Favoring Qie Over Wife (41)

Zhao Cheng raised the corner of his sleeves to wipe his tears and stared at the soaked hem in shock.

He glanced at Song Jia, who was also sobbing.

This kind of dumbfounded appearance...it only confirmed to the rest of the room that the third prince had been truly overwhelmed by his emotions.

"Stop crying, zhen understands," Hongwu Emperor said helplessly. He coughed again, but this time there was a soft smile on his weary face. "Your consort-mother has been taking good care of zhen, so zhen will definitely recover quickly. You have just come from battle, you also need to rest well. Look at your wang fei, she's also crying because she's feeling worried about you. Spend three days in the wangfu to get some rest and to have some time with your wife. Because zhen is sick, there is no one to take care of the matters of the state. You brothers have to put more effort in handling court affairs."

The imperial princes instantly stepped forward and reassured him, that each one of them would do their best.

Hongwu Emperor swept his gaze over the four of them. The crown prince, behaving meek and timid in his presence. The first prince, looking wan and lethargic because of sexual overindulgence. The third prince, his eyes still red but his face resolute. The fourth prince also looked determined to prove his worth, his hands clenched by his sides.

Hongwu Emperor's eyes slightly paused when it came to the fourth prince.

This child could also be considered to be a good seedling, but when compared to Cheng'er...Hongwu Emperor closed his eyes.

"Alright, all of you can leave. Zhen is tired and wants to be alone."

Coming out of the hall and stepping down on the top-quality white-marble stone steps, Zhao Cheng once again took hold of Song Jia's hands as he looked deeply at her.

When she kept silent, he asked her, "Does Jia'er have anything to say?"

He wiped her tears with his thumb as he waited for her answer.

Song Jia looked around. Seeing that the rest of princes and princesses had already gone far ahead, she smiled mischievously and winked at Zhao Cheng, "Wang ye's meaning with his words, qie doesn't understand at all."

Watching her acting naughty, Zhao Cheng lost his motivation to press her for further details. He felt...that he was only beginning to understand this wife of his.

She could be so wise in her letters, so clever when dealing with disobedient servants that wanted to frame her, and so beautiful when climbing a peach tree. The songs from her guqin couldn't be heard from anywhere else, she could sneak out of the wangfu without alerting his shadow guards, and that small bean which could make him cry in an instant...he felt that his wang fei's secrets were no less numerous than his.

"Jia'er, you heard what fuhuang said as well, didn't you?"

Song Jia tilted her head. "At which part of His Majesty's speech is wang ye referring to?"

"'Spend three days in the wangfu...have some time with your wife...'" Zhao Cheng brought the hand  that he was holding to his lips and kissed it, "Fuhuang's orders, benwang will definitely fulfill."

Song Jia's heart trembled, but she recalled Bai Mei Lien's eager expression that morning and her pregnant belly.

This was probably another promise...that he would also break.

...

When they returned to the wangfu, Zhao Cheng ordered the servants to prepare him a bath in the zhengfang. His clothes were still covered by dust from the long journey, and when he came out, he didn't even bother to comb his hair before hugging Song Jia who was lounging on the guifei couch reading a book.

She raised her head when her nose was filled with a distinct masculine scent that could only come from her husband. Without turning around, she asked, "What does wang ye want to eat for lunch?"

Zhao Cheng shifted her body so that he could lie comfortably behind her. Hugging her slim waist, he thought for a moment before kissing her smooth shoulder, "Whatever wang fei decides."

Song Jia was feeling ticklish from his kisses, but she didn't move as she instructed Minglan, "Have the kitchens prepare the food that wang ye likes."

"Nubi understands."

Minglan bowed her head and pulled along Ruolan with her, leaving only Song Jia and Zhao Cheng in the bedroom.

When his kisses didn't stop but continued upwards to her neck, Song Jia gently reminded him, "Wang ye, sister Bai is pregnant."

Zhao Cheng stilled, then cupped her cheek to turn her face towards him. He placed a soft kiss on her mouth before saying, "En, I know."

"Wang ye should go and visit her."

Song Jia knew that in this era, it was normal for a man to make a woman pregnant and visit another woman the next day. But Bai Mei Lien was his sweetheart...Zhao Cheng probably placed a lot of importance on the child in her womb.

Zhao Cheng propped his chin on her shoulder, hiding his expression, "Jia'er is such a virtuous wife."

"Qie thanks wang ye for his praise."

Song Jia smiled dazzlingly. She had succeeded in becoming a virtuous wife! Like this, he shouldn't have any problems with Li Jia anymore and the two of them could divorce peacefully.

Zhao Cheng lifted himself by his arms and swiftly moved Song Jia so she was underneath him, "Jia'er is so virtuous, she shouldn't have any problems fulfilling a wife's duty to her husband."

Song Jia's eyes went wide. "Wang ye...this..."

He grabbed her hand and placed it on a part of his body that was growing bigger and harder, "Benwang's meaning with his words, will Jia'er still pretend not to understand?"

When Song Jia snatched her hand back, the excited Little Brother Zhao stood out clearly. She almost nearly kicked him and harmed the future dragon root, "Wang ye, it's the middle of the day!"

"All the more to see Jia'er better, isn't this good?"

Good, your sister! Song Jia blocked his lips with her hand and raised her knee to block his lower body, "Wang ye, of course this isn't good."

"Wang fei, I don't think it's a virtuous conduct for a wife to defend herself against her husband."

"Wang ye is joking, qie only wants her husband's tired body to rest."

When Minglan came in after she knocked twice to tell them that the food was ready in the outer rooms, the scene she encountered was this:

Wang ye, pinning wang fei on the floor, his hands grabbing her wrists.

And wang fei, her hair a mess, her delicate foot on wang ye's face.

Minglan: "..."

Slowly, quietly, she retreated a few steps back and closed the door on her way out.

She wished she could unsee things, ah!

How could her two dignified masters behave like hoodlums?