Chapter 196 – Don’t you dare hurt my baby! (1)
Wow, he even said that he really miss him. Ji Man twitched her lips; she really wanted to ask, “Your Highness, are you gay?”
However, the crown prince was no longer showing his usual lazy smile, and his joking demeanor had disappeared. His imperial crown was flashing with a golden radiance. His sharp eyes seemed to be aggressively saying that the world was within his grasp.
It appeared that he had become angered by the recent shifts in power. Was the cobra-like crown prince finally about to face his opponent head-on?
Ji Man straightened her posture, sighed, and said, “Your Highness, you’re the heir to the crown. If you end up getting sick because of Yuxuan, then all of lives in Marquis Moyu’s household won’t be enough to compensate the nation. Yuxuan was still feverish last night, and he’s not very clear-headed right now. Your Highness, if you insist on seeing him, how stopping at the doorway and talking to him from there? This servant will have Guibai put down the bed curtains.”
Zhao Zhe stared at her, then he suddenly stroked her cheek with the back of his hand and started to move his hand down to touch her belly.
Guibai and Liu Hanyun were still standing nearby them, but this person dared to overstep propriety in front of witnesses.
Ji Man’s expression immediately sunk. She took a step back to avoid his touch and coldly said, “Your Highness, please conduct yourself with dignity.”
Zhao Zhe chuckled, but his eyes were icy as he looked at her. He took a step closer, lowered his head, and whispered into her ear, “You’ve become a scourge after all. That time at the river, I shouldn’t have been weak-hearted.”
Remembering the icy river that had chilled her the bones, Ji Man’s face paled. She clenched her fist and met his eyes as she said, “Your Highness, thank you for your benevolence back then. Sangyu remembers that moment from the bottom of my heart. You have Sangyu’s undying gratitude.”
“Haha,” The crown prince raised his head and turns his gaze towards Marquis Moyu’s room. “Yuxuan had been able to temporarily hide, but he can’t hide forever. As a woman, you should just stay out of this.”
After saying this, he went around Nie Sangyu and pushed open the doors.
Ji Man could only follow after him.
Marquis Moyu was lying in bed. His handsome face was covered in red dots, and his overly flushed cheeks gave off the impression that he really was feverish to the point of being muddle-headed.
The crown prince glanced at him, then he looked at the nearby Imperial Physician Lin and said, “This prince’s imperial physician has recently figured out a treatment method for curing smallpox. He came with this prince, and he’s right outside. Imperial Physician Lin, you can go and compare notes with him.”
As soon as he heard these words, Imperial Physician Lin’s eyes brightened, and he left the room right away. He didn’t notice Nie Sangyu’s meaningful glance at all.
Looking at the two women, Zhao Zhe said, “Please bring me some tea.” He clearly wanted everyone to leave the room.
Ji Man didn’t leave and sent Liu Hanyun to get the tea by herself.
Guibai was also standing by the bedside. He wrung a wet handkerchief and placed it on Maquis Moyu’s forehead.
The crown prince chuckled and said, “Smallpox is something that’s easy to get and goes away just as easily. If someone uses the same trick as me, there’s no one way that person can fool me. Yuxuan, you’re a clever person. I hope to see you recovering from your smallpox in a few days.”
Ning Yuxuan continued to remain unconscious and seemed as if he hadn’t heard the crown prince’s words.
Zhao Zhao chuckled again, then he turned his head and looked at Nie Sangyu. “Madam, since you’re not willing to leave to fetch tea, then come out with me into the courtyard to talk for a bit.”
Ji Man didn’t want to leave the room with this lunatic. He had almost killed her last time. No matter what, she didn’t want to be alone with him.
However, Marquis Moyu was currently unconscious, and there was no one else in the room that had the power to refuse the crown prince. Even if the crown prince decided to drag her out of the room by her arm, Guibai wouldn’t be able to stop him.
The crown prince walked out of the main courtyard and continued walking until they reached Wen Wan’s courtyard. He seemed extremely familiar with Marquis Moyu’s other estate.
Tanxiang didn’t look surprised to see them. She closed the doors shut and locked them inside.
Wen Wan, who had recently fainted yesterday, was standing in the courtyard and looking very spirited. She saluted the crown prince and said, “Wan-er greets His Highness.”
Zhao Zhe superficially smiled at Wen Wan and said, “Miss Wen, you used to be the marquis’s main wife, and you were even pregnant with the marquis’s baby. Now, you’ve fallen down to only being a servant. Do you accept this fate?”
Wen Wan smiled as she looked at Nie Sangyu, “Wan-er naturally isn’t satisfied with this.”
Ji Man frowned. These two people seemed to be working together. What were they planning? While she knew that Wen Wan had been colluding with the crown princess consort, she was surprised to see that Wen Wan was looking at the crown prince as if she was his loyal servant. She seemed one step away from wagging her tail.
Ji Man felt somewhat oppressed by the atmosphere. She straightened her shoulders, looked at them both, and said, “Your Highness, if you want to visit Wan-er to reminisce, then Sangyu won’t bother you. Sangyu will leave first.”
When she turned around, the crown prince’s personal servant, Taxue, blocked her way.
Ji Man’s heart felt as if it was hanging over an abyss, but she continued to smile. “What are you doing? Is Sangyu not allowed to leave?”
Zhao Zhao sat down on one of the stone stools. He lightly laughed and said, “Actually, I don’t want to reminisce. I want to complain. Madam, are you willing to listen?”
Did it matter if she was willing or not? With Taxue in front of her, there might as well be a mountain blocking her escape route. Right now, Ji Man was regretting that she had given Gancao and Dengxin such a long vacation. She should have told them to come back sooner. If she had done that, she wouldn’t be so isolated and without anyone to help her right now.
She helplessly turned around and faced the crown prince again. Ji Man instinctively placed her hand protectively over her belly. Her eyes were full of vigilance.