The prince longs for me every night after mastering thought-reading-Chapter 20 - Visiting
Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Visiting
Chapter 20 -20: Visiting
Shen Mingzhu fainted at the sight of blood.
Qiuju shouted in fright, “Miss?”
After a moment of chaos, Shen Mingzhu’s hand received timely bandaging from the Imperial Doctor.
She is now kneeling in the middle of the hall.
The Empress, upon hearing the account from Nanny Rong, looked coldly at Shen Mingzhu, “The Crown Prince was praising your cooking skills before me just yesterday, but it turns out you were lying to me and to the Crown Prince? freewebnoveℓ.com
Do you realize that you are slapping the Crown Prince’s face?
I had high hopes for you, but now I am only met with disappointment.”
“Empress, I have been working hard to learn cooking,” Shen Mingzhu sobbed miserably, looking rather pitiful.
“You can’t even cut meat properly and you still have the nerve to say you’re working hard to learn cooking?
How foolish.
You’re guilty of deceiving your sovereign,” the Empress emphasized her tone on the last sentence, detesting deceit more than anything else in her life.
Shen Mingzhu’s face paled with fright, she prostrated herself on the floor, begging, “Please forgive me, Empress, I will never dare to do it again.”
The Empress stated firmly, “Lady Shen is demoted to Lady for her deception and is ordered to reflect behind closed doors.”
“Thank you, Empress,” Shen Mingzhu was resentful in her heart, but she dared not show it and could only return to reflect on her mistakes.
At that time, Dongmei arrived at Fengyi Palace to inform Nanny Rong that Lady Chang was sick.
Lady Chang was the Empress’s niece, and Nanny Rong did not dare to neglect the matter.
After hearing it, she turned around and entered the Bedchamber, repeating to the Empress what Dongmei had said.
“Your Majesty, Lady Chang was troubled by nightmares last night, and Your Highness stayed the night at Yun Pavilion, not visiting her.”
The Empress couldn’t help but worry at the news, “How is Lanlan now?”
Nanny Rong replied, “Your Majesty, Lady Chang is ill.”
“The Crown Prince is not one to indulge in lust.
Why has he allowed Shen Fengyi to serve him in his bedchamber two times in a row?
He didn’t even check on Lanlan when she’s sick?
She is my niece, does the Crown Prince have no regard for me, his mother?”
“Your Highness was merely temporarily beguiled by feminine charms.
Your Majesty, please don’t let it upset you,” Nanny Rong comforted her as she spoke.
After thinking for a moment, the Empress said, “Tell the Crown Prince to visit Lanlan immediately.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Nanny Rong acknowledged.
*
After listening to Nanny Rong, Xiao Jinyan’s eyes flashed with mockery.
He nodded lightly, “Tell Mother that I shall visit Lady Chang shortly.”
“This servant will take her leave,” Nanny Rong said as she exited.
Xiao Jinyan put down the book he was holding and stood up, cradling Xuetuan, to head for Xinlan Hall.
On his way, he saw Shen Fengyi by the lotus pond.
“What are you doing here?”
Shen Chuwei was holding a lotus pod, turned around upon seeing Xiao Jinyan, and stepped forward to give a bow, “Your Highness, I saw the lotus pods in the pond were bare and looked rather pitiable.”
Xiao Jinyan saw through her little scheme at a glance, “Looking for an excuse to eat lotus seeds?”
Shen Chuwei smiled awkwardly, “It would be a pity to let them age without being enjoyed.”
“…” Xiao Jinyan said, “Accompany me to visit Lady Chang.”
Shen Chuwei wanted to say she was not acquainted with Lady Chang, but Xiao Jinyan didn’t give her the chance to refuse, he thrust Xuetuan into her arms and walked away.
Xuetuan opened its eyes to see Shen Fengyi’s paws stretching out then swiftly retracting, caught securely in her hold.
Shen Chuwei looked down at Xuetuan, and both cat and woman exchanged a wordless glance.
Xinlan Hall was closest to the Crown Prince’s bedchamber, and they arrived in a short while.
In comparison to Yun Pavilion, whether in location or decor, Xinlan Hall was not on the same level.
Lady Chang lay ill in bed, her usual color not as vibrant as before.
When the Crown Prince arrived, she attempted to get out of bed to pay her respects.
Xiao Jinyan said, “When you are sick, you should stay in bed.
Dispense with the formalities.”
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Lady Chang sat back down, and Dongmei came forward to adjust the blanket for her.
Eunuch Liu brought over a chair and placed it in front of the bed, after Xiao Jinyan sat down.
Shen Chuwei stepped forward to pay respects to Lady Chang before standing by Xiao Jinyan’s side, intending to be invisible.
It was only then that Lady Chang noticed Shen Fengyi, her complexion changed slightly, and she immediately covered it up with a warm, shallow smile, “So the sister has also come.
It’s the first time for the sister to visit Xinlan Hall, truly a rare guest.”
In her heart, however, she questioned: Why is she here?
Is she flaunting the Crown Prince’s favor to intimidate me?
Xiao Jinyan caught every word of this silent rebuke, his expression unchanged as he asked, “I heard you had nightmares last night?
Were they severe?”
Lady Chang gave a weak nod, “Your concubine is unharmed; it was Dongmei who was overly worried about me and thus disturbed Your Highness and the Empress Mother.”
“Young mistress, you’ve had nightmares night after night, and it’s been several days since you had a good sleep.”
Dongmei finished speaking, then knelt down with a thud in front of the Crown Prince, “Your Highness, the maid is truly worried about the young mistress.
The young mistress is timid and kept waking up in fright last night.”
How is the young mistress in any way inferior to Shen Fengyi?
The Crown Prince must be blind to favor that seductress Shen Fengyi over his own young mistress.
Xiao Jinyan looked down at Dongmei, yet his voice was as cold as frost, “As a maid, you should have called the Imperial Doctor immediately.
If anything happened to Lady Chang, you would be held accountable.”
Dongmei, frightened, turned pale, her head hung even lower, “Your Highness’s reprimand is just; the maid will bear your lesson in mind.”
Xiao Jinyan said dispassionately, “Dongmei’s inadequate service has exacerbated Lady Chang’s condition.
Take her away and give her thirty heavy blows as a warning to all servants who fail in their duties.”
Dongmei collapsed to the ground in terror.
“Your Highness, Dongmei is a servant that came with your concubine from her family home and has always served diligently…”
Lady Chang tried to plead for Dongmei, but was coldly interrupted by Xiao Jinyan, “If she served diligently, why didn’t she know to call the Imperial Doctor immediately when sick, instead of delaying treatment?
I see her motives as suspect.”
Lady Chang was at a loss for words, clutching her bedding tightly, watching as Dongmei was dragged away by the Crown Prince’s bodyguard.
Soon after, screams could be heard, causing her complexion to whiten further.
Shen Chuwei quietly watched the scene unfold, realizing that the Crown Prince was as decisive and intimidating as the rumors suggested.
Yet, on another note, the Crown Prince truly does dote on Lady Chang.
Seeing his beloved woman not taken care of well, what a state he’s in?
Xiao Jinyan overheard this line of thought, his gaze lifting to Shen Chuwei at his side, his voice slightly heavy, “Has Shen Fengyi heard about nightmares?”
Shen Chuwei, being named, hurriedly lowered her head in guilt.
What do nightmares have to do with her?
“I have heard some, it is said that drinking coarse rice soup night after night might help with nightmares.”
Her response was offhand; whether it worked was not the point, Xiao Jinyan surely wouldn’t believe it anyway.
Xiao Jinyan instructed, “Eunuch Liu, go prepare some coarse rice soup for Lady Chang to have.”
“Yes.” Eunuch Liu left to make preparations.
Shen Chuwei was surprised as she looked towards Xiao Jinyan.
He actually believed it?
Not only that, but he also ordered it to be prepared immediately?
Your Highness, coarse rice soup is not pleasant to taste – are you sure you want your beloved to drink it?
Xiao Jinyan heard this and remained silent.
Eunuch Liu, as a close attendant to the Crown Prince, was always very efficient with his tasks.
Shortly after, he brought over a pot of coarse rice soup and placed it on the bedside table before stepping aside.
Xiao Jinyan commanded coldly, “Aren’t you going to assist Lady Chang in taking the soup?”
“Yes.” The palace maid stood up and carefully poured a bowl of coarse rice soup, holding it in front of the bed, “Young mistress, please drink slowly.”
Lady Chang, having been spoiled since childhood, was accustomed to eating only the finest, most delicate foods.
She never had to drink coarse rice soup.
Just one glance at it made her feel nauseated, let alone drinking it.
Shen Fengyi must be here to seek revenge on purpose.
“Your Highness, if it can cure nightmares, your concubine will surely drink it.
But how does the sister know that coarse rice soup can resolve nightmares?
Or did she hear it somewhere by chance?
Shouldn’t we ask the Imperial Doctor first?”
