Chapter 146 - 68: Mom, Do I Look Like a Thief?_3

"Madam, indeed that Miss Yin is famed throughout Haojing and has countless suitors, but that doesn’t mean every man has to be enamored with her."

"If she truly possessed such charm, the late Emperor would have taken her into the palace years ago. How could she have been demoted to a camp courtesan?"

"If I were enamored with her, would I have come to find you with a hatchet back then?"

"If I were enamored with her, how could she have been monopolized by that old fool Zhang Ji?"

"True, I did spend a long time in Zhang Ji’s camp and saw Miss Yin there a few times, but I didn’t pay her any attention. Besides training and battling enemies, whenever I had free time, I was always looking for you."

"Do you not remember how I used to sneak out of the camp late at night, climbing through your window?"

"Once, I was even caught by your father and mother, nearly beaten to death as a thief of virtue..."

Mentioning the past, Yun Zheng’s eyes filled with a faint nostalgia. His wife, during her youth, was truly delicate and soft, blushing at a word, exceptionally adorable, making him wish he could be by her side every day.

Of course, while his wife had matured greatly now, shedding the greenness and shyness of her youth, in his eyes, she remained enchanting.

"Really? You truly weren’t enamored with her?"

"I truly wasn’t, Madam. I will treat you well for a lifetime, so don’t feel so insecure."

Lady Yun nodded. At this moment, she believed him, but the issue with Princess Jing left her feeling unprecedentedly uneasy.

"Husband, should you fancy another woman in the future, I hope you won’t hide it from me. Whether you want me to step down or whatever, please be honest with me."

"After a decade as husband and wife, I don’t wish to be deceived by the one I trust most like Princess Jing was."

Seeing her like this, Yun Zheng couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache. He gently caressed her face, "Madam, while many men in this world may be fickle, there are a few who are truly faithful."

"I’m not saying this to prove how good I am, it’s just that I genuinely want to spend my life with you."

"No one knows what the future holds, but please remember, my heart will always love you."

Comforted by these words, Lady Yun’s unease eased a bit, though she still couldn’t lift her spirits, remaining silent in his embrace.

Yun Zheng, with his keen senses, quickly understood that the matter with the Princess had impacted her too deeply, and it might take some time for her to recover.

So, he took the initiative to find a topic to divert her attention.

"Madam, do you know what our Chen’er was up to last night?"

Indeed, Lady Yun’s attention was immediately diverted. She looked up, her expression weary and concern unconcealed in her eyes.

"What’s the matter? What did Chen’er do?"

"Well," Yun Zheng put on a stern face, pretending to be angry, "he sneaked into the Su Jian household’s side courtyard in the middle of the night and stole away that concubine-born daughter. She’s now hidden in his courtyard."

"How could this happen? How could Chen’er do such a thing? If Su Jian were to find out, what would happen?"

Lady Yun’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Her Chen’er, always self-disciplined and respectful of etiquette, how could he do something so outrageous?

"Madam may not know, but ever since that concubine-born daughter of the Su family sneaked a peek at Chen’er during Xiao Si’s full moon celebration and got caught, Chen’er has had people secretly keeping an eye on her."

"Seeing how emaciated the young girl was, he had someone send her food every day for some time."

"In just over twenty days, the girl’s appearance improved significantly, but unfortunately, that shrew of the Su family suddenly went to the side courtyard, saw the girl’s changes, and accused her of stealing food, beating her severely."

"That shrew is truly vicious, beating the girl so badly, she suffered severe injuries. The people secretly sent to monitor reported back to Chen’er, and he and Cang Yan went to fetch the girl out..."

Yun Zheng recounted the event in detail to Lady Yun, who listened with furrowed brows.

"That Madam Su is indeed too cruel. Even if she normally disregards a little girl, how can she be so harsh?"

"Chen’er bringing her home in the middle of the night must mean he has feelings for the young girl. When I showed him the roster of noble daughters of the capital before, I noticed his attitude towards that girl was somewhat odd."

Yun Zheng’s brows twitched, and he asked, "What do you think, Madam? If you’re opposed, I’ll have someone send the girl back."