Song Jinyu had stayed in the mansion for several consecutive days, locking herself in the room. Zhongli Mingye knew that she was in a bad mood, so he asked Princess Heyi to visit her in the mansion.
"Heyi... I'm fine," Song Jinyu said. Heyi held Song Jinyu's face in her hands, looking left and right. "Tsk tsk... Such a beautiful face," she said.
"No wonder Fourth Brother is so smitten with you!"
"You have the same problem as him!" Song Jinyu complained. "Why do you always like to pinch my face for no reason?"
"What problem? Hmm?" Heyi asked with a mischievous smile as she leaned closer to Song Jinyu. "Could it be that Fourth Brother usually likes to touch... your face?"
"..."
It had been several days since Song Jinyu last saw Zhongli Mingye. Immersed in the pain of the past, her mood grew worse and worse. She had no time to care about the man who was running around for her.
Thinking of this, she felt even more guilty. Zhongli Mingye, you've been so kind to me. How can I ever repay your deep love?
The maids in the mansion set out wine and dishes in the Liuyun Pavilion. Heyi filled a full cup for Song Jinyu. "My Fourth Brother treats you really well!"
"In what way?"
Song Jinyu lowered her eyes, and her thoughts drifted back to last year's Qixi Festival. That day, they had kissed in the room. A blush appeared on her face. Heyi kept chattering. "He won't let you suffer the slightest bit of grievance." She was truly envious.
The more she thought about it, the more guilty Song Jinyu felt. She gulped down the wine in her cup.
Feeling that it wasn't enough, she picked up the wine jar and started drinking on her own. Heyi was so shocked that she quickly snatched the jar away. "This peach blossom wine has a very strong after - effect!"
"Drink slowly!!!"
The young princess was lying on the table, crying. "Heyi, do you know?"
"I hate it when he treats me so well!"
"I don't deserve it!!! Not at all!" She cried loudly. Heyi looked helpless.
"Be good... If Fourth Brother saw you like this... he'd scold me for sure!"
While comforting her, Heyi listened to her muttering. "Do you know? I knew he was doing everything for my own good, but I still pointed an arrow at him. I broke his heart."
This was the thing she regretted the most in her heart, and Song Jinyu had never told anyone about it. Although Zhongli Mingye hadn't held it against her, she knew in her heart.
This was a knot they couldn't get around.
The person she loved the most was shot by her arrow after arrow in his heart. Song Jinyu regretted it so much. How could she bear to humiliate him like this?
She was in so much pain that she couldn't forgive herself. But at the same time, she was greedy for the tenderness he gave her. She was conflicted and entangled.
Heyi watched Song Jinyu silently. "Maybe Fourth Brother has already forgotten about this?"
Song Jinyu was drunk. "How could he? He... At that time..."
"At that time... I was too sad... and didn't know how to vent... so... I hurt him." With a wave of her slender hand, several wine jars rolled to the ground.
Right at Zhongli Mingye's feet.
Heyi shrank her neck and rolled her eyes. "Fourth Brother..." Then she stepped back.
When Zhongli Mingye walked up to Song Jinyu, she was already drunk and dazed. He realized that she cared so much about that incident.
Zhongli Mingye recalled that day. He had been extremely hurt. She had shot three arrows, each one piercing his heart.
It wasn't that he didn't feel pain. It was just that... he loved her too much, so... he didn't want her to be troubled by this. But... Zhongli Mingye's heart ached.
So... that day in the study, he stopped...
Between them, the one who hurt was actually the most painful. Suddenly, he bent down and picked her up, as if holding the most precious treasure in the world.
At this moment, Zhongli Mingye truly forgave Song Jinyu, his little fairy.
After putting her on the bed, Niaoniao brought in some water. Zhongli Mingye wrung out the handkerchief and carefully wiped the wine stains off her face.
Looking at her picturesque eyebrows, his heart fluttered. He gently planted a kiss on her face.
The next day, when Song Jinyu woke up, she completely forgot about getting drunk in the Liuyun Pavilion the day before. Niaoniao reminded her.
Only then did she realize that she had been drunk!
"The prince carried you back."
"Did he... say anything?" She felt a bit awkward.
Niaoniao handed her the hangover tea. "He only said that we should take good care of you."
She felt a bit disappointed for no reason. They hadn't seen each other for several days. She... actually missed Zhongli Mingye very much.
The man she was thinking about was sitting quietly in the study at this moment, doing nothing. After a long time, he let out a soft laugh. "Well, I'll make you say it out loud yourself!"
He called in Xing Jian and gave him some instructions.
Under the treatment of the imperial physicians, the emperor's health gradually improved. However, he no longer had the same energy as before.
Now, he definitely didn't dare to take the new elixir.
Thinking of the crown prince, the emperor's heart ached. This was his first son, and he had personally taught him to grow up.
"Keep an eye on the crown prince. Don't let anyone harm him."
His son had once been very filial to him. But the struggle for the throne was inevitable. The emperor had gone through the same thing back then.
The royal family was heartless. He had fought his way to the throne from among his many brothers, and now he was repeating the same fate for his sons.
Originally, he had wanted to train the crown prince, but he never expected that the crown prince would be so incompetent.
He was neither as cunning as Zhongli Shuoyi nor as deep - minded as Zhongli Mingye. He was so angry at that time that he directly wanted to depose the crown prince. But when he really came to write the edict, the emperor hesitated.
If he deposed the crown prince, who would be the next one, Zhongli Shuoyi or Zhongli Mingye?
And how would the court develop?
Concubine Shu came to visit the emperor. She watched as the once - handsome man had aged so much in just a few days. He looked older than the concubines in the harem.
Perhaps this was the consequence of extremes meeting.
"Your Majesty, your health has improved a lot," she said.
"You must take good care of yourself. Your Majesty, I hope you'll be happy." Concubine Shu's words were as gentle as a spring breeze.
But she was no longer as sunny and cheerful as before. Now she was extremely cautious. Was it because of the deep palace?
The emperor held her hand. "You used to be so cheerful, but now you're chanting scriptures every day." And you're no longer as close to me.
Concubine Shu sat down and looked at him gently. "As I'm getting older, I chant scriptures to pray for you."
"Although I'm just a concubine, I still pray for my husband and son's smooth life like an ordinary wife."
Hearing this, the emperor felt comforted. It was really true that mother and son were of one mind. A few days ago, Zhongli Mingye had also called him father.
He tightly held Concubine Shu's hand and gently whispered in her ear, "I really wish you had never changed." Concubine Shu's eyes were full of affection. "I've never changed. I just hope you'll be healthy."
"After all, the husband is the pillar of the family."
These words completely pleased the emperor. "I didn't misjudge you!"