My Darling, Coax Me.

CHAPTER 48: Don't Reject Me. 

　　The night wind blew in, making the window rattle.

　　Yun Ling, held in his arms, remained silent for a long time.

　　A knock came from the door. “Your Highness, Lord Fei Ying has something to discuss,” the guard announced.

　　Xie Jue lifted his eyelids slightly and replied indifferently, “I know.”

　　He then released Yun Ling.

　　“I'll be out for a while. If anything comes up, have An Zhong report to me.”

　　Yun Ling simply nodded blankly, “Okay.”

　　Seeing that she still seemed dazed, Xie Jue used a long finger to lift her chin. “Did you hear what I just said?”

　　“If you don't want to be a Crown Prince's Consort (cè fēi), I'll make you the Crown Princess (zhèng fēi - principal wife). Whatever you want, I can grant it. You should be satisfied now? But remember, you came from the East Palace, and your final destination can only be the East Palace. You are my maid, my official, my Crown Princess. Regardless of your status, you belong to me.”

　　“That Zhang Ren…” He paused for a moment before squeezing out a few words, “If it's really as you say, I won't hold it against you this time.”

　　“But if you hide anything from me again, you should know my nature all too well. If I want to kill someone, no one can stop me.”

　　He took a step back, always aiming for greater benefits.

　　In truth, he was stubborn and unyielding.

　　Yun Ling's throat bobbed. Did she have any other choice?

　　She softly replied, “I heard you.”

　　Xie Jue's long finger still held her chin; his thin lips curled into a slight smile. A hurried knock came from the door again. He let go of her, and turned to leave.

　　After he left, the room returned to silence.

　　Yun Ling went to the window and sat down, letting the damp, cold night wind blow against her face, ruffling the hair at her temples.

　　The moon's watery light spilled down, shimmering on the surface of the water.

　　She didn't know how long she sat there.

　　Even her eyelashes felt stiff from the wind, yet it did nothing to calm the tangled mess of her confused thoughts.

　　She slowly raised her head to look at the night sky. The moonlight was too bright; the stars beside it seemed to hide in the clouds.

　　Even she couldn't see clearly anymore.

　　She couldn't see the path ahead, nor could she see clearly what she was thinking.

　　She had expected that after she spoke those words, he would scold her, mock her, but she hadn't expected him to agree so easily.

　　How could this be? Even the marriages of his ministers were political bargaining chips for him. When he initially chose a Consort, it was merely to consolidate his imperial power.

　　She had prided herself on understanding him well, yet she had underestimated everything.

　　The palace walls were high and deep; she had escaped with such difficulty, how could she easily return?

　　But with his promise and his overwhelming authority, she couldn't escape no matter what she did.

　　……

　　The next morning, the rising sun climbed into the sky, casting a golden light.

　　Yun Ling was already awake.

　　She sat up and dressed neatly. Although she owned a jewelry shop, she didn't usually adorn herself much; she simply wore a silver hairpin in her hair.

　　Grand Eunuch An knocked on the door outside, “Lady Yun, are you awake? I've come to deliver your breakfast.”

　　This Grand Eunuch An, the Chief Eunuch of the East Palace, has been diligently attending to her these past few days.

　　They had once been fellow officials of the East Palace, serving together. Moreover, Yun Ling, coming from a low-ranking palace maid background, wasn't accustomed to or fond of being served. Even when she was a Shanggong, she mostly took care of things herself.

　　It's just that these past few days, she's been confined by the Crown Prince and unable to move about freely.

　　Hearing Grand Eunuch An's voice, Yun Ling immediately got up and opened the door, taking the breakfast tray from his hands. “Thank you, you've been a great help.”

　　“There's no need for such formality between you and me, Lady Yun,” Grand Eunuch An replied, knowing Yun Ling disliked troubling others. But with so much food, he still came in to help her.

　　Yun Ling placed the tray on the table. The breakfast was quite substantial.

　　She has been too exhausted for the last two days. Last night, with so much on her mind, she hadn't been able to sleep, tossing and turning until she finally drifted off sometime later, only to wake up early this morning.

　　She sighed.

　　She couldn't continue like this. No matter what, her own health was the most important thing.

　　Even more worrying wouldn't change anything. She advised herself to be at peace and calm.

　　No matter what, let's proceed this way for now.

　　Seeing that her expression was much more relaxed than yesterday, Grand Eunuch An couldn't help but feel happy for her.

　　Yesterday, outside the door, he had heard the Crown Prince's words clearly.

　　He had actually said he would make Lady Yun the Crown Princess. Not only did he hear it, even the guards standing nearby couldn't help but shudder when they heard it.

　　Crown Princess, the future Empress, the mother of the nation – what an esteemed and glorious position.

　　He was truly happy for her from the bottom of his heart.

　　“I offer my sincerest congratulations, Lady Yun!”

　　Yun Ling was taken aback for a moment before understanding what he meant.

　　She offered a slight, almost imperceptible smile.

　　“Lady Yun, you have served His Highness longer than I have and understand better than most that His Highness never makes promises lightly, and how unpredictable his temperament can be. Although he once held a grudge against you because of your former status as a palace maid, in truth, before all this…” Grand Eunuch An said, “His Highness's special favor and indulgence towards Lady Yun were clear for all of us to see. Lady Yun, you must surely understand this yourself.”

　　Otherwise, she wouldn't have dared to even attempt such a daring escape.

　　And although His Highness was furious and searched for three years, in the end, he treated her leniently.

　　He never imagined, however, that this favor would extend to bestowing upon her even the position of the Crown Princess.

　　An Zhong suddenly recalled his attempt to intercede for Lady Yun last night outside her room, and why the Crown Prince's demeanor had been so calm.

　　The Crown Prince wasn't angry at Lady Yun's bold words.

　　He wasn't angry at Lady Yun's audacious ideas, her rebellious and excessive demands to not be a Cèfēi.

　　What angered him, instead, was the appearance of that Zhang Ren.

　　The Crown Prince wasn't angry at Lady Yun's excessive demands; he was angry that she dared to get close to another man.

　　Since His Highness had made such a concession and agreed to make Lady Yun the Crown Princess, she should be happy, he thought.

　　Under Grand Eunuch An's expectant gaze, Yun Ling sighed silently and helplessly.

　　Then she asked, “Has His Highness woken yet?”

　　Grand Eunuch An immediately replied happily, “He has already awakened.”

　　After finishing her breakfast, Yun Ling, holding the pear soup Grand Eunuch An had given her, knocked on the Crown Prince's room.

　　His cold voice came from within, “Enter.”

　　Yun Ling entered with the pear soup and found him gazing out the window at the water, his expression calm, his thoughts unreadable.

　　Yun Ling set down the pear soup, unsure of what to say.

　　He turned his head, seeing her pursing her lips in silence. His eyelids flickered. “What is it?”

　　Ever since he captured her in Meiyang County, she had become much more stubborn than before; the usual methods of intimidation and coercion no longer worked on her.

　　Xie Jue let out a cold snort. “You're gentle, considerate, and understanding towards others, yet towards me, you're stubborn and deceitful, running away for three whole years.”

　　“There isn't another woman in the world as bold as you.” (T/N: There's a strong smell of vinegar~ 😂)

　　She possessed a gentle demeanor, yet her very essence was decisive and reckless.

　　He was undoubtedly going to settle the score with her regarding her escape, or perhaps to issue a warning.

　　However, Yun Ling didn't want to debate or argue with him about it any further; it was pointless. Walking over with the pear soup, she said, “Your Highness, it's cold outside; be careful not to catch a chill. Drink some pear soup.”

　　Xie Jue's thin lips were pressed together, his gaze lowered to her.

　　He didn't speak.

　　Yun Ling's voice softened. “It won't taste as good once it gets cold.”

　　After a moment,

　　Xie Jue, eyes downcast and expressionless, took the bowl of pear soup from her hand.

　　Yun Ling, not wanting to bring up the matter again, changed the subject. “Has Your Highness finished discussing matters with Lord Fei Ying?”

　　Xie Jue walked back to the table and set down the soup bowl. “Yes.”

　　“Are we almost at Dianji?”

　　“We'll arrive before noon; we can disembark then.”

　　She had thought it was only a stopover, but it turned out they were disembarking. Yun Ling instantly understood. “Your Highness knew their destination was Dianji?”

　　Xie Jue: “Based on the time of their arrival, and since they're heading south, either they've been hiding in Dianji all along, or they are originally from Dianji. We'll know soon enough.”

　　If they were from Dianji, then the person behind the silver case could very well be an official from Dianji.

　　Yun Ling asked again, “Was Your Highness pondering this just now?”

　　Unexpectedly, he answered,

　　“No.”

　　Yun Ling raised her eyes slightly.

　　Xie Jue turned his head, his gaze settling on Yun Ling. “I was wondering why you came to Yunze. Was it simply because this is your master's hometown?”

　　He had seen her handwriting in one of her books and that's what led him to Yunze.

　　And she was truly here.

　　Leaving him, leaving the East Palace to come to this place... what was so different about Yunze?

　　Corrupt officials ran rampant, incompetent officials were everywhere. Yunze was inconspicuous within the vast territory of the Great Jin Dynasty. Neither rich nor poor, it was unremarkable. If he hadn't come here himself, he wouldn't have seen Yunze in its true state.

　　Yun Ling was silent for a moment.

　　She hadn't expected him to be thinking about that.

　　She didn't want to hide it from him. “Initially, I came to see my master's hometown. But later, a wandering monk said there might be clues about my origins here. That's why I came.”

　　Origins?

　　Xie Jue looked at her. “Didn't you say there was nothing to be gained from searching for parents who would sell their child?”

　　That's what she had thought before, and what she had told him.

　　Therefore, Xie Jue hadn't considered that she had come here to search for information about her origins.

　　Having heard that she'd been sold into the palace as a child, it was better not to seek out such parents.

　　Anyway, he would protect her from now on.

　　Yun Ling took a very old amulet from her pouch and showed it to him. “I didn't really intend to look, but I saw this amulet in Master's books, and I wondered if perhaps they also had difficulties? But I'm not sure. So, I just searched with that hope, and if I don't find anything, then so be it.”

　　Even if she found them, if it all turned out to be wishful thinking, and her parents had no justifiable reasons, she wouldn't acknowledge them.

　　Those who abandoned her, she wouldn't let them abandon her a second time.

　　Xie Jue took the amulet and glanced at it. “You didn't find anything in Yunze?”

　　Yun Ling shook her head. “I guess it's been too long; no one recognizes this.”

　　Xie Jue frowned, just about to say something, when Fei Ying announced from outside, “Your Highness, we'll reach Dianji in half an hour.”

　　“I have something to discuss with Your Highness.”

　　……

　　After a day and two nights on the water, Yun Ling, who hadn't been on a boat for so long, felt a terrible ache in her back and shoulders, and was terribly nauseous and dizzy. The moment her feet touched land, she felt lightheaded.

　　Of all the people on board, only she and Grand Eunuch An shared this misery.

　　Grand Eunuch An was even worse off; he started vomiting as soon as they disembarked.

　　Everyone had disembarked. For convenience, the guards were all dressed as servants, and this time, Yun Ling was naturally his wife. (T/N: Oh, this is an improvement. Last time, she could only be a concubine. Good job, Xie Jue! 😆)

　　It made her suddenly recall their trip to Qingzhou.

　　That time, he had mockingly asked her if her face had the look of a wife.

　　Although it was to facilitate their actions by disguising her as a favored concubine, she hadn't been pleased to hear it at the time.

　　At this moment, Fei Ying stepped forward and said, “That group, traveling by land, will likely take at least half a day to arrive.”

　　“Should we check into an inn first? I've investigated; the Golden Gate Inn is a transportation hub here, a place they must pass through.”

　　Xie Jue nodded. “Agreed.”

　　Upon arriving at the inn, Yun Ling hesitated. Now that everyone knew she was his future Crown Princess, and her current identity was his wife, they wouldn't give them two separate rooms.

　　Xie Jue, even more directly and naturally, handed her the key to the room, showing no intention of staying in a separate room.

　　Yun Ling had no choice but to accept the key. After a moment's thought, she shrugged; it wasn't like they hadn't slept together before!

　　He was extremely fastidious; when traveling, he absolutely never used anything from inns.

　　Grand Eunuch An brought over quilts and bedding to change. Yun Ling, unable to bear watching, stepped forward to help him make the bed, and they quickly changed the bedding.

　　At this moment, Xie Jue walked in, and Grand Eunuch An, very thoughtfully, wiped down all the chairs and tables, changing to a new tea set. “Your Highness, please be seated.”

　　Yun Ling blinked, thinking in amazement, although the Crown Prince didn't have any maids or servants, his Chief Eunuch was surprisingly efficient and quick-witted.

　　“Your Highness, how long will we need to stay in Dianji?”

　　Xie Jue picked up his teacup and said only a word, “Uncertain.”

　　Uncertain.

　　This was the first time she had heard such words from him.

　　Immediately, her heart began to race. What kind of den of vipers was this Dianji?

　　Time slipped away, the sun set, and night fell. Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves came from outside the window.

　　At this hour? Could it be that group had arrived?

　　The window was open a crack. Yun Ling saw their fleeting figures.

　　Where were they going? Yun Ling pondered.

　　By discovering where they went and who ordered them, they could find out who the real murderer of Minister Zheng was.

　　After about two incense sticks' worth of time, Fei Ying reported, “Reporting to Your Highness, Your Highness's guess was correct. Fei Xue and Fei Shuang, who were following that group, report that they entered the mansion of Dianji's magistrate, Cao Zhiping, through the back gate under cover of night.”

　　Dianji's magistrate?

　　Could it be that Magistrate Cao is the mastermind? How dare he? Embezzling two hundred thousand taels of disaster relief funds and then murdering the imperial envoy, framing the prefect of Zezhou... it's a colossal web of deceit.

　　If it weren't for Minister Zheng's jade pendant that lured him out, no one would have been able to trace it back to him.

　　Just as she was thinking this, a sudden blaze of fire erupted outside, and countless soldiers surrounded the Golden Gate Inn.

　　A group of soldiers parted to the left and right, and at that moment, Magistrate Cao Zhiping of Dianji slowly walked in. He looked up at the second-floor window, stroked his beard, and a confident smile spread across his face. “Young Master Chen, don't hide. Come out.”

　　Xie Jue put down his teacup, rose, and opened both windows. Looking down at Cao Zhiping below, he praised, “Magistrate Cao is truly perceptive.”

　　Cao Zhiping smiled triumphantly.

　　“Young Master Chen, you truly thought I didn't know about your impersonation of the Prince of Linze? That Prince of Linze was drinking tea with me just half a month ago.”

　　“I pretended to fall for the trap, sending someone to investigate Zheng Gong's jade pendant; it was all to lure you here. Since you dare to stand in my way, don't blame me for being merciless!”

　　Xie Jue: “Magistrate Cao, you intend to kill me to silence me? Do you know that I am the son of the Duke of Chen, a Dali Temple Censor, and the Crown Prince's cousin? Do you dare kill me?”

　　“I didn't want to either, but you discovered my secret!” Cao Zhiping laughed maniacally. “If I don't kill you, I'll be the one to die.”

　　“And if I kill you and destroy the body, who would know it was me? Don't you think so?”

　　His gaze flickered, catching sight of a woman's hem subtly visible by the window. He leered, “Oh, the Young Master has a beauty by his side? Truly a playboy. Don't worry, once you're dead, she'll naturally be mine…”

　　Yun Ling frowned and moved further into the room.

　　This Magistrate Cao has clearly lost his mind.

　　Killing Zheng Gong was one thing, but to even think of killing the Prince…

　　Xie Jue's brow furrowed coldly. He took a bow and arrow from a guard and drew it back. “Then this Prince will send you on your way first!”

　　The arrow flew, but two soldiers blocked it with their shields. Cao Zhiping laughed. “Oh, please, Young Master. Your main force is still in Zezhou for show. With just these few men around you, you think you can kill me? You're dreaming—”

　　As soon as the words left his mouth, a large group of elite soldiers suddenly surged from behind the inn, completely surrounding Cao Zhiping and his men. It was Pei Yuan and his men, the ones Xie Jue had left behind in Zezhou.

　　Cao Zhiping's face turned ashen. “This... this is impossible. They were clearly still in Zezhou investigating that fool Wu Ming!”

　　Yun Ling, however, immediately understood.

　　Before the Crown Prince set out from Meiyang County, he had secretly sent people to Zezhou.

　　How could he possibly be fooled by such a clumsy scheme?

　　It was clearly the Crown Prince's ploy, turning the tables on him.

　　Downstairs, seeing the situation, Cao Zhiping lost all color in his face but still stubbornly resisted. “Kill! Kill them for me, and I will reward you handsomely!”

　　In an instant, the two groups clashed, but how could a group of local soldiers possibly stand up to the Jinyiwei (Emperor's special guard)?

　　In less than the time it takes for half a stick of incense to burn, they were all captured.

　　Cao Zhiping knew there was no way out. He laughed twice, “I thought this Young Master Chen was just a pretty boy, but I didn't expect such cunning. Falling into your hands, I have nothing to say.”

　　He picked up his sword, preparing to commit suicide. Xie Jue frowned. “Keep him alive.”

　　Hearing this, Pei Yuan immediately kicked Cao Zhiping, sending the sword flying. Pei Yuan grabbed Cao Zhiping's arms with one hand and pinched his cheeks with the other, preventing him from swallowing poison to end his life.

　　Xie Jue turned to Yun Ling and said, “Stay here, someone will protect you outside.”

　　Yun Ling nodded. “Go, Your Highness. I'll wait here for your return.”

　　Xie Jue turned and went downstairs.

　　Cao Zhiping was forced to kneel by Pei Yuan. Xie Jue walked over step by step, taking a sword from a guard. Suddenly, he stabbed Cao Zhiping in the left shoulder, causing the man's face to contort in pain.

　　“My woman is not someone you can covet,” Xie Jue said, stabbing him again, this time a heavy blow to his right shoulder, his expression unchanged. “Killing you would be as easy as flipping my hand. Your petty schemes are beneath my notice.”

　　He'd effectively crippled both of his arms, making suicide impossible.

　　Cao Zhiping's face contorted in agony, but he couldn't speak.

　　Xie Jue casually tossed the sword aside. “Throw him in jail.”

　　“I want him to suffer a slow and agonizing death.”

　　Pei Yuan immediately responded, “Yes.”

　　After capturing Cao Zhiping, the Crown Prince immediately led his men into the magistrate's office to thoroughly investigate Cao Zhiping.

　　He didn't return until the moon was high in the sky.

　　……

　　Yun Ling didn't know how things were going. Could it really be that Cao Zhiping had embezzled the 200,000 taels of silver?

　　How could a magistrate have such audacity?!

　　Xie Jue had left guards to protect her room, so she didn't need to worry about her safety.

　　Besides, at this time, who knew how many dangers lurked in Dianji City?

　　Grand Eunuch An had sent her some food, but she had little appetite.

　　The wind blew the candles in her room, making them flicker unsteadily. Yun Ling got up and closed the window.

　　It was past the hour of Xu (戌时 - 7 PM to 9 PM); he probably wouldn't be back tonight.

　　Yun Ling removed her jewelry, blew out the candle, and went to bed to rest.

　　However, she didn't see him until the next morning.

　　Yun Ling quietly finished her breakfast.

　　Having nothing else to do, she went to the backyard and found a waiter, wanting to ask him where the more famous temples in Dianze were.

　　The waiter knew, and seeing the celestial-like girl before him with such a gentle disposition, he didn't hesitate to tell Yun Ling everything he knew.

　　Just as Yun Ling came out of the backyard, she saw Grand Eunuch An hurrying down the stairs. He saw Yun Ling and said, “Lady Yun, His Highness has returned and asks for you.”

　　Yun Ling put down her things. “Okay.”

　　Pushing open the door, she saw the Crown Prince standing in the room. Bloodstains marred his originally clean and neat robe, showing that he had just come from the prison.

　　Yun Ling asked with concern, “Your Highness, how did the investigation go? Did Magistrate Cao confess?”

　　Xie Jue's expression didn't reveal much. “He's cautious and careful.”

　　Nothing incriminating was found in the magistrate's office, nor was there any trace of the silver. Pei Yuan had interrogated him all night but couldn't get him to talk.

　　This small Yunze… it truly harbors hidden dragons and tigers.

　　Raising his eyes to see her standing there, he suddenly said, “Come and help me undress.”

　　At that moment, two people carried in a bucket of hot water; he clearly intended to bathe.

　　Pressing her lips together, Yun Ling said, “My hands are clumsy these days. Perhaps Eunuch An should do it?”

　　Seeing her hesitation, Xie Jue frowned slightly. “Come here.”

　　Yun Ling could only approach him.

　　Xie Jue grasped her wrist, pulling her close. He lowered his head, his fingers under her chin. “Don't refuse me.”

________________

T/N: Dear, readers. I hope you enjoyed your New Year gift. May your New Year be filled with less questionable life choices than last year (we've all been there!), more laughter than you can handle, and enough unexpected joy to make you question if you accidentally stumbled into a fairy tale. Let's face it, 2024 was a wild ride!

Here's to a 2025 that's equally amazing but maybe slightly less chaotic. Seriously though, thank you for joining me on my translation journey. Your support means the world, and I'm excited to to share more stories with you in the new year!

Thank you for being the best readers a translator could ask for! Cheers to a fantastic new year, filled with laughter, good books, and maybe even a little bit of mischief!

🎉 🎉 🎉 

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