Chapter 86 Completed
Not falling to the ground, suffering disfigurement, or losing limbs, was undoubtedly a stroke of luck. But at this moment, Zhang Xin froze, gripping Xia Mingzhe's clothes tightly with both hands, until she heard his muffled groan, only then remembering that she should get up immediately. But by the time she remembered to do so, Xia Mingzhe had already pulled her into his arms.
The position of lying close together on the ground was too ambiguous and inelegant, and with other palace servants around, Zhang Xin felt that Xia Mingzhe's actions were frivolous, and she immediately became annoyed. Just as she was about to break free from his arms, Xia Mingzhe said first that there was no one else around.
Even without anyone else around, their actions are still wrong! Zhang Xin had just moved when Xia Mingzhe cried out in pain again, leaving her unsure how to move. Feeling his arm tighten, Zhang Xin angrily said, "What do you want to do? You're bullying me again!"
Xia Mingzhe released his arm, and Zhang Xin quickly got up. The person lying on the ground seemed to be in bad shape, perhaps because she had cushioned his fall. Zhang Xin hesitated to help him up, but seeing him struggle to get up and sway before he could even stand properly, she still reached out her hand.
When Xia Mingzhe shamelessly leaned his entire body against her, Zhang Xin regretted her soft heart and wished she could just throw him away and let him die. In the end, she didn't do that, but simply supported him. Zhang Xin looked up at Xia Mingzhe and saw that his face looked a little pale. Remembering how he had protected her earlier, she figured his discomfort was genuine, so she tightened her grip on him.
Zhang Xin originally intended to help Xia Mingzhe to the house to rest, and then have someone fetch the imperial physician. It wasn't exactly proper etiquette, but concerned for his health, she didn't think the rules mattered much. Xia Mingzhe said he would just sit at the stone table in the small garden for a while, so Zhang Xin had no choice but to help him sit down.
"I'll send someone to fetch the imperial physician."
Xia Mingzhe's gaze was so blatant that Zhang Xin couldn't take it anymore and tried to slip away under some pretext. But Xia Mingzhe grabbed her, said there was no need, and gestured to the seat opposite him, telling her to sit down.
He didn't seem like his usual gentle and easy-going self at all. Still flustered by his sudden appearance, Zhang Xin was intimidated by his aura and obediently sat down opposite him. Feeling even more awkward, Zhang Xin lowered her head and didn't look at the person opposite her.
"I made a trip to Leping County and met with His Highness Prince Lu. His Highness inquired about the little princess's condition and asked me to bring back some gifts, which I have just handed over to the palace servants."
As Xia Mingzhe spoke slowly, Zhang Xin, who had assumed he had gone to deal with the southern bandits, frowned. She had a feeling that she had been tricked again, and that they had all conspired to trick her.
Recalling Zhang Yu's promise to her, he indeed hadn't assigned Xia Mingzhe to handle the banditry... and she wasn't required to know everything about court affairs. Zhang Xin bit her lip lightly, unable to discern whether she felt joy or sorrow.
Xia Mingzhe took something out of his pocket, wrapped it in several layers of silk, placed it on the white marble table, unwrapped it little by little, checked it, wrapped it up again, and pushed it in front of Zhang Xin.
"The gift I brought for you, thankfully it wasn't crushed."
Actually, she was pleasantly surprised when she saw Xia Mingzhe. Being held in his arms made her feel less scared. Seeing that he had remembered to bring her a gift made her happy... Zhang Xin knew all of this, and it was precisely because she knew it that she was even more unhappy.
She had promised not to pay any attention to this person, so why was she even more hung up on him than before? She pursed her lips, still keeping her head down, neither speaking to Xia Mingzhe nor looking at the gift. Then she heard him say he didn't want it and took it back—was there any reason to take back a gift that had already been given?
"Who said I don't want it anymore?" Zhang Xin puffed up her cheeks and reached out to touch the silk cloth. She didn't notice Xia Mingzhe's outstretched hand and simply placed her hand on the back of his hand.
A slightly cool palm touched Xia Mingzhe's warm hand. Upon the touch, Zhang Xin tried to pull her hand back, but she was no match for him and could only have her hand held down. Zhang Xin unconsciously looked up at him and saw Xia Mingzhe smiling at her. The sunlight slanted across his face, making him seem exceptionally dazzling and captivating.
Zhang Xin stared blankly for a moment, her heart filled with a chaotic mess.
·
Lured by Xia Mingzhe's sweet talk to Jingyun Nunnery, and dragged by the hand to the courtyard where Ahao lived, Zhang Xin, remembering her confident promises, felt utterly ashamed and wanted nothing more than to turn around and leave. She clung tightly to Xia Mingzhe, pleading, "I don't want to go in, can't you go by yourself?"
"How can that be? You clearly agreed, and now you're going back on your word?" Xia Mingzhe smiled and pinched Zhang Xin's chubby cheeks. "No one will laugh at you, don't be afraid." He had already seen through her thoughts.
Zhang Xin thought to herself, "If you hadn't lied to me with so many nice words, how could I have been tricked into getting on the carriage and ended up here?" When she recalled how Xia Mingzhe had said he would allow her to jump off the carriage if she didn't mind becoming crippled, Zhang Xin was still reluctant.
Just as she was feeling awkward, Zhang Yu, as if knowing they had arrived, walked over and opened the courtyard gate from the inside, saying without hesitation, "Come in." His gaze swept over Xia Mingzhe and Zhang Xin, lingering for a moment on their clasped hands before moving away, and he chuckled softly.
Feeling that they were laughing at her, Zhang Xin glared at Xia Mingzhe, but was instead led into the courtyard. Because it was the Mid-Autumn Festival, Ahao and Zhang Yu were making small cakes. When Zhang Xin and Xia Mingzhe entered the hall, they saw all the necessary items.
"Wow, they're so beautifully made!" Zhang Xin leaned closer to Ahao to take a look, then glanced at the finished pieces, pointed to the few that looked rather ugly, and laughed, "These few are especially different; you can tell they were made by the Emperor!"
Zhang Yu raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "What you make might not be any better." What does it matter if it looks good or not? As long as it was made by A-Hao who taught him step by step, that's enough.
"Your Majesty has done a wonderful job. It is unique, original, and distinctive. I will definitely have to try it carefully later."
Zhang Xin made a face that looked like she was about to burst out laughing, and said with a wink, "Ah Hao, you can't just lie through your teeth. If you keep doing this, we'll have to get Ling Xiao to teach you a lesson later."
"What's it to you?" Zhang Yu silently pulled Zhang Xin aside, glanced at Xia Mingzhe, and asked, "Is everything settled?" Xia Mingzhe nodded, and Zhang Yu added, "Then do it as agreed before."
Zhang Yu asked about his relationship with Zhang Xin, specifically about Xia Mingzhe's earlier suggestion to complete their marriage before Zhang Yu and Ahao went to the border. Ahao understood everything, but Zhang Xin was completely confused. Not realizing it concerned her, she didn't dwell on it.
When she was with Zhang Yu, Zhang Xin didn't feel as awkward as she had when she was alone with Xia Mingzhe. No one deliberately brought up what had happened before or mentioned what she had said, so the feeling of embarrassment wasn't too severe, and Zhang Xin quickly forgot about it. It was the first time she had seen someone make cookies by hand, and Zhang Yu said that hers might not look good, so he pestered A-Hao to teach her.
Not long after Xia Mingzhe and Zhang Xin arrived, Prince Ning and Ling Xiao also arrived at Jingyun Nunnery. It seemed as if they were celebrating a festival together. Zhang Yu, Prince Ning, and Xia Mingzhe went elsewhere to discuss serious matters, leaving Ahao, Zhang Xin, and Ling Xiao in the main hall.
"Aunt Ling, where have you been lately? I've tried looking for you several times, but I can't find you anywhere." Even though she had seen an acquaintance, and it was the Mid-Autumn Festival, Ling Xiao, who had been smiling just moments before, didn't seem very happy now. After asking, Zhang Xin remembered that she had appeared with her tenth brother several times, and asked again, "You and my tenth brother..."
Zhang Xin couldn't find Ling Xiao; she was trapped in the Ning Prince's residence, held back by the Prince. Thinking of how the Prince had been clinging to her these past few days, like a worm in her brain, completely oblivious to the possibility of exhaustion and death, Ling Xiao didn't want to say another word. She weakly waved her hand, slumped down, lifeless.
“Badgers are afraid of lynxes, every creature has its nemesis,” Ahao laughed, then asked Zhang Xin, “Does Your Highness still want to learn how to make pancakes?” She had barely begun when Ling Xiao and Prince Ning arrived and stopped. Her question conveniently changed the subject.
“Of course we have to learn,” Zhang Xin said quickly, sitting up straight and glancing at Ling Xiao again. “Aunt Ling, why don’t you come with us? It’s so boring sitting on the side watching.” She nudged her, actually because she couldn’t bear to see Ling Xiao looking so gloomy.
Ling Xiao understood A-Hao's words and was provoked, her face showing a different expression. She straightened her posture for a moment and snorted, "Who will subdue whom is still unknown." Zhang Xin was puzzled, but A-Hao just smiled. Ling Xiao didn't say anything more, but simply washed her hands and joined them in their work.
They set up a table in the courtyard, but apart from the small cakes, none of the food was prepared by themselves. Since Zhang Yu hadn't mentioned that Zhang Xin and the others would be coming, they assumed it would just be the two of them, and A-Hao thought she could cook for herself. When Zhang Yu mentioned that they were also coming and said he had already given instructions, A-Hao naturally didn't try to help anymore.
It was a rare treat for the six of us to gather together, and the meal was very pleasant. The small pancakes were the last to arrive, and by then, the sky was shrouded in darkness. Lanterns hung everywhere in the courtyard, creating a different atmosphere than usual on this Mid-Autumn Festival night, bathed in moonlight.
After the pancakes were served, Zhang Yu picked out some he had made and offered them to Ahao to try. Ahao was very obliging and, after tasting them, earnestly praised the flavor, which immediately brought a smile to Zhang Yu's face.
Seeing this, Ling Xiao also specially served herself a plate and presented it to Prince Ning, pretending to be flattering, saying, "This servant has been thinking of Your Highness Prince Ning and prepared this especially for you. I hope Your Highness likes it."
Prince Ning glanced down and saw that it was shaped like a golden pig. He squinted at Ling Xiao, smiled, and said, "I like everything you make." But in that look, there was a clear implication that he would make Ling Xiao pay tonight. Ling Xiao smiled guiltily and looked away, pretending not to see it.
Xia Mingzhe remembered Zhang Xin's insistence on learning to make small cakes from A-Hao. Seeing the rabbit-shaped cakes on her plate, he knew she must have made them herself. When Zhang Xin saw him looking over, she simply said, "Why don't you just eat those? Why are you eyeing what's in my bowl?"
After tasting her own creation, Zhang Xin regretted not giving it to Xia Mingzhe. But since she had already tasted it, there was nothing she could do; she couldn't just leave it aside. Speechless and choked with emotion, Zhang Xin knew she had to finish her homemade pancakes, no matter how bad they tasted!
Seeing Zhang Xin's conflicted expression, with her eyes, nose, and mouth all scrunched up, it was enough to tell how bad her cooking was. Xia Mingzhe, however, still reached out with his chopsticks, snatched the small cake from her bowl and plate, ate it in a few bites, and praised with a smile, "Your Highness, your cooking is very good."
That was something she'd already eaten a bite of! Zhang Xin glared at him, seemingly angry, but her face was as red as the morning sun and as radiant as a lotus flower, unable to utter a word of reproach. She couldn't help but think to herself, he didn't seem to mind at all.
Just then, Ling Xiao came over to cause trouble, saying in a high-pitched, coquettish voice, "I want to eat too." Zhang Xin blushed even more when she heard her teasing.
Ling Xiao laughed, looking very cheerful, but was pulled back by Prince Ning, "I have something here made in your own image, you don't need to look elsewhere."