Rong Cang stiffened, his lips pressed into a pale line, emotions churning in the depths of his eyes. After a long while, he said, "Of course you can."
"What if the Imperial Consort does not agree?"
"You can take the child and flee far away." Rong Cang lowered his eyes, masking the look in them. "Go to a place where no one knows you, and marry someone who can protect you."
Chu Yunfei’s voice was cold and indifferent: "Under the vast heaven, is there any land that does not belong to the King? Why doesn't the Prince tell me which family's man would dare to contend with imperial power, and also has the ability to protect a woman who has been cast out by the royal family?"
Rong Cang was silent, unable to find a retort.
"Not only must he have the ability, but he must also not mind that this concubine has been married before and has a child." Chu Yunfei scoffed. "Does the Prince think such a man exists in this world?"
Rong Cang said indifferently: "Not necessarily."
Chu Yunfei curled her lips and turned to walk toward the compartment.
Rong Cang turned his head to watch her figure, his eyes deepening. He truly and clearly realized the transformation in Yunfei.
What exactly had she experienced?
Why were both her tone of voice and her way of acting so vastly different from before?
And she seemed to truly understand medical principles.
Rong Cang closed his eyes gently. His heart was still preoccupied with the Five Poisons that Chang Qing had found for her, and he felt uneasy.
When did a pampered daughter of the inner chambers ever come into contact with such things? What exactly was Chu Yunfei planning to do with so many poisons?
Rong Cang could not sleep, so he simply got up from the bed.
Although his body was in severe pain, for a military general like him who led armies into battle, this bit of pain was nothing.
Donning his outer garment, Rong Cang stood up and walked to the window, staring silently at the night scene outside, his gaze deep and unfathomable.
Chu Yunfei’s words and actions today were like a completely different person compared to the past. Not only did she act decisively to deal with Concubine Chen and her daughter at home, but she also rushed back to the Prince's Estate immediately after he was injured, using the fastest speed to redeploy the estate's guards.
In name, it was to prevent messy people from entering the estate, but in reality, it was simply to block danger at the front courtyard.
She even completely distrusted the people sent by the Imperial Consort. Although she let Imperial Physician Liu’s daughter come over to decoct medicine, she poured out the medicine she had prepared without the slightest hesitation—what exactly was she guarding against?
Guarding against the Imperial Consort being detrimental to him?
And that morning by the lakeside, the kick she delivered to Chu Yun Jiao was as agile as that of a martial artist.
Yet, from childhood to adulthood, she seemed to have never had any experience in martial arts.
Thinking of this, Rong Cang turned his head to look toward the east inner room, his black eyes as quiet as a deep pool, his moods difficult to gauge.
After a moment of silence, he turned and walked out.
The door was pulled open gently and then quietly closed.
"Prince." Chang Qing, who was guarding outside, was startled to see Rong Cang come out and hurriedly stepped forward. "Prince, why have you come out? If you have instructions, just tell your subordinate—"
"Shut up." Rong Cang said in a low, cold voice. "This Prince is going to take a walk in the courtyard."
Chang Qing stood with his hands at his sides, his expression worried and conflicted: "Prince, your injuries..."
Rong Cang’s complexion was slightly pale, his brow furrowed; it was clear he was enduring sharp pain, but he obviously had no time to worry about his injuries right now. He turned his head to look at the side room next door, only to find that the door was locked.
"Does the Prince want to check the side room?" Chang Qing followed his gaze, his brow slightly furrowed. "It should have been locked by the Princess Consort."
Rong Cang took back his gaze, his voice very faint: "When was it locked?"
"It should have been today." Chang Qing recalled. "However, the Princess Consort has always lived in Shuanghua Courtyard, and this subordinate does not come here often, so I did not notice whether it was usually locked or not."
Rong Cang’s tone was indifferent: "So you don't have the key?"
Chang Qing’s expression paused; he probably thought this question from his Master was very strange. He was the Prince’s guard and had always stayed with the Prince in Jinlin Courtyard; where would he get the keys to the inner courtyard?
However, Chang Qing still obediently replied: "Yes, this subordinate does not have the key to the side room."
Rong Cang raised his gaze slightly, staring at Chang Qing without a word.
Qing Xin was stared at until he broke into a cold sweat: "Pr... Prince?"
"What secret are you hiding between you and Chu Yunfei?" Rong Cang’s voice was cold and distant. "This Prince wants to know."
"Prince." Chang Qing’s face fell, feeling extremely troubled. "This subordinate promised the Princess Consort not to speak. The Prince leads armies into battle, and your soldiers are all men whose word weighs a thousand gold; this subordinate cannot be a person who breaks his word."
Rong Cang choked, his eyes becoming increasingly cold and deep.
"The Princess Consort will not harm you, please rest assured, Prince." Chang Qing dared to guarantee this point. "Moreover, the Princess Consort mobilizing the guards in the estate to defend is also to ensure the Prince’s safety; the Prince does not need to worry."
Rong Cang did not speak and stepped out into the courtyard.
Chang Qing followed closely behind, ready at any moment to support him, even thinking in his heart that if they encountered an assassination attempt at this time, given the Prince’s injuries, he probably wouldn't even have the ability for self-preservation.
"Tomorrow, have Mo Xue stand in the open to serve the Princess Consort and protect her safety; Mo Yu will remain in the shadows."
Chang Qing nodded: "Yes."
The Princess Consort already had Sheng Xia by her side, but while Sheng Xia’s Kung Fu was considered quite good among women, when it came to real application, she was far inferior to Mo Xue, who came from a background of Shadow Guards.
With Mo Xue protecting her, the Prince should be more at ease.
Rong Cang stood alone in the courtyard for a moment, thinking of the abnormalities everywhere today, and felt an unprovoked sense of exhaustion.
"Prince." Chang Qing stood behind him, hesitating for a long while. "Since you are so reluctant to let the Princess Consort go, why bother letting her misunderstand? Perhaps the Princess Consort has a solution—"
"A woman of the inner chambers, do you think she has any solutions?" Rong Cang coldly interrupted him. "This Prince has his own plans; you do not need to bother trying to persuade me anymore."
Chang Qing moved his mouth, but in the end, he remained silent.
Rong Cang looked up at the rolling dark clouds in the sky, his eyes dark and unclear.
Imperial power is treacherous, with conspiracies one after another; is this something a delicate woman can handle?
If he could protect her, that would be fine, but if he could not, he might as well let her stay far away from this place of danger.
"I, a woman of the inner chambers, indeed have no ability." Chu Yunfei did not know when she had come out of the room, leaning slantwise against the door frame. "The Prince should have chosen a capable man in the army to marry back then—someone with a handsome appearance, strong combat ability, and preferably someone skilled at Scheming Against Each Other, so that they could provide the greatest help when the Prince is in need."
Chang Qing’s expression stiffened, and he slowly turned to look at Chu Yunfei, his expression strange and treacherous.
Marry a man as a wife?
The Princess Consort really had a wild imagination, was strange, and spoke without restraint.
Rong Cang’s thin lips pressed together, and he turned to look toward the door.
Tonight the moonlight was bright, illuminating the courtyard as if it were day; even without lamps or fire, one could clearly see her cold appearance, as well as that hint of a mocking arc at the corner of her lips.
"The night is cold and the dew is heavy; for the sake of your health, Prince, you should return to the room and lie down." Chu Yunfei dropped these words and turned back to the inner chamber. "Chang Qing, serve your Prince well."
Chang Qing sighed in his heart. He wanted to serve the Prince well, but the Prince was not only willful, but his attitude was also so tough. As a subordinate, could he really knock the Prince unconscious and carry him back to bed?
The Princess Consort was also something; wouldn't it be better to just lay out all the plans clearly for the Prince? They were husband and wife; what was there that they couldn't discuss and handle together?
Did she have to leave him, this poor guard, in such a difficult situation?
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