My Darling, Coax Me.

CHAPTER 4: I Would Like To Accompany Your Highness.

   　The force grew stronger, and Yun Ling's neck was caught in his grip. Her pale, delicate face turned crimson, and she began to struggle for breath.

　　Struggling to breathe, she closed her eyes and spoke with difficulty, “Your servant has done wrong, and fears your punishment.”

　　“Oh? What have you done wrong?” Xie Jue's narrow eyes narrowed slightly.

　　“Yesterday, a eunuch came with a knife and threatened me, asking about Your Highness's condition. I... I didn't know who he was, and I couldn't help it, so I told him... that Your Highness is not well.” She stammered, her words coming out in a jumbled mess.

　　“Is that so?” Xie Jue's gaze was cold and menacing, his voice a chilling whisper. “Do you know what happens to those who betray their master here?” His long fingers tightened around her fragile neck bone, threatening to snap it with the slightest pressure.

　　Yun Ling struggled for breath, on the verge of suffocating but afraid to fight back. A mist gathered in her eyes, and clear tears streamed down her cheeks, making her appear pitifully vulnerable.

　　She tried hard to squeeze out a sentence, “I have no intention of harming you, Your Highness, please understand.”

　　After saying that, she seemed to give up struggling and slowly closed her eyes.

　　The air in her nostrils grew thin, and Yun Ling barely felt the pain anymore, her body numb with exhaustion. Her eyes were shut tight, and tears flowed down to her ears, wetting her temples.

　　She didn't know how long it had been, but just as she was about to succumb to darkness, a rush of air filled her lungs.

　　Xie Jue abruptly released his grip, sending her crashing to the ground.

　　“Speak.”

　　Yun Ling clutched her throat, coughing violently several times as she gasped for breath. Soon, her forehead was pressed to the ground in a deep bow. “Though Yun Ling is foolish and ignorant, I understand the principle of loyalty to my master. That eunuch held a knife to my throat and demanded I tell him about Your Highness. Though I don't know why he did this, if I hadn't told him, he would have surely found other ways to pry, and that might have been bad for Your Highness. Your Highness's health is not good, even the imperial physicians have examined you. I was acting out of my own foolish mind, and I told him about it.”

　　After Chi Shao's death, the Emperor, ever the caring father, had sent the imperial physician to treat the Sixth Prince's illness and prescribed medicine.

　　Her voice was gentle yet firm, “And I don't want to die. If I die, who will faithfully serve Your Highness? They will surely neglect you like Chi Shao did.”

        Xie Jue paused for a moment before he spoke, a smile playing on his lips, “You're quite good at flattering yourself.”

　　“I'm speaking the truth.”

　　“A prince imprisoned in the Cold Palace, what is there about him that deserves your loyalty?”

　　These maids, none of them willingly chose to enter the Cold Palace, naturally they wouldn't be loyal to Xie Jue, the deposed prince, without a reason.

　　Yun Ling's loyalty came out of nowhere.

　　“Your Highness doesn't know, but I feel gratitude and a sense of obligation towards you. Though I am lowly and lack courage, I still want to take good care of you and repay your life-saving grace,” Yun Ling explained slowly, knowing his doubts. “Several years ago, I accidentally spilled tea on the Fourth Princess and nearly received severe punishment, but it was Your Highness who happened to pass by and saved my life. You may not remember, but I will never forget it. A few months ago, I was targeted by Wang Dade, the Supervisor of the Bureau of Rituals, and nearly lost my life. Later, when I made a mistake, Ming Shang-gong pushed me into this service to replace her niece. But I was actually very happy. Others might not want to enter this cold palace, but I was eager to come here.”

　　“For these past few years, all I've thought about is repaying Your Highness's kindness.”

　　She finished her explanation and kowtowed again with reverence.

　　It would be easy to kill her. But the Sixth Prince must have had some reasons for keeping her alive. And killing her would allow the Empress to openly replace her with someone else, which would be even more troublesome. He wouldn't want to be watched by the Empress's people.

　　Yun Ling's message to the eunuch not only didn't cause him trouble, it actually helped him stabilize the Empress. She had been so loyal and obedient for the past two months, and whether he believed her loyalty or not, keeping her was more beneficial than not.

　　Xie Jue, of course, didn't believe her.

　　He had thought she was just timid, but he didn't expect her to be so quick-witted.

　　Life-saving grace... she certainly knows how to butter him up.

　　Several years ago, he had passed by the Imperial Garden and witnessed the Fourth Princess scolding a maid. He was infamous, even his siblings were afraid of him and would hurriedly leave when they saw him.

　　He looked down at her for a long time, his face unreadable. “So you're very loyal, nothing is being hidden from me?”

　　“There is one more thing.” Yun Ling surprisingly answered in a small voice.

　　Xie Jue's eyes suddenly darkened, his expression unreadable.

　　Yun Ling seemed afraid, but also shy, like a young woman struggling to speak. After hesitating for two seconds, she finally mustered her courage and mumbled, “There's something I didn't tell Your Highness. The reason I fell into that eunuch's trap was because a eunuch from the Imperial Kitchen tried to coerce me. He failed, so he spread rumors saying that Your Highness is now stranded, a useless... thing who's better off with him. He even slandered Your Highness saying…”

　　“What?” Xie Jue was already impatient, seeing her hesitate for so long with each word.

　　“He said Your Highness has already... favored this servant,” having said that, Yun Ling meekly lowered her eyes.

　　The word ‘favored’ pierced Xie Jue's ears. His expression changed in an instant, turning into disgust.

　　He stared straight at the maid kneeling on the ground. Her eyebrows were dark and elegant, her eyes like water, her nose small and upturned, her lips like bright plums. She was indeed quite beautiful, no wonder she caught the eye of several eunuchs.

　　But she was just a lowly maid.

　　Yun Ling's eyelashes trembled slightly. “Your Highness is like a dragon and a phoenix, a celestial dew and a bright pearl. This servant knows she is unworthy and has no other intentions. It's just that I dared not hide this matter, and I was afraid Your Highness would misunderstand.”

　　She spoke pitifully, “All these days, I have only been thinking of serving you wholeheartedly, not daring to be the slightest bit negligent. If Your Highness still doesn't believe me, you can kill me now. This servant has no complaints.”

　　A long silence followed.

　　Xie Jue turned his back coldly, and with a dismissive sneer, said, “Get out.”

　　“Yes,” Yun Ling replied respectfully.

　　——

　　The autumn rain brought with it a chill.

　　Leaves swirled and fell with the howling wind, and soon a light rain began to fall from the sky.

　　The courtyard seemed even more dilapidated, and desolate.

　　The water on the small stove boiled. Yun Ling quickly poured it into the teapot, adding her own dried flower tea. She carried the teapot through the winding corridors and arrived at the Sixth Prince's residence.

　　She stopped outside the door, timidly knocking. After hearing a voice from within, she pushed it open.

　　The room was cold and dark, and the slightly rotten windows, not very sturdy, rattled in the wind.

　　It was hard to imagine that the Emperor's child, the Sixth Prince, would be confined to such a place.

　　She walked in and placed the tea on the table. Then, she immediately went to the window and used a piece of wood to prop it up. The violently shaking window gradually quieted down.

　　Yun Ling's face was already splashed with a few drops of rain from her actions. She wiped them away with her handkerchief. Then, she went to the table, poured a cup of warm tea, and offered it to him. “Your Highness, have some warm tea.”

　　A man in a simple black robe sat leaning against the couch, his hair tied with a simple white jade hairpin, cascading down like a waterfall. He held a book on mountain travel in his hand.

　　In the light filtering through the window, one could see his pale face, his lips a sickly red.

　　His sickly, frail appearance, confined to a sickbed, would likely make it impossible for anyone to connect him with the rumored tyrannical and unrestrained Sixth Prince.

　　Xie Jue reached out and took the teacup from her hand, the petals still floating in the brew.

　　This little palace maid was quite clever, to have dried flower tea in advance.

　　He lowered his gaze slightly, holding the teacup in his hand, but didn't drink.

　　Yun Ling carefully brought a thicker robe and draped it over him. “It's cold outside, Your Highness, be careful not to catch a chill.”

　　The rain outside grew heavier, and the window propped up by the wood was blown open again. Rain and wind lashed in, a wild, chaotic symphony. Yun Ling grabbed a piece of cloth and went to close and tie the window. But a sudden gust of wind caught her off guard. The rain slanted, large drops pelting her face and body. She had to brace against the onslaught, pushing the two windows shut with all her might. Then, she wedged them back with the wood, finally securing them.

　　However, this left her delicate face drenched, with rainwater trickling down her fair forehead. Her long eyelashes fluttered, sending cold droplets cascading down. The autumn palace robe was not thick, and her front was completely soaked, her hair sticking messily to her cheeks. Yun Ling instinctively shrugged her shoulders, but turned her head with reassurance, saying, “Your Highness, the window is fixed now; it won’t leak anymore.”

　　Xie Jue's fingers slowly traced the surface of the teacup for a moment, then he set the empty cup down, his gaze still fixed on the book. “Hmm.”

　　Yun Ling walked over and poured him another cup of tea. Her upper body was soaked, and she desperately wanted to go back and change.

　　The warmth of the tea slowly rose in wisps.

　　The wind and rain raged outside, making even the simple and dilapidated room feel unsteady and precarious. It mirrored the difficult years spent in this cold palace.

　　No one willingly chooses to suffer in this cold palace.

　　Yet Yun Ling, despite being here for months, not only remained obedient and dutiful, but also proved to be incredibly resourceful. She meticulously tidied and cleaned the vast, dilapidated palace, making it orderly and spotless. She served him with respect and care, from the sun-warmed blankets and clothes to his attire, grooming, and daily life. She never slacked off, even though Xie Jue was considered a mere invalid.

　　Xie Jue watched her pour the water, his gaze cold. He suddenly asked, “Serving me, a mere invalid, you'll spend your whole life in this desolate cold palace, neither human nor ghost, worse than being dead. But you don't seem to resent it.”

　　Yun Ling gently shook her head. “Your Highness is not an invalid. Besides, compared to the days when I was constantly anxious and bullied by Wang Dade outside, I'm quite content now.”

　　“My master used to tell me that people should learn to be content, not wanting everything. I'm quite content.” Yun Ling placed the freshly filled hand warmer in his palm. She was careful not to touch his clothes at all.

　　Her eyes were glistening with moisture, her hands chilled from the rain, but her voice was as gentle as petals floating in a cup of tea. “I'm willing to spend the rest of my days with Your Highness in this cold palace. It's my good fortune to be here with you.”

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