An Eight-year-old Princess novel Chapter 207

Yun Shang didn't sleep well. It had been a long restless night for her. She felt as though someone had pressed on her shoulder, causing her great pain. She didn't even have the strength to open her eyes. But she kept trying because somehow, she felt that there was something really important that she needed to do. She remembered having the same feeling when she was giving birth to Huan'er in her previous life. Huan'er had been a premature infant and she had almost died during the delivery due to complications.

"Your Highness, Your Highness......" Half asleep and half awake, Yun Shang heard someone calling her. The voice seemed faint and distant. After some time, she felt a person come closer to her and hold her. She felt some medicine being placed in her mouth before Yun Shang heard the cry, "Bring the physician here! Hurry! Take my horse!"

The voice seemed genuinely worried. The deep concern reflected in the voice almost made Yun Shang cry. 'Who is it? Is it Mo Jingran?'

Yun Shang felt her head became heavy as she thought about people and events from her past life. She fell asleep again. Since she had been unconscious, Yun Shang didn't know what had happened. However, once Prince Jing learned of her injuries, he became furious. He took action against Grand Councilor Li, Xia Houjing, and all other persons who were involved in the events that led up to Yun Shang's injury.

Yun Shang woke six days after their trip to Mount Kirin. When she woke, she felt like her body was falling apart. Yun Shang opened her mouth. Before she could say anything, Qian Yin quickly asked her, "Your Highness, Your Highness. How do you feel now? Are you awake? Are you feeling any better, Your Highness? Are you thirsty? Or do you want to eat something?"

Qian Yin threw several questions at Yun Shang all at once, which made Yun Shang want to laugh. But even the idea of laughing took too much strength. The Princess almost passed out from the growing pain in her chest from suppressing her laughter.

"Your Highness, don't speak too much. Let me do the talking. After you and Prince Jing returned from Mount Kirin, you passed out. The imperial physician diagnosed that you were seriously injured. Prince Jing has been by your side all these days. He hasn't rested much. He was required to attend to an urgent matter which is why he is not by your side. He should be in his study now. Please don't think that he isn't concerned about your well-being. I'll tell him that you are awake." Qian Yin rushed outside after she had finished speaking.

Her behavior made Yun Shang want to laugh again. Qian Yin didn't even wait for Yun Shang to answer any of the questions she had thrown at the Princess.

Yun Shang couldn't stop thinking about what Qian Yin had said. Had Prince Jing been by her side all this time? How many days had it been? She had lost all sense of time. What day was it?

Yun Shang looked around and realized that she wasn't in Qingxin Palace. She was at Prince Jing's mansion.

How long had she passed out for? Yun Shang smiled. She had been so worried about her shoulder injury. She remembered thinking that she would not return from Mount Kirin. Luckily, she was still alive. That was all that mattered.

It wasn't long before Yun Shang heard footsteps hastening toward her. She looked up and saw Prince Jing's worn-out face. She was surprised. Yun Shang turned her head to avoid looking at him. 'His eyes seem cold. He will scold me for sure, ' she thought.

"I'm glad you're awake. Would you like to eat something? You have been unconscious for days. You must be hungry." Then Prince Jing turned to Qian Yin and said, "Make a bowl of chicken porridge for Her Highness. And put as little oil as possible."

Qian Yin bowed in acknowledgement before leaving. Prince Jing sat by Yun Shang's side and gently ran his fingers through her hair, "I told your father about the soldiers on Mount Kirin. I even told him of your plan to kill the soldiers. He thought it was a brilliant idea. We set a huge fire to the forest on Mount Kirin. As for the Xia soldiers hiding in the mountain, 20, 000 of them died in the fire and 40, 000 of them were captured alive. Although many soldiers disappeared, your idea prevented the State of Xia from implementing its devious plans to overrun the State of Ning. We've also replaced the guards at the Imperial City. These guards have special instructions not to allow anyone from the State of Xia to enter the City. The Li Clan are also busy. We raided the mansion of Grand Councilor Li's second son, and found evidence that he was selling weapons to the State of Yelang."

Yun Shang's astonishment grew with each new development shared by the Prince. She had been unconscious for several days. Now that she had woken, it seemed as though the whole world had changed during her sleep.

"How long have I been unconscious for?" Yun Shang blinked her eyes as she spoke. Her voice seemed huskier than usual.

Prince Jing helped settle her quilt as he answered, "Six days. And our wedding is four days from now."

'Six days?' Yun Shang was stunned. 'What? Four days from now?' Since she had some medical training, Yun Shang didn't need a physician to tell her that it would take one or two months for her to recover. From the way her body felt, Yun Shang thought it would take at least a fortnight before she could try to stand. How could she attend her upcoming wedding like this?

Prince Jing smiled. He knew exactly what the Princess was thinking. Yun Shang frowned. 'Why does he smile so cunningly?' she thought.

"Even though the wedding ceremony is complicated, and it will be difficult in your condition, your father said that we must not postpone the wedding. So if you can't walk in four days, I'll hold you in my arms through the whole process."

Yun Shang curled her lips. Hold her in his arms? This is one of the most important events in Yun Shang's life. It shouldn't be done in haste.

"If you really want to finish the ceremony by yourself, you need to rest well and recuperate in the next few days."

Prince Jing heard a servant call to him. He touched Yun Shang's hair as he prepared to leave. He smiled, "I still have some things to deal with. I rushed here the moment I heard you were awake. You need to eat something. Take some rest afterward."

Yun Shang nodded and watched Prince Jing leave the room. She cursed the servant as she was planning on asking Prince Jing more questions. She wanted to know what he had been doing these past few days. She also needed to ask him how he felt after overhearing Lord Hua Guo's revelation in the forest.

Yun Shang raised her head and looked up at the ceiling. The embroidery of the bed tent had been replaced with a pattern that showed two mandarin ducks tumbling about merrily in the water.*

(*TN: In traditional Chinese culture, two mandarin ducks tumbling about merrily in the water represents a happy couple who are in a good relationship.)

Then Qian Yin walked in. She looked around before frowning in disappointment. "Why did His Highness leave again? Your Highness has just woken up. His Highness should spend more time with you."

"What are you talking about?" Yun Shang lowered her head and took a sip of the chicken porridge. She smiled, "He has something important to do."

Two days passed. Yun Shang sighed as she thought, 'My wedding ceremony will be held the day after tomorrow. Even though I can do a few things for myself, I still can't stand straight after I get out of bed.'

"Bring it in." Qian Yin's voice disturbed the Princess's thoughts. Yun Shang peeked from her bed and saw that several eunuchs carrying a huge box were being led in by Qian Yin.

Qian Yin walked to Yun Shang and said, "His Highness is quite considerate. He knew that it is not convenient for Your Highness to move or walk too much, so he asked his servants to bring the wedding robe and jewelry for Your Highness to try on. If they don't suit Your Highness, he will ask the craftsmen to make some adjustments. His Highness also asked me to convey that on the day of your wedding, You Highness can leave from Prince Jing's mansion to greet His Majesty and return afterward. According to the wedding ceremony, Your Highness and His Highness are supposed to cruise around the whole Imperial City. His Highness canceled the long trip as it would be exhausting to Your Highness."

Yun Shang smiled but said nothing. Qian Yin was the younger of Yun Shang's two personal maids. It was Qin Yi who normally took charge of such household matters. Qian Yin was a quiet person by nature. Yun Shang wondered when Qian Yin became so voluble.

While they were talking, the chamberlain entered. "Your Highness, Lord Hua Guo from the State of Xia is requesting a meeting with you."

Yun Shang's expression changed. She was reminded of Lord Hua Guo's words in the forest on Mount Kirin. If Prince Jing were the eldest Prince of the State of Xia, then Lord Hua Guo would be his grandfather.

"Have you told Lord Hua Guo that Prince Jing isn't here?"

The chamberlain quickly answered, "Your Highness, I have told him so. But Lord Hua Guo said that he would also love to meet you. His Highness told us that as the Princess Consort, Your Highness can take charge of everything in the mansion during his absence."

Yun Shang quickly summarized that Lord Hua Guo had come to visit her not Prince Jing. Given Lord Hua Guo's power and resources, it would be easy for him to know whether Prince Jing was in his mansion or not. He had come to the mansion an hour after Prince Jing's departure, which indicated that he wasn't here for Prince Jing at all.

Yun Shang pondered before she nodded, "Please bring Lord Hua Guo in."