The Prince Consort Is Also Pretending To Be Affectionate Today - Chapter 43
43
A single sentence sent Ji Rongjin into deep thought, as if she had heard it somewhere before.
At first, she hadn’t thought much of it, but now, upon reflection, she sensed a different meaning behind it.
If it was merely fear of her breaking a promise, why would they leave her alone with Ye Lu? Could it be…
“You’re right, Consort,” a woman’s voice sounded softly by her ear. “This Princess does indeed have such concerns.”
The heart that had just risen in Ji Rongjin’s chest fell instantly, the weightlessness of the moment leaving her with an inexplicable sense of loss.
Shen Zhuwan picked up the bowl of sobering soup, scooping a portion with a porcelain spoon and bringing it to Ji Rongjin’s lips.
Ji Rongjin cautiously glanced at her. The Princess’s expression remained calm, revealing nothing.
She must have overthought it.
Ji Rongjin opened her mouth to drink, but the act felt so intimate that her heart began to race. She pursed her lips and said, “Your Highness, I can do it myself.”
Shen Zhuwan glanced at her, said nothing, and handed her the bowl.
Indeed, she had overthought it.
Ji Rongjin gulped down the soup, her peripheral vision fixed on Shen Zhuwan. The Princess stepped away from the bedside and slowly walked toward a table.
There seemed to be a pile of items on the table.
Before Ji Rongjin could get a clear look, Shen Zhuwan tapped the table lightly with her fingers and turned to her with a faint, ambiguous smile. “Prince Consort, you’re quite popular.”
Ji Rongjin set down the soup bowl, her head still throbbing. Shen Zhuwan’s cryptic remark left her puzzled. “What are those?”
Shen Zhuwan raised an eyebrow lightly. “Love tokens sent to the Prince Consort by the girls at the stables.”
Ji Rongjin: “…?” She had no idea about this.
Noticing the Princess’s unreadable expression, Ji Rongjin grew wary and raised her hand in a solemn vow. “This humble servant has never accepted such things. Someone must be framing me!”
Shen Zhuwan gave her a look, then picked up one of the items to examine it.
Soon, a head leaned in beside her, peering at it too.
Shen Zhuwan held a pouch, pale blue with embroidered patterns. In the bottom right corner were two small animals—perhaps birds or ducks—stitched with messy, uneven stitches, clearly the work of a novice.
She remained silent, but the girl beside her reached for a few handkerchiefs.
A moment later, Shen Zhuwan saw the girl let out a relieved sigh. “These were embroidered by Jiang Nanyu.” Ji Rongjin said confidently, as if she knew it well.
“So certain, Consort?”
“No one else would embroider this poorly.”
Shen Zhuwan set down the pouch, her tone cool. “The Consort seems to know her well.”
Ji Rongjin: “…” She didn’t dare respond.
“It’s getting late,” Shen Zhuwan said, glancing at her. “The Consort should rest.”
“Princess,” the girl’s eyes flickered as she spoke softly, “you…”
She seemed to have something to say but quickly averted her gaze, her tone shifting. “Your Highness, please rest early too.”
Shen Zhuwan looked at her calmly. “If you have something to say, just say it.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Ji Rongjin steeled herself and met the woman’s eyes. “Princess, next time, could you please not break your promise again?”
After a pause, she added, “Even if you must break it, please take me with you.”
She cautiously observed the woman beside her, her eyes shimmering as she continued, “And please don’t doubt me again.”
Shen Zhuwan gazed quietly at the girl’s glistening black eyes, her heart softening. She said gently, “This Princess agrees.”
“Really?” The girl’s eyes lit up instantly. “Words alone aren’t enough. I need proof.”
Shen Zhuwan raised an eyebrow slightly. “What does Prince Consort propose?”
“A pinky promise.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, a slender pinky finger appeared before Shen Zhuwan.
The movement was swift, as if Ji Rongjin feared she might change her mind.
Shen Zhuwan looked at the outstretched pinky, paused for a moment, then extended her own to hook it, saying softly, “Alright.”
Their pinkies intertwined, thumbs pressed together, the warmth of their hands mingling. Ji Rongjin suddenly felt her heartbeat quicken.
The promise sealed, she quickly withdrew her hand. “Then, Your Highness, please rest early.”
Shen Zhuwan’s gaze lingered on the girl’s flustered profile, her lips curving slightly. “Won’t the Consort sleep with This Princess?”
“N-no, thank you.” Ji Rongjin took two steps back, clutching her clothes. “I drank wine today.”
Having drunk, she worried her breath might be off-putting and didn’t want to leave a bad impression on the Princess.
“I see,” the woman said, lowering her lashes. Her voice was soft, almost fragile. “It’s raining tonight.”
Ji Rongjin glanced out the window. Indeed, rain was falling, accompanied by rolling thunder.
After a moment’s hesitation, she said, “Then I’ll bathe first.”
“Alright.” A faint smile appeared in Shen Zhuwan’s eyes. “This Princess will wait for you.”
The autumn rain continued relentlessly, drenching the Princess’s residence for days.
Ji Rongjin gazed out the window at the battered grass and trees, letting out a soft sigh.
The woman at the desk looked up at her. “Why is the Consort sighing?”
“Well,” Ji Rongjin turned back, standing beside the woman, her tone wistful. “The autumn hunt is at the end of next month, but it’s been raining for days. I haven’t practiced riding or archery in a while, and I’m worried I’ll embarrass the royal family.”
“The Consort wishes to practice riding and archery?” Shen Zhuwan raised an eyebrow slightly. “The royal family has a private stable with rainproof facilities. If the Consort wishes, you may go there.”
Ji Rongjin: “?”
She knew the Princess was wealthy, but not this wealthy.
The impoverished Little Ji shed envious tears. “Where is it?”
“The steward will take you there later.”
“Great.” Ji Rongjin felt relieved. Her gaze shifted to the booklet in Shen Zhuwan’s hands.
“Your Highness, this is the tax record the Minister of Revenue brought to the Court of Judicial Review. He complained that the taxes from Yushun and two other nearby cities are about thirty percent less than in previous years. They claim it’s due to excessive rain flooding the rice fields, but there are also rumors that the governors of Yushun are corrupt.”
Ji Rongjin’s eyes gleamed with eagerness. “Princess, should we investigate thoroughly?”
“No need,” Shen Zhuwan replied. “There has indeed been excessive rain this year.”
She looked out the window, a trace of worry flickering in her eyes.
Ji Rongjin let out a breath, noticing Shen Zhuwan’s concern. She comforted her, “Your Highness, don’t worry. Abundant rain isn’t necessarily bad.”
“Besides,” Ji Rongjin added after a thought, “Your Highness prayed at Guoan Temple. The Buddha will bless the people of Daqian.”
Shen Zhuwan’s gaze settled on her, saying nothing yet seeming to say everything.
Ji Rongjin rubbed the back of her head, recalling that the Princess didn’t believe in gods or Buddhas.
Oddly enough, in an era so steeped in superstition, Shen Zhuwan remained skeptical.
Curious, she asked aloud.
Shen Zhuwan didn’t explain why, only saying, “Praying to Buddha is just for peace of mind. It serves no real purpose.”
Such words would likely drown her in the spit of Daqian’s devout citizens.
Yet the Princess had said them outright.
Ji Rongjin admired her. “Your Highness is truly enlightened.”
Her mindset was as progressive as that of a twenty-first-century girl like herself.
Shen Zhuwan glanced at her and said softly, “It’s about time. This Princess will have someone escort you to the stables.”
“Alright,” Ji Rongjin agreed. “Then I’ll take my leave.”
“Go.”
The girl’s figure gradually disappeared from the room. Shen Zhuwan watched her leave, her gaze lowering as her thoughts drifted.
It wasn’t that she didn’t believe. In the years she believed most fervently, the gods and Buddhas hadn’t stopped her from losing both parents.
The Next Day
This morning’s court session was the most heated in a month. Before the Princess and the Emperor arrived, the ministers were already buzzing with the latest news.
“Jiangnan has been rained on for a month. The rice fields are flooded, and homes have been washed away. Floods are truly devastating.”
“Indeed. Prince Ning in Jiangnan has sent a memorial requesting disaster relief and grain. But most of our annual grain taxes come from Jiangnan, and with this disaster, we’re short on grain this year.”
“Not only that, the general near Chu in the north needs provisions too. Chu is stirring, and without enough grain, things could go badly.”
“The Empress’s kingdom sent a diplomatic letter requesting Daqian’s aid as well.”
The chatter weighed heavily on Ji Rongjin’s heart. The continuous rain had affected Daqian’s emergency grain reserves, and with urgent needs in two regions, the supplies might not suffice.
Ji Rongjin sighed deeply, thinking that Shen Zhuwan would likely be up late again tonight.
As expected, Shen Zhuwan had barely settled in when the ministers began reporting one after another. The debate over which region to prioritize for grain aid grew heated, with no resolution by the session’s end.
The decision was indeed difficult. With limited grain available, both the military campaign and Jiangnan’s flood relief urgently needed it.
That night, Shen Zhuwan returned very late.
At the mansion’s gate, the girl stood waiting with an umbrella.
Seeing her return, Ji Rongjin quickly raised the umbrella and approached the carriage.
The girl’s warm hand brushed Shen Zhuwan’s fingertips, melting away some of the chill and fatigue.
“Princess.”
The girl let go, the lingering warmth quickly dissipating in the wind. Shen Zhuwan’s fingers curled slightly as she glanced at her.
“It’s raining heavily,” the girl said, looking at her. “Let’s go.”
“Mm.”
Ji Rongjin led her under the eaves, deftly closing the umbrella and taking a shawl from Dongmei.
“Princess,” the girl said softly, her eyes gentle, “this will keep you warm.”
Shen Zhuwan looked at the shawl and said quietly, “Thank you, Prince Consort.”
Ji Rongjin paused. Was the Princess asking her to help?
Shen Zhuwan made no move to take the shawl. Ji Rongjin tried to signal Jinxi with her eyes, but Jinxi quickly lowered her head upon meeting her gaze.
Ji Rongjin: “…”
Left with no choice, she stepped forward and draped the shawl over Shen Zhuwan’s shoulders. Some physical contact was inevitable, so she focused intently on the sash, though her peripheral vision remained on Shen Zhuwan.
“Why is the Consort so nervous?” the woman’s calm voice broke the silence.
Ji Rongjin’s hand trembled, causing the bow she was tying to go crooked.
Shen Zhuwan glanced at the lopsided bow, her eyes flickering, then looked up. “The Consort needn’t wait for this Princess’ return next time.”
She had said this more than once.
“It’s fine,” Ji Rongjin said, exhaling. She looked at the crooked bow and Shen Zhuwan’s calm face, finding it amusing. She smiled, “Your Highness looks… quite cute like this.”
Shen Zhuwan gave her a cool glance.
Ji Rongjin quickly stifled her laugh, raised the umbrella again, and turned to her. “Princess, let’s go.”
The rain pattered relentlessly on the oil-paper umbrella, dividing the world into two: the cold, noisy outside and the warm, quiet inside.
The two maintained the distance of an umbrella’s handle.
Occasionally, their shoulders brushed during the walk. Each time, the girl subtly drew back, keeping their distance within the umbrella’s span.
Shen Zhuwan’s brow twitched. Suddenly, she covered her lips and coughed lightly.
Noticing the girl’s concerned glance, she lowered her hand, her voice slightly hoarse. “It’s a bit cold.”
Ji Rongjin frowned slightly and stepped closer. “Then let’s walk faster.”
“This Princess is a bit tired.”
The woman’s eyes drooped, looking genuinely weary, and the rainy night was indeed chilly. The distance from the gate to the residence wasn’t short.
After a moment’s hesitation, Ji Rongjin reached out and pulled her into an embrace.
The warmth that had been scattered by the wind enveloped her again, bringing comfort.
Shen Zhuwan’s lips curved slightly, though she said, “What is the Consort doing?”
Little Ji (hesitant): Wasn’t this what you meant?