It was the third day that Shulan Courtyard's occupant was unable to attend to the heir in the bedchamber.
Ji Lingchuan returned from his business outside when the moon was high in the sky.
He made his way towards Jingtao Courtyard. Upon entering his own chamber, he let Fu Zhou help him take off his long robe. Then he dismissed the servants and planned to lie down and rest.
All the people in Jingtao Courtyard were personally selected by him. He trusted his own people deeply, so he completely relaxed once he was back in Jingtao Courtyard.
But Ji Lingchuan was extremely perceptive. As soon as he lifted the bed - curtain, he sensed something was wrong. His sense of vigilance made him immediately draw out the long sword hanging by the bedside and mercilessly stab at the bed.
With a startled cry, a figure rolled off his bed. Covering the bleeding shoulder, the figure knelt in front of him, crying out, "Please spare my life, Your Highness the Heir!"
The voice sounded like a woman's, and it even sounded a bit familiar. Ji Lingchuan's face turned as cold as ice. He immediately called someone in.
The fire lit up the room. Fu Zhou rushed in with a torch and some people. Seeing the situation in the room, they couldn't help but gasp.
The woman kneeling on the ground was actually Rong Zhi, the personal maid beside Princess Ningqin. She was about the same age as Ji Lingchuan and had been serving beside Princess Ningqin since she was very young.
Ji Lingchuan sheathed his long sword. Looking at Rong Zhi kneeling on the ground, his voice was devoid of any emotion, "Send her to the princess and await her punishment."
The servants in Jingtao Courtyard stepped forward to seize Rong Zhi. Rong Zhi's face turned deathly pale. Struggling, she cried, "This servant was bewitched and climbed into Your Highness the Heir's bed. This servant knows her mistake and will never dare to do it again. Please, Your Highness, for the sake of our acquaintance over the years, spare this servant just this once..."
Fu Zhou gave a look, and the attendant covered Rong Zhi's mouth and dragged her towards Songhe Courtyard.
Princess Ningqin had already gone to bed. The commotion outside disturbed her sleep, and she was very displeased.
Leading her people to the front hall, just as she was about to flare up, she met Ji Lingchuan's cold and solemn face.
Calming down, Princess Ningqin then noticed that Rong Zhi was being held with her hands seized and her mouth covered. She was kneeling on the ground, wearing a loose robe. Her hair was in disarray, and half of her fragrant shoulder was covered in blood.
Her heart skipped a beat. Pretending to be puzzled, Princess Ningqin asked, "What's going on? How did it come to this?"
Ji Lingchuan remained silent. Fu Zhou stepped forward and said, "Reporting to the princess, just now His Highness the Heir returned to the mansion and was about to rest. Who would have thought that this woman would sneak into His Highness's room and climb into his bed. His Highness thought it was an assassin and instinctively drew his sword and stabbed. Only after lighting the lamp did he realize that it was Miss Rong Zhi beside the princess."
After hearing this, how could Princess Ningqin not understand?
Since he understood the matter between men and women, Ji Lingchuan had never used female servants around him. There had been many female servants who had tried to climb into his bed to become his concubine - maid, but all of them had been driven away by him. After seeing his cold - heartedness, gradually the female servants in the mansion gave up such thoughts.
It was not until he returned in triumph from the war and consummated his marriage with the heir's wife. After he stayed in Shulan Courtyard for two nights, people found that he was not averse to the relationship between men and women. Then their minds began to stir again.
Well, wasn't Rong Zhi taking advantage of the fact that the occupant of Shulan Courtyard was on her period and unable to attend to the heir, trying to seize this opportunity to gain the heir's favor and become a concubine of the Heir of Prince Ningqin?
Actually, Princess Ningqin did not stop Ji Lingchuan from taking more concubines. The family of Prince Ningqin was thin. She and Prince Ningqin had only this one son over the years. Naturally, the task of revitalizing the mansion fell on his shoulders. So there were some things that she just turned a blind eye to.
But unfortunately, Ji Lingchuan didn't like it. Since her son was unwilling, as a mother, she had to be the bad guy.
Her face darkened. Princess Ningqin shouted at Rong Zhi, "You low - born maid! Don't you even know your own status? You dared to try to climb onto the heir. You thought you could enjoy wealth and honor in the mansion! Prince Ningqin's mansion can no longer tolerate you. Come, drag this low - born maid out and give her twenty strokes of the cane. Then expel her from the mansion!"
Rong Zhi's mouth was released. She knelt on the ground, crying and begging. However, Princess Ningqin had made up her mind, and she was soon dragged away.
Finally, it was quiet. Princess Ningqin stepped forward to tidy Ji Lingchuan's collar. Sighing, she said, "Alright, it's mother's fault for not keeping an eye on people well and letting her sneak into your room. Mother apologizes to you. Now mother has dealt with the person. Don't be angry with mother anymore."
Ji Lingchuan looked coldly at his mother standing in front of him and said, "Rong Zhi is your person. How could she sneak into my room as if there were no one around? Isn't there your instruction and acquiescence in this?"
Ji Lingchuan's dark phoenix eyes carried a sharpness that could see through people's hearts, making all of Princess Ningqin's thoughts nowhere to hide.
Princess Ningqin sighed, "Chuan'er, mother just hopes that there will be more suitable people around you. You know the current situation of the heir's wife. Although she is your wife, there are always times when she can't attend to you. Are you supposed to endure it when she can't attend to you in the bedchamber? There's no such logic!"
Ji Lingchuan's face became even colder, "Mother, what do you take your son for? A male dog in heat at any time? Do I need someone to serve me to survive?"
Taking a deep breath, Ji Lingchuan closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his emotions were under control, "Things like tonight must never happen again. If there is a next time, my sword won't just wound the other person's shoulder. I'll pierce her heart and cut her throat."
After saying that, he led Fu Zhou and a group of attendants and strode away.
Princess Ningqin slumped into the chair, covering her chest and muttering, "This unfilial son! He's trying to anger me to death!"
Nanny Chen stepped forward to massage her temples and advised, "Your Highness, don't be angry. The heir has always been a decisive person. His current reaction is just because Rong Zhi doesn't catch his eye. One day when he falls in love, he might even kneel in front of Your Highness and beg you."
"Moreover, the heir and the heir's wife have only been together for a short time. It's not appropriate to stuff people around the heir at this time. It would be more appropriate to make arrangements after the heir's wife is pregnant."
Princess Ningqin pondered for a while and said, "You're right. Alright, children have their own fates. Just let him be."
The commotion tonight was quite big, so the news was soon sent to Shulan Courtyard.
Learning that the maid beside Princess Ningqin had the audacity to climb into Ji Lingchuan's bed, and that Ji Lingchuan didn't care about Princess Ningqin's face and mercilessly stabbed the person, Song Nanxin's face lost all color. She sat on the chair, looking panicked.
"Nanny, he's so heartless. Do you think if he finds out that I've set a trap for him, will he also stab me to death with his sword?"
Nanny Zhao gave her a deep look and reminded her, "Your Highness the Heir's wife is over - thinking. It was Miss Fourth who climbed into the heir's bed. Even if the heir wants to kill someone, it will be Miss Fourth. It has nothing to do with Your Highness the Heir's wife."