After the Huo family left, Ruan-shi and Cheng Yumo bowed their heads and left. Only Cheng Yujin and Li Chengjing were left in the huge west hall. Ciqing Palace, which was very noisy all afternoon, now regained its usual quietness.
With a wave of Li Chengjing’s hand, the palace servants standing in every corner of the hall silently retreated. After everyone left and they were truly alone, Li Chengjing looked at Cheng Yujin and said with a smile: “Crown Princess is indeed as amazing as usual. It is truly the loss of the censorate for not having you in their rank. If you become an imperial censor, there certainly will be no more corrupt officials in the world, and my court will be very clean.”
Cheng Yujin glanced at Li Chengjing lightly: “Your Highness overpraises. This Consort is but a weak woman. Afraid that I am unable to take such a heavy responsibility.”
Li Chengjing chuckled. He pulled Cheng Yujin to sit down as he asked: “It’s Huo Changyuan who caused your second sister to have a miscarriage, not me. Why are you still so angry?”
Cheng Yujin took a deep breath and said sullenly, “It’s nothing. I’m just not feeling pleasant.”
Li Chengjing raised his eyebrows and looked at Cheng Yujin. His eyes were full of smiles: “Crown Princess seems to be very spirited today. First you lectured both Ruan-shi and Huo Xue-shi, then you proceeded to lecture Marquis Jingyong and your sister. Sure enough, it seems that even I is not going to be spared.”
Cheng Yujin’s mood was still very bad, but when she heard Li Chengjing’s words, she couldn’t help laughing. Being interrupted like this, the inexplicable sullenness in Cheng Yujin’s heart disappeared. She gave Li Chengjing a somewhat angry glare and said: “Your Highness is the noble and dignified Crown Prince. Didn’t you see how that cousin sister of Marquis Jingyong immediately lost her mind upon seeing you? How can I dare to refute your words?”
Li Chengjing spread his hands with a smile: “This has nothing to do with me. I have no idea about today’s matter. If not for Marquis Jingyong happened to run into me on the palace gate, I wouldn’t know that the whole Huo family was gathering in Ciqing Palace today. Bringing him back with me is just a matter of convenience.”
“Your Highness genuinely didn’t have no other intention?”
Li Chengjing’s eyes were bright with smiles, “What other intention do you think I have?”
Cheng Yujin originally wanted to make Li Chengjing speechless on purpose, but she didn’t expect the man to admit it so frankly. Cheng Yujin pursed her lips, and her eyes wavered slightly as she changed the topic in haste: “Today is quite noisy, but in the end, these are but trivial matters. This Consort apologizes for accidentally showing my natal family’s unsightly behavior in front of Your Highness.”
“Nothing,” Seeing that Cheng Yujin didn’t continue to press, Li Chengjing pulled his sleeve casually, “Life is full of trivial matters. By sharing those trivial matters with me, you are treating me as a part of your life.”
Finished speaking, Li Chengjing glanced at Cheng Yujin and raised his eyebrows lightly: “Besides, they are not just your natal family. Isn’t Cheng Yumo also my niece?”
This again. Cheng Yujin choked and gave Li Chengjing another angry glare: “You still say that! Uncle marries her niece — do you think this reputation is good? The entire court is purposefully avoiding to mention this topic, yet you kept saying it again and again.”
“Isn’t it the truth?” Li Chengjing seemed not to care at all, and even showed a thoughtful look, “Cheng Yumo is my second niece, and also your younger sister. Now that you are married to me, should I call her niece or sister-in-law?”
Cheng Yujin stared at him blankly for a moment before waving her sleeve in anger. Seeing this, Li Chengjing hurriedly held her hand and apologized with a smile: “Sorry, it’s my fault for talking nonsense. Crown Princess, please don’t be angry, okay?”
Cheng Yujin didn’t leave, but her face was still full of anger.
Li Chengjing knew that Cheng Yujin was at her limit, so he didn’t dare to tease her again. After observing her expression, he carefully chose his words and changed the topic: “However, today’s matter is indeed Huo Changyuan’s fault. I don’t know what happened between Huo Xue-shi and Cheng Yumo, but it is a fact that Huo Changyuan pushed his wife and harmed her to miscarriage. The man is clearly at fault here. Regardless of whether he knew that Cheng Yumo was pregnant or not, it was wrong for him to raise his hand against his wife. Could it be that he would be blameless if only Cheng Yumo were not pregnant?”
Li Chengjing very much disliked this kind of behavior. Although Cheng Yujin didn’t say a word, she secretly nodded. She thought of the time when she was still at Cheng family manor. At that time, Old Master Cheng gave her a box of gold behind the family’s back, which Cheng Yujin personally carried back. When Li Chengjing saw this, he ordered Liu Yi to help her carry that heavy thing. Then there was also the occasion when Li Chengjing took her to look at her shops. He accompanied her throughout the whole journey, without the slightest impatience.
If the same situation happened to Huo Changyuan, his reaction would be completely different. Oh wait, Huo Changyuan would never accompany a woman shopping in the first place. For him, this kind of behavior must be very degrading.
Cheng Yujin was a little curious. Huo Changyuan grew up spoiled by his widowed mother and had little contact with adult men since he was a child. As a result, he took women’s devotion and dedication for granted. But what about Li Chengjing?
