Aviso de muerte 2 Destino

Capítulo 13

"Steward Fang, what did the Prince do at the Bei Jing Prince's residence?" Ling'er asked with a stern face. "How did the Prince get drunk?"

“Your Highness,” Steward Fang said, neither servile nor arrogant. “The Prince said he would return this afternoon, but then some lord dragged him away for drinks. I waited and waited, but he didn’t come, so I went to look for him and finally found him sleeping in the corridor of the Bei Jing Prince’s garden. I then carried him back.” “Where did that strange fragrance come from?” “I don’t know!”

Ling'er has been staying at the Prince of Suning's residence for some time now, and she knows the steward there somewhat. He's honest and loyal, and wouldn't make a decision on his own. If Zhu Chengyu really wanted to sleep with women, why would he have told him?

After a moment of silence, Ling'er said in a restrained, suppressed, and indignant voice, "Take him away!"

"Where are you taking it?" Xi Mei asked.

"Anywhere? Don't let him dirty my bed." She seemed agitated, then paused and added, "Let him stay at Langqiu Garden for now. No one is allowed to let him in without my permission."

"Your Highness!" Xiaohe tried to persuade Ling'er. "Don't say anything! My mind is made up." Ximei and Xiaohe looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Seeing that they still didn't make a move, Ling'er became even angrier and almost shouted, "Do I have to do it myself?" Just like that, Zhu Chengyu was kicked out of his room by Ling'er in his sleep and moved into Langqiu Garden.

six

Zhu Chengyu lay in Langqiu Garden, his head throbbing and his mouth dry. Before he even opened his sore and aching eyes, he began calling for his Ling'er: "Ling'er, pour me a cup of tea." After a while, when no one answered, he called again: "Ling'er, bring me tea!"

The tea arrived, and Zhu Chengyu sat up, took the tea, and drank it. It turned out that the person who brought him the tea was not his wife, but Xiao He.

The sun was shining brightly, and the dazzling sunlight shone in through the window. Zhu Chengyu had no idea what time it was. He looked at Xiaohe with some confusion, and then looked around at the furnishings, realizing that he was actually in Langqiu Garden.

"Where's Ling'er? How did I get here?" he asked, frowning, as he quickly got out of bed and put on his shoes.

"Where is the prince going?" Xiaohe asked.

"Go back to Tao Ranxuan!"

"Your Highness, you cannot go." Xiao He blocked the doorway. "The Princess Consort is unhappy and does not want to see you!"

"What's wrong? Who offended her?" Zhu Chengyu had many questions since he woke up. Then Xiaohe said that Ling'er didn't want to see him, which puzzled him even more.

“Your Highness… Your Highness…” Xiaohe was at a loss for words. Seeing Xiaohe hesitate, Zhu Chengyu became anxious and, without waiting for her reply, strode out of Langqiu Garden and headed straight for Taoran Pavilion.

At the entrance of Taoranxuan, Ximei also tried to stop Zhu Chengyu, but if he wanted to come in, who could stop him?

"Your Highness, you cannot enter!"

"Why? What's wrong with her?" Zhu Chengyu was both puzzled and annoyed, wondering what tricks Ling'er was playing.

“She…she…” Xi Mei was also speechless.

Zhu Chengyu sensed something was wrong. What was wrong with these girls today? They were all usually so eloquent, but now they were all stuttering.

What happened to her?

"She...she...oh! She hasn't gotten up yet, why don't you come back later!" It's amazing that Ximei could come up with such an explanation.

"Ha, she's still not up?" Zhu Chengyu was both amused and exasperated, then said seriously, "She's my wife! If you stop me again, don't blame me for being rude!"

Just as Ximei was in a dilemma, Ling'er called from inside the room, "Ximei, tell him to come in!"

Ling'er had already spoken, and Xi Mei couldn't stop her. Looking at Zhu Chengyu's back, she cast a sympathetic glance at him.

As soon as Zhu Chengyu entered the room, he saw Ling'er sitting there with a cold, pretty face. He was also angry, and his tone was unfriendly.

"What did I do to you? Why won't you let me in?"

Ling'er coldly looked him up and down, as if she had never seen him before, and this look sent a chill down Zhu Chengyu's spine.

"I called you in so you could take your things away." After saying that, Ling'er pointed to the fragrant Tibetan incense fan on the table.

Zhu Chengyu didn't know why Ling'er was unhappy. He glanced at the familiar-looking fan, his heart filled with grievance and confusion. He walked over, picked up the fan, unfolded it, and his face suddenly changed color. He immediately closed the fan and turned around abruptly, saying, "Ling'er, I..." "No need to say anything, I don't want to hear it." She breathed heavily, her chest heaving violently. Her voice was cold and low, like a whisper.

"No! I must speak out. I cannot bear this injustice." By this time, he understood the seriousness of the situation and knew he had to explain himself.

“It was Lord Zheng who colluded with that dancer. I have never done anything to wrong you.”

Ling'er turned around, stared at his face, and angrily questioned, "You still won't admit it? Look down at yourself."

Zhu Chengyu looked down and saw red patches on his chest. He was puzzled, so he picked up some with his finger and smelled them.

"This is rouge, you can't be unaware of it, can you?" Ling'er said sarcastically.

His face contorted, his eyebrows almost knitted together. He couldn't understand why the fan was here. After a while, he suddenly shouted, "I don't know anything! Believe it or not! It was that dancer who waved the fan in front of me, I smelled a strange fragrance, and then I fainted. When I woke up, I was already in Langqiu Garden."

"You still want to argue?" Ling'er asked, her face ashen.

"I didn't!" Zhu Chengyu also looked aggrieved and annoyed.

"You still say you didn't?" Ling'er quickly walked to Zhu Chengyu's side, took the fan, unfolded it, and fanned herself a few times. Then she said, "I smelled that fragrance too. How come I didn't faint? Who are you trying to fool?"

Zhu Chengyu was also completely baffled, but had no way to explain it, so he could only sit there dejectedly, sulking.

"Anyway, I didn't lie to you. Why don't I bring General Zheng here and confront him face to face?"

"I can't afford to lose face like that."

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [37]: "Then what do you suggest?" He looked at her with a flushed face, waiting for her to speak, the veins on his forehead throbbing. This time, Zhu Chengyu did not show that childlike look as he usually did, but met her gaze with a firm, stern, and uncompromising look.

Neither of them spoke for a while before Ling'er finally said, with restraint, "As long as you admit your mistake, we'll let this matter go." This was already the biggest concession she had made.

"No way!" Zhu Chengyu stood up abruptly, glaring with bloodshot eyes, and said, "I did nothing wrong, why should I admit it? How can you be so unreasonable?"

Ling'er was so angry she almost exploded. She kindly tried to give him a way out, but he wouldn't take it and even turned around and blamed her instead. Fine, then!

"How am I being unreasonable? Are you going to admit it or not?"

Zhu Chengyu didn't speak, and simply turned his head away from her.

"Fine! You won't admit it, huh! Take your fan and leave, right now!" Ling'er's back was ramrod straight, her face as cold as ice. Her eyes were fixed on him, her anger and sorrow burning brightly in them. Her voice trembled, filled with agitation and indignation.

Zhu Chengyu slowly turned his head to look at her, a look of frustration and embarrassment gradually rising on his face. He slowly stood up and stared at her for a long while. That childlike look returned to his eyes, but this time with an added layer of indignation and grievance.

Ling'er's heart softened instantly, but she was also hurt by that look. If Zhu Chengyu were to say a kind word now, Ling'er would definitely let it go, after all, he was her husband.

But he said nothing. The two just stared at each other for a while, then Zhu Chengyu tossed his head, paced around the room like a trapped beast, didn't even take a fan, and stubbornly left Taoranxuan.

Ling'er was both angry and heartbroken. Her long eyelashes trembled constantly, her eyes were moist and clear, and her gaze was sorrowful and bitter. Little did she know that her days of sorrow had only just begun.

General Zheng lost five thousand taels of silver to Duke Wu. He didn't care about losing a little money, but he was completely confused from beginning to end. A servant came to report the other day that he had found out that Princess Consort of Suning had driven Prince Suning out of Taoran Residence and moved into Langqiu Garden. Prince Suning really had no way to deal with the princess consort.

"General Zheng, thank you so much." Duke Wu looked at the five thousand taels of silver notes in his hand, his face beaming with joy.

"Duke of Wu, the money is a small matter, but you must let me know how I lost."

"General Zheng, if there is anything you do not understand, please speak freely."

"Why did Zhu Chengyu suddenly faint that day? I originally suspected that there was some kind of drug in the wine, but I also drank that wine, so why am I fine?" General Zheng had been thinking about it for several days and couldn't figure it out, so he came to ask Duke Wu for advice.

"Oh, so that's what it is?" Duke Wu said smugly, "There was indeed some medicine in the wine, but it also needed a touch of exotic fragrance. The two must be combined to be effective; neither can be missing!"

"So that's how it is!" General Zheng suddenly realized. "Duke Wu is indeed brilliant! But I also smelled that strange fragrance, so why didn't I get dizzy?"

Duke Wu smiled mysteriously and said, "Brother Zheng, I had someone put the antidote on your wine cup long ago, otherwise you would have slept for a whole day and night before waking up." Zhu Chengyu really held back, and did not step into Taoranxuan for five days in a row. He even avoided seeing him when eating. Ling'er also began to have some doubts. Maybe she really wronged him.

On the morning of the sixth day, Ling'er absentmindedly combed her hair in front of the mirror, with Xi Mei serving her beside her. She had been with Ling'er for many years, so she knew exactly what Ling'er was thinking.

"Sister Ling!" When no one was around, Xi Mei still called her that. "Why don't we just let him come back? Look how pitiful he is. There's no point in you two keeping this stalemate going on like this."

"No! He can't come back unless he admits his mistake." Ling'er's tone suggested there was absolutely no room for negotiation.

"Alright, Sister Ling," Xi Mei scoffed. "I know what you're thinking all along. You're all talk and no action. You really want him to stay in Langqiu Garden for the rest of his life? Why don't I go and invite him back?"

That one sentence really hit Ling'er right in the heart. This Zhu Chengyu is really something, with such a big temper. Ling'er's anger has subsided, but his hasn't.

"Alright then, go ahead," she reluctantly uttered. Xi Mei agreed and went, but as soon as she reached the door, Ling'er added, "Hey, don't tell her you called him back."

Xi Mei smiled slightly and said, "I know!" Just as she turned to leave, she saw Xiao He returning from outside.

"Ximei, where are you going?" "I'm going to fetch the Prince back." "No need! Isn't the Prince at home?"

Ling'er overheard their conversation and interrupted, asking, "Where did he go?"

Xiaohe walked over and said, "Your Highness, there is fighting at the border, and the Prince has gone to war."

"What?" Ling'er exclaimed in shock. This was unbelievable. She frowned and asked, "What war? When did it happen?"

"I heard that the Prince of Anhua in Gansu has rebelled, and the prince was ordered to quell the rebellion. He has been gone for two days."

"Why didn't he tell me he was leaving?" Ling'er was so anxious that tears were almost coming out of her eyes.

"It was the prince who forbade me to say. He said I could only talk about it when the princess asked."

Ling'er absolutely believed Xiao He's words; based on her understanding of Zhu Chengyu, it was highly likely. She understood; Zhu Chengyu was still sulking with her, deliberately keeping it from her to make her anxious and worried.

"That damned Zhu Chengyu," Ling'er cursed inwardly, "Get out! Get out! You might as well die out there and never come back."

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [38]: Despite the scolding, she still thought about it. From that day on, Ling'er worried about it every day and missed it every night. She sent people to the court every day to inquire about the news.

A month passed, and the battle at the front was won, but Zhu Chengyu hadn't sent a single letter home. Ling'er knew he was still angry with her, and she felt both angry and resentful.

Two months later, one day, the sound of firecrackers and noise outside was deafening. Ling'er didn't know what was going on and was about to ask Ximei when Xiaohe came to report with a happy face.

"Congratulations, Your Highness! Someone from the palace has sent word that His Highness has returned in triumph and has already returned to the capital. Listen to how loud the firecrackers are outside; the people are welcoming our Prince in the streets."

This was truly exciting news. Ling'er's cheeks flushed with excitement, and her eyes shone with anticipation. Her beloved, whom she had been longing for, had finally returned. She asked anxiously, "When will he be able to return to the manor?"

"First, you have to go to the palace to meet the emperor, and you can only return after noon."

Ling'er's joy was evident on her face, but she couldn't show it so in front of the servants. She composed herself, said simply, "I know," and went back to her room.

Ling'er sat there restlessly, her heart filled with eager anticipation and sweet longing at the thought of Zhu Chengyu's return.

What's wrong with him? It's not like it's the first time we've met, why is he so excited? He wasn't this nervous when we first met. Thinking of this, Ling'er couldn't help but chuckle, because she remembered the scene when she pushed him into the water at Jingxin Lake when they first met.

She sat upright before the dressing table, carefully examining her appearance. Her hair was casually tied back, her face was slightly pale, and she wore no makeup. She didn't look like a princess at all. How could Zhu Chengyu be pleased to see her? She should at least look prettier.

So she immediately laid out all her belongings, faced the mirror, smoothed her hair, applied rouge to her lips, and dressed in her finest attire. After everything was ready, she waited for Zhu Chengyu to return.

In the afternoon, Zhu Chengyu did not return; instead, Shang Minglun arrived. He was dressed in a robe with a python pattern, his face weathered and his eyes bloodshot, carrying a package in his hand.

"Where is Zhu Chengyu?" Ling'er asked, and when she didn't see Zhu Chengyu return, a sense of foreboding welled up in her heart.

"Sister-in-law, I... I'm so sorry," he said, then prostrated himself on the ground and knelt down before Ling'er.

Ling'er was shocked, her brows furrowing. She asked urgently, "Get up, what happened to him?"

"My cousin... he... he's lost!"

"Lost?" Ling'er frowned. "What do you mean by 'lost'?"

"During the Battle of Maweipo, my cousin was wounded and fell from his horse. At the time, the two armies were fighting, and I couldn't go to save him immediately. When I went to look for him, he was nowhere to be found. After the battle, I sent people to search everywhere, but they still couldn't find him."

"Young Master, did you search carefully? This is a matter of life and death!" Xiao He cried anxiously, and Xi Mei chimed in, "Could they have been rescued by the locals?"