Chapter 24 Chapter 24 I...I will help His Highness...
"Your Highness..."
In the darkness, Nie Xiangyi's voice was as soft as a mosquito's. Fortunately, the candles were all out, so her now red face could not be seen.
She twisted the quilt tightly with her fingers and mustered up the courage to ask, "We don't... we don't..."
But no matter what, it is still difficult to say the word "consummation of marriage".
Xie Zhi was silent for a moment, his voice as cold as ever, "Don't force it."
No one understood better than him that Nie Xiangyi's previous ardent love was all because she had recognized the wrong person.
What's more, for some unspeakable reason, he didn't want to involve her.
Upon hearing this, Nie Xiangyi felt as if her heart was suddenly tightened tightly, causing it to ache and swell.
It turns out that consummating the marriage with her was a bit of a struggle for Xie Zhi...
She suddenly felt like crying...
The joy she had felt all day suddenly vanished without a trace. She had clearly been prepared to help him with everything she had.
But Xie Zhi is still the cold Xie Zhi.
As expected, he probably married her to quell the rumors. Nie Xiangyi thought of those remarks at an inopportune moment. Did he hate her that much?
The lamp flickered with a crisp sound, but the atmosphere in the room was eerily quiet, and even the two people's breathing was almost light.
Nie Xiangyi turned her head cautiously and looked at Xie Zhi's well-defined profile, but she felt that he seemed like the hazy moonlight, unclear.
She pursed her lips and tried hard to suppress her disappointment. One shouldn't cry on such a happy day.
Your Highness has such a cold personality.
Nie Xiangyi sniffed and comforted herself with a sense of grievance.
After all, she had already caused him so much trouble before, with rumors and gossip harassing him, and he couldn't even interfere with the official business of the Shen Ce Division for the time being.
It's normal for him to dislike himself.
Anyway, she's married now, right? There's always a long way to go.
Just like that, Nie Xiangyi coaxed herself aggrievedly while falling asleep in a daze with complicated thoughts.
Even with his eyes closed, Xie Zhi could still sense that the gaze coming from beside him was almost scorching.
In such a quiet atmosphere, the touch of the nose tip was infinitely magnified, and Xie Zhi could almost feel the sweet and soft fragrance unique to a girl invading him.
Even though there was a dividing line that was like a chasm in between, Xie Zhi could vaguely feel the soft warmth beside him.
In the darkness, he suddenly frowned and stood up.
"Your Highness?" The lightly sleeping girl raised her furry head at his movement, and with a soft, nasal voice as if she was about to fall asleep, she opened her eyes and looked at him dazedly.
Xie Zhi pursed his lips and said in a low voice, "I'm going to the bath room."
"Oh..." Not sure if Nie Xiangyi heard it clearly, and fell asleep again.
At the hour of Mao the next day, when Nie Xiangyi woke up in a daze, what caught her eye was the back of Xie Zhizheng wearing a python robe alone.
As if he noticed her tossing and turning on the couch, Xie Zhi turned around to look at her in the dim morning light. His ochre-red python robe made his figure look as tall and straight as jade, and his posture was elegant and graceful.
Just this glance back made Nie Xiangyi blush.
She had been full of thoughts and dreams last night and had not slept well. When she saw this picturesque scene, she almost suspected that she was still dreaming!
She blinked fiercely, but Xie Zhiqing's handsome figure still did not disappear like a dream bubble.
"You're awake." She heard Xie Zhi's voice still husky from the morning, "You'll be entering the palace to meet me today."
His voice made Nie Xiangyi hide her face in the quilt and couldn't help but giggle secretly.
She really has married Xie Zhi!
The feeling of being in the clouds suddenly became clear and real. Even though the marriage had not been consummated, it seemed that being able to marry Xie Zhi was already a very happy thing.
Nie Xiangyi was like a brocade scale, unable to help but jumping up and down on the couch.
"Madam is still sleeping! His Highness got up early in the morning!" Just at this moment, Aunt Wu came in with her maids.
"Madam is a new bride, different from the girls of the past. There are some rules that you need to remember."
Aunt Wu was still as respectful and rigid as before, with a stern face as she lectured.
"According to the rules, every morning, Madam must personally help His Highness change his clothes and wash his face, as a sign of proper wifely conduct."
These words made Nie Xiangyi look up at Xie Zhi who was wearing a python robe, and her face turned red.
She actually got up later than Xie Zhi...
Seeing Xie Zhiyu tying his belt, she hurriedly turned over and said, "I...I'll help His Highness..."
As she suddenly stood up, a corner of her crimson nightgown slipped from her shoulders, revealing a small piece of snow-white skin, half-covered and half-undressed. Her long black hair flowed down, a few strands clinging to her pale skin.
Such bright colors contrast to create an extremely moving face that makes it almost impossible to look away.
But Nie Xiangyi herself hadn't noticed it yet. She was only thinking about tying Xie Zhi's belt and reached out to touch his waist.
Xie Zhi lowered his eyes to look at her, his Adam's apple moving slightly, almost imperceptibly.
He suddenly turned his back to Nie Xiangyi and held the jade belt around his waist. His voice seemed to contain a hint of impatience, "Put on your clothes."
"Ah?" Nie Xiangyi looked down and realized that her clothes were in disarray. Her face flushed and she hurriedly gathered them up.
"Dress properly! Calm your mind!" Upon hearing this, Aunt Wu hurried forward and ordered the maid to help Nie Xiangyi put on the complicated Zhai robe, muttering other rules.
"Although the Imperial Concubine lives in the palace and doesn't need Madam to visit her every morning and evening, Madam still needs to kowtow to the Thousand Years Tablet every day to show her filial piety..."
After listening to her babble, Nie Xiangyi, who was already sleepy, felt even more drowsy and could only nod blankly.
As cousin Lingyu said, the royal family has many rules. Even if the person is not around, you still have to bow to the nameplate.
Seeing that Nie Xiangyi was still the same as before and ignored her words, Aunt Wu frowned, looking a little unhappy, and her tone was filled with a hint of reprimand.
"Madam, you are now the daughter-in-law of the royal family. You are no longer like the old days when you were kept in the boudoir and allowed to do whatever you wanted. Madam, please remember that your every move represents the reputation of His Highness and even the reputation of the royal family."
These words were full of style, making her look less like the nanny in charge and more like the mother-in-law invited by Nie Xiangyi.
The subtle and overt disparagement in her words immediately irritated Nie Xiangyi, who had woken up early. She wanted to retort, but Aunt Wu spoke in a high-sounding manner, using the royal family's dignity to pressure her.
The breath was stuck in his throat, unable to go up or down, and Nie Xiangyi was very unhappy.
Seeing that Nie Xiangyi had finished changing her clothes, Xie Zhi knocked on the window three times and called Ling Zhu in, then glanced at him coldly.
Ling Zhu immediately understood and stepped forward to scold, "It's His Highness's wedding day, and yet Aunt Wu has such a stern face. Who is she trying to bring bad luck to?"
Upon hearing this, Aunt Wu immediately put on an apologetic smile and said, "Lord Lingzhu is right. It's my fault. I beg Your Highness to forgive me."
Nie Xiangyi sneered at her arrogant and humble attitude, and snorted heavily with his nose turned up.
When the carriage reached the palace gate, Nie Xiangyi and Xie Zhi entered the palace together.
She turned to look at Xie Zhi. Although the Zhai Yi on her body was extremely heavy, she felt good walking side by side with him openly, as if announcing to everyone that from today on, she was Xie Zhi's wife.
Nie Xiangyi puffed out his chest and raised his head, like a proud and confident kitten.
The rules for entering the palace for an audience were extremely complicated. First, one had to pay homage to the emperor, perform the ritual of three kneelings and nine kowtows, and thank him for granting the marriage.
The emperor, sitting high in the hall, had an expression that was impossible to discern, and no one dared to look at him.
His eyes fell on Xie Zhi meaningfully, but he kept giving some polite advice like "live in harmony with the husband and wife and have many children".
Perhaps it was Zhong Lingyu's words that prejudged her, but Nie Xiangyi always felt that the emperor's words contained a hint of dissatisfaction with Xie Zhi.
After the audience with the emperor, Nie Xiangyi had already broken out in a thin layer of sweat due to his innate majesty.
Then they would worship in the ancestral temple and comfort their ancestors.
After finishing all this, he finally paid his respects to the imperial concubine.
The imperial concubine still had that smiling face. Even though she had wanted to marry Nie Xiangyi to the prince in the past, she was not embarrassed at all now.
"I love lively and bright women like Xiangyi the most!" She took Nie Xiangyi's hand and smiled warmly, "You two are destined to be together, and the emperor has granted you a marriage! This is Ruheng's blessing!"
As she spoke, she continued with a motherly admonition, "Ruheng has a rather cold temper, like a block of ice that can't be warmed up. Xiangyi, you have to be more tolerant! If you've been wronged, come to me, and I'll take care of it for you!"
Nie Xiangyi wasn't very good at handling this kind of situation, so she just gave a polite dry laugh and said, "I'm not wronged. Thank you, mother."
"Look at you, child, so polite." The imperial concubine smiled, and then suddenly said, as if she suddenly remembered something, "You just got married, I must give you something."
She turned to look at the old woman beside her, "I remember there's a fertility-giving Guanyin statue in the Treasure Pavilion that was brought in from Nanshan. I heard it's very effective."
As she spoke, she gently pushed Nie Xiangyi and said, "Xiangyi, quickly follow Madam and ask for the favor! That way you can have a son soon and continue your family line!"
"Madam, please come this way." Before Nie Xiangyi could say anything, the nanny stood in front of her, pretending to lead the way.
Although Nie Xiangyi was a little confused, Xie Zhi understood clearly. It was just that his mother wanted to get rid of Nie Xiangyi so that she could talk to him alone.
He looked at Nie Xiangyi's confused expression as she followed the nanny away, and his brows furrowed slightly.
"I'm just away for a short while. Is Ruheng worried about me?" The imperial concubine chuckled teasingly.
"No." Xie Zhi answered directly, "If you have anything to say, just tell me directly."
The imperial concubine then slightly suppressed her smile, sat up straight, brushed her sleeves and looked at him seriously, "Ruheng, I just want to ask you, why did you marry Nie Xiangyi?"
Xie Zhi was silent for a long while after hearing this. "It's already done. Mother, why are you asking me any more questions?"
"I'm afraid you'll be confused!" The imperial concubine frowned tightly. "Do you know what Nie Xiangyi represents? Even if you have no intention of competing with the crown prince, in the eyes of the emperor, if you marry her, you have already had such intentions!"
Xie Zhi suddenly raised his eyes and looked at her. His eyes were as cold as a pool of water, the bottom of which could not be seen at a glance. "What about mother?"
Even the imperial concubine's heart skipped a beat when she saw his cold gaze.
She softened her tone, as if trying to comfort him earnestly, "Ruheng, you can't win over the prince. Just like I can never win over her..."
Her eyes showed a very complicated expression, half sad and half angry.
"Everyone knows you're exceptional! But it's because you were born in my belly! Even now, you're married, and the Emperor hasn't crowned you a king!"
A faint smile appeared on her face again. "I knew the emperor would be partial! But I never thought he would be so partial! My son... if he was my son, would he end up like this?!"
Her loss of composure revealed a complex and inexplicable emotion, which then suddenly broke like a taut string.
"Forget it, it's done." She waved her hands weakly, looking at Xie Zhi and said, "Ruheng, don't fight with the prince. You can't win against him."
Xie Zhi smiled coldly.
At this time, Xie Chengxin had just returned to the Eastern Palace from the upper study, and saw from afar a figure in a phoenix robe passing through the palace gates.
"Mo Jiu, is that the new concubine of my third brother?"
"Your Highness, that's right," Mo Jiu said. "Yesterday was the wedding day of the Third Prince, and today he came to the palace to express his gratitude."
"I heard that my third brother married her, and Father stripped the Divine Strategy Department of its power?"
Mo Jiu flattered, "Not only that! I heard that Miss Nie had a bad reputation before she got married. Your Highness has really lost both his wife and his army this time!"
Xie Chengxin looked at the small figure, his ghostly eyes showing some interest. "Third brother, someone as cautious and self-restrained as you, could allow something like this to happen? How interesting."
He raised the corners of his pale lips and walked towards Nie Xiangyi's figure.
"I'd like to see what kind of person this girl is."
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The author has something to say: Xiao Xie: Stay away from my wife [angry]
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