无翼乌工口里番无色无摭挡

“Your Highness, save those words to fool others, don’t say them in front of me,” said Jiang Ning coldly. “There are some things that everyone knows and understands clearly. Why do you have to force it out, risking hurting our feelings?”

Li Hongyuan’s fingertips lightly tapped on the table as he asked softly, “Do you care about me?”

“Of course I do.”

“What kind of feelings?” Li Hongyuan pressed on, “Is it the admiration you have for Wenren Zong, or the childhood friendship you had with He Tang?”

Jiang Ning replied with a smile, “We are husband and wife.”

“A husband and wife who scheme against each other?”

“Your Highness, why would you say that? We should support each other through thick and thin,” Jiang Ning spoke in an extremely gentle tone, “Why let others harm our harmony? As for Mu Jian, I didn’t want to see him become like this. But given his stubborn nature, do you agree that we needed dire measures to force him to speak?”

“So your ‘dire measures’ involve castration and destroying his dignity?”

“Didn’t he deserve it?”

Jiang Ning calmly responded, “Your Highness, think about the pain your concubine mother felt before her death. No matter how I tortured Mu Jian, you should find it satisfying rather than blaming me.”

Before Li Hongyuan could speak, she added, “Lingzi has a slight cold and has been coughing. I have to go back and watch her take her medicine. Please excuse me.”

“Lingzi is sick?” Li Hongyuan stood up abruptly, his face full of worry, “Since when? Is it severe? Has the Imperial Physician been summoned?”

“She might have caught a cold from playing in the snow. The Imperial Physician has already seen her and given her medicine.”

“Yesterday?”

Upon hearing this, Li Hongyuan frowned, “What kind of caregiver is Concubine Li?”

“Concubine Li has been staying in the room taking care of the child all the time, she feels very guilty and has been crying for several times. It’s common for young children to fall ill, Your Highness, there’s no need to take it out on her.”

After saying this, Jiang Ning left gracefully.

Leaving Li Hongyuan standing there, brooding.

This woman does not seem to have a hint of jealousy. Would anyone else not take advantage of this situation to kick a person when they’re down? Yet she’s still defending Li Yuanyuan.

Li Hongyuan thought to himself, sometimes he really doesn’t understand what this woman is thinking.

Despite all that had been said, as soon as Jiang Ning returned to East Palace, Li Hongyuan immediately followed.

Li Yuanyuan knelt in terror to apologize. In front of the child, Li Hongyuan didn’t excessively reprimand her, he just told her not to take care of the children anymore and dismissed her.

Lingzi was lying on the bed, her little face flushed.

Li Hongyuan touched her forehead, she was still running a fever.

He held Lingzi close to him, his forehead touching hers, softly saying, “Don’t worry, Lingzi. You’ll feel better after taking your medicine.”

“Daddy, don’t leave tonight.”

Lingzi was clinging to Li Hongyuan’s neck.

Li Hongyuan quickly reassured her, “Okay, okay, daddy will stay with Lingzi tonight, and won’t go anywhere.”

Seeing this, Jiang Ning ordered Chunlai to prepare the bed.

Li Hongyuan said, “No need. I’ll rest in the Princess Consort’s room tonight.”

Jiang Ning frowned slightly, but didn’t say anything.

Li Hongyuan didn’t pay any notice to her reaction.

After getting Lingzi to sleep, he went to check on Wenzan, and then headed to Jiang Ning’s room.

Jiang Ning had already bathed and was wearing a soft nightgown. She was wrapped in a quilt, only her soft long hair was exposed.

Li Hongyuan thought she had fallen asleep. But when he came up close, he found her engrossed in a book.

“What book are you reading?” Li Hongyuan asked as he approached.