Chapter 45-Part 2

Jiang Xiurun’s face turned red as she held back her anger and said, “Your Highness! How can you do this? I am a man!”

Feng Liwu frowned and replied, “Wasn’t it you who first caused me this trouble? I never blamed you, so why are you being so petty?”

Jiang Xiurun, usually sharp-tongued, found herself speechless, retorted by the Crown Prince’s righteous indignation.

If she were to consider the sequence of events, it was true that she had taken advantage of the Crown Prince first.

By the principle of reciprocity, being kissed by the Crown Prince today should count as repayment in full.

Compared to the humiliation the Crown Prince endured by being forcefully kissed by another man, her being kissed today to test the effects of the drug shouldn’t be a big deal…

But some things can’t be measured this way. Besides, the Crown Prince had just mentioned sweetness. If he became addicted to kissing her, wouldn’t she have to offer her lips and tongue to him every day?

So, she quickly adjusted her expression, hiding her anger, and said earnestly, “Your Highness, you are young and full of vitality. When you need relief, touching someone else’s skin might feel good. Once the Crown Princess enters the residence, you will find that being close to her is truly delightful. I am filthy and unworthy of such attention.”

Feng Liwu listened with a serious expression and said softly, “Your words make sense. I’ll consider this further once I have something to compare.”

Jiang Xiurun had no desire to discuss this further with the Crown Prince. She had already talked herself out today and, feigning illness, hurried back to her quarters.

Once inside, she irritably grabbed a teapot and cup to rinse her mouth.

At the same time, she seriously contemplated whether Feng Liwu truly had a preference for men.

If so, she accidentally caught the Crown Prince’s eye again. If he gets beastly someday and has to take her to relieve it, and after stripping off her clothes, he finds out that she is a woman… won’t he be so angry that he will kill her to vent his anger?

Thinking of this, Jiang Xiurun became restless again.

She thought she had already hugged the thickest thigh in Luo’an City and that she would have no worries about food and clothing, which would temporarily relieve her and her brother from their difficulty.

Who could have expected that heaven’s mercy would be so limited? Unexpectedly, the crown prince, who looked like a dog in her past life, had such an unbearable hidden secret. It explained why he had always been able to resist the charms of women!

Perhaps that kiss had indeed relieved the Crown Prince’s pent-up frustration, as in the following days, Jiang Xiurun noticed that the Crown Prince became increasingly kind to her.

He even noticed that she had been sulking in the mansion and took her out for a stroll.

Jiang Xiurun silently lamented, wishing she could trade places with someone else.

But such special treatment only incited jealousy among the mansion’s advisors.

One day, several advisers were drinking together.

The farting old man, Li Quan, who had always been at odds with Jiang Xiurun, couldn’t hold back. Seeing the Crown Prince take Jiang Xiuruan out, he grumbled, “A young boy who is still wet behind the ears, instigated the prince to eat and drink all day long. Now his sister is going to enter the mansion first. The brother and sister are in collusion and want to turn the prince’s mansion upside down!”

(T/N: young and inexperienced)

The other advisors laughed, warming their wine cups, and said, “A powerless boy, why bother with him, sir? Once Princess Tian and Princess Cao enter the Crown Prince’s mansion, there will be mistresses in charge. No matter how favored he and his sister become, she won’t be the principal wife and won’t control the mansion. With Concubine Yao in the spotlight, do you think the future Crown Princess can tolerate her? Let’s see how long they can be arrogant.”

The most resourceful advisor, Gongsun Wuyan, remained silent.

From his observations, this Young Master Jiang was indeed favored by the Crown Prince. When the Crown Prince left the mansion today, he happened to pass by the gate and saw the Crown Prince personally tying Young Master Jiang’s cloak and putting on his hood, treating him like a younger brother.

Which advisor in the mansion could receive such a favor from the Crown Prince?

Not long ago, the mansion’s advisors thought Young Master Jiang had fallen out of favor.

After all, they knew more than outsiders. Young Master Jiang had disappeared for half a month, and it seemed like he had escaped.

Privately, they all thought that if Jiang Herun was caught, he would be executed publicly like the Prince from Wei.

But unexpectedly, after his return, although ignored by the Crown Prince for a long time, he miraculously regained favor and even managed to get his notorious sister into the Crown Prince’s mansion.

Gongsun Wuyan admired capable people, and this eloquent tutor Jiang had recently become his first admiration.

It seemed unwise to remain as aloof as the other advisors. He needed to build a relationship with this Young Master Jiang soon to avoid losing favor with the Crown Prince.

The advisors each had their own thoughts.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xiurun sneezed several times in the carriage.

These days, she felt restless and hot inside. At night, she kicked off her quilt and accidentally caught a cold.

She thought that the Crown Prince might throw her out of the carriage after these sneezes.

But unexpectedly, the Crown Prince handed her a handkerchief and personally wiped her nose, scolding gently, “Did you kick off your quilt at night? Maybe you should sleep with me tonight to avoid catching a cold again.”