After Disguising As A Woman To Marry The Foolish Prince, I Became Pregnant - Chapter 3

Hua Jian, seeing him suddenly stop talking, followed his gaze and poked her head out. She happened to see He Tianyun flashing a smile at her and immediately knew she had caused trouble, quickly shutting her mouth and retreating to the side.

Zhu Man gave the girl an exasperated look before turning back to He Tianyun, asking him, “When did you wake up?”

He Tianyun did not answer his question. Instead, he stared at him for a while, pointed at him, and shouted, “Young Master.”

Zhu Man: “…”

“What ‘Young Master’? I am your Princess Consort, don’t just shout nonsense,” Zhu Man said softly, trying to divert his attention. “Are you hungry? Do you want to sleep a bit longer?”

“Princess Consort.” He Tianyun stared at him, seemingly lost in thought, but ultimately said nothing else and lay back down. He added reluctantly, “I want Imperial Mother.”

Hearing this, Zhu Man explained, “We are going to the palace in a moment. You will be able to see Her Ladyship the Noble Consort then. But before that, you need to get up, wash, and eat.”

He Tianyun remained reluctant, wrapping himself in the quilt and glaring unhappily at him.

Seeing this, Zhu Man ignored him and turned to look at Hua Jian. “Where is Nanny Du?”

“Nanny Du went to the kitchen. She told me to attend to your rising first, Miss, and then call for Eunuch Pan to come in. We have to enter the palace for an audience soon,” Hua Jian said. Noticing Zhu Man rubbing his temples, she asked, “What’s wrong, Miss?”

“I’m not feeling very well, likely exhausted from yesterday,” Zhu Man waved his hand. “It’s nothing serious. Go pick out a more elegant and simple outfit for me.”

He got up to wash, but just as he finished rinsing his mouth, he heard a “creak” as someone pushed the door open and entered.

His brows furrowed instantly, and he quickly finished washing his face to go out and see who it was.

The person who entered was Pan Fu—the same Eunuch Pan that Nanny Du had told Hua Jian to fetch. He had come to call for He Tianyun. When he saw Zhu Man walk out, he smiled and bowed, calling him “Princess Consort.” His tone wasn’t bad, but there was not a hint of a smile in his eyes, which carried an indescribable air of contempt.

Zhu Man didn’t care. Since he didn’t plan on being this Princess Consort for long anyway, they could look at him however they pleased.

He gave a slight nod without saying much and sat directly at the dressing table to let Hua Jian help him with his hair and makeup.

Pan Fu walked to the bedside to call He Tianyun, saying softly, “Your Highness, it is time to rise. We must go to the palace to see Her Ladyship today.”

There was no movement from the person on the bed. Pan Fu repeated himself, and then again.

Sitting at the dressing table, Zhu Man was somewhat puzzled. If you really wanted to wake someone, wouldn’t you just give them a gentle nudge? If that didn’t work, shout a bit louder. Calling out in such a soft, whispersy voice—how long was that supposed to take?

But his confusion didn’t last long. He saw a pillow fly out from the bed, hitting Pan Fu right in the head.

It was a jade pillow. If it had hit any harder, it probably would have drawn blood.

Although Pan Fu had tried to dodge, a bump still formed on his forehead. His expression instantly soured, and he whispered harshly, “Your Highness, if you continue to be disobedient, Her Ladyship is going to be angry.”

Zhu Man raised an eyebrow at those words.

This wasn’t the first time he had heard this. The few times He Tianyun had thrown a tantrum before, he had heard people using the Noble Consort to pressure him. It seemed it was Pan Fu who usually did the talking.

Sure enough, the previously temperamental He Tianyun immediately climbed out of bed obediently, though his face was written with unhappiness.

Zhu Man watched him through the mirror. Just then, He Tianyun also looked up. Their eyes seemed to meet in the reflection, and He Tianyun suddenly smiled—an exceptionally beautiful smile.

Zhu Man felt a bit lightheaded from the radiance of that smile, so he returned it with one of his own. “Your Highness, get up and change your clothes.”

He had discovered last night that He Tianyun wasn’t completely impossible to communicate with.

He could recognize people, could be coaxed, could answer questions, and knew not to make the Noble Consort unhappy. This meant he could remember things. Therefore, as long as Zhu Man acted a bit more friendly, it might prove useful.

He Tianyun’s next action confirmed his suspicion.

The person who had just been throwing a fit at Pan Fu was now out of bed, running barefoot to stand before Zhu Man, shouting with a face full of smiles: “Princess Consort!”

Zhu Man nodded and said softly, “Your Highness, hurry and change so you can eat. We have to go to the palace soon to see Her Ladyship.”

Upon hearing this, the smile on He Tianyun’s face deepened. He repeated, “Palace, see Imperial Mother, I want Imperial Mother…”

Zhu Man nodded and reached out to push him slightly toward Pan Fu, instructing, “Dress His Highness.”

The moment he said this, the person who was happy just a second ago became unhappy again. He hid behind Zhu Man and grabbed a hairpin from the table, pointing it at Pan Fu. “Go away!”

Pan Fu didn’t move, merely smiling as he urged, “Your Highness, let’s not delay the hour for entering the palace. Her Ladyship won’t be pleased.”

Zhu Man frowned at this.

Could this Pan Fu not speak a bit more softly? He was doing nothing but upsetting He Tianyun. If they kept dallying like this, would they ever make it to the palace?

Thus, Zhu Man had to turn around himself. He took the hand holding the hairpin. His already soft gaze became even more tender as it landed on that handsome face, and his tone became very sweet. “Your Highness, you shouldn’t play with this. Be good. Once you’ve changed and eaten, we will go to the palace together to see Her Ladyship, alright?”

He Tianyun didn’t answer. Instead, he stared at the hand holding his own. His fingers even lightly brushed against the back of Zhu Man’s hand as if comforting him… or as if taking advantage of him.

Zhu Man was still a bit confused, but figuring that He Tianyun simply disliked being touched by strangers, he withdrew his hand, feeling a bit of regret in his heart.

Truly, every touch is one less than the last.

But to his surprise, as soon as he pulled his hand away, He Tianyun grabbed it again and tried to shove it directly into his mouth.

Zhu Man’s expression froze instantly.

He tried to pull his hand back, but He Tianyun possessed an unexpected strength; he couldn’t break free at all.

Seeing that his hand was about to suffer, Zhu Man had no choice but to use his other hand to push He Tianyun’s chin up, forcing his mouth shut.

He Tianyun was stunned for a moment.

Zhu Man took the opportunity to retract his hand and patiently lectured him, “You must not bite people.”

He Tianyun scowled and looked at him unhappily.

Seeing this from the side, Pan Fu couldn’t help but chuckle. “The Princess Consort truly is patient.”

Zhu Man smiled back but didn’t say anything.

He had once raised a large dog that loved to bite when it was young; it stopped after being taught a few times. He Tianyun’s mind was simple, like an ignorant child or an animal, so he guessed these experiences might be useful.

Pan Fu’s attitude toward Zhu Man was unfriendly, and Zhu Man had no intention of wasting words on him. He turned his attention back to He Tianyun and said softly, “No biting.”

He Tianyun frowned, still wanting to open his mouth to bite.

Zhu Man had no choice but to pinch his mouth shut and repeat, “You cannot.”

Only then did He Tianyun let go, standing up and running out of the room.

The voices of maidservants shouting could be heard outside. Zhu Man glanced at Pan Fu. Seeing that the man had no intention of leaving, he ignored him and turned back to continue his makeup.

Hua Jian had followed the real Zhu Man since childhood and was very skilled at dressing her “Miss.” She efficiently combed his hair, and Zhu Man picked up a brush to draw his features in the mirror.

By the time He Tianyun returned, the makeup was finished, but Pan Fu seemed as if he were welded to the spot, refusing to budge.

Zhu Man frowned. “What, are you planning to help me change my clothes?”

Pan Fu said with a beaming smile, “This servant must attend to His Highness…”

Before he could finish, he was struck by an orange thrown by He Tianyun.

Pan Fu immediately backed away a bit. “Your Highness, stop fooling around, it’s time to… Ouch!”

Before he could finish his sentence, he was turned pale with fright by He Tianyun’s action of pushing a screen over. He scrambled toward the door.

With a loud “Bang!”, Pan Fu managed to escape the room just before the screen crashed down.

Seeing him flee in such a pathetic state, He Tianyun laughed merrily and ran back to the bed to rummage for something.

Zhu Man raised an eyebrow but didn’t try to stop him. He took the clothes Hua Jian had prepared and went to change first.

By the time he finished changing, He Tianyun was still on the bed. Zhu Man went over to take a look and saw him sitting there eating. Aside from the oranges of unknown origin, there were also dried longans left over from yesterday that hadn’t been swept away. He was eating them, leaving the bed a mess.

Zhu Man felt his vision go dark for a moment. He silently chanted “He’s a fool, he’s a fool” in his head. He looked at him eating with his head down—his forehead was smooth and full, and his eyelashes were very long. He was handsome.

For the sake of that face, Zhu Man suppressed his frustration and coaxed, “Your Highness, if you’re hungry, let’s go to the front to eat. After eating, we must go to the palace to see Her Ladyship.”

Upon hearing “Her Ladyship,” He Tianyun immediately looked up at him. “See Imperial Mother…”

“Yes, go see Imperial Mother.” Zhu Man beckoned him. “But we must eat first.”

He Tianyun immediately dropped what was in his hands, climbed off the bed, and followed him to eat.

The food on the table was clearly divided into two halves, which puzzled Zhu Man. He intended to ask, but the maidservants standing nearby all had their heads bowed with expressionless faces, looking like statues and even appearing a bit frightening.

After a moment’s hesitation, Zhu Man didn’t speak and sat directly at the table.

Once he started eating, he understood the reason.

He Tianyun didn’t know how to use chopsticks and didn’t seem to like spoons either. He ate entirely with his hands and played with his food, making a mess of the dishes. it was quite a blow to one’s appetite.

Zhu Man sighed in his heart and ate quietly.

After finishing the meal, Zhu Man pulled aside Nanny Du, who had been waiting nearby, to ask about matters in the palace.

He had never entered the palace before. Prior to this, his knowledge of the place came entirely from rumors in the streets.

For instance, the Noble Consort’s beauty, the Emperor’s favoritism toward her, and the fire-and-water relationship between the Noble Consort and the Empress.

It was hard to say whether these rumors were true or false, but in every version, Consort Yu was described as having an eccentric and violent temper, often beating or killing servants if she was even slightly displeased. It was terrifying.

Since he was about to enter the palace with He Tianyun, he naturally had to ask clearly.

He Tianyun sat nearby, eating a piece of green vegetable while listening. From his expression, he likely didn’t understand. After listening for a while, he probably found it boring and stood up to leave.

When Zhu Man finished his questioning and returned to the room, he found He Tianyun rummaging through the wardrobe. Almost all the clothes had been ruined by his hands, which were covered in food residue—including the ones Zhu Man was currently wearing.

Zhu Man felt his vision go dark again. He looked at the maidservant guarding the door and asked, “You just let him play like this?”

The maidservant turned around, head bowed, and replied, “It is Manager Pan’s instruction. He said His Highness can do whatever he wants and should not be stopped.”

Hearing this, Zhu Man’s brow furrowed deeply. “Is he the one who calls the shots in this manor?”

The maidservant remained bowed, her tone unchanging. “There is also Nanny Du, and His Highness.”

It sounded like His Highness was just an afterthought. And as for Zhu Man, a Princess Consort who hadn’t even been there for a full day, he was even less worth mentioning.

Reasonably, he should have thrown a fit to establish his authority, but he had no interest in being the Princess Consort. Moreover, He Tianyun was still rummaging through the chests, so he had to pull him back first. “Stop playing.”

He Tianyun immediately glared at him in dissatisfaction. His expression wasn’t fierce; rather, with that foolish air, he looked somewhat blunt and simple.

Zhu Man wasn’t afraid of him to begin with, and certainly wasn’t now. He led him to the dressing table and sat him down, telling Hua Jian to bring water to wash his hands.

Seeing him seriously wiping He Tianyun’s hands, Hua Jian couldn’t help but say, “Miss, why do you care so much about His Highness? He doesn’t understand anything, and the people in the manor don’t even bother with him.”

Zhu Man kept his eyes down, wiping He Tianyun’s hands as he said, “You said it yourself—he doesn’t understand. He’s a fool; it’s normal for him to do foolish things. If the people in the manor would stop him occasionally, it wouldn’t be like this.”

“Everyone knows that ignoring him causes no trouble. You could do the same,” Hua Jian grumbled softly. “We’re leaving anyway, why go through the effort?”

Zhu Man felt his head start to ache again at her words. In the past at home, Zhu Man (the real sister) couldn’t speak, so when she was bullied, she couldn’t talk back. Having such a sharp-tongued girl by her side helped scold people, but this girl wasn’t clever. Bringing her out created big problems. It was a blessing that his sister wasn’t the one who came; otherwise, with Hua Jian’s mouth, who knows how long they would have survived.

He said, “You girl, can you not keep a lock on your mouth? This isn’t the Zhu Manor. If you say something wrong there, at most Father punishes you, and I can cover for you. But out here, you are your mistress’s mouth. Whatever you say, people will think your mistress taught you. If you truly say the wrong thing, do you think it will be as simple as just a punishment?”

Hua Jian was still uneasy and complained, “I just feel it’s not worth it for you, Miss. If it weren’t for His Highness, you wouldn’t be in this position. Now you’re being good to him, but he doesn’t understand. It’s a waste of your heart.”

Zhu Man sighed and explained, “This marriage was initiated by the Noble Consort, my father submitted the name card, and the Emperor finalized it. What does it have to do with him? He may be a fool, but he hasn’t done anything to me. Why should I give him a cold face?” He stood up, threw the handkerchief back into the basin, and gave Hua Jian a cool look. “Also, he is a Prince. Some things you can think about, but they must never come out of your mouth. Otherwise, if someone hears, it will implicate your mistress.”

Hua Jian had followed the real Zhu Man since childhood and had rarely seen “her” get angry. Only then did she belatedly realize she had been making mistakes and immediately bowed her head. “This servant knows her mistake.”

“Just be more careful,” Zhu Man smiled to reassure her. “Besides, weren’t you happy to see the matchmaker and Pan Fu get hit?”

Hua Jian immediately smiled. “Naturally happy. I heard His Highness even hit Lord Lu yesterday.”

Zhu Man raised an eyebrow. “The old man who taught my father to submit the name card?”

Hua Jian nodded. “He deserved it!”

Zhu Man’s mood improved as well. He laughed and said, “Then why aren’t you calling people in? Or do you want to help His Highness change his clothes?”

Hua Jian gave a quick response and immediately ran out.

Seeing this, He Tianyun wanted to follow her out. Zhu Man immediately held him back and said, “Don’t run around. After you change, we are going to see Her Ladyship.”

Previously, mentioning the Noble Consort made He Tianyun more obedient, but now, for some reason, he suddenly threw a tantrum. He reached out and swept everything off the table, saying petulantly, “I don’t want to!”

The “clatter” of falling objects caught the attention of the guards. They rushed in, but before they could see the situation clearly, they were startled by a hairpin thrown at them and scrambled to catch it.

“Your Highness, Your…” The leader of the guards, holding the hairpin, was about to bow when He Tianyun reached him, raising his hand to strike.

The man quickly backed away to dodge, but he bumped into the person behind him. The group fell over like dominoes at the doorway, looking incredibly pathetic.

Zhu Man hadn’t expected the Prince’s guards to be so useless. He frowned and walked over to pull He Tianyun. “What is wrong with you? Weren’t you just saying you wanted to see the Noble Consort?”

As soon as he said this, He Tianyun sat down on the floor. He didn’t say a word, but his actions communicated a clear message to Zhu Man: He didn’t want to go.

At that moment, Nanny Du heard the commotion and rushed over. Hearing Zhu Man explain the situation, she was also a bit surprised. “His Highness used to love going to the palace the most. Does he not want to see Her Ladyship anymore?”

She reached out to help He Tianyun up, but he pulled his hand away and lay directly on the floor, starting to throw a tantrum. He shouted “I don’t want to” loudly and repeatedly, making everyone’s heads ache.

A look of difficulty appeared on Nanny Du’s face, but Zhu Man’s expression didn’t change much.

Aside from his twin sister, he had four half-siblings. The youngest was only eight years old. When things didn’t go their way, they threw tantrums just like He Tianyun. He had dealt with them many times.

His method was simple: pick them up and give them a beating, and they would behave. But He Tianyun was a Prince, so that tactic definitely couldn’t be used. That left the other method.

Zhu Man gave Nanny Du an innocent look. Then, under her confused gaze, he also sat down on the floor. Mimicking He Tianyun, he began kicking his arms and legs, throwing a tantrum. He raised his voice and shouted along with him: “I don’t care!! I want to go to the palace!! I must see the Noble Consort!! If I can’t go, I’m not getting up!!”

The room went silent at his shout.

Nanny Du looked at him with eyes full of horror. “Pri… Princess Consort?”

He Tianyun was also looking at him. However, it wasn’t surprise; instead, he pointed at him and laughed sillily. His eyes curved into crescents, looking very handsome.

Zhu Man was momentarily dazed by the sight. He forgot his tantrum halfway through and flashed a smile back. “Done making a scene?”

Nanny Du realized what was happening. She composed herself and smiled along. “Princess Consort, stop fooling around with His Highness. Quickly get up and change. We can still make it to the palace before noon.”

Zhu Man gave an “Oh,” pushed himself up, and reached out a hand to He Tianyun. “Had enough? Get up.”

He Tianyun laughed and grabbed his hand, trying to shove it into his mouth.

Zhu Man quickly pulled it back, catching his wrist and pulling him up. “Get up quickly. We’re going to the palace to see the Noble Consort.”

He Tianyun didn’t struggle and followed the force to climb up from the floor.

Zhu Man nodded in satisfaction. “Now, go with Nanny Du to change your clothes obediently, and then we go to the palace. Understood?”

He didn’t wait for He Tianyun’s answer and turned to tell Hua Jian to get him a new set of clothes.

Before Hua Jian could respond, both of them heard Nanny Du let out a startled cry.

Zhu Man was just wondering what had happened when he turned his head. Suddenly, his feet left the ground, the entire world flipped upside down, and he was enveloped by a deep shade of blue.

Zhu Man: ?

He was stunned for a long while, until He Tianyun carried him on his shoulder and ran out of the room and out of the courtyard. Only then did he roar in surprise and anger: “He Tianyun! Put me down!!”