Chapter 42
Chapter 42
News that the Crown Prince had been attacked in the imperial garden spread swiftly through the palace.
The emperor flew into a rage. He ordered his men to turn over every stone in the kingdom until they found the mastermind.
Panic gripped the palace. Armed imperial guards patrolled everywhere, stopping and questioning anyone who appeared remotely suspicious.
Naturally, none of this had anything to do with Shengsheng.
She remained at the bedside of the unconscious Zhiyu Jiang.
To avoid attracting the imperial physician’s attention, Shengsheng dared only feed Zhiyu a bottle of anti-inflammatory medicine redeemed from A-Pang. It also provided a little relief from the pain.
She left treatment of the actual wound entirely to the physician.
At one point, Weiqing sent Jian Zhang to see her. When Jian arrived with a group of servants and confiscated every reward Weiqing had given her, she nearly fainted on the spot.
Everyone claimed the Crown Prince had been injured during the assassination and now had to remain in the Eastern Palace to recover.
Shengsheng knew the truth.
She had merely kicked him a little too hard and caused a minor problem with his waist. She had been saving his life!
Ungrateful wretch!
Heartless ingrate!
Remembering those chests of rare treasures, Shengsheng sank her teeth viciously into the apple in her hand and pretended it was Weiqing’s head.
“Mm… Was that not meant for me?”
The voice was faint and hoarse.
Shengsheng turned toward the bed in delight.
“Xiaoyu! You are awake! Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? Would you like some water? Are you hungry?”
Zhiyu pouted and nodded. “So hungry.”
“Here, drink some water first.”
Shengsheng helped her sit up and gave her a little water. Then she peeled another apple, sliced it into small pieces, and fed them to her one at a time.
“Eat some apple for now. I will make you porridge in a little while.”
Zhiyu nodded obediently. Her small face, pale from blood loss, looked pitiful.
Shengsheng stroked her newly thinned cheek with an aching heart.
“You finally managed to put on a little weight, and now it is gone again. You must never take a risk like that next time. Do you understand? You were lucky the arrow struck your shoulder. A little lower, and it would have pierced your heart. You would have died.”
Zhiyu did not argue. She simply nodded again and again.
“I understand.”
Privately, she thought she would do it again.
She was the chosen one, after all.
***
When word reached Weiqing that Zhiyu had awakened, he was lying flat on his bed. He immediately sent Jian to summon Shengsheng for personal service.
Shengsheng took one look at his dark expression, bowed with impeccable propriety, and addressed him cautiously.
“Your Highness, this servant prepared something for you to eat. Would you like to try it?”
Her tone was coaxing.
Weiqing glanced at her. “Bring it here.”
*Good thing I made extra. Otherwise, there would not have been enough for everyone.*
Shengsheng carried the food box to his bedside and knelt. She lifted the bowl, scooped up a spoonful of porridge, and held it to his lips.
Weiqing regarded her with displeasure.
The audacity of this woman! She dared palm someone else’s leftovers off on him.
“I do not want it.”
Shengsheng paused. “Your Highness, please have a little. It smells wonderful.”
Weiqing narrowed his eyes. “Do you take me for a child who needs coaxing?”
“Then is Your Highness eating or not? If not, this servant will take it away.”
She made as if to withdraw the spoon.
“You have considerable nerve.”
His stern voice pressed down upon her. Yet the palace maid who should have dropped to her knees in terror did not seem frightened at all.
Instead, she sounded deeply exasperated.
“Then what does Your Highness want from this servant? You will not eat, but you will not let me leave. Would you prefer that I warm your bed?”
*You miserable bastard! You took back my entire fortune. What more do you want from me?*
At the words “warm your bed,” Weiqing raised an eyebrow.
“Xiaohong has grown bold. You even dare climb into my bed now.”
Shengsheng shook her head and denied it.
Had Weiqing agreed, she had intended to smother the bastard with a pillow. Taking a person’s wealth was no different from murdering their parents. They could perish together!
Weiqing, who had been about to order her into the bed, fell silent.
Was there anything this woman did not dare to do?
“Your Highness?” Shengsheng called again.
He drew a deep breath and prepared to order her out. Then something occurred to him.
“What did Prince Shen say to you?”
Shengsheng had no idea why he was asking, but she honestly repeated their entire conversation from that day.
All her talk of carnal pleasure, passion between men and women, and affairs of the bed made Weiqing’s head ache.
“So that is how it is. I wondered why Xiaohong had suddenly volunteered to warm my bed. It seems you learned a few things from Prince Shen.”
Learned what?
Shengsheng was baffled.
“Since Xiaohong insists, come up and warm my bed.”
Her eyes widened.
Surely he was joking?
*I was kidding! Why are you so willing to play along?*
“What is the matter, Xiaohong? Did you not hear my order?”
Weiqing finally understood.
Shengsheng was nothing more than a paper tiger.
Faced with his unwavering attitude, Shengsheng set down the food box and approached with grim resolve.
*You asked for this.*
A sense of foreboding had barely formed in Weiqing’s mind when Shengsheng, in the act of climbing onto the bed, appeared to trip over something.
She pitched straight toward him.
A muffled groan of agony sounded through the room.
Face buried in the bedding, Shengsheng stuck out her tongue. When she raised her head again, tears already shimmered in her eyes.
“Your Highness! Your Highness, are you all right? This servant is so terribly clumsy! Someone come quickly! Summon the imperial physician!”
When Jian rushed into the room, he found Shengsheng sprawled across Weiqing as though she could not get up.
***
“Your Highness, you must exercise restraint in matters of passion.”
The imperial physician regarded Weiqing with solemn disapproval.
Weiqing’s face was as pale as it was ugly. Nevertheless, he promised the physician with princely dignity that he would heed the advice, then ordered Jian to escort him out.
Shengsheng watched Weiqing gingerly hold himself like a woman recovering from childbirth. She desperately wanted to laugh, but dared not.
Weiqing closed his eyes in exhaustion.
He knew she had played him.
When had he become so indulgent toward a servant?
A palace maid bold enough to injure and mock her master should have been dragged outside and beaten to death. Yet he had repeatedly allowed this duplicitous little creature to test his limits.
His heart sank.
When he opened his eyes again, the full pressure of his authority descended upon the room.
“There, there, Your Highness. Do not be angry. This servant will feed you some porridge.”
A smiling face abruptly appeared before him. Warm, soft porridge steamed invitingly in the spoon she held.
The imposing force Weiqing had only just gathered dissolved at once.
“It is too hot. Blow on it for me.”
“As you command, Your Highness.”