Chapter 98 IF Line (9): Reward
From a young age, the Crown Prince strictly adhered to the requirements of a successor, working diligently day and night.
The two years he led troops into battle were not without their challenges. There were many times when he had to endure wind and rain and be on high alert. The most dangerous time was when he was surrounded by enemy troops in a valley. He worked for several days without sleep and finally led his troops to break out of the encirclement.
He only needs two hours of sleep a day to maintain a clear mind and agile movements.
It's hard to imagine that such a young girl needs to sleep for five hours just to be able to study.
Yun Kui also found it hard to believe that people's energy levels could vary so drastically.
Even though he was the one who did all the work, she was already exhausted just lying there. According to the description in the picture book, an ordinary man would be considered to last as long as an incense stick burning, and twice a day would be considered excellent. But this man... even after three or four times in a row, he was still full of energy during the day and could handle countless affairs.
The Crown Prince did not comment on the matter of sex, but said only: "You are lazy by nature. If I don't put pressure on you, how will you know how hard you can work? These books are just the basics. Later, I will specially invite female tutors to teach you music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Even if you are not proficient in any of them, you will at least have the ability to appreciate them."
She nodded and whispered her agreement, then glanced at him furtively, "If I really can't learn it well, will Your Highness blame me?"
The prince was silent for a moment before saying, "If you give up from the very beginning and assume that you won't learn it well, you won't put in the full effort."
Yun Kui lowered her head sullenly, genuinely feeling aggrieved at being lectured by the teacher. "Then... I'll take it back to Chengguang Hall to read?"
The Crown Prince looked at the couch by the window and said, "You'll stay in the study for the next few days. I'll check on your foundation as needed."
Yun Kui gasped, her brows furrowing even more deeply.
The crown prince raised his eyes: "What, you're unwilling?"
Yun Kui: "No."
Crown Prince: "Do you feel that I am making things difficult for you?"
Yun Kui didn't know how to start the conversation. She always felt that he was like two different people, one in bed and one outside. By day, he was an awe-inspiring and dignified crown prince, and by night, he was a clingy husband who made her blush and her legs go weak. Both of them frightened her...
The crown prince lowered his eyes and sighed silently.
Her mind was entirely focused on matters of the bedchamber, and staying in the study would likely be torture for both of them.
“Fine,” the prince said. “Go wherever you want.”
He then ordered someone to enter the palace and move the book over for her, reminding her, "Read it after you've had breakfast."
Yun Kui nodded.
It's not that she doesn't want to study; she's a typical example of someone who makes intermittent efforts but consistently slacks off, though she occasionally feels ambitious.
After all, as the Crown Princess, if she were ignorant and illiterate, she would be the one to make a fool of herself in the future.
She still can't understand why, out of so many noble ladies and talented women in the capital, the position of Crown Princess fell to her.
She couldn't understand it, and others certainly couldn't understand it either, inevitably leading to gossip and criticism behind her back.
For her own sake, and for His Highness and the Empress, she could no longer slack off.
Setting aside the Four Books for Women, she casually flipped through the thick stack of "Zizhi Tongjian" and was surprised to find it covered with dense annotations, the handwriting neat and the annotations subtly revealing the author's talent.
Through the thin pages, one can almost see His Highness the Crown Prince sitting upright at his desk, his brow slightly furrowed, his gaze focused, carefully writing each stroke.
A sudden, indescribable emotion welled up in her heart, like the delicate willow branches in spring brushing against the tranquil lake, creating ripples.
The maids were afraid that she would get tired or hungry, so they would serve her tea or bring her snacks and fruits to replenish her energy. Therefore, although reciting her lessons was hard work, she was not too tired after a whole day. Only in the afternoon did she get so sleepy that she kept banging her head on the kang table to take a nap.
The Crown Prince was busy with a case at the Ministry of Justice until very late today, and it was past midnight when he returned to Chengguang Palace.
There was no sound from inside the room. Qiu Chan tiptoed up to report, "The Crown Princess has already retired for the night. She said that if she doesn't go to bed early, she might not be able to get up at dawn tomorrow."
The prince nodded slightly, went to take a bath, and when he returned, the little girl was fast asleep.
He tried to ignore her soft, warm body and lay down beside her without any distraction.
The little girl's sleeping posture was rather unseemly. She rolled over and put her feet on him. After a while, she complained that the pillow was uncomfortable and rubbed against his side. Finally, she put her little face against his neck and seemed to feel comfortable.
The prince let out a deep sigh, his eyes falling upon the girl's rosy cheeks, as beautiful as a begonia. Soft strands of hair brushed against her Adam's apple, and her warm breath sprayed onto his neck, a tingling, ticklish sensation that teased his senses.
The prince tensed up, reaching out to pull her back to her original position. But as soon as his fingertips touched her warm back, he couldn't help but imagine her dazzling white shoulder blades behind him, her hair disheveled, her whole body trembling. His lower body tensed up even more.
This has never happened before, but the body's reaction doesn't lie.
It wasn't that palace maids had tried to seduce him before, but without exception, he dealt with them all officially and handed them over to the Censorate. At palace banquets, there were also many noble ladies who secretly flirted with him, but his heart never wavered.
Is it simply because she is his Crown Princess?
Unable to push her away, his hands instead pulled her even tighter, the urge within him making him want to embed her into his body.
But she had only studied for one day; how could she let him cause her to waste her time again?
He himself needs to restrain himself and cannot continue like this.
The prince's Adam's apple bobbed as he forced himself to suppress the urge, finally leaving only a gentle kiss on her forehead.
Yun Kui hadn't had enough rest for several days, so she slept very soundly until the middle of the night before drifting into a dream.
The scene in her dream also left her speechless.
His Highness the Crown Prince was kissing her!
It was that kind of kiss that left no room for refusal, an incredibly intense one. He pressed his entire body against hers, his knees parting her legs, and then he ripped open her nightgown. All she could hear was herself whimpering on the bed; she didn't even have a chance to speak before he forcefully entered her…
The dream abruptly ended, and Yun Kui immediately woke up.
Upon waking, she found herself in a hot, hard embrace, a man's strong arms holding her close, his handsome, almost sharp features right in front of her.
Yun Kui was still in a state of confusion from the terrifying dream she had just had, and when she looked at this face again, she couldn't help but blush and her heart race.
Fortunately, his eyes were closed, so he must still be asleep.
In her memory, His Highness the Crown Prince was always that noble, dignified, aloof, and distant figure. Even on the day that Prince Moshan came to cause trouble at her residence to propose marriage, he never gave her a second glance.
Why did things change after we got married...?
She was really tired tonight, and because she had been tormented for the past few days, she decided to go to bed early before he came back. But after only one night without making love, he was already in her dream... Is this still the prince she knows who keeps everyone at arm's length?
While he was asleep, she carefully watched him, even though he was still the same person.
With deep-set eyes, a high nose bridge, a smooth and sharp jawline, and a fair complexion with a jade-like texture, he has an extremely handsome appearance. However, he usually looks too fierce, making people afraid to approach him. This look is just right.
Her gaze lingered on his slightly pursed lips, and she held her breath before carefully kissing him.
A light, fleeting kiss, too delicate to startle him awake; I dared not kiss too deeply.
After closing his eyes and letting his breathing become even, the man slowly opened them, his dark eyes surging with an unfathomable undercurrent, silent yet intense.
...
News of Yun Kui being forced to study by the Crown Prince quickly spread to the Eastern Palace. The two princesses expressed their deep sympathy. The Empress, fearing that her son would scare away his wife, thought long and hard before summoning the Crown Prince to Kunning Palace for a talk.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" The Empress looked at her serious-faced son and sighed. "I originally thought that you two should cultivate your relationship during your wedding season, but it's only been a few days since the wedding, and you're already making her study and learn etiquette, and even making her get up at dawn. She's neither an official nor taking the imperial examinations, so what do you want her to do at dawn?"
The Crown Prince said, "It would be best if she could persevere, but if she is truly exhausted, I will not force her. Her rest time can be appropriately extended."
The Empress rubbed her forehead: "She is your wife, not your subject, much less your student. This child is most like Xuanhe in temperament. Right now, she is only obedient because she is afraid of you. If you push her too hard, I'm afraid she will run far away from you. How can there be any affection between husband and wife then?"
The Crown Prince was silent for a moment, then said, “She is illiterate and lacks manners. She has been pampered since childhood. I am afraid that she will have difficulty standing up and commanding respect, and will suffer in the future.”
The Empress said, "Then we should proceed step by step."
The Crown Prince asked, "What can Mother do?"
After a moment's thought, the Empress said, "Two hours a day is enough. I will also give her Granny Wen to teach her palace rules and etiquette, cultivate her confidants, and use both kindness and severity."
The Crown Prince remained silent for a long time, unable to think of how he could make any progress if he studied for two hours a day, but he still said, "I will do as Mother says."
The Empress looked at his rigid manner with disdain and helplessness. "You are her husband, not her tutor. She is young, so you have to coax her in everything. Don't be harsh if she does something wrong, and reward her if she does something well. This will motivate her and prevent her from rejecting her studies or disliking you."
The Crown Prince frowned: "A reward?"
The Empress said, "Of course there should be a reward. You haven't given the young lady anything yet, have you? After she finishes reading a book, give her a piece of jewelry, or take her out of the palace for a boat trip on the lake. That's also a way for couples to enjoy each other's company."
The crown prince lowered his eyes, seemingly lost in thought.
Upon returning to the East Palace, De Shun soon reported the information he had gleaned from Yue Xiu.
"The Crown Princess loves gold jewelry. She doesn't care about the style; she likes pure gold jewelry. She has collected a box of gold melon seeds since she was a child, and the total amount of gold jewelry, big and small, is over a hundred taels."
"My food preferences are sweet and spicy, such as braised chicken with scallions, hand-grabbed rice, stir-fried shrimp, crab roe soup dumplings, mutton fat pastry, spicy rabbit head, pickled bamboo shoots and clams, squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, milk tea, cherry drink, rose taro, lychee pastry, and candied hawthorn..."
He rattled off a long list of dishes, and the prince's brow furrowed even deeper.
Yun Kui was sitting on the couch reading a book when the Crown Prince came in from outside. Seeing her worried expression, he asked in a gentle voice, "What are you reading today?"
Yun Kui said, “The Jing River is muddied by the Wei River, but its banks are clear. You are enjoying your new marriage, and you don’t care about me [Note]... I should be able to finish reading the “Bei Feng” today.”
When the Crown Prince heard her recite these two lines, fearing she might overthink it, he explained, "The Seven Grounds for Divorce do not apply in our dynasty. A woman who marries the wrong man can also divorce him. This is a right that the Empress Dowager secured for women across the land ten years ago. You are not the abandoned woman in the poem, and I am not someone who is fickle. There is no need for you to feel sorrow for others or empathy for others who have suffered the same fate."
Yun Kui nodded gently, her thoughts lingering on his words, "I am not one to be fickle or easily bored."
In aristocratic families, it is common for men to have multiple wives and concubines, but she does have a rare lifelong monogamous partner by her side. Her parents are the best example. Moreover, the current emperor usually stays in Kunning Palace and has only one wife, the Empress...
Enough of her wild thoughts. His Highness is the Crown Prince and an only son. How can the six palaces remain empty for two consecutive emperors? The court would be in an uproar...
The Crown Prince listened calmly without expressing his opinion, only saying, "I have already discussed this with the Empress Dowager. You will only need to read for two hours each day, and I will have Granny Wen teach you the rules of the land."
Yun Kui's eyes lit up. "Only two hours of reading?"
"Then we won't need to get up early and go to bed early!"
She still couldn't believe it. "Just because Her Majesty the Empress said that, His Highness agreed?"
"Could it be that she's trying to make time for some... intimate moments with me...?"
The Crown Prince pursed his thin lips, his gaze fixed on the book in front of her. "I will reward you appropriately after you finish reading each book. You can also tell me if you have any requests. As long as you are willing to work hard, I will try my best to satisfy whatever you want."
Yun Kui could hardly believe her ears. Could His Highness the Crown Prince be so good?
"So, if I finish reading 'The Book of Songs' today, I'll get a reward?"
The Crown Prince, true to his word, naturally kept his promise. "So, have you already decided what you want?"
"May I see the young prince?"
Yun Kui looked at him with a smile, pursed her lips and said, "I'll tell Your Highness when I think of something."
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[Note]: “The Jing River is muddy because of the Wei River, but its bend remains clear. You are newly married, yet you do not care about my heartache” is from the Book of Songs, Beifeng, Gufeng.
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