Chapter 66: His Highness Had Too Many Tricks

The court took the matter of the floods in Nanzhou very seriously. The day after Pei Chen accepted this task, he set off for Nanzhou.

But Xie Yujiao, who had been flogged forty times with the board, only learned of this news several days later.

“What? …Ah!”

She shot up from her bed, but the sudden movement tugged at her wounds, and she winced in pain.

“Young lady!” Qiucha quickly rushed forward, her face full of concern.

“The floods in Nanzhou? Who said this?” Yujiao remembered that this flood had destroyed the dams, and later an epidemic had broken out, killing many people.

But she remembered clearly, in her previous life, no one had predicted this disaster in advance.

Was it Xie Yao?

Had she been reborn too?

This thought once again flashed across Xie Yujiao’s mind…

“It was Master Wufa,” Qiucha quickly explained. “A few days ago, he entered the palace and spoke of this matter.”

Slap!

Yujiao struck her across the face. “Something so serious, why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

Qiucha knelt to the ground in a panic, trembling. “Forgive me, young lady!”

Master Wufa.

Where had he suddenly come from?

But luckily, it wasn’t Xie Yao.

“What other major events happened in the capital these days?” Yujiao frowned as she asked.

Qiucha swallowed, then lowered her head to recount how Xie Yuru and Xie Jing had been brought back to the Xie family.

Yujiao was stunned.

Chaotic, chaotic… everything was in chaos.

In her last life, her father had only adopted the two after the Crown Prince had died.

Why had it happened so early this time?

Everything had changed…

Then… would her husband still become Grand Chancellor?

For the first time, this thought entered Yujiao’s mind, and a chill crept through her entire body.

No!

She quickly shook the thought away. He definitely would.

Her husband must become Grand Chancellor!

…

Xie Yao calculated the days. According to the female physician, she had been doing what was needed during her most fertile period.

Now that the days had finally passed, she let out a long breath of relief.

Though pleasurable, the matter was exhausting.

Especially since His Highness the Crown Prince, after more than twenty years of restraint, once he had tasted the sweetness, his tricks were endless, even more than hers!

Xie Yao decided that for the next few days, she would simply rest well.

—

The study.

Night fell, and the lamps were lit.

Xiao Ji sat in his study, reading a letter Pei Chen had sent from Nanzhou. The disaster relief convoy was still on the road, but Pei Chen had quietly slipped away from the group, traveling ahead to investigate the construction of the dams from the previous year.

The beginning was already unfavorable.

Xiao Ji finished the letter, and then tossed it into the brazier to burn.

Only after this did he sense something amiss. Tonight, the study… was unusually quiet.

At this hour…

On the past nights, someone would be beside him, chattering and urging him to rest.

“Where is the Crown Princess?”

After a moment of thought, Xiao Ji asked aloud.

Si-nan’s voice soon came from outside. “Replying to Your Highness, the Crown Princess is in the main courtyard.”

Could it be that her health was unwell?

Xiao Ji frowned, then rose to head toward the main courtyard.

When he arrived, he found Xie Yao lying on the soft couch, reading through account books. The warm candlelight filled the room, sharpening her features.

Though it rained outside, the summer night was still stiflingly hot.

Because she was indoors, she wore particularly light clothing. The gauzy fabric barely concealed her snow-pale skin, instead enhancing a sense of beauty veiled yet half-revealed.

Her skin seemed to shimmer with pearl-like luster.

Because she was lying down, her full chest was pressed into shape. Her slender white legs bent upward, toes round and gleaming like pearls.

Her long dark hair spilled smoothly, partly covering, partly revealing—enticing, tempting.

Yet Xie Yao was wholly absorbed in the account book, unaware of how alluring her posture was.

Having studied such matters in the Zhao household since childhood, she was swift at going through ledgers.

She had just finished one when she sensed a burning gaze upon her.

Lifting her eyes in surprise, she asked, “Your Highness?”

Xiao Ji strode forward, his voice hoarse. “Wrong person.”

Realizing what he meant, Xie Yao recalled the name he had pressed her to use these days. Her cheeks flushed as she gave him a playful glare. “Your Highness, don’t make trouble.”

Xiao Ji: ???

Why did those words sound so familiar?

He paused, then his gaze grew heavy as he thought of something. “The Crown Princess did not come looking for me today,” he said quietly.

Even the nourishing soup was missing.

Xie Yao’s eyes flickered as she lowered her voice. “I did it for Your Highness’s sake. You… should exercise some restraint.”

Xiao Ji let out a short laugh of disbelief.

“Yesterday the Crown Princess was the one taking the initiative, and today she speaks of restraint. Yesterday was your fertile day, today is not. Does the Crown Princess think of me as nothing more than…”

He had already told her that he was sterile, that he could not father children. Yet she still acted this way… she must desperately want a child.

A heavy gloom settled in his heart.

“What is Your Highness saying?” Xie Yao’s voice trembled with disbelief. Her eyes widened at him.

She bit her lip, eyes reddening. “In Your Highness’s heart, am I truly such a person?”

Seeing the tears well in her eyes, Xiao Ji’s heart lurched. “That was not my meaning.”

Yet he could not help but think it.

Xie Yao’s gaze grew misty as she stared at him. “And isn’t it all Your Highness’s fault? If not for last night… how would I still be sore now? Yet Your Highness still misjudges me so…”

Tears glistened in her eyes as she turned her face away, as if utterly aggrieved.

“It’s my fault.” Xiao Ji sat down beside her, his voice softening. His warm palm pressed gently against her waist, kneading lightly.

A single tear slid down Xie Yao’s cheek before she buried her head in his chest and lightly beat his chest with her fist. “It’s all Your Highness’s fault!”

If she had known, she should have kept up the act for another day.

Fortunately, His Highness was straightforward, speaking his mind rather than hiding it. Otherwise, she might never know how she had offended him.

Xie Yao silently reviewed it all in her mind.

Xiao Ji’s hand kneaded her waist while the other cupped her face. He lowered his head and tenderly kissed away her tears. “It’s all my fault.”

Xie Yao eventually drifted to sleep in Xiao Ji’s arms. By now, she was accustomed to falling asleep against him.

It gave her a deep sense of safety.

No longer was it like the first few days after her rebirth, when she would still be plagued by nightmares.

She slept soundly through the night. When she woke the next morning, she immediately instructed Zhuxin, “Zhuxin, quietly find another reliable physician.”

“That female physician before… she belonged to His Highness.”

Surely the physician had reported her questions to him. Otherwise, why would Xiao Ji have asked her such things yesterday?

Meanwhile, Xiao Ji also quietly left the residence. Two years ago, Si-bei had already gathered many physicians, but Xiao Ji had refused to see them after repeated disappointments.

Now that he finally relented, Si-bei immediately brought a nearby physician from close to the capital.

He had already arrived yesterday.

The new physician found nothing unusual and was quickly sent away by Si-bei.

“Your Highness,” Si-nan said quietly, “those witch-physician’s words cannot be trusted. Since someone recognized that you have been afflicted by sorcery, there must also be a way to remove it…”

Xiao Ji gave him a cold glance. “No need.”

Before Si-nan could argue further, he ordered, “Instruct Si-dong to secretly go to Nanzhou and assist Pei Chen.”

Nanzhou was not simple.

Once official business was mentioned, Si-nan grew serious. “Yes, Your Highness!”

…

At the Second Prince’s residence.

Xiao Hong sat grimly at the head seat. Looking toward the middle-aged man at his side, he said, “Uncle, Pei Chen repeatedly rejects this prince’s olive branch. He cannot be trusted.”

“This time he went to Nanzhou for disaster relief. He must be closely watched.”

The young man beside Minister Li chuckled. “Please rest assured, Your Highness. Everything in Nanzhou has already been tidied up. Even if the dams truly had problems, Pei Chen will absolutely find nothing!”