CH 40

(14.4)

The snow was getting heavier when the crown prince suddenly returned to the residence, which made the servants very busy for a while.

The crown prince’s face was like ice. The maidservant in charge of serving tea and water didn’t dare to look at him twice, holding her breath, she absolutely didn’t dare to make a single mistake at this time.

Zhao Zhi went directly inside the study. His hand was tightly holding the jade crown, which he then placed on the desk. He silently stared at it for a long time, before he picked up the ink stone on his right side and then smashed it hard on the jade crown.

A loud, very terrifying crack sounded.

The jade crown had been broken in pieces, shattered all over the ground.

(15.1)

Late at night, Zhao Zhi was still in the study. Lazily leaning on the chair, his fingers were gently rubbing his painful temples which were a bit swollen.

It was difficult to overcome the anger and he didn’t feel like sleeping at all.

At the Ming residence, Zhao Zhi had already restrained his temper by a lot. Originally, according to his temperament, he wouldn’t be able to restrain himself on such a matter, when he was in the carriage, he even had the intention of smashing the jade crown right in front of her.

In the end, he didn’t burst out, Ming Zhu wasn’t very brave to begin with, if he really exploded in true rage in front of her, the little lady would probably be so scared she would fall sick again.

There was only time Zhao Zhi became enraged in front of Ming Zhu, and that was a very long time ago already. At that time, she had just entered the residence and was still naive. She just thought he was as easy to fool as outsiders said he was. She softened her attitude and gently told him a few good words, and took the opportunity to secretly take away his personal token. While he was attending court, she openly escaped with her personal maidservant.

Ming Zhu was quite smart as she dressed herself in rags when she escaped. When Zhao Zhi, bringing his men, caught up with her, she was about to leave the city gates.

Without a word, Zhao Zhi coldly threw her into the carriage and then practically threw her onto the bed.

She shrank in fear.

When Zhao Zhi saw her moving to avoid him, his anger naturally grew even more violent, he then grabbed her ankle to drag her out and whispered two threatening sentences.

Back then, she was terrified and obediently didn’t resist. The next day, she fell ill with a high fever and remained sick for half a month.

Zhao Zhi, with a heavy heart, wrote down a few words, and when he looked up again, the sky outside the window was already brightening.

He changed his clothes and went to the palace to pay his respects.

***

Sheng Ling was living in the palace these days, and she went to Fushou Palace early in the morning to pay her respects. Her main purpose in going there wasn’t for anything else but for Zhao Zhi.

Previously, Sheng Ling had dispatched her subordinate to do a background check on the girl that was kept in Zhao Zhi’s other residence and she only got the report this morning.

“Junzhu, this subordinate has already found out that girl’s background.”

Sheng Ling’s eyes narrowed, “Tell me about it.”

“I heard that she’s a concubine-born daughter of the Ming family, she’s called Ming Zhu, her mother came from a brothel, she was prostitute that was later redeemed, and her father is the minister of Rites.”

Her attendant continued: “This miss Ming seems to have learned a lot of tricks from her mother, the crown prince only saw her once before he brought her to his residence.”

As Sheng Ling listened to these words, she became furious. She knocked the tea cup in her hand heavily on the table and tea splashed everywhere. With a cold face, she said, “What kind of tricks taizi gege hasn’t seen before ? She’s definitely not that simple.”

Her attendant hesitated and went on to say, “Junzhu is right, I heard that that miss Ming’s looks and figure weren’t inferior at all to Yangzhou’s best prostitutes.”

Sheng Ling asked, “Where is she now?”

“She went back to the Ming residence for the New Year.”

Sheng Ling laughed coldly, “I got it, you go out.”

After the New Year, Sheng Ling was definitely going to personally meet this rather crafty miss Ming Zhu. She wanted to see exactly how beautiful of a fairy she was, to have made her taizi gege, who was never one to be seduced by beauties, fall head over heels for her.

The little maidservant, seeing that the junzhu was very angry, went forward to soothe her anger, “Junzhu, you don’t need to pay attention to her, as this slave sees it, she is just a momentary pastime for His Highness. If you interfere, I’m afraid His Highness will be unhappy.”

Sheng Ling’s face was still cold, “You don’t understand, taizi gege is definitely not someone who enjoys pastimes.”

Maybe his heart was truly moved.

Sheng Ling’s character was like her mother’s, she was willful, proud, and extremely paranoid. Though Zhao Zhi may not love her, she could still be his virtuous wife and supporter, but she could never accept the person that Zhao Zhi truly loved.

“She’s just a lowly girl, why can’t I dispose of her ?”

The little maidservant didn’t dare to persuade her anymore.

Sheng Ling had a brain and was smart, before her taizi gege was completely fed up with Ming Zhu, of course, she wouldn’t really do anything to her. But she had to make sure that Ming Zhu knew the meaning of superiority and inferiority, so that she could clearly understand her own position.

The little maidservant beside her, seeing the vicious look in the junzhu‘s eyes, silently broke into a sweat.