Extra 5: Misunderstandings Caused by a Chess Manual

The man slowly raised his eyes and looked directly at Song Lingyi. He said calmly, "Everyone, leave." Hongju obeyed the order and hurriedly led the other palace maids out of the hall.

"Is Yan'er asleep?" he asked.

Song Lingyi nodded gently, walked to the side of the couch, glanced at the gift book in his hand, and thought of how he had been a little upset at the dinner table just now, so she asked, "Is there anything wrong with this gift book?"

"Just looking around."

Xiao Mingyi's eyes dimmed slightly, but a faint smile appeared on his lips: "I saw Pei Zhao gave me a chess manual, which is quite creative."

The little princess had just been born, so there was no need for her to have a chess manual. It was clear at a glance who the manual was intended for.

They were silent for a moment. Song Lingyi's eyes turned slightly, and she pretended to be surprised and said, "Really? I didn't notice it. But it's just a chess record. The content is basically the same. Nothing special."

Xiao Mingyi stared at her face, his expression didn't change, and the topic was over.

The moon is at the middle.

Most of the candlelight in the bedroom was extinguished, and the curtains were silent.

The emperor and the empress turned their backs to each other and, contrary to their usual practice, did not fall asleep in each other's arms.

Xiao Mingyi lay on his side between the quilts, not wanting to sleep at all. He had thought that since he was so blatantly sulking, Ah Li would at least ask about it, and he wouldn't need to coax her. It was just a chess manual, and he could just explain it clearly. Unexpectedly, not only did she not ask, she didn't even say anything.

Song Lingyi, who was sleeping on the inside, turned over, sat up quietly, and crawled out of the bed, her clothes rustling.

Just as one leg passed over Xiao Mingyi, he was suddenly kicked by him and fell down between his waist and abdomen.

Song Lingyi let out a soft cry, then met those blazing, bright phoenix eyes and asked in surprise, "You're not asleep?"

There is nothing wrong with this statement, but when a man is angry, he will inevitably think too much.

"Where are you going?" The voice was cold and hoarse.

A trace of shyness flashed across Song Lingyi's face, and she did not respond for a long time.

It was dark in the tent, and Xiao Mingyi couldn't see her expression, so he took her silence as a sign of guilt.

His eyes narrowed, and he turned over and pressed the person under him.

His big hands touched her slender waist, and then he kissed her, biting her lips.

The rustling of fabrics and the entanglement of breaths were magnified infinitely in the darkness.

After a long while, Xiao Mingyi finally let her go and buried his head in the side of her neck. "There are also many chess manuals in Zichen Palace."

Song Lingyi was confused by the incoherent sentence.

After a moment of silence, he said sullenly, "A-Li really likes the chess manual he gave her?"

“…”

After a moment of confusion, Song Lingyi realized that his abnormal behavior tonight was because she was reading the chess manual sent by Pei Zhao and was jealous.

"I heard that it was a rare copy left by a chess master from the previous dynasty. I was bored, so I took it to have a look."

The big hand around her waist tightened, and his breath fanned her neck. "It's just to kill time, why hide it?"

"Tibetan?"

It is said that a woman becomes stupid for three years after pregnancy, but Song Lingyi thought about it carefully. The chess manual was under the pillow. If she wanted to hide it, she would have to find a secluded place.

After hearing her explanation, Xiao Mingyi's anger dissipated a little. He raised his upper body slightly and stared at Song Lingyi's dim silhouette hidden in the darkness. "Then I asked about the chess manual, and you still said you didn't know."

Song Lingyi's eyelids twitched slightly, and she sighed inwardly: "I thought you wanted to see that chess manual."

I said that deliberately just to dispel his curiosity.

Ever since Xiao Mingyi introduced her to him, she loved to practice chess when she had free time, but she would lose nine out of ten times when playing against him.

This chess manual is a unique copy, and it contains a lot of knowledge worth studying. Rather than saying that she hid the chess manual, it would be better to say that she wanted to secretly become stronger and make a beautiful comeback.

Unexpectedly, a simple idea would cause Xiao Mingyi to misunderstand and come to question him in the middle of the night.

"It's been several years since he and I met. Why are you still jealous of something that didn't even exist?"

Xiao Mingyi snorted softly, looking at her with narrow eyes: "Someone vowed solemnly that she would marry Pei Zhao. I still remember it."

"..." Song Lingyi was speechless.

She also said that she was "holding a grudge", and this man was no less so.

But now is not the time to bring up the past. Song Lingyi raised her hand and pushed the man who was pressing on her. "Get out of here quickly. You already have a child, and you keep saying nonsense."

Xiao Mingyi was not paying attention for a moment and was pushed aside by her. His eyes darkened slightly: "It's so late, where are you going?"

Song Lingyi blushed and whispered, "My chest is so swollen that I can't sleep. The wet nurse said during the day that I could squeeze it out..." She was originally too embarrassed to speak up, but now she was afraid that if she didn't explain clearly, it would arouse the man's suspicion, so she just told him directly.

The winding silk curtain was half lifted.

The movement just now made Song Lingyi's inner garment loose, revealing a round curve.

Xiao Mingyi, using the faint starlight, saw the wet spot on the moon-white silk. His throat rolled slightly, "Is it all that matters if I just get it out?"

Song Lingyi hummed softly, "It's late, go to bed quickly, you don't have to take care of me."

"That won't work."

Those phoenix eyes became darker and darker, and without waiting for Song Lingyi to ask any questions, he raised his hand and lowered the curtain.

The vision suddenly darkened.

The pair of hands that usually held a bow and a sword, and painted with ink, now held the smooth and lustrous liquid, and the rough fingertips slowly and gently stroked it...

Song Lingyi sat against the headboard, her cheeks burning. The dark head buried in her chest made her feel at a loss. They had played between the curtains before, and this kind of thing had happened before, but tonight was different... The swallowing sound was particularly clear in the darkness, and she could even smell the faint smell of milk in the air.

She closed her eyes and whimpered, her fingertips on his shoulders almost digging into his flesh.

After a long time, the atmosphere was charming and quiet. Song Lingyi's thoughts were in a mess. Seeing that the tall black shadow was about to move closer, she quickly raised her hand to push it away, saying shyly, "That's enough, it won't grow anymore."

Fortunately, Xiao Mingyi did not act stupidly again. He suppressed those inappropriate thoughts, laid her flat on the couch, and went to find a cotton towel to wipe her.

"There are wet nurses in the side hall taking care of Yan'er. You don't need to feed her yourself. Since your engorgement is painful, let the wet nurse make some milk soup for her to drink, so that you won't have trouble sleeping at night." Xiao Mingyi said in a gentle voice.

You've finally gained some weight, don't bother losing it.

After wiping her, Xiao Mingyi covered her with a blanket. When he looked at her again in the faint starlight, she had already fallen asleep in a daze.

When the little princess reached her full moon, the emperor held a palace banquet to celebrate and issued several imperial decrees of amnesty, praying for the little princess's well-being. The grand ceremony clearly showed how much the emperor loved the little princess.

…

As the year draws to a close, good news comes from Youzhou.

Lu Qian led a surprise attack on the enemy camp with light cavalry, captured over a thousand men, and severely defeated the enemy. The emperor, in recognition of his loyalty and bravery, appointed him General of Chariots and Cavalry and sent him back to the capital.

When the news reached Yongning Palace, Song Lingyi was still reviewing the account books submitted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Upon hearing about the great victory at the border, she was immediately overjoyed.

Unexpectedly, this man made a stunning debut. In less than ten years, he had made military achievements and became a general.

"Your Majesty, the young master will be returning to the capital soon. The Duke and the old lady will be so happy to hear the news." Hongju said with a smile.

Song Lingyi smiled slightly, "Yes, grandma has always had high hopes for my brother. Now that he has made military achievements, he has finally lived up to grandma's expectations."

As she finished speaking, she lowered her eyes and sighed softly, "My uncle didn't agree with my brother joining the army at the beginning and almost went to Youzhou to arrest people himself. Fortunately, my grandmother stopped him... Time flies like an arrow, and it's been three years in a flash."

Three years later, the Crown Prince, who had become a bandit during his low point, has now ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor; Pei Zhao has avenged his deep hatred and become the Chief Censor. If nothing unexpected happens, with his talent, he will surely be among the Three Ministers in the future; Lu Qian, who was a well-known dandy in Kyoto, has become a General of Chariots and Cavalry and returned to the capital in glory.

Thinking of this, Song Lingyi couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion in her heart.

"When will my brother arrive in Kyoto?"

Hong Qi thought for a moment and said, "If we leave now, we'll probably arrive before New Year's Eve."

"The great victory at the border is a great joyous occasion. Come with me to the Zichen Palace later." Song Lingyi said.

She did not forget the agreement with Lu Qian.

"I'm waiting for the day when you become successful and famous, and when you return to Beijing, I'll hold a grand welcoming banquet for you."

Since Xiao Mingyi ascended the throne, Dayuan's national strength has grown stronger and stronger, except for the area north of Youzhou, which has not yet been settled. Now that Lu Qian has returned victoriously, it is understandable to hold a celebration banquet.