Chapter 26: Gratitude

"Who allowed you to come in? Get out!" 

Ning Tan, angered and embarrassed, grabbed a blanket to cover himself. While he focused on concealing his modesty, the woman beneath him was fully exposed from head to toe, creating a rather dramatic scene.

Yu Xinyi's gaze swept over the completely naked woman; it was indeed Zhao Yuming. 

Taking a sigh of relief, she didn't retreat but instead, in front of the Crown Prince, pulled down a fluttering curtain and covered Zhao Yuming, who was still unclear about her surroundings.

Although Yu Xinyi didn't like Zhao Yuming and was even more disgusted after the incident of the spring search, she always remembered that she was also a woman. Fortunately, the person lying on the bed was not Su Sui; if it were, the curtain would have been wrapped around Ning Tan's neck.

Ning Zizhuo also looked dumbfounded, probably afraid that Ning Tan, embarrassed and angry, would turn violent. He hastily spoke up, deliberately raising his voice, "Commander Yu, has the purple sandalwood bead from the Imperial Princess's jade pendant been brought?"

After saying this, he strolled into the room, feigning surprise and asking, "Oh, is the Crown Prince also here?"

Ning Zizhuo brought up the title of Imperial Princess Deyang, and Ning Tan's urge to kill was swallowed back. He scolded, "All of you, get out!"

"What's going on with such a commotion?"

From the corridor, the dignified voice of Imperial Princess Deyang came steadily.

Everyone instantly fell silent, making way for her.

Ning Tan, indulging in debauchery, feared this aunt the most, except for the Emperor. He hurriedly got up, trying to grab his clothes to cover himself but got entangled in the bedding and fell to the ground with a thud.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yuming, in a dazed state, moved her body and approached.

Imperial Princess Deyang supported by her maid and, upon arriving, witnessed such an unsightly scene. The sandalwood bead string in her hand was snapped, and the beads scattered all over the floor.

On the carriage, Yu Lingxi re-tied her hair and straightened her clothes. Because she had resisted intimacy with a man, her body still retained the effects of the medicine, making her uncomfortable. She pressed her hand against her still-warm cheek to cool down, while the other hand gripped a silver hairpin, its sharp tip piercing into her palm to help maintain composure.

Perhaps her suppressed and short breaths revealed something to Ning Yin in front, who was driving the carriage. With a tug of the reins, the carriage stopped.

"Why aren't we moving?" Yu Lingxi spoke, only now realizing that her voice was unexpectedly hoarse.

Ning Yin opened the carriage curtain, focused his gaze on her face for a moment, and then said, "Miss, please wait a moment."

After saying this, he jumped off the carriage and headed towards a nearby shop.

Having just escaped a dangerous situation, Yu Lingxi felt uneasy being left alone in the carriage. She didn't even know when she started to breathe hard. But the fear has slowly started to recede. Not only did the fear diminish, but there was even a hint of increased trust.

Soon, the carriage jolted, and Yu Lingxi, alert, raised her eyes to see Ning Yin lifting the curtain and entering. In his hands, he held an item wrapped in oiled paper, sitting across from her. Ning Yin unwrapped the oiled paper, and just as Yu Lingxi was about to ask what he was doing, something was forcefully shoved into her mouth.

His fingertip brushed over her soft and vivid lips. Ning Yin paused slightly, and a faint ripple passed through his calm and cool eyes.

Lowering his hand, he gently rubbed the fingertip that touched her lips.

In the secluded storage room, the brief yet intense exchange of heated lips and tongues gradually became clearer in his mind.

"What is this?"

Yu Lingxi, with the object still in her mouth, puffed up her cheek, furrowing her brows in slight displeasure. "It's bitter!"

Ning Yin found it amusing that she could endure the torment of aphrodisiac incense but couldn't stand the slight bitterness on her tongue.

"Licorice pill. Although it's not an antidote, it can make Miss feel a bit more comfortable."

As he spoke, he glanced at the wound on the palm of Yu Lingxi's left hand and said casually, "It's better than the hairpin in Miss's hand."

He found out.

Yu Lingxi felt uneasy, curling her fingers, but Ning Yin grabbed her hand.

"Open your hand."

He tapped her tightly closed fingers with his index finger. When her tender fingertips unfolded like petals, he picked up a clean piece of cotton cloth from the side, slowly cleaning the broken skin, and applying the recently purchased wound medicine.

From Yu Lingxi's perspective, she could see his slightly lowered eyelashes and straight nose, without the sickly pallor or derisive madness. He didn't wear a fake mask, just calmly and quietly dressing the wound.

It was a tranquility and calmness she had never experienced in her previous life.

Yu Lingxi couldn't help but slow down her breath. The licorice pill in her mouth endured the initial bitterness and gradually left a mild sweetness.

"This hand of Miss, is it the second time it's been injured?"

Ning Yin performed the dressing very slowly, his gaze falling on her delicate palm, suddenly speaking.

Yu Lingxi softly responded with a "Hmm," uncertain why he suddenly brought this up.

With some remaining effects of the medicine, the slow and deliberate movements were quite irritating. She pursed her lips and subtly moved her body, reminding him, "It's done."

Ning Yin finally withdrew his obscure gaze, wrapping a bandage around her and tying an elegant knot.

He asked, "Can you endure it?"

Yu Lingxi nodded while biting the licorice pill.

She wanted to go back and see for herself what kind of sinister and ugly face hid beneath the seemingly weak and vulnerable exterior of the Zhao family.

In the Princess's Mansion.

As soon as Yu Lingxi got off the carriage, Qingxiao hurriedly approached from the parked horses and carriages, anxious, "Miss!"

"Qingxiao."

"Where did Miss go? I haven't seen Miss leave the residence, so why did she return from outside?" Qingxiao inquired.

Speaking, Qingxiao glanced at the simple carriage that Yu Lingxi had ridden in, only to see a glimpse of a reddish garment, seemingly the attire of a eunuch. Before being able to identify the eunuch, the person had already jumped onto the carriage and driven away.

"A few words can't explain it. Where's Mother?" Yu Lingxi asked.

"Madam and Young Miss are still in the mansion inquiring about Miss's whereabouts. I'll go and inform them," Qingxiao replied.

"No need," Yu Lingxi stopped Qingxiao, patted her slightly warm cheek, and composedly said, "I'll go in and find them myself."

At the steps, female family members came out in pairs, each with a strange expression.

"Tsk, I didn't expect Zhao Yuming to be that kind of person, actually doing such things in the Buddha's meditation hall, and... indulging in pleasure beneath the Buddha's golden statue."

As they passed by, Yu Lingxi heard their deliberately lowered discussions.

"Didn't you see it? When Madam Zhao rushed there upon hearing the news, her daughter shamelessly held onto the Crown Prince and refused to let go. In front of Princess Deyang, Madam Zhao's face turned purple with shame. She even slapped Zhao Yuming twice before she regained her senses."

"Wanting to rise to a higher status like a phoenix on a branch, by such means! Princess Deyang is deeply devout, and it's also her birthday celebration. Such absurd behavior will surely anger Princess Deyang. I think the Zhao family is done for."

"Hush, don't say any more..."

The women stopped talking and each boarded their carriages, leaving.

Zhao Yuming... indulging in pleasure?

Yu Lingxi was stunned.

She knew that without Zhao Yuming as an insider, Zhao Xu could not have entered the heavily guarded Princess Deyang's Mansion and abducted her.

Did Zhao Yuming go to such lengths just for such foolish actions?

Just as she was pondering, a voice of urgent concern came from the entrance of the residence, "Sui Sui!"

Madam Yu hurriedly came out, her face more anxious than reproachful, and whispered, "My child, where did you go? Why is your face so red?"

"I'm fine." Yu Lingxi held Madam Yu's hand, "Earlier, I heard others saying that Cousin was in trouble?"

Madam Yu's expression slightly paused, sighed, and found it hard to explain.

Following Madam Yu, Yu Xinyi, who had come out with her, pulled her sister into a secluded corner and explained, "Zhao Yuming and the Crown Prince were having an affair in the Buddha's meditation hall. They were caught red-handed by the women of the family, causing the family's reputation to be completely ruined. Princess Deyang is furious about this incident."

The anger in Yu Lingxi's heart was extinguished completely. She thought, this retribution came too quickly.

A flash of insight struck her, and she remembered that Ning Yin had come to rescue her today dressed in the red attire of a eunuch. In other words, before rescuing her, Ning Yin had already been to Princess Deyang's Mansion.

Could it be...

She suddenly turned around, searching for Ning Yin's direction.

However, with carriages and guests coming and going, the trace of the young man was nowhere to be seen.

"What are you looking at?"

Yu Xinyi reached out and waved in front of Yu Lingxi's eyes, her eyebrows furrowed as she said, "Where did you go in this past hour? You scared me, do you know!"

Recalling the various experiences just now, Yu Lingxi lowered her gaze and said, "Sister, it's hard to explain in a few words. Let's go back and talk about it."

In Regent's Mansion, the Buddhist hall was quiet.

Empress Feng, dressed in simple attire with disheveled hair, stood calmly beneath the lotus seat of the Buddha statue, holding a fire starter and lighting over a hundred candlesticks on the bronze frame in the hall.

The warm yellow light illuminated her plain face, resembling the Buddha on the lotus seat, free from sorrow or joy.

The entire palace knew that Empress Feng was a virtuous person who observed fasting and prayed to Buddha, unwilling to even step on an ant. It was because of this virtue that she became close to Princess Deyang, who shared the same faith, and smoothly helped Ning Tan ascend to the position of the Crown Prince.

"Is the Crown Prince still kneeling outside Chengde Hall?" she asked.

"Yes. His Majesty personally gave the Crown Prince ten lashes and ordered him to kneel outside the hall. It seems that His Majesty is truly angered," reported Cui An, a eunuch, still dressed in red attire with a jade belt, raising his hand to protect the candles from the wind. He glanced at the empress and said, "His Majesty's old ailment has recurred. After taking medicine and lying down, he mentioned several deceased imperial sons, seeming to have a sense of reminiscence and regret."

Empress Feng, as if she hadn't heard, continued to light the last candlestick, saying, "I heard that the Crown Prince committed a ludicrous act at Princess Deyang's birthday celebration, and you were involved as well."

Cui An's expression changed, immediately kneeling on the tiled floor, "This humble servant was confused for a moment. Seeing that the Crown Prince could not forget Miss Yu and was deeply infatuated, I wanted to follow the Crown Prince's intentions and introduce Miss Yu to him. Who knew that I mistook the person..."

"It's Miss Yu again."

The empress put down the fire starter heavily, suddenly saying, "I remember, General Yu is an old acquaintance of yours?"

Cui An was stunned, quickly understanding the empress's intention, "Yes, this humble servant understands."

"Also, since His Majesty expressed disappointment in Tan'er, he selected a gentle and agreeable concubine from the Eastern Palace and suspended her contraceptive medicine."

The empress knelt on the cushioned mat, bowing to the Buddha statue, showing a compassionate and peaceful expression, "There should be a little imperial grandson under my knees as well."

Just as she was speaking, a sound of breaking porcelain was suddenly heard.

It turned out that the little palace maid who brought the tea accidentally overheard the conversation, hurriedly retreated to avoid it, but accidentally stumbled and overturned the teacup.

"Your Majesty, spare my life!" The little palace maid turned pale with fright, bowing on the ground.

A small insect flew into the lampshade, unable to escape.

Seeing that it was about to be burned alive, the empress reached out, opened the lampshade, and let the poor insect go.

As if she hadn't seen the spreading tea on the floor tiles, she said faintly to Cui An, "Clean it up."

Cui An nodded and stood up, walking towards the fallen little palace maid. A short and sharp scream, followed by the muffled sound of a body falling to the ground, restored the tranquility in the hall.

Empress Feng continued to chant scriptures, her face showing a compassionate calmness.

...

As dusk approached, lanterns were hung in the Yu Mansion. After taking medicine and resting for a long time, Yu Lingxi's body finally fully recovered. With clear thoughts, she began to sort out the events of the day.

Why did Zhao Xu kidnap her?

Why would the Crown Prince and Zhao Yuming, two completely unrelated individuals, collude in such a ridiculous manner? If Zhao Yuming wanted to climb to a higher position and enter the Eastern Palace, she shouldn't have chosen such a foolish method; it was too naive.

Remembering waking up in the carriage with Zhao Yuming's purple silk robe draped over her arm, combined with why the Crown Prince would secretly appear at the Princess's Mansion, a conjecture gradually surfaced.

Could it be possible that Zhao Yuming disguised her as herself, sent her out of the mansion without anyone noticing, and handed her over to Zhao Xu for disposal, only to be mistakenly identified by the Crown Prince?

It was too absurd, but she couldn't think of any other explanation.

With a heavy heart, she asked someone to summon her parents and siblings, and then went to the main hall to calm her mind.

The flickering light cast shadows as Yu Lingxi sat behind a table, recounting how she was drugged and sent out of the mansion, how Zhao Xu took her to the Fu Yun Pavilion, and the intentions to tarnish her reputation.

She only concealed the part about her taking the medicine.

Otherwise, her parents would not only be distressed and angry, but it would also be challenging to explain how Ning Yin timely appeared there. Even so, her usually composed father was infuriated, slamming the table and causing a crack in the sturdy mahogany.

Yu Xinyi, always protective and impulsive, immediately grabbed a knife, saying, "I'll kill this scum!"

"Sister, no." Yu Lingxi quickly stood up to stop her.

Yu Xinyi, with eyebrows furrowed in anger, said, "Yu Sui, do you still want to plead for this scum?"

"Since he's scum, killing him would only benefit him, right?"

Yu Huanchen's face turned dark as he spoke, "Let me tie him up, and in front of the Zhao family, I'll skin him alive and pull out his tendons."

"No, it's not that I want to let Zhao Xu off, but..."

Yu Lingxi lowered her voice, "but I'm afraid you won't find him anymore."

After Ning Yin rescued her, there was no sign of Zhao Xu. If he hadn't escaped in fear of punishment, there was only one possibility:

Zhao Xu, the person, was probably no longer in the mortal world.

Yu Lingxi said, "The Zhao family is not to be feared. What's really troublesome is the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace."

At these words, General Yu tightened his iron fist.

If what his daughter said was true, the Crown Prince, due to the failure of marriage, lusted after her, and mistakenly recognized Zhao Yuming...

Was this future emperor really worth his loyalty?

Was it worth pushing his eldest daughter into the fire again?

"We have made great military achievements, shed blood on the battlefield, and the Crown Prince is thinking about how to take my power and insult my sister. It's truly the greatest irony in the world!"

Yu Xinyi's hand holding the scabbard trembled, mocking, "Is such a Crown Prince worth our protection?"

"Xinyi!" General Yu gave a deep shout, "Be careful with your words."

"Father!" Yu Xinyi took a step forward, "Now saying these things, what's the use?"

Now, what was the use of saying such things?

General Yu, with a touch of frost on his temples, clenched his teeth and spoke wearily after a while, "The various imperial sons died early, the Third Prince is foolish, and the life and death of the Seventh Prince are unknown. Now, in the palace, only the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace remains..."

The heavy sigh from his father fell into Yu Lingxi's ears, causing her eyelashes to lightly tremble.

She knew that this was an opportunity, a chance to naturally remind her father and brothers, and set a fuse for the future path of the Yu family. She raised her clear and watery eyes and whispered, "Father, have you ever thought, what if the Seventh Prince is still alive?"

Stopped at this point, it stirred a thousand waves in the silent hall.

The night was already deep.

Yu Lingxi walked out of the hall.

The night had grown deep. On her way back to her room, Yu Lingxi noticed someone standing in the corridor. Without much hesitation, she dismissed her maidservant and approached Ning Yin alone.

Ning Yin seemed to anticipate her visit, showing no expression on his face as he continued to gaze at the night sky with his hands behind his back.

The weather tonight was unfavorable, with no stars or moonlight in the pitch-black sky. Yu Lingxi observed a dark stain on his clothes and couldn't help asking, "Where did you go? Why is your cuff wet?"

"I went fishing," Ning Yin replied, his lips curling with a hint of coldness. "Caught some, crushed the bones."

Yu Lingxi doubted that he had really gone fishing. Just as she was about to express her skepticism, Ning Yin unexpectedly confessed, "I killed him."

Yu Lingxi turned her head, momentarily stunned before realizing he was talking about Zhao Xu.

Fear? No, there was even a hint of satisfaction. Yu Lingxi stood beside him calmly and said, "Those who do evil deeds will meet their own demise. It's his retribution."

Ning Yin finally shifted his gaze from the sky to Yu Lingxi, staring at her for a while. "Aren't you scolding yourself for bringing calamity to your doorstep again?"

He seemed to laugh casually, remembering the dispute on the night when Xue Cen fell into the lake. How long would he hold a grudge for that?

Helpless, Yu Lingxi glared at him. "Am I really someone who can't distinguish right from wrong? A wicked person like him can't be compared to the faultless Xue Cen."

"Oh, yes, no one can compare to Lord Xue's righteousness," Ning Yin remarked with indifference, his tone even colder after shedding his pretense.

"I came here tonight not to discuss this with you." Yu Lingxi had to change the topic. "I wanted to thank you."

Ning Yin, without lifting his eyes, asked, "Thank me for what?"

With the night breeze of late spring brushing through the corridor and the shadows of trees casting dappled patterns, Yu Lingxi, bathed in warm light, looked at the tall and robust young man beside her.

After a moment, she smiled and said, "I want to express my gratitude to you." With that, she took a step back, clasped her hands, and bowed, showing her respect openly.

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