My Darling, Coax Me.

CHAPTER 69: Reconciliation.

　　The room was thick with the scent of medicine, and the calming aroma of sandalwood incense wafted through the air.

　　Xie Jue, clad in a black robe embroidered with gold, leaned against the headboard, his pale skin accentuated by the rich fabric. His gaze was fixed on Yun Ling as she tended to his wound.

　　The arrow had grazed his arm, but the poison had caused the wound to fester, revealing a gruesome sight beneath the bandage.

　　The wound looked truly severe.

　　He only glanced at it, showing no sign of discomfort.

　　Yun Ling, however, felt a pang of worry. The wound had festered so badly, and yet he had just chased the military doctor away. He really didn't care for his own health at all.

　　Thinking about this, Yun Ling's expression turned serious. Ignoring her own exhaustion, she took the medicine left by the military doctor and carefully, meticulously cleaned the wound, removing any residual ointment. Only then did she apply fresh powder.

　　Such a deep wound, the application of the powder must have been excruciating. Yet Xie Jue seemed completely oblivious to the pain. His deep, phoenix-like eyes never left her as she tended to him, their intensity like an endless night. He wouldn't look away for a moment.

　　Chen Zhan, having dealt with the commotion outside, returned with the military doctor and was met with this scene.

　　It was a scene of quiet intimacy, a peaceful moment in time.

　　With Yun Ling there, all the turmoil seemed to fade away.

　　The military doctor, still shaken, cautiously looked up. To his astonishment, the previously furious Crown Prince was now calmly leaning against the headboard, passively allowing the young lady before him to treat his wound. His gaze drifted to her, catching a glimpse of her gentle, pale face, before quickly lowering his head again.

　　The military doctor wondered who this young lady was, to have such an effect on the Crown Prince. He didn't know, but Chen Zhan certainly did.

　　As the Crown Prince's cousin and also his subordinate, Chen Zhan was perhaps the first to perceive the Crown Prince's feelings for Miss Xiao.

　　Perhaps even before the Crown Prince himself realized it.

　　From the moment he secretly entered Jingxiang Palace to deliver medicine to the Crown Prince and learned of this particular palace maid, he sensed something was amiss.

　　The fact that Yun Ling was still alive under his watch was a miracle in itself.

　　At that point, Chen Zhan subtly perceived the Crown Prince's unusual treatment of her.

　　And what followed, Chen Zhan watched step by step as the Crown Prince fell hopelessly in love, until…

　　Without Xiao Yun Ling, Xie Jue wouldn't be able to live.

　　Xie Jue, a ruthless man who wouldn't hesitate to kill his brother and poison his father, a man of boundless ambition, yet he repeatedly humbles himself for a woman.

　　Thinking this, Chen Zhan raised an eyebrow, suddenly remembering that the Crown Prince was just like his deceased aunt.

　　She rarely fell in love, but once she did, she gave her all.

　　It's a pity that the old Emperor was an unreliable and heartless man.

　　But Miss Yun Ling was different.

　　She was incredibly kind-hearted, and utterly unable to be cruel.

　　A smile touched Chen Zhan's lips. “Your Highness,” he said, “I've taken care of those young masters outside. They've been sent back to the Capital. Those old fellows won't dare say anything more.”

　　Those spoiled brats, with no hardship in their lives and lacking skills, trying to sneak into the military camp for easy merit—those aristocratic families were far too ambitious.

　　They corrupted the military's atmosphere, and it was long overdue for a cleanup. The old Emperor's incompetence prevented him from offending those old families, allowing the military to decay.

　　He didn't understand that if the nation's defenses rotted from within, how could it protect itself? How could it resist foreign invasion?

　　So Xie Jue personally took action to rectify the situation. Chen Zhan finished speaking, but Xie Jue didn't look up, merely responding with a soft “Mm.”  

　　Seeing that he wasn't leaving, Xie Jue impatiently added, “Is there anything else?”

　　Chen Zhan shrugged his shoulders, knowing that he was in his way, and said, “Alright, alright, I'm leaving. But the military doctor hasn't checked your pulse today. Should he come and examine you?”

　　Yun Ling had just finished bandaging the wound. Hearing this, she looked up, stepped aside, and said softly, “Please come in, military doctor.”

　　Xie Jue simply agreed.

　　The military doctor wiped the sweat from his brow, and upon receiving permission, entered carrying his medical bag. He placed his fingers on the Crown Prince's wrist, carefully taking his pulse. After a thorough examination, he finally said with relief, “Your Highness, the remaining poison has been cleared. However, your body is still weak and requires careful recuperation.”

　　After the examination, he quickly gathered his medical bag and left, not daring to linger.

　　Chen Zhan wisely decided not to disturb them further. “Alright, alright, I'm going now,” he said, leaving with the military doctor.

　　Once they were gone, the room fell silent. Yun Ling was about to leave to fetch some water, but he held her wrist tightly, causing her to sit back down beside him. Although the poison had been cleared, it was still a serious ailment. His usually rosy lips were pale from his illness.

　　His usual aloof aura was accentuated by the pallor, making him appear fragile and almost paranoid.

　　He lowered his head, gazing at her quietly and asked, “When did you arrive?”

　　“I arrived this morning,” she replied.

　　Yun Ling said softly, “Last night, Eunuch An came to find me and told me about your injury. Worried about you, I rushed to the military camp with him overnight.”

　　Thinking back to the scene, Yun Ling couldn't help but say, “But Your Highness, how could you be so careless with your own body? You were clearly injured, yet you refused medical treatment!”

　　She added, “And you even chased away all the doctors…”

　　This would hinder the healing of his wounds.

　　Xie Jue watched the worry and disapproval etched on her face, making no attempt to hide his actions. “News of my injury reached the capital two or three days ago, yet you didn't come. I was barely able to control my anger.”

　　He paused, then continued, “But you came. The moment you heard of my injury, you didn't hesitate, coming here overnight.”

　　“And with your intelligence, you must have guessed that my injury was suspicious, perhaps even intentional. Yet, even so, you still couldn't rest easy, coming to the military camp with An Zhong,” Xie Jue said calmly, making no attempt to conceal his words.

　　He said this, his dark phoenix eyes even deeper than the night, gazing at her. Slowly, with a sense of inevitability, he reached out to caress her face. “I knew you couldn't leave me.”

　　As long as she softened even a little, he would be domineering, relentlessly consuming and possessing her.

　　Yun Ling fell silent for a moment.

　　Since she chose to come because she was worried, she had made up her mind.

　　She and he had been entangled for so many years, unable to separate.

　　Her heart softened, she compromised.

　　She admitted it.

　　Looking up at his pale lips, a result of his injury, Yun Ling, for the first time, didn't deny it. “Yes, I can't leave you.”

　　So, even though she had held on for so long, hearing news of his injury had instantly thrown her into turmoil. Logic told her he would be fine, but worry overwhelmed her, leaving her not knowing what to do, so she came here overnight.

　　“I always thought I had simply grown accustomed to your embrace and warmth. You are always so strong, domineering, and impossible to refuse, so I had no choice but to compromise,” Yun Ling looked into his eyes, speaking earnestly. “You know, I told you before, I yearn for freedom outside the Palace. I never wanted to be a Crown Princess. All the way from Meiyang County to the Capital, I had no choice, and you were injured for me, so I compromised…”

　　“The incident with Xiao Mingrong seemed like an accident, but it felt like it opened a floodgate. The emotions I'd suppressed for so long finally burst forth, and I wanted to tell you everything. My suppressed heart finally found its resolve, and I decided to clear things up with you.”

　　Her voice trailed off, becoming clear and distinct. “From the beginning, our relationship was unequal. You are the ruler, and I am your servant. Because of my weakness, I constantly tried to please you, and you also grew accustomed to controlling and pressuring me. But I… I never actually liked it that way. In the past, I thought my feelings for you were just habit, gratitude, or… obedience. But when you were hurt, when I saw you, I finally had no moment more certain than now that I care about you.”

　　Now that she had made her decision, she wouldn't be coy or hide her feelings anymore. Everything needed to be made clear.

　　She hadn't been able to see her own heart clearly, and she didn't want to enter the Palace. She was trapped in her obsessions and couldn't free herself, which is why she insisted on creating distance and separating from him.

　　But beneath her outwardly firm stance, his repeated concessions and his declaration that he would never force her again caused her to struggle.

　　She just hadn't realized it yet.

　　The day the Head of the Lin family came to deliver her mother's belongings, she originally intended to learn more about the Lin family's dream-foretelling ability, hoping to use this to investigate whether there was anything suspicious about her mother's death.

　　But she unexpectedly learned something.

　　The Lin family was an ancient and prominent family in Yunze. Because their ancestor was a member of a lineage of witches, the female descendants inherited the ability to foresee things through dreams.

　　This dream-foretelling ability, being too frightening and potentially viewed as demonic by outsiders, was carefully concealed by the Lin family.

　　Of course, for the Lin family, the descendant who inherited the dream-foretelling ability was the designated Head of the family, as only one person in each generation would inherit this ability.

　　And this dream-foretelling wasn't capable of seeing everything; otherwise, such a power that could disrupt the natural order would surely cause chaos in the world.

　　The Lin family's dream-foretelling ability had two aspects: first, to avert a great calamity in the future for themselves;

　　Second, the dreams of the Lin family show them their one true love in this life.

　　Yun Ling's dream didn't depict a great calamity for herself, but instead, she dreamt of Xie Jue ascending to the position of Crown Prince.

　　That's because…

　　Xie Jue is her one true love.

　　At that moment, when Yun Ling understood this, she felt… no surprise.

　　Looking out the window at the moon, the fog had lifted.

　　The truth was clear in her eyes.

　　It was as if she had known all along.

　　Her eyes began to redden. Xie Jue's heart ached. He cupped her face in his hands, his voice husky, “I know.”

　　“In the past, I was accustomed to being superior, to forcing and pressuring you, because I knew that no matter what, you would eventually yield to me. But I never considered whether you wanted that.” His fingers gently traced the reddened skin around her eyes, then he slowly pulled her into his embrace, holding her tightly, as if wanting to meld her into his very being.

　　He said softly, “It was my fault.”

　　Yun Ling's body stiffened for a moment, paused, then finally raised her arms to hug him back.

　　Now that she had understood her own heart, she wouldn't be stubborn anymore.

　　——

　　Xie Jue hadn't slept well in days, and the poison wound had weakened him. Not seeing Yun Ling had kept his nerves on edge, his emotions frayed and frantic. By now, he was utterly exhausted.

　　He soon fell into a deep sleep.

　　The inner chamber fell quiet. The bed curtains were drawn, blocking most of the light, plunging the room into darkness.

　　Held in his embrace, Yun Ling was enveloped by his familiar, light scent, tinged with the faint smell of medicine, a scent that brought her immense comfort.

　　The bedchamber was dimly lit and warm.

　　After a day and night of travel, she was exhausted as well. She didn't resist, snuggling into his arms, and soon fell asleep.

　　She must have been very tired, because she slept until evening.

　　The sun set, sinking below the horizon until the last rays of light disappeared.

　　Someone seemed to have entered, softly announcing their presence and requesting an audience.

　　The voice was quiet, and Yun Ling slowly opened her eyes, waking up.

　　The request was repeated.

　　Lying in Xie Jue's arms, her dark hair cascading around her, she looked delicate and gentle, her slender shoulders and back exposed.

　　Hearing the voice, she gently pushed the arm draped across her waist. “Your Highness, Your Highness,” she whispered. “Someone is requesting an audience.”

　　Xie Jue's handsome brows furrowed slightly, but he didn't open his eyes. He stretched out his long arms and hugged her tighter in his arms. His nose was buried in her delicate and white neck.

　　Yun Ling felt a little helpless. “Your Highness…”

　　It was some time before she finally managed to rouse him.

　　His hands were injured, so Yun Ling retrieved a dark blue embroidered brocade robe with a black sash from a nearby chest. It looked elegant and austere.

　　Xie Jue's expression, however, held a faint irritation at the interruption.

　　Only after Yun Ling had helped him dress did Xie Jue say calmly to the person outside, “Enter.”

　　A General led in a pale-faced individual.

　　“Reporting to Your Highness, Lord Chen says that the matter of Fang Xiang requires your personal attention.”

　　Fang Xiang was the one who deserted his post.

　　As he spoke, he noticed the beautiful woman beside His Highness, looking intimately close to him.

　　He had heard about the morning's events. His Highness had a fierce temper, yet the presence of this young lady seemed to have calmed him.

　　It was more effective than any calming medicine prescribed by the military physician.

　　He only glanced at her before quickly lowering his head, not daring to look again.

　　Fang Xiang, meanwhile, was ashen-faced, terrified to the point of near incontinence. He prostrated himself on the ground, tears streaming down his face, repeatedly kowtowing. “Your Highness, spare my life! Your Highness, spare my life! I dare not do it again!”

　　“My father has served as Vice Minister of the Ministry of War for over ten years, with merits and hardships. I beg Your Highness to spare my life. From now on, no, from this moment on, I will always remember this lesson and never dare to flee again. Please, Your Highness, spare my life…”

　　He kowtowed so forcefully that blood welled up on the stone floor, demonstrating the intensity of his fear.

　　Being disturbed while sleeping soundly, Xie Jue was already impatient. His brows were coldly furrowed, and he didn't listen to Fang Xiang's pleas, showing no mercy. His tone was utterly cold as he uttered the words, “Desertion in battle is punishable by death, according to military law.”

　　“Drag him away.”

　　Fang Xiang's eyes widened in terror. He actually urinated himself, trembling as he lay prostrate on the ground. “Your Highness, spare my life! My father… my father is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War! He is still the Minister of—”

　　Xie Jue let out a cold laugh, his voice even colder. “Vice Minister of the Ministry of War?”

　　“The son of a mere Vice Minister of the Ministry of War is nothing to me. Military law is strict; even a prince would be executed without hesitation.”

　　“Drag him away and carry out the public execution. I want everyone to know that desertion in battle will result in this outcome.”

　　“Yes, Your Highness.”

　　Fang Xiang was dragged away like a dead dog, leaving a long trail of wetness on the ground. He had urinated himself in terror.

　　Soon, attendants came in to clean the floor and quietly left.

　　Finally, there were no more interruptions.

　　Yun Ling was still thinking about Fang Xiang who had been dragged away. He was the son of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War… which meant…

　　Thinking this through, Yun Ling asked, “Does this Fang Xiang have a connection to the Minister of War?”

　　The Minister of War, Gao Yan, was a close confidant of Xie Jue's, someone who had contributed greatly to his ascension.

　　Xie Jue was still somewhat weak, and the recent events had been taxing. He didn't want to discuss anything further. Seeing her furrowed brow in thought, he took her wrist, wanting to embrace her. “Yes,” he murmured, “he's related to Gao Yan's wife's family.”

　　Yun Ling's expression immediately turned serious. She asked,

　　“Then, Your Highness, are you sure this is wise? To be so ruthless?”

　　“Gao Yan is not someone who would disregard right and wrong. He has already sent a message, saying that he leaves the matter entirely to my judgment,” Xie Jue said. “And I will show no mercy.”

　　Yun Ling nodded.

　　So that's how it was.

　　A man of such power and status, holding the reins of the Empire, was always absolute in his decisions, decisive and ruthless, brooking no disobedience or mistakes. No one dared to defy him.

　　Therefore, he had always been strong, never having to bow or yield.

　　…Except to her.

　　Yun Ling suddenly realized that, upon reflection, in every argument they'd had since Meiyang County, he had ultimately been the one to yield.

　　This time was no different. She had refused him repeatedly, cruelly telling him her affections were false, even slapping him.

　　Yet he showed no resentment.

　　Looking at his expression, Yun Ling felt her eyes well up unexpectedly. “I deceived you again and again. Even though I had feelings for you, Your Highness, I treated you so poorly, constantly defying you. Have you ever blamed me?”

　　Xie Jue seemed completely unconcerned by her words. When she finished speaking, he took her wrist and pulled her tightly into his embrace. He buried his face in her dark hair, closing his eyes. After a long moment, he said softly, “Never.”

　　“My love for you is irrational.”

　　“It's beyond reason, beyond right and wrong. So, no matter how you treat me,” he leaned down, holding her tightly and possessively, his voice low, “as long as you don't leave me, I don't mind.”

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T/N: Aww, this chapter is so sweet! Btw everyone, I'm sorry, I keep forgetting to ask: Is the font size comfortable? I've been using a medium size, but I'm worried it might look too small on tablets or laptops because I'm only testing this on my Android phone. I'm new to translation and blogging, so I hope you'll forgive me. 😅 I'll try to add a tool to adjust the font size to your preference. Give me some time to learn it. It's like an alien language to me.

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