Du Gu Qing didn't mind. He just waved his hand and said, "It's nothing. You may go!"
Yue Ru looked at Mei Qingxue. Seeing her nodding, she then withdrew.
"Your Highness, this maid of yours is very loyal!" Du Gu Qing intended to show his appreciation, but Mei Qingxue misunderstood his meaning.
"What? Does Your Highness take a fancy to her and want to take her as a concubine?"
All men are the same. Mei Qingxue sneered with contempt in her eyes. She had thought Du Gu Qing was different.
"No, no. Your Highness, don't misunderstand. I think this maid of yours is of high quality. I presume your parents sent her as a dowry with the intention of her becoming my concubine. But my health is poor. How can I deal with other women? Just having you, Your Highness, almost exhausts me. How can I have other thoughts?"
Seeing Mei Qingxue glaring at him, Du Gu Qing stopped teasing her.
"I think this maid of yours is reliable. Han Chao, the guard under me, you've met him. He's been loyal and has always followed me. I've never considered his marriage. Just now when I saw your maid, I got this idea!"
When Du Gu Qing was talking about his poor health, Mei Qingxue almost wanted to kick him off the bed. If that guy had poor physical strength, then no one would have good physical strength. He would toss and turn on her until midnight. He was full of energy at night but listless during the day. Mei Qingxue even wanted to ask if he was faking it. But seeing how caring Concubine Qin was, she knew that this lecherous prince's poor health was real, but just how poor was anyone's guess.
Mei Qingxue knew the purpose of the beautiful maids in the mansion. Generally, these second - generation officials and the wealthy always had many tricks up their sleeves. Now that Du Gu Qing openly brought up his guard Han Chao as an excuse, Mei Qingxue wouldn't easily believe him.
"Your Highness, I've been living in the mansion all the time. The scenery is always the same. Is there any place to escape the heat? I'm bored living here."
Mei Qingxue said it so convincingly that she almost believed it herself. Du Gu Qing nodded sensibly and said, "Let me think!"
He still had to think? How many extra residences did he need to think so hard? Sure enough, men with power and money were always restless. Mei Qingxue gently moved her fingers as her mind raced.
"Your Highness, I've thought of a good place. I wonder if Your Highness is interested?"
"Tell me..." Mei Qingxue pretended to be very interested. She planned to clean up that place thoroughly once she got the address.
"I have a villa under Gong Mountain. There are a few acres of orchards and a lake. If we go now, the lotus flowers will be in full bloom. We can even go boating on the lake." Du Gu Qing looked at Mei Qingxue with eager eyes, waiting for her to comment on his villa.
"Not bad. It's a good place. Who lives in the villa now?" Mei Qingxue asked the key question.
As soon as she said this, she saw Du Gu Qing's face stiffen. There was definitely something wrong.
"What? Can't you say?" Mei Qingxue broke free from Du Gu Qing's arms and said angrily.
"It's not that I can't say. I'm just afraid Your Highness won't like it."
"Say it."
Mei Qingxue couldn't help but be furious. She had originally planned to take good care of Du Gu Qing and nurse his body back to health, but now she thought it was completely unnecessary.
Du Gu Qing didn't know why Mei Qingxue was angry. After thinking for a while, he told her everything, "It's that wife from that year. People all said she was dead, but she lives there."
What was going on? Mei Qingxue frowned. Didn't they say that woman was dead? That's how he got the nickname of the Ghost King, and there were so many rumors.
"She's not dead." Du Gu Qing seemed to know what Mei Qingxue was thinking and didn't hesitate to tell his past.
It turned out that the newly - wedded wife back then did scream in the bridal chamber. It was because the princess was not a virgin and had strange fetishes. She liked women.
Du Gu Qing couldn't go on. In the eyes of the ancients, same - sex love was heresy, but in Mei Qingxue's eyes, it was the most normal thing. In her previous nine lives, she had seen countless same - sex relationships.
Seeing that Mei Qingxue didn't show any surprised expression, Du Gu Qing was a bit flustered.
"Your Highness, what do you think?" Du Gu Qing asked tentatively.
"What do you mean what to do? She doesn't like you. Why are you so nervous? Let her live there. When I go to play, I'll just ask her to avoid me."
"No problem." Du Gu Qing hugged Mei Qingxue tightly and was about to do something naughty again.
"Aren't you tired? Didn't you say you were weak?" Mei Qingxue was annoyed by him and impatiently pushed him away.
The weather was getting hotter, but that guy liked to hold her tightly. After sleeping for a while, she would be covered in sticky sweat, but he seemed to enjoy it very much.
"Also, about what you said just now, about the maid and the guard, we can't arrange the marriage. Call them both here and ask for their opinions." Mei Qingxue didn't like arranged marriages, just like the marriage bestowed on her that she didn't want.
"Huh?" Du Gu Qing couldn't understand Mei Qingxue's words. As long as they two agreed, what other opinions could they have? But even though he was curious in his heart, his hands didn't stop.
"Okay, I'll go and ask now."
Du Gu Qing knew he wouldn't be able to take advantage today, so he slowly got up. Mei Qingxue rarely stood up and tidied his clothes for him.
Du Gu Qing was so flattered that he couldn't say a word. "What are you standing there for in a daze?"
Mei Qingxue looked at Du Gu Qing strangely. She didn't know what that guy was showing off.
Du Gu Qing said happily, "Thank you, Your Highness, for your kindness."
It turned out that he was so happy just because she had tidied his clothes. Mei Qingxue felt a bit sad. She also knew that Du Gu Qing was in poor health. She had never thought much about him before. Now it seemed that Du Gu Qing was really simple. But her heart was full of that handsome young master.
Mei Qingxue decided to treat Du Gu Qing better in the future. Not for anything else, but for the effect of the alliance between the two families, she would sacrifice herself. He was the first man in her ten lives.
"Han Chao." Du Gu Qing called out calmly. He was in a good mood today.
"Your subordinate is here!"
As soon as Han Chao came in, he knelt on one knee and said, "Your Highness!"
"Okay! Get up. There are no outsiders." Mei Qingxue nodded like a real mistress.
"Thank you, Your Highness," Han Chao stood up and stood beside Du Gu Qing.
"Yue Ru..."
"Your maid is here!" Yue Ru didn't know why the princess called her. Her heart was in a flutter. She secretly glanced at the princess but couldn't guess her intention. She also couldn't see anything from the prince's face. Yue Ru was even more panicked. She thought that the princess was going to dismiss her because of what happened that day.
"You've been with me for many years. Although we are master and servant, I've never treated you like a servant." As soon as Mei Qingxue opened her mouth, Yue Ru knelt on the ground.
"Please, Your Highness, don't dismiss your maid." After saying that, she kowtowed repeatedly.
Mei Qingxue remained unmoved. "It was only that day that I realized you were an ambitious girl. I don't want you to be wrongly matched with a young servant. With your appearance, you're not inferior to anyone. Being a concubine for the prince is not a disgrace."
"Your Highness!" Yue Ru's heart trembled. If she was dismissed, how could she live?
"I called you here today to ask for your opinion. You've also met Han Chao, the guard beside the prince. The prince thinks very highly of him. He thinks he's honest and it's not a disgrace for you. After all, we know him well and he's a close person to the prince. What do you think? If it's okay, next year when you're eighteen, you'll be allowed to leave the mansion. If you still want to stay and serve me, you can be a steward in the mansion."
Han Chao looked at Mei Qingxue in surprise. Yue Ru also raised her head in surprise. After thinking about what the princess said, her face turned bright red. She said shyly, "I'll leave it all up to Your Highness."
"I'm asking for your opinion."
Yue Ru secretly glanced at Han Chao, whose face was red. Her face became even redder and she said, "If Guard Han Chao doesn't mind that Yue Ru is just a maid, Yue Ru is... willing." After saying that, she was so ashamed that she didn't dare to raise her head.
Seeing Yue Ru's exposed neck, Han Chao knew that she was the most capable maid beside the princess. He knew it was the princess's kindness. He immediately knelt on one knee again.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for your kindness!"
"See, they're willing. So this is not an arranged marriage. You can rest assured now?" Du Gu Qing reached out his hand to hold Mei Qingxue's.
Mei Qingxue pretended to change the handkerchief to the other hand and gently wiped the corner of her mouth. She didn't know what she was wiping. Anyway, when the prince stretched out his hand, he was so embarrassed that he had to withdraw it.
"Yue Ru can still stay by my side for more than half a year. Your Highness, don't be stingy. You should take care of how to arrange the marriage." Mei Qingxue gracefully stood up, stretched out her hand for Yue Ru to hold lightly, and slowly left Du Gu Qing's sight.
"Are you satisfied with the princess's arrangement?" Du Gu Qing asked after the princess left.
"Satisfied. Thank you, Your Highness!"
"Thank me for what? Thank the princess. By the way, what did the princess say about training you?"
Du Gu Qing still remembered that he had left Han Chao to the princess and asked her to teach Han Chao how to be more meticulous.
"The princess said she's very busy recently. She'll come to train me personally after this busy period." Beads of sweat rolled down Han Chao's forehead.
"Good. Call me when the time comes. I also want to see the princess's methods."
"Yes!" Han Chao just wanted to find a hole to hide in. That princess was so tricky. He didn't know what methods she would use to punish him. How could it be training? Besides, the word "training" was so strange.
He was just a guard and a man. How could the princess train him?
He secretly glanced at the prince and saw that there was no strange expression on the prince's face. Han Chao knew he was overthinking, but he really didn't think he would have a good time in the princess's hands.
"Is the princess really that scary?" Du Gu Qing asked leisurely.
Han Chao nodded honestly. Seeing the prince's unhappy face, he quickly shook his head.
Du Gu Qing's face softened a bit. "That's right. Such a gentle and lovely princess. How can you make her sound scarier than a fiend?"