“The issue with his body is quite troublesome,” Yun Qingqing said unhurriedly. “Anyway, it flares up twice a month, and he won’t die from it for now. He just needs to endure through it. How come he managed before but can’t hold on today?”
Nanzheng stiffened slightly and replied in a low voice, “His Highness did not order me to come. I took the initiative myself because… while delirious, His Highness kept calling the Princess Consort’s name.”
“…Huh?” Yun Qingqing was taken aback.
“I dare say this: my lord has never cared so deeply for any woman before. I beg the Princess Consort to consider his feelings. Even just accompanying him to ease his suffering would be a kindness… If you don’t believe me, I can truthfully relay His Highness’s delirious words. He said… ahem… he said ‘Qing…'”
“Stop!” Yun Qingqing’s eyelids twitched. “Alright, alright, no need to say more. I’ll go, okay?”
Nanzheng breathed a sigh of relief. Having to say she was beautiful to her face would have been quite awkward.
Ah, why must His Highness insist that the Princess Consort is beautiful? Fortunately, he can’t see, or he might be disillusioned.
…
Without alerting anyone, Yun Qingqing quietly slipped out through the back door and boarded the carriage Nanzheng had prepared, heading straight for the Regent’s Mansion.
To her surprise, upon entering the room, she saw Xiao Changheng sitting upright in his wheelchair, half his face hidden in shadow, his expression unclear. A guard from the mansion stood nearby, trembling with fear.
“Who told you to come!” The man’s voice was filled with gritted teeth.
Yun Qingqing crossed her arms and stopped, narrowing her eyes at him.
Nanzheng was startled. “Your Highness, you’re awake! Are you alright now? But the timing is still…”
“Get out! All of you, get out!” Xiao Changheng spat each word through clenched teeth, the hostility around him almost palpable.
“…Yes.” Nanzheng dared not disobey His Highness in this state and could only comply, motioning with his eyes for Yun Qingqing to retreat with him.
However, instead of retreating, Yun Qingqing stepped forward, striding up to the wheelchair and reaching out to firmly grasp Xiao Changheng’s chin!
“Let go.” She forced him to lift his head slightly to face her, speaking calmly.
“Princess Consort, what are you…” Nanzheng was horrified and tried to rush over to pull her away, but Yun Qingqing raised a hand to stop him.
“You’re in so much pain yet still putting on a tough act? Does lying to me make you feel better?” She frowned deeply, looking at the bulging veins on the man’s forehead and the sweat dripping like rain.
“O…out!” Xiao Changheng clenched his eyes shut, squeezing the two words out with all his might.
“Dream on!” Yun Qingqing said coolly. “Since I’m already here, I’m not leaving empty-handed!”
With that, she picked up a teacup from the table, poured some water into it, and pulled a talisman from her sleeve. Pinching it between two fingers, she gave it a flick, and the talisman suddenly burst into flames, leaving Nanzheng dumbfounded.
She sprinkled the talisman ash into the teacup, brought it to Xiao Changheng’s lips, and commanded, “Open your mouth.”
“…” The prince remained motionless, his face dark.
Yun Qingqing reached out to pinch his chin again, but the man’s jaw seemed locked tight. Still, he managed to force out a voice filled with hostility: “I don’t need your help!”
Yun Qingqing glanced at the teacup in her hand and gritted her teeth as well. “Do you have any idea how much effort went into making this talisman? You want to waste it? Not a chance!”
With that, she tilted her head back and poured all the water into her own mouth. Then, pinching the man’s cheeks, she lowered her head and pressed her lips firmly against his.
“!!!”
Xiao Changheng had not anticipated her move at all and was completely caught off guard. The cool, sweet liquid had already flowed down his throat and into his stomach.
“Yun! Qing! Qing!” The man pushed her away, panting heavily as he roared.
The ferocity in his voice had vanished, replaced more by shame and anger.
Nanzheng was dumbfounded. How could the Princess Consort be so audacious!
Yun Qingqing, however, showed no fear at all. She grinned:
“Sorry about that, but the effect is good, right? No need to thank me.”
“…” Xiao Changheng’s expression froze as he realized that the soul-devouring, bone-grinding pain had mostly subsided.
But before he could think further, he felt someone lifting his trouser leg.
“Stop!” He pressed down on her hand abruptly.
“…” Yun Qingqing frowned for a moment, then stood up, dusted off her skirt, and turned to Nanzheng with a smile. “All of you, get out. I need to have a private… exchange of feelings with His Highness!”
Nanzheng glanced at his master’s dark expression and, without a word, exchanged a look with the guards before turning to leave.
This woman was too terrifying. Even the Regent King couldn’t handle her—better to make a quick escape.
Once everyone had left, the smile vanished from Yun Qingqing’s face. She turned to Xiao Changheng and said solemnly:
“If you still want these legs, let me take a closer look.”
Xiao Changheng remained silent, his brow furrowed, his face full of resistance.
Yun Qingqing stared at him for a long moment before sighing softly. She crouched down and took his hand.
Her voice softened:
“We are partners. I have no reason to harm you. Trust me.”
The man’s fingertips trembled slightly.
She didn’t rush him, quietly waiting for him to come to terms with it himself.
“…Yun Qingqing,” Xiao Changheng said after a moment of silence, his voice low, “if you change your mind about this marriage, you can cancel it at any time.”
“?”
Yun Qingqing was baffled, but the man said nothing more. He released the hand pressing on his leg, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.
She understood that this was his silent consent and didn’t dwell on it further. Reaching out, she lifted his trouser leg.
Seeing what lay beneath, Yun Qingqing’s gaze turned icy.
The legs were densely covered with horrifying black sores, with severe areas where the flesh had rotted away, exposing bone.
Most critically, each leg was tightly clutched by a hungry ghost invisible to ordinary people, gnawing wantonly at the knees!
Where the ghostly teeth passed, malignant sores erupted, and the vitality of the bones and flesh was being consumed alive!
Even though she had already deduced that the Regent King was not poisoned as the rumors claimed, she was still so enraged by this sinister and vicious method that her temples throbbed.
Suddenly, she understood what Xiao Changheng had just said.
She was truly being underestimated.
Yun Qingqing took a deep breath, pulled out a large handful of yellow talismans from her robe, her fingertips glowing with a faint light. She quickly sorted through them, slapping them one by one onto his legs.
The two hungry ghosts let out piercing shrieks as they dissipated. Xiao Changheng’s ears twitched, and he abruptly sat up straight.
But the girl’s steady voice reached his ears:
“Don’t move. It’ll be over soon.”
As she spoke, she continued applying the talismans without pause. Before long, the man’s legs were completely covered with yellow talismans.
Yun Qingqing let out a long sigh, plopped down on the floor, wiped the sweat from her brow, and pulled his trouser leg back down to cover them. Only then did she snort coldly:
“These talismans can only remain until tomorrow at mao hour. Once removed, have them burned immediately. Make sure to bury the ashes in an unmarked graves—no mistakes allowed.”
“Although dealing with your leg is both troublesome and time-consuming, with me taking charge, you’ll live a long, long life. So no more childish tantrums from now on, understand!”
“…” Xiao Changheng fell silent.
He remained lost in thought for a long while without speaking, finally realizing that he hadn’t heard the girl say another word for quite some time.
“What… are you thinking about?” he asked hesitantly in a low voice.
Yun Qingqing still showed no response.
Xiao Changheng frowned and tilted his head to listen, then suddenly his expression changed. He reached out toward where she had been sitting.
But his hand met empty air, and he lost his balance, causing the entire wheelchair to tip over.
Finally, he managed to grasp the hem of her clothing.
“…Qingqing! What’s wrong with you!”