Ling Mohan stood on the ground, feeling rather pathetic and isolated, with nowhere to go. It seemed he no longer had a place in this mansion.
He glanced at the mother and her two sons lying on the bed, sighing helplessly. If he had known this would happen, he would never have had these two brats. In the end, he was the one who suffered the most.
He decided to return to his own room and make do for another night, just as he had last night. But when would this makeshift life ever end?
Ling Mohan returned to his rather desolate room. Winter was approaching, yet there was no brazier lit inside. The entire room was frigid, and the bedding was cold and stiff, unlike the soft bedding in Feng Jin's room.
The servants in the mansion were all fair-weathered, acting according to Feng Jin's wishes. As soon as they saw he wasn't resting in this room, they stopped cleaning it properly, and even the basic winter fuel was not supplied. He was the master of the mansion, yet he had ended up like this, truly a pathetic and lamentable situation.
He considered himself fortunate to even have a place to sleep now. Ling Mohan sighed, lifted the covers, and lay down. He would have to warm the bed himself. Fortunately, he had already adapted to such living conditions during his military campaigns, so going through it again was not a big deal.
The next morning, when Ling Mohan attended court, he appeared before Chu Chenyi with two huge dark circles under his eyes, which startled him greatly.
"What happened to you? Did Feng Jin beat you last night? Those dark circles are surely from a beating," Chu Chenyi said loudly and mockingly, his voice so loud that it seemed he wanted everyone to know about it.
Ling Mohan's expression darkened further. A mischievous smile played on his lips as he looked at Chu Chenyi. Since the latter had already acted this way, he shouldn't be blamed for not returning the favor.
"Yesterday, I had the good fortune to hear that Prince Jing has a hidden ailment. I wonder if it has been cured yet? If your health is still problematic, my wife, You Shan, is skilled in medicine and could examine Your Highness thoroughly."
As his words fell, passing officials all glanced at Chu Chenyi, their eyes filled with surprise, a hint of confusion, and a large dose of mockery.
Chu Chenyi, the person concerned, was stunned in place, looking at Ling Mohan in astonishment. He had no idea when he had developed a hidden ailment, nor how Ling Mohan knew about it.
"You... what nonsense are you talking about? How can my reputation be slandered and damaged by you like this!"
Chu Chenyi, filled with righteous anger, pointed at Ling Mohan and berated him. His reputation could not be ruined by Ling Mohan like this. Talking about a hidden ailment within him, he would fabricate anything.
"Whether it is true or not, Prince Jing knows best. If you truly feel incapable, I, this general, can serve Prince Jing. Please rest assured, Prince Jing, our mouths are very tight."
Ling Mohan completely ignored Chu Chenyi's anger, merely sneering, his eyes full of disdain.
"You... you..."
Chu Chenyi was so enraged that his fingers trembled slightly. He took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, and slowly moved in front of Ling Mohan. His eyes blazed as he glared at Ling Mohan, "If you dare to spread rumors again, I will never let you off."
"Given Your Highness's health, how many rounds can you last under my command? Your Highness should focus on curing your hidden ailment first!"
Forcing himself to calm down, Chu Chenyi meticulously recalled the events of the previous night, especially why Lin Yuwei had suddenly insisted on examining him, and why, among all the doctors in the capital, she had insisted on Feng Jin treating him.
Thinking about it now, it sent a chill down his spine. Indeed, all abnormal occurrences had reasons.
Having figured everything out, Chu Chenyi immediately strode away, as if he hadn't heard Ling Mohan's calls from behind.
"Greetings, Your Highness!"
"Greetings, Your Highness!"
"Greetings, Your Highness!"
The maids and servants in the mansion bowed respectfully upon seeing Chu Chenyi return.
"Greetings, Your Highness. Why did Your Highness return so early from court today?" the steward of the mansion asked, bowing respectfully.
"Where is the Princess Consort?" Chu Chenyi asked with a dark expression. He needed to see Lin Yuwei as soon as possible and get to the bottom of things.
"The Princess Consort is in the back courtyard..."
Before the steward could finish speaking, Chu Chenyi rushed towards the back courtyard.
He searched the back courtyard but couldn't find Lin Yuwei. Finally, he found her in a pavilion, leisurely sipping tea. She was living quite a relaxed life.
"You're back. How was court today?" Lin Yuwei asked, as usual, warmly inquiring about Chu Chenyi's day, completely unaware of the terrifyingly grim expression on his face.
"Everything is fine. I just have something I want to discuss with you." His tone was filled with a chilling coldness, which made Lin Yuwei instinctively shrink back.
"What is it?" Lin Yuwei asked cautiously, her gaze constantly darting away, afraid to meet Chu Chenyi's eyes, lest he see through her.
"Why did you arrange for Feng Jin to examine me yesterday?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Yuwei's heart skipped a beat. However, she maintained a calm facade, cleared her throat, and said, "I... I was concerned about your health and wanted to have you examined..."
*Crash!* The teacup on the table was smashed to the ground, shattering into pieces.
Lin Yuwei was instantly startled and froze in place, her heart filled with panic. Had he already found out? How could she explain this?
"Don't you suspect I have a hidden ailment, which is why you asked Feng Jin to examine me!"
Now Lin Yuwei was completely flustered. It seemed the matter was about to be revealed. "I... I was just worried..."
"Worried! Worried about what? Why are you so suspicious of me? What are your intentions? Does my demeanor make you think I have a hidden ailment?"
"I don't... I don't. It's just that we haven't had children for so long, so I... I wanted to ask Sister Feng Jin to examine me. But... but she said she needed to examine you first to determine the cause..."
Fearful, Lin Yuwei blurted out the entire sequence of events to Chu Chenyi.
"Is that so?" The man raised his eyebrows slightly, his gaze towards her filled with uncertainty. He truly doubted the veracity of Lin Yuwei's words.
After a pause, he continued to inquire, "Then what did Feng Jin say? What is wrong with my body?" Ultimately, his greatest concern was whether he truly had a hidden ailment. If so, he didn't know what he would do.