Chapter 492: The Crown Prince's Affected Display
The disappearance of the Northwest King after an ambush sent shockwaves throughout the regions. His Majesty ordered the Liangzhou Governor and Longxi Regional Protector-General to conduct exhaustive searches while secretly commanding border troops stationed near the Turkic territories to maintain constant vigilance and prepare for potential conflict.
Shen Xihe calmly awaited the search results. Once news of the fruitless investigation reached the capital, she planned to personally petition His Majesty for permission to lead the search herself.
"With such widespread commotion, might the Turks truly seize this opportunity to cause trouble?" Though Shen Xihe knew Xiao Huayong must have made thorough arrangements, she still wanted to ascertain whether he intended to use this situation to provoke a war.
Perhaps due to certain unmet desires, Xiao Huayong appeared particularly listless today. His eyelids drooped heavily as he gazed at Shen Xihe with palpable melancholy.
Shen Xihe glanced at him just as Duanming's meows echoed outside. She clapped her hands twice, and the cat came bounding in, making straight for her.
Taking a piece of meat jerky from nearby, Shen Xihe offered it to Duanming. The cat's round eyes sparkled with anticipation, paws extending and mouth already opening. But in a swift motion, Shen Xihe redirected the jerky into Xiao Huayong's mouth.
"Meow?" Duanming let out a short, indignant cry before pouncing on Xiao Huayong with claws bared.
Before Xiao Huayong could react, Shen Xihe pressed down on the cat's neck, forcing it to submit. Duanming lay flattened, emitting pitiful mews with similarly droopy eyelids and resentful eyes.
Holding Duanming up to Xiao Huayong, Shen Xihe asked, "See?"
Xiao Huayong, still chewing the jerky his wife had fed him with blissful absorption, was caught off guard by the question. "What?"
"Its current expression is identical to yours earlier," Shen Xihe explained, tapping Duanming's small head.
Xiao Huayong finally shifted his gaze to the cat. After a moment's observation, he admitted frankly, "Truly ugly."
"Meeoow—" Duanming absolutely despised being called ugly. The cat seemed to understand the insult, recalling how it had once scratched Bu Shulin severely for the same remark.
Hearing Xiao Huayong's comment, Duanming mustered unexpected strength to break free from Shen Xihe's grasp and launched itself at Xiao Huayong with murderous intent.
Despite his martial prowess that could easily evade such an attack, Xiao Huayong deliberately restrained himself, only shifting slightly. Duanming's claws grazed the side of his neck, leaving three fine scratches.
"Beichen!" Shen Xihe's pupils contracted as she rushed forward. Seeing the faint traces of blood on his neck, she called out urgently, "Zhenzhu, fetch the medicine chest!"
Xiao Huayong disliked having servants attend to him closely. After marrying Shen Xihe, except for morning ablutions and meal preparations, all servants remained in outer chambers, leaving only the couple in private quarters.
Hearing Shen Xihe's call, Zhenzhu hurried in from outside and retrieved the medicine chest from the room. She moved to examine Xiao Huayong's injury, but he avoided her.
"Just minor scratches, no need for concern," he dismissed.
"You must let her check," Shen Xihe insisted sternly.
"No need," Xiao Huayong refused, uncharacteristically contradicting his wife for the first time.
Zhenzhu glanced uncertainly between Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong, torn between obeying the Crown Princess's order and avoiding offense to the uncooperative Crown Prince.Seeing Zhenzhu in a dilemma, Shen Xihe took the healing medicine herself, forcefully pulled Xiao Huayong, and made him sit down. Xiao Huayong was easily pulled by Shen Xihe and obediently sat before her, a trace of triumphant laughter flashing in his eyes.
Shen Xihe was worried about his injury because she saw him dodge, but he hadn't avoided it completely. She never suspected that Xiao Huayong had intentionally avoided vital areas, leaving only superficial scratches.
Moreover, Duanming was her cat, and she had called it over to scold Xiao Huayong. It was also she who had stuffed the meat jerky into Xiao Huayong's hand, provoking Duanming's hostility toward him. At this moment, she felt deeply remorseful.
She mixed the medicinal powder with water and carefully used a soft cloth to clean his wound.
"Ah..." Xiao Huayong couldn't help but gasp.
"Does it hurt a lot?" Shen Xihe withdrew her hand slightly and asked softly, her gaze filled with concern as she looked at him.
Zhenzhu quickly lowered her head to the side.
The Crown Prince was being so pretentious, yet the Crown Princess actually believed him!
"It hurts!" At this moment, Xiao Huayong didn't care about any masculine pride—he only wanted his wife to feel sorry for him!
His exaggerated and delicate tone made Zhenzhu lower her head even further. If not for the fact that the Crown Princess still needed her guidance, she would have asked to leave right then.
As a servant, this was not something she should be hearing!
Shen Xihe had never liked pretentious people, but at this moment, she seemed completely unaware of the Crown Prince's affectations.
She grew even more worried and turned to ask Zhenzhu, "Is there any medicine that doesn't sting?"
Zhenzhu: ...
She was starting to wonder if this was really her mistress!
Hadn't her mistress been injured before? Not to mention other times, she had been scratched by the civet cat before and had used this same medicinal powder. Could she really not know how much it stung?
Thinking this to herself, Zhenzhu dared not say a word. The Crown Prince was only weak in front of her mistress—toward others, he was as fierce as a storm. She wouldn't dare offend the Crown Prince.
Diligently, she found another box of medicinal cream and handed it to Shen Xihe. "Crown Princess, apply this to the wound."
This medicinal cream felt cool when applied, so Xiao Huayong couldn't continue pretending. He shot a cold glance at Zhenzhu.
Zhenzhu looked utterly bewildered.
Even after leaving the inner chamber, she still didn't know how she had offended the Crown Prince. Hadn't she avoided exposing him?
"Tianyuan, help me figure out what I did wrong?" Having been in the Eastern Palace for so long, Zhenzhu and the others had long since become close with Tianyuan and the rest, addressing each other by name directly.
Zhenzhu recounted the day's events in detail to Tianyuan.
After listening, Tianyuan silently scoffed at the Crown Prince in his heart, then gave Zhenzhu a sympathetic look. "As trusted aides, sometimes we can't be too capable."
Can't be too capable?
Zhenzhu pondered this carefully, her expression cracking slightly.
So when the Crown Princess asked if there was any medicine that didn't sting when applied to the wound, she should have said no? That way, the Crown Prince could continue acting delicate and make the Crown Princess feel even more sorry for him?
This... was this really the Crown Prince?
Was this the same majestic, heroic, and upright Crown Prince?
Zhenzhu's conflicted expression fell into Tianyuan's eyes, and he gave her a look that said "you're making a fuss over nothing" before walking away.
For someone like him, who had witnessed all sorts of storms and waves from the Crown Prince, this little scene was nothing.
Of course, this was only because Tianyuan hadn't seen the Crown Prince in the evening yet—otherwise, he too would have been shocked.
The Crown Prince was injured, and for the entire day, he deliberately kept his neck straight, walking around in a slightly peculiar manner.Shen Xihe found it impossible to ignore the injury on his neck, especially when it was time to sleep. He boldly threw himself over, and without encountering any resistance from Shen Xihe, he pitifully complained, "My neck hurts."
(End of Chapter)
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