Chapter 97 IF Line (8): A Thousand Charms
The Crown Prince recalled that Cao Yuanlu had specially sent him a bottle of ointment when he returned from Kunning Palace today.
He tried his best to suppress the fire in his heart and was about to get out of bed to apply the ointment to her when, unexpectedly, his body tensed up as two slender arms slowly embraced him.
The prince's forehead veins throbbed, and the body heat beneath his palms grew increasingly intense. His reason crumbled inch by inch, and his eyes were filled with tears as he asked in a hoarse voice, "Why are you holding me?"
Yun Kui's eyelashes trembled slightly, clearly sensing that his deep voice was excessively suppressed, exuding a dangerous aura that seemed to devour everything.
She whispered, "Didn't you say that if you're scared, you should hug His Highness?"
She glanced at him cautiously, their eyes met, and she felt as if she were being burned by his deep, dark eyes. She quickly lowered her eyelashes, pursed her lips, and was about to let go when she was suddenly lifted up. Then, the man's forceful kiss landed on her without any room for refusal.
Yun Kui was so dizzy from the kisses that she lost all five senses, leaving only the burning entanglement between their lips and teeth.
She was still very uncomfortable, as if all the nerves in her body were tightening at once, making her scalp tingle. She wanted to see why he was blocking her way, but he covered her eyes.
The man said in a deep voice, "You are not allowed to look."
She felt wronged and said, "Your Highness can see it, so why can't I?"
The prince was momentarily speechless.
He gazed intently at his Crown Princess, noticing her shimmering eyes and the faint red at the corners. It wasn't just her pretty face; it was her captivating charm, a beauty that could be described as exquisite.
Yet, her eyes still held the innocence and purity of a young girl.
She was still young, the same age as Xuanhe. Whenever she entered the palace, she would play with her younger sisters. He, on the other hand, was precocious. When he first met her, she was just a little girl who reached his waist. He never imagined that one day she would become his wife and be the one to please him.
The Crown Prince continued his actions, his fingertips caressing her flushed cheeks, as he heard his own extremely hoarse voice ask, "In the Sheng residence, how did your parents usually address you?"
Yun Kui just wanted to cry. She sniffled, her voice thick with sobs: "Daddy calls me a good child, and Mommy calls me a sweet baby."
The crown prince remained silent.
Yun Kui didn't know why he asked this, and she didn't answer even after being asked.
Later, when she was so exhausted that her eyelids drooped and her whole body was resisting, she heard him coaxingly whisper in her ear, "Baby, have you rested enough?"
Yun Kui opened her wet, doe-like eyes and stared blankly at him.
As it turns out, an extremely handsome and stunning face, so different from his aloof and distant demeanor during the day, kisses you with utmost passion, coaxes you with such patience, and calls you "baby" in a voice he has never used before, so gentle and magnetic. No matter how tired you are, you can't help but give in to him.
After the ceremony, the Crown Prince was about to call someone in to serve him when he remembered the unspeakable words of the two maids from the previous night. So he simply had someone bring water and then dismissed them.
He personally cleaned her up and applied ointment to the swollen area. After he finished his work, it was already dawn.
The next morning, the two rode together in a carriage back to the Sheng residence.
Yun Kui's eyes were still red and sleepy. Every bump in the carriage reminded her of last night. She lowered her head, not wanting to look at him, so the Crown Prince had no choice but to close his eyes and rest.
As they approached the Sheng residence, Yun Kui finally mustered her strength and lifted the curtain to peek outside.
The Marquis of Wuning and his wife were waiting outside the mansion gate early in the morning, their eyes fixed on the royal carriage approaching.
As they stopped outside the mansion gate, they saw a pair of small, white hands lift the curtain, and their daughter, dressed in a scarlet brocade dress with gold floral patterns, stepped down from the carriage like a little butterfly. Upon seeing them, her face was filled with undisguised joy, "Mother! Father!"
The daughter was still the same daughter they knew, but now that she had married into the royal family, the couple had to bow and pay their respects. They were even more surprised that the Crown Prince would come in person, which was a great honor for the Marquis of Wuning and the Crown Princess. The couple were overjoyed and, after paying their respects, immediately welcomed him inside.
Marquis Wu Ning is an important minister of the state, and now he is also his father-in-law. The Crown Prince respects him and will not put on airs as the heir apparent at the Sheng residence. He is humble and polite in every gesture.
After tea was served in the main hall, the Crown Prince and Marquis Wu Ning discussed state affairs, while Yun Kui followed Lady Qi to the backyard.
Without needing to ask further, Madam Qi could see that her daughter's face was as rosy as a peach blossom and her complexion was excellent, clearly indicating that she was well-loved. Relieved, she pulled her daughter into the house and asked, "Is His Highness the Crown Prince good to you? Has he found fault with you?"
Yun Kui blushed and said, "It's...it's alright."
Qi lowered her voice and chuckled, "What's so good about it?"
Yun Kui was too embarrassed to speak.
Lady Qi, being an experienced woman, noticed that the Crown Prince was going to be very forceful that night when she saw the woman's feet were unsteady.
Military generals have their own advantages. Not to mention that the Crown Prince is in the prime of his life and an invincible young general on the battlefield, even her own husband is still as sharp as ever after all these years. The Crown Prince is so young, he will only be more greedy than her.
Lady Qi felt sorry for her daughter's suffering, but she was also pleased to see the Crown Prince's enthusiasm for her, which was much better than the polite but distant relationship between husband and wife.
The servants of the mansion all gathered to pay their respects to the Crown Princess. The kitchen also prepared Yun Kui's favorite snacks, fearing that their young lady would be constrained in the Eastern Palace and have to follow the rules even when eating. They went through the streets and alleys early in the morning to buy all the snacks that their young lady liked.
Yun Kui had already eaten and drunk her fill before lunch. The family dined with the Crown Prince, and she finally behaved herself, eating no more than three bites of each dish, because she really couldn't eat anymore.
In the afternoon, the Crown Prince went to the garrison, leaving Yun Kui to reunite with the Marquis of Wu Ning and his wife. Yun Kui then begged her mother to go for a stroll in the streets.
Madam Qi said, "Your status is different now, and today is your homecoming day. You can no longer show your face in public as you used to."
Yun Kui clung to her mother, saying, "I'll just buy some books and some little trinkets for the two princesses."
Lady Qi had no choice but to agree.
The carriage stopped at the intersection of Yujie Road. Yun Kui asked Cui Huan to buy some food, and then instructed her maid Yue Xiu to go to the study. Because the books she bought were not respectable and she was afraid of attracting attention, she simply did not get off the carriage. After buying the books, she hid them in her bundle and returned to the Sheng Mansion.
After finishing his official duties, the Crown Prince came to the residence to fetch her. As he stepped into the backyard, before he even saw her, he heard a burst of silvery laughter.
Stepping inside, one sees a girl in a red dress running around the courtyard, holding a kite string in her hand. Her jade pendants jingle, her skirt flutters, and her figure is as light and graceful as a butterfly. The setting sun casts a golden glow, and the whole courtyard is filled with the fragrance of roses.
But before she knew it, the kite got stuck in a tall, lush sycamore tree in the yard and she couldn't get it down. The little girl looked up, her brows furrowed tightly.
A maidservant said, "This servant will go and invite the Marquis over. It's so high, only the Marquis can reach it."
Just as Yun Kui was about to agree, she saw a figure in black leap up. The movement was so swift that she hadn't even seen it clearly before His Highness the Crown Prince landed lightly on the ground and handed the kite back to her.
She opened her mouth in surprise, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Whether it was from the heat or from exhaustion, the girl's face was flushed, and she looked somewhat embarrassed, as if she had been caught red-handed by the teacher while secretly playing around in class.
Fortunately, the Crown Prince did not criticize her for being unkempt or lacking in decorum. He said in a relatively calm tone, "Let's go."
On the carriage back to the palace, the Crown Prince asked her, "Did you go out today?"
Yun Kui nodded; so he knew all along.
The prince poured himself a cup of tea and asked casually, "What did you buy?"
Yun Kui honestly replied, "I bought some pastries from Wuweizhai for Xuanhe and Wanning, and I also went to the study to buy the Book of Poetry and the Anthology of Literature..."
"And there's something good for your yin-yang intercourse, hehe, you'd better hide it well when you get back to the palace."
The prince's brow twitched, and his expression became unnatural.
His views on matters of men and women were relatively conservative. He could enjoy himself in bed late at night, but for the Crown Princess to personally go to the street to buy these forbidden books was against palace rules and etiquette.
However, if he confiscates it in front of her, or if it is found out later, it will damage the girl's reputation and make her afraid of him and unwilling to get close to him.
He pressed his temples, his gaze somewhat somber.
Yun Kui twisted her handkerchief between her fingers, and seeing his displeased expression, she couldn't help but feel uneasy.
She's even planning to study more to prepare for becoming the Crown Princess, so why isn't His Highness happy?
After a long silence, the Crown Prince said, "From now on, do not bring anything from outside the palace into the palace. If something goes wrong, you will have no way to defend yourself."
Yun Kui's first reaction was that the forbidden books had been discovered, but then she thought that she hadn't mentioned it at all, and only she and her personal maid Yuexiu knew about it. Yuexiu would definitely not betray her, and if His Highness knew that she had secretly bought forbidden books, given his dignified and upright style, he would definitely make her hand them over. How could he be so indifferent?
So Your Highness is talking about...snacks? Are you worried that the snacks outside the palace might upset the princess's stomach?
She lowered her eyes and said, "Then I won't send it to you. I'll eat it myself."
The crown prince neither agreed nor disagreed.
As soon as she got off the carriage at Donghua Gate, she saw the maid who had accompanied her in her dowry sneaking around behind her with a bundle on her back.
He had been thinking about it all the way, and it was time to set some rules for the Crown Princess.
She was still young, and had been spoiled too much by the Marquis of Wuning and his wife over the years, so much so that she was ignorant of the ways of the world, illiterate in poetry and literature, and unaware of etiquette. She was not proficient in any of the six arts of a gentleman or the eight virtues of a woman.
He didn't expect her to be learned and talented, or to be a model empress, but at least she should be knowledgeable, courteous, calm, and composed. Only if she could stand on her own two feet would her subordinates genuinely respect her and willingly submit to her.
The next morning, while Yun Kui was still asleep, Cui Huan came to call her, "Your Highness, please get up. After breakfast, His Highness said you should go to his study with him."
Yun Kui felt like the sky had fallen; how could she have to get up so soon after falling asleep!
It's still dark, isn't it?
She felt as if she had been run over, and moved with difficulty, unable to even open her eyes. "What time is it?"
Cuihuan said, "It's already past dawn."
Yun Kui: It's only Mao Shi (5-7 AM)?!
She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She hadn't gotten up this early for the past two days when she went to pay her respects and return to her parents' home. The Empress had also granted her special permission not to go to Kunning Palace to pay her respects every day, but only once every five days. Moreover, she had been tormented three times last night, and she still had to go to his study at dawn to read.
Cuihuan, who had been on night watch, heard the terrifying sounds from outside the door. She knew the Crown Princess was exhausted and her voice was hoarse, and she felt sorry for her. However, no one dared to disobey His Highness's orders, so she could only advise, "His Highness has asked you to come over, perhaps he has something important to tell you. Why don't you get up first, and while I do your hair, you can take a nap?"
Yun Kui struggled for a while before finally agreeing.
Throughout the entire process of dressing up and styling her hair, she didn't open her eyes, skipped breakfast, and went to the study first.
The crown prince sat at his desk drinking tea, with the files he had finished reading that morning beside him. For many years, he had gotten up after 3:30 a.m. to read and practice martial arts, never slacking off for a single day.
So when he saw the Crown Princess enter the palace looking sleepy and without any energy, he couldn't help but frown and say bluntly, "From today onwards, I will check your homework every day and urge you to study hard and make progress."
Yun Kui was instantly wide awake. "Check...check my homework?"
The prince nodded and pushed two stacks of books on the table in front of her. The stack on the left contained the Four Books for Women, the Book of Rites, and some books recording the deeds of virtuous women throughout history. The stack on the right contained the Book of Poetry, the Thousand Family Poems, and the Zizhi Tongjian.
Seeing her worried face, the Crown Prince remained unmoved and said solemnly, "Without learning poetry, one cannot speak; without learning etiquette, one cannot stand. As the Crown Princess and the future mistress of the six palaces, your words and actions are related to the face of the royal family. You should be a role model for all women in the world. From now on, I will start from scratch and teach you to read and understand principles. As for the rules and etiquette of managing the harem, hosting palace banquets, and meeting noble ladies, I will also ask the Empress Dowager to remind you as soon as possible."
Yun Kui didn't expect to be a lazy princess forever, but she didn't expect this day to come so soon.
I had long heard that the Crown Prince was not only strict with himself, but also extremely strict with others. Princess Xuanhe had studied with him for two days when she was young, and ever since then she had kept her distance from this elder brother.
Yun Kui: "Then, do I have to get up at dawn every day?"
"The early bird catches the worm," the prince said, then paused and asked, "What time do you usually get up at home?"
Yun Kui whispered, "After Chen Shi (7-9 AM), sometimes it's Wu Shi (11 AM-1 PM)."
The Crown Prince frowned. "How could the Marquis of Wuning and his wife allow you to be so lax?"
Yun Kui muttered, "Sometimes my mother gets up later than me."
Crown Prince: "..."
Yun Kui looked up at him cautiously and said, "I need to sleep for five hours every day, otherwise I can't concentrate on my studies. If I get up at dawn, I have to go to bed at dusk, then we..."
"Shall we continue?"
She pursed her lips and swallowed the three words she wanted to say.
The crown prince's face darkened, and the veins on his clenched hands bulged.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
