GTB Chapter 150

Chapter 152: Does He Have a Hidden Illness?

Chapter 152: Does He Have a Hidden Illness?

“Mother means… it’s enough to put in some effort and coax him?” Jiang Jiuchu looked at her mother’s nonchalant attitude.

“Of course, as long as you coax him with your heart, and as long as he has you in his heart, there’s no one you can’t coax. It just depends on how much effort you’re willing to put in.”

Jiang Jiuchu looked at Shí Qingya uncertainly. Seeing her sister-in-law also nodding in agreement, she continued, “Then this matter… should I be honest with him? If I don’t explain clearly, I’m afraid no amount of coaxing will work!”

“You definitely need to explain, but you should still conceal what needs to be concealed. Pick some unimportant things to talk about generally. Don’t go into detail about your interactions. You can say that Fu Gongzi (Brother Fu) is your savior.”

“You can even say that you once had feelings for him, but you must never say that you once planned to elope with him. The most important thing is that you have to let him know that he is the only one in your heart now, understand?”

“Oh!” Jiang Jiuchu nodded, knowing that she couldn’t let him know that she had married him after a failed elopement. But how to coax him? She really didn’t know.

She thought about it, still feeling uncertain. “Mother, are you sure this will work? His Highness… slept in the study last night.”

Jiang Jiuchu’s words made Madam Ye and Shí Qingya exchange glances, not expecting Shí Yan to be angrier than they had imagined.

Shí Qingya patted Jiang Jiuchu’s hand comfortingly. “You’re still newlyweds. He won’t bear to ignore you for too long.”

“Mother is right. As long as you sincerely try to please him, act a little coquettish, and say some nice words, Seventh Brother probably won’t be able to do anything about it.”

Shí Qingya thought that her seventh brother being willing to accompany her little sister back to her parents’ home for two days of leisure meant that he doted on her. Otherwise, he definitely wouldn’t do that.

Jiang Jiuchu twitched her lips and asked Shí Qingya, “How… how exactly do I act coquettish?”

Shí Qingya smiled at Jiang Jiuchu. “Do I have to teach you that? How do you usually act coquettish with Mother and your brother? Just do it the same way! You haven’t acted coquettish with Seventh Brother before, have you!”

After she said that, she looked at her little sister’s stunned expression and continued, “If you haven’t acted coquettish before, the effect will be even better, but… acting coquettish with your own husband is a little different.”

As Shí Qingya spoke, she glanced at Madam Ye, feeling a little embarrassed to teach her little sister how to seduce a man in front of her mother-in-law.

Madam Ye chuckled and directly took over the conversation. “It is different. You have to use a woman’s advantages, such as… your beauty.”

“Besides, this is the first time you two have been separated for so long after your marriage. It’s like a short separation is better than a new marriage. He’s young and vigorous, and he’s been abstaining for so long. What’s so hard about coaxing him?”

“Mother…!” Jiang Jiuchu’s face turned completely red with embarrassment. She looked at her mother in disbelief. When did she become so bold?

Shí Qingya covered her mouth and laughed. “Chu’er, you’re already married. Why is your skin still so thin? Mother didn’t say anything obscene. Why is your face turning red?”

Jiang Jiuchu looked at their teasing expressions, blushed, and clutched the handkerchief in her hand tightly. Finally, she helplessly opened her mouth again and asked, “What if he… has always been abstaining?”

Jiang Jiuchu’s words were like a thunderclap, instantly wiping away their smiles.

The two of them exchanged shocked glances, never expecting that Seventh Highness hadn’t touched Chu’er.

Madam Ye straightened her expression and solemnly asked Jiang Jiuchu, “Does Seventh Highness rarely touch you, or has he not consummated the marriage at all?”

Jiang Jiuchu looked at their expressions and replied a little guiltily, “We haven’t… consummated the marriage.”

“Why? Does he dislike you? Or does he have a problem in that area?” Madam Ye’s heart instantly rose with her words.

She was really afraid that Shí Yan had a problem because her daughter was so beautiful, and Seventh Highness had chosen her daughter’s portrait himself. If he were a normal man, why wouldn’t he touch her?

“No, he doesn’t have a hidden illness.” Jiang Jiuchu thought that if Shí Yan had a problem, he wouldn’t have asked to consummate the marriage.

“It’s just that we… we wanted to get to know each other better… before consummating the marriage.”

“Is that so?” Madam Ye looked at Jiang Jiuchu, feeling that this reason was a bit weak.

She also felt that although Shí Yan seemed gentle and refined in front of them, his every move didn’t seem like that of such a man.

“That’s right.” Jiang Jiuchu nodded. She wasn’t lying either. Wasn’t that basically the case? After all, he didn’t like her at first.

Shí Qingya also didn’t think that Shí Yan was such a gentle and indifferent person unless he disliked her little sister. “Then you’re sleeping in separate beds?”

Jiang Jiuchu shook her head. “No, we sleep on the same bed.”

Hearing this, Shí Qingya’s face relaxed, but then she was puzzled again. Since they were sleeping on the same bed, then Seventh Brother must like her, but how could he resist?

She suddenly thought of something and asked Jiang Jiuchu, “Could it be that you yourself are unwilling!”

Shí Qingya’s words made Madam Ye instantly understand some things as well. She felt that if she combined this point, then it wouldn’t be difficult to understand why Shí Yan was angry and left Kyoto early.

Jiang Jiuchu looked at their questioning eyes and mumbled, “It’s not entirely…, he, he didn’t mean to at first, it’s only been recently…”

Hearing Jiang Jiuchu’s stammering words, Madam Ye felt that it was probably mostly her daughter’s fault.

Although she didn’t know exactly what had happened, she felt that Shí Yan didn’t seem to have no feelings for Chu’er.

She didn’t plan to ask in detail but directly asked her about what came after, “So he wanted to consummate the marriage later, but you refused?”

Jiang Jiuchu was put on the spot. Facing their questions, she had no choice but to answer honestly.

“Also… not really, we were planning to consummate the marriage last night, but I accidentally got drunk…”

Hearing this, Shí Qingya couldn’t help but laugh. Seeing Jiang Jiuchu and Madam Ye looking at her, she quickly raised her hand to cover her lips and stopped laughing. She coughed and said, “I really didn’t expect that the proud and aloof Seventh Brother would have such a stifled time. It really takes Chu’er’s gentle knife!”

“Sister-in-law, don’t joke. What gentle knife? I didn’t do anything.”

“Also, he’s not stifled at all! He’s angry, but he just left as he said he would. Who knows how he’ll treat me when he comes back!”

Jiang Jiuchu felt that if they were really talking about who was stifled, it should be her! Where was Shí Yan stifled? He had always done what he wanted and never treated himself badly.

Shí Qingya shook her head. “I’m not talking about this aspect. What do you think of Seventh Brother?”

Jiang Jiuchu summed up Shí Yan’s attitude towards her and replied, “It’s okay, I guess!”

Shí Qingya looked at Madam Ye and continued to ask, “What do you think, Mother?”

“I think it’s already very good.”

Madam Ye knew what Shí Qingya was going to say. Based on the current situation between Chu’er and Seventh Highness, they had to get Chu’er to change her attitude.

Otherwise, if this relationship cooled down because of this, her own daughter would be the one to suffer in the future.

Shí Qingya looked at Jiang Jiuchu and continued, “You see, Mother and I both think Seventh Brother treats you very well, and you also think it’s okay, but he hasn’t touched you until now. Why?”

After she asked, she continued without waiting for Jiang Jiuchu to speak:

“You have to know that with beauty in front of him, especially Chu’er, with your kind of beauty, sleeping on the same bed every night, there aren’t many men who can resist. But Seventh Brother has endured until now. Doesn’t Chu’er think Seventh Brother is stifled?”

Jiang Jiuchu felt that her sister-in-law and mother didn’t know enough details. Shí Yan had only wanted to consummate the marriage recently, and he hadn’t been shy about taking advantage of her either. He hadn’t wronged himself much.

Although she thought so, she didn’t plan to refute. “Now that things have come to this, can it still be like what Mother said, that coaxing him a little will be enough?”

Hearing this, Shí Qingya didn’t say anything. She didn’t understand Shí Yan either. Presumably, no matter which man it was, he would have some resentment in his heart.

Madam Ye said, “Mother still says the same thing. As long as he has you in his heart, there’s no one you can’t coax. Where’s that Seventy-Two Strategies for Husband Management that Mother gave you? Turn to the second half and just follow what’s on it. Even if Seventh Highness is a stone, his heart will have to tremble.”

“Oh.” Jiang Jiuchu responded softly, having never read that Seventy-Two Strategies or whatever, but since her mother said it so confidently, it was probably somewhat useful.

“Mother, what Seventy-Two Strategies for Husband Management? Is there even such a thing?” Shí Qingya asked curiously.

Madam Ye laughed. “You! My son doesn’t need you to manage him. He’s already managed himself.”

Shí Qingya smiled embarrassedly and then looked at Jiang Jiuchu. “After you’ve finished reading it, give it to your sister-in-law to take a look another day. It never hurts to have more strategies.”

“Okay.” Jiang smiled and nodded, her heart gradually relaxing because of their lighthearted atmosphere, feeling that things didn’t seem as complicated as she had thought.

In the Fifth Prince’s residence, a woman with a delicate and pretty appearance looked at the porcelain bottle in her hand and said, “Does Senior Brother want me to create a plague?”

Shí Xiu nodded. “There will definitely be a plague after a major flood. This is a natural occurrence. No one will suspect it.”

As he spoke, he took out another prescription and handed it to the woman opposite him. “This is the prescription to relieve the plague. Act according to the situation. If he can solve it, you should take the opportunity to appear and relieve the plague for him, gaining his trust.”

“If he can’t solve it, then stay put. At that time, I will ask the Emperor for permission to go and turn the tide.”

Lin Yue spread out the antidote prescription, memorized it in her heart, and tore up the prescription while looking at Shí Xiu and asking, “If he can solve it, what should I do after I gain his trust?”

Shí Xiu replied, “Then find a way to enter the Seventh Prince’s residence and be my inside person, paying attention to his every move. When we succeed in the future, you will be the most honorable princess of Dong Yue, enjoying a lifetime of glory.”

“Why can’t I be the Empress?” Lin Yue looked at Shí Xiu, seemingly asking casually.

“You and I have no romantic feelings. Being an Empress means being trapped in the harem. How can that compare to the freedom of a princess? Doesn’t Junior Sister like men with good looks? Once you become a princess, you can raise as many handsome men as you want.”

A trace of disappointment flashed in Lin Yue’s eyes. She curled her lips and smiled, “That sounds pretty good.”

“But even though the plague thing can get the Seventh Highness’s trust, I’m still a woman. How can I stay in his Seventh Prince’s residence for a long time? Does Senior Brother want me to use a beauty trap?”

Shí Xiu didn’t directly respond to Lin Yue’s words but instead said, “That’s up to you, Junior Sister. Any method will do. Aren’t you good at medicine? You can have him take you in as a residence physician.”

“But if you want to use a beauty trap, it’s not impossible. After all, Junior Sister also has the capital to use a beauty trap, and your temperament is free and easy, which is rare in Kyoto. I think it will be easy to succeed.”

“Moreover, Seventh Brother’s birth mother is said to have been a folk doctor who saved the Empress Dowager and was brought into the palace and gained favor.”

“Based on this alone, his impression of you won’t be bad, but there’s one thing you have to pay attention to.”

“What?” Lin Yue asked curiously, looking at Shí Xiu.

“After you enter the Seventh Prince’s residence, you can use any tricks you want on Shí Yan, but you must never touch the Seventh Princess.”

Shí Xiu’s words made Lin Yue’s expression freeze. She immediately asked, “Do you like the Seventh Princess?”

“We know each other.” Shí Xiu didn’t want to say more and looked at Lin Yue. “Just remember my words.”

“Don’t worry, I have no grievances with her, and since I have your warning, I will naturally not touch her. But… if she makes things difficult for me, I won’t let her off either. Senior Brother knows my temper.”

“Don’t worry, she won’t.” Shí Xiu said and added again, “Even if she does, you can’t touch a hair on her head.”

Lin Yue smiled. “I thought Seventh Highness was a formidable opponent, but now it seems that Senior Brother’s true intention is not about that!”

“You’ll know if he’s a formidable opponent after you come into contact with him.” Shí Xiu took out a few silver notes and placed them in front of Lin Yue. “Leave in the next two days!”

Lin Yue put away the silver notes and glanced at the man who had no intention of her before getting up and leaving the study.

She was curious, what kind of woman was it that even though she was married, Senior Brother still remembered her so much?

Perhaps… Senior Brother letting her be an inside person was false, and wanting her to destroy the relationship between Seventh Highness and Seventh Princess was the truth! Or maybe it was both.

Night fell, and cicadas chirped.

In the Seventh Prince’s residence, after Jiang Jiuchu finished taking a bath and seeing that it was still early, she went to the side and leaned on the beauty couch, leisurely eating the grapes she picked up.

In the room, after Green Luo cleaned up the petals on the ground, she asked Jiang Jiuchu, “Miss, these flowers on the table are still fresh. Do you want to throw them away in two days?”

“Well, throw them away when they wither!” Jiang Jiuchu said and suddenly remembered the Seventy-Two Strategies for Husband Management that her mother had mentioned.

“By the way, where’s that book I asked you to put away last time? Find it for me.”

“Last time?”

“Yes, the time I was poisoned. The day my parents came to visit me, didn’t I give you a book? Don’t you remember?”

Jiang Jiuchu’s words made Green Luo instantly remember. She quickly said, “I remember, I remember. I remember. I put it away in the box. I’ll get it for Miss.”

After Green Luo said that, she ran inside, opened the rosewood box, took out the book from inside, looked at the title on it, walked to Jiang Jiuchu, and curiously pointed to the first word and asked, “Miss, what’s the first character?”

Jiang Jiuchu put down a plate of grapes in her hand and took the book. “Yù, the yù of driving.”

Green Luo looked surprised. “Seventy-Two Strategies for Husband Management, is… is it what I think it means?”

“Is Miss planning to use a trick on His Highness to make His Highness not angry anymore?”

Jiang Jiuchu twitched the corners of her mouth, her expression a little embarrassed. “We still have to live our lives. If he’s always angry, we won’t have a good life, will we?”

Green Yi laughed from the side. “Miss is right. That’s how it should be. We have to make His Highness devoted to Miss, so devoted that he will never dare to be angry with Miss again in the future.”

Jiang Jiuchu looked at Green Yi, who was boasting shamelessly, and replied, “Okay, okay, you guys go down to rest early if you have nothing to do. I don’t need to be served here.”

“Yes.” Green Luo and Green Yi smiled at each other and exited the room together. Their Miss had finally seen the light. It seemed that the Madam and the Princess had said something useful.

Green Luo closed the door and said to Green Yi in a low voice, “I was worried that His Highness wouldn’t be easily appeased this time, but that Seventy-Two Strategies or whatever sounds so powerful. I guess His Highness will definitely be captured by Miss’s Seventy-Two Strategies within seven days after he comes back. What do you think?”

“It doesn’t need seven days! I think three days will do. You don’t know, His Highness usually treats Miss very well.”

Green Yi felt that Seventh Highness still liked their Miss very much. If their Miss took the initiative to use some tricks on His Highness, such as a beauty trap, it wouldn’t take seven days! She felt that it might be possible on the same day.

Green Luo shook her head as if you didn’t understand. “But you don’t know how scary His Highness was that night. It doesn’t seem like he can be coaxed in just three days.”