Yuan Qingling looked at him in surprise, "What do you mean?"
Yuwen Hao didn't answer but asked in return, "Why do you think it was Prince Ji who did it?"
Yuan Qingling thought for a moment and said, "Intuition, I guess."
Of course she wasn't the kind of person who relied on intuition. She was just deducing that it was Prince Ji based on her preliminary understanding of the current situation.
Yuwen Hao saw through her in an instant. "I don't believe that. Just tell me your thoughts."
Yuan Qingling said lightly, "It really is just intuition."
She regretted her loose tongue. She didn't want to cause more trouble. Telling him her analysis would make it seem like she already understood these things while confined in Jinghou Manor.
As someone who read history books, she had keen instincts about the political situation. Prince Ji was the eldest son and had military achievements. His Majesty favored him greatly and he had also won over some of the court officials. It was almost certain that he would become Crown Prince.
As for the other princes, even if they were ambitious, given Prince Ji's current power, none of them could help get rid of Yuwen Hao.
Because keeping Yuwen Hao was like putting up a barrier on Prince Ji's path to becoming Crown Prince. It wasn't that the other princes necessarily favored Yuwen Hao, just that with the current struggle over the position of Crown Prince, things hadn't become that antagonistic yet.
Yuwen Hao didn't ask further. He was just somewhat shocked inside that this foolish Yuan Qingling actually knew it was Prince Ji.
It seems the current state of affairs was discussed frequently in Jinghou Manor.
His distaste for Jinghou Manor grew even more.
Yuan Qingling lay prone on the cushion, slowly closing her eyes.
She had really been especially tired recently, wanting to sleep as soon as she touched the bed.
But her mind kept worrying about many things, leaving her body exhausted but unable to fall asleep with her eyes wide open.
"Ugly woman!" His voice came from the bed.
Yuan Qingling turned her head to the outside, unwilling to bother with such a rude person.
A pillow was thrown down, hitting Yuan Qingling on the head.
Yuan Qingling propped up her hands and glared at him with eyes that had no energy at all. "What is it?"
"This king needs to relieve himself!"
Yuan Qingling got up and went behind the screen to get a chamber pot and brought it over.
"Call Tang Yang in." His eyes darkened slightly. She was clever at times but also foolish at critical moments. Telling her he needed to relieve himself was to get her to call Tang Yang to serve him. Why did she go and fetch the chamber pot herself?
Yuan Qingling put down the chamber pot and turned to go out and call Tang Yang.
Tang Yang came in for a bit and then came out carrying the chamber pot, saying to Yuan Qingling, "Consort, you can go in now."
Yuan Qingling nodded and was about to go in when Tang Yang suddenly said, "Consort, wait a moment."
Yuan Qingling looked back at him. "What is it?"
Tang Yang went into the courtyard and then beckoned Yuan Qingling over, looking very mysterious.
Yuan Qingling suspiciously walked over. "Just say what you have to say."
Tang Yang lowered his voice, "His Highness has another wound that he won't let anyone treat. Just now...just now I took a look, and it seems to be getting inflamed and purulent."
"Another wound? Why won't he let it be treated?" Yuan Qingling said in astonishment.
Where else could he be wounded? She had clearly treated all his wounds already and had looked him over front and back.
Except...
Her eyes slowly darkened as she looked at Tang Yang. "Don't tell me you're talking about his reproductive...manhood?"
Was that the appropriate term?
Tang Yang was 35 years old this year. In his early years he had been a seasoned veteran of brothels and had gone through life and death on the battlefield with Yuwen Hao. He could be considered to have seen his share of storms.
But now, this robust man's face flushed red in an instant. He sighed inwardly, couldn't the Consort speak more euphemistically?
What 'manhood'? Wouldn't it be better to say His Highness's ancestral shrine? Anything like 'ancestral root' would also sound more polite!
"That's what it is, right?" Yuan Qingling asked again when he just stared blankly without answering.
"Tang Yang, what nonsense are you spouting?" came a roar from inside, a roar that seemed to shake the roof tiles. It was definitely beyond Yuwen Hao's physical capacity.
Tang Yang hurriedly took the chamber pot and fled.
Yuan Qingling stood there blankly, slowly withdrawing her gaze.
Yuwen Hao's face was mottled red and green, like a palette. But the bridge of his nose was ghostly white.
His eyes burned with rage as he stared fixedly at Yuan Qingling, still with that enraged look like he wanted to flay her alive and devour her.
"Um..." Yuan Qingling didn't know why he was so angry. "Tang Yang said you have another injury."
"He's talking nonsense!" Yuwen Hao said through gritted teeth.
The more Yuan Qingling looked, the more she felt it didn't seem like Tang Yang was speaking nonsense. On the contrary, it seemed like he was stubbornly denying it.
Yuan Qingling knew some people avoided doctors out of modesty about illness and didn't want to show weakness. So she earnestly advised, "Don't conceal your injuries from the imperial physician. Otherwise, if an infection spreads from an untreated wound, it could lead to high fever and death."
"What business is it of yours?" Yuwen Hao snarled viciously.
Yuan Qingling knitted her brows. "So you really are injured down there? How could you be injured in that area? Were you lying down while being chopped up?"
"This king will kill you!" Yuwen Hao erupted in another roar. He wished he could prop himself up and smash Yuan Qingling with his fist.
His face had also turned red to the roots of his ears.
"You can kill me after you've recovered. For now, let me take a look and see how severe the wound is."
"You wish."
"I'll leave right after looking."
Yuwen Hao gnashed his teeth. "Even if this king were dead, I would not let you look!"
Yuan Qingling sighed softly, her lashes drooping. "It seems I'll have to enter the palace and request an edict from His Majesty."
Imperial order to inspect the rooster.
Yuwen Hao glared with vertical brows and round eyes. "Do you even remember how to write the word 'shame'?"
Yuan Qingling didn't speak, just looking at him.
"Don't stare. This king already said I'd rather die than let you see."
Disinfectant, cotton balls, tweezers, scalpels were all prepared.
Yuan Qingling looked at him. "I'm lifting it up. Don't be embarrassed. Just pretend I'm the imperial physician."
"Imperial physician? You wish!" Yuwen Hao's teeth chattered. She even threatened to sedate him before looking.
He didn't want to pass out, not knowing what she might do to him unconscious!
Gritting his teeth, he could only agree to let her take a look.
He turned his head to the inner side of the bed, humiliated to have her lift his final fig leaf.
"Spread your legs a bit more, I can't see clearly."
He swallowed, also swallowing down his rage, and opened his legs as instructed.
The air was very cold. The chill penetrated his skin, and his whole body bristled.
"You..." He felt her hand touch him and immediately became enraged. "Don't touch randomly!"
"How can I see the wound if I don't move things aside a little? My god, this wound's down to the bone. Go in another inch and your manhood would be beyond saving. Also, if you don't treat the wound, even if it heals, it will affect your virility."
What nonsense was this? "You just said look."
"If the wound wasn't serious, I wouldn't need to treat it. But as Tang Yang said, your wound is infected and must be treated." Yuan Qingling said solemnly.
"You..."
"Be quiet. When you can pleasure women in the future, you'll thank me for this."
Yuwen Hao's eyes filled with killing intent. He had already secretly sworn that once he recovered, he would make Yuan Qingling die a terrible death.
