Before Cheng Yujin fell into a slumber, she felt everything was like a sweet dream. She fell asleep quickly, dreaming of an Eastern Palace without Li Chengjing — dark, gloomy, and lonely.
Frightened by the dream, Cheng Yujin was suddenly startled awake. When she first opened her eyes, she temporarily couldn’t distinguish between reality and dream. Suddenly, someone handed her a cup of water. Cheng Yujin turned aside and saw Li Chengjing smiling at her: “Awake? Are you still confused with the dream?”
Cheng Yujin’s heart, which had been uneasy all night, instantly settled down. She impatiently tried to get up, “You are back! So I am really not dreaming?”
“Of course not.” Li Chengjing assured Cheng Yujin and carefully helped her up. “Be careful. Your stomach has gotten so big. Your servant girls told me you cannot turn over when sleeping and often get cramps at night?”
Cheng Yujin responded softly: “That’s how pregnancy is. Which mother had it easy? I didn’t have severe morning sickness, which already made me better than many women.”
Li Chengjing sighed and said seriously, “It has really been hard for you. You are pregnant with my child, yet I left you alone for so long. I’m sorry for you.”
Cheng Yujin shook her head and quickly said, “Your Highness is wrong. Everyone has their own responsibilities, and it is only natural for you to fulfill yours. How can I tie you by my side just because of pregnancy?”
Li Chengjing sighed. He knew Cheng Yujin was right. Since there was no such thing as the perfect solution, he stopped arguing over lost cause and changed the topic, “Fortunately, everything went smoothly there. From now until the time you give birth, I can be by your side.”
Cheng Yujin finally noticed something was not right. She asked carefully, “Your Highness, have the Jiangnan affairs… been transferred to someone else?”
Li Chengjing had returned to the palace to resume his crown prince duties, but the reconstruction of the disaster area and the resettlement of refugees could not have been finished in such a short time. Li Chengjing said he would stay in the palace for the next few months. That is to say… someone else had taken over the aftermath of the disaster relief.
Cheng Yujin’s mood was not good. Distributing food to the refugees and resettling the displaced were the best time to gain fame and win the hearts of common people. Such an achievement would surely add a glittering touch to his resume. Li Chengjing had done the most difficult and dangerous part of the disaster relief, but someone else took his place when he was about to do the last step.
This was tantamount to handing the credits of his hard effort to others.
Cheng Yujin couldn’t bear listening to it. Li Chengjing, as the greatest contributor who had gone through so many hardships and dangers, was actually cut off at the last step. How was he feeling? Cheng Yujin was concerned, but she was afraid of putting even more pressure on Li Chengjing and thus didn’t dare to comfort him. Li Chengjing put a pillow on the bedhead to support Cheng Yujin’s waist. When he looked back and saw the look in Cheng Yujin’s eyes, he couldn’t help laughing.
“Why are you looking at me like this? Before I returned to the capital, I was well aware of the consequences. If I truly desired these achievements, I would not have personally returned to the capital in the first place. Since I am back, this means that I have already arranged everything beforehand.”
Cheng Yujin’s heart jumped, “Your Highness, did you get news that made you anxious to return ahead of schedule?”
“No. Don’t think so negatively.” Li Chengjing helped Cheng Yujin up and said in a light tone, “It’s me who couldn’t wait to be home. Court officials indeed needed achievements and reputation to be promoted, but what do I need them for? Moreover, although small officials without strong backing often had their achievements snatched, I am different from them. I am the Crown Prince. Is there anyone who dares to take my credits from me?”
Cheng Yujin thought about it and found that Li Chengjing was not entirely wrong. At this point, basically everyone knew that the Crown Prince was the first to depart with the relief effort when the plague first broke out in Jiangnan. Regardless of how much things were actually done by Li Chengjing, what common folks would remember in the end was his name only. Even if Yang Fucheng hurriedly sent his underling to win people’s hearts and snatch Li Chengjing’s achievements, this person was just an ordinary courtier, and his name would never have the same impact as Li Chengjing’s. On the contrary, Li Chengjing neatly retreated after finishing his duty and showed no intention of aiming for merits. Li Chengjing’s low-key behavior, expressing that he was not greedy for power, gave him a good impression both in front of the Emperor and the court officials.
Still, Cheng Yujin knew this result was just minimizing loss and not totally eliminating it. If not for her, Li Chengjing would not be in such a hurry to return. As long as he stayed in Jiangnan, no matter who Yang Fucheng sent, no one would dare to grab the authority from the Crown Prince. Li Chengjing then could arrange everything with ease and obtain the reputation of being a talented and benevolent Crown Prince among the mass before returning to the capital at his own pace.
Li Chengjing took the matter lightly because he didn’t want to put pressure on Cheng Yujin. Knowing his intention, Cheng Yujin sighed inwardly, but she stopped mentioning this matter again.
T/N:
Sponsored chapters tomorrow~ Sorry I am too slow >_
It’s finally almost baby time!
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