pdf-ebookys Chapter 166 A Man's Chest
Chapter 166 A Man's Chest
When Xie Bohuai went to the Prince Xian's residence to read out the imperial decree, the Prince Xian looked as uncomfortable as if he had eaten excrement.
"Xie Bohuai, how...how dare you?" The Prince looked at Xie Bohuai in disbelief. "How could you even think of such a despicable and shameless idea? How could you do it?"
"Your Highness, please be careful with your words. This is not my idea," Xie Bohuai said calmly. "This is the Emperor's will. It is because the Emperor values Your Highness's abilities that he has sent Your Highness to lead the troops into battle. Your Highness, please think it over carefully. This is for your own good, giving you a chance to prove your loyalty."
The wise prince was a quick-witted man and immediately understood Xie Bohuai and the emperor's meaning. After Xie Bohuai left, he sneered, "I knew it. The victor is king, the loser is villain. It's always been like this. Sending me to war is just sending me to my death."
The wise prince laughed and then cried. He felt it was unfair. Why did the late emperor choose his elder brother?
No matter how unwilling they were, they had to make a choice in the face of the imperial edict.
The wise king still led his troops into battle, because if he didn't, he would only face certain death.
After the Prince Xian went on his campaign, the late Emperor was buried, and Ye Wanning, as the Regent's wife, went with him.
On the day we set off back to the capital, a light drizzle began to fall, and the roads were muddy; it wasn't exactly good weather.
Before returning home, Ye Wanning went to visit Granny Jiang.
"These are medicinal herbs for treating rheumatism. Granny, please take good care of yourself while you're here." Ye Wanning's eyes welled up with tears as she looked at Granny Jiang's extra gray hair.
"Huangling is quiet and life is simple, so you don't need to worry about this old servant, Miss. After I finish praying for His Highness, I will go to see him." Granny Jiang had long since stopped caring about life and death and was indifferent to joy and sorrow. Only after hearing Ye Wanning say that everything was fine did she start talking about other things. "When His Highness was alive, the new emperor was the least competitive and unassuming, but sometimes, those who seem the most low-key are not necessarily the real ones. You and Princess Xihe had a good relationship, but now that your status is different, it's always good to be more thoughtful."
Princess Xihe was straightforward, and Ye Wanning had never really been on guard against her.
However, she nodded in agreement after hearing what Granny Jiang said.
When Qingshan arrived, Ye Wanning had no choice but to set off back before bidding farewell to Granny Jiang.
“The others have gone back first, leaving only us.” Qingshan, wearing a raincoat, walked alongside and led the way. “After it started raining, it got terribly cold, so cold that my bones were cracking. Madam, please take your time, the master said there’s no rush.”
Ye Wanning dared not slack off; it was raining, and if she didn't hurry, she wouldn't reach the town.
When she got into the carriage, Xie Bohuai had prepared a charcoal stove and hot water.
"We can only stay in a nearby town today. If there's anything you'd like to eat, I'll have Qingshan arrange it first." Xie Bohuai had grown a beard from the busy days he'd been running around, but he always spoke gently to Ye Wanning.
"No need to make any special arrangements. I don't have an appetite at times like this. Just eat something light." Ye Wanning wasn't hungry and didn't want to eat anything.
When they arrived in town, Qingshan still arranged meals and an inn. After dinner, Ye Wanning discovered that Qingshan had booked a room for her and Xie Bohuai.
That makes sense, considering she and Xie Bohuai are husband and wife, and to outsiders, they would be sharing a room.
Back in her room, Ye Wanning wanted to wash her feet. Yunzhi brought her hot water, and just as she took off her shoes, Xie Bohuai walked in.
A young lady's feet are generally not something to be seen by others, and Ye Wanning didn't want to say it directly, so she quickly wiped her feet and casually thought of a topic, "You must be tired today, would you like to wash up too?"
"Okay." Xie Bohuai had just seen it and even glanced at it a couple more times.
The inn in the small town didn't have a large, soft couch, so after washing up, Xie Bohuai sat in a chair and read a book.
Ye Wanning had already surveyed the room. She lay down but couldn't sleep, and she was too embarrassed to actually ask Xie Bohuai to squeeze into the small bamboo chair.
After a long internal struggle, Ye Wanning finally whispered, "My lord, it's time to rest."
She lay on her side, clearly leaving room for someone. When Xie Bohuai saw this, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he blew out the candle.
As the bed sank lower, Ye Wanning knew there was someone else beside her, and she didn't even dare to breathe too heavily.
She had thought about her relationship with Xie Bohuai. If Xie Bohuai had feelings for her, what about her?
The old woman said that feelings may develop over time. She and Xie Bohuai had spent some time together, so did feelings develop between them?
Ye Wanning didn't know.
But she was certain of one thing: if Xie Bohuai really wanted to do something, she wouldn't refuse.
However, the night was peaceful and nothing happened. But when Ye Wanning woke up, she found one of her hands on Xie Bohuai's chest.
The man's chest was hot and burning, and Ye Wanning froze. When she tried to withdraw her hand, she met Xie Bohuai's dark eyes.
Early in the morning, Xie Bohuai was in the midst of a surge of blood and energy. Upon discovering Ye Wanning's hand, he froze, unsure of what to do.
Ye Wanning quickly withdrew her hand. She remembered that Xie Bohuai was still lying down. "My lord, shouldn't you get up?"
Xie Bohuai hummed in agreement, but didn't move, because he was still...
Just then, Yunzhi knocked on the door from outside, saying that it was dawn and it was about time to get up.
Ye Wanning had no choice but to sit up, but she saw Xie Bohuai quickly sit up and go behind the screen with his back to her.
At this moment, Ye Wanning opened the door again, and when Yunzhi brought in hot water, she asked Yunzhi if she had rested well.
"It's hard to get a good rest in an unfamiliar environment," Yunzhi said casually. "It's raining again today, and I don't know when this kind of weather will end. Sir, here's hot water; I'll go prepare the meal."
After Yunzhi left, Ye Wanning had already washed her face, her fair neck exposed. Xie Bohuai glanced at her and quickly looked away.
After having breakfast, the group set off for the capital again, traveling for three days before finally returning.
Xie Bohuai went to the palace, while Ye Wanning returned to the Xie residence. As soon as she entered the courtyard, Le Ge'er rushed over.
"Mother, I miss you so much! I can recite the Three Character Classic now." As he spoke, Le Ge'er recited the Three Character Classic to Ye Wanning. He hadn't seen his mother for several days and missed her terribly. He pulled his mother into the house and asked where his father was.
"Your father has gone to the palace and will be back in the evening." Ye Wanning praised Le Ge'er a few times, but not seeing Chunxi, she asked where Chunxi had gone.
Le Ge'er mysteriously approached his mother, beckoned her to lower herself, and said, "Sister Chunxi is making shoes for her sweetheart."
"What? Chunxi has someone she likes?" Ye Wanning was shocked; she had no idea.
"It was Sister Yunzhi who said it." After saying that, Le Ge'er went to look at Yunzhi.
“I thought it was about time, and Chunxi would come and tell you herself. Just then, I saw Chunxi making socks again that day, and Le-ge’er heard us playing around. But I still don’t know who Chunxi’s sweetheart is,” Yunzhi explained.
Ye Wanning thought for a moment, "Chunxi has been with us all the way, from the Ye family to the Xie family, which are just those two places. Has Chunxi been going to the Ye family often lately?"
Yunzhi shook her head and said no.
"Could it be that she has taken a fancy to someone in the Xie family?" Ye Wanning thought of all the men in the mansion one by one, but she couldn't think of anyone Chunxi could have taken a fancy to.