His trust was her greatest source of confidence. Even if she failed and died together with these thousands of commoners, she would feel it was worth it.
At least she was not trapped in Bianjing quarreling with a bunch of women like in her previous life. She had escaped from the confined rear courtyard and worked hard by the vast Li River for the commoners' survival.
Zhao Changdu's brow quirked slightly, his gaze falling softly and fondly on the girl's fair nose tip.
One could tell from her voluntary assistance of him since childhood that this lass had innate rebelliousness. She was not an ordinary young lady confined to the rear courtyard, nor was she the rumored ignorant and stupid person. She was born to a prestigious family, tough, intelligent, composed, with righteousness and kindness deep in her bones.
He loved her righteousness and brightness.
He knew about the means she had used to deal with Shen Ruoxu in the camp, and about the schemes during the winter hunting convention that brought Gu Jia and Jiang Yin together.
Some said she was sinister, and others said she was ruthless.
On the contrary, he knew she was kind. Her kindness was different from others’, with thorns and a hint of fierceness.
This fierceness made her even more charming.
Who made her and him cut from the same cloth?
Zhao Changdu's eyes were deep with meaning as his thin lips kissed her from the nose tip all the way to her soft lips.
He breathed heavily and said, "I can promise you, but you must also promise me to let me know in advance whatever you do, and not hurt yourself and our unborn child."
Gu Ying was breathless from his fierce, mad kisses. "Alright," she whispered weakly.
Zhao Changdu knew he could not stop her. It would be better to support her than to have her scheme behind his back. "I’ll give you a few elite soldiers. Go ahead bravely with whatever you want to do. I’ll cover you for anything that happens."
Gu Ying nodded gently. "Um!" she smiled.
After the discussion in bed, Zhao Changdu got up and put a clean, thick black kerchief on the table. "Ying, remember to put this on later no matter what you do."
"Okay," Gu Ying answered as she got off the bed and went to the pear wood box in the study to grab a set of the Prince’s casual robes to wrap around herself. She also picked a leather belt to tighten her waist.
"Since the plague is getting worse, all people I could send out are out. Only Huai Bi is left to run errands in this huge Qingjiang Villa.
"When I was alone, anything would do. With no one to serve me I just ate carelessly whatever was sent over by kind commoners. But now there is a young lady with me, and she’s pregnant, so I have to be particular about things and make sure she’s not neglected."
He intended to call Yin Lan over to take care of her.
Gu Ying shook her head. "Yin Lan has a cold and needs to take care of Huai An. She’s too busy to come over. Also, I don’t want her to come."
She guessed this plague was caused by someone poisoning the public, but she was not completely sure. She didn’t want Yin Lan to take the risk with her.
It was best for the girl to stay at the Ning residence. She was just worried Yin Lan wouldn’t obediently stay with the Nings.
Never mind. They would deal with it when the time came.
Gu Ying put aside her thoughts, tidied up her dressing with the oversized prince robes whose sleeves she had to tuck.
Seeing her in his clothes looking like a lovely little bean, Zhao Changdu hooked up a smile and pulled her over to help her straighten up. "This afternoon I’ll have outfits tailored for you. For now you look quite sweet in my robe."
His low, husky voice carried rippling ambiguities. Blushing madly, Gu Ying raised her eyes. "It smells like your rich fragrance, which makes me feel secure."
Zhao Changdu stroked her tender cheek, his eyes deepened. "Let me do your hair."
Gu Ying sat quietly as the man's long fingers threaded through her hair and swiftly put it in a nice bun.
"Ah Du, you’re so good at this. I can’t even do my own hair this nicely."
Zhao Changdu admired his work satisfied. The girl was peerlessly beautiful without any makeup, naturally pretty with rosy lips and white teeth, snowy skin, and a pair of bright spirited eyes.
He was quite stirred by her beauty and couldn’t help wanting to kiss her. Just then, Huai Bi knocked on the door from outside.
"Sir, Master Zhuge asks you to go to the pharmacy."
Interrupted, Zhao Changdu closed his eyes, his face sullen.
Amused, Gu Ying tiptoed and swiftly kissed his chin. "Go ahead, Ah Du. Don’t mind me. I’ll come to you shortly."
Zhao Changdu endured his urge and hugged her. "Have Huai Bi follow you. He’s got better Kung Fu than Huai An. Remember to eat. I’ll have food sent to you."
Gu Ying nodded. Watching the man arrogantly wearing her perfume bag out the door, she smiled gently.
Uneasily hugging his sword, Huai Bi let out an awkward laugh seeing Gu Ying come out with a black kerchief. "Madam...I'll bring food for you now..."
"You are Huai Bi?" Gu Ying asked.
"Yes madam, at your service," Huai Bi lowered his head.
Gu Ying glanced amused. "Have we met before?"
"Er..." Huai Bi froze. He had once suspected her affair with Jiang Yin and stalked her, reporting all her activities to his master. That night the master was in very bad mood after visiting the Nings when she was buying abortion medicine. Though the master finally calmed down after some unknown interaction with Madam, Huai Bi had always looked down on her shady relationship with Jiang Yin.
He had never expected to be assigned under this woman’s command today...The two felt somewhat awkward.
Knowing many Qilin Army fellows disliked her, Gu Ying let it go with a laugh. "Please find two more men. We need to make a trip to the Yueyang Prefecture Government."
Without a word, Huai Bi brought Huai Ying and Huai Ling with him to silently follow behind the woman.
Though taller than average women, she looked insignificant compared to them - men nearing 1.8 meters tall.
They exchanged confused glances with each other, wondering what business this petite young lady could possibly have that required them to tag along.
They were dissatisfied and contemptuous. Ever since bringing Madam Gu over last night, they felt she knew nothing beyond her inner chamber life and was oblivious about everything else, only caring about her private affair with the Prince regardless of the commoners in Yueyang. After coming to the Villa she had just been messing with the Prince. The Prince had been busy with the plague and went days without rest. Now she came interrupting again. Was she thinking the Prince was not tired enough?
His trust was her greatest source of confidence. Even if she failed and died together with these thousands of commoners, she would feel it was worth it.
At least she was not trapped in Bianjing quarreling with a bunch of women like in her previous life. She had escaped from the confined rear courtyard and worked hard by the vast Li River for the commoners' survival.
Zhao Changdu's brow quirked slightly, his gaze falling softly and fondly on the girl's fair nose tip.
One could tell from her voluntary assistance of him since childhood that this lass had innate rebelliousness. She was not an ordinary young lady confined to the rear courtyard, nor was she the rumored ignorant and stupid person. She was born to a prestigious family, tough, intelligent, composed, with righteousness and kindness deep in her bones.
He loved her righteousness and brightness.
He knew about the means she had used to deal with Shen Ruoxu in the camp, and about the schemes during the winter hunting convention that brought Gu Jia and Jiang Yin together.
Some said she was sinister, and others said she was ruthless.
On the contrary, he knew she was kind. Her kindness was different from others’, with thorns and a hint of fierceness.
This fierceness made her even more charming.
Who made her and him cut from the same cloth?
Zhao Changdu's eyes were deep with meaning as his thin lips kissed her from the nose tip all the way to her soft lips.
He breathed heavily and said, "I can promise you, but you must also promise me to let me know in advance whatever you do, and not hurt yourself and our unborn child."
Gu Ying was breathless from his fierce, mad kisses. "Alright," she whispered weakly.
Zhao Changdu knew he could not stop her. It would be better to support her than to have her scheme behind his back. "I’ll give you a few elite soldiers. Go ahead bravely with whatever you want to do. I’ll cover you for anything that happens."
Gu Ying nodded gently. "Um!" she smiled.
After the discussion in bed, Zhao Changdu got up and put a clean, thick black kerchief on the table. "Ying, remember to put this on later no matter what you do."
"Okay," Gu Ying answered as she got off the bed and went to the pear wood box in the study to grab a set of the Prince’s casual robes to wrap around herself. She also picked a leather belt to tighten her waist.
"Since the plague is getting worse, all people I could send out are out. Only Huai Bi is left to run errands in this huge Qingjiang Villa.
"When I was alone, anything would do. With no one to serve me I just ate carelessly whatever was sent over by kind commoners. But now there is a young lady with me, and she’s pregnant, so I have to be particular about things and make sure she’s not neglected."
He intended to call Yin Lan over to take care of her.
Gu Ying shook her head. "Yin Lan has a cold and needs to take care of Huai An. She’s too busy to come over. Also, I don’t want her to come."
She guessed this plague was caused by someone poisoning the public, but she was not completely sure. She didn’t want Yin Lan to take the risk with her.
It was best for the girl to stay at the Ning residence. She was just worried Yin Lan wouldn’t obediently stay with the Nings.
Never mind. They would deal with it when the time came.
Gu Ying put aside her thoughts, tidied up her dressing with the oversized prince robes whose sleeves she had to tuck.
Seeing her in his clothes looking like a lovely little bean, Zhao Changdu hooked up a smile and pulled her over to help her straighten up. "This afternoon I’ll have outfits tailored for you. For now you look quite sweet in my robe."
His low, husky voice carried rippling ambiguities. Blushing madly, Gu Ying raised her eyes. "It smells like your rich fragrance, which makes me feel secure."
Zhao Changdu stroked her tender cheek, his eyes deepened. "Let me do your hair."
Gu Ying sat quietly as the man's long fingers threaded through her hair and swiftly put it in a nice bun.
"Ah Du, you’re so good at this. I can’t even do my own hair this nicely."
Zhao Changdu admired his work satisfied. The girl was peerlessly beautiful without any makeup, naturally pretty with rosy lips and white teeth, snowy skin, and a pair of bright spirited eyes.
He was quite stirred by her beauty and couldn’t help wanting to kiss her. Just then, Huai Bi knocked on the door from outside.
"Sir, Master Zhuge asks you to go to the pharmacy."
Interrupted, Zhao Changdu closed his eyes, his face sullen.
Amused, Gu Ying tiptoed and swiftly kissed his chin. "Go ahead, Ah Du. Don’t mind me. I’ll come to you shortly."
Zhao Changdu endured his urge and hugged her. "Have Huai Bi follow you. He’s got better Kung Fu than Huai An. Remember to eat. I’ll have food sent to you."
Gu Ying nodded. Watching the man arrogantly wearing her perfume bag out the door, she smiled gently.
Uneasily hugging his sword, Huai Bi let out an awkward laugh seeing Gu Ying come out with a black kerchief. "Madam...I'll bring food for you now..."
"You are Huai Bi?" Gu Ying asked.
"Yes madam, at your service," Huai Bi lowered his head.
Gu Ying glanced amused. "Have we met before?"
"Er..." Huai Bi froze. He had once suspected her affair with Jiang Yin and stalked her, reporting all her activities to his master. That night the master was in very bad mood after visiting the Nings when she was buying abortion medicine. Though the master finally calmed down after some unknown interaction with Madam, Huai Bi had always looked down on her shady relationship with Jiang Yin.
He had never expected to be assigned under this woman’s command today...The two felt somewhat awkward.
Knowing many Qilin Army fellows disliked her, Gu Ying let it go with a laugh. "Please find two more men. We need to make a trip to the Yueyang Prefecture Government."
Without a word, Huai Bi brought Huai Ying and Huai Ling with him to silently follow behind the woman.
Though taller than average women, she looked insignificant compared to them - men nearing 1.8 meters tall.
They exchanged confused glances with each other, wondering what business this petite young lady could possibly have that required them to tag along.
They were dissatisfied and contemptuous. Ever since bringing Madam Gu over last night, they felt she knew nothing beyond her inner chamber life and was oblivious about everything else, only caring about her private affair with the Prince regardless of the commoners in Yueyang. After coming to the Villa she had just been messing with the Prince. The Prince had been busy with the plague and went days without rest. Now she came interrupting again. Was she thinking the Prince was not tired enough?
