Perhaps because he had just woken up in the afternoon, Hsieh Hyun-chen was still sleeping. Mu Mingtang knelt beside the bed and softly called him: "Your Highness, it's time for dinner."
She called out several times, but Hsieh Hyun-chen did not respond. Mu Mingtang thought that he wanted to sleep for a while, so she put down the food box and went to the eastern hall to light the lamps.
Because Hsieh Hyun-chen had woken up, Mu Mingtang did not dare to open the door or open the windows. The sky was still bright outside, but the room was already a bit dark. Mu Mingtang lit the lamps from the easternmost side and lit up the Jade Qilin Hall one by one.
When Hsieh Hyun-chen woke up, he did not see a familiar figure when he opened his eyes. He subconsciously felt a sense of unfamiliarity. 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 suddenly went cold.
She left?
Hsieh Hyun-chen did not know why he suddenly felt a sense of desolation. He already knew that she was going to leave, didn't he? When he woke up, he found that Mu Mingtang was not sleeping beside him. Hsieh Hyun-chen did not feel anything about it. He even felt that it was good that they were not involved.
They were husband and wife in name, but they were actually just tenants living together. There were no filial children even by the bedside for a long time, let alone a strange couple. Hsieh Hyun-chen did not expect that Mu Mingtang would stay by his side from the beginning.
She stayed with him for a few days and helped him unlock his shackles. She had already done enough. Now she secretly left to avoid being 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 human, 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 returned after lighting the lantern. Seeing Hsieh Hyun-chen was sitting motionless, he asked in surprise, "Wangye, what are you looking at?"
Hsieh Hyun-chen's eyes moved, and he looked back at her in surprise. "You didn't leave?"
"Yeah." Mu Mingtang was baffled by the question. "It's getting dark. I'll go light the lamp. Where can I go? "
Hsieh Hyun-chen looked at her. His eyes were deep and complicated, as if they contained many meanings. But in the end, he looked away and did not say a word.
Mu Mingtang was used to Hsieh Hyun-chen's strange temper. She put down the lamp and went to the table to open the food boxes one by one. "Today, I asked them to 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 see the light now. Otherwise, I'll take you outside to bask in the sun. "
Mu Mingtang prepared the dishes and served them in front of Hsieh Hyun-chen as usual. Although Hsieh Hyun-chen had been awake for a long time, he still recuperated if he could, and Mu Mingtang took care of his meals. Mu Mingtang did not think much of it. When she fed him the 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, not like his usual self.
Mu Mingtang did not mention it. After the soup was finished, she put the bowl and spoon back in 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 did not want to press on. 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, so I won't leave. Moreover, 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 faintly see that the lights extended all the way to the easternmost study. Hsieh Hyun-chen's eyes reflected the flickering candlelight. After a while, he asked, "There's no one in the other rooms. Why are you lighting the lights?"
"Lighting the lights makes it feel like home. Although there's no one in the other rooms, this is the main hall of the Wangfu. It should have some prestige."
"The prestige of the Wangfu?" Hsieh Hyun-chen laughed. "Why bother? It's just a waste of time."
"That won't do. Although I'm just an empty title, I must maintain my prestige. Moreover, I don't have much to do in the day. I'll just walk around the hall a couple of times as exercise. "
Hsieh Hyun-chen fell 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. It was the previous Emperor's decree that I was imprisoned. It's fine if I'm locked up, but you have nothing to do with these matters. There's really no need to waste your life with me. After a few days, when the patrols outside have relaxed, you can leave quietly. "
"You're saying this again." This time, Mu Mingtang was truly a bit angry. "Why do you always send me away? Am I such an eyesore? "
"Don't try to argue with me. I won't fall for it. Let's talk about the facts. The Jiang family brought you a lot of dowry. You can choose some gold and silver that can be easily sold. If you're afraid of being discovered in the future, then take it from the Wangfu's storehouse. Although I've become an empty shell these past few years, I still have some savings. It won't be a problem to ensure that you don'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 house, then it's either that my husband dies and I remarry with a dowry, or I'll be abandoned by my husband and have nothing to do with him. Your Highness, you're perfectly fine now. If you're not going to remarry, then you're going to divorce 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 document with you. If the imperial court finds out in the future, you can say that it was me who allowed you to remarry. Go to the drawer in the study room 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 have the ability, 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 confirmed that someone was throwing a tantrum with him just now.
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 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 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 came back, he angrily went back to his room. After a while, he heard what seemed to be some movement 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 softly said, "En." The two of them didn't say anything. After walking slowly for a while, they both awkwardly left the stage.
Hsieh Hyun-chen always had to walk after eating. He walked and stopped, and when it was about time, Mu Mingtang supported him back to his room. Mu Mingtang supported him to sit down, and his other hand quickly put a pillow behind 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 were 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 vermin who doesn't have to work? "
She actually said it so confidently. Hsieh Hyun-chen raised his eyebrows. Mu Mingtang moved his pillow and said without shame, "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 support of the imperial court. Isn't that great? 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 so simple that Hsieh Hyun-chen didn't know how to respond. Mu Mingtang smiled triumphantly 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. Now that you're with me, 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 dazed for a moment, but when he reacted, he immediately sneered, "You're only saying this because you haven't seen my crazy appearance. In the past, those people were all like you, saying that they didn't ask for anything in return and would follow me to death. But I only had two outbursts 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 the past few days. "
It was amazing that Mu Mingtang could say something like "gentle and easy-going". Hsieh Hyun-chen sneered when he heard this, "Not all outbursts occur 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 again, right? "
Hsieh Hyun-chen didn't say anything, so Mu Mingtang took it as an acknowledgment. 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 took the candlelight and left. 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 bedchamber before heading east. The lights went out one by one. Outside Jade Qilin Hall, the patrolling imperial bodyguards saw the lights in the hall gradually go out and knew that night had arrived.
The lights that Princess Consort Qiyang lit every day became the dividing line between day and night, between light and darkness.
With one Princess Consort, it was very likely that she would become the Empress's daughter in the future. It was much better than having eight or ten good-for-nothing sons. As long as his official position was high enough, he wouldn't have to worry about not having someone to take care of him in the future.
Jiang Mingwei was the only son of the Jiang family, so one could imagine how extravagant Madame Jiang's dowry was when she prepared it. However, the Jiang family only had so much money. Now that there was one more Mu Mingtang, the Jiang family couldn't take out extra money for a while. They could only cut Jiang Mingwei's dowry in half and distribute it to Mu Mingtang.
Madame Jiang didn't dare to tell Jiang Mingwei about these things. In the end, when she looked at the dowry list, Madame Jiang vomited blood in her heart. However, there was nothing she could do. No matter how disgusted Madame Jiang was, she still had to force a smile and happily send Mu Mingtang off.
Mu Mingtang was going to marry Prince Qiyang, while Jiang Mingwei was going to marry Prince Jin. Prince Qiyang was the eldest, so naturally, Prince Qiyang's wedding would be arranged first. On the day of the wedding, Mu Mingtang was wearing a phoenix coronet and a wedding gown. She sat on the wedding bed and listened to the women combing her hair say auspicious words that even they didn't believe. The phoenix coronet on her head was so heavy that she couldn't raise her neck. However, Mu Mingtang still sat upright and waited for the wedding procession to arrive.
Which woman didn't desire a grand and solemn wedding? Mu Mingtang would obviously only have one in her life. The groom was unconscious. The guests seemed to be giving their blessings, but in fact, they were all watching a joke. Even the matron of honor was perfunctory.
If others didn't give her dignity, then she would give it to them herself. No matter what others did, for her, this wedding would definitely be sacred and perfect.
When the auspicious hour arrived, the wedding procession stopped at the Jiang family's gate. Mu Mingtang boarded the bridal sedan chair with the help of her maidservants.
Hsieh Hyun-chen obviously couldn't attend the wedding because he was still unconscious. However, there were many ceremonies that couldn't be performed without people. Even if many steps were cut, there were still a few that were necessary. In the end, Xie Xuanji had to come forward. As the younger brother and the Prime Minister of the Crown Prince, he completed this part of the Jiang family's ceremony for Hsieh Hyun-chen.
The bridal sedan chair circled around the capital before it was finally sent to the Prince Qiyang's residence. Mu Mingtang sat in the swaying bridal sedan chair, thinking that this show was really grand. Perhaps in the eyes of the common people, she was also going to be married and become a princess in a grand manner.
Obviously, the further they went, the louder the sound of the suona outside, as if they were deliberately hiding something. Even if Mu Mingtang couldn't see, she could guess that it was because they were getting closer to the Prince Qiyang's residence. No one dared to go near the Prince Qiyang's residence. There were no pedestrians on either side, and it was even quieter than a graveyard. Therefore, the person playing the music deliberately increased the volume to add to the festive atmosphere.
This was the place where she would live for the rest of her life. Mu Mingtang sighed silently, lifted her skirt, and slowly walked down the bridal sedan chair.
After entering the Prince Qiyang's residence, she could clearly feel that the atmosphere was completely different. It was like a completely different world compared to the bustling Jiang's residence and the bustling streets and alleys.
Mu Mingtang was covered with a red veil, and all she could see was a sea of red. She couldn't see the outside world, but she could at least hear that there was no sound on either side. If it weren't for the high threshold and flat square bricks under her feet, she would have thought that she was in a ghost town.
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
