Ch 134: Together In The Study
Meng Tingyue’s cheeks subtly displayed a hint of apology, softly saying, “I was too anxious and lost my composure for a moment.”
Seeing this, the Empress gently patted her hand, her eyes full of understanding: “Your anxiety precisely shows how much you care for Yunheng.”
Meng Tingyue nodded slightly upon hearing this.
The Empress observed the subtle atmosphere between the young couple and sighed inwardly.
She knew well that such a knot in their hearts could only be slowly untied privately by the two of them; as an elder, if she intervened too much, she might backfire and add to the trouble.
After some thought, the Empress’s frustration turned into a slight anger. She suddenly reached out and gently but firmly pinched Shen Yunheng’s cheek, with a touch of reproach.
Shen Yunheng felt the pain on his face, his heart full of shock; for a moment, he simply stood there dumbfounded, unable to react.
His profound dark eyes, as if dyed by the night, fixed heavily on the Empress, his emotions complex and hard to discern.
Meng Tingyue witnessed this scene, her heart also trembled, and her gaze involuntarily fell on the faint red mark on Shen Yunheng’s cheek; an indescribable emotion quietly rippled in her heart.
The Empress also felt a tinge of regret the moment after she pinched him.
Although she often pinched her son’s face when he was a child, as he grew older and his temperament became increasingly cold, she gradually became apprehensive and dared not pinch him anymore.
She is the Empress, and her daughter-in-law is right beside her; she cannot back down.
Therefore, she forcibly straightened her back, her lower jaw slightly raised, as if she wanted to use this posture to conceal the slight wavering in her heart.
“You are my own flesh and blood; what does it matter if I pinch your face again?” In her words, she tried to use this seemingly casual but actually slightly insistent tone to find a reasonable explanation for her actions.
Upon hearing this, a hint of helplessness flashed in Shen Yunheng’s eyes. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke slowly, “Empress Mother, whatever you wish.”
Having said that, he deftly turned over and got up from the bed.
“Where are you going?” The Empress and Meng Tingyue saw his actions, their concern evident; they involuntarily asked, “Your body has not fully recovered; if you go out rashly and fall ill again, what will happen?”
“I know my limits,” Shen Yunheng’s tone carried an undeniable stubbornness.
Meng Tingyue frowned, listening to his almost childish stubborn words; she involuntarily reached out her slender hand and grabbed his sleeve.
“Your Servant wishes to go to the military camp with His Highness,” she raised her head, her gaze sharp, firmly looking at Shen Yunheng, her eyes full of determination and persistence.
Their eyes met; without further words, the stubbornness and persistence in each other’s eyes were already clear.
Shen Yunheng paused slightly, gently nodded in consent.
—
After Meng Tingyue carefully supervised Shen Yunheng finishing the herbal medicine meticulously prepared by the Imperial Physician, the last glimmer of light in the sky quietly disappeared.
Shen Yunheng gazed at the gradually deepening night outside the window, silent for a long time, finally changing his mind: “Let’s go to the military camp tomorrow.”
Hearing this, Meng Tingyue silently breathed a sigh of relief.
The two returned to the mansion side by side, without speaking a word between them.
Upon reaching the mansion gate, Shen Yunheng was about to turn back into his study.
Meng Tingyue gently tugged at his sleeve.
Shen Yunheng turned back, “What is it?”
“Your Servant… wishes to accompany the Prince,” Meng Tingyue’s words carried a stubbornness she hadn’t anticipated.
She recalled this period of time; Shen Yunheng always waited until she fell asleep before returning to his room to rest under the deep curtain of night.
When she woke up in the morning light, the bed was already empty, leaving only a chill.
If she were to choose one word to describe Shen Yunheng, it would be—rises earlier than a chicken, sleeps later than a pig.
Day after day, such hard work and worry is difficult to bear even for an iron body, let alone Shen Yunheng, who also carries the burden of mania.
Over time, it will only wear down his body.
Perhaps this is the reason why those emperors in history died young and could not live long.
Shen Yunheng gently furrowed his brows, his tone softening slightly, “I promise you, I won’t be busy for too long; I will definitely return to the room to rest early.”
However, Meng Tingyue gently shook her head; in those clear eyes, there was clearly a lack of complete trust in Shen Yunheng’s promise.
Shen Yunheng’s gaze lingered on her for a moment, finally sighing helplessly, gently rubbing his temples, compromising, “Alright, since you insist so much, then so be it.”
Having said that, he turned and walked steadily towards the study.
Meng Tingyue followed closely behind, her steps light.
In the study, Ling Qi had been waiting for a long time; the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were neatly arranged on the desk; a stack of memorials lay quietly on the desk, waiting for their master’s review.
“Ling Qi, you may retire now; I will take care of His Highness,” Meng Tingyue’s voice was gentle but firm; she naturally walked to Shen Yunheng’s side, taking over Ling Qi’s work.
Upon hearing this, Ling Qi nodded lightly and then quietly withdrew.
Ling Qi’s only task was to grind the ink, because before Shen Yunheng’s return, those piles of memorials had already been carefully sorted by him.
They were arranged in an orderly manner according to their importance, with the more important ones closer to Shen Yunheng.
Shen Yunheng picked up the nearest memorial on the desk and began to read it carefully. However, after a short while, his originally peaceful brows gradually knitted into a frown.
Meng Tingyue silently watched his changes from the side, secretly guessing but not daring to disturb him.
Until Shen Yunheng opened the fourth memorial, the words on the paper seemed to touch his anger; he suddenly threw it, the memorial drawing an arc before finally falling weakly onto the cold ground.
His chest heaved violently with the surge of anger, like a lone boat in a storm.
Seeing this, Meng Tingyue gently picked up the abandoned memorial, carefully placing it back on the writing desk; then she quietly moved behind Shen Yunheng and used her soft yet firm fingers to gently press on the acupoints on his head.
“Husband works day and night like this; how can his body withstand it, and how can his condition gradually improve?” Meng Tingyue’s voice was soft, but it was full of deep worry and tenderness.
Shen Yunheng understood her concern; although his voice was light, it could not conceal the helplessness within: “Holding this position is like being in a raging torrent; true rest is probably only a luxury.”
Meng Tingyue naturally understood the helplessness and hardship involved; she gently pursed her lips, her voice even gentler: “Government affairs are like mountains; why must Husband shoulder them alone? There are many officials in the court; is there no one who can share some of the burden?”
