Chapter 47 Too Intense

The voice was not loud, yet it carried deep sorrow, striking like a heavy hammer with a dull ring that left Yin Jiaojiao dumbfounded.

The dream was far too bizarre; her father did not resemble a father, nor did her husband resemble a husband. Both of them had suddenly changed faces, especially Xiao Yuanchi, who had actually uttered such words—words sweeter than the tender vows whispered by young scholars to young maidens in storybooks.

Could her death truly have been an accident to him?

Yin Jiaojiao clutched her chest, attempting to calm her rapid heartbeat. She repeatedly told herself it was all fake, merely a dream, yet she still could not suppress the urge to catch a glimpse of Xiao Yuanchi.

What sort of expression would Xiao Yuanchi wear when speaking such words?

She slowly turned her head, but all that met her eyes was the top of the bed canopy.

?

??

???

Yin Jiaojiao stared blankly at the familiar bed curtains, bearing the dark woven patterns of quadruple happiness and auspiciousness. Every single thread was so utterly recognizable. There was no mistake; this was her own bed.

So, where was Xiao Yuanchi?

She hurriedly tried to sit up, but the moment she propped herself up on her arms, a wave of soreness radiated from her waist. With a soft cry, she fell right back onto the bed.

A good dream indeed never lasts long. The fragmented moments of the previous night gradually returned to her mind, and those embarrassing realities rushed upon her like a tidal wave.

The reality was that at the very brink of departure, instead of parting ways with graceful detachment, she had given in to the influence of alcohol and once again entangled herself with Xiao Yuanchi.

If it had been potent liquor, getting carried away would have been understandable. Instead, it was a wine with hardly any kick at all, yet every detail of her wild abandon remained vividly etched in her memory, impossible to forget. Try as she might, she kept recalling things she ought not to.

Yin Jiaojiao pressed a hand to her forehead, her peripheral vision sweeping across the surroundings. Unlike the last time, the room was neat and tidy, the mattress was soft, and aside from the soreness, there was no other discomfort in her body. Evidently, someone had cleaned up and tended to her afterward.

Xiao Yuanchi had never paid attention to such trivial matters. How could he have been so thoughtful this time?

Yin Jiaojiao blinked, and for some inexplicable reason, that final sentence from her dream resurfaced in her mind, making her heart flutter wildly once more. She cupped her face in her hands and muttered viciously, "Your heart can even flutter over a dream muttered in sleep—you are truly a lost cause!"

After grumbling to herself and giving herself a brief mental scolding, she finally snapped fully awake. Never mind; in any case, things had reached their conclusion here. Though the period at the end was not entirely neat, at least the sentence was finished. Once she went to Nanshan Temple, her ties with Xiao Yuanchi would be half-severed for the rest of this lifetime.

That's right, Nanshan Temple!

Yin Jiaojiao abruptly turned to look out the window. The daylight outside was brilliant and blinding; by the looks of it, it must have been at least noon. Why hadn't they set off yet?

"Qiuming!"

"My Princess." Only then did Qiuming respond as she stepped into the room. "You're finally awake."

"Mm," Yin Jiaojiao frowned and asked, "What time is it? Why haven't we departed yet?"

As Qiuming beckoned for the maidservants to come forward and prepare water for washing, she replied, "My Princess, you have slept for a whole day and a night. The originally scheduled departure date has already passed."

"What?"

Yin Jiaojiao abruptly tried to sit up, and Qiuming hurriedly rushed forward to steady her. With a smile, Qiuming said, "My Princess, do not be anxious. His Highness the Prince said the departure is postponed by two days and will proceed as usual then."

Yin Jiaojiao widened her eyes. "A whole day and a night?"

"Mm." Qiuming's face flushed slightly. "In the latter half of the night after you got drunk, you came down with a fever. You remained drowsy and unable to wake up for an entire twenty-four hours, not even muttering in your sleep anymore. After Divine Doctor Dong finished examining you, he flew into a towering rage, saying that... saying that..."

"..."

"Of course," Qiuming coughed lightly, "Divine Doctor Dong said that since the Princess is a young woman and could not be expected to know better, it was entirely the Prince's fault. Just moments ago, after delivering the new batch of medicine, he went off to find the Prince to vent his anger once again."

...

In the Prince's study, Divine Doctor Dong's fury was palpable, unabated by even a fraction.

"Even though the Princess's wounds are healing quite well on the surface, we must still observe how things mend internally. I gave instructions and warnings repeatedly: she must not be overworked, she must not be provoked, and you must create a sufficiently stable recovery period for her body! But you, Your Highness? You acted willfully and recklessly—not only did you let her drink wine, but you actually engaged in marital relations! And not only did you engage in relations, you actually—"

"Old Dong!" Xiao Yuanchi could not help but interrupt. "How is she... today?"

Divine Doctor Dong looked disgruntled as he retorted, "How else could she be? With me here, could she possibly be unwell?"

"Thank you for your hard work," Xiao Yuanchi said apologetically. "This matter... was my misjudgment. In the future, I will certainly not repeat it."

Seeing the unnatural expression on Xiao Yuanchi's face, Divine Doctor Dong realized that his own words had crossed the line. A vigorous man and woman, husband and wife wed before heaven and earth, meeting day after day—sparks flying and restraint crumbling was the most natural thing in the world. Add to that the emperor's sudden demotion, which left them both in low spirits, and the temptation of soft warmth and sweet fragrance close at hand—even a man as cool and self-contained as Xiao Yuanchi was bound to lose his self-control at some point.

"Very well, after all, the Princess merely overexerted herself, causing the residual toxins in her body to stir. It is nothing major," Divine Doctor Dong softened his tone. "Once we reach Nanshan Temple, I will carefully recuperate her health for a while longer. By the time you return, I guarantee I will hand you back a lively Princess completely free of illness and ailments."

Hearing this, Xiao Yuanchi's figure paused slightly.

"Nanshan Temple..." he said in a deep voice, "Speaking of which, Old Dong, I need a word of assurance from you."

"Please speak, Your Highness."

Xiao Yuanchi paced two steps before speaking: "As long as there is a sufficiently safe environment, you are confident you can nurse her back to health, correct?"

"Naturally. Nanshan Temple is an imperial temple, and you will have your personal elite guards protecting her flanks. As long as the Princess does not go about picking fights with people every single day, there will be no problem."

Whether it was some hidden nuance in those words, Xiao Yuanchi was amused, and a light chuckle escaped his lips.

"Given her temperament, I truly cannot guarantee whether she might pick a fight with someone."

Stroke his beard, Old Dong actually fell into serious thought. "With your personal guards there, coupled with the Princess's quick wits, she won't come out on the losing end even if she does fight. There is no harm."

"Well said." Xiao Yuanchi turned his gaze, smiling at Divine Doctor Dong. "We will change the departure date to the day after tomorrow. I must trouble you with everything, Old Dong."

...

A few days after the imperial edict demoting the Prince of Qin was issued, the Qingzhou embezzlement case also achieved a breakthrough. The Grand Chancellor and the Prefect of Dongdu joined forces and indeed accomplished twice the result with half the effort, finally discovering that there were still numerous suspicious aspects to the embezzlement scandal. It should never have caused such a massive uproar; it was only because the Prince of Qin had acted too rashly that he fell right into the trap set by the evildoers.

Such a brief report, when submitted upward, elicited only a sigh from the Emperor.

"It is still you, Zhaozong, who proves worthy of My reliance. Yuanchi acted too impetuously and almost committed a grave mistake!"

Yin Zhaozong bowed, displaying the utmost modesty.

"I dare not accept Your Majesty's praise. This minister is merely older and possesses more experience. I imagine the Prince of Qin was simply eager to share burdens for Your Majesty, which made him overly hasty and led to this flaw."

The Emperor put down the memorial and raised his eyes to look at him.

"Speaking of which, your eldest daughter just blocked a sword for Yuanchi, barely managing to hold onto her life after escaping the jaws of death. They have yet to have a single child, and now Yuanchi is about to be sent far away to Liangzhou. This journey could be long or short; in truth, I have failed her."

"Your Majesty speaks too heavily. Although my humble daughter is willful, she is reasonable and understands that this distant journey is not a punishment, but rather Your Majesty's guidance for the Prince of Qin. Far from feeling resentful, she is actually pleased."

"As expected of a true father and daughter, you defend her tightly," the Emperor chuckled. "Had I not known your eldest daughter's usual temperament, I might actually have believed it."

Yin Zhaozong panicked slightly and was just about to explain when the Emperor waved a hand dismissively.

"Her temperament is straightforward, and she holds Yuanchi in the deepest affection. It is only natural for her to harbor some grievance in her heart; if you rush to explain too much, it will only make things seem distant."

Yin Zhaozong quickly replied, "Yes."

"Nor am I an unreasonable person. I have permitted Yuanchi to take his family members with him to Liangzhou this time. No doubt, having experienced this assassination attempt, she should finally be able to obtain her wish."

"Thank you for your painstaking consideration, Your Majesty. This old subject expresses gratitude on behalf of my daughter."

As Yin Zhaozong spoke, he performed a deep, formal bow. The Emperor did not stop him, and once the ritual was complete, the Emperor said, "You have many daughters. If one speaks of talent, your third daughter enjoys an even greater reputation for virtue. Why is it that you harbor such exceptional partiality for this particular daughter? Is it because her mother passed away at an early age?"

"Ah, Your Majesty's words are precisely correct. Because her mother died young and I was overwhelmed with numerous affairs at the time, having no leisure to care for her, I had no choice but to entrust her to my own mother. Consequently, she grew up lacking the love and care of both parents, a matter for which this minister has always felt profound guilt."

"So that is how it is..." The Emperor sighed softly. "No wonder a year ago, the matriarch of your household entered the palace holding the golden token to petition for an imperial decree, and you did not stop her."

Yin Zhaozong's expression turned cold, and he dropped immediately to his knees.

"My humble daughter was willful and reckless, and as the rightful match, she failed to win the Prince of Qin's heart. Yet my mother doted on her excessively and could not bear to see her grieve. Though I tried earnestly to dissuade them, it was to no avail, and I was forced to... May Your Majesty forgive me!"

"Rise, rise," the Emperor laughed heartily once more. "The affection of parents for their children is a common human emotion; what crime is there? Besides, I also cherish that child Jiaojiao. Both in appearance and temperament, she matches Yuanchi exceedingly well. As for Xuezhi, she is fine indeed, but simply lacks the bonds of fate with Yuanchi."

The Emperor paused, his smile fading slightly.

"All things in this world possess their own affinities of fate. If there is no affinity, no amount of forced insistence will be of any use. But if the affinity is there, regardless of any obstacles or schemes, in the end, what is meant to be his will remain his. Zhaozong, what do you think?"

Yin Zhaozong caught the underlying implication in those words. Lowering his head, he replied respectfully, "Your Majesty's words are entirely true."