Chapter 38
Zhao Heng didn't care how disheveled she looked at the moment, she tried to pull a smile on her face, seeming somewhat surprised, "You're here?"
Li Wenjian lowered his head to look at Zhao Heng, she still had that calm and gentle demeanor, speaking softly and smiling lightly, as if the catastrophe just now hadn't really affected her. Li Wenjian stared at Zhao Heng for a while, his eyes darkening and then brightening, the worry in his eyes gradually calming like a spring tide.
Li Wenjian was also in a sorry state now, hearing that her chamber was on fire, he rushed over without even changing his clothes, seeing her able to walk and move, the tension in his heart loosened. He held Zhao Heng's wrist and turned to say, "Let's go."
Zhao Heng grabbed his hand in a hurry. Li Wenjian turned around to see her hand resting on his forearm, her body gently sliding down, her voice trembling as she said, "It hurts."
Li Wenjian lowered his gaze to see that she wasn't wearing shoes.
The lanterns on the eaves swayed, casting crooked shadows, thunder and rain were raging in the sky, people were walking around everywhere at the scene.
Li Wenjian bent down and lifted her in his arms, the sudden lift made her heart race, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Master..." Lian Zhou hurried over, seeing Zhao Heng in Li Wenjian's arms, her eyes widened in shock.
Li Wenjian's voice was hoarse as he said, "Hold the umbrella for your master."
Lian Zhou quickly opened the umbrella in her hand, holding it over their heads as she followed Li Wenjian into the rain.
Li Wenjian hadn't walked far with Zhao Heng in his arms when the Imperial Guards rushed in to put out the fire. Seeing Li Wenjian disheveled and holding someone in his arms, their hearts sank.
Ignoring them, Li Wenjian headed straight for the Chengming Palace.
Li Wenjian carried Zhao Heng back to his chamber and placed her on a chair. She was covered in dirt, dripping with water. Li Wenjian crouched down in front of her, his hair brushing against her chest, and in the sound of her racing heartbeat, he lifted the layers of her skirt.
Zhao Heng bit her lip, the prince's hands were so noble, how could she let him see her injured foot? Her toes curled slightly, retreating behind the chair.
Li Wenjian gently took hold of her ankle, his warm palm against her smooth skin, causing her body to tremble lightly.
"Do you want Mu Gui or Fei Yu to come and look at your injury?" he asked softly.
Zhao Heng lowered her eyes to meet Li Wenjian's gaze, unconsciously clutching the white skirt.
It didn't seem appropriate for them to be in this situation, she wanted to wait for the imperial physician, but with the storm raging outside, it would probably take some time. So she slowly relaxed her tense toes, allowing his hands to slip her snow-white foot into his grasp.
Li Wenjian half knelt in front of her, his hand gripping her ankle, slipping into his palm, while the other hand gently rolled up the soft white veil of her skirt, revealing a pair of snow-white, slender legs.
He gazed at her jade-like foot in awe, noticing a red birthmark on her foot as well. When his palm touched her back, the birthmark on his palm and the one on her foot intertwined, as if igniting a fire, instantly burning with heat.
Li Wenjian's breath caught as he averted his gaze.
Approaching with the lantern, he noticed that her feet had been scratched by shards of tile, dripping blood in a steady rhythm, staining his wet trousers, quickly creating a patch.
The fire in the Changqiu Hall had already been extinguished, and Fei Yu came running over to report, rushing to the front of the hall, only to be surprised by the scene inside.
The noble Crown Prince, like a drenched chicken, knelt in front of Zhao Heng, tenderly holding her foot.
The Crown Prince was holding her foot!
This was something he had never dared to imagine before, so surprised that he could fit an egg in his mouth, his face blushing with embarrassment as he quickly turned and ran off without reporting the matter.
A faint scent of blood filled the chamber.
The wounds weren't too deep, Li Wenjian sighed in relief, looking at her face, seeing her teeth lightly biting her lip, her face flush with color.
A strange heat surged in his chest.
Releasing her delicate and slender snow-white foot, the warm and tender touch slipped from his palm, and his heart sank with it.
"The wound isn't too deep, go wash up first and then apply medicine."
She was too dirty, drenched in rain, blood, and dirt. Li Wenjian felt no better himself; at this age, he had never been in such a sorry state.
Zhao Heng glanced at Li Wenjian and immediately lowered her eyes. She bit her lip, staying silent and only nodding gently.
Li Wenjian turned away, seeing her lowered gaze and feeling his heart pound like a drum.
Damn it, he got up and walked out of the chamber, instructing Lian Zhou at the door, "Go serve your master in bathing."
Lian Zhou bowed respectfully, watched Li Wenjian leave, then quickly walked back inside, âMaster, where are you wounded?â
Zhao Heng smiled gently, âJust a few scratches on the soles of my feet, nothing serious.â
Lian Zhou's gaze wandered over her face and suddenly asked, "Master, are you running a fever?â
As she reached out to touch her forehead, finding it not too warm.
âNoâ¦â Zhao Heng's gaze faltered, hands cupping her cheeks as she realized her palm had been gripping the skirt, burning hot, when pressed against her face, it felt like it was about to ignite.
Surprised, Lian Zhou asked, âThen why is your face so red?â
âPerhaps I was just startled, I'll go bathe first.â Zhaoxun nervously avoided the topic, feigning to rise, but Lian Zhou quickly went to support her, guiding her to the bathing chamber.
Turning the corner, Li Wenjian only then saw Fei Yu standing in the corridor.
âYour Highness, you're out,â Fei Yu's eyes changed when he saw him, the Crown Prince, once pristine and untouchable, was now seen holding someone's foot. The exalted descending from the divine realm had also fallen into the soft red dust of this world.
Despite his clothes being soaked by the rain, feeling icy against his skin, he didn't feel the chill, a raging heat coursing through his veins, very restive.
"Prepare the water, for bathing," when he spoke, his voice was unexpectedly hoarse.
The scene just now was etched in Fei Yu's mind like a branding iron, the ten toes in the thick-soled cloud brocade boots all exerting force together, trying to grip the sole of the shoe tightly. Upon hearing his command, he exclaimed, "Yes," as if granted a reprieve, and turned to run.
But then he heard his voice behind him: "No need."
No need to prepare hot water.
The burning sensation was searing.
Fei Yu looked at him in astonishment, but before he could say anything, he saw him turn and head towards the bathing chamber in the side hall.
Before long, the sound of rushing water filled the room.
Lian Zhou helped Zhao Heng bathe, and this time Lin Mama specially brought over her personal necessities, so she wouldn't have to wear Li Wenjian's old clothes anymore.
After washing up, Zhaoxun leaned against the couch, her foot still bleeding, so she had to extend it out from the multiple layers of her skirt, hanging halfway off the couch.
In the warm glow of the palace lamp, she dried her hair, waiting for Li Wenjian to come with the medicine.
Li Wenjian returned from rinsing with cold water, and upon seeing this scene in the warm light, hearing her and Lian Zhou's chatter, he unconsciously stopped in his tracks.
Those several buckets of cold water seemed to have been wasted.
After Lian Zhou helped her dry her long hair, he took a comb and slowly began to groom her. Turning his head to see Li Wenjian outside, he called out, "Your Highness."
Only then did Li Wenjian step inside, and Lian Zhou set down the comb, turned and left, casually closing the door behind him.
He gazed at Zhao Heng on the couch, her water-red nightwear slightly loose on her, draped in a relaxed and lazy posture. One foot extended from under her skirt, white as winter snow, blood trickling in a line, stark against the red.
Li Wenjian's gaze slowly moved from her exposed foot up to her and finally landed on Zhao Heng's face.
Their eyes met, she seemed slightly uncomfortable, swiftly averting her gaze, her slender fingers inadvertently clenching the loose skirt.
He placed the tray beside Zhao Heng, then knelt down and lifted her skirt. The broad hem pushed up to her knees, two slender white legs crossed on the couch.
The main injury was on her right foot, with a few small cuts on her calf from the tile shards, breaking the skin, but not bleeding.
Slowly taking out a small porcelain bottle from the tray, Li Wenjian removed the stopper, looking up at her as he said, "It might sting a bit, bear with it."
Zhao Heng sat up, hands on her knees, tightly clutching the skirt, exerting so much force that her knuckles turned white.
"Got it."
Li Wenjian's hot palm grasped her ankle, as soon as he poured the powder onto her wound, she let out a low groan of pain, her calf trembling uncontrollably. Instinctively biting her lip, a faint hint of blood filled her mouth.
Li Wenjian looked up at her, his gaze falling on the tiny beads of sweat on her forehead, furrowing his brow, pausing slightly in the act of applying the medicine, before wrapping her foot layer by layer with gauze.
It wasn't a serious injury, although she may endure some suffering, it wasn't life-threatening.
Just as he finished bandaging her, Mu Gui came in to report, "Concubine Qiu, Concubine Mei, and Concubine An from the palace have all come upon hearing about the fire in Changqiu Hall."
Zhao Heng reached out to take the outer robe draped over the couch, but Li Wenjian held her hand.
Zhao Heng met his gaze and softly said, "The elders have come, I will go out and see."
"You should rest first," Li Wenjian replaced the medicine bottle, placed it back in the tray, and said to Zhao Heng, "I will go."
"But..." before she could finish her sentence, Li Wenjian suddenly bent down and lifted her up in his arms.
Li Wenjian carried her straight to the bed, laid her down, and smoothed out her skirt before saying, "There's nothing to worry about, you just rest. I'll be outside."
Standing in front of the bed, he was very close to Zhao Heng, his figure enveloping her completely. His gentle and solemn voice reassured Zhao Heng, who then closed her mouth contentedly.
After settling Zhao Heng, Li Wenjian turned and walked towards the door of the bedchamber.
Zhao Heng waited on the bed for Li Wenjian for a while, but as drowsiness gradually overcame her, she fell asleep without realizing it.
She was too tired, so she drifted off into a deep slumber.
In the later part of the night, Li Wenjian finally finished his busy tasks and returned to the bedchamber.
Upon his return, she was already fast asleep.
Her right foot was draped over her left leg, her upper body tightly curled up, her delicate frame shrunk into a small bundle.
Perhaps due to exhaustion, she slept relatively soundly.
Li Wenjian felt a slight sense of relief in his heart, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He gently separated her legs that were folded together, placed a soft cushion under her right ankle to improve blood circulation and ease the pain.
His gaze swept over her slightly moist eyes, and that unnamed, restrained fire within him couldn't help but rise again.
He couldn't continue like this.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Li Wenjian gazed intently at Zhao Heng's face in the thick darkness of the night, his brow furrowed.
Fetching another set of pillows and blankets from the cabinet, he extinguished the lamp in the room and lay down quietly beside her.
Her posture was straight as an arrow, sleeping perfectly still.
"Your Highness..."
Li Wenjian was about to close his eyes when he stopped abruptly, turning to look. Zhao Heng, with her eyes closed, was still asleep, perhaps due to the pain in her foot, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. Suddenly, she snuggled closer to him, unexpectedly hugging his arm tightly.
For a moment, he didn't know whether to let her continue embracing him or pull away.
Glancing at her in the dim light of the lightning, her face looked pale and weak.
Another fire, another thunderstrike, another injury.
Was she scared?
He wondered.
So, without pulling away, he allowed her to nestle closer to him, her petite and soft body pressing against him bit by bit.
Li Wenjian had never found sleeping so uncomfortable before, feeling flames hidden in his breath.
*
The next day, Zhao Heng woke up a bit late, and she wondered if the prince had quietly acupunctured her while she slept.
As soon as this thought crossed her mind, she shook her head to dismiss it. She had told the prince that she wanted to slowly overcome her nightmares on her own, and he wouldn't take the liberty to help her fall asleep secretly.
She had become so certain of the prince. Last night, the Changqiu Hall was hit by a fire, and luckily Zhao Heng managed to escape in time. If she had been slower, she could have been buried under the debris or burned alive in the hall.
In the morning, the palace was busy assessing the damages and investigating the cause of the fire.
With her foot injured, Zhao Heng couldn't go to the Arts Academy Hall for training. And she couldnt go to the Beast Garden. She entrusted the food box to Lian Zhou and instructed her clearly on how to feed the animals in the Beast Garden.
Lian Zhou nodded and had been to the Beast Garden with Zhao Heng a few times, so she wasn't afraid to go alone.
After seeing off Lian Zhou, Zhao Heng limped her way to the study, continuing her calligraphy practice.
She copied Li Wenjian's calligraphy meticulously, with the characters she practiced bearing a striking resemblance to his. If one wasn't familiar with his writing, it might be hard to distinguish between the two.
As she wrote, she heard Lin Mama calling from outside, "Master."
"Coming," Zhao Heng quickly swept the paper on the desk into a bundle, lit it from a candle, and threw it into the brazier before limping over to open the door.
"Lin Mama," she stood at the doorway, smiling warmly at Lin Mama.
"The prince ordered that you shouldn't move around casually," Lin Mama straightened her clothes and assisted her into the study, saying, "Sit down quickly."
A smile played at the corner of Zhao Heng's lips as she looked at the food box in Lin Mama's arms, "Did you bring me something delicious?"
"It was sent by Concubine An," Lin Mama placed the food box next to her, opening it to show her, "She said you were scared last night, so she made some date cakes from their hometown for you to eat."
"Ah," Zhao Heng exclaimed, "I mentioned to Concubine An that I like date cakes, and she said she would make some date cakes for me to try."
"She sent it over early in the morning, so she must have gotten up very early to make it," Lin Mama brought out the dish and placed it on a small table, "Concubine An is known for her thoughtfulness; it's no wonder everyone in the palace praises her."
Zhao Heng picked up a piece of date cake and tasted it; the flavor was surprisingly good, and her eyes curved like crescent moons, "It's delicious."
"Concubine An is renowned for her culinary skills, even the Emperor has to speak kindly if he wants to taste her cooking," Lin Mama remarked with a smile.
Zhao Heng said, "It's only right to reciprocate. Prepare some silk threads; I'll weave a few bracelets for the Seventh Princess and the Sixth Prince."
Weaving these small trinkets didn't take much effort, and she finished two bracelets in a little over half an hour.
The bracelets were adorned with tiny silver bells that jingled softly.
As Zhao Heng had difficulty moving around, she had them delivered by Bing Tao.
When Bing Tao went to deliver the bracelets, Xie Tinghuan was embroidering under the window.
Seeing Concubine An holding the little Seventh Princess and wearing the string of bracelets with small bells, Xie Tinghuan couldn't help but mutter, "How tacky."
Concubine An gave her a glance, "Even small things carry significance. I gave her homemade pastries in the morning, and she repaid with handmade bracelets in the afternoon. This shows enough wisdom in handling one's relationships with others. You, on the other hand, are criticizing something as trivial as this."
Xie Tinghuan was left speechless by her words for a moment, but she was curious about another matter: "Was the fire in the East Palace really severe last night?"
She had never liked Zhao Heng, and this morning she was pleased to hear that the Changqiu Hall was struck by lightning, causing a fire.
"I heard that the sleeping hall was completely burned down." Concubine An hesitated for a moment, then sighed deeply.
Xie Tinghuan simply muttered an "Oh", feeling somewhat regretful. How fortunate she was that she wasn't burned to death. Disappointed, she thought about going to tell Wang Ruoyu and the others about this "good news", making up a casual excuse and rushing out.
Concubine An watched her niece with a frown, tightened her brows even more, and after helping Xiao Qi (Little Seventh) put on her bracelet, she got ready to go to the Mingguang Hall to meet Li Chengxuan who was about to finish school.
*
Returning to the room, Lian Zhou shook her head at Zhao Heng.
It still had little effect, far from what she had expected.
Although Zhao Heng had always told herself that haste makes waste, upon learning of this result, she couldn't help but lower her eyes, disappointment seeping through her gaze uncontrollably.
"Master..." Lian Zhou frowned, hesitantly said, "Should we... tell His Highness about this matter? He..."
Zhaoheng shook her head, saying, "No."
She gently lowered her head, having already asked him, his determination was as solid as a rock, and it couldn't be changed by asking again.
Lian Zhou's face was filled with worry, "But..."
"Isn't it still not the last day yet?" Zhao Heng smiled at her, "Even if this doesn't work on the last day, there are still other ways."
Just then, Li Nanxi ran in with quick steps.
"Sister A Heng, are you hurt?" She almost pounced into Zhao Heng's arms.
Zhao Heng hugged her, and Li Nanxi's small face frowned, asking, "Where did you get hurt?"
Zhao Heng smiled and said, "I accidentally stepped on a piece of tile and got a few cuts on my foot, nothing serious."
Li Nanxi looked down at the thick bandage on her foot, furrowed her brows, and asked, "Does it hurt a lot?"
"It doesn't hurt anymore." Zhao Heng rubbed Li Nanxi's hair, "Don't worry, Little Eight."
"Okay!" Li Nanxi took out a notebook from her pocket and gave it to Zhao Heng, "This is Mr. Xie's notes from today's lecture, let me lend it to you to read."
Zhao Heng smiled, her eyes crinkling, "You're so kind, Little Eight. I was thinking today about what to do if I fell behind in my studies."
Li Nanxi blushed at her praise and said, "You take care of your injury, take your medicine obediently, and I'll make sure to keep good notes for you every day."
While they were talking, Mu Gui came to report that the Ministry of Works had already inspected her quarters and they were almost completely destroyed by the fire. If repairs started now, it would take at least half a year to fix.
Zhao Heng wasn't worried about having nowhere to stay, with so many palaces in the East Palace, she could easily find a place to stay.
She thought she would ask His Highness about his opinion when he returned in the evening.
"You have nowhere to live?" Li Nanxi widened her eyes and asked in surprise.
Zhao Heng nodded, "Yes, the place I lived was struck by lightning, burned by fire, and then washed away by water."
"Ahâ" Li Nanxi blinked in surprise.
How unfortunate.
*
Li Nanxi returned to the inner palace, full of thoughts.
Gazing unexpectedly at the Emperor whom she hadn't seen in a long time, she hurriedly rushed over and threw herself into his arms, "Father, I haven't seen you in so long."
The Emperor smiled, patting her two round little hair buns, "Yes, Father has been very busy lately, hasn't had time to see Little Eight."
"The Emperor is the ruler of a country, naturally, national affairs take priority." Li Nanxi, unusually not being a brat, nodded seriously, paused, then climbed onto his lap, "Father, why aren't you hugging me?"
Li Wenjian sat opposite the Emperor, seeing her rough movements, worried she might hurt him, frowned and said, "Little Eight, don't cling to the Emperor."
However, the Emperor laughed and held Li Nanxi in his arms, making Li Wenjian take a sharp breath, "Father!"
The Emperor turned to look at him and said, "You haven't been a father, if you were a father, you would know, no matter what, a father can easily pick up his children."
Li Wenjian was momentarily speechless, bitterness pooling in his eyes.
Dusk crept in through the window, the father and son playing chess by the window, while Li Nanxi peeked at the game board from the Emperor's embrace, then turned her head to watch the setting sun outside.
The scene was peaceful and beautiful.
The Empress, watching this scene under the twilight, hearing their laughter, involuntarily halted in her steps, leaning against the door frame, quietly watching her husband and children.
The scene before her eyes inexplicably moved her.
In the evening, both Li Wenjian and Li Nanxi stayed in the inner palace to have dinner with the Empress.
Li Nanxi climbed onto the table, using chopsticks to pick a piece of fish for each person.
The Emperor looked at the fish in the bowl, praising her with a smile, "When did our Little Eight become so sensible?"
"Sister A Heng told me I had grown up, and adults should learn to take care of the Emperor and Empress, share their worries for you." Li Nanxi turned her face towards the Emperor and asked, "Father, have I shared your worries?"
The Emperor laughed heartily, "Yes, as long as Little Eight is here, Father is carefree just like you."
"But I have worries!" Li Nanxi suddenly said.
The Emperor furrowed his brows, spoke gently, "Little Eight, tell me about your worries, let's see if Father can reciprocate and share them with you."
Li Nanxi blinked her eyes, said in a sweet tone, "Sister A Heng's chamber was struck by lightning, burned, washed away by rain, and now she can only scrape by and survive with the Crown Prince... she's so pitiful."
Scrape by and survive?
So pitiful?
Li Wenjian casually glanced at Li Nanxi, his pupils suddenly contracting.
Li Nanxi tugged at the Emperor's sleeve, gently swaying it, using a coquettish tone, "Father, can I let Sister A Heng come live with me? My bed is big! It can fit several more people!"
The Empress chuckled, "Our Little Eight is up to her old tricks again."
"Not at all! Sister A Heng said that when assessing someone, you shouldn't just look at their appearance, you should look at their character!" Li Nanxi's cheeks puffed out slightly, a bit unhappy. "I really like Sister A Heng, she's so gentle, so gentle!"
She clenched her small fist, nodding affirmatively, "She's really gentle!"
The Emperor turned to Li Wenjian, puzzled, "Is she really that gentle?"
The little one had already confirmed her gentleness with a clenched fist.
Images flashed through Li Wenjian's mind - the graceful curve of her neck as she wrote with a bowed head, the slightly red fingertips as she served porridge, the gentle tremor at the corners of her eyes as she slept, the calm and inexplicable strength in her unrushed tone...
Unconsciously, he nodded.
The Emperor glanced at Li Nanxi, "I don't know about the gentleness, but she seems good at teaching children."
Little Eight followed her lead, and she taught her well.
-*
Li Wenjian was not there, so Zhao Heng went to the study after having her meal.
She had just written a few words when the study door opened, she turned her head and saw Li Wenjian walk in, a slight hint of surprise in her eyes.
Today, he had his meal at the East Palace, which meant that the Emperor's condition had improved. She thought he would stay by the Emperor's side for a while before returning.
"Your Highness, you're back?" Zhaoheng stood up. "There is something I wanted to discuss with you."
"Hmm." Li Wenjian glanced at her gentle demeanor and said, "By the way, the Ministry of Works said the Changqiu Hall may take about half a year to be repaired. I have been the only one living in the East Palace these years, many of the palaces are in disrepair. I plan to renovate all of them while the weather is warm, to prevent such incidents from happening again. During this period, you can temporarily stay in the Chengming Hall."
Zhao Heng suddenly looked up at Li Wenjian, astonishment shimmering in her water-like eyes.
After a while, Li Wenjian shifted his gaze away from her eyes and a faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his lips. "By the way, you mentioned there was something you wanted to discuss? What is it?"
âââ
Author's note:
Little Eight: Brother and sister-in-law have no fate, all thanks to me playing matchmaker.
I might test positive covid, went for a nucleic acid test this afternoon, still waiting for the results. If it's positive, I won't go to work tomorrow, I'll just stay home and go crazy!
Gagaga, charge!