Huayang conscientiously pretended to be sick in the palace.
There was no need to pretend at the beginning. The symptoms of nasal congestion and cough took seven or eight days to go away. Coupled with the "nightmares" in the middle of the night, no one would suspect that she was faking illness.
After the cold recovered, in order to hide his "nightmare" syndrome, Huayang deliberately ate less and woke up in the middle of the night, staying awake for more than an hour.
Without eating or sleeping well, she became increasingly haggard, just like the full moon on the night of the Lantern Festival, heading straight towards the thin sickle.
Seeing his daughter, who was as delicate as a jade plate, becoming increasingly "short of weight", Emperor Jingshun was extremely worried.
At the end of last year, the treasury had a surplus of 500,000 taels. Emperor Jingshun, who had not held a beauty pageant for two years, secretly thought about holding a beauty pageant and was waiting to announce it at the court meeting after the New Year. However, his beloved daughter fell into the water and caught a cold, so how could Emperor Jingshun be in the mood to hold a beauty pageant? He could find a beauty at any time, but his most precious daughter was Huayang.
Emperor Jingshun gave up on the draft and began to invite famous doctors in the capital. It was because those useless people in the Imperial Hospital could never cure his daughter!
The imperial doctors were both nervous and anxious, but luckily the princess was kind-hearted and kept speaking for them. Emperor Jingshun was also good-tempered and did not chop off their heads at every turn.
Huayang carefully controls the number of times he has "nightmares".
In the late first month of the lunar year, she had nightmares every night.
In early February, she changed it to once every two or three days, and in late February it was once every four or five days.
He still ate less and had a thin face. Whenever he saw his father and mother, he pretended to be listless and dull, which made Emperor Jingshun feel distressed every time.
On this day, Princess Nankang came to visit Huayang. Seeing Huayang lying on the bed with a pitiful appearance, Nankang said suspiciously, "It was just a fall into the water. Why did you have to be sick for so long? I even suspect that you are staying in the palace on purpose."
Huayang looked at her, and suddenly pulled up the quilt and started sobbing.
When Chaoyun saw this, she immediately ran to the Qianqing Palace to complain to Emperor Jingshun.
Emperor Jingshun came upon hearing the news. Huayang repeated Nankang's words with red eyes, and said with shame: "Father, why don't you send me back to Chen Mansion? Otherwise, the people in the capital will criticize me, a married princess, for staying in the palace for a long time and coveting your favor."
Emperor Jingshun looked at his other daughter with a sullen face.
As early as when Chao Yun ran away, Princess Nankang knew that she was going to be in trouble. She stammered, "Father, I, I was just joking with my sister..."
Emperor Jingshun: "Look how thin she is, and you're still joking with her? You've always been trying to compete with Huayang since you were little. I won't bother with you because of your girlish nature, but Huayang is so ill, and as a sister, you don't care about her, and you actually come here to mock her!"
Nankang turned pale and could only kneel down to apologize.
Emperor Jingshun snorted, "Go back. You don't have to come to the palace again until Huayang recovers."
Nankang knew that his father was angry, so he left in a wronged manner.
Emperor Jingshun looked at his sick daughter again.
Huayang looked sad: "Father, is my illness incurable?"
Emperor Jingshun's eyes immediately became extremely gentle. He held his daughter's hand and said, "Don't worry, Panpan. I have already sent people to find Imperial Doctor Li, and there are other famous doctors who will definitely be able to cure you."
Huayang nodded obediently.
Her father and mother had always treated her as a well-behaved and lovely daughter. They did not want her to be interested in state affairs. And when such a pampered princess fell ill, her father and mother would never suspect that she was scheming anything.
By March, Huayang only had nightmares once every ten days or so. He began to regain some energy and was willing to stroll around the Imperial Garden.
Emperor Jingshun finally breathed a sigh of relief as he saw hope for his daughter's recovery.
It’s just that the opportunity for him to draft in previous years has long passed, so Emperor Invesco simply stopped thinking about it, and it will be the same if he drafts again next year.
.
On the evening of April 9th, Huayang had dinner with his father, mother and younger brother, and said embarrassedly that he wanted to leave the palace the next day.
Emperor Jingshun looked at his daughter's face, which had regained its rosy color but was still thin, and said reluctantly, "Don't worry, stay for a while longer, and wait until you are fully recovered."
Empress Qi listened silently, while the Crown Prince agreed with his father's words.
Hua Yang lowered his eyes and whispered, "I'm fine now. Besides, if I don't go back, I'm afraid my husband and the others will continue to worry about me..."
Her voice got lower and lower.
Emperor Jingshun suddenly realized that his daughter wanted to find a son-in-law.
After all, they are a young couple who have been married for more than three years. How can they live apart for a long time
Emperor Jingshun was unable to persuade her any further and looked at Empress Qi.
Empress Qi then smiled and said, "It's time to go back. I saw your husband has lost a lot of weight in the last few times we've met."
Emperor Jingshun ordered Eunuch Ma: "Send someone to Chen's house and ask the prince consort to pick up the princess tomorrow morning."
Eunuch Ma went to make arrangements immediately.
Chen Mansion.
Chen Jingzong still rode for an hour before returning from the garrison. When he learned that his mother was looking for him, he went to Chunhe Hall first.
Chen Tingjian and Sun are both here.
When Sun saw her son, she said happily, "The princess has recovered from her illness. The emperor asked you to pick her up tomorrow morning."
Chen Jingzong sneered.
Chen Tingjian: "What is your attitude?"
Chen Jingzong: "I don't have any attitude. She is a princess and she just never comes back. As the consort, I can only accept it."
Chen Tingjian: "Do you think the princess is willing? She has been ill for so long, firstly because she has no choice, and secondly because she sympathizes with us. If she really comes back, the emperor will ask if we didn't take good care of her. Can you bear it?"
Chen Jingzong: "Whatever you say."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Chen Tingjian had a gloomy face.
Sun sighed, "In our family, the fourth son is the one who worries the most about the princess. If you were sick, I would be with you day and night. He was stopped outside the palace and can't see anyone, so he can only worry. It would be strange if he didn't get angry."
Chen Tingjian: "I understand. I'm just afraid that he will really show disrespect to the princess."
Sun: "You are always like this. You are a person of character. Your sons can't keep calm. Whatever you think is written on your face, right?"
Chen Tingjian: "He shouldn't even have the idea of complaining. In front of the princess, he is first a minister and then a husband."
Sun: "Then should I, an old woman from a remote town, also treat you as a minister first, and then as a husband?"
Chen Tingjian: …
Sun slammed the table and glared, then went into the inner room without even opening the door for him.
The next day, Chen Tingjian got up early and sent someone to keep an eye on the movements of the fourth brother. He asked the steward to inform the fourth brother to come to Chunhetang before leaving.
Not long after breakfast, the steward came and said awkwardly, "Lord, the prince consort didn't listen and got in the car and left. I couldn't stop him."
Chen Tingjian waved his hand and asked him to leave.
In the palace, Chen Jingzong first went to the Qianqing Palace to pay his respects to Emperor Jingshun. Not long after, Empress Qi and the Crown Prince came over with Huayang.
Chen Jingzong's gaze fell on Huayang's face, as if it was glued to him. He moved away several times, but soon moved back again involuntarily.
This was a sign of deep longing. Emperor Jingshun and Empress Qi both laughed, and even the thirteen-year-old crown prince understood what was going on.
Huayang's earlobes felt slightly hot. This man had always behaved very well in front of his father, the emperor, and his mother. Now that they were about to reunite, how could he not control himself
After a few pleasantries, Huayang got on the sedan chair and took Chen Jingzong out of the palace.
Chen Jingzong helped her into the carriage and followed her in.
Huayang looked at him silently.
Over the past two months, Chen Jingzong went to the palace only once every two or three days. As her condition gradually improved, he only visited her on days off.
Just as his mother said, Chen Jingzong had indeed lost weight.
But Huayang had tried her best to hint to him that he should not worry. She pretended to be pitiful in front of her father, the emperor and her mother. When she spoke to Chen Jingzong alone, she looked relaxed and even teased him a few times, because she knew that Chen Jingzong had no need to reveal these things to others.
Based on Chen Jingzong's performance in the palace just now, Huayang thought that as soon as he got in the car, he would hold her in his arms, kiss her, and ask her if she was really well.
However, to Huayang's surprise, Chen Jingzong just sat at the other end of the couch, pursing his lips, and his handsome face looked even more cold and ruthless as he became thinner.
Huayang immediately realized that the Chen Jingzong in front of him was the real Chen Jingzong, and he was just putting on a show for his father and mother.
Hua Yang guessed, "Because I've lived in the palace for too long, is he angry?"
Chen Jingzong: “I dare not.”
Huayang: "I think you are very brave."
Chen Jingzong did not respond, but turned his head to the other side, as if he didn't want to even see the corner of her clothes.
Huayang was silent.
When they had just gotten married, she didn't care at all whether Chen Jingzong was angry or not, but after two years of relatively loving life, Chen Jingzong suddenly acted like this, and Huayang was not used to it.
She smiled and looked toward the window on her side: "If I had known you didn't want to see me, I wouldn't have asked you to go through all this trouble. You could have just come back by yourself."
Chen Jingzong responded with a low laugh, full of sarcasm.
Huayang suddenly felt a little used to it. This was how they lived in their previous life, you mocked me and I mocked you.
If Huayang had lived comfortably for the past two months and she really didn't want to leave the palace on purpose, Huayang might even feel a little ashamed towards Chen Jingzong, but she didn't do that.
She twirled the bracelet on her wrist.
She wore this bracelet during the Lantern Festival. It fit her perfectly. It would slide slightly along her wrist while she moved, but it would not fall too low to hinder her hand.
Now, she put down her arm, and the jade bracelet went straight to the bottom and covered half of her palm.
Of course, this was all her own fault and she has no regrets.
But Chen Jingzong, who had called her ancestor so affectionately at night, didn't seem to feel sorry for her at all now and was even throwing a tantrum at her.
The carriage stopped in front of the Chen Mansion.
When Huayang got off the car, Chen Jingzong was already standing beside her. Not far away, Chen Tingjian and others came out to greet her.
Huayang glanced at Chaoyun and extended his hand to Chen Jingzong.
After getting off the car, she greeted her father-in-law and others as usual.
Sun and Yu Xiu's eyes were red. Luo Yuyan was not so sentimental, but she was shocked when she saw Huayang's weight loss.
Wanyi threw herself into Huayang's arms, tears streaming down her cheeks: "Fourth Aunt, I miss you so much."
Huayang touched the little girl's head and said with a smile: "I'm back now. Come and play with me often in the future."
Chen Tingjian said with concern: "Princess, you have just recovered from a serious illness. You should go back to Siyi Hall to rest first and don't overwork yourself." Huayang was indeed not in the mood to socialize, so he took Wanyi away.
She stayed with Wanyi for almost half an hour, mainly asking about the recent situation in the Chen Mansion, and then telling Wanyi about her illness. It was also through Wanyi that she made her father-in-law and others believe that she was really well and just needed some more recuperation.
After Wanyi left, Huayang went to lie down on the bed.
She played with the jade bracelet on her wrist. It was made of the finest white jade, warm and moist with her body temperature.
After an unknown amount of time, the sound of maids paying respects to the prince consort was heard from the yard.
Huayang fiddled with the bracelet again and closed his eyes to take a nap.
Footsteps came in, stopped outside the bed for a while, and finally came to the bedside and sat down.
"I've been pretending to be sick for so long, and I've made myself look like a ghost. Isn't it fun?"
The cold voice was like tung oil boiling beneath the calm surface, suppressing the anger that was about to burst out at any moment.
Huayang turned around, frowned and asked, "What do you mean by pretending to be sick?"
She never told Chen Jingzong that she was pretending, she just acted relaxed in the hope that he wouldn't worry too much.
Chen Jingzong looked at her: "I'm not a fool, and you're not a princess who would run onto the ice regardless of the danger."
She was able to deceive the Emperor, Empress and the Prince because she acted like a spoiled little princess in the palace.
But her words and actions in Lingzhou and the Chen family were dignified and proud, but never willful or impulsive.
The old man knew it, and he knew it too.
And he knows more than the old man.
(End of this chapter)