On Our Wedding Night, I Discovered the Crown Prince's Hidden Illness-Chapter 881: Deeply Devoted

Upon closer inspection, it was Ah Lea.

Ye Zhenyu’s smile faded, and his steps slowed slightly.

Ah Lea put down her work and curtsied in greeting, "Greetings, Your Highness!"

Ye Zhenyu replied indifferently, "The young master of Prime Minister Zheng’s Mansion is here. He and the concubine are passing by your courtyard and would like a cup of tea."

Ah Lea smiled faintly, "Everyone, please sit in the courtyard. I will prepare the tea."

After speaking, she cast a glance at Zheng Liqi, her gaze sweeping over Zheng Likuo.

The Zheng siblings followed Ye Zhenyu at a slow pace.

At first glance, Zheng Likuo was stunned by the woman before him; she did indeed resemble Leng Yu Yan somewhat.

But upon closer examination, her eyes were quite different, as were her lips.

Moreover, her face appeared somewhat stiff, especially her smile. Her eyes and lips seemed to smile, but the rest of her face hardly moved.

As Ah Lea entered the house, Zheng Liqi elbowed Zheng Likuo, hoping her brother would ask for the woman on behalf of Ye Zhenyu.

Zheng Likuo sighed. He had indeed intended to ease his sister’s concerns in this manner.

But now, seeing someone who resembled Leng Yu Yan, especially with that eerie smile, he suddenly reconsidered.

An imitation is ultimately just an imitation.

If Ye Zhenyu were truly willing to give her, bringing her back to the Zheng Family would still require pampering her.

Moreover, the Brothers of Lai had knocked out two of his teeth, and now he would bring home someone resembling Leng Yu Yan to annoy himself?

Thinking of this, Zheng Likuo bowed to Ye Zhenyu, saying, "Your Highness, my apologies. I suddenly recalled some urgent matters at home, so I must leave."

"Not even for a cup of tea?" 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Ye Zhenyu could not comprehend what medicine the Zheng siblings were hiding in their gourds.

Zheng Likuo waved it off, "No tea, no tea."

After speaking, he lifted his robe and turned to leave.

Zheng Liqi followed, "Brother, wait for me."

Zheng Likuo slowed his steps to let Zheng Liqi catch up, and the siblings walked shoulder to shoulder toward the gate of the Prince Mansion.

Once they were sure Ye Zhenyu was not following, Zheng Liqi asked, "What’s wrong with you?"

"That woman is very suspicious, especially her smile, which is as creepy as the nightmares I had a few days ago," Zheng Likuo whispered. "Sister, I advise you not to confront that woman rashly for now. She was admitted to the mansion yesterday and is already a concubine today; she must have a significant background. Her face resembles Leng Yu Yan’s, so she might be a spy placed by one of the princes beside Ye Zhenyu."

This kind of woman must never be brought into the Zheng Family.

Reminded by her brother, Zheng Liqi finally came to her senses, "That woman does indeed bear some resemblance to Leng Yu Yan, and Ye Zhenyu secretly admires Leng Yu Yan. Whoever knew this chose someone who resembles her as a fake, and that’s quite a deep plot."

Zheng Likuo advised further, "Currently, we are in the light, and the other party is in the dark. Had I asked for the woman just now, we’d offend Ye Zhenyu on the one hand, and the master behind that woman on the other, to the detriment of the Zheng Family."

Zheng Liqi nodded, "I understand now."

In the courtyard, Ah Lea brought the tea and, seeing only Ye Zhenyu, asked in confusion, "Your Highness, where is the young master of the Zheng Family?"

"He said he had urgent matters and left first." Ye Zhenyu sat down leisurely, noticing a bit more life in the courtyard, and asked, "Are you satisfied with this courtyard?"

Ah Lea placed the tea in front of Ye Zhenyu and replied gently, "I am satisfied. Thank you, Your Highness!"

Ye Zhenyu sipped the tea and casually asked, "Who else is in your family?"

"In response to Your Highness, in my family..." Pausing momentarily, Ah Lea said, "Now there’s only Ah Lea."

She had to bid farewell to her past self, so she could only say this.

Fearing Ye Zhenyu would probe deeper, Ah Lea changed the subject, "I heard earlier that a concubine once lived in this courtyard, Your Highness. Was it the concubine from before?"

Ye Zhenyu’s eyebrows twitched slightly, "They are not the same person."

Ah Lea seized the opportunity to ask, "May I ask Your Highness, which concubine holds a place in your heart?"

Seemingly taken aback by her question, Ye Zhenyu frowned and looked at Ah Lea.

He suddenly chuckled coldly. The former concubine, Lai Manting, and the current concubine, Zheng Liqi, neither had won his heart.

If he had to answer, he would only say, "The concubine who previously lived in this courtyard had deep feelings for me."

Upon hearing this, Ah Lea smiled, a hint of sarcasm glinting in her eyes.

Haha, so he did realize her feelings for him?

--

That night, the moon was bright, and the stars were sparse.

Consort Xian, clutching an exquisite small brocade box, entered the Emperor’s bedchamber.

On the vast dragon bed, several beauties were playfully cavorting with the Emperor, but Consort Xian was long accustomed to such scenes.

The beauties were in high spirits, but the Emperor could not muster any enthusiasm and merely drank cup after cup of the wine they offered.

Half the wine spilled on the dragon bed, and the other half went into his belly, yet the Emperor felt helpless.

Consort Xian gently coughed, "Your Majesty, I have a gift for you."

"All of you leave." The Emperor seized the opportunity to dismiss the beauties.

The beauties cast secret glances at Consort Xian, but their anger remained unspoken, and they immediately bowed out.

The Emperor exhaled deeply, "It must be Consort Xian."

Though he didn’t say it outright, Consort Xian knew the Emperor’s current physical condition. Staring at so many beauties, he could only watch.

With a gentle smile, she slowly sat beside the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, here are some pills newly concocted by an expert. Would you like to try one?"

As she spoke, Consort Xian opened the brocade box with her red-tipped fingers.

Inside were two pitch-black pills, and the Emperor’s dull eyes lit up. He quickly took one and put it in his mouth, chewing it carefully.

After a long while, he nodded heavily, exclaiming, "Good stuff!"

With only three words, he pushed Consort Xian down onto the dragon bed.

Consort Xian half-heartedly resisted, "Should I summon those beauties again for Your Majesty?"

"I desire Consort Xian."

After their intimacy, Consort Xian whispered in the Emperor’s ear, "Your Majesty, our child has long come of age, yet the matter of his title is endlessly postponed. This matter..."

"Zhengmo indeed should be titled as a Prince." The Emperor nodded, pleased with the pill’s potency and strength. Then he asked, "Consort Xian, can you inquire of the expert whether they can make an elixir of immortality?"

For the Emperor who had consumed numerous elixirs, today’s pill had invigorating effects, but it couldn’t compare to an elixir of immortality.

According to ancient texts, an elixir of immortality first makes the body feel light, which explains why immortals can seemingly fly at will.

Consort Xian was well aware that she couldn’t babble about elixirs in front of the Emperor. So she said, "I’ll ask someday, but the expert’s whereabouts are unpredictable, and I don’t know when there will be an answer."

The Emperor nodded, "Very well, thank you for your efforts, Consort Xian."

He didn’t know what kind of expert was behind Consort Xian, but there were plenty of Jianghu sorcerers capable of concocting male-strengthening pills. He just casually asked.

Consort Xian wished to indulge once more, so she opened the brocade box and softly asked, "Would Your Majesty like to take another?"

The Emperor knew well enough that overconsumption of such medicine was harmful—in simple terms, it drained future bodily energy.

Without tasting an Elixir of Immortality, he couldn’t consume too much of this kind of medicine, so he pushed her away, saying, "I will decree tomorrow for Zhengmo’s princely title."

Having achieved her objective, Consort Xian no longer pressed the Emperor for further intimacy.

The following day, the Emperor indeed decreed Ye Zhengmo as Prince, not only announcing it in the morning court but simultaneously dispatching the princely decree to the Seventh Prince Mansion.