiyu, Bai Ai, and Qingxuan reached the stables at the foot of the mountain, they found that only Ziyang Jun’s carriage remained.
“What happened?” Bai Ai turned around, asking the person watching the carriage, “What happened to the carriage that was just parked here?”
The carriage attendant lowered his head and said softly, “A few distinguished guests came down the mountain and drove it away.”
“That was our carriage! How could they just take it?” Bai Ai was furious. “How do you manage the carriages?”
Terrified and trembling, the carriage attendant replied, “I don’t know! That distinguished guest said that everyone on the mountain is family, so anyone can drive the carriage.”
“Family, is it?” Bai Ai nodded and lifted the curtain of Ziyang Jun’s carriage, gesturing to the people behind him. “Help the princess up.”
Li Huaiyu was both amused and exasperated. “Are we getting on this one?”
Bai Ai nodded. “Exchanging the prince’s precious carriage for an ordinary one is not a loss!”
There were no other carriages available, so Huaiyu nodded, took Qingxuan’s hand, and climbed aboard, calling out to Chijin outside, “Hurry up!”
Chijin handed up the luggage and quickly jumped into the carriage.
“Go!” Bai Ai raised his whip and set off. The carriage attendant did not stop them, watching as they drove out of the stables and headed west.
Yufeng emerged from behind the shed next to the stables, watching the carriage grow smaller in the distance, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
How did the prince know that this group would take the carriage for themselves?
“Your Highness, what are you doing?” Seeing Yufeng return to the report, Cheng Xu was puzzled. “Isn’t the Madam leaving? Why are you giving her the carriage?”
Jiang Xuanjin still wore a dark expression, lying motionless on the bed.
Yufeng pulled Cheng Xu over and whispered, “The Madam is weak. Physician Qi Jin said she must not be jostled or fatigued too much. It’s normal for the prince to give up a carriage.”
“You didn’t see how angry he was just now.” Cheng Xu shook his head repeatedly, whispering, “I thought the prince was going to send you to chase after the Madam but look, he had you do this.”
“The prince’s thoughts are always hard to understand; why do you insist on guessing them?”
“If I can’t guess, then the Madam certainly can’t.” Cheng Xu sighed. “Since you’re so worried about her, why not say a few soft words?”
Expecting Ziyang Jun to say soft words? Yufeng sighed. This master, no matter how good his intentions, always spoke harshly, leaving no room for rescue.
“Have you two finished talking?” The person who seemed to be asleep on the bed suddenly spoke.
Cheng Xu and Yufeng both jumped in surprise and quickly bowed, saying, “Your Highness, please don’t be angry!”
Half-opening his eyes, Jiang Xuanjin coldly said, “If you have time to chatter, you might as well prepare the things needed for the journey.”
“Everything is ready,” Yufeng replied. “I’ve already sent the old man and the others ahead. You have an injury; you should rest for a couple of days…”
“No need.” Jiang Xuanjin said, “If everything is packed, we will set off immediately.”
“But…” Cheng Xu glanced at his back. “The eunuch delivering the order is still detained, and we won’t receive news from the capital for a while. You don’t need to be in such a hurry.”
Jiang Xuanjin shot him a glance, his eyes filled with stubbornness.
“…Understood.”
No one could go against the prince; it was better to obediently accept the order.
There were still fifty miles from Jiang Mountain to the Ziyang border town, but fortunately, the carriage traveled smoothly on the official road. Huaiyu took a nap in the carriage, and when she woke up, they were almost there.
“Your Highness,” Bai Ai smiled, “We were quite lucky. We just passed a post station where the officials were checking travelers. We thought we would have to fight, but they let us through directly.”
Rubbing her stiff neck, Huaiyu sat up and smiled. “It’s not luck; there’s a bronze qilin on top of this carriage. Unless the officials are feeling particularly bold, no one else would dare to stop us.”
“I see,” Bai Ai raised an eyebrow. “Then we did pick the right carriage.”
Lifting the curtain to look ahead, she could already faintly see the tall city gate. Huaiyu was about to smile when suddenly she felt a wave of nausea and leaned against the carriage shaft, dry heaving.
“Your Highness!” Chijin, who was driving, was startled and quickly reined in the horses.
“Don’t stop; I’m fine.” Huaiyu waved her hand, signaling him to hurry. “I’ve been feeling nauseous these past two days. Physician Chuniang said it’s normal; it happens when you’re pregnant.”
Among this group of men, who had ever been pregnant? Seeing her pale face and her struggle to hold back the urge to vomit, they all became quite anxious.
“Should we rest at that pavilion up ahead?”
“No, let’s go into the city to find Lu Jingxing first.” Huaiyu frowned. “If you want to help me feel better, just go faster.”
Upon hearing this, Chijin dared not delay any longer and drove the carriage swiftly into the city.
The guards at the city gate saw the carriage and hesitated, not coming forward to stop it. Amid their indecision, the carriage rushed past.
“Stop!” The guard shouted a couple of times and quickly followed.
To shake off these pursuers, Chijin drove the carriage through the winding streets of the border town. Passing an alley, Huaiyu decisively said, “Get out!”
The people in the carriage quickly hid in the alley, while Chijin continued to lead the guards in circles, seizing the opportunity to toss the carriage out onto the street and then blend into the crowd.
“Where should we go?” Bai Ai looked at this unfamiliar place, troubled. “Shopkeeper Lu didn’t inform us of the location.”
After passing through the alley, Huaiyu glanced at the street and smiled. “It’s easier to find Lu Jingxing than anyone else.”
On the not-so-bustling street, the lanterns of Lu’s shop glowed brightly.
Bai Ai exclaimed, “How come there’s a Lu’s shop everywhere?”
“Otherwise, why do you think he is the richest merchant in the capital?” Huaiyu snorted and entered a shop.
Lu Jingxing had already made arrangements, and as soon as the staff saw her, they immediately said without waiting for questions, “Miss, hurry to Lu’s Medicine Hall on the next street; the owner is over there.”
How long had it been? He was still at the medicine hall? Huaiyu frowned. “Please lead the way.”
Lu Jingxing was used to being carefree, with a demeanor that always concealed the spring breeze of March and the fragrance of fine wine. He carried a Nanyang jade fan that he never changed through the seasons, displaying it in front of him like a breath of fresh air.
However, at this moment, he lay quietly on the bed, his phoenix eyes tightly closed, his face pale, and blood seeping through his thin clothing. He looked utterly miserable.
“Lu Jingxing?” Huaiyu stared at him for a while before finally unable to hold back and calling out.
His long, dark eyelashes fluttered slightly, and Lu Jingxing half-opened his eyes. Before he could see the person by the bed, the corners of his lips curled up. “You have a strong fate.”
Hearing his hoarse voice, Huaiyu took a deep breath, her throat tightening. “I have a strong fate, but how did you end up like this?”
“Just bad luck,” he squinted. “I didn’t expect your royal brother to be this ruthless.”
He had returned to the capital to find someone, but the Emperor had set an ambush for him at the Cang Hai Yi Zhu Pavilion, intending to capture him alive. With such a large setup, it was clear that once he was caught, he would become a pawn to restrain Dan Yang.
After all, they were siblings; Dan Yang had never intended to interfere in royal matters, yet he was so aggressive.
Shaking his head gently, Lu Jingxing said, “He’s not a good person.”
Li Huaiyu pressed her lips together, glancing at the blood seeping through his clothes. She asked the attendant beside her, “Is it a knife wound?”
The attendant nodded. “Three knife wounds. They didn’t hit any vital spots, but he lost too much blood.”
“What about the medicine? Has he taken it?”
“He has already taken it.”
After asking these questions, Huaiyu fell silent, staring at the patterns on the quilt, her eyes slightly moving, her face devoid of expression.
The attendant found it strange. Generally, those who came to visit patients would at least say a few words of concern, even if it was just small talk. But this master, who had such a good relationship with his young master, was so quiet.
Lu Jingxing looked at her and chuckled softly, “Zhaocai, you take them out to see Jiu Wu first.”
“Okay!”
As the door opened and closed, only the two of them remained in the room.
Lu Jingxing smiled and said, “What are you feeling guilty about?”
“Is it that obvious?” Huaiyu tugged at the corner of her mouth.
Lu Jingxing sighed. “Ancestor, how could I not know what you’re thinking?”
With a silly grin, Huaiyu said, “Well, you don’t know how many messes you’ve cleaned up for me. Every time I trouble you, it either costs you money or puts you in danger. Every time you advise me, I think my way is the right one.”
The more she spoke, the smaller her voice became. She felt her nose and throat tighten: “But I was wrong. From Huailin to Jiang Xuanjin, I didn’t trust anyone correctly, and I even dragged you into this mess.”
She had always been afraid to think carefully about what had happened during this time, always afraid, muddling through as if she were dreaming.
But the red on Lu Jingxing’s clothes was truly glaring, piercing her back to reality.
The younger brother she had once cherished had tried to kill her once and was now plotting to kill her a second time. The man she had once loved most did not believe her words and sent all those who would save him to prison. Those people were her closest friends, with whom she had fought through life and death.
What was she doing? What had she been living for all her life?
“Dan Yang,” Lu Jingxing frowned. “Calm down!”
“I’m very calm, you know. I’m the calmest.” Huaiyu nodded obediently, but tears fell from her eyes, splashing onto the edge of his bed. “I just feel a bit uncomfortable…”
Uncomfortable to the point of being unable to breathe.
In the prison, she could still distract herself by thinking about how to escape and save people, but now, sitting here, all she could see was the blood on Lu Jingxing.
All the suppressed pain surged back, and she couldn’t escape it.
Dan Yang was a disaster, and Li Huaiyu was a liar. She was a joke.
Thinking she could save the country and protect the young ruler, she foolishly carried the blame, saying things like “It’s easier to be a bad person than a good person.” After planning for so many years, even sacrificing her marriage, it was all for Huailin to become a wise ruler.
But Huailin said she had killed his father.
Covering her eyes with her hand, Li Huaiyu laughed, “Do you think the heavens are looking down on me? If they dislike me so much, they could just strike me down with a lightning bolt. Why go through so much trouble?”
Everyone she loved hated her, and everything she sought crumbled. She bravely gambled for a perfect ending, but it was only half a year of youth.
What kind of grave mistake had she made to deserve such punishment?
Lu Jingxing sighed and reached out to touch her cheek. “Don’t cry.”
“When I’m crying, don’t say those two words.” As her tears flowed more fiercely, Huaiyu wiped her face with the back of her hand, gritting her teeth. “The more you say it, the worse I feel!”
“Then what should I say?” Lu Jingxing smiled. “Should I scold you a few times?”
Huaiyu nodded.
It was indeed the first time he had encountered such a strange request. Lu Jingxing thought for a moment and mercilessly opened his mouth. “You are a blind fool! Your taste in men is so poor. You still don’t listen when I tell you. Did you feed your brain to the pigs?”
Li Huaiyu: “…”
Lu Jingxing continued with righteous indignation, “You are just foolish. How could you not know what kind of person your brother is? When he acts cute towards you, do you think he is a child? Have you ever heard of ‘blood brothers settle accounts clearly’? Not to mention you are in the imperial family!”
“To be honest, you look especially ugly when you cry, like a crooked gourd. I’m here suffering from an injury; can’t you be a little kinder?”
Taking a deep breath, Li Huaiyu swallowed her previous sadness and narrowed her eyes, clenching her fists. “Do you want to see what a truly crooked gourd looks like?”
Subtly shifting further into the bed, Lu Jingxing groaned in pain. “Do you have any humanity? You asked me to scold you, and now you want to bully me, a sick person who can’t fight back?”
“I see how you speak; it doesn’t seem like you’re in much pain. Your tongue is quite nimble!” Huaiyu gritted her teeth. “If I let you scold me, you scold this hard?”
“Of course! Who are we to each other? Should I still be polite?” Lu Jingxing said jokingly, but his gaze was very serious.
Between her and him, there was no need for politeness.
Li Huaiyu understood his meaning, and her eyes turned redder.
Was it because she had such a good person like Lu Jingxing by her side that the heavens thought she was too fortunate and thus gave her corresponding hardships to seek justice?
Thinking this way, her heart felt much lighter. Huaiyu pinched the quilt, wiped her nose, and then vigorously wiped her face.
“Hey…” Lu Jingxing said weakly, “That’s a quilt, not a handkerchief.”
“Can’t it be used to wipe my face?” Huaiyu asked, puzzled. “What’s the difference?”
Almost turning away in anger, Lu Jingxing gritted his teeth. “There is no difference, just like Your Highness’s face and the city wall over there; both are thick enough to fend off enemies.”
“Flattery, flattery.” After cleaning her face, Huaiyu reached out and gently lifted the clothing covering his chest.
The white cloth wrapped around his chest was already soaked with blood. She frowned. “Why haven’t you changed the dressing?”
“Why else?” Lu Jingxing pressed his lips together. “It hurts.”
He had already changed the dressing several times, but the wound was healing too slowly. The cloth remained wet. The constant unwrapping and rewrapping was truly torturous, so he simply left it as it was.
The smell of blood was overwhelming, causing Li Huaiyu to lose her composure and rush to the window, retching again and expelling the sour liquid from her stomach.
“Hey, isn’t this a bit excessive?” Lu Jingxing rolled his eyes. “I didn’t even let you see the wound; why are you throwing up?”
After feeling better from vomiting, Huaiyu rinsed her mouth with tea and returned to sit by the bed. “You would throw up too if you were pregnant.”
“You’re the one who’s pregnant! I’m a man…” Lu Jingxing opened his mouth to scold her.
However, as soon as the words left his mouth, he seemed to finally realize what he had just said and looked up in astonishment.
Huaiyu smiled and pointed to her belly. “Earlier, Physician Qi Jin said he wasn’t sure, but looking at it now, it should be true.”
“…Does Jiang Xuanjin know?” Lu Jingxing frowned.
“He probably doesn’t know.” Huaiyu smiled. “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have let me go.”
Originally, he was only feeling pain from the knife wound, but now his head was starting to hurt as well. Lu Jingxing gritted his teeth. “Ancestor, you know this is a trap, yet you wholeheartedly jumped into it?”
Knowing that something would go wrong sooner or later, how could she get pregnant?
No, not just getting pregnant; she shouldn’t have gotten involved with Jiang Xuanjin at all. Wasn’t it enough to be heartbroken? Now she had to suffer physically too? This was a losing proposition!
“At that time… the situation was a bit different.” Huaiyu chuckled awkwardly. “For a while, I thought I could live well.”
“You once thought that no matter what happened, Li Huaiyin would stand by your side.” Lu Jingxing was so angry that he felt his soul leaving his body. “When has your assumption ever been correct?!”
With her hands on her knees, Huaiyu lowered her head, knowing she was in the wrong and stubbornly endured the scolding.
“Pregnant… why didn’t you say it earlier?! You stayed in the prison for so long and then rushed from the capital to here?” He propped himself up, almost sitting up, and shouted outside, “Zhaocai!”
Huaiyu was startled and quickly pressed him back down. “You can scold me, but don’t move around! Your wound is still bleeding!”
Lu Jingxing glared at her. “You dare to talk back?”
“…” This imposing manner was truly overwhelming. For the first time, Li Huaiyu felt intimidated in front of the shopkeeper Lu, pouting and falling silent.
Zhaocai entered, trembling with fear. “Your Highness, what happened?”
“Go fetch the doctor from the hall and change the bedding and sheets in the next room.” With a slightly pale face, Lu Jingxing pointed at the troublemaker beside him. “And finally, throw her in there with me!”
Zhaocai was terrified, glancing at the master beside him, and stammered, “I dare not… Is it okay to just invite him?”
Someone followed in behind and laughed upon hearing this. “The shopkeeper is just joking. If you dare to throw her in, he will break your hands.”
“Jiu Wu!” Seeing him, Li Huaiyu felt as if she had found a savior. She stood up and said, “Shopkeeper Lu is so fierce today! Come save me!”
Standing in front of her, Jiu Wu first bowed and then shook his head. “If it were me, I would be fierce too. Are you planning to risk your life? Your body is already weak; how can you still do this?”
Huaiyu felt wronged. “Am I the one causing trouble? I’m just being forced into it!”
“Stop talking.” Jiu Wu pointed outside. “Shopkeeper Lu’s injury is also serious. You should let him off for now and not anger him further. Go to the next room; the doctor will come to check your pulse later.”
“Oh…” Nodding pitifully, Huaiyu glanced at Lu Jingxing again. Seeing him with his eyes closed, looking like he didn’t want to deal with her, she shrugged and followed Jiu Wu out, turning left.
“I asked Qingxuan and Bai Ai.” Jiu Wu turned back to look at Lu Jingxing. “Someone from the Jiang family knows about the princess’s pregnancy, but they kept it from Ziyang Jun.”
Lu Jingxing opened his eyes. “He better not find out.”