Chapter 3 Return Gift "If I, a princess, don't want to make peace with him...

Chapter 3

After Lin Zhiyi came back from visiting the princess, he lay on the table, staring at the little white fox in a daze.

She agreed to raise the little fox, and the princess ordered someone to send her all the items needed to raise a fox - a cradle-like nest covered with cotton quilt and brocade, glass cups for drinking water, jade cups for feeding, and toys - exquisite ones!

However, although Lin Zhiyi was sentimental, he did not think it was luxurious.

Modern people invest a lot of time and money in raising cats, dogs, and various other small pets. After all, the emotional value that small pets provide to people is very rich. They are healing and warm.

"Is this the token of love the princess gave you?" Gu Tingxuan rushed in, steaming all over, as she lifted the curtain of the tent, sat down beside him, and directly took the teapot to pour water into her mouth.

Gu Tingxuan, the female martial artist, was well-known throughout the capital, so this time she came to the hunting ground not only to accompany her apprentice, but also to be a master to several noble ladies who came with their families, teaching them the skills of horse riding and archery.

For example, the niece of the Queen Mother; the niece of the Imperial Concubine; the princess of the prince's family; the daughter of the Yongsheng Marquis, etc.

There are both daughters from royal families and daughters from aristocratic families.

She didn't need to worry about the princesses, as there were masters in the palace who taught them martial arts.

In fact, Gu Tingxuan was impatient to teach these noble ladies. They were all so delicate, either complaining about the sun or sore legs and arms. Sometimes their fingers were blistered, and sometimes their necks were sunburned. In short... they didn't want to learn hunting at all.

They went to great lengths to come to the hunting grounds, primarily hoping to take the opportunity to meet young men of similar age from the capital. Those with loftier ambitions dreamed of becoming the consort of a prince...

After dealing with these noble ladies, Gu Tingxuan rode her horse around the hunting ground for half an hour before returning.

Although it was hot and tiring, I felt refreshed and in a much better mood.

Now, he even has the leisure to tease his apprentice.

Tokens of love given by others are jewelry, gold and jade, and are mostly given by men to women. Of course, women will also reciprocate by hand-embroidering a purse handkerchief, which is considered a mutual expression of love.

I didn’t expect that what Her Royal Highness the Princess gave to the young marquis was a little fox.

Lin Zhiyi soullessly smoothed the fur on the little fox's head with his index finger and replied lazily, "I guess so."

"It's quite special." Gu Tingxuan commented again.

Lin Zhiyi was still immersed in the disappointment that the princess was not the obedient and simple little princess in the deep palace that she had imagined, and did not respond when she heard it.

Gu Tingxuan put down the teapot, moved closer, and asked, "What gift are you planning to return?"

Lin Zhiyi: “…I haven’t thought about it yet.”

Of course, she thought about giving jade pendants, hairpins, head ornaments and other gifts suitable for girls, but... because she was an outsider, the incident happened suddenly, and she was in the hunting ground and could not go to the shop to buy them, so... she could only postpone the return gift.

Having only met her once, she had no idea what the princess would like.

Moreover, she didn't want to hastily prepare a gift in return, as that would not only go against the princess's wishes but would also be rude to her.

"Where is the jade pendant you prepared before? Madam went to Tianlong Temple specifically to get it, and asked Master Kongnian to bless it." Gu Tingxuan suggested.

Lin Zhiyi: “?”

Did the original owner prepare a jade pendant?

She dug out this memory from the vast sea of ​​consciousness.

Indeed, her mother had worried her hair white with worry over her marriage to the princess. After much deliberation, she finally took her to Tianlong Temple to pray to the Buddha. They did receive two jade pendants, which had been blessed by Master Kongnian. He said that if they were given to the princess, her marriage would be successful and would become a beautiful story.

The story of the female emperor consort...

Lin Zhiyi complained inwardly, endured the dizziness and slowly stood up, and went to search in the package that the original owner brought with him on this spring hunt.

She actually found two jade pendants.

The jade pendant is in the shape of a dragon and phoenix, hollow-carved, lifelike and very beautiful.

Moreover, the material of the jade pendant is of very high quality, and it is cool and comfortable to the touch, and it is best worn close to the body as a pendant.

Lin Zhiyi looked at the two jade pendants in the brocade box. Although the jade pendants were nice, they were bare, just jade pendants without any hanging ropes. Fortunately, there were several colorful silk threads and necklaces in the brocade box - it seemed that the original owner planned to weave them himself before giving them away.

Lin Zhiyi is a well-known designer in modern times and has even become a president, so weaving colored threads is not difficult for her.

She washed her hands and began to weave a beautiful lanyard for the jade pendant, and also embellished it with necklaces, colorful beads and other items.

Gu Tingxuan: "? You still have this skill?"

Lin Zhiyi was stunned for a moment, then quickly responded, "...I learned a little from Fourth Sister."

The fourth daughter of the Lin family, Lin Zhihua, is good at handicrafts and painting. She is also obsessed with mechanical devices and other ingenious matters. She is also a daughter who gives the Marquis a headache.

Gu Tingxuan: "I see."

She was not good at needlework and had no interest in it, so she took a quick look and left, leaving Lin Zhiyi to fiddle with the colored threads by himself.

However, after she left, she still instructed the maid outside the tent not to disturb the young marquis's rest.

Lin Zhiyi guessed the princess's preferences and quietly designed several styles of weaving the colored threads. She weaved and unweaved them again, and finally confirmed a pattern that she thought was suitable for the princess to wear, and weaved the jade pendant.

——Both jade pendants have been woven.

She put the jade pendant back into the brocade box, closed the lid, then lay on the bed with the brocade box in her arms and fell into a drowsy sleep.

Today was a bit brain-intensive and she was very tired.

…

Jing Yue went to the hunting ground and came back with a little fox hunted for her husband as a pet. Just as she asked someone to deliver the things needed to feed the little fox, her mother, Concubine Lan, arrived.

Concubine Lan was born beautiful and cherished her face the most. She took good care of it and still looked as beautiful and stunning as a girl in her twenties.

She was tall, about 1.72 meters, the tallest among the concubines, and Emperor Longshun liked her very much.

According to the rules, only the empress and the imperial concubine could be brought along on this spring hunt, but Emperor Longshun made an exception and brought along Concubine Lan, even staying at her place for two consecutive nights.

Concubine Lan also came in her full makeup. The mother and daughter stood together, each beautiful in her own way, and both very eye-catching.

However, when Concubine Lan saw Jing Yue wearing hunting clothes, her face quickly darkened. She dismissed the palace servants, threw the brocade box in her arms at Jing Yue, and flew into a rage: "Who allowed you to wear hunting clothes?! Who allowed you to go hunting in the hunting grounds?! Are you trying to kill me?!"

It's also beautiful when a beautiful woman loses her temper.

The palace servants had long been accustomed to this. Concubine Lan had a hot temper and was prone to losing her temper at the slightest provocation, but His Majesty was willing to pamper her, so naturally they did not dare to object. Everyone waited outside in silence, their eyes and noses watching.

Anyway... the target of Concubine Lan's temper was usually Princess Jingyue. And the princess always had a way to coax her.

I don’t know if there’s something wrong with the aura between mother and daughter, but whenever they meet, they always have a fight.

Concubine Lan was unilaterally throwing a tantrum, and then the princess coaxed her kindly.

"No one wants to harm you..." Jing Yue, a veteran who had coaxed her for over a decade, remained calm. She raised her hand to catch the brocade box and opened it. Inside was a set of exquisitely beautiful white jade and coral beaded headpieces. She closed the box expressionlessly and placed it on the table. "It suits you very well. Was this a gift from my father? Are you really willing to give it to me?"

Concubine Lan looked at her angrily, her breath still steady, her chest still heaving, obviously she was still angry.

Jing Yue personally poured her a cup of tea and offered it, "My sister and the others are all gone. It would be inappropriate for me not to go; it would only make me stand out. Besides... several other young ladies are also going, so no one would care about me." She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly, remembering the man who had come to see her that morning. "Besides, I already have a consort and will be moving to the Princess's residence soon. Mother, there's no need to be so nervous."

At the mention of the Prince Consort, Concubine Lan's face was once again filled with anger: "How did I hear that you went to ask your father to postpone the wedding for a month?"

Jing Yue had a good reason: "The Prince Consort is injured, so he must take good care of himself. If the wedding is too hastily arranged, and the Prince Consort can't handle it, what if something unexpected happens... wouldn't that be a loss of the greater for the lesser? Could it be that Mother specifically wants me to be a widow after the wedding?"

"You—" Lan Fei took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, lowering her voice, "You did it on purpose."

"The previous two consorts have died, so I have to be more cautious. If another consort dies, I will become a target of public criticism." Jing Yue's eyes were heavy. "Mother, if you say it was intentional, then you can only say that you did it intentionally - intentionally letting me reach this point, where I am caught between a rock and a hard place."

Concubine Lan was speechless for a moment before she murmured, "Mother, this is all for your own good..."

Jing Yue lowered her eyes, a look of disdain beneath her long eyelashes.

For her own good?

No, these are all excuses.

It was obviously just for her own status...

Concubine Lan was no longer angry, but instead shed tears and said, "Back then, the Empress and Concubine Wen both gave birth to princes, and your father already had six sons... After that, no concubines became pregnant... The secrets in the palace are terrifying. In order to protect you, mother had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure. You... have you never been considerate of mother?"

Jing Yue smiled politely, "Mother, you're overthinking things. I understand you. I've always followed your wishes, playing the role of the obedient Princess Liyang. Even my father dotes on me and has found me three successive princes-in-law."

Concubine Lan shed tears silently and said nothing more.

In fact, she was also afraid that this matter would be exposed, especially since His Majesty had recently arranged a marriage for Yue'er.

This time it is the legitimate son of Ding'an Marquis, Lin Zhiyi.

The Ding'an Marquis's family had a good tradition and was loyal to the imperial family. This legitimate son was the only son of the Lin family. At only seventeen years old, he was already a master of both military and literary skills, a brilliant talent, and a renowned figure in the capital.

Such a talent should have been able to fly freely in the sky and fish leap freely in the sea, but he was chosen by Your Majesty as a son-in-law.

Marrying a princess means having no chance of a career in officialdom, and the princess must come first in everything.

That would be fine, as his official career was not going well, but with the title of prince consort and the royal protection, a life of wealth and glory was inevitable.

Can……

But what made Concubine Lan feel most sorry for the Lin family was that the Princess Liyang under her knees was not a princess, but a prince!

He has been dressed as a woman since he was a child and has been a princess for seventeen years.

Not only did he ruin the career of a young marquis, but he also threatened to turn the only son of the Lin family into a homosexual - the Lin family would be extinct from now on!

Jing Yue waited until Concubine Lan calmed down before taking a handkerchief and gently wiping her tears. "Don't worry, mother. As long as I get married, everything will be fine."

"The Lin Mansion..." Concubine Lan hesitated to speak.

Jing Yue understood what she meant and said with a smile, "I'm a princess. If I don't want to consummate my marriage with him, how can he force himself on me? Besides, he may not be able to beat me. I can subdue him with force."

Concubine Lan agreed. Jing Yue was not really a delicate princess. He was a man, tall, with long legs and strong. He could safely escape from the confrontation with the prince consort.

Jing Yue continued, "As for my identity, as long as you don't say anything, no one will know. And please don't get excited about it. It's okay to whisper a few words here in the hunting grounds, in front of me. I can always sense anyone approaching outside the tent. But if we return to the palace, you must be careful with your words and actions."

Lan Fei's emotions gradually calmed down, and she whispered, "Yeah."

Jing Yue changed the subject, "If mother feels guilty towards the Lin family, that's fine. In three to five years, I will allow the prince consort to take a concubine. I will definitely leave an heir for the Lin family."

After all, the Lin family only has Lin Zhiyi as its only child.

Concubine Lan was completely relieved.

But then she looked at Jingyue with tears in her eyes: "What are you going to do... You are so wronged..."

Her Yue'er will have to keep the identity of a "daughter" and will not be able to enjoy the pleasure of love between men and women.

Jing Yue smiled and said something treasonous without a care: "I can wait until they are all dead before enjoying it."

They - refers to Emperor Longshun and the Crown Prince.

Concubine Lan glared at him in fear: "Don't talk nonsense!"

After a moment, she continued, "Actually, you can also have a secret affair... Just keep a close eye on the other person and don't let the news leak out..."

Jing Yue showed little interest: "Forget it, isn't it enough to harm one prince consort? Why harm other innocent women? This son is not interested in this matter, so please don't worry about it, mother."

Concubine Lan: “…”

After comforting Concubine Lan, Jing Yue personally sent her back to the tent.

When he returned to his tent, Eunuch Su came up to him with a smile on his face: "Princess, guess who's here?"

Because they were outside, Jing Yue reached out and coquettishly adjusted her hair and hairpins, then softened her voice, "Prince Consort?"

He could easily capture the princess's dignity and obedience.

Eunuch Su clapped his hands exaggeratedly: "The princess is so smart! It's the prince consort! He really cares about the princess!"

Jing Yue complained in his heart: He would rather the other party not take it so seriously, the more indifferent the better.

But despite his inner complaints, he still managed to show a shy smile: "Why is he coming here again instead of taking good care of his injuries?"

Eunuch Su smiled mysteriously and said, "The prince consort came with a brocade box. He must have a gift for the princess."

Jing Yue became slightly more interested: "Oh?"

Gift?

Is this a return gift from the little fox?

This prince consort is quite romantic.

Jing Yue stepped into the princess's tent with a little anticipation.

Lin Zhiyi had already stood up and saluted Jingyue: "Greetings to Her Royal Highness the Princess—"

When she woke up from her sleep, she changed into a green dress that looked like green pines and bamboos and matched her skin tone very well.

Jing Yue is tall, and when Lin Zhiyi saluted, she could see a little of the other person's white neck.

A man who is so white...

He looked away and said lazily, "No need to be polite, Prince Consort. Please take a seat."

Lin Zhiyi sat down, picked up the brocade box, opened it, and handed it to Jingyue: "Your Highness, this is the jade pendant I... I went to Tianlong Temple to ask for it. Master Kongnian blessed it. I want to give it to the princess. I hope the princess will not dislike it..."

Jing Yue glanced into the brocade box. To him, it was just an ordinary jade pendant. Apart from the exquisite and novel bracelet, there was nothing special about it. After all, he had seen many royal treasures.

However, no matter how ordinary this jade pendant was, it was a token of his love. He still reached out and picked up the jade pendant: "Is there only one?"

The author has something to say:

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Meow meow meow~ Please collect, please collect~ So cute o(*￣︶￣*)o

I modified some of the dialogue details slightly, which does not affect the story content~