“Then, how about giving your husband a few more times, hmm?”
They would be setting off for Lingzhou soon, and they might not always have a place to stop and rest along the way. They might not even be able to find a suitable opportunity.
Shen Tinghe felt the change in his body and hurriedly pushed him away. “No…”
But Xie Yanzhao had already taken her hand, guiding her to feel his tense muscles and scorching warmth. His voice was low and seductive.
“It’ll be quick, Jiaojiao…”
The rest of his words were swallowed between their mingling lips, and the embarrassing sounds once again faintly drifted through the curtains.
Shen Tinghe was at a loss for tears. Amid her muddled consciousness, she could only grumble inwardly.
Having sex in broad daylight… This is truly depraved…
Several days later, on a night when the moonlight was faint, two carriages quietly left the palace gates.
This time, they were keeping things simple for their departure from the capital. Jing Cang held the reins of the slightly larger carriage in front, which carried Xie Yanzhao and Shen Tinghe.
A smaller carriage followed behind, driven by Yuan Chi, with Qingdai and Qinglan seated inside. It also carried some daily necessities.
The carriages looked plain and unremarkable on the outside, but their interiors were fitted with soft cushions and brocade quilts. Fine velvet lined the walls, while a small table held secured tea utensils and a book box. It was understated yet refined.
Since they were traveling late at night, Shen Tinghe had already curled up in Xie Yanzhao’s arms and fallen sound asleep.
Her breathing was slow and steady, her warm breath repeatedly brushing against the side of his neck. Xie Yanzhao could only feel that warmth spreading through his veins, stirring up a silent restlessness.
With a soft, fragrant beauty in his arms, he could not tell whether this was a reward or a torment.
He lowered his eyes and gently pinched her flushed cheek with his fingertips, murmuring, “You certainly sleep peacefully.”
After two days of travel, when the carriage reached Bingzhou, Xie Yanzhao immediately ordered his men to rent a quiet residence.
The reason for stopping here was entirely for Shen Tinghe.
First, he was worried that she would not be able to withstand several days of continuous travel. Second, knowing how fond she was of having fun, he wanted to let her relax and enjoy herself.
In the study of the residence, Xie Yanzhao stood by the window, his expression as cold as though covered by a layer of frost.
Jing Cang reported in a low voice, “News has arrived from Lingzhou. Lord Lin has disappeared.”
Xie Yanzhao’s eyes shifted slightly. “What about the disaster-relief silver?”
“It has not been found yet. Apart from our people, Governor Li has also dispatched many men to search day and night.”
“Keep a close watch on Li Qu.”
Jing Cang was slightly puzzled. “Your Highness suspects Governor Li? He is the governor of Lingzhou, so he can hardly escape responsibility for the missing disaster-relief silver. Besides, he has been extremely diligent in searching for the money.”
A faint, cold smile crossed Xie Yanzhao’s lips.
“The thief is merely shouting ‘thief.’ They are nothing more than a bunch of fools who think themselves clever.”
Jing Cang immediately lowered his head.
The Crown Prince’s mind was almost demonic in its insight. In his eyes, ordinary people were little more than ants.
Since His Highness had said so, he could not possibly be wrong.
Jing Cang sighed inwardly. Even while remaining in the capital, His Highness could see through a scheme thousands of miles away based on nothing more than intelligence reports. It was truly awe-inspiring.
“Send more men. Find Lin Yao and the disaster-relief silver as quickly as possible.” Xie Yanzhao’s voice was calm, yet every word carried weight.
“Yes.”
Just then, a string of light footsteps approached from a distance, accompanied by a crisp, cheerful call.
“Husband! Husband!”
Shen Tinghe, dressed in a jade-green, misty gauze cloud-patterned dress, swept into the study like a breath of spring. The hem of her skirt brushed over the threshold, filling the room with lively vitality.
Jing Cang bowed. “Crown Princess.”
By the time she entered, Xie Yanzhao had already naturally opened his arms.
Shen Tinghe threw herself happily into his embrace and tilted her face up.
“I want to go out and look around.”
Xie Yanzhao’s expression did not change, but a trace of indulgence flashed through his eyes.
His Yuanyuan had never been someone who could be kept confined. If he forced her to stay inside, this spoiled little darling would probably throw a tantrum at him.
“Of course.”
He gently stroked her hair.
“But you can’t wear this.”
Shen Tinghe was confused and looked down at herself.
“This looks very pretty. I really like it.”
Xie Yanzhao said nothing. He merely looked at her, his gaze making his insistence perfectly clear:
If she did not change, she could not go out.
It was precisely because she looked so beautiful that he wanted her to change.
Shen Tinghe puffed out her cheeks, but for the sake of being allowed to go out and have fun, she still turned around and went back to change.
Not long afterward, she floated back like a butterfly and lightly spun around once in front of Xie Yanzhao.
“How about this one? This one is pretty too, right?”
It was a cherry-pink soft-satin dress that made her skin look whiter than snow, delicate like a newly blossomed flower on a branch.
Xie Yanzhao put down the brush in his hand, his brows drawing together slightly.
It was not the clothes that were the problem.
It was his Yuanyuan.
Everything looked good on her. Everything drew attention.
Suddenly, he did not want to let her go outside anymore.
“Jing Cang,” he ordered calmly, “bring me a veiled hat.”
Jing Cang quickly brought one over.
Xie Yanzhao took it and personally placed it on Shen Tinghe’s head. The thin veil fell down, concealing her bright and beautiful face.
“Don’t take it off.”
He lowered his head and added softly beside her ear, “You’re only allowed to go out for two hours. If you’re even one moment late…”
His breath brushed against her ear, his voice low yet every word unmistakably clear.
“If you’re one moment late, when you return, you’ll get one smack on the bottom.”
Shen Tinghe’s ears grew hot. Embarrassed and annoyed, she lifted her foot and stepped hard on his satin boot, leaving a faint little footprint.
“Tyrant!”
She glared at him before turning and running outside.
Xie Yanzhao froze for a moment, then looked down at the tiny footprint on his boot. A helpless smile flashed across his eyes.
After a while, he murmured almost to himself, “Have I spoiled her too much?”
Jing Cang silently lowered his head and said nothing.
Your Highness, haven’t you always treated the Crown Princess this way? And when you say that, could you perhaps stop smiling so indulgently…
Shen Tinghe went out with Qingdai and Qinglan.
This was her first time visiting somewhere outside the capital, and everything was fresh and fascinating to her.
The atmosphere of Bingzhou’s streets and alleys was somewhat different from that of the capital. The vendors’ cries carried the straightforward character of the northern region, shop banners flapped loudly in the wind, and even the smell of cooking smoke drifting through the air seemed more rustic.
She walked along, stopping here and there, until a Lady Dough figurine stall suddenly caught her attention.
The elderly craftsman had incredibly skillful hands. Many finished Lady Dough figurines were displayed on the counter: generals wielding halberds, opera performers with flowing sleeves, and adorable children holding carp. Every figure was lifelike.
Shen Tinghe immediately took a liking to a Lady Dough figurine of a fairy wearing a green dress and posed as though dancing.
She pointed at it.
“Boss, I’ll take this one.”
Almost at the same moment, a clear male voice sounded beside her.
“Boss, I want this one.”
Shen Tinghe turned her head and saw a young man standing half a step away, dressed in a lake-blue brocade robe.
He was tall and slender, with handsome, refined features and the gentle, elegant bearing of a young nobleman from an aristocratic family.
Behind the man stood a young woman. She was also dressed in pink, and the style of her dress bore some resemblance to Shen Tinghe’s.
However, even with her face half-hidden behind the veil, Shen Tinghe’s graceful and noble aura could not be concealed.
Her waist was slender, her neck as smooth and beautiful as jade. When she stood still, she resembled a flower holding dew on its petals; when she moved, she was like a willow swaying beneath the moonlit breeze.
By comparison, the pink-clad young woman’s features appeared much more ordinary, and the way she wore her clothes seemed somewhat deliberately stiff and proper.
At this moment, the pink-clad woman’s gaze, carrying a hint of scrutiny and unmistakable wariness, fell upon Shen Tinghe.