On Our Wedding Night, I Discovered the Crown Prince's Hidden Illness

Mrs. Zhao was extremely worried, "Miss, are you feeling unwell in any way?"

"I'm not feeling unwell," Leng Yu Yan smiled gently, "Just remember not to let anyone know you are from the Leng Residence!"

Today in the Imperial Garden, when she tested him, his figure did not move, coupled with the smell of medicine...

Putting two and two together, he might really have a vision problem.

Such a blind and frail man would only slow down her speed of taking revenge.

Moreover, Lai Manting imposing an unwanted man on her really disgusted her.

And Consort Xian fantasizing about using her as a pawn...

She would avoid getting involved in this messy affair if she could!

Mrs. Zhao was relieved, "I will go at 3 a.m., just when they are delivering food supplies to the Eastern Palace through the back alley. By dawn, I will return, making sure that no servant from the Leng Residence spots me."

--

The next morning, it was windy.

The wind rustled through the bamboo leaves.

Rumors were circulating among the servants of the Leng Residence about how understanding and considerate the Third Miss was, how she thought of her sister.

The word spread from one servant to five, and from five to ten, that for Fifth Miss's sake, the Third Miss had not been made to kneel, but had instead copied scriptures all night long, her hands sore yet she did not stop until the early hours.

Such deep sibling affection!

In a huff, Miao Zhu ran back to Qingyu Residence and reported word for word to Leng Yu Yan what she had heard.

"So hypocritical, too hypocritical! I don't believe she wrote for that long!"

"Don't be angry, Miao Zhu! If you run into any idle servant again, just say, 'I caught a cold from kneeling yesterday, and if it were not for Third Sister, I fear it would have been much worse.'" Leng Yu Yan's lips curled up slightly, "And also, make a trip to her courtyard to thank her for me."

Hearing this, Miao Zhu reached out to check her mistress's forehead to make sure it was not hot, and then she hazeily accepted the order.

Within less than two hours, everyone in the residence was praising Third Miss for her kind heart, and that Fifth Miss was also someone who understood gratitude.

The words quickly reached Lai Manting's ears.

"What's the use of understanding gratitude, anyone can do it," she sneered dismissively.

How could her reputation for considering her sisters' feelings be matched?

Lai Manting lifted her bandaged right hand and carefully examined if it looked like it had been injured from writing. If Prince Liang could see it, her efforts would not have been in vain.

--

By the afternoon, the sky had grown overcast.

The wind grew stronger, the bamboo leaves rustling rapidly, and the tassel on the side of the window swayed violently with the wind.

A servant reported to Mrs. Feng that Fifth Miss had fainted and a doctor had been summoned.

Hearing this, Mrs. Feng and Lai Manting exchanged glances. They had heard this morning about her catching a cold, and now she had fainted?

The mother and daughter decided to go to Qingyu Residence to see what was really going on.

By the time they arrived at Qingyu Residence, they ran into the doctor leaving under Miao Zhu's lead.

This doctor had some history with the Leng Family, and his diagnosis should not be wrong, Mrs. Feng thought, and feigned anxiety as she entered Qingyu Residence.

Inside Qingyu Residence, Old Madam Leng pointed to a prescription on the table and said to Leng Zongfa, "Yu Yan has fainted. If something goes wrong, where can our family find another legitimate daughter to marry off to the Crown Prince?"

Leng Zongfa remained silent; he wanted to keep Manting and marry her to the person most likely to become the Crown Prince.

Seeing Mrs. Feng coming, Old Madam Leng slapped the table, "There are only two servants in this courtyard, and one of them is deaf-mute. If word gets out, people will say our Leng Family is mistreating the legitimate daughter."

Mrs. Feng hurried forward, "Mother-in-law, it's all my fault. Although Yu Yan just returned yesterday, many things have yet to be arranged..."

Old Madam Leng glared at Mrs. Feng and interrupted her, "Never mind that for now. What's important is for Yu Yan to wake up soon."

Mrs. Feng nodded and quickly ordered her maid to grab the prescription to prepare and brew the medicine.

Lai Manting walked up behind Old Madam Leng and massaged her shoulders, "Grandmother need not worry! Remember how frail my sister used to be, and now she has gotten better. This shows that Fifth Sister is blessed by fate."

Madam Lai sighed, gently holding Lai Manting's bandaged right hand: "You should really cherish yourself the most!"

Lai Manting smiled tenderly: "Thank you for your sympathy, grandmother. I would like to visit Fifth Sister."

"Go ahead," Madam Lai nodded affectionately.

Mrs. Zhao, moving several flower pots from the yard to the corridor, clenched her teeth. These damn things.

Ah, spit!

Inside the room, Lai Manting, along with her maid Jinju, entered Leng Yu Yan's room.

She had been curious since last night about what kind of spots had formed on Leng Yu Yan's face.

The opportunity had come, and she decided to take a look.

"Jinju, go lift the veil."

Jinju nodded, tiptoed to the bed, and lifted a corner of the veil on Leng Yu Yan's face.

Lai Manting leaned over to take a closer look, and the sight of the large black and red spots frightened her, causing her legs to weaken and she fell to the floor with a thump.

Jinju hurried over to help, but Lai Manting dodged her, afraid that Jinju's hands that had touched the veil might touch her and cause spots to appear on her face too.

Although Leng Yu Yan had her eyes closed, she could clearly sense Lai Manting's fright and fall, and she couldn't help but sneer in her heart.

She overheard every word spoken in the outer room.

It turns out grandmother thought the same as father!

Indeed, if grandmother had cherished her, this granddaughter wouldn't have been driven out of the residence those years ago.

At this time, Madam Lai's words to Mr. Leng Zongfa and his wife reached her again—

"If Ah Hao could find the Divine Doctor this time out, he will be matched with the Ninth Princess as the Prince Consort. By then, if Manting marries a capable Prince, our family could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Prince Zhenbei Mansion, and boundless wealth awaits us. You as parents, must make a good outward show, and must not let people gossip about our Leng Family mistreating a legitimate daughter who lost her mother!"

Ah Hao, that is, Lai Hao, born by Mrs. Feng, ranks second among his brothers.

Leng Yu Yan snorted in her heart; dreaming of finding a Divine Doctor!

--

That night, the spring rain poured fiercely.

Under the quiet of the night in Eastern Palace, the sound of rain was even more intense.

"You can't take kneeling for one night?"

Ye Yiheng removed the eye-covering medicine pack, pinched his brow, but still couldn't see anything.

The little eunuch, Song Guo, said respectfully, "Yes, that's what everyone's saying outside."

There had been discussions since morning, and he was afraid that hearing them would hurt His Highness, so he hadn't mentioned it, not expecting the rumors to become even worse.

At this moment, although Ye Yiheng couldn't see, he caught the slight rustling sound of Song Guo's sleeves and knew he had more to say but hesitated.

"Speak."

One word, compelling in its power.

Song Guo hesitated and then replied, "People are saying Miss Lai is ugly, and how could such an ugly girl claim to be frail and delicate? That part might be true, making her quite suited to the Crown Prince."

"Is that all?"

Ye Yiheng placed the medicine pack on the table, his movement firm but controlled, enough to make Song Guo shudder.

"Your Highness…" Song Guo's knees weakened, and he immediately knelt, "Rumors are spreading outside, saying Father Lai is heartless, and the Crown Prince brings bad luck to his wife!"

"Ha!"

"People say the Marquis Ningyuan has two legitimate daughters. It's one thing to let the ugly one replace the pretty one, but they made the ugly girl kneel all night in the temple on the wedding day, too heartless." Song Guo knelt low, his head bowed even lower, "As for the claim about bringing bad luck to his wife, they say ugly girls are usually strong and hardy, and kneeling for one night shouldn't be a problem, but now the Leng family's ugly girl is suffering, likely because the Crown Prince's frailty brings bad luck to his wife."

Ye Yiheng's lips curled into a cold, mocking smile, and he spoke to the void, "Find out who's spreading the rumor?"

Was it Leng Yu Yan, or his so-called loving brothers?

"Yes," a voice came from the shadows.