Upon hearing Qingyou's words, Su Mo'er felt a hint of sweetness in her heart, and her cheeks naturally turned red.
She thought to herself that she had finally become the Crown Prince's woman!
As for the Crown Prince, he didn't disappoint her. He was indeed a thoughtful person. Regardless of what would happen between them in the future, at least for now, she could enjoy his gentle and loving care.
Seeing her mistress blush, Qingyou teased, "Miss, now that you're awake, why not get up and freshen up? The kitchen has been keeping hot water ready for you, waiting for you to wake up and bathe. I was specially ordered by His Highness to serve you, in case you're not comfortable."
Su Mo'er was about to agree, but then she remembered last night's events and suddenly felt even more embarrassed. She quickly tightened the blanket around herself and said to Qingyou, "You go prepare for me, I'll take care of the rest myself."
From the glimmer she caught in the corner of Su Mo'er's eyes, Qingyou knew what her mistress was thinking.
She secretly smiled and said, "Alright, I'll go prepare first."
After Qingyou left, Su Mo'er let out a sigh of relief, moved the blanket that was covering her body, and looked at herself.
She saw that her pure white, flawless skin was covered with small and large red marks, the traces left from last night's pleasure, witnessing the mutual indulgence of the two of them.
No matter how well-prepared she was, she was still just a young girl in terms of intimacy. Having these marks all over her body naturally made her feel embarrassed and unable to face anyone, but also brought her a comforting sense of satisfaction.
Even so, as she looked at these marks, she felt even more embarrassed.
Su Mo'er let out a soft cry, lay down on the bed, and rolled around, her face growing even redder.
...
With the next steps planned out, things naturally became much easier. Zhao Jinghuan poured some tea and gestured, "Time is of the essence. Now that you all understand what needs to be done, act as soon as possible."
If there was anything else the others wanted to say, he would set down the tea and add, "As for the rest, Du Zhong will assist you, so everything should be foolproof."
Yang Jian and others, after hearing it, were thoroughly relieved. They stood up, clasped their hands and replied loudly, "Your Highness, rest assured that we will not let you down."
Zhao Jinghuan nodded calmly, "Then I will wait here for your good news."
After everyone had left the study one by one, Zhao Jinghuan glanced around, closed the windows tightly and said, "Alright, everyone's gone, come in."
As soon as he finished speaking, without leaving any trace, Zhao Jinghuan exerted a strong force and directly pushed open the window. The surprised expression on Zhao Jingran's face didn't even have time to fade before he awkwardly stood there.
Zhao Jinghuan glanced at him and said, "Younger brother, now that you have established your own mansion, can't you behave more steadily? If you want to come in, just come in openly and directly. What's the need for such underhanded and sneaky behavior, eavesdropping by the window? And why are you still standing there? Do I have to invite you in myself?"
"Hey, hey, hey!" Zhao Jingran laughed and, holding the window frame, elegantly entered the room.
Seeing this, Zhao Jinghuan's face darkened, "Why go through the window when there's a door? You're acting just like a thief."
"Oh, come on!" Zhao Jingran immediately put on a pitiful look and said, "Why bother taking the long way around from the door if there's a shortcut? Besides, we're in front of our royal brother, why do we need to worry about etiquette?" Just as he mentioned not caring about etiquette, he casually fanned himself and said, "And, royal brother, don't get me wrong, I saw you were in a meeting just now, so I didn't want to disturb you. I was just standing outside the window enjoying the view."
At this point, he made a "heh" sound, put away the fan, and pointed outside while smiling, "Don't you think, royal brother, that this mansion looks extravagant and yet our governor appears to be without discipline? But the governor's mansion is quite splendid, not to mention your Dingxi building. It must have cost a fortune to build such a mansion and villa, turning a blind eye to the hardships of the people."
Furrowing his brows slightly, Zhao Jinghuan said, "You don't need to worry about these matters. I will deal with them when the time comes."
"Okay, okay!" Zhao Jingran raised his hand in surrender and then sat down across from him. Suddenly, he leaned in closer to the prince and said with a smile, "I don't care about much, but there is one thing I must ask you, royal brother. Are you in love?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Jinghuan almost choked on his tea. After putting down the cup heavily, he frowned and said, "Nonsense! All you ever think about is these chaotic things. Can't you control yourself? If not for this, why did Father not allow you to attend the court meetings?"
"Hey, royal brother, don't lecture me about this. I don't want to worry about such things. It's great to live carefree, enjoying the flowers and scenery, chatting about love. That's what life is about. If I can live freely like this, why should I attend those court meetings and fight with others? Besides, with you here, I can count on you for the rest of my life."
"But, royal brother, you are not so young anymore. It's only natural to have a woman. Why are you being shy?"
"Enough!" Zhao Jinghuan knew his brother's nature, for every word he said, there were a hundred more waiting. So, he gave a headache and didn't bother to deal with it, saying, "The more you talk, the more you go on."
Seeing that he still wanted to say something, the crown prince spoke first, interrupting him, "Stop beating around the bush. Tell me, what are you doing here all of a sudden for no reason."
In the end, he added, "Don't give me all these messy excuses. I'm not so easily fooled."
"Oh, come on..." Zhao Jingran hesitated and didn't want to say, turning his head and saying awkwardly, "Aren't I allowed to come and see? The scenery in Jiangnan is so beautiful, why can't I come to see it? If you're allowed to come, why can't I?"
"Will you talk or not?" Zhao Jinghuan didn't believe him and just stared at him, "Have you caused trouble in the capital again?"
"Oh! You really understand me, royal brother. Yes, I've caused trouble again. That fool from the Wang family dared to compete with me for a girl at the Jingyan Tower. I couldn't let it go and fought with him. But who knew he couldn't take a punch and I ended up breaking his leg. I'm scared, so I came to seek asylum with you."
After hearing this, Zhao Jinghuan nodded, "It seems you haven't caused trouble this time. Speak up, what exactly is the matter?"
"Royal brother!" Zhao Jingran was startled, "I said I've caused trouble, why don't you believe me?"
The crown prince glanced at him sideways, "Do you think I'm foolish? If you really caused trouble, would you still be like this? But with only your wits, I could dupe you. You can't even make up a lie."
With a serious expression, he continued, "Enough with the nonsense. If you don't tell me what's going on, don't blame me for being impolite."
Seeing him seemingly getting serious, Zhao Jingran got a little flustered and finally said dejectedly, "Well, I knew it. You certainly won't believe me."
He paused and then reluctantly mentioned a name, "Xianfei."
Zhao Jinghuan's eyes flashed, knowing that there would be more to come, and listened as Zhao Jingran continued, "A spy from the palace delivered a message, saying that Xianfei, along with the others, is planning an assassination on your way back. I thought you might have been in a hurry when leaving the south, so there might have been a lapse in security, hence I rushed over." As he spoke, he pursed his lips and said, "I didn't plan to tell you at first, so you wouldn't have to worry..."
Zhao Jinghuan couldn't help but smile, "You were considerate. But I had also anticipated this matter."
The crown prince and Zhao Jingran were both born of the same mother, the late Empress of Dayan. For years, the position of Empress had been vacant, and Xianfei's family now held the most influence in the palace, making the Empress position their ultimate goal.
Likewise, Xianfei's four sons, especially the eldest, Zhao Jingsong, had long coveted the position of the current crown prince, Zhao Jinghuan.
Thinking up to this point, he couldn't help but recall his past life. Back then, he had led the army into battle, and the imperial court was swayed by slanderous words, with Xianfei's family and her sons working behind the scenes.
In the chaos that ensued in the capital, it was none other than the seemingly unremarkable Prince An, Zhao Jingran, who led 30,000 Imperial Guards to end their ambitions.
Though Xianfei's plan was thwarted in that battle, Zhao Jingran was ultimately no match for the opposing forces and perished by a shower of arrows.
Thinking about it now, he couldn't help but find it extremely amusing.
Both he and his brother had dedicated themselves for their country's cause, while Xianfei and her associates only cared about their immediate gains and losses, leading to the disintegration of Dayan.
The memories of the past resurfaced one by one. Looking at Zhao Jingran in front of him, he sighed involuntarily.
While his younger brother seemed frivolous, he was actually more dedicated than anyone else.
In this life, he had intended to guide him to be honest and responsible and to hold real power, allowing him to protect himself in the end.
However, it was just wishful thinking after all.
If he didn't want to, then let it be. He would protect him well in this life and let him live freely.
He smiled and said, "Alright, I understand this matter. You can rest assured. If they want my life, they'll need to see if they have the opportunity."
As he spoke, a glint of coldness flashed in his deep eyes.
Seeing that his royal brother seemed to have a plan, Zhao Jingran also breathed a sigh of relief.
At that moment, a eunuch came in and whispered something to Zhao Jinghuan, causing a slight change in his expression.
Seeing this, Zhao Jingran cheerfully bid farewell, "It looks like you have something to attend to, so I'll leave first."
[To be continued...]