Azure Heart Horror-Kurzgeschichte

Kapitel 12

"Aren't you going back?" Ling'er's hand was being held by Zhu Chengyu the whole time. She tried to shake off his hand, but she couldn't.

"Let go!" "No! I'll only let go if you promise you won't be angry anymore!"

She remained silent, only glaring at him fiercely. Seeing that Ling'er didn't speak, Zhu Chengyu said nothing more, but simply intertwined his fingers and pulled Ling'er back into the room.

Ling'er began to manage the affairs of the Prince of Suning's mansion. She was a restless person and also considered it her duty. Managing the household, keeping accounts, and finances were all things Ling'er was very good at, and she really had to thank Madam Nan for her guidance.

The first thing she had to do was to take stock of the number of singers and dancers in the manor. This was no small matter; there were more than thirty of them. She kept ten full-time, and sent or relocated the rest. This alone increased the manor's expenses three times more than in previous months.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [33]: In the Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager sat in the center. After Ling'er paid her respects to the Empress Dowager, she looked up and saw that she was no more than forty years old, with kind eyes and a beautiful face, surrounded by pearls and jade. She was surprised that she had become the Empress Dowager at such a young age. The Empress Dowager smiled before speaking and said, "Princess Consort, there is no need for such formalities. Please, sit here." (Zhu Chengyu was the ninth in his family.) The Empress Dowager was very enthusiastic. After carefully examining Ling'er, she said, "I have been wanting to see you for a long time, but I haven't had the chance. Ninth Prince has a good eye. You are indeed a beautiful and charming person! I have noticed that Ninth Prince has been much more at ease lately. It seems that you have made a great contribution!"

Ling'er felt a little embarrassed when the Empress Dowager praised her. She lowered her head and said humbly, "Empress Dowager, you flatter me. I did nothing."

"You don't need to be modest. I know what kind of person the Ninth Prince is. I can see that you can handle him! That's good. Sigh!" The Empress Dowager suddenly sighed and said, "You don't know, the Ninth Prince's mother died early. He was only six years old when I entered the palace. When the late Emperor was alive, he really bullied him a lot. As his sister-in-law, I could only coax and persuade him from the sidelines. After the late Emperor passed away, he became even more unruly. Now that you've come, I can rest assured that I'm handing him over to you." Ling'er didn't reply, but just smiled sweetly. Although she didn't know that Zhu Chengyu had so many "glorious achievements," she wasn't surprised to hear the Empress Dowager mention them.

Eunuch Tao entered, and after performing the rites, he said in his unique and clear voice, "Empress Dowager, Princess Consort of Suning, the ladies of the royal family who have come to offer their birthday greetings have arrived and are now awaiting your instructions outside the palace."

"Alright! Summon them in! And let them meet Princess Consort of Suning as well." After saying this, the Empress Dowager got up and went to the main hall with Ling'er. After sitting down, she waited for them to come and offer their birthday wishes.

Amidst the fragrance of fine clothes and the tinkling of jade pendants, the ladies who came to offer their birthday wishes included princesses, noblewomen, ladies of high rank, and concubines from the imperial harem. With so many people prostrating themselves at Ling'er's feet, calling her "Sister-in-law" and "Auntie," Ling'er found it quite difficult to adjust.

I had seen similar scenes before when I was in Nanfu, but those were during festivals when we worshipped our ancestors, and there weren't this many people. How could those compare to today's situation? In the past nineteen years, Ling'er had always worshipped others, and she never imagined that one day so many people would come to worship her.

After everyone finished offering their birthday greetings, Eunuch Tao said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor requests that you move to the East Palace Gate."

"Oh? So soon?" the Empress Dowager exclaimed with delight. Everyone looked puzzled, not knowing what was going on. The Empress Dowager said, "Yesterday I heard the Emperor say that he has prepared some entertainment at the East Palace Gate to celebrate my family's birthday. Good! Let's go and see." After saying that, the Empress Dowager, supported by a palace maid, led Ling'er out of Cining Palace.

Beyond the East Palace Gate lies the drill ground, where soldiers practice. The sixteen-year-old emperor, wearing a golden crown, sat regally on a bright yellow dragon-carved throne on the reviewing stand. Ling'er looked at him closely and noticed a resemblance between his features and Zhu Chengyu's; no wonder they were uncle and nephew.

Although the emperor was still young, Xia had already been made empress. Therefore, those sitting in the first row, besides the emperor and empress, were the empress dowager and Ling'er. The two women who were the mothers of the nation naturally sat beside the emperor, while Ling'er sat next to the empress dowager. Firstly, the Princess Consort of Suning was the most powerful princess consort in the court, and secondly, the empress dowager liked Ling'er very much, saying that sitting together would make it easier to take care of her. The other imperial relatives could only sit on either side.

After everyone was seated, a long, mournful sound of drums and horns could be heard in the distance. Banners and flags were like a sea, fluttering in the wind. The guards were arrayed in square formations, their armor gleaming in the sunlight, and their long spears, like a forest, shone brightly.

Suddenly, a rider galloped in from afar. The man on horseback was dressed in a python robe and had piercing eyes. He was none other than Zhu Chengyu!

Ling'er was startled, a flutter in her heart. Her beautiful, astonished eyes stared intently at Zhu Chengyu. Heavens! Is this Zhu Chengyu? Is this Ling'er's husband? When did he become so dashing and valiant?

Zhu Chengyu dismounted and came to the reviewing stand. After paying his respects to the emperor and empress dowager, he turned to face the drill ground and waved his hand. Two commanders led dozens of lieutenants in full armor to dismount and pay their respects in front of the stand. Then, squads of soldiers began to drill below the stand.

Ling'er didn't understand military affairs, but she saw that each battalion was led by a general, and they were all lined up in a majestic formation, which showed that the troops were strong and well-trained.

Suddenly, Zhu Chengyu waved his hand again, and all the guards stopped and formed various square formations. As Zhu Chengyu turned around, they all prostrated themselves on the ground and shouted a thunderous birthday greeting. Ling'er glanced at Zhu Chengyu; his face was full of heroic spirit, perfectly displaying the demeanor of a king.

She gazed at Zhu Chengyu's imposing figure and sighed deeply. How many faces does a person truly have? The first time they met by chance outside Ruyi Tower, he was a drunkard prone to fighting. The second time they met by Jingxin Lake, he acted like a playboy. The third time at Yiqing Xiaozhu, his words and actions were identical to those of a street ruffian. But after their marriage, whenever he displeased Ling'er, he would lower his head and steal glances at her, like a child observing an adult's joys and sorrows, then remain silent, awaiting his punishment. And Ling'er could no longer bear to scold him.

Now, he reveals another side of himself, appearing before Ling'er as a general, commanding respect and exuding an aura of power. Is this truly her husband? Ling'er can hardly believe her eyes.

Yes! That's Zhu Chengyu, Ling'er's husband! As Zhu Chengyu's wife, Ling'er felt an unprecedented sense of pride, honor, and happiness overflowing throughout her body.

Her eyes shone with a light more radiant than the sunlight, a light so dazzling that it made her entire face radiate unparalleled beauty.

After the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration, Ling'er stayed in the palace for a few more days before returning to the Prince of Suning's residence. According to the rules, Zhu Chengyu was not allowed to spend the night in the palace without permission, so he could only stay in the Prince's residence alone for the next few days.

Zhu Cheng noticed a significant change in Ling'er's attitude since her return. It wasn't that Ling'er had treated him badly before, but since her return, she seemed to smile at him more often, and her demeanor had become increasingly gentle and charming. Zhu Cheng didn't know why, and he wanted to ask Ling'er, but after several attempts, she always just smiled and didn't answer, so he gave up. As long as Ling'er loved him and stayed by his side forever, what more could he ask for?

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [34]: Although Zhu Chengyu did not ask, he was quite suspicious and began to overthink. Finally, he came up with a reason, but he was not sure, so he decided it would be better to ask in person.

Gazing at the dimly burning red candle, Zhu Chengyu hesitated for a long time before finally speaking, "How have you been lately? Have you been feeling unwell? If so, you mustn't hide it from me."

Ling'er was reading a book nearby. To be honest, this princess was having a really leisurely time. She didn't have to worry about anything and just ate her fill all day, waiting for nightfall. So she went to Zhu Chengyu's study and casually picked up a book to pass the time.

Upon hearing Zhu Chengyu's question, Ling'er put down the book in her hand and smiled, "Aren't you with me every day? Don't you know how good I am to you?"

Zhu Chengyu didn't dare to ask so directly, afraid of upsetting Ling'er. But if he didn't ask, he wouldn't feel at ease, so he stammered again, "I didn't mean that, I meant... I meant... hey, do you understand?"

"What do I understand?" Ling'er asked, puzzled. "What's wrong with you today? Why are you stammering?" She then continued reading the book in her hand.

"Sigh!" He let out a heavy sigh, his heart filled with resentment at not being pregnant. Yet he didn't give up. After a while, his face flushed red, as if he had mustered all his courage, and he said loudly, "I mean," he suddenly stopped, then leaned down and whispered in Ling'er's ear, "Are you pregnant?"

Ling'er frowned, slowly closed the book, and stared at him in surprise.

"What's wrong? Did I really hit the nail on the head?" He looked surprised and delighted.

Ling'er suddenly stood up, glared at him and said, "Zhu Chengyu, you dare to slander me, I will not let you get away with this!" As she spoke, she grabbed the handkerchief next to her and hit him, but how could a small handkerchief hurt him?

"Don't run! Stop right there!" Ling'er shouted as she chased after him, while Zhu Chengyu ran around the table, repeatedly calling out, "Ling'er is pregnant! Ling'er is pregnant!"

"Zhu Chengyu, shut up! Do you want to die?" Ling'er shouted urgently, rushing forward to grab his neck with one hand and cover his mouth with the other. Zhu Chengyu removed her hand and continued shouting, "Murdering your husband! Murdering your husband!"

Just then, a man's voice came from outside the door, asking, "Your Highness, what's wrong?" Their laughter and commotion had alerted the guards of the Prince's residence. Ling'er immediately stopped, while Zhu Chengyu said sternly, "Nothing, step back!"

After the guards left, Ling'er stopped arguing with Zhu Chengyu, glared at him, and went to bed. She turned her back to him, her face turned away to express her displeasure.

"Ling'er, are you angry?" Zhu Chengyu climbed onto the bed and said with a sheepish face, "Don't be so petty, I'm sorry, okay?"

Seeing that Ling'er remained silent, he lost interest, got out of bed, blew out the red candle, leaving only a small oil lamp with a green jade carving as its shade, and a duck-shaped incense burner emitting wisps of smoke. He then returned to bed. Zhu Chengyu knew that Ling'er was not asleep. He moved closer to her, pressed his body tightly against her back, and gently kissed the back of her neck.

Ling'er felt a ticklish sensation, so she quickly rolled over, blushing, and gently scolded, "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean, 'what are you doing'?" he asked with a smile, then took the opportunity to turn her body around and press his body against hers. Ling'er's face flushed even more, her eyes suddenly softening, a dreamlike glow enveloping her entire face. Zhu Chengyu felt a warm, tender, and softly languid intoxication welling up deep within him. He was so gentle, so delicate, so lightly and quietly pulling open the sash of Ling'er's nightgown... October, the autumn wind began to blow. Prince Pan of Bei Jing was overjoyed; the bride was Princess Kaiping, the Empress Dowager's youngest daughter, making Zhu Chengyu a generation older than them. He originally didn't want to go, but as the eldest sister-in-law, he felt obligated to go out of respect for the Empress Dowager.

Zhu Chengyu instructed Steward Fang to prepare a generous gift, then informed Ling'er and departed.

The Prince of Beijing's residence was filled with a joyous atmosphere. Everywhere was filled with the fragrance of fine clothes and the lively chatter of laughter. Crowds gathered in various groups, jostling and clamoring, with servants moving about among them. Zhu Chengyu had long anticipated such a lively scene. When he arrived at the main hall, Prince Pan and several ministers were chatting and laughing. Upon seeing Zhu Chengyu, they hurried forward to greet him.

"It is truly an honor for this humble abode to have the Prince of Suning grace us with his presence!"

Zhu Chengyu was in a good mood today and smiled slightly, saying, "Prince Pan, there's no need to be angry. Kaiping is my niece, and it's only right that I come to see your wedding."

A minister came over and joked, "From today onwards, shouldn't Prince Pan also dare to speak his mind?"

Prince Pan didn't dare to reply. He glanced at Zhu Chengyu, who was all smiles, and was secretly delighted. Then he said, "Yes! Yes! Yes! Ninth Imperial Uncle, please come in." Prince Suning held considerable military power and influence over the court. Although Prince Pan was now a prince consort, the Empress was a woman, and the Emperor was still young. It was good to have a powerful patron, and since he could rely on Zhu Chengyu, why not?

As Zhu Chengyu walked inside, he exchanged subtle glances with the ministers who had come to offer their congratulations. Most of these ministers were acquaintances who had witnessed Zhu Chengyu's wedding three months prior, such as Minister Zhao, General Zheng, and the Duke of Wu. Upon seeing the Duke of Wu, Zhu Chengyu immediately recalled how the Duke of Wu had forced his way into the bridal chamber to see Ling'er's appearance during his own wedding. Thinking of this, Zhu Chengyu couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.

This is the Prince of Beijing's residence, and today is another special day for them. Zhu Chengyu couldn't make a scene. When Duke Wu came up to greet Zhu Chengyu, Zhu Chengyu deliberately ignored him and continued chatting and laughing with the other officials, acting as if no one existed. This left Duke Wu feeling awkward for quite some time.

The other officials could see clearly that it was Duke Wu who had offended Zhu Chengyu. Duke Wu was losing face; after all, he was a prominent minister in the court, and how could he swallow this insult from Zhu Chengyu in public?

The banquet began, but Duke Wu did not eat any food. He only drank one cup of wine after another, staring at Zhu Chengyu sitting opposite him with his eyes practically spitting fire.

"Brother, why bother?" Lord Zhao kindly advised, "Stop drinking and eat some food. Be careful not to get drunk from one cup to another, or I won't take you home."

“That’s right!” General Zheng chimed in, “Why did you have to offend him for no reason? Now that he’s treating you like this, you can only suffer in silence. Who told us to…” Hearing this, Lord Zhao immediately stopped General Zheng with a look. General Zheng chuckled dryly and said, “Forget it! Forget it! Let’s not talk about it anymore. Let’s drink, let’s drink.” The Duke of Wu, Lord Zhao, and General Zheng were all on good terms, so they naturally knew the whole story.

Duke Wu placed the cup on the table and, as expected, stopped drinking. He said in a sinister tone, "My lords, rest assured, if I can't deal with him, someone else will!"

"Approved?" Lord Zheng asked eagerly, "Is it the Empress Dowager?"

"How could it be the Empress Dowager?" said the Duke of Wu. "They were originally in cahoots!"

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [35]: "Who is that?" Lord Zhao also asked.

"This person is none other than the Princess Consort of Suning!" Duke Wu said decisively.

"The Princess Consort of Suning?" Lord Zheng and Lord Zhao asked in unison.

"Exactly!" The Duke of Wu had a smug look on his face.

"What do you mean by that, brother?" Lord Zheng asked.

"Don't let Su Ning's arrogant demeanor fool you; he's incredibly henpecked. His wife is a complete jealous woman. The day after she married him, she had all the flowers and plants Su Ning had kept or married off completely. And Su Ning? He didn't dare utter a single word."

“I know about this matter,” Lord Zhao said with a smile. “The Princess Consort of Suning’s mother is a jealous old woman. Everyone in the court knows that Lord Nan is afraid of his wife. It’s a good thing I didn’t marry a woman from the Nan family, otherwise I would also have a reputation for being afraid of my wife.”

"No way!" General Zheng exclaimed. "I don't believe the Prince of Suning is that kind of person!" General Zheng was a military commander, and he believed that all warriors possessed a unique magnanimity and forthrightness. He had led troops and fought alongside Zhu Chengyu, and had some interactions with him, greatly admiring Zhu Chengyu's military strategies. Hearing the Duke of Wu and Lord Zhao say this, he simply couldn't believe that the dignified Prince of Suning was actually afraid of his wife.

"You don't believe me? Don't you believe Lord Zhao's words? Fine! Do you dare to make a bet with me?" said the Duke of Wu.

"Let's fight! Lord Zhao will be our witness. What do you want to bet? How should we bet?"

"A flat price of five thousand taels of silver! Whoever loses pays the other five thousand taels of silver in compensation, how about that?"

"Alright, I agree!" Lord Zheng stood up, looking confident of victory. Actually, Lord Zheng didn't care whether Zhu Chengyu was truly afraid of his wife; he just couldn't lose face in front of others. Besides, what kind of trouble could the Duke of Wu possibly cause? He was incredibly audacious, trying to use the Princess of Suning to deal with Zhu Chengyu. They were family; how could they let outsiders laugh at them? Wasn't this five thousand taels of silver a freebie?

“I have no problem testifying,” said Lord Zhao, “but how exactly did you gamble?”

“That’s easy,” said the Duke of Wu, “but we’ll need to ask General Zheng for a little help.”

"Me?" General Zheng was immediately confused.

After a few cups of wedding wine, Zhu Chengyu wanted to leave. He bid farewell to Prince Pan, but at the door, General Zheng stopped him, saying, "Prince Suning, are you leaving already? Don't be in such a hurry! We haven't seen each other in so long, we should catch up! Come! Come! Come! Let's have a few more drinks!" It hadn't been long; three months ago, he had attended Zhu Chengyu's wedding, and General Zheng had enthusiastically persuaded him to stay. Zhu Chengyu and General Zheng had served together on the frontier, so they had some acquaintance. Perhaps Zhu Chengyu wouldn't have stayed with anyone else, but this was General Zheng, with whom he had shared life and death; how could he refuse such a request?

"Alright, for your sake, I'll stay a little longer." Since marrying Ling'er, even Zhu Chengyu felt that he had become much more worldly than before.

General Zheng, beaming with joy, said, "That's more like it! Come, let's go to the East Warm Pavilion over there. There are fewer people there, so we can have a good chat!" General Zheng and Prince Pan were relatives and often visited the Prince of Beijing's residence, so he was quite familiar with the environment.

“Now that Princess Kaiping and Prince Pan are married, we can say we are family.” General Zheng said, leading Zhu Chengyu to the East Warm Pavilion.

A table was already laden with food and wine, indicating that General Zheng had made preparations in advance. After the two were seated, General Zheng enthusiastically poured wine for himself and Zhu Chengyu, saying, "Come! Let me offer you a toast first." He then drank it all in one gulp. Seeing General Zheng's hospitality, Zhu Chengyu also drank his wine in one go.

"Good! Your Highness is indeed a good drinker." After saying that, he clapped his hands, and then Zhu Chengyu smelled a faint, exotic fragrance. After the tinkling of jade pendants, a dancer in red sleeves and silk robes walked gracefully out from inside. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her eyes were bright and captivating, and her appearance was charming and beautiful. She was a stunning beauty.

The beautiful woman approached Zhu Chengyu and General Zheng, first giving a deep curtsy, then pulling out a delicate, fragrant fan from her sleeve. As the fan unfurled, the sound of string and wind instruments filled the air, and the woman began to dance to the music.

Zhu Chengyu had seen many beautiful women, but now that he was married, it was best to restrain himself. General Zheng only kept urging him to drink and saying irrelevant things. Zhu Chengyu would occasionally glance at the dancer; after all, who wouldn't want to look at a beautiful woman a few more times? But he noticed that every time he looked at the woman, she was also looking at him and smiling, her gaze lingering on his face.

Zhu Chengyu smiled slightly, understanding dawning on him: another woman trying to climb the social ladder. He didn't mind and continued drinking with General Zheng.

Suddenly the music changed abruptly, and the beautiful woman danced to Zhu Chengyu's side. With a whoosh, she unfolded her fan, and Zhu Chengyu smelled a strong, exotic fragrance. His vision went black, and he collapsed onto the table.

The courtyard was deep and the dew was heavy with frost. Ling'er was getting anxious as she waited for Zhu Chengyu to return.

"Your Highness, the Prince is back!" Xiaohe said, then opened the door. There was Steward Fang carrying Zhu Chengyu back, and Zhu Chengyu seemed to be asleep.

"What's wrong with him?" Ling'er asked worriedly. After Manager Fang helped Zhu Chengyu onto the bed, he said, "He's drunk. He probably had a few too many drinks."

Ling'er came to the bedside to look. Zhu Chengyu was sleeping like a dead man, and there was a smell of alcohol on his body.

"Manager Fang, thank you. Alright, you may all leave now!"

After dismissing the servants, Ling'er wrung out a damp cloth and wiped Zhu Chengyu's face. She had only wiped it a couple of times when she noticed a faint, unusual fragrance emanating from him besides the smell of alcohol. With a woman's intuition, she keenly judged that the fragrance must be coming from a woman. Could it be that Zhu Chengyu was having an affair behind her back? Ling'er frowned slightly, a surge of anger rising within her.

After wiping his face, Ling'er began to help him change. With each piece of Zhu Chengyu's clothing she undid, the fragrance of cosmetics grew stronger, and Ling'er's face gradually darkened with anger. Just then, she heard a "thud," as if something had fallen to the ground. She got out of bed to pick it up; it was the fragrant Tibetan-style fan with its unique floral design.

Ling'er slowly unfolded her fan, revealing a graphic erotic picture accompanied by a strong, strange fragrance, seemingly from the same source as the scent emanating from Zhu Chengyu. She turned to look at Zhu Chengyu; he was still asleep, his chest completely exposed, and an even more obscene scene came into view. Her eyes widened, her brows furrowed, and she was filled with uncontrollable rage. She discovered that Zhu Chengyu's neck, chest, and even arms were covered in lipstick marks—his old habit had flared up again!

Suddenly, Ling'er felt as if she had been pricked by something and abruptly stepped back. She stood by the window, her back to the bed, desperately suppressing her anger, but in the end, she was so angry that she trembled all over. Her chest heaved violently as she gasped for breath, and the expression on her face was complex, unpredictable, and hard to fathom. --- Magpie Bridge Fairy replied [36]: Ling'er felt a sense of humiliation. She composed herself and made a decision.

"Ximei, Xiaohe, come in, and call Manager Fang over too!" Hearing Ling'er's call, the two maids and Manager Fang came over.

Xi Mei had spent a long time with Ling'er and knew her temperament well. She knew that Ling'er was really angry, not just angry, but furious. You could tell from her tone that it was like "a storm was brewing."