Ever since Hsieh Hyun-chen woke up, Mu Mingtang was the most nervous when she took out the food boxes and put them away. Fortunately, the palace was particular about decorations. The master had a set three meals a day. Even if they couldn't finish it, they still had to put it out. Mu Mingtang relied on her image as a rice bucket to support the entire family on her own.
Jiang Mingtang had been fussing over food since the first day she entered the palace. She didn't know her own status and even made a lot of requests. The kitchen and the head of the guards were used to Mu Mingtang being a busybody, so they weren't surprised when she changed her taste from fish and meat to nutritious food.
There was nothing their princess didn't dare to do. If she didn't make a fuss, they would have to worry if Mu Mingtang was up to something.
At night, Mu Mingtang took out the food boxes and found that Hsieh Hyun-chen had already fallen asleep. He was now awake for about four hours a day. Although it wasn't a long time, because of the nutritious food, he was much more energetic when he woke up. At least he wouldn't fall asleep after sitting for a while.
Now he could sit up on his own, but he still needed someone to help him walk. After walking a few steps, he needed to stop and rest. Mu Mingtang was very patient and never rushed him.
Maybe because he had just woken up in the afternoon, Hsieh Hyun-chen was still sleeping. Mu Mingtang knelt by the bed and softly called him: "Your highness, it's time to eat dinner."
She called out a few times, but Hsieh Hyun-chen didn't respond. Mu Mingtang thought that he wanted to sleep for a while, so she put down the food boxes and went to the eastern hall to light the lamps.
Because Hsieh Hyun-chen had woken up, Mu Mingtang didn't dare open the doors or windows the entire day. The sky was still bright outside, but the room was already dark. Mu Mingtang lit the lamps from the easternmost side and lit the Jade Qilin Hall one by one.
When Hsieh Hyun-chen woke up, he didn't see a familiar figure when he opened his eyes. He subconsciously felt unfamiliar. He slowly propped himself up and sat up. His movements were not small, but even after a while, the hall was still empty.
Hsieh Hyun-chen's heart sank.
She left?
Hsieh Hyun-chen did not know why he suddenly felt a sense of desolation in his heart. He already knew that she was going to leave, didn't he? When he woke up, he realized that Mu Mingtang was not sleeping next to him. Hsieh Hyun-chen did not feel anything about it. He even felt that it was good that they were not involved in each other's lives.
The two of them were husband and wife in name, but they were actually just tenants living together. Even after a long time, there were no filial children, let alone a strange couple. From the very beginning, Hsieh Hyun-chen had never expected that Mu Mingtang would keep watching over him.
For her to accompany him for these few days and unlock his shackles, she had already done her best. Now that she had left secretly, she didn't want to be implicated by him for the rest of her life. It could be considered the last good deed he did in his life.
Hsieh Hyun-chen understood everything logically, but his heart was empty. This kind of development, this kind of ending. He was abandoned by the whole world. Everyone stood on the opposite side of him, guarded against him, and doubted him.
It was as if he was no longer a person, but a mindless animal that only knew how to kill.
Hsieh Hyun-chen sat on the bed for a long time without moving. His eyes were calm and indifferent, like a barren desert. Mu Mingtang came back after lighting the lanterns. Seeing Hsieh Hyun-chen sitting there without moving, she asked curiously: "Wangye, what are you looking at?"
Hsieh Hyun-chen's eyes moved. He turned around to look at her in surprise: "You didn't leave?"
"That's right." Mu Mingtang was confused by the question, "It's dark, I'll go light the lanterns. Where can I go? "
Hsieh Hyun-chen looked at her. His eyes were deep and complicated, as if there were many meanings hidden in them. But in the end, he looked away and didn't say a word.
Mu Mingtang was used to Hsieh Hyun-chen's strange temper. She put down the lantern and went to the table to open the food boxes: "Today, I had them stew bone soup. Whatever you eat will be nourished. Bone soup is the best for your legs. It's a pity that Wangye can't go out in the light right now. Otherwise, I'll take you outside to bask in the sun. "
Mu Mingtang prepared the dishes and brought them to Hsieh Hyun-chen as usual. Although Hsieh Hyun-chen had been awake for a long time, he still recuperated if he could. Mu Mingtang took care of all his meals. Mu Mingtang didn't think much of it. When she fed him soup, Hsieh Hyun-chen quietly drank it. After feeding him for a while, Mu Mingtang found that something was wrong with Hsieh Hyun-chen today.
He seemed to have something on his mind. He was so quiet, unlike his usual self.
Mu Mingtang didn't mention it. After the soup was finished, she put the bowl and spoon back into the food boxes. Then she asked: "Wangye, when you woke up today, did you think that I had left?"
"No."
He said no, so Mu Mingtang didn't want to force it. She could only tactfully say: "Don't worry, I'm now tied to the same boat as you. We're bound together for good or ill. I won't leave. What's more, there are so many guards standing outside. Even if I really wanted to, I wouldn't be able to escape now. "
Hsieh Hyun-chen turned his head to look at the lights in the hall. The seven main halls of Jade Qilin Hall were connected. Although there were many barriers in the middle, one could vaguely see that the lights extended all the way to the easternmost study. Hsieh Hyun-chen's pupils reflected the flickering candlelight. After a while, he asked: "There's no one in the other rooms. Why are you lighting the lamps?"
"Lighting the lamps makes it feel like home. Although there's no one in the other rooms, this is still the main hall of the Prince's Estate. There should be some prestige."
"The prestige of the Prince's Estate?" Hsieh Hyun-chen laughed and said, "Why bother? It's just a waste of time."
"That won't do. Although I'm just a Wangfei without much prestige, I still have to show off. What's more, I don't have much to do all day. I'll just walk around the hall a few times and treat it as exercise. "
Hsieh Hyun-chen was silent. After a while, he leaned against the pillow and said: "If you hadn't married me, you wouldn't have been unable to even leave the house. I was imprisoned by the previous Emperor's decree. It's fine if I'm locked up, but you have nothing to do with this matter. There's really no need to waste your life with me. After a few days, when the patrols outside have relaxed, you can quietly leave. "
"You're saying this again." Mu Mingtang was really angry this time, "Why do you always send me away? Am I such an eyesore to you? "
"Don't try to argue with me. I won't fall for it. Let's talk about the matter as it is. The Jiang family has brought you a lot of dowry. You can choose some gold, silver, and other things that are easy to sell. If you're afraid of being discovered in the future, then take them from the Prince's Estate's treasury. Although I've become an empty shell these past few years, I still have some savings. I can guarantee that you won't have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of your life. "
"Why?" Mu Mingtang stubbornly asked, "We've already gone through the wedding ceremony and are officially husband and wife. If you want me to leave my husband's family, then it's either that my husband will die and I'll take another dowry and remarry, or I'll be divorced by my husband and have nothing to do with him. Your Highness, you're perfectly fine now. If you're not remarrying, then you're divorcing me? "
"If you really want to think of it that way, then fine." Hsieh Hyun-chen said, "If you're still worried, then take a divorce certificate with you. If someone from the imperial court finds out in the future, you can say that it was me who let you remarry. Go to the drawer under the Treasure Pavilion in the study and take out a brush and ink … "
"You're still not done!" Mu Mingtang was furious. He flung his sleeves and stood up, "If you're so capable, then go and write it yourself. I won't wait on you anymore."
After Mu Mingtang finished speaking, he picked up the food box and went back to his room. Hsieh Hyun-chen sat in his bedchamber for a long time before he finally realized that someone had just thrown a tantrum at him.
Growing up, he had lost count of how many people he had thrown a tantrum at. He had been the young master of his family since he was young. Even his father couldn't control him with a rod, so there was no hope for him to restrain himself in front of the Emperor. But just now, Mu Mingtang had thrown a tantrum at him?
Hsieh Hyun-chen was so shocked that he couldn't recover from it for a long time.
After a while, Mu Mingtang finished his meal and placed the food box outside the door. The head imperial bodyguard asked him a routine question, but Mu Mingtang glared at him fiercely.
The head imperial bodyguard was baffled by the glare. What's wrong? He didn't do anything, right?
After Mu Mingtang returned, he angrily went back to his room. After a while, he seemed to hear some movement from outside. He ran out and saw Hsieh Hyun-chen standing up while holding onto the bed frame. Mu Mingtang went forward to support him and said in a businesslike manner, "It's not convenient for you to move right now. If you touch anything, it will alert the people outside. It's better if I help you."
Hsieh Hyun-chen gave a low "un" sound. The two of them didn't say anything as they slowly walked for a while. Finally, they awkwardly left the stage.
Hsieh Hyun-chen always had to walk around after eating. He walked and stopped, and when it was about time, Mu Mingtang would help him back to his room. Mu Mingtang helped him sit down, while his other hand quickly placed a pillow for him. His movements were smooth and agile.
After Hsieh Hyun-chen sat down, Mu Mingtang sat by the bed and didn't immediately leave. Instead, he paused for a while and said, "Your Highness, I remember there's a saying in the manor, but I forgot how to say it. The general idea is that two people are watching fish on Haoliang … "
It was too obvious. Hsieh Hyun-chen couldn't bear it and said, "If you have something to say, just say it."
Alright, Mu Mingtang also felt that it was too sudden. She awkwardly coughed and said, "It's that saying, 'if you're not a fish, how can you know the joy of a fish'? You think that I've been imprisoned and want to arrange for me to leave. But how do you know that I'm not willing? What if I'm someone who doesn't have great ambitions, and I especially enjoy the life of a worm who doesn't have to work? "
She actually said it so confidently. Hsieh Hyun-chen raised his eyebrows. Mu Mingtang moved his pillow and continued to boast shamelessly, "I really like this kind of life where I don't have to work hard. Your Highness, just let me stay in the manor and eat. I have the imperial court to support me. How nice is that? I don't want to run out and rely on myself at all. "
Hsieh Hyun-chen didn't fall for her trick and said, "When I was playing mind games with people, you were probably still drinking milk. If you want to eat and wait for death, you can take your gold, silver, and jewels and find a beautiful place to squander them. Why do you want to stay here and wait for death? "
"Sooner or later, I'll run out of money. Right now, as long as I stay in the manor, I'll never run out of money."
Her reason was too simple. Hsieh Hyun-chen didn't know how to respond. Mu Mingtang smiled in satisfaction and said, "That's why I'm willing to do this. My dream since I was young was to not have to work hard, to eat and wait for death. Now that I've finally achieved it, Your Highness, you can't destroy other people's dreams. "
Hsieh Hyun-chen was speechless. After a while, he asked, "Why?"
"What?"
"Why are you so determined to stay? Xie Xuanji is right. If you follow me now, I can't give you anything else. "
"It doesn't matter." Mu Mingtang's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. Her eyes reflected the candlelight and sparkled like stars. "Because you're my savior and a hero in my heart. As long as I can stay by your side, I'm already very happy. "
Hsieh Hyun-chen was stunned by this answer. He was stunned for a moment, but when he reacted, he immediately sneered, "You're only saying this because you haven't seen my crazy appearance yet. In the past, those people were all like you. They said they didn't ask for anything in return and swore to follow me. But I only had two outbreaks and they all scattered. "
Mu Mingtang knew how determined she was, but she didn't know how to tell Hsieh Hyun-chen. She could only reiterate, "Your Highness, all illnesses can be cured. Look at you now, you've been gentle and easy-going for a few days. "
It was amazing that Mu Mingtang could say something like "gentle and easy-going". Hsieh Hyun-chen sneered, "Not all outbreaks happen when I'm awake. This is a matter of probability. If you really insist on staying, I'm afraid that when I go crazy, the first one to die will be you. "
"I'm not afraid." Mu Mingtang agreed. After she finished speaking, she carefully looked at Hsieh Hyun-chen, "So you're saying that you agree for me to stay? In the future, you won't drive me away, right? "
Hsieh Hyun-chen didn't say anything, so Mu Mingtang took it as a yes. Mu Mingtang happily stood up and said, "It's getting late. Your Highness should sleep first. See you tomorrow. "
After Mu Mingtang finished speaking, she left with the candlelight. Mu Mingtang didn't dare to leave any open flames in Hsieh Hyun-chen's room. She had to watch all the candlelight extinguish with her own eyes before she dared to leave.
Mu Mingtang blew out the lights in the bedroom before heading east. The lights went out one by one. Outside Jade Qilin Hall, the patrolling guards saw that the lights in the hall were gradually extinguished and knew that night had arrived.
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