Tang Zhuyun deliberately provoked her. "What, you don't dare?"
Xiu'er: "What wouldn't this servant dare to do? I'm just afraid that the prince might take advantage of the situation and commit a mistake that all men in the world would make."
"Then perhaps he is not the man of this world."
Xiu'er rolled her eyes. "Shouldn't a prince only exist in heaven?"
Tang Zhuyun laughed loudly.
After Xiu'er finished laughing, she still advised, "Your Highness, this is not a good idea. I think you shouldn't make things difficult for yourself. Don't test the waters..."
What if it can't withstand the test?
Especially Qiao Qiao, who is Qiao Geng's daughter.
Qiao Geng was one of the few relatives of the Prince of Jin.
"Think about it," Xiu'er said, "Even if the prince passes the test, what will you do if Qiao Qiao throws a tantrum and threatens suicide to cling to him?"
Tang Zhuyun laughed and said, "I'm just afraid she won't come crawling to me."
"Your Majesty!" Xiu'er stamped her feet anxiously.
"Don't worry," Tang Zhuyun said, "How could I possibly make such a big decision on my own?"
Xiu'er blinked. "You and the Prince have already discussed it?"
Tang Zhuyun smiled and nodded.
Xiu'er rolled her eyes. "The prince has really given up all hope now, even resorting to selling his male beauty."
She wouldn't have dared to even think of such a terrible idea before, and she never imagined that the Prince of Jin would agree to it.
Lust blinds one's senses!
Now, whatever the Empress says, the Prince just agrees.
It's truly... delightful.
Tang Zhuyun laughed and scolded, "Who said that? Male beauty is mine, I wouldn't sell it for a thousand pieces of gold. It's just that she can see it but can't touch it, hmph!"
Xiu'er said, "So you and the Prince have already discussed it? If Qiao Qiao insists on following the Prince, how can you explain it to Lord Qiao?"
It wasn't that she was overthinking things, but if she had been as doting on her daughter as her husband was, she might have actually come to beg the Prince of Jin for help.
Xiu'er felt that her worries were not unfounded.
Tang Zhuyun said, "It's alright, just listen to me. Come on, I'll tell you what to do... Once you get the money, it's all yours."
"Alright! For the sake of my dowry, this servant will do anything."
Tang Zhuyun mocked Xiu'er: "I think you're becoming more and more of a miser; you'd be better off marrying Huaishang."
Xiu'er said matter-of-factly, "I don't want to marry into the Huaishang! I come from a humble background. Although Nanny Jing doesn't care, I've made up my mind. I want to have a grand wedding and not lose face."
Tang Zhuyun teased her, "So you're working so hard to save money just to save face for yourself? I thought you were going to save it up!"
"Save some, use some; Zidu," Xiu'er said. "The more people think Song Jingyang is stingy for marrying a maid, the more I want to embarrass them."
Tang Zhuyun laughed loudly, "That's ambitious! I'll give you a thousand taels of silver when the time comes, and we'll scatter it all the way!"
"Okay!" Xiu'er said, raising her head high.
She might not care about the steamed bun, but she'd still care about her pride. Being with Song Jingyang, she's no worse than anyone else.
Others have a maternal family, but she's different; she has an empress!
"Alright," Xiu'er said, "I'll go think about how to get Qiao Qiao hooked as soon as possible."
Tang Zhuyun smiled and nodded, watching her walk out with her head held high. The smile slowly faded from her face, and her hands unconsciously clasped together on her knees, gradually tightening...
If the Prince of Jin of Jin's suspicions prove true, what path will they take in the future?
If she had a choice, Tang Zhuyun would accompany Prince of Jin to the ends of the earth if he became disheartened.
But what choice does a prince have?
Especially the Prince of Jin, who had been plotting for so many years, had long been a thorn in the side of the Crown Prince, and he would not rest until he was removed.
This is a path of either going in or dying.
Taking a step back means being at the mercy of others, a dead end.
However, the current situation probably doesn't allow the Prince of Jin to take any further steps.
If the Prince of Jin's guesses were correct, Tang Zhuyun could foresee that what followed would be the darkest moment of the Prince of Jin's life.
Tang Zhuyun felt both heartache and confusion. How should she stay with this man, take things further, or back out unscathed?
It's difficult.
When Prince of Jin came that evening, the two lay in bed, and Tang Zhuyun nestled in his arms, talking to him casually.
Suddenly, she said fiercely, "If you really have nowhere else to go, then go and seek refuge with Master Hong'en."
Master Hong'en was a highly respected figure, and also a recluse. Regardless of who was emperor, they still had to respect the Buddha, didn't they?
The Prince of Jin chuckled, speechless. "You want me to become a monk?"
"Survival is the most important thing," Tang Zhuyun said. "Don't believe those sentimental words that say things like 'Our bodies and hair are given to us by our parents.'"
Prince of Jin caressed her smooth, satin-like back, lowered his head and gently kissed her collarbone, his warm breath brushing against Tang Zhuyun's smooth skin...
"With you in this mortal world, I cannot abstain from lust. Let me continue to be burdened with sins, and serve Buddha in my next life."
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
She muttered under her breath, "Can't I just be a frivolous monk?"
The Prince of Jin chuckled softly, "Then what are you going to do?"
"Become a nun?" Tang Zhuyun said. "Forget it, I'd look awful with a shaved head. How about I help with cleaning at the temple?"
"And then you'll have an affair with me that night?"
Tang Zhuyun raised an eyebrow. "Who said that having a secret tryst has to be at night?"
The Prince of Jin laughed even louder, "A-Yun, A-Yun, my darling..."
Even in the darkest moment of his life, with her by his side, he could find light.
The Prince of Jin did not want her, and the two slept in each other's arms.
Tang Zhuyun mumbled in a daze, "Why are you eating vegetarian food today?"
He says he doesn't want to be a monk, but his actions tell a different story?
The Prince of Jin chuckled and patted her head, "Haven't you stopped taking contraceptives lately? Maybe you're already pregnant from that time."
Tang Zhuyun's drowsiness vanished in fright. "Who told you that?"
"Xiu'er."
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
This Xiu'er spreading rumors.
"I think things must have been different that night when the bed collapsed," said the Prince of Jin.
Tang Zhuyun: I don't want to talk to idiots.
Do you want to have another child and name it "Ta-Chuang" (塌床)? "Ta-Ta" (塌塌)? "Chuang-Chuang" (床床)?
Good heavens, that child with that name probably didn't want to be born.
However, she thought that the Prince of Jin had recently suffered a great shock and was indeed not interested in matters of love and sex.
Actually, she didn't have any particular thoughts; she was just trying to put on a brave face and make things easier for Prince of Jin.
They couldn't change the past, so they could only let nature take its course.
For the next few days, Qiao Qiao kept a close watch on the movements of the Prince's mansion.
She refused to believe that she didn't have a chance to get close to her cousin, the prince.
--Isn't it just climbing into someone's bed?
Tang Zhuyun could climb into someone's bed to get ahead, why couldn't I?
Unfortunately, the Prince's mansion was heavily guarded, and she was helpless not only in getting close to the Prince of Jin, but even in entering the mansion itself.
That day, she saw Xiu'er come out of the Tang Family and then sneak out.
Qiao Qiao an idea and quietly followed them.
Xiu'er didn't go far, but came to a secluded alley with few people, just across the street from the Tang Family.
In the alley, a woman in her forties was waiting.