"Something happened?" Ah Hao asked Ling Xiao while working, then lowered her voice and asked after a moment's thought, "You didn't escape the palace again and get caught by Prince Ning, did you?" She then realized something was off, "Prince Ning doesn't look like him..."
Although Ah Hao wasn't entirely right, it was true that he had escaped the palace again and been caught. Ling Xiao choked, wanting to cover his face and cry, looking even more pitiful, and asked, "Is it that obvious?"
It was just a random guess, but I never expected it to be right. Ah Hao was also stunned for a moment, and for some reason she connected it with Zhang Yu saying yesterday that he had urgent business to attend to at the palace. She hesitated and asked Ling Xiao, "Not His Highness Prince Ning, but... His Majesty?"
Ling Xiao suddenly stood up, leaned over and grasped Ah Hao's hands, his eyes brimming with tears, and said, "Ah Hao, did you cultivate immortal arts in this nunnery and even learn to calculate with your fingers? Can you teach me?"
"Although I shouldn't ask, I've always been curious... You haven't made any mistakes, and you've achieved so much in the Imperial Hospital at such a young age, so why are you risking your life like this?" Seeing Ling Xiao's unusually serious expression, A-Hao realized she had spoken out of turn and quickly said, "Since His Majesty hasn't made things difficult for you, it should be nothing serious. Don't feel too burdened."
Ling Xiao recalled the list of demands Zhang Yu had made of her, one after another. It was far from... not difficult... But she couldn't tell anyone about the secret in her heart, not even A-Hao. She lowered her head and said listlessly, "It's okay, I'm still okay, I won't do anything drastic."
After lunch, Zhang Yu, wanting to take a nap with Ahao, subtly urged Prince Ning and Ling Xiao to leave. Prince Ning, unable to persuade his sixth brother to return, could only leave with Ling Xiao. Ahao, preoccupied with Ling Xiao's situation, asked him about his return to the palace the previous night when Zhang Yu led her to the bed for a rest.
"Help Xiao Shi get his wife back." Zhang Yu looked down at A Hao and spoke the truth directly. A Hao didn't expect him to say it so easily and didn't know how to respond. After a moment of silence, she asked, "Does Your Majesty know why Aunt Ling left the palace?"
"Perhaps you don't want Xiao Shi either, just like you didn't want me back then."
Zhang Yu, who loved to dredge up old grievances, was helpless. Ah Hao had no choice but to pretend to be stupid, close her eyes, bury her face in Zhang Yu's chest, and say in a muffled voice, "So sleepy, this servant is going to sleep first."
Author's Note: The power was out all day and only came back on at night. It was so heartbreaking TT
I only managed to write 6,000 words, so that's all for today. I'm sorry.
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Guess where His Majesty will take Ah Hao next spring? A red envelope will be awarded for a correct guess! >▽<
You can also guess why Ling Xiao insisted on escaping the palace; a correct guess will earn you a red envelope.
It's not because of Prince Ning, actually I already hinted at it before O(∩_∩)O~
Chapter 83 Update
The scene of ministers lining up at Jingyun Nunnery to kneel and beg Zhang Yu to return to the palace never materialized, and Ahao, who said it was none of his business, felt increasingly guilty.
Even with Prince Ning and Xia Mingzhe protecting him, Zhang Yu still had many things to deal with. Every day, Lü Yuan or Lü Chuan would bring secret letters to Jingyun Nunnery. Zhang Yu was far from being as relaxed and carefree as he appeared, and Ahao could see that.
That night, after being pampered and cuddled by Zhang Yu, Ahao was sore all over and he carried her to wash her with a smile, then carried her back to bed to rest. Ahao nestled in Zhang Yu's arms, not very sleepy, thinking about how he had been discussing matters with Prince Ning and Xia Mingzhe from lunchtime until dark, and finally asked, "Your Majesty, are you really not going back to the palace?" He replied, "You are the ruler of a country, you have responsibilities on your shoulders, staying here will only cause trouble, and I would feel bad about it."
“I am very happy to have Your Majesty here. However, I do not want to see Your Majesty working too hard. Moreover, Your Majesty is of noble birth, how can you stay in such a place all the time? I will stay here and will not run away again, Your Majesty can rest assured. If you can come and see me when you have time, I will be satisfied.”
Zhang Yu remained silent and unresponsive, while A-Hao grew increasingly guilty and insecure as she spoke. No matter how grand her words sounded, they still implied a desire to get rid of him, and they weren't truly from the heart; they were merely attempts to make herself feel better by feigning understanding and magnanimity. If he weren't in this position, he could live here for the rest of his life… it wouldn't be impossible.
Even though she didn't say it aloud, Ah Hao knew in her heart that she was becoming more and more dependent on this person and enjoyed the carefree life she had with him. Zhang Yu still wouldn't reveal where they were going next spring, but there was still so much time; they couldn't just keep waiting like this.
Knowing he wasn't asleep yet, and having heard him remain silent for a long time, Ahao assumed she had angered Zhang Yu and looked up at him. Zhang Yu merely looked down at her, reached out and patted her head, and finally spoke, but only one word, "Okay." Zhang Yu agreed very readily. Ahao was stunned for a moment, then lowered her head and heard him say, "Since you're not returning to the palace, you can no longer be considered a palace person. From now on, you don't need to consider yourself a palace servant anymore."
Zhang Yu toyed with a strand of her hair, his face expressionless. "Just treat me like everyone else." Having never considered this before, A-Hao was taken aback by Zhang Yu's words. She was about to speak when Zhang Yu pressed her down. "You're leaving tomorrow, so you'd better treat me well tonight." As he spoke, he lowered his head and silenced A-Hao's mouth, a sly glint in his eyes.
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After being harassed by Zhang Yu under the pretext of leaving the next day, Ah Hao, who felt almost paralyzed, finally woke up when the sun was high in the sky. Zhang Yu was indeed gone, but the soreness in her body was still there.
After lying down for a while, Ah Hao got up on her own. While washing up, she vaguely heard noises coming from the kitchen, but they weren't very clear, so she thought she must have misheard. However, the faint sounds continued, and after simply putting her hair up in a bun with a wooden hairpin, she still went to the kitchen to check.
When Zhang Yu, whom she thought had already returned to the palace, appeared before her, A-Hao couldn't say whether she was surprised or not. The kitchen was a mess, mostly caused by Zhang Yu's actions. As soon as she appeared, Zhang Yu turned to look at her with a stern face. A-Hao didn't understand what he was doing and cautiously asked, "Your Majesty... what's going on?"
Zhang Yu turned his face away and said, "Go do your own thing first, and there will be breakfast soon. I will also prepare two jugs of wine, put some of the medicine Ling Xiao gave me in them, drug you, and sneak a little advantage of you before we return to the palace."
Ah Hao: "..."
Knowing that Zhang Yu's quick agreement last night was probably suspicious, she never expected him to pull something like this. She felt utterly ashamed and didn't know where to put her face. Her face flushed red, and she felt inexplicably angry. After staring at Zhang Yu for a while, she said nothing, simply turning and leaving the kitchen.
Zhang Yu quickly caught up. Even though A-Hao walked fast, she couldn't keep up with his height and long legs, taking two steps ahead of her with each stride. Once he caught up with A-Hao, Zhang Yu leisurely followed behind her, squeezing into the room just before A-Hao closed the door.
Seeing that she was annoyed, Zhang Yu laughed instead, only to be glared at by Ahao. Zhang Yu was in a good mood at the moment, and even though Ahao glared at him, he still found her adorable. He reached out to touch her face, which was as red as the morning sun, but Ahao dodged him.
Ah Hao grew angrier the more she thought about it. Knowing that Zhang Yu wouldn't do anything to her, she spoke without restraint, puffing out her cheeks and saying, "What other tricks do you have to bully me? Why not use them all at once? Why play with me like this?" Zhang Yu reached out to put his arm around her shoulder, but Ah Hao dodged it. She looked at Zhang Yu and saw that he was smiling, which made her even more unhappy.
"Who provoked whom first? Is it only me who is at fault now? If you hadn't done those inexplicable things back then, I would still just be a lowly lady-in-waiting. Even if I hadn't reached the age to be released from the palace and find an ordinary family to marry peacefully, I wouldn't necessarily have had much to do with you. I fell head over heels in love and couldn't control my heart. Even if I was wrong, how did things turn out like this?"
"If you stay cooped up in this Jingyun Nunnery, who will blame you? They'll only say it's my fault, and they'll hold you back from leaving. So what if you get this reputation? It'll just cause a few more whispers. But you do these things and say those things, deliberately poking at people's hearts. Do you feel good about that?"
"I am indeed a person without many desires or extravagant hopes. I live my life as it comes, and I don't need you to do anything for me to be happy or satisfied. I don't think I have any great abilities or that I'm any different from others, that I can enjoy your kindness for a lifetime. I've seen the fates of the concubines in the palace all along..."
As she spoke, two streams of tears streamed down her cheeks. Ah Hao herself didn't quite understand why she had lost control of her emotions. After talking for a while, she felt listless. Why bring up things that made her unhappy? Wouldn't it be better to just pretend she didn't know anything and live a dazed life? Saying these words made both of them feel uncomfortable.
A dull, aching pain in her lower abdomen and some unusual sensations below her body made Ah Hao realize that her period had started. It was supposed to be a few days ago, but somehow it was late and happened right now.
Before Zhang Yu could speak, Ahao said again in a muffled voice, "This servant misspoke, it was all nonsense, Your Majesty, please don't take it to heart, you did nothing wrong." A sharp pain shot through her lower abdomen, and Ahao, whose face was still wet with tears, turned pale. She reached out and covered her stomach, unable to straighten up.
Zhang Yu, who wasn't annoyed by her words, became anxious the moment he saw her pale face. He stepped forward and reached out to support A-Hao, wanting to help her sit or lie down, but A-Hao seemed reluctant. Just when he almost thought A-Hao was still throwing a tantrum, Zhang Yu remembered that she was extremely uncomfortable after her period, which reassured him somewhat.
"Your period's here? Where's the medicine Lingxiao brought you?" Zhang Yu asked a couple of questions. When he heard Ahao say it was in the medicine box, he added, "I'll go and brew the medicine for you. Take care of yourself and then lie down." Ahao didn't say anything. Zhang Yu wiped away her tears while comforting her, "I was the one who provoked you first, and it was all my doing. No one will blame you. Don't overthink it."
Zhang Yu, who remained gentle and good-tempered despite her aggressive words, made A-Hao realize that she was being unreasonable, and she instantly lost her temper. Zhang Yu took the medicine and left, closing the door tightly. A-Hao, who had been crying and making a scene and embarrassing herself, obediently listened to him, tidied herself up, changed her clothes, and lay down on the bed.
Ah Hao was feeling unwell, so Zhang Yu took care of her for most of the day without rest. After brewing the medicine and letting it cool until it was palatable, Zhang Yu brought it to her room. He helped Ah Hao sit up, and after she drank the medicine, he stuffed some sweet and sour candied fruit into her mouth, which he didn't know where he got it from.
Zhang Yu placed his palm on her lower abdomen and asked if she felt any better. Now, thinking back on his words, A-Hao felt even more ashamed and embarrassed.
She took Zhang Yu's hand, nodded, and said, "Much better..." Then she lowered her eyes and whispered an apology. Zhang Yu's lips curved into a smile, he kissed her, and then said, "It's alright, I understand. You just want to keep me by your side for the rest of your life, right? I promise you."
Even though she was apologizing to him sincerely, she was still led in a strange direction. Ah Hao puffed out her cheeks, muttered something under her breath, and lay down again on her own.
Zhang Yu, however, clearly understood what she was saying: "Did you sneak a mouthful of candy?" So he took the opportunity to lean in and kiss her twice more, laughing as he said, "You'll know once you try it."
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