coobybook Chapter 144 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (48)
Chapter 144 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (48)
Lu Liruan originally thought that the main thing to do when talking to Ji Shumin was to use his cunning.
It's best to mentally repeat each sentence twice before speaking it.
After listening to him speak, think more about whether there are any implied meanings... Don't be fooled by his sarcastic remarks and not realize it.
As time went on, I realized that all I had to do with him was go along with him.
Most of the time Ji Shumin was quiet; on rare occasions, he went mad.
As long as he says whatever he wants when he's having a fit, that's fine.
Simply put, if you try to reason with him and he doesn't know anything, then he's doing it on purpose.
Lu Liruan felt that she had been somewhat tamed. Whenever she looked at him at this time, she could feel a kind of affection that was beyond her years.
Yes, it's compassion...
Why are you arguing with him? Why bother arguing with him? He's just a lunatic.
Sometimes, when Lu Liruan was thinking about something, she would laugh at herself.
It's okay, we just have a good attitude.
Ultimately, Lu Liruan felt that Ji Shumin's physical condition meant that his actions were simply an outlet for his emotions.
It's so pitiful to not let him vent.
If we don't take care of him now, when will we?
Lu Liruan had a lot of experience in treating patients, so she was even more patient.
She was willing to accompany Ji Shumin slowly, step by step, steadily, as he emerged from his current dark and incomprehensible state.
When he woke up the next morning, Ji Shumin was no longer by his side.
Lu Liruan sat up groggily, rubbed her eyes, and felt like she should remember something...
It wasn't until after breakfast that Lu Liruan suddenly remembered what Ji Shumin had said the night before.
Accompany him out of the palace...
Where are you going? Why are you leaving the palace?
Lu Liruan astutely connected Ji Shumin's behavior last night with what she had heard the Empress Dowager say a few days ago.
Is there any connection between these two?
Ji Shumin was clearly in a bad mood today. After returning from the Imperial Study, he sat behind his desk and didn't turn a single page of the book in his hand for a long time.
"What's wrong? Is it the Emperor..." Lu Liruan dared not presume to guess the Emperor's thoughts.
Outsiders say that Ji Shumin is the emperor's most valued son. Even though the emperor favors Consort Rong's seventh son more, he has only been raising Ji Shumin as the crown prince for so many years.
After entering the palace, Lu Liruan saw the same thing. On the day of the wedding, the emperor personally presided over the ceremony. When he saw that Ji Shumin was able to stand up slightly, the emperor looked very happy and gratified.
After Ji Shumin was injured, his temperament became eccentric. He not only had nothing to do with Consort Rong, but he also brought up the matter of clothing fabric to the emperor.
On several occasions, rumors of his eccentric temperament were reported to the emperor by censors, but the emperor ignored them all, indulging his child greatly...
Ji Shumin no longer needs to attend court, and he wants to move to Songjingyuan, which the emperor has agreed to.
They even tacitly allowed Lu Liruan to skip paying her respects to the imperial concubines every few days, and exempted her and Ji Shumin from attending some palace banquets.
For example, a few days ago, the second prince's concubine was brought into the palace.
The person who entered the palace was Lu Yushi, who deliberately provoked Lu Liruan at the gate on the day of her homecoming. Although there was no ceremony, the Second Prince hosted a banquet in his palace, and his brothers and sisters also went to congratulate him.
Only Lu Liruan and Ji Shumin did not show up.
When Lu Liruan was chatting with Ji Shumin, she told him about Lu Yushi's words that day as if they were a joke.
"I don't know what she's thinking... She's been competing with the girls in our family since she was little. I don't know if she entered the palace for the Second Prince or for me," Lu Liruan joked.
On the day of the banquet, Ji Shumin remained calm and composed, saying, "Why are you rushing to show her this? If you want to see her, come and pay your respects in person."
Ji Shumin always protected Lu Liruan, not allowing her to suffer any injustice.
Even if he didn't say it, Lu Liruan could understand his feelings, just as Ji Shumin could feel Lu Liruan's concern.
The court officials also believed that the emperor had not deposed the crown prince because he cared for him.
However, the position of crown prince is the foundation of the country, and the court officials will not give up until a healthy and capable crown prince is appointed.
Especially recently, the emperor's health has been deteriorating.
Just a few months ago, when the Crown Prince got married, the Emperor was still in good spirits.
But now, he is tormented by recurring headaches, leaving him mentally exhausted, and he looks noticeably thinner when he attends court...
The court officials were anxious, but dared not urge them any further.
Even the censors, who always took pride in speaking frankly and offering advice, all became more reserved and indifferent.
For no other reason than that even though they were officials who spoke out against the emperor, they would not easily offend him.
To urgently bring up the matter of establishing a crown prince when the emperor is in poor health is tantamount to cursing the emperor.
Especially now that the Emperor is in a sensitive mood, he has been throwing tantrums in court for several days in a row.
Even the princes were not spared.
The second prince was reprimanded by the emperor in court for his incompetence...
Reprimanding a prince in court is a serious matter; one should show respect to his face and discipline him in private.
Especially the Second Prince, who is not young anymore, the Emperor's actions were so disrespectful to him.
The court officials below were also wondering to themselves if this was a sign that the second prince was about to fall out of favor...
While some are down on their luck, others are up on theirs.
The Seventh Prince was pleased with this, and the two of them were already subtly forming a rivalry in the court.
The Seventh Prince was hoping that the Second Prince would be disliked by the Emperor, as this would increase his chances of becoming the Crown Prince.
The only thing now in common is that no one in the court mentions Ji Shumin anymore, as if that wise, composed, and handsome Crown Prince had never existed.
Lu Liruan thought to herself, "Even the coldest tea after someone leaves is colder than this."
She felt heartbroken just watching it, let alone Ji Shumin who had experienced it firsthand.
No matter how strong-willed or resourceful someone is, they must have suffered setbacks, they just don't say it.
But from this, Lu Liruan always felt that... the Emperor didn't actually care much about Ji Shumin.
For some reason, Lu Liruan had this feeling. She had limited contact with the Emperor, but this feeling wouldn't go away.
Lu Liruan sometimes wondered if she was overthinking things, but she wasn't.
Lu Liruan felt that it was probably her thinking, which differed from that of this era, that allowed her to see things from a different perspective.
If the emperor, as a father, truly cares about his son, why is all he doing is putting on a show?
They never even cared about Ji Shumin's current situation.
Lu Liruan felt that he was just putting on a show, as if he were telling everyone in a grand manner: I love the Crown Prince very much.
The more others interpreted the emperor's actions as expressions of care and affection for the crown prince, the more uneasy Lu Liruan felt.
But she didn't know how to bring it up with Ji Shumin. This was just her own one-sided opinion, and even if it were true... what if Ji Shumin believed it wholeheartedly?
If he deeply believed in his father's feelings for him, would offering his opinions anger Ji Shumin and create a rift between them?
If he relies on this as his inner support, would it hurt him if I casually told him these things?
Lu Liruan couldn't bear it...
I couldn't bear to see Ji Shumin get hurt. Every time I thought about what he had gone through, my heart ached.
But Lu Liruan was also worried... If the Emperor was really putting on an act, what was the reason?
As an emperor, one can naturally favor whomever one wishes and neglect whomever one wishes.
The saying "Thunder and rain, all are the Emperor's grace" is not just a term used to describe the concubines in the harem. It applies to everyone in the palace.
Why did the Emperor show such compassion for Ji Shu?
Lu Liruan was somewhat anxious, as she didn't know much about what was happening in the palace.
Even after thoroughly reviewing the original plot, I didn't find anything more detailed.
After all, the plot is just a direction, not a complete picture of everything, both overt and covert.
I'm afraid that telling him my guess might make him suspicious or upset.
If she didn't tell him, Lu Liruan would always feel uneasy...
It's no use for her to think about it alone; this matter requires someone with a brain like Ji Shumin to come up with the useful information.
Lu Liruan decided to keep agonizing over it.
The next day, early in the morning, Ji Shumin pinched Lu Liruan's hair and tickled her face, waking her from her sleep.
When Lu Liruan woke up, she found that half of her body was on Ji Shumin's shoulder. She didn't know if she had moved closer or if he had moved her there.
The light inside the bed curtains was dim and soft. Ji Shumin's smiling gaze swept down from above and met Lu Liruan's: "The Crown Princess is sleeping so soundly."
He often had trouble sleeping, and on his wedding night, when he said he wanted to share a bed with Lu Liruan, he was somewhat surprised at his own sudden desire to do so.
However, afterwards, the Crown Princess slept so soundly that if you didn't wake her, she could sleep until the sun was high in the sky.
For a while, Ji Shumin would stare at the dark ceiling of the bed with his eyes open, listening to the peaceful and sweet breathing of the person next to him. Turning to his side, he could see her deep and calm sleeping face.
This inexplicably angered Ji Shumin.
Why is she able to fall asleep?
Lu Liruan was unaware that on many sleepless nights, the Crown Prince had traced her face with his gaze hundreds of times, even counting the number of her eyelashes.
Many times, Ji Shumin's wicked and irritable temper flared up, and he wanted to wreak havoc on the Crown Princess without restraint. But each time he saw her unguarded, soft, and relaxed face, he eventually suppressed his inexplicable anger.
While Lu Liruan remained oblivious, His Highness the Crown Prince, in the sleepless night, learned how to suppress and control himself, and how to treat someone with gentleness and a soft heart...
Later... Ji Shumin was gradually able to fall asleep.
Listening to the rhythmic breathing of the person beside him and smelling the faint fragrance of incense mixed with the Crown Princess's body scent, Ji Shumin found that he could sleep for several hours at a time.
When Ji Shumin opened his eyes for the first time and saw the morning light, he was stunned for a moment, a feeling he hadn't experienced in many years.
The morning air was slightly damp and cool. The Crown Princess beside her seemed a little cold, wrapping herself up in the blanket like a silkworm, pressing one hand under her face, pouting, and muttering something unintelligible, before gently pursing her lips.
In that instant, Ji Shumin wanted to hold her tightly in his arms. She should feel warm all over, just like she always did, which made him feel calm and content.
How did I end up with her...? It was a medicine that God gave me during my prolonged suffering.
Later, when he couldn't sleep, he would gently place his fingers on the Crown Princess's wrist and feel her calm and steady heartbeat, which would soothe his mind.
Lu Liruan caught a glimpse of tenderness in his eyes that he couldn't quite retract in time. She turned over, wanting to get up and take a closer look, but she was still half asleep and couldn't find her way, so she tripped over the blanket.
He fell face down onto the pillow.
When he got up again, he found that Ji Shumin's expression was the same as usual.
Everything was fine before she left home, but as soon as the carriage left the capital, Lu Liruan could clearly feel the air pressure around her drop.
The sunlight outside was still faint, far from the bustling streets of Beijing, and the air carried the unique scent of grass and earth.
It rained lightly last night, and the carriage wheels sank into the slightly damp ground, making a soft, rumbling sound.
Following the breeze, the fragrance of lilacs drifted in through the gap in the curtains. Lu Liruan shifted her position to the side, lifted a corner with her fingertips, and closed her eyes to smell it.
"Is the Crown Princess so happy?" Ji Shumin's gloomy voice sounded from behind him.
"Of course, since Your Highness didn't tell me what we were going out for, I'll just treat it as a spring outing. The sky is high and the wind is gentle, and the mountains are quite comfortable," Lu Liruan replied casually.
When she spoke with Ji Shumin, she never casually echoed others' opinions, but rather said what she meant, leaving no room for guesswork.
"What's so good about that... They're all the same, so green they're blinding," Ji Shumin snorted.
Lu Liruan was taken aback, thinking to herself: You're unhappy with everything, yet you're blaming it on the tree?
But here he is today...
Lu Liruan had a guess in her mind.
The carriage stopped in front of a rather quiet ancient temple. There was only a young monk sweeping the ground at the temple entrance. He was not alarmed when he saw the carriage with the prince's insignia.
He put down the broom, lowered his head, and put his hands together in prayer: "Amitabha, this humble monk greets His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Crown Princess."
"Master Enliang." Ji Shumin nodded in return, holding his Buddhist prayer beads.
Lu Liruan followed suit and put her hands together in a gesture of respect.
“The abbot has gone down the mountain to preach Buddhism today and is unable to receive the prince. Please forgive him,” Enliang said.
"It's alright." Ji Shumin steered his wheelchair forward, his expression calm and composed.
"Her Majesty the Empress is already waiting for you." Enliang's words confirmed that Lu Liruan's guess was correct.
This sparsely populated temple, which is off-limits to outsiders, is where the Empress prays for the royal family.
Clearly, the prayer for blessings is probably just an excuse.
"Shall I go in with you?" Lu Liruan leaned down and whispered in Ji Shumin's ear.
Ji Shumin glanced at her and said solemnly, "You are my Crown Princess, why don't you come with me?"
Lu Liruan thought, "You haven't seen the Empress for a long time, don't you have anything to say to her alone?"
But looking at Ji Shumin's expression, which was even colder and more arrogant than usual, his chin was slightly raised, and his pale fingertips were digging into the gaps between the prayer beads.
Lu Liruan felt that he was quite resistant to this.
Entering the Zen courtyard at the back, the interior is simple yet full of Zen spirit. Under the verdant Bodhi tree, there is a futon, where the Empress would probably sit when the weather is nice.
Upon entering the room, the scent of sandalwood was strong, and the space felt very spacious.
"Is that Min'er?" A calm and composed female voice came from inside.
"Mother."
"come in."
Lu Liruan helped Ji Shumin lift the light-colored tassel curtain and walk in. There she saw a woman dressed in a blue-green monk's robe getting up from in front of the Buddha shrine.