Chapter 5: Sharing a Bed When do you and the princess plan to have a child? ...
Rumors spread like wildfire. Once they start, they can't be extinguished.
At first Zhang Jinwei didn't care.
He reported for duty as usual. With the year drawing to a close, he was busy with official duties, many of which required the Hanlin scholars to compose imperial edicts, imperial decrees, and imperial decrees. He toiled diligently every day, occasionally visiting the Mei residence to see his teacher. Returning home, he and the princess remained silent, barely getting by.
In recent years, factional strife within the imperial court has intensified. Officials can be broadly divided into the Chen Clan, centered around Chen Yi and his son; the Qingliu Clan, headed by Mei Ziqian; and the eunuch clique, representing the emperor. Coupled with the ongoing struggle for the throne among the princes, the court has also seen the emergence of various factions within the imperial court. In short, the court has been a turbulent place for the past twenty years!
But the Emperor remained silent on this matter, allowing the turmoil in the court to arise. No one knew which party he supported, let alone which son he wanted to be emperor.
Zhang Jinwei was Mei Ziqian's favorite student. He won the top three places in the imperial examination and married a princess. The Emperor personally recommended that he be reinstated. For a time, the eyes of all parties were on him. So for half a month, there were discussions and rumors in the court, but he just laughed it off.
Until a good friend introduced him to a male medicine expert.
It was the day when the government office was dismissed and it was raining and snowing. He took the umbrella from the servant and was about to go home when he suddenly saw his good friend Cui Liansheng sneaking up to him, looking like he had something to say.
Zhang Jinwei said with a smile, "Brother Zimin, why are you lingering here with me instead of going back to accompany your wife? You're going to be a father soon!"
Speaking of his wife, Cui Liansheng couldn't help but smile and said, "The doctor said it will be this month. When my wife gives birth, it will be right after the Chinese New Year. I'll treat you all to a drink then."
Zhang Jinwei agreed: "Okay, this is a great joyous occasion, Brother Zimin, it must be the best wine, otherwise I won't drink it!" After that, the two looked at each other and smiled.
Cui Liansheng smiled and then suddenly sighed. He put away his smile and looked at Zhang Jinwei with a sullen gaze. He said in a serious tone, "Huaiyu, when do you and the princess plan to have a child?"
"..." Zhang Jinwei almost turned around and left. Now he finally understood his friend's intention - it turned out that he was also influenced by the rumors and mistakenly believed that he had something to hide!
Zhang Jinwei said helplessly, "I've been married for less than two weeks, and I haven't even spoken to the princess a few words. How can I have a child? There's no rush."
"I understand your difficulties." Cui Liansheng's face was slightly sad. He stepped forward quickly and whispered in Zhang Jinwei's ear, "Huaiyu, don't hide it. This can be cured! I know a doctor named Sun Yi. He is particularly good at diagnosing and treating these kinds of hidden diseases. He lives in Xuanbeifang. You can find a chance to see him. You must not delay this matter. At the age of 24, in an ordinary family, you should have a son and a daughter by now."
Zhang Jinwei: ...
He was quite amused and wanted to explain but didn't know how to start. He could only pat his friend's shoulder and said, "Brother Zimin, thank you for your kindness. I'm really fine-"
Cui Liansheng grabbed his hand and solemnly stuffed a note into it, saying, "No need to explain, Huaiyu. Whether it's true or not, it's always good to go and see. It's getting late, and the one at home will start to nag me again. I'll go first!"
The damn Cui Zimin turned around and ran away after saying that, leaving Zhang Jinwei standing there in a daze holding the note. He was thinking about this matter all night, and after thinking about it, he decided to have a good communication with the princess.
There are countless couples in the world who sleep under the same quilt, sharing the same bed but different dreams. So what if this couple is a stranger to each other? It all depends on whether the princess is willing.
So he braved the cold wind, carrying the food box, and wandered in front of the princess's door for a quarter of an hour. He rehearsed his speech dozens of times, but still did not dare to push the door open, for fear of offending the princess.
In the end, the princess was still scared.
The candlelight flickered slightly, and the falling snow outside the window rustled. Zhang Jin sighed for Qian Qian, walked to the bed with the food box, and asked softly, "Is this humble official scary?"
The girl wrapped herself in the quilt, her eyes fixed on Zhang Jinwei. The thin candlelight reflected in her dark pupils, like the vertical pupils of a cat when it is alert. Her voice trembled as she asked, "Prince Consort, you want to see me in the middle of the night...?"
Zhang Jinwei put on a soothing smile, trying to appear gentle. He pulled over a round rosewood stool and sat upright on it, as if ready for a detailed conversation.
He said tentatively, "Recently, I've heard some rumors about my private affairs with the princess. Although the innocent are innocent and the lewd are lewd, it's still bad for your reputation..."
Honestly, reputation was a minor concern for officials in the Daning Dynasty. Officials would use such petty matters as who had married which concubine today, who had how many wives tomorrow... These were all matters of the highest order that officials would use to criticize each other. If Zhang Jin had a thicker skin, he wouldn't have cared.
But he married the daughter of heaven.
Meanwhile, Zhou Xian was also annoyed by this matter. The gossipy maids and eunuchs had been fined their monthly wages, but the rumors persisted. He really didn't want to sleep in the same bed with Zhang Jinwei, but at this point, there was nothing he could do.
But I can't agree to it immediately.
Zhou Xian lowered his eyes and whispered, "I have punished the servants who spread rumors."
"Thank you for your hard work, Princess." Zhang Jinwei said in a gentle tone. He opened the food box in his hand and said with a smile, "I saw that the princess didn't eat much at dinner, but was the crab stuffed with orange too delicious? I thought the princess might be hungry, so I asked the kitchen to make some easy snacks. Please use them to fill your stomach."
The aroma from the food box was incredibly tempting, with a rich, milky flavor wafting out, whetting his appetite. Zhou Xian swallowed, thinking to himself, how abhorrent was Zhang Jinwei for actually tempting him with food.
But it was very effective for Zhou Xian.
His stomach growled again, a sound that was particularly noticeable in the quiet night. He glanced at Zhang Jinwei and saw that the corners of his mouth had actually turned up a little!
Zhou Xian snorted inwardly, huddled in the quilt, and moved slowly to the edge of the couch. Then he reached out and took out a piece of milk cake from the food box.
"Is Princess cold?" Zhang Jinwei asked as he stood up and fiddled with the stove.
Not cold.
Zhou Xian ate the milk cake with an expressionless face.
It's still a little hot.
Zhang Jin fixed the stove and didn't return to sit on the round stool. Instead, he walked straight to the couch, leaned over, and said softly, "Although it may be presumptuous, the way to stop the rumors is very simple... I just wonder if the princess is willing to cooperate with me."
Zhou Xian ate his food so fast that he nearly choked. Hearing this, his eyes widened and he looked at Zhang Jinwei with an innocent look, tears ready to fall.
He swallowed the milk cake hastily and asked knowingly, "What method?"
Zhang Jinwei said, "I'll have someone bring another quilt later. Princess, you sleep inside, and I sleep outside. This way, I won't disturb you when you get up early in the future. Is that okay?"
It was clearly a negotiating tone, but he spoke with confidence.
"I... am not used to sharing a bed with someone." Zhou Xian filled his stomach a little, but didn't dare to eat more. He moved back to the innermost part of the bed with a very resentful look in his eyes.
Zhang Jinwei coaxed again, "I sleep properly and don't snore, so I won't disturb the princess's rest." After saying that, the man actually had the courage to sit on the bed, and stretched out a hand, waving at Zhou Shan as if he was waving a kitten.
Having said that, it was time for Zhou Shan to wrap up her role. She should shyly agree to her husband's request. But Zhou Shan still needed a promise. He frowned, looked at Zhang Jinwei pitifully, and snorted, "I hate that kind of thing. You really won't...?"
That kind of thing.
What kind of thing?
Zhang Jinwei's ears turned red, but his face was very firm as he said, "If I, Zhang Jinwei, do anything inappropriate, I will leave it to the princess to deal with."
The room fell silent again.
Then Zhang Jinwei saw the girl nodded slightly, which she took as her agreement with what he had just said. She moved a few steps on the quilt, came closer to Zhang Jinwei, looked at him for a moment, picked up her pillow, and slept at the innermost part of the bed.
That's the deal.
…
Zhou Xian couldn't sleep. No matter how lightly the man next to him breathed, he couldn't stop his random thoughts. Sometimes he thought about the bad content in the storybook, and sometimes he worried that the man would suddenly change his mind.
He had slept alone since he was a year old, with the palace maids and eunuchs guarding his bed. Sharing a bed with someone was a strange experience. He could hear the person beside him breathing clearly, and fearing his true identity would be exposed, he lay stiffly on the bed, staring blankly at the curtains above. The curtains were embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water, which looked festive during the day but rather eerie at night.
"Princess, can't you sleep?" Zhang Jinwei's voice suddenly rang out, startling Zhou Shan who was in a daze.
Zhou Xian closed his eyes and spoke frankly, "Well, I've been used to sleeping alone since I was a child."
"When I couldn't sleep in the past, I would silently recite the Four Books and Five Classics. While reciting, I would pass out." Zhang Jin said with a smile.
bookworm!
Zhou Xian couldn't help but curse in his heart, but on the surface he said softly, "I'll try reciting the Buddhist scriptures. Maybe the Buddha will hear my prayers and let me fall asleep immediately."
Zhang Jinwei smiled and stopped talking.
Tomorrow is the fifteenth day of the lunar month, and a senior official from above will come to inspect, so he has to report to the Hanlin Academy early.
No words were spoken that night.
Zhang Jinwei woke up at a certain time. He climbed up from the couch, and when he was halfway up, he suddenly felt something was wrong. A warm breath brushed across the back of his hand, bringing an itchy feeling.
He looked down and saw the girl curled up in a ball, her head resting on his shoulder, sleeping peacefully. She had kicked off the quilt, revealing one ankle, which was adorned with a golden anklet adorned with bells, making her skin look even whiter and more delicate.
"My Lord, are you awake?" Yu Xi's voice came from outside the curtain. She and the maids tied up layers of gauze curtains, and a restrained smile appeared on their faces.
She glanced around the bed and saw that the prince consort was dressed neatly and her own princess was sleeping carefree. She knew that everything was fine last night and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The prince consort is a gentleman, and her princess...her cheeks are rosy from sleep, her long black hair falls down her porcelain-white face, she is very well-behaved and lovable.
Zhang Jinwei couldn't help but touch the girl's hair. The girl's hair was soft and smooth. She seemed to feel the warmth of the man's palm, mistaking him for Aunt Yuxi, and gently rubbed Zhang Jinwei's hand. Zhang Jinwei's heart softened, and he turned to Yuxi and whispered, "Keep your voices down. I'm going to get up first, don't disturb her."
Yu Xi smiled and said, "The princess has to get up now. She has been married into the No. 1 Scholar's Mansion for half a month and has to return to the palace to meet the Empress today."
Zhang Jinwei was a little surprised and asked, "Did the Empress order this?"
"That's right," Yuxi replied. "We were also shocked by the message Her Majesty sent the other day. But since Her Majesty wants to see you, the princess has to go back and see you. Just treat it as a visit to her parents' home."
Zhang Jinwei slowly frowned when he heard this.
As far as he knew, Empress Guo once hated Concubine Jing and her daughter very much.
He looked at the girl sleeping in a ball and suddenly felt something was wrong.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
