Chapter 57

Chapter 57: The Apple of Prince Chu's Eye? Xiao Zhiheng held Jia Qingcheng, his fury reaching its peak. He cast a cold glance at Aunt Xiao, showing no mercy whatsoever. "Guards! Strip Xiao Yu's clothes off and throw her into the Cold Pool!" What? "Please, Your Highness, this old servant is advanced in years and cannot withstand such—" "If you cannot withstand it, then can my consort? You deserve death!" Without another word, Xiao Zhiheng carried Jia Qingcheng out of the Ice Cave. But Jia Qingcheng suddenly tugged at his robes. "Your Highness, please don't harm relations on my account. Aunt Xiao only acted for your benefit." For his benefit? Xiao Zhiheng didn't think so! He looked at her with heartache, tenderness filling his eyes. "Qingcheng, I told you I would never let anyone humiliate you again. No one—not a single person!" These words made Jia Qingcheng's nose sting with emotion. In her past life, Pei Wuliang had said the same thing, but he never followed through. In this life, however, Prince Chu, Xiao Zhiheng, had truly done it! He knew full well she was ugly, yet he was still willing to punish the aunt who had raised him since childhood for her sake. At this moment, her heart was a jumble of conflicting emotions. She couldn't quite name the feeling. Her heart had already been riddled with wounds by Pei Wuliang—could she really trust Xiao Zhiheng? Aunt Xiao finally paid the price for her foolishness. After bringing Jia Qingcheng back, Xiao Zhiheng immediately ordered charcoal to be burned until the entire room was warm before he would relent. Afterward, he summoned a physician to examine her and check for any injuries. Jia Qingcheng had never received such care before, and for a moment, she could hardly believe it. "Qingcheng, are you feeling better?" Xiao Zhiheng's gentle voice sounded by her ear. Looking at his face full of worry, tears suddenly streamed down her cheeks. "Your Highness, I'm fine." "Here, drink some ginseng soup. You'll feel better after a good sleep." Xiao Zhiheng personally fed her the ginseng soup—a treatment she had never received from Pei Wuliang in her past life. And she had only been married into Chu Wangfu for two days, yet she felt as though she possessed the love of the entire world. At this moment, she was confused herself. Her mother had said that beautiful faces would be deceived by men, but she was now hideously ugly—so what could Prince Chu possibly want to deceive her for? Her medical texts? Clearly not. Prince Chu didn't need them. He was the War God, interested in military strategy, not her life-saving medical books. So why was he so good to her? Jia Qingcheng wasn't accustomed to being waited on like this, so she shook her head. "Your Highness, I'm fine. Put it down—I'll do it myself!" Knowing she had been wronged, Xiao Zhiheng let her have her way. He gently set down the bowl, then summoned the steward. "Someone!" The steward hurried in from outside. "Your Highness, what are your orders?" "How is Xiao Yu?" Xiao Yu... "Reporting to Your Highness, Xiao Yu is nearly frozen to death. The other maidservants who punished the consort have also been dealt with!" "From this day forward, anyone who dares to show disrespect to Consort Jia Qingcheng of Chu Wangfu is showing contempt for me. Is that understood by all?" "This old servant understands!" "Your Highness, urgent matter!" A guard's voice came from outside. Xiao Zhiheng had his own affairs to attend to, so he gave a few more instructions before leaving. After he was gone, Chunyan felt as though she were dreaming. After all, this treatment was more than just a step or two above before. Her young lady had gone to the Ice Cave and returned as the esteemed Princess Consort of Chu. What she hadn't expected was that Prince Chu would dote on her young lady so attentively. Even she, as a maidservant, watched with envy. The suffering hadn't been in vain. "Young lady, His Highness is truly good to you. This servant is so happy for you. From now on, no one in the manor will dare bully us." Jia Qingcheng had known Xiao Zhiheng would come to rescue her, but she hadn't expected him to punish Aunt Xiao for her sake. At this moment, her rigid impression of Prince Chu was slowly beginning to change. "Go and summon the steward." When the steward entered, he immediately bowed to her. "Your Ladyship, is there any discomfort?" "Steward, how is Aunt Xiao?" The steward: "..." "Your Ladyship, why do you ask about her? She overstepped her bounds and offended a superior—this is the punishment she deserves. From now on, she won't dare show you any disrespect!" The steward genuinely liked Jia Qingcheng. Though she was an ugly girl, she had at least saved the prince's life. However, the entire manor was under orders not to let the news spread, which was why the outside world still believed Prince Chu was on the verge of death. "Was Aunt Xiao the one who raised His Highness with her own hands?" The steward nodded. "Yes, she was his wet nurse. That's why Xiao Yu was so presumptuous. She mistakenly believed His Highness didn't care for you, and that's why she—" "I see!" Jia Qingcheng was about to say something when suddenly, an anxious voice came from outside. "Your Ladyship, Steward, something terrible has happened! His Highness has collapsed from his illness!" What? Xiao Zhiheng had collapsed? Upon learning that Xiao Zhiheng had fainted, Jia Qingcheng quickly got up and dressed to go check on him. By the time she arrived, it was already evening, and naturally, all the physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy had come. Including Pei Wuliang. During this time, the two exchanged no words. After the examination was complete, Pei Wuliang left with the others from the academy. Prince Chu's condition was not looking good... This news plunged the entire Chu Wangfu into an atmosphere of terror and despair once again. "Your Highness, how is the Prince?" The steward hurried forward to ask Jia Qingcheng, who merely shook her head. "The Prince's illness has worsened." Those words—"the Prince's illness has worsened"—brought tears to the steward's eyes. He knew that Jia Qingcheng had done everything she could. That the Prince had survived this long was already a miracle. Now that all the physicians from the Imperial Medical Institute had arrived, there was surely no room left for hope. "Your servant understands." "Have the guards remain here. The Prince does not wish to be moved." Her words proved effective this time. After giving these instructions, she prepared to return to rest. During this time, she sent Chunyan to brew medicine for the Prince, while she herself returned to the bridal chamber. But the moment she returned to the bridal chamber, she discovered someone was inside—and she caught a whiff of a familiar scent of mugwort. This smell she knew all too well. She initially did not want to enter, but on second thought, she pushed the door open and went in. Sure enough, inside, a tall figure stood behind the bed. She did not need to guess who it was! "Pei Wuliang, you have some nerve! Who gave you permission to barge into the Prince's bridal chamber?" Yes, she recognized him as Pei Wuliang. And tonight, he had been among those treating the Prince. Pei Wuliang had been temporarily summoned to treat Prince Chu. Now that he had a complete grasp of the Prince's condition, it was only natural that he would come to see his future concubine, Jia Qingcheng. "Qingcheng, it's been a long time!" A long time—she wished she could go her whole life without ever seeing him again. Jia Qingcheng walked over and sat down. "Aren't you afraid I'll call for someone to seize you?" "Seize me?" Pei Wuliang sneered. "The entire household is consumed with worry over Prince Chu right now. Who has time to bother with an unloved consort like you?" Jia Qingcheng did not want to waste words with him. "What exactly do you want?" What did he want? Pei Wuliang knew she had spent last night alone in the bridal chamber, so he had come specifically to comfort her. "Don't be afraid. I am your future husband. How could I bear to hurt you?" Husband? Disgusting! "My husband is Prince Chu, Xiao Zhiheng!" Seeing that she was still being stubborn, Pei Wuliang said, "Prince Chu? He doesn't have many days left. I told you I would take care of you. You needn't worry that I'll go back on my word and abandon you!"