“Master, that Crown Princess is truly too much. Seeing these blisters on your hands and neck makes this servant’s heart ache.” Yun Xing applied another layer of medicine for Liu Fuyin.
It truly was painful, but Liu Fuyin had controlled the force at the time, spilling most of it onto her clothes. At most, it would take seven or eight days to fully heal. Now, Liu Fuyin was also drenched in sweat. She looked at Yun Xing and said, “Let me bathe first. Tell the kitchen to send the meal a little later!”
Yun Tao didn’t say anything, only taking care to ensure the wounds didn’t get wet. After all, Liu Fuyin had always been fond of cleanliness; whenever she sweated, she would wipe her body and bathe. As servants, they naturally had to prioritize their master’s comfort.
Liu Fuyin’s parents were both exceptionally beautiful. Back when her father took the imperial examination, he was the Tanhua Lang—not because his literary talent was inferior to others, but because he was too handsome, with lips red as cherries and teeth white as jade, he captivated many noble ladies of the time, and her mother was one of them.
Her father was not only handsome but also particular about appearances; otherwise, he wouldn’t have chosen her mother, the daughter of a sixth-rank official. It began with looks and was sealed by character. Over the years, the two had remained deeply in love.
Liu Fuyin inherited the best features of both parents: an oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, peach-blossom eyes, skin as fair as snow, and a full bosom. Even after serving her for many years, Yun Xing would still blush every time she saw her.
“Master, with your appearance, figure, and fragrant scent, even a woman like me can’t take my eyes off you. If His Highness still doesn’t like you, then he must be blind.”
Even the usually most composed Yun Xing couldn’t control herself at times like this. There was no helping it—their young lady was simply too beautiful.
“A-Xing, why are you starting to talk like this too?” Liu Fuyin felt a flush of shame, her cheeks warming as she wanted to hide herself in the water. In the end, she refrained, mindful that the medicine just applied to her neck shouldn’t get wet.
“Master, this servant is only speaking the truth,” Yun Xing said sheepishly. In the end, both master and servant left the bathing room with flushed faces.
By the time her hair was dried, the meal happened to arrive.
Liu Fuyin was wearing only a thin tube top. She had just taken a few sips of porridge when Yun Tao excitedly announced that His Highness was heading their way.
As soon as the words fell, the Crown Prince entered the inner chamber with a dark expression. The oppressive atmosphere instantly dispelled the joy that had just risen in the courtyard, replacing it with fear.
“Lady Liu, you have greatly disappointed this Crown Prince!”
The Crown Prince’s fury was overwhelming, his sharp gaze as if ready to kill, as though the woman before him had committed some heinous crime.
Liu Fuyin bit her lip tightly and knelt down crisply. “This concubine greets Your Highness.”
“This concubine does not know what she has done to anger Your Highness. Please speak plainly.”
“Hmph.”
The Crown Prince stepped forward, intending to grab her by the neck, but paused when he saw the bandages wrapped around her neck and hands. In the end, he only pinched her chin. However, the sudden movement accidentally bumped the table, sending the neatly arranged dishes crashing to the floor in a mess. “All of you, get out!”
With this rebuke, the palace servants scattered. Yun Tao, worried about her master, was forcibly dragged out by Yun Xing.
The man’s gaze was as deep and dark as an abyss, and he exerted some force with his hand. Liu Fuyin felt as though her chin were about to be crushed, tears streaming down uncontrollably. “Your… Your Highness…”
Hot tears fell as the alluring woman wept pitifully. Due to his sudden movement, her loosely worn tube top slipped slightly, revealing a proud cleavage, while her body continued to emit an enticing fragrance.
Even in such a state, she still hasn’t forgotten to seduce him? So was that innocent and kind appearance from earlier all an act?
The Crown Prince abruptly released his grip, and Liu Fuyin fell heavily to the floor, coughing uncontrollably. She lifted her head in despair and asked, “Has this concubine done something wrong? Does Your Highness despise me so much?”
Meeting the woman’s pitiful yet bold questioning gaze, the Crown Prince felt an inexplicable pang of guilt, but it was quickly replaced by scorn. “Do I need to remind you of what you did today at Her Majesty the Empress’s palace?”
“What could this concubine possibly have done? When Her Majesty the Empress asks questions, should this concubine remain silent? To be precise, from start to finish, I spoke no more than five sentences. If Your Highness dislikes me, you could have refused Her Majesty’s arranged marriage instead of blaming me without distinguishing right from wrong.”
The last three words were spoken softly, almost inaudibly, mingled with tears of endless sorrow. Liu Fuyin simply stared at him, unblinking, as if wounded to the core.
The Crown Prince’s gaze flickered slightly. That evening, when he went to Guanju Hall for dinner, he found Wanwan curled up on the couch, weeping bitterly. When he asked her what was wrong, she only shook her head and said, “This concubine should not have dared to monopolize Your Highness. Tonight, please consummate the marriage with Lady Liu.”
Wanwan had always been strong-willed. If she hadn’t suffered a grave injustice, she would never have cried like that. Although the Empress had always been dissatisfied with Wanwan, she had never made things difficult for her out of respect for him. After careful consideration, it must have been this Liu Family woman who had the audacity to complain. Could it be that her seemingly sensible demeanor this morning was also an act?
But seeing Lady Liu’s heartbroken and aggrieved expression, could it be that he had misunderstood something?
The Crown Prince looked at her coldly. “Did you tell Mother about our unconsummated marriage?”
Although Liu Fuyin was kneeling, she refused to bow her back. “This concubine was personally chosen by Her Majesty the Empress to enter the Eastern Palace. Your Highness has not touched me. Even if Her Majesty does not pay attention to the inner courtyard, the wedding handkerchief from our wedding night remained untouched. How could this be hidden from her?”
“If Your Highness does not believe me, you may ask the servants who were present at the time whether I said anything. I can endure the Crown Princess’s provocations, but I cannot bear Your Highness’s baseless accusations for two consecutive days!”
After saying this, Liu Fuyin knelt properly again, biting her lip tightly to hold back her tears, but she couldn’t stop them from falling.
The Crown Prince fell silent.
He and Wanwan had returned from Jiangzhou after having a child, and their subsequent wedding ceremony was personally arranged by the two of them, aside from some rituals handled by the Ministry of Rites. The wedding handkerchief had not been used, and on their wedding night, she had not mentioned it. He had been preoccupied and had forgotten about it entirely.
A flicker of guilt passed through the Crown Prince’s eyes. He gestured for her to rise, offering a slight, insincere gesture of support.
Liu Fuyin stood up and performed a half-bow before kneeling again, kowtowing three times respectfully. “This concubine admires Your Highness, but that does not mean I am willing to bear Your Highness’s unwarranted anger. Since Your Highness despises me so, I am willing to request permission to go to the royal temple to pray for Your Highness’s blessings.”
The woman lifted her head proudly to look at him, her gaze filled with boundless courage. It had taken all her strength to say these words, yet the unyielding affection in her eyes had long betrayed her true feelings.
Lady Liu truly loved him this much.
She would rather spend her life with a solitary lamp and ancient Buddha than be misunderstood by him, and she was even willing to pray for his blessings.
Lady Liu had only been in the Eastern Palace for two days, and he had already misunderstood her twice.
The Crown Prince’s eyes flickered with a trace of barely perceptible guilt as he extended his hand toward her. “You are my Liangdi. What sort of affair is it for you to go to the temple to pray for blessings? This time, you have been wronged. If there are any more misunderstandings, you may speak directly to me. Come, rise.”
For Li Yu’an, the Crown Prince, to admit fault was impossible; it was already quite something for him to say she had been wronged.
Liu Fuyin no longer hesitated coyly. She actively placed her hand in his palm and rose with his support, only for her legs to give way, causing her to stumble forward.
A sudden warmth and softness crashed into his embrace. The Crown Prince froze for only a moment before wrapping an arm around her slender waist to steady the beauty.
Once she regained her senses, Fuyin instinctively moved to kneel and beg forgiveness, but the Crown Prince stopped her directly. Unable to resist, he teased, “Why are you so easily bullied, kneeling at the slightest provocation?”
Only after speaking did the Crown Prince realize the impropriety of their position. The ties of Fuyin’s chest wrap had already come loose, and with their tussling, half of her soft fullness was exposed.
Even the hint of a rosy peak could vaguely be seen.
Her skin was exceedingly smooth and tender, carrying a faint, fresh fragrance. In just this brief moment, the Crown Prince began to entertain some improper thoughts.
Sooner or later, the two of them would share a bed—whether early or late made little difference. The Crown Prince was not one to deny himself. He directly tugged away her loosely hanging chest wrap, revealing the spring scenery in its entirety.
Fuyin feebly pushed against him. “Your Highness, please don’t do this. You need not force yourself because of the Empress…”