Gu Ying stretched out her wrist, glanced at Shen Ruxu lightly, and asked, “Is Miss Shen feeling better?”
Shen Ruxu’s fingers twitched slightly. Her lips were still pale. Those twenty military rods had indeed dealt her quite a heavy blow, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the pain in her heart.
She really hadn’t expected the Prince’s fondness for Gu Ying to run so deep.
Previously, she had always believed that the Prince was a man as well, so how could any man resist the allure of the beauty?
She had tried to seduce the Prince many times, but to no avail.
The Prince was of noble birth, aloof and abstinent, always keeping himself pristine and avoiding women. This attracted her even more.
It was fine if she couldn’t obtain what was out of her reach, at least no one else could either, which kept her heart balanced.
But now, seeing the Prince holding Gu Ying tenderly in his embrace with an expression that warned others to keep their distance, it made her even more jealous and furious.
She paused for a good while before replying, “Thanks to Miss Gu’s concern, I’m much better.”
Gu Ying smiled and asked, “At the broken temple, Miss Shen addressed me as Madam. Now at the military camp, how come you’re calling me Miss Gu?”
Shen Ruxu’s expression changed subtly as her thoughts were seen through. “This common woman is just not used to it yet...”
Gu Ying took in all the resentment in Shen Ruxu's eyes and calmly drew her wrist back.
It wasn’t because Shen Ruxu wasn't used to it. She clearly wasn’t willing to acknowledge her as the Eldest Prince’s wife.
Shen Ruxu had previously harmed her child, but she was also Doctor Shen who saved countless lives, so Gu Ying would deal with her gently at first.
The corners of Gu Ying’s beautiful eyes turned up slightly as she pressed her lips together. She directly pierced through the facade and said, "Miss Shen may not know this, but as the Eldest Prince's proper wife who married him openly, I don't plan on taking any concubines for the Prince. Not now, and not in the future either."
Shen Ruxu's body stiffened. Still kneeling resignedly with beads of cold sweat oozing from her forehead, yet she didn’t make a sound, only concentrating on taking the pulse seriously.
It was disappointing. Gu Ying’s child in her belly had firmly taken root.
Seeing that Shen Ruxu had saved her child's life in the end, Gu Ying had Yin Lan bring over a stool and allowed Shen Ruxu to sit down.
Shen Ruxu sat down shakily, raised her head slightly, and forced out a dry laugh. "This common woman doesn't understand what Madam means."
Gu Ying smiled gently at her and confessed wholeheartedly, "Miss Shen doesn't have to hide anything. I can see your feelings for the Prince. It's just that the standards for being the Eldest Prince’s wife in the prestigious Duke Manor are extremely high. Even if the Prince takes a concubine, he would not casually accept a country girl. You were born in the countryside where you enjoyed the most freedom. Why insist on throwing yourself against the walls of that abyss-like noble household?"
If she gave up her ambitions, Gu Ying might even be able to help her find a good marriage.
Shen Ruxu was silent for a while, her spine very upright.
Just when Gu Ying thought she would compromise...
Shen Ruxu let out a mocking laugh. She raised her head to meet Gu Ying’s eyes, a hint of disdain in her gaze. “Madam, you were born in the Dongping Earl Manor. In what way are you qualified to match the Prince?”
Gu Ying's eyebrows rose slightly. She didn't expect Shen Ruxu to fight back by directly questioning her status. "Things between the Prince and I are not as simple as you imagine."
This also implied that the Prince didn't marry her solely because of her status and background, so Shen Ruxu shouldn’t foolishly fantasize.
But Shen Ruxu wasn’t interested in any of that.
She only knew that in such a prestigious household like the Duke Manor, it was a wife’s duty to widely accept concubines for her husband and expand the family for the main house.
As for Gu Ying selfishly monopolizing the Prince and bluntly declaring that she would not take concubines for him, she was clearly the most detestable narrow-minded person in the eyes of commoners.
Moreover, the Prince's current doting affection for her was merely a new-found passion between newlyweds. His fresh interest in her had yet to fade.
With child, she wouldn’t be able to serve a man for months.
It wouldn’t be just seven or eight months. Even if half a year passed, the Prince would gradually lose interest in her as well.
She was determined to become the Prince's concubine. What could Gu Ying do to stop her?
The contempt in Shen Ruxu's expression grew increasingly unmaskable. Since Gu Ying had spoken so frankly to her, then she no longer had anything to hide either.
"Madam, although I, Shen Ruxu, am not of high birth, I am a chaste woman from a good family. My feelings for the Prince and desire to marry or become his concubine have nothing to do with you. "
Gu Ying was angered into laughter by her shamelessness. "Miss Shen, even if you admire the Prince, does he accept you? For you to become his concubine, not only do you need to get through me, the Prince has to acknowledge you as well."
"The Madam has this wrong." Shen Ruxu arrogantly laughed. "There is still someone else who can acknowledge me."
Gu Ying asked lightly, "Oh?"
Who else could acknowledge a country girl to marry into a household like the Duke Manor?
Shen Ruxu smiled. "Please forgive this common woman for not being able to disclose his identity for now, but I sincerely advise the Madam not to think too highly of herself. Just because you have gained the Prince's fleeting affections for a moment and conceived his child, you cannot disregard me. Does the Madam know that a man’s affections only last for a while, but a marriage arranged by parents and matchmakers is forever? Sooner or later, I will enter the Duke Manor. By then, I hope that the Madam can still accompany the Prince."
Having said that, Shen Ruxu stood up and tidied herself without waiting for Gu Ying’s reply. "The Madam is healthy and the fetus is steady. I've said all that needs to be said so I will take my leave first."
Even the good-tempered Yin Lan was angered watching her crippled figure leave the main tent.
"What status is she to clamor at the Madam in such a vicious and unscrupulous manner? Madam, should we report this to the Prince lest this girl overestimates herself due to some medical skills she has and doesn't know her own place?"
Gu Ying wasn't bothered. After this incident, the Prince had "taught" Shen Ruxu severely.
The Prince said the most important thing between husband and wife was mutual trust and honesty.
He asked her to trust him and she agreed.
So she wouldn't be angered by Shen Ruxu's few words. After all, in the Duke Manor, besides the old Duke, only the Prince himself could decide.
Shen Ruxu had lofty ambitions to marry into the Duke Manor so she had to weigh whether she had any standing in the Prince’s heart.
"It’s no big deal. I’ll just mention it to the Prince later."
“But I wonder who this person is that she claimed could acknowledge her.”
Gu Ying smiled, pondering it for a while. "With Shen Ruxu’s miraculous medical skills under the tutelage of Yu Gu, and Yu Gu once saved the Prince’s life, held in high regard by the Prince, the one she spoke of is undoubtedly Yu Gu."
Yin Lan pressed her lips. “The Prince always treats those skilled in medicine differently."
Gu Ying smiled softly. She thought of Yu Gu’s cold temperament that wasn’t exactly agreeable and kept her distance from others. Fortunately Yu Gu minded her own business and caused no trouble.
"There's nothing strange about it. The Prince's mother, Mrs. Lin was from a medical family. After Mrs Lin passed away and the Lin family declined, the Prince grew up alone and destitute in the Duke Manor. Now that he holds great power, doing this is probably his way of making up to his mother’s clan."
Yin Lan hummed in agreement and didn’t pry further into the Prince’s private affairs.
She was just somewhat dissatisfied with the Prince’s handling of Shen Ruxu.
If the Prince really took in Shen Ruxu as a concubine in the future under Yu Gu's favor for saving his life, how would the Prince deal with it then?
