Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot
Chapter 256 - 238: Protecting Her Husband

Chapter 256: Chapter 238: Protecting Her Husband

Lu Yuan had a long dream that night.

In his dream, he returned to the days at the Prime Minister’s Mansion, recounting his grievances to someone in detail.

What was laughable was that he knew it was a dream.

Because only in dreams did he dare to feel wronged. Once he opened his eyes, he didn’t even have the right to think about such things.

When Lu Yuan woke up, daylight had already broken.

He found himself unable to move, wrapped tightly in soft Xiangyun Sha, like a silkworm cocoon.

Not only that, but he also seemed to be lying in an incomparably fragrant and tender embrace. A pair of delicate, fair arms gently encircled him, with a chin resting lightly against his forehead. Warm breaths landed on his cheeks, little by little, reminiscent of the gentle spring breeze brushing against one’s face under the radiant sun.

Lu Yuan’s lashes fluttered slightly.

Meng Qianqian caught this subtle movement immediately and quickly roused herself from a half-asleep state, lifting her head to look at him without releasing her arms that were holding him.

"You’re awake?"

She asked softly, raising her hand to touch his forehead. "No fever anymore. Last night your cold syndrome acted up, scared me to death! Next time, you better not soak in cold water after drinking. Internal heat won’t dissipate, and it invites even more cold into your meridians and internal organs. With your years of chronic cold syndrome, your body simply cannot bear it. By the way, why didn’t you mention before that you have this condition?"

She never used to talk so much—unless she was flattering someone.

Lu Yuan hesitated to speak.

Meng Qianqian asked, "What do you want to say?"

Lu Yuan opened his mouth. "Last night..."

Meng Qianqian interrupted confidently, "You didn’t say anything last night! No talking in your sleep, not even a single word!"

Lu Yuan: "..."

Closing his eyes, Lu Yuan tried to suppress the mortifying image of himself babbling like a child and swallowed down the embarrassment. "Who carried me back to my room?"

His last memory was of feeling a wave of heat during his bath, followed by a chilling cold. He blacked out after that, and when he woke up, it was just now.

Meng Qianqian blinked, looking down at him in her arms.

Lu Yuan’s ears turned slightly red. "Was it you?"

"Yes." Meng Qianqian nodded seriously and pointed at him. "Lucky I got there early. Otherwise, you’d have drowned in the bath. I also dressed you. You kept alternating between hot and cold last night, sweating a lot—I had to change you into several sets of clothes."

Lu Yuan’s face turned pale. "So you..."

Meng Qianqian raised an eyebrow meaningfully. "Mm-hmm."

Lu Yuan turned his face away. "How dare you... why didn’t you wake me up?"

Meng Qianqian pouted. "Oh, come on! You’re the one who said we should consummate our marriage. Now you’re shy about me seeing a little? Makes me wonder if you were even serious about it!"

Lu Yuan glared at her coldly. "Meng Xiaojiu, you’re getting very bold lately!"

Meng Qianqian instantly cowered, "Little Nine wouldn’t dare. Little Nine knows her mistake."

Their family, spanning three generations, couldn’t produce anyone more spinelessly submissive. Even if Lu Yuan wanted to get angry, he couldn’t find an outlet.

"Let go,"

he said icily.

"Oh." Meng Qianqian pulled her arm out from under his neck. Having been used as his pillow for so long, her arm was almost numb.

Lu Yuan tried to move but found that he couldn’t undo the binds of the Xiangyun Sha no matter how he struggled.

He said curtly, "Untie the Xiangyun Sha."

Meng Qianqian blinked. "Does the Grand Commander want to consummate our marriage?"

Lu Yuan’s temple throbbed. "Meng Xiaojiu!"

Meng Qianqian quickly corrected herself, "I was wrong, I was wrong! The Grand Commander just had a flare-up of his cold syndrome; your body is too weak to handle exertion."

Lu Yuan’s face darkened. "Who are you calling weak?"

Meng Qianqian immediately conceded, "I’m the weak one, I’m the weak one!"

Awake, he was hard to deal with. Last night, he was much more docile. He’d call her ’sister,’ call her ’fairy,’ and even feed her candied hawthorns!

Meng Qianqian began unwrapping the layers of Xiangyun Sha she had wrapped him in.

Lu Yuan sat up and noticed a pile of candied hawthorn sticks on the floor. His brows furrowed. "Meng Xiaojiu, how many candied hawthorns did you eat last night?"

Meng Qianqian: "..."

The Empress’ grand wedding granted a three-day suspension of court sessions.

Though Lu Yuan didn’t have to attend court, as an officially appointed Madame of the imperial court, Meng Qianqian had to enter the palace to pay respects to the Empress.

Before leaving, she sought out Steward Cen to inquire about Lu Yuan’s condition.

"There’s one thing I don’t understand. Lady Yan excels in medicine, and the Governor Mansion has no shortage of Red Ganoderma. Why hasn’t he recovered yet? Did my husband not ask Lady Yan to treat him?"

Steward Cen sighed, "The Grand Commander hasn’t disclosed his illness to Lady Yan. You know his temperament, Young Madam—he’s highly guarded and unwilling to trust anyone easily. It took me years just to learn about it myself."

Meng Qianqian nodded. That sounded like something Lu Yuan would do.

Steward Cen continued, "After you reunited with the Grand Commander and discovered his poor health, you brought a Miao Doctor from Miaojiang to the capital. Over these past few years, that doctor has been treating him."

Meng Qianqian was puzzled. "It’s been years, and it still hasn’t been cured?"

Steward Cen replied with a pained expression, "Young Madam, you wouldn’t know. During those years at the Prime Minister’s Mansion, the Grand Commander suffered greatly. The cold syndrome is just one issue. His body is riddled with ailments—so severe that even the Miao Doctor marvels at how he’s managed to survive this long."

Meng Qianqian suddenly understood. "I see."

Her own cold syndrome was mild, with no lingering conditions, so just a few medicinal treatments had sufficed. But Lu Yuan’s body, having been worn down to such a state, faced greater risks. With medicine inherently carrying toxicity, what was tolerable for others could very well act as a death sentence for him.

"And yet he still practices martial arts."

Wouldn’t that exhaust him even further?

Steward Cen lowered his head and sighed helplessly. "If he had a choice, who would willingly shorten their own lifespan? Back then, the Grand Commander had no options."

Meng Qianqian’s gaze sharpened. "From now on, I’ll make sure he has options."

Steward Cen turned to look at Meng Qianqian upon hearing this.

She was dressed in the most modest and virtuous attire, yet speaking with the boldest and most commanding tone.

Rather than being shocked, a trace of recognition flashed in his eyes—he had been waiting for this moment.

Meng Qianqian, noting his reaction, remained composed. "Steward Cen, when you chose me back then, wasn’t it because you believed I could support the Grand Commander?"

Exposed, Steward Cen didn’t display any guilt or embarrassment. Instead, he smiled openly, "Not belief—certainty. My only talent is reading people accurately."

Meng Qianqian pressed on, "It was also your arrangement for my third uncle to beat up the wrong person, wasn’t it?"

If her third uncle hadn’t mistakenly taken Lu Yuan for Lu Lingxiao and beaten him up, how else would she have ended up being "compensated" to Lu Yuan?

Steward Cen admitted straightforwardly, "Yes, that was my doing. I took advantage of Lord Meng, and I feel guilty for it. I’ll personally apologize to him one day."

Bringing a rare trace of sternness to her tone, Meng Qianqian said, "There’s no need to apologize. However, I dislike being manipulated."

Steward Cen cupped his hands respectfully. "I promise, Young Madam—there won’t be a next time. Though, may I ask you one question?"

"Go ahead."

"If the person your third uncle chose to marry off wasn’t you, would you have gone willingly?"

Meng Qianqian paused for a moment. "No."

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