Yin Zidu fixed his cold gaze and let out a soft chuckle. "Your Majesty the Queen, why are you looking for your sister here with me?"
The Queen averted her eyes but quickly regained her composure. She forced a smile and said, "So it's Zidu and Yuning. I was just too anxious and said the wrong thing. Xiaoqiao has gone missing. Someone said she came this way, so I came to look for her."
Yin Zidu remained calm. He bypassed the Queen's gaze and looked at the people behind her. Then he called out, "Is Lord Chen from the Censorate here?"
Lord Chen quickly stepped forward, bowed, and replied, "Your servant is here."
Yin Zidu continued, "I was framed and almost fell into a trap. This matter cannot be easily resolved. I'll leave it to Lord Chen to handle."
The Queen's eyes shrank. She quickly added, "Zidu, you're a prince, and Yuning is your princess. Moreover, this is in the prince's mansion, and Yuning is pregnant. It's not good for this to get out and cause rumors."
Yin Zidu sneered. "Your Majesty the Queen came looking for your sister with such a large group of people today. This is already well - known. My princess and I got married through proper rituals. We have nothing to hide. Why can't people know?"
The Queen cast a sidelong glance at the eunuch beside her.
Jiang Heng arrived late, but he was quick - witted. He opened the teapot on the table and smelled it. "This tea is wrong. Someone, take it away."
Then he checked the small cabinet beside the bed. "This incense ash is also wrong. Someone, take it away."
After looking around, he quickly came to Yin Zidu and asked, "Your Highness, how did you come here?"
Yin Zidu calmly asked, "Where is the heir of the Prince of Zhuang?"
The meaning was obvious. He came here because of the heir of the Prince of Zhuang. But why was he alone now, without the heir?
The Queen couldn't hold it back any longer. She slumped to the ground.
Yin Zidu sneered, stood up, picked up Shen Yuning in his arms, and strode out without even glancing at the room.
When they reached the bedroom, Yin Zidu placed Shen Yuning on the bed. Without saying a word, he turned and went into the bathroom.
Shen Yuning thought today's events were too sudden. She thought she had made full preparations, but for the Queen, it was just the tip of the iceberg. She never expected that the Queen had set up one trap after another. Besides dealing with her, the Queen even wanted to get rid of Xuanzhi.
But if something happened to Xuanzhi, what would happen to the court? Should they rely on the yet - to - grow - up eldest prince? Or on her sick husband who couldn't even get out of bed?
When Yin Zidu finished cleaning and came out, his eyes were still menacing. He sat in front of the bed and tapped the edge of the bed one by one.
Shen Yuning thought he was angry about the Queen's actions, so she smiled. "Xuanzhi, it's okay now."
"Um."
Yin Zidu seemed to grunt from his nose, full of extreme dissatisfaction.
Shen Yuning didn't know what else to say. She only whispered, "Are you going to handle this? Since this matter has been exposed, it can't be easily resolved. Otherwise, I'll stay at the Xue family's place for a few days."
Yin Zidu reached out and grabbed her hand tightly. His eyes were full of coldness. "Shen Yuning, let me ask you, who am I?"
Shen Yuning was stunned. She replied blankly, "You... You're the Regent Prince... You're Yin Zidu."
Yin Zidu let out a sound, which seemed self - mocking and also painful. "You always call me Xuanzhi."
Shen Yuning still didn't understand. She nodded. "You're my Xuanzhi."
Yin Zidu tightened his grip on her hand. Then, afraid of hurting her, he just shook it off and got up to leave. When he reached the door, he came back again. He asked angrily, "Do you still think I'm a child?"
"You're the Regent Prince. How can you still be a child?"
Yin Zidu simply got into the bed and hugged her. "If so, why do you still think I'm a child? Shen Yuning, what kind of feelings do you have for me? Do you just like me as a younger brother? As a suitable person? That's why you never tell me anything and always bear everything by yourself? Even Liang Hong knew that someone was trying to harm you and us, but I only found out from another woman!"
Shen Yuning's head was buzzing. Was it really like this? Did she think of him as a younger brother, so she didn't tell him about this matter and wanted to solve it by herself?
Not getting a response, Yin Zidu was even angrier. He rolled over and pinned Shen Yuning down, then kissed her. This kiss was wild, as if he wanted to swallow her whole.
Shen Yuning pushed him away forcefully while protecting her belly. But today, his strength was especially great. It seemed that the aphrodisiac incense was too powerful, and the antidote given by Qiao Peilan wasn't very effective.
In just a short while, her clothes were pulled open.
Shen Yuning let out a cry. "No, Xuanzhi..."
Yin Zidu stopped. He rested his head against hers. They were so close that he couldn't see clearly. He couldn't help but open his mouth and bite her lips. He bit hard but didn't dare to be too forceful.
Shen Yuning felt a bit of pain, but there was also a strange feeling. It seemed that he had bitten through her lips, and he seemed to be sucking her blood.
When there was a hint of blood in her mouth, Yin Zidu panicked. He let go of her and stared at her blankly.
Shen Yuning finally had a chance to sit up. She was also angry. She put on her clothes and went to the dressing mirror to check her bitten lips. The wound wasn't big and didn't hurt much. If he hadn't sucked so hard, there wouldn't have been so much blood.
But now that the blood was flowing, it looked especially terrifying.
Yin Zidu sat on the bed like a child who had made a mistake, not moving at all.
The voice of an eunuch came from outside. He said that Lord Jiang invited the prince to the front hall.
Yin Zidu sat still.
The eunuch urged a few times. Hearing no response, he left.
Yin Zidu let out a long sigh and then stood up, preparing to go out.
"Xuanzhi."
Shen Yuning called out.
Yin Zidu stopped but didn't move.
Shen Yuning got up and walked up to him. She buried her head in his chest. She hugged him, but for the first time, he didn't respond.
Shen Yuning felt wronged, extremely wronged. Her tears welled up but she held them back. "I'm scared."
Yin Zidu raised his hand and hugged her. He took a deep breath but still didn't say a word.
Shen Yuning said, "I've always been wondering why you like me and when you started to like me. Your kindness to me always feels unreal. I'm always afraid that it will disappear like a bubble tomorrow. Xuanzhi, just like this time, I noticed the Queen's intention, but I... I didn't dare to talk to you. I was afraid that if I did..."
She couldn't go on. She buried her head in his chest and cried.
Yin Zidu stroked her back. She had always been slender. Even though she was six months pregnant now, only her belly was bigger, and the rest of her body was still as slender as a young girl.
He held her, not too tightly but also not too loosely. He whispered, "Are you afraid that I'll believe the Queen instead of you?"
Shen Yuning nodded vaguely.
Yin Zidu lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. Now, his eyes were full of light and a happy smile. He kissed her deeply for a long time until she couldn't catch her breath, then he let go.
"Yuning, I love you."
When the affection was strong, they were inseparable. They didn't even need to say much. At this moment, their hearts were in tune, and they understood each other's feelings.
However, there was also an untimely noise.
The eunuch outside cried out, "Your Highness, Your Highness, His Majesty is in critical condition. Please go back to the palace quickly and see His Majesty for the last time!"
Yin Zidu was shocked. He quickly let go of Shen Yuning, told her to take care of herself, put on his outer robe, and ran out.
His Majesty was in critical condition? He had always been in critical condition.
Shen Yuning didn't enter the palace. She just walked outside the courtyard. At this moment, the people from the Censorate, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Ministry of Justice had blocked the entire prince's mansion. Except for the Queen, the eldest prince, and a few important court officials who had gone to the palace, all the guests who had attended the banquet were kept in the mansion and were not allowed to move around.
However, Qiao Peilan was leaning against the wall outside the main courtyard, looking at Shen Yuning calmly.
Shen Yuning waved and asked someone to invite her in.
The tea on the table smelled fragrant. Qiao Peilan took a sip. "In the past, I thought this kind of tea wasn't fresh enough, so I never drank it."
Shen Yuning nodded. "The Qiao family used to be the number - one imperial merchant. Of course, you, Lady Qiao, wouldn't take a fancy to such ordinary things."
Qiao Peilan lowered her head and laughed. "Yes."
That was in the past. Now, everything had changed.
Shen Yuning asked, "When did the Queen find you?"
Qiao Peilan frowned and thought for a while. "It seems that when you just found out you were pregnant, an eunuch came to me and said my chance had come."
She smiled self - mockingly. "I really thought my chance had come at that time. I dressed up and went to the road that Young Master Zidu would pass by to block him. Unfortunately, after blocking him twice, he didn't even look at me once."
She looked up. "Do you know what he did while walking back to the mansion?"
Shen Yuning naturally didn't know.
Qiao Peilan said, "He asked what the princess had eaten today, how much she had eaten, if it was delicious, how many cases there were in the Ministry of Justice, and if the princess was tired."
At this point, Qiao Peilan giggled. "But at that time, I was very jealous. I thought if I could get his favor, would I also be remembered by him like this?"
"Later, the Queen sent me a message, saying that I should seize the opportunity. I did. I dressed up as you and went to see him. The first thing he said when he saw me was, 'Yuning, you're being naughty again. You're dressed so thinly.' Then he took off his cloak and put it on me. But then he frowned and said the second sentence. He said, 'You're not Yuning. Yuning is too lazy to come and pick me up.'"
"I originally thought that since the princess didn't come to pick him up, I could pick him up every day. But I watched you outside the courtyard. I saw you holding your belly and walking so艰难. When you looked at him, your eyes were full of concern and worry."
Qiao Peilan stopped smiling and stared at Shen Yuning steadily. After a long time, a tear rolled down from the corner of her eye. "When my mother was pregnant with me, a maid in the mansion climbed into my father's bed and became a concubine. My mother said that I almost didn't make it. I grew up watching the concubines in the mansion fight for favor. I hate that kind of woman who tries to gain favor the most. Later, my father wanted to send me to Yin Yifei's mansion as a concubine. My mother cried a lot. She said concubines were lowly."
"I like him, but I... I don't want to be a lowly concubine."
Qiao Peilan wiped the tear from the corner of her eye, took a deep breath, and smiled again. "Actually, I realized today that I had thought too much. He was just drunk that day. Even if I had taken the initiative, I might not have gotten anything. Today, Tong Xiaoqiao took off all her clothes, but he didn't even look at her. He knocked her out with one palm. If I hadn't arrived in time, he would have stabbed himself with a knife to prevent himself from making a mistake."
Shen Yuning remained silent. She tightened her grip on the silk handkerchief. Her heart was also tightened. Her Xuanzhi still loved her as before.