It wasn't until night fell and the large red dragon and phoenix candles in the bridal chamber were lit that the drunken groom was helped back.
The palace maids who had come with him busied themselves, giving the groom a bowl of hangover soup before the Third Princess waved him away.
The nannies were still a little hesitant, after all, the groom still had to lift the veil and drink the nuptial wine, and these customs had not yet been completed.
But they dared not disobey the princess's orders. Not only was the princess bad-tempered to begin with, but they would also have to make a living in the princess's residence and rely on the princess's rewards to survive.
Soon, only one colorful cloud remained in the room.
The third princess lifted her veil and instructed Caiyun to help her remove her phoenix crown, change into a loose and cool nightgown, and then wash her face.
After everything was tidied up, Caiyun went to the kitchen to get some hot rice and dishes.
The Third Princess ignored Lu Zong, who was slumped over the table, and ate most of her fill before chasing Caiyun away.
"You may leave."
Caiyun's eyes were full of worry, but she couldn't find a reason to stay, so she could only say, "Princess, just call out if you have any orders, and I'll be right outside the door."
The Third Princess nodded, and Caiyun slowly withdrew.
The third princess opened the wine pot and looked inside, then poured two cups. Finally, she tapped the table and said, "My lord, it's time to wake up. Let's talk."
Lu Zong frowned slightly and slowly opened his eyes.
Sure enough, his eyes were clear, and he wasn't very drunk.
The Third Princess smiled slightly and said, "Let bygones be bygones and we won't argue about what happened before. Now that we're husband and wife, let's talk about how to get along."
"I have no other requests. Just maintain a respectable appearance in public and don't cause my father any trouble."
Furthermore, the prince consort cannot stop me from going out or doing anything.
"Similarly, I won't stop you from doing whatever you want. We'll keep to ourselves! You can do that, right?"
Lu Zong carefully observed her expression, feeling a slight pang of guilt.
He was heartless and loveless, yet he still married her.
It was indeed unfair to the woman.
Moreover, as a princess, she was more proud than any other woman...
“Princess, I…” He wanted to explain.
But the Third Princess waved her hand and coldly replied, "Let's not say anything more. We all know what's going on. From now on, let's treat each other with respect and save face for each other."
After saying that, she pushed a glass of wine in front of Lu Zong, "Let's drink this toast together, and consider it a contract between us."
Lu Zong sighed inwardly, nodded, and picked up his wine glass.
The two men intertwined their arms and drank the wine in their glasses in one gulp.
The Third Princess put down her wine cup and climbed onto the canopy bed, saying, "Let's sleep together tonight, the nannies are still guarding outside."
Lu Zong nodded, washed up quickly, took off his coat, and went to bed.
After the couple got married, their daily lives were recorded by a nanny and sent to the palace regularly.
Although the empress is no longer alive, probably no one will pay special attention to her now.
But if the emperor were to ask a few questions and find out that the couple hadn't been together since their wedding night, he would surely be furious.
For him, keeping a low profile is the best approach these days.
He has more important things to do, and he can't afford any changes or mishaps...
I wonder what it's like on the other side of Broken Gold Beach on a night like this, and whether that girl feels any lingering affection or regret for him...
Lost in these random thoughts, perhaps due to the lingering effects of the alcohol he had drunk earlier, he felt as if his lower abdomen was on fire, causing his mouth to become dry and his consciousness to become blurred.
Hearing the noise beside her, the third princess slowly sat up and began to take off her nightgown little by little...
The insects chirped incessantly outside the window, which annoyed Jiayin.
She pushed open the window, leaned over the windowsill, and threw a fruit pit into the grass.
Sure enough, the night insects immediately fell silent.
The little fox that came back to play in the evening is now lying on the table. Hearing the noise, it peeks out, yawns, and continues to curl its tail and fall asleep.
Humans are such a hassle, always getting annoyed.
Being a fox is the happiest thing. When I have nothing to do, I think about how to trick my master out of a few more fish cakes the next day, and that makes me even happier!
Shui Ling and Shui Yun lived next door, and they quietly listened to what was happening next door before continuing their needlework.
Unable to contain herself any longer, Shui Ling lowered her voice and asked Shui Yun, "Should we try to persuade our master?"
Shuiyun rolled her eyes at her and replied, "How can you persuade me? Can you even understand?"
Shui Ling grinned, looking somewhat deflated.
"We can't just stand by and watch our master be unhappy."
Shuiyun sighed, scratched her scalp with the tip of a needle, and whispered, "Master is very clever and understands everything. It's precisely because she understands too much that she feels so sad."
Shui Ling blinked twice, as if she understood, but not entirely.
Shuiyun didn't expect her to understand, so she put down her needlework, urged her to tidy up the bed, and then went to sleep.
Near the border of Jiangbei, thousands of miles away, the main force of the Northern Expeditionary Army was exhausted from continuous pursuit and battles, with men and horses worn out.
In the temporary camp, campfires burned everywhere. The soldiers took the time to take out their rations and eat them with cold water from their water bags to quickly fill their stomachs.
Inside a makeshift tent, a group of generals were discussing the war.
Someone said, "My lord, we've been advancing for several days now, and the soldiers are exhausted. If this continues, we're likely to suffer losses if we clash with a large barbarian force. Let's rest for a day or two before continuing."
But others shouted, "No, my lord! A first attack is weak, a second attack is weak, and a third attack is exhausting! We'll be at the border soon. Let's take advantage of our high morale and drive the barbarians out of the pass! After all, our supplies are running low. Let's finish this quickly!"
The crowd quickly split into two factions, each with its own supporters, and they began arguing over their opinions.
Li Laosi injured his arm the day before yesterday, and now it was in a sling around his neck. Hearing this, he felt a little annoyed, and then slammed his hand on the table.
"Quiet! Listen to what the Marquis has to say!"
He had a loud voice and was the bravest fighter in the entire army. His prestige was much higher than everyone else's, and everyone respected him.
At this moment, everyone looked up at the Marquis, who was intently studying the geomantic map, and they all shut their mouths somewhat awkwardly.
Jiang Cheng smiled and tried to ease the tension, replying, "Whether we rest or continue the attack, I have only one wish. Next time we go into battle, can you take me with you? I'm so busy cooking and feeding the horses in the back that I'm starting to forget I'm a warrior!"
Everyone burst into laughter and responded in unison.
"That won't do, I haven't killed enough barbarians yet."
"Once you drive the barbarians out of the border, it will be your turn to fight!"
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes, expressing his dissatisfaction with his comrades, and then turned to Li Laosi, "Your arm is still not healed. Stay in the back for a couple of days to rest, then I'll go out with the Marquis."
Just as Li Laosi was about to refuse, he added, "Just this once, I won't go next time. Otherwise, if I go back to Xindu and people ask me, 'I went to Jiangbei with the Marquis and didn't kill a single barbarian,' it would be too embarrassing."
The other generals burst into laughter upon hearing this.
"Let's see how it goes. If we encounter a large barbarian army, I'll stick with you, Lord Marquis. It's too dangerous." Li Laosi came up with a compromise, and Jiang Cheng didn't object, smiling as he agreed.
As luck would have it, at that moment, war drums suddenly sounded at the camp gate.
This is a signal of a barbarian sneak attack!
Two updates today!
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