Although Zhao Rou had not come, Cheng's behavior undoubtedly told her that she had an intimate relationship with Zhao Rou, and Zhao Rou might even be related to Mrs. Lin's death back then...
How could this be?
She was the Crown Prince's aunt... She couldn't have harmed the Crown Prince's birth mother!
Gu Ying shook her head and quickly dismissed this absurd idea from her mind. She picked up Yuan Xing's information and read it carefully.
Yuan Xing, a lecturer at the Hanlin Academy, passed the imperial examination in the first year of Tianqi's reign. He soon received an official position, first serving as a judicial aide in several places for a few years, then was promoted to county magistrate, and later became a prefect. When he grew older, he found a way to enter Bianjing and became a lecturer at the Hanlin Academy like today. His position was not high, but he was highly respected for recommending talents.
Usually, this person kept a low profile. Apart from going in and out of the Hanlin Academy, he rarely interacted with others.
He was well-versed in the classics and erudite in many fields, focusing on scholarship and having taught many children of nobles.
Even Zhao Changxing had been his student once.
Seeing this, Gu Ying's eyes grew cold. Cheng, Cheng... how bold of you, doing this right under the Son of Heaven's nose, in the Grand Duke's residence! She even sent her son right in front of his birth father!
"What are you looking at?"
The man's low voice brought Gu Ying back from her thoughts. Gu Ying unconsciously tried to hide Yuan Xing's information.
Zhao Changdu's features were chiseled and handsome. He stretched out two slender, bony fingers to grasp her fair wrist, glanced up, sat down beside her, and looked at the name on the paper.
"Yuan from the Hanlin Academy?"
Gu Ying carefully licked the corner of her mouth. "Yes... Zhao Changxing's birth father."
Zhao Changdu looked at her mockingly. Of course he already knew what Gu Ying had found out, but recently he had been busy with military affairs and hadn't devoted much attention to it.
He looked up and down Yuan Xing's information a few times, feeling that Zhao Hui's life had been an utter failure. He let go of the woman who loved him and kept a woman who didn't love him and cuckolded him by his side for so many years - how ridiculous!
Gu Ying saw the extremely sinister look in the man's eyes again, and a sense of invisible pressure climbed onto her heart. "Ah Du, I know you feel terrible, but please give me a few more days. I will definitely avenge our mother."
The man's fierce gaze was obscured by his thick, long lashes. Looking at the cute appearance of the little girl grinding her teeth, Zhao Changdu suddenly chuckled lightly and put his arm around her waist, gently saying, "Ah Rong, thank you."
Seeing the man's softened gaze, Gu Ying relaxed slightly. She leaned her head on his shoulder, held his fingers in her little hand, and said, "This is what I should do for you. Cheng's behavior is really disgusting. Such a person is simply unworthy of living in the Duke's residence. Moreover, I think it's better if our home is clean and tidy, with fewer troublemakers, so that our residence can be more peaceful."
Zhao Changdu murmured in agreement, looking quite calm.
Gu Ying glanced at him doubtfully several times.
The man leisurely raised his eyebrows, and rubbed her soft waist with his big hand. "What are you looking at your husband for?"
"Oh, why isn't Ah Du angry today?"
"Why should your husband be angry?" Zhao Changdu stretched out his finger and fondly pinched the girl's nose. "Anger is a sign of weakness. Does my wife think your husband is a weakling who can do nothing?"
Gu Ying was not stingy with her praise at all. She pursed her red lips and nodded. "Of course not. In my eyes, there is no man in this world more wise and martial than Ah Du. What's more, you are the War God of Dongli, the cold Yama who strikes fear into the Qiang people!"
Zhao Changdu laughed contentedly. The girl's beautiful eyes were filled with shimmering water as she looked at him wholeheartedly. Her appearance was too alluring.
His gaze darkened as he simply picked her up and threw her onto the brocade quilt in the canopy bed, thoroughly enjoying her company and neglecting even the evening meal.
Gu Ying indulged him given his mood recently.
Finally, she barely satisfied him and was left hot all over by him, nestling weakly in the quilt.
Her breathing was chaotic, and faint sounds escaped from the corners of her lips as she pleaded for him to stop, but she still felt unwell.
Especially since she was pregnant, it was somewhat inconvenient.
A man who had tasted meat had greater needs in that area. Yet the Crown Prince wholeheartedly devoted himself to one woman.
Gu Ying knew he was suffering too, but she really could not openly take concubines for the Crown Prince.
She was willing to work harder, pleasing the Crown Prince more in bed, rather than letting him go to other women.
Zhao Changdu propped himself up halfway and looked down at her flushed cheeks. His gaze moved down and settled on her full, swollen chest.
The girl's figure had developed even more spectacularly after getting pregnant... Especially that soft pair of jade rabbits that he couldn't stop fondling.
His gaze was deep and dark, seeming to form a whirlpool to suck her in.
Gu Ying was experienced and naturally knew something was amiss from his gaze. She panicked and turned her face away, rolling over to get off the bed. "I'm dirty, I have to go bathe first..."
Zhao Changdu hugged her from behind and pulled her back, leaning by the blushing girl's ear. His voice was low and hoarse. "I'm the one who dirtied you. I'll carry you there."
Gu Ying's legs went soft and she almost couldn't stand. "No need, Ah Du..."
Zhao Changdu murmured, "Didn't we just see everything? Why are you still so shy, Ah Rong?"
Gu Ying bit her lip tightly. "I didn't see everything clearly..."
When they were entwined, she had nearly shed all her clothes while he had only bared his sturdy chest.
Zhao Changdu grasped her soft, limp hand and slowly interlaced their fingers. He chuckled, "You smell so nice, Ah Rong."
Feeling his scorching breath on her ear, Gu Ying could barely speak. Her voice trembled. "I was wrong, it's better if my husband carries me."
"Mm, knowing your mistakes and correcting them is the greatest virtue," the man's voice was husky and sexy. He effortlessly picked Gu Ying up and entered the bathing chamber.
After more frolicking, Zhao Changdu finally allowed her to get out of the warm water. He dried her body with his own hands, patiently helped her put her clothes back on, and wrung her hair dry.
These trivial female affairs were originally Yin Lan and Yanzhi's duties. Now whenever Zhao Changdu was free, he would do them for Gu Ying.
Yin Lan and Yanzhi waited outside, listening to the sounds from the room. They looked at each other, both blushing.
"Sister Yin Lan, should we go in and ask the mistress to come out for dinner? The evening meal has been heated up several times already. If we don't eat it soon, it won't be able to be heated anymore."
The little maid was innocent and unaware of worldly affairs. She actually still thought of going in to disturb the masters at this time. Yin Lan pursed her lips and pulled the blushing girl away from the door, teasing, "Don't go in, didn't you hear the Crown Prince talking with the mistress?"
Although Zhao Rou had not come, Cheng's behavior undoubtedly told her that she had an intimate relationship with Zhao Rou, and Zhao Rou might even be related to Mrs. Lin's death back then...
How could this be?
She was the Crown Prince's aunt... She couldn't have harmed the Crown Prince's birth mother!
Gu Ying shook her head and quickly dismissed this absurd idea from her mind. She picked up Yuan Xing's information and read it carefully.
Yuan Xing, a lecturer at the Hanlin Academy, passed the imperial examination in the first year of Tianqi's reign. He soon received an official position, first serving as a judicial aide in several places for a few years, then was promoted to county magistrate, and later became a prefect. When he grew older, he found a way to enter Bianjing and became a lecturer at the Hanlin Academy like today. His position was not high, but he was highly respected for recommending talents.
Usually, this person kept a low profile. Apart from going in and out of the Hanlin Academy, he rarely interacted with others.
He was well-versed in the classics and erudite in many fields, focusing on scholarship and having taught many children of nobles.
Even Zhao Changxing had been his student once.
Seeing this, Gu Ying's eyes grew cold. Cheng, Cheng... how bold of you, doing this right under the Son of Heaven's nose, in the Grand Duke's residence! She even sent her son right in front of his birth father!
"What are you looking at?"
The man's low voice brought Gu Ying back from her thoughts. Gu Ying unconsciously tried to hide Yuan Xing's information.
Zhao Changdu's features were chiseled and handsome. He stretched out two slender, bony fingers to grasp her fair wrist, glanced up, sat down beside her, and looked at the name on the paper.
"Yuan from the Hanlin Academy?"
Gu Ying carefully licked the corner of her mouth. "Yes... Zhao Changxing's birth father."
Zhao Changdu looked at her mockingly. Of course he already knew what Gu Ying had found out, but recently he had been busy with military affairs and hadn't devoted much attention to it.
He looked up and down Yuan Xing's information a few times, feeling that Zhao Hui's life had been an utter failure. He let go of the woman who loved him and kept a woman who didn't love him and cuckolded him by his side for so many years - how ridiculous!
Gu Ying saw the extremely sinister look in the man's eyes again, and a sense of invisible pressure climbed onto her heart. "Ah Du, I know you feel terrible, but please give me a few more days. I will definitely avenge our mother."
The man's fierce gaze was obscured by his thick, long lashes. Looking at the cute appearance of the little girl grinding her teeth, Zhao Changdu suddenly chuckled lightly and put his arm around her waist, gently saying, "Ah Rong, thank you."
Seeing the man's softened gaze, Gu Ying relaxed slightly. She leaned her head on his shoulder, held his fingers in her little hand, and said, "This is what I should do for you. Cheng's behavior is really disgusting. Such a person is simply unworthy of living in the Duke's residence. Moreover, I think it's better if our home is clean and tidy, with fewer troublemakers, so that our residence can be more peaceful."
Zhao Changdu murmured in agreement, looking quite calm.
Gu Ying glanced at him doubtfully several times.
The man leisurely raised his eyebrows, and rubbed her soft waist with his big hand. "What are you looking at your husband for?"
"Oh, why isn't Ah Du angry today?"
"Why should your husband be angry?" Zhao Changdu stretched out his finger and fondly pinched the girl's nose. "Anger is a sign of weakness. Does my wife think your husband is a weakling who can do nothing?"
Gu Ying was not stingy with her praise at all. She pursed her red lips and nodded. "Of course not. In my eyes, there is no man in this world more wise and martial than Ah Du. What's more, you are the War God of Dongli, the cold Yama who strikes fear into the Qiang people!"
Zhao Changdu laughed contentedly. The girl's beautiful eyes were filled with shimmering water as she looked at him wholeheartedly. Her appearance was too alluring.
His gaze darkened as he simply picked her up and threw her onto the brocade quilt in the canopy bed, thoroughly enjoying her company and neglecting even the evening meal.
Gu Ying indulged him given his mood recently.
Finally, she barely satisfied him and was left hot all over by him, nestling weakly in the quilt.
Her breathing was chaotic, and faint sounds escaped from the corners of her lips as she pleaded for him to stop, but she still felt unwell.
Especially since she was pregnant, it was somewhat inconvenient.
A man who had tasted meat had greater needs in that area. Yet the Crown Prince wholeheartedly devoted himself to one woman.
Gu Ying knew he was suffering too, but she really could not openly take concubines for the Crown Prince.
She was willing to work harder, pleasing the Crown Prince more in bed, rather than letting him go to other women.
Zhao Changdu propped himself up halfway and looked down at her flushed cheeks. His gaze moved down and settled on her full, swollen chest.
The girl's figure had developed even more spectacularly after getting pregnant... Especially that soft pair of jade rabbits that he couldn't stop fondling.
His gaze was deep and dark, seeming to form a whirlpool to suck her in.
Gu Ying was experienced and naturally knew something was amiss from his gaze. She panicked and turned her face away, rolling over to get off the bed. "I'm dirty, I have to go bathe first..."
Zhao Changdu hugged her from behind and pulled her back, leaning by the blushing girl's ear. His voice was low and hoarse. "I'm the one who dirtied you. I'll carry you there."
Gu Ying's legs went soft and she almost couldn't stand. "No need, Ah Du..."
Zhao Changdu murmured, "Didn't we just see everything? Why are you still so shy, Ah Rong?"
Gu Ying bit her lip tightly. "I didn't see everything clearly..."
When they were entwined, she had nearly shed all her clothes while he had only bared his sturdy chest.
Zhao Changdu grasped her soft, limp hand and slowly interlaced their fingers. He chuckled, "You smell so nice, Ah Rong."
Feeling his scorching breath on her ear, Gu Ying could barely speak. Her voice trembled. "I was wrong, it's better if my husband carries me."
"Mm, knowing your mistakes and correcting them is the greatest virtue," the man's voice was husky and sexy. He effortlessly picked Gu Ying up and entered the bathing chamber.
After more frolicking, Zhao Changdu finally allowed her to get out of the warm water. He dried her body with his own hands, patiently helped her put her clothes back on, and wrung her hair dry.
These trivial female affairs were originally Yin Lan and Yanzhi's duties. Now whenever Zhao Changdu was free, he would do them for Gu Ying.
Yin Lan and Yanzhi waited outside, listening to the sounds from the room. They looked at each other, both blushing.
"Sister Yin Lan, should we go in and ask the mistress to come out for dinner? The evening meal has been heated up several times already. If we don't eat it soon, it won't be able to be heated anymore."
The little maid was innocent and unaware of worldly affairs. She actually still thought of going in to disturb the masters at this time. Yin Lan pursed her lips and pulled the blushing girl away from the door, teasing, "Don't go in, didn't you hear the Crown Prince talking with the mistress?"
