Тhе flаmes of wаr rаgеd fiеrсely. With the Wu Кingdоm's empеror gravеlу ill, аll burdеns fеll uрon Ye Yuqing аlone.
Crown Princе Yе was irritаble, hаving bееn unаble tо slеер wеll for hаlf a month straight. Нis оncе gentle, watеr-like eуes had turnеd blооdshоt, аррearing sоmеwhat tеrrifуing. Stаring at thе battlе rеport just dеlivеred, Yе Yuqing said in a low vоice, "Thе thrее kingdoms hаve alreаdу аllied. If thе Qi Кingdоm sеnds fеwеr troорs, then thеir grain suрplies must bе amрlе. Тhe First Ваttаliоn has alreаdy reached thе Qi Kingdom's bordеr. How muсh grain thеу cаn requisition depends on their ability."
"This minister understands," Minister Meng responded with a bow.
One official left, only for countless others to swarm in, chattering about various trivial matters. Ye Yuqing remained calm and composed, issuing instructions one by one. By the time he finally paused, the sky outside had already darkened.
Only when his stomach ached unbearably did he suddenly remember that he seemed not to have eaten all day.
Subconsciously, he glanced to his left. The spot where someone usually stood was now empty. When the wind blew through, he could even hear the echo.
Frowning slightly, Ye Yuqing scoffed and stood up to go outside and order, "Prepare the evening meal."
"Your Highness," Consort Ding, who had been waiting outside, hurried forward, presenting the tray in her hands. "This concubine has been waiting for Your Highness to finish. I have prepared ginseng chicken soup here."
When hungry, who wants to drink soup? He wanted to eat, to have some home-style dishes, the kind that go well with rice—Wangyou knew how to make them.
"Go back," Ye Yuqing said as he passed by her, heading straight for his own palace. "This prince wishes to rest now."
Consort Ding was taken aback, her eyes filled with disappointment. But seeing his swift strides, her brows furrowed again.
Was he in a hurry to rest, or in a hurry to see someone?
Wangyou had been imprisoned in the Crown Prince's palace for a long time. Ever since she seduced Ye Yuqing, drugged him, stole the key, and released Duanxian, she had been here, not taking a single step outside.
Initially, she thought she would surely die, as Ye Yuqing hated betrayal most of all. But for some reason, perhaps because this man was accustomed to gentleness, he did not harm her after capturing her. Instead, he confined her here, even sleeping with her every day.
"Your Highness," Wangyou immediately stood up upon hearing the door open. "Have you been busy until now again?"
With a hum of acknowledgment, Ye Yuqing walked to the table and lit the lamp. The lamplight softened his complexion, but his eyes were like deep, unfathomable black abysses. "I'm tired."
"Then come lie down. This servant will massage you for a while."
As a prisoner, Wangyou showed no awareness of her status. Whenever Ye Yuqing came, she was always this concerned.
Sometimes, Ye Yuqing wondered if she was better at pretending than he was, to the point where he could not detect any flaws in her and truly believed she cared for him.
But if someone cared for him, how could they possibly betray him?
With a silent, cold laugh, Ye Yuqing lay down on the soft couch. Wangyou approached, massaging his arms and back with just the right pressure while chattering, "You must eat on time. Even when busy, you should have some dry rations to fill your stomach, or your health will suffer."
Listen to these words of concern—how sincere and heartfelt they sounded! Ye Yuqing shook his head, reached out to grasp her hand, and turned to look at her. "What are you really thinking in your heart?"
After asking, he paused briefly, his gaze shifting as he answered his own question: "Are you thinking of regaining this prince's trust so you can betray me again next time?"Her hand shrank back slightly, and Wangyou pursed her lips. "This servant's life belongs to Your Highness. I will never betray you again."
"Oh?" Ye Yuqing sneered. "Haven't you heard the saying, 'Once disloyal, never to be used again'?"
Her face paled. Wangyou lowered her gaze. "This servant has heard it, but haven't you still kept me by your side?"
She had served him for so long now, and there must be some affection between them, right? The Crown Prince treated people gently, and she especially felt this gentleness when she was by his side. Perhaps it was a cloak when the wind rose, or perhaps it was his furrowed brow when she was injured. In His Highness's heart, he must have regarded her as someone close, which was why he hadn't killed her immediately when the incident occurred.
"Do you think I kept you by my side for that reason?" With a cold laugh, Ye Yuqing looked at her gently, his tone cutting like a bone-chilling wind. "It wasn't because I trusted you, but because you were so good to the Empress of the Wei Kingdom. She certainly couldn't bear to part with you. I kept you alive so that, when the time comes, I could exchange you for something from her."
Her heart ached sharply. Wangyou took a light breath, tears instantly welling up in her eyes. "Your Highness..."
"You once said that I was the gentlest person in the world." Glancing at her expression, Ye Yuqing smiled cruelly. "Do you still think so now?"
Her body trembled slightly. Wangyou knelt down, taking a long while to recover from the pain before she could catch her breath and say softly, "Your Highness once showed me kindness. It was I who failed to cherish it properly. I cannot blame Your Highness."
She still didn't blame him? Ye Yuqing raised an eyebrow and shook his head slightly. Women were so foolish. Give them a little sweetness, and they would remain loyal through life and death, never abandoning you—easier to train than dogs.
"I'm glad you think that way." Rolling over, Ye Yuqing said, "Come up and attend to me."
Wiping her face, Wangyou choked back a sob. "This servant's body... is not convenient lately."
"Then what use are you to me?" Giving her a disdainful look, Ye Yuqing called out to the outside, "Feng Chuang, invite Consort Ding over."
"Yes."
Her face as pale as snow, Wangyou retreated awkwardly to a corner, kneeling with her head bowed as tears fell continuously.
Ye Yuqing glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Instead of feeling satisfied, he felt even more uncomfortable, his chest tight with frustration. Irritated, he stood up abruptly, pulled her to her feet, and pushed her out the door. "Take this person and detain her in the courtyard. Don't let her appear before me again, and don't let her escape!"
"Yes."
The guards outside obeyed, forcing her to kneel on the ground.
Staring at the green square stones paving the ground, Wangyou felt somewhat dazed. In a blur, she saw Consort Ding's embroidered shoes pause in front of her for a moment, and she seemed to hear someone's soft laughter.
None of it mattered. She didn't care. In fact, being able to survive was already something to be grateful for, wasn't it?
Inside the room, the sounds of intimacy suddenly began, as if deliberately, with great commotion. Wangyou listened, her heart feeling as if cut by a knife. Yet, she laughed out loud.
She was just a palace maid, after all, with no status whatsoever. At any moment, she could be treated as a commodity to be exchanged for something. What right did she have to feel sad?
Ye Yuqing felt irritable, looking at the woman beside him who bit her lip, acting coy and affected. He couldn't help but snap, "Can't you stop putting on airs?"
Consort Ding felt wronged. She was, after all, from a scholarly family. How could she have ever done something so shameless? It was only natural to feel shy. Who didn't have a sense of self-respect?However, since His Highness had said so, she could only continue calling out, her face flushed crimson.
Glancing sideways out the window at www.hetushu.com.com, Ye Yuqing impatiently pressed the person beneath him.
"Ah—"
That soul-stirring, bone-melting sound made even those outside feel a shiver run down their spines. Wangyou’s eyes were vacant. Finally, she closed them, thinking of nothing at all.
As the moon set and the sun began to rise, Ye Yuqing got up and dressed. Opening the door, he saw Wangyou still being forced to kneel on the ground, her face deathly pale.
His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly as he said coldly, "I told you to detain her, and you truly did just that."
The dutiful imperial guard bowed and replied, "Your Highness’s orders, we dare not neglect them!"
Casting a sidelong glance at the person hanging her head, Ye Yuqing walked over and asked, "Still alive?"
Raising her head to look at him in a daze, Wangyou curled her lips into a faint smile, tears welling up in her parched eyes as she spoke: "Your Highness..."
"This servant... hurts so much..."
A chill ran through Ye Yuqing’s heart, and he pursed his lips. "Release her and help her inside to lie down."
"Yes," the guard responded. Lifting her up, he walked into the room but hesitated for a moment, looking at the bed covered in fine brocade and then at the dirty palace maid in his hands, unsure of what to do.
"What are you waiting for? Put her on the bed!" Ye Yuqing snapped.
Startled, the guards quickly placed her on the bed, bowed, and retreated.
Her legs had lost all sensation. Wangyou groaned softly, clutching her chest, her brow tightly furrowed.
"Does it hurt now?" Standing by the bed, Ye Yuqing looked down at her with mockery in his eyes. "When I was betrayed, I felt the same pain."
Curling her body into a ball, Wangyou’s face truly looked terrible, her lips pale and bloodless.
As he watched, Ye Yuqing sensed something was wrong. He immediately called out, "Summon the imperial physician."
Someone outside acknowledged the order and left. Frowning, he reached out and touched Wangyou’s forehead.
She wasn’t feverish, but her skin was icy cold and covered in a cold sweat.
Was she ill? Ye Yuqing frowned. Women were such a hassle, always falling ill, fragile and weak... If he had known, he wouldn’t have let his anger get the better of him and slept directly last night. He should have had her locked in the side hall instead.
The imperial physician arrived quickly. After taking her pulse, he was startled and gave Ye Yuqing a fearful glance.
"What is it?" Ye Yuqing frowned. "Speak plainly."
"Your Highness... this woman is pregnant and already showing signs of miscarriage," the physician said with a complicated expression. "It’s too late to save it. Your Highness should simply give her an abortifacient and have a female attendant clean up afterward."
A bolt from the blue!
Ye Yuqing stared at him in disbelief. "What did you say?"
"This... this woman is about to miscarry..."
"When did she become pregnant?!" Ye Yuqing’s pupils contracted sharply, his heart clenching. "Is it already beyond saving?"
"Yes."
Taking a sharp breath, he grabbed the semi-conscious Wangyou and shook her roughly, shouting angrily, "Did you do this on purpose? Knowing you were pregnant, you still knelt outside all night, just to miscarry and make me feel guilty, didn’t you?!"
Startled back to awareness by his shouting, Wangyou looked at him blankly. "When did this servant become pregnant? My monthly cycle was supposed to come these past few days, and my stomach has been hurting..."The furious shout caught in his throat, like a stone, and he forced it down with a hard swallow. Ye Yuqing closed his eyes, threw her back onto the bed with a rough motion, then turned and strode out.
It was nothing serious—just a child of a palace maid. Even if it were born, it wouldn’t be valued. Gone was gone.
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