HCB Chapter 88 You men are all the same
Chapter 88 You men are all the same
Upon seeing Chen Huaizhi, the eyes of the noble ladies lit up.
"This is the first time I've seen the Princess's husband. I never expected him to be so handsome."
"Although he can't compare to the Emperor and Prince Xie, he's still a first-rate handsome man."
"The way you put it, it's probably hard to find a third person in the entire Great Liang whose appearance can compare to the Emperor and Prince Xie."
Gao Yunzhi walked beside Qin Jiuwei and immediately called out when she saw Chen Huaizhi, "Your Highness, you've arrived."
Her voice was clear and melodious, and her words were full of barely suppressed joy. She then walked quickly toward Chen Huaizhi.
With a gentle smile on his face, Chen Huaizhi stepped forward and gently took Gao Yunzhi's hand.
His hands were long and warm, and Gao Yunzhi's cheeks flushed slightly.
"Princess, attending the banquet must be tiring. You are also pregnant, and I was really worried about leaving you at home, so I came by carriage to bring you back." His voice was gentle and pleasant.
As Gao Yunzhi listened to his words, a warm current seemed to flow slowly through her heart.
Her already rosy cheeks became even more radiant, and she gave Chen Huaizhi a reproachful look.
"You always say such sweet things. What could be tiring about attending a banquet?"
The noble ladies and servants around them, witnessing Chen Huaizhi's tender care for the princess, couldn't help but show a hint of envy.
"The Prince Consort truly has deep affection for Her Highness the Princess. He is so worried about her attending the banquet that he has to come and personally escort her back to the mansion."
"The princess is pregnant, so naturally we must be extra careful."
"The eldest princess and her husband have such a good relationship."
Unlike the envy of others, Qin Jiuwei's gaze towards Chen Huaizhi was full of coldness.
Every breath carried a bone-chilling cold.
It was him! He's the one who killed Yunzhi!
She was heartbroken when Yunzhi died in childbirth.
After regaining her senses, she realized something was wrong. She had consulted the imperial physician about Yunzhi's pregnancy, and it was very stable. Logically, she shouldn't have died in childbirth.
She became suspicious and, after secretly investigating, discovered that Chen Huaizhi had bribed the midwife to kill Yunzhi!
This beast in human form! She's going to kill him! She's going to kill him!
Qin Jiuwei was so angry that she trembled all over, and she could barely control her emotions by tightly clenching the handkerchief in her hands.
But Xie Yanli noticed her, his dark eyes fixed on her, and asked, "What's wrong?"
This clear, melodious sound pulled Qin Jiuwei back from her thoughts.
She pursed her lips. "I'm fine, just a little tired."
She currently has no evidence, and Yunzhi trusts Chen Huaizhi implicitly.
Yunzhi probably wouldn't believe it if she said it directly, and it might even alert Chen Huaizhi, making him more wary and forcing him to keep up his act.
She needs to stabilize the situation first and secretly investigate...
After Gao Yunzhi left, Qin Jiuwei, Xie Yanli, and Xie Jing also got into the carriage.
The carriage slowly made its way towards the Marquis's residence.
Qin Jiuwei was exhausted; her emotions had fluctuated wildly throughout the day.
Sitting in the carriage on the way back to the Marquis's residence, my tense mind gradually relaxed.
At the same time, the cool sandalwood scent emanating from Xie Yanli also enveloped her.
It gave her a sense of security for no apparent reason.
Qin Jiuwei's eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and her head began to droop little by little.
Finally, she found a pillow for herself and slowly leaned against it.
Xie Yanli suddenly felt a slight weight on his shoulder, and he was startled.
But soon, a sweet, light fragrance wafted to his nose, and Xie Yanli's lips curved into a slight smile.
Xie Jing, who witnessed this from the side: ...He shouldn't be here.
He coughed softly, and Xie Yanli turned to look at him.
Xie Jing pursed his thin lips and said in a dry voice, "It's too hot inside the carriage, I'm going out for some fresh air."
Without waiting for Xie Yanli's reaction, she lifted the curtain and went out.
He originally intended to just leave, but that would be rather impolite.
Otherwise, he really wouldn't want to say a single word...
Xie Yanli turned his gaze to Qin Jiuwei beside him, his eyes slowly tracing her sleeping face.
She was sleeping soundly; she must have been really exhausted.
When Qin Jiuwei was asleep, her fair and delicate face was exceptionally serene, and her long eyelashes fluttered gently like butterfly wings, casting a shadow under her eyes.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, pink and tender, exuding a charming innocence, like peach blossoms blooming in spring.
It makes people want to protect it.
Xie Yanli's heart involuntarily quickened.
A sense of peace and contentment I had never felt before welled up in my heart, as if something that had been missing for a long time had suddenly been filled.
-
The Imperial Palace, Lingyan Pavilion.
Under the lamplight, Gao Xian reclined on the couch, reading a book, his robes slightly open, exuding a languid and luxurious air.
His phoenix eyes were slightly lowered, his nose was high and straight, and his thin lips were slightly pursed.
Mo Qingkui blinked at him, her ear tips turning red without her noticing.
As expected of the man she chose, his looks are truly outstanding; in modern times, he could easily be a star.
And this man is now deeply in love with her, and she is the only one in his heart.
But suddenly, Mo Qingkui remembered the way Gao Xian had looked at Qin Jiuwei earlier that day, and a nameless anger rose in her heart.
"Your Majesty," she called out, her voice tinged with coldness.
Gao Xian didn't raise his eyebrows, his gaze still fixed on the book in his hands, and casually asked in a low voice, "My dear concubine, what's wrong?"
Mo Qingkui's anger burned even brighter, and she stepped forward directly, snatching the scroll from Gao Xian's hands.
"What's wrong with you?" Gao Xian frowned, his voice sounding somewhat impatient.
Mo Qingkui pouted, looking very aggrieved, and said, "Your Majesty, you promised me before that you would dismiss the harem for me. When are you going to do that?"
Her eyes reddened. "You promised me you'd be with me for life!"
Gao Xian frowned, his eyes revealing undisguised fatigue.
"Qingkui, it's not that I don't want to, but that I simply can't do it right now."
How could he explain to her the constraints imposed by powerful families, ancestral laws, and the political situation at court?
Although he was the emperor, he had only been on the throne for less than three years, and the powerful clans were deeply entrenched and colluded with each other.
The imperial harem and the imperial court were completely inseparable.
Mo Qingkui didn't believe him at all, and she stood up abruptly from the chaise lounge.
He shouted at him, "You're lying! You're the emperor, the whole country belongs to you! How could you not even be able to make a decision on something this simple?!"
Does that mean she was illiterate? There are examples in ancient history of emperors dismissing their harems to favor only one person!
Emperor Xiaozong of Ming, Zhu Youcheng, and Emperor Yang Jian both achieved this, so why couldn't Gao Xian?!
Mo Qingkui simply couldn't stand Gao Xian having other women around him; in her eyes, that was cheating!
She threw the book she was holding to the ground and yelled, "You men are all the same! You're always looking for something better while eating what's in your bowl!"
Gao Xian's temper flared up at this moment. He stood up, his expression cold and icy.