When Marquis Jing'an came out of the palace, Huayang had just woken up.
My head aches slightly and my throat is very dry.
There was no one around, so she rang the bell.
Chaoyun and Chaolu rushed in together. When they were hanging the gauze curtain, they heard the princess calling for water, and Chaoyun hurriedly poured a cup of warm water.
The water moistened her throat, and Huayang felt much more comfortable, except her waist, which was sore, so she lay down again.
Chao Yun smiled and said, "The Prince Consort has been guarding you for the whole morning, but was just called away by the Lord."
Officials have three days off during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and today is the last day.
Huayang lowered his eyelashes and scratched the mattress angrily with his hands under the quilt.
In the past, whenever Chen Jingzong wanted to do something excessive, such as putting her calves on his shoulders, Huayang would scold him and Chen Jingzong would immediately put her down obediently. But last night she was drunk, and besides feeling weak, her reactions were also a little slower. By the time she realized something was wrong and wanted to scold Chen Jingzong, she was already unable to utter a complete word in the torrential rain.
Chaoyun was holding the tea bowl and had not yet left. Seeing that the princess said nothing and just blushed silently, Chaoyun suddenly remembered the noises he heard last night.
Perhaps because she was drunk, the princess forgot to keep her voice down.
Chao Yun lowered his head and retreated.
Huayang was lazy for about a quarter of an hour and asked the maids to help her change clothes.
Just as she finished dressing up, Chen Jingzong came back. As soon as she entered the house, she was given a cold look by Huayang.
Chen Jingzong was very good at reading her expression, and never mentioned what happened last night. After the maids left, he took the initiative to say, "Just now the old man called me over and scolded me, and told me not to cause trouble again in the future."
Huayang: "You didn't tell your father the real reason for the attack?"
Chen Jingzong: “That’s not necessary.”
Huayang understood that this person would rather be scolded by his father-in-law than say Meng Yanqing's frivolous words just to please his father-in-law.
Some children who are not favored by their parents are always thinking about making a name for themselves so that their parents will change their opinion of them. They can't wait to tell their parents as soon as they have made some achievements. However, Chen Jingzong is not that kind of person. He doesn't seem to care whether his father-in-law praises him or not. He does everything according to his own preferences.
"By the way, the Marquis of Jing'an's Mansion just sent someone to announce the good news, saying that Princess Nankang gave birth last night."
Chen Jingzong told Huayang the news he had just heard in the main courtyard. After all, Huayang was Princess Nankang's sister, and she should express her gratitude when encountering such a thing.
Huayang was surprised and asked, "She gave birth last night? I seemed to have heard from my mother that she would give birth at the end of the month."
Chen Jingzong: "It seems that Marquis Jing'an beat Meng Yanqing, and Princess Nankang was anxious, so she went ahead of schedule."
Just like Emperor Jingshun made a big show of bestowing a beauty on Meng Yanqing, letting everyone know that the royal family also abides by etiquette and will not indulge the princess to be a jealous woman, Marquis Jing'an also deliberately hinted to the old woman who reported the good news to spread the news that he beat his son, telling the emperor and the people that their Meng family would never really let the royal princess suffer injustice. Otherwise, without Marquis Jing'an's instruction, how dare that old woman nag
Huayang smiled. Marquis Jing'an was a hero on the battlefield, but it must have been a headache for him to have a son like Meng Yanqing.
She called Chao Lan and asked her to go to the warehouse to prepare a gift and send it to Princess Nankang later.
Chen Jingzong: "You won't go there in person?"
Huayang: "She doesn't have such a big face."
For a half-sister who always hoped for her bad luck and waited for the opportunity to step on her head, Huayang giving a gift was considered giving face to Nankang.
Chen Jingzong: "You are really impressive."
Huayang raised his chin slightly and accepted it without any modesty.
After breakfast, Huayang thought for a moment and said to Chen Jingzong, "My mother should have arranged for the imperial physician to treat my cousin's wife today. I'll go over and take a look."
If his cousin-in-law Tian really just caught a cold, Huayang would naturally not have to make this trip. However, Huayang knew that if it were based on her previous life, Tian would only have a dozen months to live. She was such a young beauty, and as gentle and quiet as Yu Xiu, which made people feel pity for her. Huayang wanted to visit her and find out what was wrong with Tian.
In comparison, the cousin's wife is probably not as close to him as his half-sister, but Huayang dislikes Nankang and is more likely to feel pity for weak beauties like Tian and Yu Xiu.
Chen Jingzong pursed his lips, looked at her and asked, "Do you have to go today?"
Huayang asked in surprise: "Is there anything wrong today?"
She learned last night that her cousin's wife was ill, so it was reasonable for her to visit her today.
Chen Jingzong: "I have already made plans to take you out of town for a day."
Huayang: …
My cousin's wife's illness didn't last long, but Chen Jingzong had a rare vacation.
Quarter of an hour later, Huayang changed into a set of fine cloth clothes and followed Chen Jingzong into the carriage to leave the city.
The next morning, Huayang brought Chaoyun and Chaolu to Wuqing Marquis Mansion.
At this time, Marquis Wuqing and his son Qi Jin had already gone to work, and Madam Qi and Madam Marquis Yi came together to welcome Huayang.
Madam Qi said: "You are a princess. If you care about your cousin's wife, why don't you just ask the maid to come and check on her? Why do you have to come here in person?"
Huayang smiled and said, "It's boring at home too. I can come out and talk to you."
Madam Qi: "Your little mouth is much sweeter than when the queen was a child."
Chaoyun and Chaolu looked at each other and laughed. In this world, there were only a handful of people who could hear the princess' sweet words, and they were all the princess' elders. Among her peers, even the closest prince consort did not have this blessing.
After the greetings, Huayang went to visit Tian first.
The maids had already opened the windows in advance to disperse the smell of medicine and disease in the room.
Tian was lying on the bed. She was only twenty years old, but her face was weak and pale, like a flower with a short blooming period that would wither soon after blooming.
Hua Yang sat beside the bed and asked with concern, "What did the imperial physician say?"
There is a difference between the high and the low. At this moment, the Marquis's wife was just accompanying the guests. It was entirely up to Madam Qi to entertain and respond to the princess: "It is said that it is a heart disease, which has been pent up in her heart for a long time. Taking medicine can only alleviate it. If she wants to recover, she has to resolve the knot in her heart herself."
Huayang had never been a mother, but she had experienced the grief of losing her father, and the pain of Tian's miscarriage might be even greater than hers.
As soon as Huayang opened his mouth, Tian's tears started to flow, and now she was sobbing uncontrollably.
Huayang considerately asked her grandmother and aunt to go out first, as a daughter-in-law might feel even more uncomfortable in front of the elders of her husband's family.
Tian cried for a long time.
She had been suppressing grievances for several years. Faced with such a kind princess, a princess who might not necessarily side with Qi Jin, Tian really wanted to speak out all those grievances.
In the end, she held back.
The princess came to visit her with good intentions and sincerely hoped that she would get well. How could she cause trouble for the princess with her own troubles
She was still crying intermittently.
Huayang thought of the women she had met in Lingzhou. They were all poor women who had been bullied by the King of Xiang. Because they were not good-looking enough, the King of Xiang sent them away with a few taels of silver. For the King of Xiang, it was just a few days or even months of bed pleasure, but for these women, it was a lifelong torture. They were obviously the victims, but when they returned home, they had to endure the pointing and criticizing of the neighbors, and it was difficult for them to marry into a good family.
Faced with the same experience, some women became disheartened and committed suicide by jumping into the river, while some women were determined and treated their experiences as a past event. Some women remained unmarried and lived with their parents farming. Some women eventually met good men who understood and cared for them, got married, had children, and lived a stable life.
Huayang told all this to Tian: "My cousin feels that she is suffering, but what does it matter if she compares herself to them? They were able to walk out of the quagmire, so does my cousin really have to be trapped in pain for the rest of her life?"
Tian's tears had stopped. She felt very sad for those poor women.
To be honest, she just married a man who didn't like her and was pregnant with a child that he didn't want. Apart from that, she had no worries about food and clothing, and no ruffians dared to bully her. Her mother-in-law and the lady above treated her politely and even with pity. How many poor people out there could hardly wish for such a life
"Thank you, Princess. I understand. Don't worry, I won't be stupid again."
Tian wiped away her tears, her face was still pale, but the light appeared in her eyes again as she looked at Huayang.
Huayang nodded and said with a smile: "When my cousin's wife recovers, I will invite you to enjoy the flowers and drink tea together."
.
Huayang did not have lunch at Wuqing Marquis' Mansion. After staying there for about an hour, he returned to Chen's Mansion.
Sun knew that the princess' daughter-in-law was going to visit a sick woman, so she had to come over and ask some questions to express her concern for Tian.
Huayang told his mother-in-law about his way of persuasion.
Sun sighed, "The princess is really beautiful and kind, and her words can touch people's hearts. Unlike me, I have always advised the old man not to be so strict since the fourth child was a child, but it was useless after twenty years of persuasion. As soon as the princess took action, the old man was immediately convinced and changed a lot since then."
Hua Yang smiled and said, "Mother, you are too kind. When I first left the palace, I couldn't say these words. It was only after I followed you two elders to Lingzhou and gained some experience that I began to understand."
Sun was still smiling, and she looked at the princess as if she were a treasure, and they fell from the sky and landed on Old Chen's treasure.
As night fell in the evening, Chen Jingzong returned from the garrison.
The maids placed a low table and some food on the couch, then left.
Chen Jingzong took a bite of his meal and looked at Huayang, who was leaning against the opposite side and reading a book, and said, "My life is really not as good as that of the old man."
Huayang glanced at him.
Chen Jingzong continued, "The old man is old and ugly, but no matter how late he is busy outside, mother will wait for him to come back and have dinner together. Although I am a royal consort, I am probably only young and strong now, and can still be of some use to the princess. When I am old and unable to do so, you may just divorce me, or just assign me a remote courtyard in the princess's mansion, which is like a cold palace."
Huayang snorted: "You came back so late, I waited for you every day, and I got hungry and hurt my body, can you bear it?"
Chen Jingzong: "I can't bear it. You should eat whenever you want. Don't wait for me."
Huayang knew that he was making small talk, so he continued reading.
Chen Jingzong: "Have you been to the Marquis' Mansion today?"
Huayang: “Yeah.”
Chen Jingzong: "Did the Marquis and the Prince entertain you with great ceremony?"
Huayang: "They were all on duty, so they had no time to entertain me. I only met my grandmother and the others."
Chen Jingzong understood, grabbed the wine jug and refilled it for himself, took a sip, and then picked up some vegetables and meat.
Huayang looked at him strangely: "Why don't you ask about my cousin's wife's condition?"
Chen Jingzong: "If your cousin was sick, I could still ask. I really care about your cousin's wife. Your cousin should be angry."
Huayang really wanted to throw the book in his hand over. Every word he said was so frivolous.
Wuqing Marquis Mansion.
Qi Jin had dinner alone and came to the backyard.
Tian had just taken the medicine and didn't dare go outside to get some fresh air. She walked slowly around the room with her maid to stretch her muscles.
As soon as Qi Jin arrived, the maid tactfully withdrew.
Qi Jin sat on the chair, lowered his eyes and asked Tian: "I heard from mother that the princess sat with you for a while. What did she say?"
The soft light fell on his handsome face, half bright and half dark, making his emotions difficult to discern.
Tian thought her husband was worried that he might say something wrong and offend the princess, so she simply repeated it to him.
Qi Jin looked at the tea bowl in his hand. The tea was clear, and there seemed to be a beautiful face with bright eyes and white teeth in it.
After Tian finished speaking, Qi Jin put down the tea bowl, stood up and said, "It's getting late, go to bed early."
Before he finished speaking, he had already passed by Tian.
Tian looked at his tall and straight back, trying to imagine him as the Prince of Xiang that the princess had mentioned.
One of them does not treat the woman as a human being because of his lust, while the other one treats her as a decoration because of his cold-heartedness.
They are birds of a feather, so why should she linger on him
(End of this chapter)