The sudden change in Prince Ding Bei’s expression left Yu Bozhong stunned, unable to react.
It was Miss Qingyu who first regained her composure. Calling out “Your Highness,” she couldn’t help but follow him out.
Qingyu was the most outstanding girl in Hui Tower. Carefully groomed from a young age by the teaching matron, she was set to leave next month, destined for the Su family.
Though the Su family ruled like local emperors in Lingzhou, they were known for their frivolous nature. Qingyu’s future would be limited to their household.
The Second Master of the Su family was old enough to be her father, with over ten concubines and countless unnamed mistresses. Most troublingly, the family’s Fourth Young Master also coveted her. If she entered the Su household, who knew what fate awaited her?
She couldn’t miss this opportunity with Prince Ding Bei.
The guard hesitated when he saw her follow, unsure whether to stop her. After all, she had just been attending to his lord, who hadn’t refused her company.
In that moment of hesitation, Qingyu caught up. With unexpected boldness, she spread her arms, blocking Jiang Xu’s path.
Jiang Xu paused briefly.
Qingyu looked directly at him, gathering her courage to ask, “Your Highness, may this servant follow you?”
The prince was young, handsome, and powerful. Even without an official title, being by his side would elevate her status immensely, opening doors to a bright future.
Glancing at the mandarin duck-embroidered sachet at his waist, she added, “This servant asks for nothing but to remain by Your Highness’s side.”
Faced with such a scene and plea, even Shu Jingran felt moved, looking at Jiang Xu.
Qingyu was exceptionally clever. Knowing that a man like Jiang Xu had no shortage of beauties, and seeing that her earlier submissiveness hadn’t moved him, she now made this bold gesture to stand out.
As for Jiang Xu—
Based on what Shu Jingran knew, he did tend to take notice of those who acted boldly.
For a moment, Shu Jingran wasn’t sure if Jiang Xu would take Qingyu with him, especially given his slightly unusual attitude earlier at the banquet.
But just as Shu Jingran considered this, Jiang Xu gave an unforgiving response.
“You’re not worthy to remain by my side.”
His expression was indifferent, his voice emotionless, floating lightly without a hint of interest.
Qingyu froze, her face flushing red and white.
How could this be? She had been at least seventy percent certain, yet the Prince of Ding Bei hadn’t hesitated at all. If she wasn’t worthy, then who was?
Before she could understand, Jiang Xu had already walked past her, leaving Hui Tower.
Outside Hui Tower, half of the one hundred and eighty boats on the Lingyu River had been burned. All vessels were ordered to cease operations. The river was dark and silent, and the nearby prefectural office was equally quiet.
Upon returning to the office, Jiang Xu gave a few orders to his guards and went straight to his temporary quarters.
The main room was brightly lit, suggesting someone was still awake. As Jiang Xu pushed open the door, he startled a maid who was making the bed. She immediately knelt.
“Where’s the Princess Consort?” he asked, looking around.
The little maid, kneeling on the ground, tremblingly replied, “Your Highness, the Princess Consort is cooling off in the back garden. She said… her inner heat was high and wanted some fresh air. She also asked this servant to place a mint sachet under the pillow to provide a cooling scent.”
She respectfully presented the sachet with both hands.
Inner heat.
Jiang Xu glanced briefly at the mint sachet, his eyes darkening slightly.
After a moment, he turned and left the main room, heading for the back garden.
The small courtyard arranged for them by the prefect had a garden at the back. At this time of year, it was a riot of colors, with butterflies flitting among the flowers during the day. The summer fragrance was intoxicating.
Among the flowers stood a vine-covered swing, an eye-catching decoration. However, Ming Tan, perhaps due to her earlier embarrassment on the swing in Yongchun Garden, hadn’t sat on it in the days since their arrival. Even now, as she cooled off, she reclined on a soft couch that had been brought out.
Half an hour earlier, she had asked the prefect’s wife to find temporary lodgings for the beauties from Hui Tower. She then returned to the courtyard, feeling angry and wronged, and unknowingly fell asleep. The maid beside her didn’t dare slack off and continued to fan her gently.
Seeing Jiang Xu approach, the maid moved to kneel.
Jiang Xu raised his hand, indicating it wasn’t necessary, and that she should continue fanning.
Earlier, at the prefect’s wife’s invitation, Ming Tan had changed into a new outfit. Her snow-white dress floated ethereally in the night, the red chest ribbon embroidered with intricate crabapple blossom patterns. Her skin was as white as frost and snow, her unpainted lips as red as if beckoning to be plucked.
He approached, using his fingertip to stroke her soft cheek, brushing away the messy strands of hair from her face.
In her sleep, Ming Tan felt something rough caressing her face. Her eyelashes fluttered, her brows furrowed slightly, her cherry lips pressed together, the corners of her mouth turning down unhappily, her little face slightly puffed up.
Jiang Xu gazed at her, dismissing the fan-wielding maid.
However, Ming Tan couldn’t bear the heat at all. Within moments of the fanning stopping, she was so hot that she smacked her lips, turning to her other side, unconsciously tugging at the red chest ribbon.
With no one around, a faint fragrance wafted in the air. Jiang Xu stared at her unblinkingly, his throat inexplicably tight. He leaned on the edge of the couch, slowly bending down, stopping above her lips. He seemed to hesitate, but finally, like a dragonfly touching water, he kissed her lips lightly.
Ming Tan didn’t wake, but uncomfortable from the heat, she nearly pulled off the ribbon covering her chest in a few tugs.
Seeing this, Jiang Xu picked up the fan the maid had left aside and fanned her a few times. But he had never done this before and didn’t know his strength. The first two strokes were just a bit forceful, but the third directly hit her chest, like a heavy slap.
Ming Tan woke with a start, instinctively covering her chest and shuddering. Her eyes were drowsy, first confused, then surprised as she stared at him: “Hu-husband? What are you doing?”
“…”
Jiang Xu dropped the fan expressionlessly.
Ming Tan looked at the fan, suddenly understanding. She slowly sat up on the couch, inching to the edge, looking around before hurriedly adjusting her disheveled clothes.
Having just woken up, her mind was still foggy. She hadn’t had time to resume her earlier mood, but as she arranged her clothes, she suddenly remembered something—how did she end up sleeping outside? Oh, right, the Hui Tower beauties. She had been angered by them.
Her hands paused, and her entire demeanor suddenly changed. She nonchalantly said, “How are you back already, husband? I thought you’d be drinking and chatting with the officials, accompanied by beauties, and wouldn’t return tonight.”
Jiang Xu: “…”
Indeed, what was bound to come had arrived.
Jealous people always think they’re hiding it well, not realizing the scent of vinegar is strong enough to wilt the delicate flowers in the garden.
Ming Tan was exactly like this, continuing as if nothing was wrong: “I’ve had the prefect’s wife find accommodations for those beauties Lord Yu sent. However, there are many of them and they arrived suddenly, so it might be a bit cramped. I hope you won’t mind. I wanted to bring more carriages initially, but you didn’t allow it. We’ll have to buy more horses and carriages for our return to the capital soon.”
“…”
“I didn’t know he would act first and report later, sending those women into our household.”
Ming Tan remained unmoved.
Jiang Xu didn’t explain further, only saying, “By now, my guards should have sent them back.”
Only then did Ming Tan look at him. After a while, she forcibly suppressed her desire to question him further and said casually while adjusting her sleeves, “Indeed, I suppose Miss Qingyu alone could outshine a thousand flowers in spring.”
“…”
Who had told her this?
Seeing Jiang Xu’s silence, Ming Tan paused, her heart sinking.
She adjusted her breathing and asked, “Where is Miss Qingyu? Didn’t you bring her back? Or are you waiting for an auspicious day to receive her from Hui Tower?”
“Does the Princess Consort wish for me to bring her back?”
…?
Why ask if she wished for it when it was clearly what he wanted?
Didn’t he know perfectly well whether she wished for it or not?
Ming Tan was so angry she felt dizzy, but stubbornly said, “The mansion is lonely, having another sister for the company would be nice. I’m clumsy and don’t know how to serve you well, I’m not attentive enough, it must have been troublesome for you.”
Jiang Xu stared at her for a while: “If that’s the case, I’ll send someone to bring her over now.”
He turned to leave.
Ming Tan exploded instantly, grabbing his clothes and hitting him without thinking.
Suddenly, everything was quiet.
Ming Tan also suddenly came to her senses.
What was she doing? Hitting her husband? Wasn’t this the “jealousy” that was one of the seven grounds for divorce? She hadn’t even given birth yet, would her husband divorce her? Or would he use this to threaten her into accepting that woman from Hui Tower?
Ming Tan’s mind went blank for a moment.
After a while, her expression cleared somewhat, and she suddenly hit Jiang Xu again.
“…?”
Jiang Xu saw her expression after hitting him and pretty much understood what she was thinking, but he was confused by her pause and then hit him again.
“Why did you hit me again?” he asked.
Ming Tan, with her neck stiff and eyes red, looked at him defiantly and said, “I’ve already hit you, already committed one of the seven grounds for divorce, if I don’t hit you a few more times, wouldn’t that be a waste!”
Hearing this, Jiang Xu paused for a moment, a barely noticeable smile appearing in his eyes: “The Princess Consort’s words make perfect sense.”
With that, he suddenly picked her up and carried her towards the room.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to receive her?”
“Receive who?”
“Didn’t you say—” Ming Tan paused, belatedly realizing she had been teased, “How could you!”
“How am I?”
Ming Tan was so angry she couldn’t speak.
After placing her on the bed, Jiang Xu suddenly pinched her cheek: “The Princess Consort looks quite adorable when jealous.”