Chaptеr 5: Тhe Indiscriminаte Lustful Devil
Тhе Rui Рrinсе’s rеsidenсе stоod right аt the fоot of thе imрeriаl citу, аdjаcеnt tо the mаgnifiсеnt Grаnd Рrinсеss’s estаte.
Тhе prince’s manоr cоverеd аn ехtensive аrea, with vеrmiliоn rооfs and еmerаld tiles, laуеrеd раvilions аnd stacked tеrrасеs, сomparаblе tо a smаll-scаle pаlасе. Everу dеtail showсased Еmреrоr Jing Xing’s dееp affection for this cоusin.
Defu аlightеd frоm thе сarriаge first, bowing slightly аs he sаid, “Miss Ning, wе’ve аrrived.”
“Mm,” Ning Heng responded, taking his hand to step down from the carriage.
The servants of the Rui Prince’s residence were clearly far more disciplined than those of the Pingyang Marquis’s household. Upon seeing guests, they all lowered their heads, averted their eyes, and bowed in silence.
Defu led Ning Heng through the winding corridors toward the garden deep within the estate.
Under the warm spring sun, the emerald waves rippled gently. In the center of the lake stood an exquisite pavilion, half-hidden by drooping willow branches.
Inside the pavilion, a figure dressed in a moon-white casual robe, draped with a silver fox fur cloak, with half of his ink-black hair loosely cascading down his back, sat facing away. His slender frame leaned slightly forward as he plucked the strings of a zither.
From a distance, it looked like a perfect painting of a beauty playing the zither—frail yet unable to conceal his noble bearing.
No one noticed the flicker of interest in Ning Heng’s eyes.
Like mother, like daughter. Ning Jiao prided herself on being an honest yet indiscriminately flirtatious woman. Having grown up under her influence for so many years, Ning Heng had naturally absorbed some of her essence.
That essence was lust.
Lust is a common human trait. In this short life, one must at least indulge in either greed or lust.
She appreciated all things pleasing to the eye, regardless of gender.
Even the hardworking old ox at home, in her eyes, still retained a rustic charm, full of pastoral wildness.
Ning Heng could find happiness on her own, so marriage was not a necessity. But if the other party was handsome enough, finding a good-looking father for her child wouldn’t be a bad idea.
That way, if they ever argued in the future, looking at his breathtakingly handsome face, she might not have the heart to ruin him completely.
Hmm, this Rui Prince certainly fit her aesthetic preferences quite well.
“Your Highness…” Defu was about to step forward to announce her arrival when Ning Heng raised her hand gently to stop him.
“I’ll go over myself.”
She walked softly toward the lakeside pavilion, careful not to disturb him. Leaning against a pillar, she listened quietly.
As the melody ended, its lingering notes drifted through the air.
Ning Heng raised her hands and clapped lightly. “Lofty mountains and flowing waters—rarely does one encounter a kindred spirit.”
Lu Yun Jue turned at the sound, a faint smile appearing on his pale face, like the first thaw of ice and snow. “Miss Xue, please have a seat.”
“Just call me Ning Heng,” she replied smoothly, walking into the pavilion and sitting opposite him.
Up close, the Rui Prince’s features were even more striking—his brows like distant mountains tinged with indigo, his eyes like autumn waters shimmering with ripples. His lips were pale, adding a touch of fragility. He was practically tailor-made for her preference for delicate, beautiful men.
Ning Heng got straight to the point. “Do you know that I was once married and am now carrying another man’s child?”
Though she had never been on a blind date before, according to her mother Ning Jiao’s theory, blind dates required mutual honesty and attraction to work.
Lu Yun Jue seemed taken aback by her directness, pausing briefly before replying, “Then do you know that my heart meridian is severed, and even if I survive this year, my days are numbered?”
He chuckled softly. “Actually, we’re quite evenly matched.”
That was true.
Ning Heng rested her chin on her hand. “Let me tell you upfront—I won’t be serving a husband or anything like that. I’ll definitely sleep until the sun is high in the sky before getting up.”
“If you can’t accept that, let’s not waste each other’s time.”
As for morning and evening greetings or serving in-laws—though her father-in-law had long been kicked out by her mother-in-law—the mere thought of such domestic trivialities gave her a headache.Lu Yun Jue was amused by her words, coughing softly twice as a faint flush colored his pale, handsome face. “Of course, no problem.” He paused, then added, “Because at that time… I might not be awake yet either.”
Ning Heng’s eyes brightened slightly. Good, she liked his sense of humor and their synchronized sleep schedules.
“I have a cat, a little on the plump side. Do you have any open space in your residence? Like a bamboo grove or something—it loves climbing and jumping around.”
Lu Yun Jue replied, “Yes, there’s a large bamboo grove in the backyard, quiet and elegant.”
It seemed this marriage arrangement wasn’t so bad after all.
“Give me your hand,” she suddenly said.
Though puzzled, Lu Yun Jue obediently extended his hand toward her.
His wrist was extremely thin, and even wrapped in fur, his fingertips and wrist felt frighteningly cold, as if just pulled from an ice cellar.
Ning Heng placed three fingers on his pulse, her expression turning focused.
The pulse beneath her fingertips was deep, faint, and weak, sometimes present, sometimes not—exactly as he had described. His vitality was depleted, and his heart meridian was extremely frail.
It truly was a sign of exhaustion, with life hanging by a thread.
Ning Heng wasn’t one to meddle in others’ affairs. If he hadn’t met her, even Hua Tuo reincarnated might not have been able to save him.
But then again, considering how pleasing he was to her eyes and the fact that he might become her future sleeping partner…
“Let me give you a couple of acupuncture treatments.”
…
In a two-story pavilion facing the lakeside pavilion, several pairs of eyes secretly observed this “matchmaking” scene.
An elderly nursemaid fretted, whispering, “Your Highness, are we really letting the prince marry this one?”
“At least the original Miss Xue was once the Ninth Princess’s study companion and is quite renowned in the capital for her talent…”
“Xue Wan?” The Grand Princess scoffed lightly. “Who knows where this pheasant came from? Is she worthy of my Jin’er?”
Although she wasn’t entirely satisfied with Ning Heng’s background and history either, when weighing two lesser evils, a widow was still preferable to some fake heiress.
The old nursemaid was quite sentimental, dabbing her tears with a handkerchief. “If it truly works as Master Huitong said, that a wedding to ward off misfortune could improve the prince’s health, then it would be a sweet reward after all this suffering…”
The Grand Princess frowned. “Let’s hope so.”
If it weren’t for involving her only son, someone of her status would never believe in such mystical notions as weddings to ward off misfortune.
“It’s about time for the prince’s medicine to be ready. This servant will go check,” the nursemaid said, turning to head downstairs.
But before she had taken more than a few steps, she suddenly halted, her breathing becoming extremely labored. One hand clutched her chest tightly, while the other reached forward futilely. Then her entire body went limp and collapsed to the floor, curling up in intense pain.
“Nurse Liu!”
“Nurse, what’s wrong?”
The embroidery pavilion instantly fell into chaos.
The Grand Princess’s face changed abruptly as she hurried forward and knelt beside her. “Nurse, what’s happening?” She looked up sharply and commanded, “Someone, summon the imperial physician immediately!”
A personal maid hastily reported, “Your Highness, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has been unwell recently. Most of the imperial physicians are attending to her at Cining Palace, and a few are dedicated to serving His Majesty the Emperor—they absolutely cannot be moved… If we request someone from the palace just for a nursemaid, I’m afraid…”
I’m afraid it would invite criticism, even impeachment by the censors.
The Grand Princess was well aware of this. But Nurse Liu was her wet nurse, who had raised her since childhood—far from an ordinary servant.”A bunch of useless fools! If there are no imperial physicians in the palace, then go outside and find them. Bring the best doctors in the capital to me!”
“Yes, I’ll go right away!” The servant scrambled out in a panic.
Nanny Liu was temporarily moved to a nearby warm pavilion and placed on a soft couch.
Before long, several renowned doctors from the capital, who had been “invited,” gathered around the nanny. Some pinched her philtrum, others checked her pulse, some applied acupuncture needles, and others discussed administering medicine. But after all their efforts, nothing worked.
Instead, Nanny Liu’s complexion gradually turned bluish-purple, her chest pain intensified, and her breathing grew shallow and labored. It seemed she was on the verge of death.
“How is she? What exactly is wrong? Is there a remedy?” The Grand Princess’s eyes reddened with urgency, her imposing presence overwhelming.
Faced with the Grand Princess’s immense authority, the doctors trembled and knelt on the ground.
“Your Highness… the nanny’s condition is extremely critical… I am not skilled enough… truly… truly powerless to save her…”
“A bunch of useless fools! I’ll go to the palace myself to find an imperial physician!” The Grand Princess rose to her feet as she spoke.
“Let me try.”
A cool, calm voice sounded from behind.