12dz Chapter 134: Grudge
Chapter 134: Grudge
In her dream, she returned to her childhood, sitting with her mother around the stove cutting paper snowflakes and eating hot milk tea. She laughed with great joy, but as she laughed, her mother disappeared, and no matter how much she called out, she couldn't find her...
"Mother, mother..."
He Lingyi called out earnestly, tears streaming down her once calm face.
The crown prince saw it and was slightly puzzled.
He naturally knew that He Lingyi had lost both her parents when she was young, but she was very young at the time and probably didn't have many memories. Why would she suddenly call out "Mother"? Then he thought of the warm days when he and his mother reunited in the palace, and his mood became quite depressed.
He reached out and wiped away the tears on her cheeks, his eyes welling up with heartache.
When He Lingyi opened her eyes and saw him, she suddenly pushed his hand away, filled with fear and hatred. Only after she clearly saw who was in front of her did she take a deep breath, kneel on the bed and say something.
"I didn't see the person clearly, please forgive me, Your Highness."
"Lingyi, as far as I know, your parents' deaths were both accidents, but why were you so grief-stricken when you mentioned your mother in your dream just now, and then so aloof and distant after you opened your eyes? What exactly happened?"
He Lingyi naturally couldn't say.
She was resurrected in another's body, returning to her mother's youth, changing the fates of so many people, and even "burying" herself in it. How could she possibly say these things to an "outsider"?
So he silently shook his head, without offering any other reason.
The couple sat facing each other in this stalemate for about fifteen minutes. If it were according to the Crown Prince's usual character, he would probably have already started investigating. But now, he didn't want to hear this secret from others; instead, he hoped that his wife would tell him it herself.
Therefore, although some disappointment had accumulated in his eyes, he felt fortunate that there was still plenty of time ahead.
So he took the outer garment from the bedside and draped it over He Lingyi, regaining his usual calm and composure, and then spoke calmly.
"Since you are unwilling to speak, I will not force you. But remember, now that you have married me, I will always be the one standing by your side. If one day you are willing to be honest with me, I will listen attentively. If you are not willing, I will never change the fact that you are already the Crown Princess."
The Crown Prince was subtly reminding He Lingyi of her status as the Crown Princess.
Yes, from the moment she chose to marry into the Eastern Palace, this identity destined her to be bound to it for life. But fortunately, even this bond wouldn't last long. There were still more than eight months left, and she had to act quickly!
When Xingluo and the others came in to help the two get up, they sensed that the atmosphere was a little strange.
He was perfectly fine yesterday, so why does he seem a bit reserved and silent today?
The changing moods of their masters made even the servants hold their breath while carrying out their duties. It wasn't until the Crown Prince had changed his clothes and left the bedroom that Chensha brought the medicine.
This is medicine to "regulate" her body.
To put it simply, it's a medicine to ensure she won't get pregnant after marrying the Crown Prince, and it won't harm her fundamental health. If the two of them want children in the future, they can simply stop taking the medicine.
He Lingyi finished her drink in one gulp, her movements so fluid and graceful that the maids were already used to it. Although they didn't understand why the Crown Princess refused to get pregnant, they should obey the Crown Prince's orders.
When will Your Highness depart?
"In the afternoon, the Crown Prince's Palace was ready, and the same was true for the temporary palace."
"Well then, we'll set off early on the fourth day of the month. That way, it won't affect His Highness's sacrificial ceremony. You can send the message to the Third Princess in the palace, and she will go with me."
"Yes, Princess."
After what happened in the morning, He Lingyi felt that a short separation would be better, at least it wouldn't be so awkward. So after having a silent lunch, she kept looking forward to the Crown Prince's departure.
The pristine white surroundings did not hinder the Crown Prince.
Before long, someone came to report that the snow on the road had been cleared and it was time to set off.
Seeing this, He Lingyi breathed a sigh of relief.
The Crown Prince, sitting beside her, could naturally sense it. His eyes lowered slightly, but he quickly regained the dignified bearing befitting a Crown Prince overseeing the state.
"I'm leaving."
"Farewell to Your Highness."
The conversation between the two revealed no trace of the sweetness that a newlywed couple should have; they seemed to have immediately assumed the roles of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, behaving with restraint and propriety.
The grand procession of the Crown Prince departed from the capital and headed straight for the temporary palace where the sacrificial ceremony was to be held.
After the Crown Prince left, He Lingyi felt much more relaxed.
The first day of the Lunar New Year should have been a day of family reunion, but for her, it was different. She enjoyed all the most prestigious things in the world, yet she was all alone.
Even so, whenever He Lingyi thought about how her mother lived a life of being loved in the Qiao family, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly, while her eyes were full of calculation.
It's time to settle accounts between the Chi and Lü families.
The news of Chi Guiying and Chi Guizhao's deaths arrived on the first day of the Lunar New Year. At that time, Chi Yunjing was having dinner with Aunt Zhao. He was taken aback when he heard the news, and then he was shocked and confused.
"How could that be? I've never heard of any wild animals roaming that road. The siblings were traveling on the main road! How could this be?"
"The messenger said that because the weather was unusual this year, a man-eating tiger appeared in that area. The second young lady and the third young master insisted on traveling in the middle of the night, so... when they were found, they were already torn to pieces, but judging from their clothes and remaining limbs, it was indeed the two of them. So they reported the news, but the road was blocked by snow, which is why it took until today to arrive. Master, what should we do?"
Chi Yunjing gripped the table with both hands, the veins on his cheeks bulging.
His eyes also turned bloodshot. After all, it was his own flesh and blood, and he was going to be saddened by its death. So even though Aunt Zhao was secretly overjoyed, she silently cried with tears in her eyes.
It took Chi Yunjing quite a while to recover his senses.
“Go and tell the people back home to prepare the body properly and choose an auspicious day for burial. The funeral for father and son (daughter) should be conducted properly and not be shabby. Send someone to send three thousand taels of silver to choose a good burial site and have someone perform a proper rite of passage so that they can be reborn into a better life in the next life.”
"Yes, sir."
For Chi Yunjing, sending away the two children had already meant severing ties with them, so there was little difference between them being dead or alive. However, this would make his offspring even fewer.
So he placed his large hand on Aunt Zhao's high belly and said in a somewhat delirious manner.
"It has to be a son!"