ASTRP -Chapter 197 No One Knew What Trouble the Prince Was About to Stir Up Again

Feng Jingge felt extremely depressed.

The attendant said, “Miss Feng, rooms for you and the Regent Prince have already been prepared.”

“They’re right beside our prince’s chambers. Special servants have also been assigned to prepare your meals.”

Feng Jingge said nothing.

The attendant assumed she was worried they might secretly put Gu worms into her food.

So he added, “Miss Feng, even Gu worms die under high temperatures. There’s no need for anyone to place them in your meals.”

“And please don’t think that because the prince planted a Gu worm in you before, it means he wanted to harm you.”

“That Gu worm was only used to keep track of your whereabouts. It truly wouldn’t take anyone’s life.”

Feng Jingge still remained silent.

When she returned to the outer hall, Xiao Jinghan was idly drinking tea.

He very much wanted to know what Feng Jingge and the prince had talked about.

But the moment he looked up, he noticed blood on Feng Jingge’s clothes.

He abruptly stood up.

“You’re injured?!”

“No, it’s not my blood…”

The attendant beside them said, “Miss Feng, please return to your room and change your outer robe.”

Feng Jingge nodded.

Xiao Jinghan followed her back.

He noticed she seemed distracted and absent-minded.

Only after the door was shut did Xiao Jinghan ask, “What exactly happened? Did he start pretending to be pitiful again?”

Feng Jingge still didn’t answer.

Xiao Jinghan became a little irritated. “You absolutely cannot soften your heart just because he acts pitiful.”

Just as he was about to continue, Feng Jingge suddenly turned around and hugged him.

Xiao Jinghan paused, then wrapped his arms around her.

He sat down and pulled her onto his lap.

“What is it… does your heart ache?”

He gently patted her back.

“If you find this difficult, then let this prince handle it, hm?”

But Feng Jingge suddenly asked, “Your Highness… will there ever come a day when you leave me?”

Xiao Jinghan immediately relaxed.

So that was what she was worried about.

And the fact that she was thinking about him made him genuinely happy.

“No… do you think that because I was injured, I can no longer protect you?”

He touched his abdomen and assured her his injuries had already healed completely, even the bruises were gone, and that he could still protect her well.

“But men naturally don’t live as long as women. Women can live to seventy, while men only make it to sixty…”

“And you’re already five years older than this body of mine… Today, after seeing Shen Nan’s condition and thinking about the ‘Feng Jingge of the Feng family,’ I suddenly felt how fragile life is.”

Xiao Jinghan pursed his lips before smiling lightly.

“You should think of it this way—this prince has a strong constitution and practices martial arts all year round. Perhaps I’ll live longer than ordinary men.”

Feng Jingge pouted.

“Why does it sound to me… like your lifespan might actually be shorter than normal men’s?”

“……”

Xiao Jinghan cupped her face.

“Does my wife actually want this prince to be well or not?”

“I do…”

“Then why say such unlucky things?”

Xiao Jinghan patted her lightly.

“What you should be worrying about is whether spending your whole life with only this prince will become boring.”

“It won’t!”

“As long as I’m with the person I love, I’ll never get tired of it. I’m still waiting for the day our child is born so we can raise them together!”

The corners of Xiao Jinghan’s lips lifted.

“Then stop being sad. Once we settle this matter, we can peacefully focus on raising our child.”

“You’re right.”

Feng Jingge told herself she couldn’t carry such overwhelming guilt.

After all, the emotional debt wasn’t hers to begin with.

However, the next morning after breakfast, the attendant serving Prince Shen Nan came rushing over in panic.

Feng Jingge walked up and asked what had happened to Shen Nan.

The attendant lowered his head and only said, “Miss Feng and the Regent Prince should enjoy sightseeing around the capital of Wu Xing today.”

“Our prince has state affairs to handle today.”

“With his body, he’s still handling state affairs?”

The attendant frowned slightly, saying he had urgent matters to attend to before quickly leaving.

Soon after, other servants escorted Feng Jingge and Xiao Jinghan around the mountains and scenery.

From the palace, one could see a towering mountain outside the city.

Feng Jingge asked the servant beside her, “What’s inside that mountain?”

The servant answered that it housed various ferocious beasts.

Feng Jingge nodded, but then heard a roar.

It sounded like a tiger.

Immediately afterward came the frightened cries of horses.

“There really are a lot of animals in there…”

“Yes…”

At that moment, an image suddenly flashed through Feng Jingge’s mind.

A servant dressed in Jin Yu Kingdom clothing was being dragged away and thrown into the mountain.

The servant desperately begged for mercy.

Ah no…

He probably wasn’t begging her.

This was her first time in Wu Xing Kingdom. She had never been here before.

So he must have been pleading to the original owner…

She staggered, nearly losing her footing, but Xiao Jinghan quickly caught her.

“What’s wrong?”

“I…”

Feng Jingge shot Xiao Jinghan a meaningful glance, signaling that they should talk after returning.

But on the way back, because their residence was right beside Shen Nan’s, they saw attendants hurriedly carrying out a basin filled with bloodied water.

Feng Jingge immediately stepped forward.

“What happened to Prince Shen Nan?”

“N-Nothing…”

“You’re still trying to lie to me?!”

Feng Jingge had come this time to resolve the original owner’s matters, not to take lives.

And now that fragments of the original owner’s memories were surfacing, especially after witnessing what the emperor had done to Shen Nan’s sister, she felt even more unwilling to owe Shen Nan further guilt.

Logically, Feng Jingge understood that casualties in war were unavoidable.

For soldiers to shed blood and sacrifice themselves for their country was both natural and honorable.

But…

That didn’t mean Jing Kingdom had the right to commit such acts.

Otherwise, how would they be any different from uncivilized barbarians who knew nothing of etiquette or morality?

The attendant lowered his head, his grip tightening around the copper basin before he suddenly knelt down.

“Miss Feng… p-please go see our Second Prince!”

“He’s in terrible condition, extremely terrible…”

“If you could care about him at a time like this, he would definitely be very happy… He would willingly do anything for you.”

“Please stand up…”

“I beg you. The Second Prince forbade us from saying anything. He arranged for you to go sightseeing today because he wanted to wait until he looked better before seeing you again.”

“He even arranged trips for you tomorrow around the capital, and plans for the day after that too…”

“In truth, the Second Prince could have informed the Crown Prince about your arrival. If he had, perhaps you wouldn’t have been able to leave anymore.”

“But he didn’t do that. For the sake of his sincere feelings toward you, please go see him.”

Before Feng Jingge could speak this time, Xiao Jinghan spoke first.

“You should go see him.”

Because he knew Feng Jingge’s feelings toward that man were not love.

They were responsibility and guilt carried on behalf of the original owner.

Though inwardly, he was extremely unwilling.

Xiao Jinghan wanted nothing more than to lock Feng Jingge inside a room so she would only ever face him.

But he desperately reminded himself that he couldn’t do that.

Feng Jingge was free.

If she lost that freedom, she would never be happy again, and the smile on her face would disappear forever.

“But… you absolutely cannot do anything excessive.”

“What excessive thing could I possibly do? The only person I want to do excessive things with is you.”

Feng Jingge turned around and very naturally kissed Xiao Jinghan.

Xiao Jinghan froze briefly, and by the time he reacted, Feng Jingge had already stepped back again.

“Thank you, Your Highness, for trusting me. Kissing you just now was simply an involuntary reaction from my body.”