Free Web NovelChapter 1268: Chapter 1257: Illegitimate Son
"Tao Hong, you may leave." After all the palace attendants had departed, Ye Jing also dismissed her maid.
"Miss, how can you be alone here? Let me stay and serve you."
"I don’t need to be served here. Go to the kitchen and ask for some hot water, and while you’re there, chat briefly with the servants in the mansion. Don’t ask too many details, just say you are new and ask for their help, so we don’t inadvertently offend the nobles here."
"Yes, Miss, I will go now."
"Wait." Ye Jing frowned, "You need to change the way you address me from now on."
Tao Hong followed suit smoothly, "Yes, Lady."
After the room was empty, Ye Jing finally let out a sigh of relief, gently pressing her neck to ease the discomfort. Then she took out a delicate little porcelain bottle from her sleeve, pouring out a tiny pill and placing it in her mouth.
This medicine was refined according to the recipe from the Medical Poison Holy Scripture given by her brother. When it doesn’t take effect, it can strengthen the body, and when needed, it becomes the best anti-fertility medicine.
Her brother said she was too young, and pregnancy at this age could be dangerous, and her current situation was not suitable for having a child. Ye Jing trusted Ye Qiu unconditionally. After taking the medicine, she carefully stored the bottle and quietly awaited the arrival of Prince Kang.
Unbeknownst to her, this wait would last the entire night, only for her to hear the next day that Prince Kang had drunk outside and rested in the front courtyard.
"Lady, are you alright?" Tao Hong asked cautiously, fearing Ye Jing might feel down, "The Prince was just drunk. He will surely come to appreciate the Lady’s virtues in the future."
"I’m fine." Ye Jing was truly not upset, as there was hardly anything worth being upset about. Her brother had said before that if he were Prince Kang, he might not be pleased with such a senseless marriage either, so she had long prepared herself to be disliked by Prince Kang.
Others might not believe it, but when she waited half the night and estimated that Prince Kang wouldn’t come, she even felt a sigh of relief because she herself didn’t know how to face him.
Besides, isn’t the current situation just right for her? Lack of favoritism proves she has no value to be exploited, and also proves she won’t be resented by Prince Kang’s other women. Such a good thing makes her happy enough as it is!
As for what others might think of her feeling down or embarrassed, what is that?
Her brother was right; in this life, one might not necessarily need love. Even if she gave Prince Kang a hundred percent love, he could return her love in equal measure? It’s obviously impossible. Even if Prince Kang falls for her in the future, his love would no longer be pure.
So for her whole life, she only needs to live for herself. Favoritism means nothing to her. Only when she doesn’t care about these things will she be able to understand much and have fewer troubles in life.
In the morning, after Ye Jing was dressed and groomed to pay respects to the main wife and the two concubines, Ye Qiu also left Ye Residence with a simple backpack.
Ye Sheng kept his word, really not giving Ye Qiu any help, and even forbidding Aunt Lan from sending him off personally.
Ye Jing sat on horseback and gazed at the plaque of Ye Residence, secretly vowing that one day he would build his own Ye Residence and rescue Aunt Lan from the dark rear courtyard.
Spring returned once more, and Ye Jing rarely felt in good spirits to stroll in the rear garden, with Brother Ji’s maids following in twos and threes.
"What makes Jing happy enough to come out and enjoy the flowers today?" A graceful figure came from afar, covering her mouth and chuckling.
"I pay my respects to Sister." Ye Jing gave a slight smile upon seeing her. This person was Ms. Jiang, one of Prince Kang’s concubines, and one of the few people in this mansion with whom Ye Jing could exchange a few words.
"Alright, let’s skip the formalities between us sisters. I’m here because there’s news about something you asked me to look into." Ms. Jiang said mysteriously.
Ye Jing exclaimed in surprise, "Really?"
"It should be true, but if he really is your brother, then he’s quite cautious, almost suspecting I might harm you." Ms. Jiang said helplessly while also feeling happy for Ye Jing to have such a brother.
"You already know about the army’s great victory, and among the soldiers returning to the court for their rewards is a twenty-year-old think tank surnamed Ye. It’s said this think tank not only accurately predicted enemy troop movements but also went to the battlefield to kill enemies with a knife, highly regarded by the commander, Old General Lin, with an unpredictable future."
Ms. Jiang’s family rose from military ranks, so she greatly admired such individuals. The more she spoke, the more excited she became, "Because this Ye think tank is overly cautious, my brother isn’t too sure, but if it’s true, you will know by tomorrow night at the latest."
"If that’s the case, that would be fantastic." Ye Jing excitedly clutched her handkerchief. It had been three years. Her brother had gone to the border three years ago, and since then, there had been no news. No one knew how hard it was to endure such days of waiting.
"Are you two siblings with such deep affection?" Ms. Jiang said with envy. Her brother wasn’t bad either, much like most families, with mutual respect but little intimacy.
If they were truly close, he wouldn’t have acquiesced to sending her to Prince Kang’s mansion. Unlike Ye Jing, Ye Jing’s brother strongly opposed it, and when he couldn’t resist, he resolutely chose to join the army to gain power for his sister.
Such pure affection made Ms. Jiang envious. Perhaps it was because of this yearning that she gradually drew closer to Ye Jing over the past two years.
And as she got closer, she increasingly recognized that these two siblings were extraordinary. Although Ye Jing hadn’t told her much, it could be seen from her words and deeds that Ye Jing absolutely admired her brother, and her life’s ideals were greatly influenced by him.
At first, when she noticed Ye Jing genuinely didn’t care about wealth and power, she couldn’t understand, but gradually, she seemed to be somewhat assimilated.
Indeed, life may actually not be that long. She’s already in her twenties, nearly halfway through life. Especially in such an imperial family, one might lose their life unexpectedly. What does it matter how many children one has or what position one holds?
Isn’t the Empress’s position high? But is the Empress happy and cheerful? Ms. Jiang dares to assure that apart from the spacious palace and magnificent clothes, the Empress doesn’t have much living better than herself.
Rather than worrying about uncertain future events, it’s better to live well now, think about what you like to eat, think about doing something you enjoy, and the day’s time quickly passes without feeling bored.
As for men, that’s something trivial. Giving birth to children is irrelevant, especially given their mansion’s current circumstances. Whether children can be born, and if born, whether they can be raised healthy, are all problems.
In this regard, she really admires Ye Jing. In the past two years, Ye Jing’s favor indeed improved significantly compared to when she first entered the mansion, but she still hasn’t been pregnant. Instead, her body became healthier. She’s even wondering whether Ye Jing secretly used some kind of formula.
