The Eldest Daughter-in-Law [Reborn] - Chapter 85

Xie Yunchu returned home from a very enjoyable day. She handed the prey she hunted to the kitchen, waiting to have barbecue that night. When she returned to the yard, she saw her husband sitting in an armchair with a gloomy face, still in his riding clothes, and even holding a whip in his hand.

Xie Yunchu was surprised.

In her past and present lives, she had never seen Wang Shuhuai lose his composure. Even when the fight for the throne was at its most dangerous, he was always so at ease. But recently, Wang Shuhuai came back more often, and his expression was no longer as calm as before, which really puzzled Xie Yunchu.

The face was still the same, even with anger; it still had a sharp beauty, and the facial features were more three-dimensional and profound. Xie Yunchu was more curious than worried and even teased, “Second Young Master, has someone offended you?”

The clear and pleasant voice gradually brought Wang Shuhuai back to his senses.

Prince Xin did it on purpose. If he couldn’t get what he wanted, he would resort to verbal abuse. Wang Shuhuai didn’t mind taking the opportunity of accompanying the Emperor to give Prince Xin a few bitter treats. He believed that Prince Xin would have to choose between a woman and the throne.

Thinking of this, Wang Shuhuai regained his composure and smiled at Xie Yunchu. “No, I was just thinking about my grandfather. I already have a way to get him back to Beijing.”

The Duke’s old legs hurt at night, and he couldn’t sleep. Even the Eldest Princess had a stiff neck. The next morning, she urged her husband, “Invite an Imperial Physician to take a look.”

The Eldest Princess gently pinched her temples with her slender fingers. Whenever she didn’t sleep well, she would easily suffer from headaches. As the couple got older, illnesses came easily.

The Duke hadn’t slept all night. He leaned against the pillow and turned to look at his wife. He said tiredly, “No need. Then I’ll just have to drink those medicines again. I’m tired of them. Let’s rest for two days first.”

The Princess raised her eyes to look at her husband and sighed, “I think you are too proud. You are afraid that people will know that you are a commander on the battlefield and can’t stand the cold after entering the forest. It’s shameful.”

The Duke said, “Your Highness has seen through me; why bother poking at my scars?” He turned his back and lay down.

The Princess was speechless. “How old are you? Why are you still so competitive like a teenager?”

The Duke said impatiently, “Oh, don’t worry about it. Your Highness, go and have your meal. I’ll lie down for a while.”

The Princess called the maid and got out of bed first. Her eyes fell on his leg. His trouser leg was half lifted up, revealing a blue patch at his ankle. This was the case every time he had an attack. After being married for decades, the Princess knew that her husband had this problem. The pain was terrible, but he always endured it and didn’t say a word. She went to wash first, changed her clothes, and sat down next to him again.

“What about taking a warm bath?”

“Oh, this is not a good look for my age.” The Duke changed direction again and leaned inward impatiently.

The Duke was in a bad mood.

The Princess continued, “Shall I ask the Imperial Physician to give you acupuncture?”

The Duke said nothing, obviously unhappy.

It was getting late, and the younger generation had arrived to pay their respects. Soon, the fourth and first madams came in together and personally served their mother-in-law meals. The Fourth Madam did not see the Duke, so she asked, “Mother, where’s Father?”

The princess was in low spirits, “The cold on his leg is acting up again.”

The Fourth Madam dared not say a word.

After a while, the third and forth masters came with their juniors to pay their respects. They all asked about the Duke. When the Princess told them the truth, Wang Yining sighed, “It’s very humid in this forest. Our little girl Xing got a rash last night.”

After hearing that, the Third Master said to the Princess, “It is very hot during the dog days of summer. Your Majesty will probably have to stay for a while. Since my father is ill, why don’t I send him back home early?” The Third Master usually respected his father, who was both a civil and military talent.

The Eldest Princess glanced at him but didn’t speak immediately.

Upon hearing that, Xie Yunchu glanced at Wang Shuhuai beside her. Her husband stood tall and graceful without saying a word.

She suspected that the Duke’s illness was related to Wang Shuhuai.

The Princess drank the ginseng soup and said after a moment’s silence, “Zhang’er, go to Qiankun Hall and report to His Majesty that your father is ill. The palace is cold and damp, so it is inconvenient for him to recover. We need to send him back to the capital.”

The Third Master nodded immediately, turned around, and left Zhangde Hall.

Wang Shuhuai stepped out from the crowd and bowed to the Princess, “Grandma, how about I escort Grandfather back to the capital?”

The Eldest Princess looked at him indifferently. He was dressed in a deep blue robe and stood tall like bamboo, which made all the men in the room pale in comparison. It was a pity that such an outstanding person was not her grandson. She shook her head and said, “No need. Your third uncle can send him off. You can stay in the palace to accompany the Emperor.”

After paying respects to his elders, Wang Shuhuai returned to the villa to change into his official uniform and went to Qiankun Hall. When he entered the house, Xie Yunchu quietly pulled him aside and asked, “Second Young Master, how did you do it?”

“Did Grandfather know about this beforehand?”

Xie Yunchu never dared to ask these questions before, but now she had no scruples and just wanted to satisfy her curiosity. Wang Shuhuai was a person who would never take the initiative to confess if his wife didn’t say anything.

Wang Shuhuai calmly glanced around, led her across the threshold, and said softly, “Grandfather is very perceptive. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to explain it later, so I naturally kept it a secret from him.”

“Last night, His Majesty hosted a barbecue banquet. It was hot, so we put ice in the tea. I also secretly added some Xifenglie to Grandfather’s wine. This wine is strong, and the ice and fire collided with each other. Grandfather’s cold will definitely flare up,” Wang Shuhuai said with a guilty look on his face. “There is no other plan. We can’t force the Princess to let him go. I can only let Grandfather suffer.”

When Xie Yunchu heard this, her wet almond eyes were filled with surprise, “What do you mean by letting him go?”

Wang Shuhuai’s eyelashes twitched, realizing that he had said something wrong, and immediately changed his words, “No, what I meant is that the Eldest Princess and Grandfather have a deep relationship, and they can’t easily leave each other. Once Grandfather gets sick, the Eldest Princess will have trouble sleeping. After all, they have been married for decades; how can she watch Grandfather suffer? Naturally, they should be sent away from this damp place.”