My Darling, Coax Me.

CHAPTER 47: Isolate You As The Crown Princess. 

　　“It's the chasm between me and Your Highness, not anyone else. Zhang Ren is an innocent man, please let him go.”

　　The salty sea breeze scattered her words, carrying them into Xie Jue's ears.

　　Soft yet firm.

　　Xie Jue only looked at her, saying nothing. Silence remained

　　Grand Eunuch An, seizing the moment, rose and approached, reminding him, “Your Highness, it's getting late, we can't delay any longer. We must depart.”

　　Yun Ling still held tightly onto his robe, afraid he would leave the ship.

　　The sharp blade reflected a cold light under the moonlight, Xie Jue's knuckles clenched.

　　After a long while, he tossed the sword down, its sharp clang echoing.

　　“Make sure those two keep their mouths shut, not a single word can leak out.”

　　A guard on the shore replied, “Yes.”

　　“Set sail.”

　　Yun Ling's taut nerves finally relaxed, and she let out a slow breath.

　　Earlier, she was truly afraid he would kill Zhang Ren in a fit of rage. If an innocent man died because of her, she would live with guilt for the rest of her life, unable to find peace.

　　……

　　The merchant ship sailed further and further away, leaving only Mu Dong, Zhang Ren, and a guard behind on the shore.

　　Mu Dong had long guessed the identity of the ‘Prince of Linze,’ so she wasn't surprised. Moreover, Yun Ling had instructed her that the Crown Prince's journey involved important matters that couldn't be revealed, otherwise it would lead to death. Therefore, she had remained tight-lipped. She was only shocked by the Crown Prince's brutality; it was truly terrifying.

　　The situation just now felt like she had just walked through hell.

　　In that situation, Yun Ling actually dared to step forward and stop him. And if Yun Ling hadn't intervened, Zhang Ren would definitely have died... Ultimately, it was all because of Zhang Ren. Mu Dong turned and glared resentfully at the man slumped on the ground, “Why did you follow me here?”

　　She only wanted to come and see Yun Ling off for a last time. If it weren't for Zhang Ren secretly following her, none of what happened earlier would have occurred, causing her sister so much distress.

　　Ever since being rejected by Mu Zhao, Zhang Ren had tossed and turned all night, truly unsure where he had gone wrong. But since Mu Zhao didn't like him, he wouldn't force it.

　　However, hearing that Mu Zhao was about to leave Meiyang County, he felt immense distress. All the way to Mu's house, he saw Mu Dong looking around cautiously, taking advantage of the darkness to avoid the crowds and head towards the sea, he unconsciously followed.

　　Only upon arriving here did he realize she was seeing Mu Zhao off, so he couldn't help but come out to say goodbye. He just never expected... that she would be with such a young, ruthless, and dangerous young master who was ready to kill at any moment.

　　Thinking back to how he had almost been killed by the young man's guard, Zhang Ren was still too frightened to recover.

　　And if he hadn't misheard, that young man had referred to himself as ¹'Gu'!

　　Who in the world would dare to call themselves 'Gu'?!!!

　　Although he was a traveling merchant, he had some knowledge. Just the thought of it filled him not only with fear but also with a deep tremor in his heart!

　　The guard left behind coldly drew his sword, “Anyone who dares to speak out of turn will be killed without mercy!”

　　Zhang Ren repeatedly kowtowed, “Yes, yes.”

　　Cold sweat broke out on his back. He turned to Mu Dong, “I'm sorry, Miss Mu Dong. This time, I was careless and offended.”

　　He had brought about such trouble, and it would likely cause considerable problems for Lady Mu.

　　Mu Dong was upset, “You know you've offended me. Is sneaking around like this the behavior of a gentleman?”

　　It was all his fault that such trouble had arisen.

　　Zhang Ren could only keep apologizing, but it was of no use.

　　……

　　After a night of rough seas, the merchant ship finally reached calmer waters. Yun Ling stayed in a room by herself, and since there wasn't much to do on board, she idly flipped through a few pages of a book.

　　Upon learning of her intention to marry someone else, he must have been furious. He had her confined to this room and hasn't appeared since.

　　It wasn't entirely accurate to say she was locked up. Besides the guard watching outside the door, she was still able to go out.

　　After all, it wasn't like she could just jump off the ship.

　　As the winds and waves calmed down, the ship stopped swaying as much. Yun Ling took a motion sickness pill, and her stomach felt much better.

　　The ship wouldn't dock until noon tomorrow.

　　Leaning out the window, she gazed at the endless, rolling green mountains and the vibrant green water stretching out before her. The scenery along the way was truly beautiful.

　　The damp, cool wind on her cheeks brought a refreshing clarity.

　　She had hoped that this time, if possible, she wouldn't be forced to submit to him again, that she could find a chance to have a serious talk with him. But fate is always cruel; Zhang Ren's appearance was unexpected, and utterly intolerable to him.

　　They wouldn't be able to have a proper conversation.

　　His anger was so intense, and in her haste, she blurted out those words—even she hadn't expected herself to say them.

　　But if she hadn't spoken, Zhang Ren would have died.

　　Yun Ling sighed softly, closing the small window, and lowered her head to continue reading her book.

　　A knock came on the door.

　　Grand Eunuch An entered carrying her lunch, placing it on the table. Then, he asked with concern, “Lady Yun, are you still feeling seasick? I have some more medicine here, all my own supply, very effective.”

　　This was An Zhong's first time leaving the Imperial Palace, and he'd been terribly seasick both on horseback and on the ship. Luckily, he'd found a physician who prescribed some very effective medicine.

　　Yun Ling shook her head. “I'm fine, thank you, Eunuch An. You should rest more as well.”

　　“Thank you for your concern, Lady Yun.”

　　Grand Eunuch An hesitated for a moment in the room before leaving. He had been promoted by Lady Yun herself and felt much gratitude towards her.

　　After a moment's thought, he still felt compelled to remind her, “Lady Yun, you're too bold.”

　　A Palace maid has never become a Crown Princess. Even establishing a Cèfēi would be exceeding the proper limits. For Lady Yun to say she wouldn't be a Cèfēi of the Crown Prince... could it be that she wants to be the Crown Princess?

　　Let alone the Crown Prince, even ordinary officials wouldn't marry a palace maid as their main wife.

　　The very fact that she would even dare to have such a thought is shocking.

　　Yun Ling naturally knew that her aspirations would be considered shocking and outrageous in the eyes of the world, which is why even An Zhong called her bold.

　　She knew she was being bold.

　　But so what? She never wanted to become his Crown Princess. But she needed to make it clear to him: his so-called indulgence and affection meant nothing to her.

　　She didn't need it.

　　But these words probably wouldn't be understood by others. So Yun Ling didn't explain, simply asking, “Where is His Highness?”

　　Grand Eunuch An replied, “His Highness spent the entire night discussing matters with Lord Fei Ying.”

　　“I understand.”

　　Seeing this, Grand Eunuch An retreated.

　　Sometimes he thought Lady Yun was incredibly bold, yet other times he felt that these were precisely the kinds of words she would say.

　　……

　　Perhaps he was truly angered by her words, as he didn't show up until evening to question her.

　　Yun Ling, however, remained calm. With nothing to do in the room and the beautiful scenery outside, she thought about capturing it in a drawing as a keepsake.

　　It's just that her painting skills were extremely poor; unlike her calligraphy, which improved with practice, her painting remained a mess despite much effort—she simply lacked talent.

　　The ship was also moving very fast, so she could only sketch out a rough outline. That's how she spent the afternoon.

　　——

　　A gauze-like moonlight enveloped everything, creating a hazy, indistinct night.

　　The water churned, and a damp, cold wind blew in, bringing a bone-chilling coldness.

　　A tall, slender figure stood silently outside the room, the pale moonlight veiling his stern face, making his expression unclear.

　　An Zhong stood quietly behind the Crown Prince, not daring to make a sound.

　　Since last night, His Highness has been in meetings all night, seemingly tireless. He hasn't seen Lady Yun either, and it's unclear what he's thinking.

　　Yet, although His Highness shows no expression, he oddly seems devoid of anger.

　　Compared to when Zhang Ren appeared, he is remarkably calm.

　　Back then, His Highness's anger was almost uncontrollable. If Lady Yun hadn't stopped him in time, Zhang Ren would likely have died on the spot.

　　But Lady Yun shouldn't have spoken so audaciously to save Zhang Ren.

　　It's unclear how His Highness will deal with this.

　　After a moment's thought, Grand Eunuch An stepped forward and tentatively said, “Lady Yun's words were likely unintentional, I hope Your Highness won't hold it against her.”

　　Only the whistling wind answered him.

　　The Crown Prince had already turned and left.

　　……

　　Yun Ling, having slept too long during the day and feeling stifled in the room, told the guards at the door that she wanted to go out for some air.

　　The guards didn't stop her.

　　Yun Ling walked along the corridor, and as she rounded a corner, she saw him approaching in the night. Startled, she tried to avoid him, turning to go back.

　　Meeting him now wasn't a wise move.

　　Just as she took a couple of steps, he suddenly approached from behind, grabbing her wrist and pulling her into the room with a dark expression.

　　“Why are you running?”

　　The door slammed shut with a loud ‘bang,’ echoing in her heart.

　　Yun Ling slowly pulled her hand free from his grasp. “I was just afraid that His Highness wouldn't want to see me, and I didn't want to disturb your peace.”

　　“Whether you wanted to or not, you already have,” Xie Jue allowed her to pull away, lowering his gaze and looking at her silently for a long moment before speaking slowly, “What's going on between you and that Zhang Ren? I want to know everything.”

　　He's asking about that again.

　　He really is…

　　Yun Ling could only explain clearly, “There's really nothing going on.”

　　“He's the nephew of my neighbor, Mrs. Zhang. He's a merchant who recently returned from a trip; I'd never met him before. A while ago, the Zezhou prefect was selecting beauties, and Mrs. Zhang, thinking that my sister Mu Dong and I were too vulnerable, thought to introduce someone to me.”

　　“I've only met him a few times. Nothing happened between us, and there's certainly no affection involved.”

　　She explained clearly, doing her best to distance herself from Zhang Ren.

　　Looking up, she saw only a dark, gloomy shadow in his deep eyes.

　　Yun Ling paused. “I've already explained everything clearly; there's nothing going on.”

　　“What do you mean by clear?” Xie Jue's brow furrowed coldly. “The very thought of marrying someone else is wrong! Escaping the East Palace is also wrong!” 

　　Yun Ling looked straight at him, silent for a long moment before stubbornly retorting, “I've never been Your Highness's possession. Why can't I—”

　　“Your position as a Shanggong, your wealth and splendor, all come from me. And I am the Crown Prince of the Great Jin. Is that not enough?” Xie Jue stepped closer to her, sneering softly. 

        “Not want to be a Cèfēi in the East Palace? Do you know what you're saying? A mere Shanggong, you're incredibly presumptuous.”

　　Yun Ling didn't want to argue with him.

　　In the dim room, she slowly closed her eyes. “Then, Your Highness, punish me.”

　　The night wind was cold, blowing in through the slightly ajar window, chilling Yun Ling's face, stealing its warmth.

　　The moonlight was cool and clear, and in the silence, she suddenly heard his low voice,

　　“But I grant you this.”

　　“If you don't want to be a Cèfēi, then you don't have to.”

　　Yun Ling's eyelashes fluttered, and she raised her eyes in astonishment.

　　What did he mean?

　　Xie Jue stood before her, his voice colder than the moonlight, yet he spoke with an unprecedented gentleness, “All my life, I have truly hated palace women. I don't allow myself to develop feelings for a palace woman.”

　　“But for these past few years, my heart and eyes have only been able to see you. I can't bear to look at other women.”

　　He had to admit it.

　　During the three years she ran away, instead of anger and hatred, he actually missed her deeply.

　　Yun Ling's eyes widened, and her chest trembled slightly.

　　She thought, he was full of possessiveness and a desire to control her. He was high and mighty, never giving her a choice, never understanding what she wanted. But now, she felt that she didn't really understand him either.

　　Only now did she realize that his feelings for her went beyond mere possessiveness and a slight affection.

　　Perhaps the incident with Empress Zhaohui had taught him to repress his emotions from a young age. Sometimes, he repressed them so well that even she hadn't noticed.

　　“Your Highness... I…”

　　“But I can't tolerate any sand in my eyes.”

　　Yun Ling was stunned.

　　As she stood there frozen, Xie Jue's tone changed, the gentle expression on his face vanishing. Looking down at her face, he slowly leaned down and forcefully embraced her, holding her so tightly it felt like he wanted to meld her into his very bones. His voice was harsh,

　　“Ah Ling, I appoint you as the Crown Princess, and from now on, your heart and eyes must belong only to me.”

　　“Don't you dare run away again, or I truly will kill you.”

　　The faint scent of pinewood from his body gradually filled her nostrils; his embrace was broad and burning hot.

　　Held in his arms, Yun Ling's mind was a whirlwind.

　　He actually wanted to make her the Crown Princess…

　　And whether it was sweet words or threats, a combination of carrots and sticks, she really had no choice but to accept.

　　“I'm just a palace maid. Becoming Your Highness's legitimate wife is incredibly difficult,” Yun Ling said slowly. “And I'm not ruthless enough to engage in palace intrigues.”

　　“I will only marry you. What is there to fight for?”

　　Yun Ling's eyelashes fluttered, and she silently closed her eyes, finally saying, “It's impossible.”

　　Xie Jue tightened his grip on her, one hand stroking her hair.

　　“All the rules and rituals in the world cannot stop me.” (T/N: UwU, finally the sweet part. 😆)

________________

Glossary:

¹‘孤’ (Gū) - Meaning:

- Literal: ‘Lonely,’ ‘solitary,’ or ‘isolated.’

- Figurative: A self-referential term used by emperors and other high-ranking individuals, often signifying their unique and elevated position.

Usage:

- Historical: Emperors and other powerful figures in Chinese history would refer to themselves as ‘孤’ to emphasize their isolation and the burden of their responsibilities.

- Literary: In literature, ‘孤’ is often used to convey a sense of loneliness, power, or even a tragic destiny.

Cultural Context: 

- Imperial Authority: The use of '孤' by emperors is deeply rooted in Chinese imperial tradition, signifying their separation from ordinary people and their divine mandate.

- Isolation and Burden: '孤' implies a sense of weight and responsibility, as the individual holds the fate of the nation on their shoulders.

Connotation:

- Power and Authority: '孤' carries a strong sense of dominance and authority, often used to instill fear and respect.

- Loneliness and Sacrifice: The term can also suggest a sense of isolation and the sacrifices made by those in power.

Example:

- "孤乃一国之君，责无旁贷。" (Gū nǎi yī guó zhī jūn, zé wú páng dài.) “I am the ruler of a nation, my responsibility is inescapable.”

Note: While '孤' is primarily an imperial term, it can also be used in other contexts to signify a sense of solitude or isolation.

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