"Ye'er, what's going on with you?"
Zhongli Mingye gave a faint smile. "Father... Your son should have shared your worries. However..."
"The older brothers are taking care of the court affairs. Please allow your son to be lazy for a while." The emperor had just recovered from his illness, and now the crown prince was under house arrest. He was extremely worried, but the Fourth Prince was actually throwing aside the court affairs.
The emperor couldn't figure out Zhongli Mingye's intention for a moment. His other sons were all eager to grasp power tightly, but Zhongli Mingye was giving it up at this time.
There were also court officials who supported him, but there was no sign that the Prince Yu was vying for the crown.
Suddenly, he laughed. "I grant your request!"
When Song Jinyu heard that he was taking a half - month leave, her expression was rather strange. "Half a month? That's a long time!" What was Zhongli Mingye up to?
She still hadn't figured it out when she got into the carriage.
"This villa has been prepared for several years, but I've never had the chance to visit it..." His phoenix - like eyes were filled with a smile.
Song Jinyu lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked out curiously. She felt a little excited. For the first time since their marriage, she felt so relaxed.
The hot wind outside blew in. His well - jointed hand pulled the curtain back for her. "It's too hot. It'll be cooler in the villa."
"It would be great if He Yi could come too! She's in the palace every day. I'm afraid she's even more bored." Song Jinyu's joy infected Zhongli Mingye. "What would she come for?"
This younger sister was very observant and had always been a smart girl.
"I was thinking about the days when we used to climb trees to get bird eggs and look for wild mushrooms together." When talking about the past, Song Jinyu's eyes sparkled, and she lowered her head.
"This time, we'll do it together..."
Her thoughts went back to the past. Everything had changed. Her heart was no longer as carefree as before. Only hatred tortured her day and night.
Occasionally, a beam of light shone in. That man had grabbed her heart forcefully and refused to let go.
She stole a sideways glance at Zhongli Mingye. He had his eyes closed. She wondered what he was thinking. Was he tired? Song Jinyu didn't care much about the court affairs, but now that the crown prince was under house arrest, there were undercurrents surging in the court. Zhongli Mingye might be under much greater pressure than she was.
Thinking of this, she moved closer. Her slender hand gently placed on his wrist as she quietly felt his pulse. His pulse was strong and steady. Fortunately, there was nothing wrong with him.
Just as she was about to withdraw her hand, he grabbed it. "It's hot..." She flinched. How could it not be hot when they were so close to each other?
Accidentally, she was pulled into his arms.
Zhongli Mingye wasn't going to let this chance slip away easily when she finally showed concern for him.
When she got out of the carriage, her back was soaked, and her face was flushed. Mi Cui and Niaoniao looked at Song Jinyu in surprise and then showed a knowing expression.
That man looked at her playfully and took her hand, walking straight into the villa.
The whole villa was surrounded by a large lake. The lotus flowers were in full bloom at this time. Servants were shuttling back and forth, picking lotus seedpods.
Seeing that she was very interested in the lotus flowers in the lake, Zhongli Mingye chose a small boat and took Song Jinyu on a tour among the lotus flowers. "It's so beautiful!"
"It would be great if we had a paintbrush. You could paint it."
Zhongli Mingye was inspired by her words. He raised his hand to signal Qing Feng, who was following behind, to fetch paper and a brush.
Song Jinyu sat at the bow of the boat. The sun was not very strong at this time. Gentle breezes blew across the lake. The shadows of the lotus leaves were cast on the water. Suddenly, she bent down, picked a lotus flower, and smelled it carefully.
She gently picked a lotus seedpod, carefully removed the lotus hearts, and put them away. Then she put a lotus seed into her mouth and chewed it slowly. Feeling the sweet juice, she felt more and more comfortable.
She looked up and saw Zhongli Mingye painting seriously. The sun shone on him, and fine sweat trickled down his handsome face. She gently got up, moved closer, and stuffed a lotus seed into his mouth.
She took out a handkerchief and wiped the fine sweat off his face. "My lady... If you do this..."
"..."
Song Jinyu stopped and looked at him sweetly. Unconsciously, they had known each other for a long time.
Unconsciously, she had gradually fallen into the net of love he had woven.
Now... she seemed to be more and more infatuated with him. The boat stopped among the lotus flowers. There was nothing but the chirping of insects and birds, the gentle rippling of the blue waves, and the gentle breeze.
Suddenly... she let out a soft laugh and gently leaned her head on his shoulder.
Just then, the last stroke landed on the paper. It tilted slightly, as if there was an extra dot. But this dot just landed in the shadow of the lotus leaf on the lake.
In the painting, Song Jinyu was like a fairy, sitting quietly on the boat. Her white teeth were gently biting a lotus seed. Her gentle and elegant temperament was vivid on the paper. Her bright eyes seemed to be able to speak.
His phoenix - like eyes were filled with an indescribable emotion. He reached out and pulled Song Jinyu into his arms. "For so many years, I've never made a mistake in painting..." It was just because of her little action that there was an extra dot.
"Right. It's because you were distracted, Mingye. You can't blame me..."
She wasn't going to admit that she had deliberately distracted him. Before she could finish her words, she had to swallow them. Because she couldn't speak anymore.
The small boat was quietly floating on the lake. The two beautiful people were like a pair of immortal lovers, deeply kissing each other.
After a long time,
Zhongli Mingye sighed hoarsely. "When we get back, I'll find a imperial doctor to check on you. See if you're feeling better." Hearing this, Song Jinyu blushed.
She naturally understood what he meant.
She buried herself in Zhongli Mingye's arms and didn't say a word.
The news that the Prince Yu was taking a half - month leave and that the couple had gone to the villa to escape the summer heat reached the Ling Prime Minister's Mansion. Ling Yufei angrily threw away the paintbrush in her hand.
The unfinished lotus painting looked rather wilted.
"They... are so cruel!"
There was a fierce look in Ling Yufei's almond - shaped eyes, which made people feel a little scared. "They've made me the laughingstock of the whole capital..."
"I will definitely enter the Prince Yu's Mansion in this lifetime!"
She frantically destroyed the lotus painting. The maids rushed in to clean up for Ling Yufei. Seeing that she was in a bad mood, they looked at each other and didn't dare to say a word.
In the Prince Cheng's Mansion, Yu Duanya was coaxing the little heir. After Zhongli Shuoyi came in, he took the child from her. "My lord... You seem to be in a good mood today."
"Now that the crown prince has fallen from power, I'm naturally happy."
"If it weren't for Father's extreme suspicion, I might have had a chance to rise higher."
Zhongli Shuoyi looked at Yu Duanya. "You've worked hard these days... When the time is right, I'll take you and our son to escape the summer heat."
Then he told Yu Duanya the news that the Prince Yu and his wife had gone to the villa to escape the summer heat. While talking, he secretly observed her expression.
Unexpectedly, Yu Duanya showed no special reaction. She just smiled and said, "Everyone in the capital knows that the Prince Yu dotes on his wife." The unhappiness in her heart was deeply buried. She envied Song Jinyu for being loved whole - heartedly by Zhongli Mingye.
"Father complained a few times, saying that he was not focused on the important court affairs and only cared about his own pleasure..." That was fine. It saved him the trouble of taking action.
Although the crown prince was under house arrest, he still hadn't been officially deposed. Among the undercurrents, those small fry who had emerged
were nothing.
It was really hard to figure out the emperor's mind. That was why the emperor had gone to visit the crown prince a few days later.