Jiangshan (1)
Not many people came to the wedding, most of them were people who had been good friends with the Mo family in their early years.
The head ornaments were heavy, so as soon as they entered the bridal chamber, Tang Xixu ordered the maid to take them off, even though the nanny always said it was against the rules and unlucky.
Tang Xixu didn't think too much about it. He just thought that Ningning had to have a stiff neck for several hours, which made him feel uncomfortable.
Yuwen Xin and his wife also came to the wedding. Zhao Mingshang was about to give birth, and Yuwen Xin didn't want her to come, but Zhao Mingshang refused and insisted on coming to watch Xu Ning get married.
That night, Ye Yulan pulled Tang Xixu aside and talked for a long time. He said that he and Fang Hongzhi had not been with Xu Ning since she was a child, and had not given her the love she deserved. She had come this far on her own. Tang Xixu listened carefully. He knew very well how difficult it was for his wife, a girl of eighteen or nineteen.
She came to this strange world alone, without fear, and accepted such a society and era again, and was able to survive well here. Tang Xixu admired her from the bottom of his heart.
Ye Yulan cried her heart out tonight and fell drunk on the table after just a few drinks.
It was already late at night when Tang Xixu returned to his room. The wedding candles were still burning, and the big red wedding characters pasted on the windows added an unknown expectation to this quiet night.
squeak.
Tang Xixu pushed the door open and walked in. He didn't drink much tonight and was still sober but not drunk.
The little girl sitting on the wedding couch had her back drooped and her head drooped, nodding up and down.
The nanny only removed the head ornaments, the rest of the headdresses were still there. Xu Ning muttered, feeling drowsy and hazy, and vaguely saw a red figure.
"Ah Xu, why did you come back just now? I was so sleepy."
Xu Ning forced himself to open his eyes and yawned, then half-closed his eyes again.
Tang Xixu sat over, curled the corners of his lips and said nothing, just helping Xu Ning take off the headdress. It was clearly his first time but for some reason, he did it so smoothly, as if he had taken off the headdress for Xu Ning many times.
When the nanny heard that the Marquis had returned, she came over quietly and wanted to help Xu Ning change her clothes.
Tang Xixu responded through the window: "It's so late, Madam, please go to bed early. I will help Madam change her clothes."
Mammy understood the implicit meaning and left.
A wet handkerchief gently wiped Xu Ning's face. After wiping it a few times, Tang Xixu put it back into the basin to moisten the water.
When they were close, the end of Xu Ning's hair brushed across Tang Xixu's arm, making him feel itchy and tingling, like a light feather scratching his heart.
After everything was packed up, Tang Xixu poured wine into two calabash ladles and said, "Sleepyhead, drink the wedding wine before you go to sleep."
Xu Ning was in a sweet dream. He vaguely heard some sounds but didn't want to wake up.
Tang Xixu held his forehead and sighed, then put the gourd ladle to Xu Ning's mouth.
Xu Ning closed her eyes and frowned, protesting and making a fuss like a child who was fed food he didn't like.
"Well, I don't want it." Xu Ning turned his head away.
Xu Ning's lips were stained with water, translucent and red. The young man's calm eyes were fixed on the girl's lips, and his deep gaze fell.
"What if your husband insists on giving it to you?"
Xu Ning smacked her lips and tilted her head to fall into Tang Xixu's arms, her clothes loose and her neck exposed.
After a while, Tang Xixu finished drinking the wine in the gourd ladle and bent down to pick the fruits he had been coveting.
The wine is brewed by Xu Zhaohuahang in Tangxi. It has a sweet taste and is easily intoxicating.
The wine flowed down the corners of their lips. Xu Ning felt something soft on his lips. He relaxed his teeth and used his tongue to sweep across the softness on the edge of his mouth.
Sweet, soft and delicious.
The room was filled with the sound of water splashing. Xu Ning felt dizzy and her breathing was uneven due to lack of oxygen to her brain.
But he couldn't move and was forced to open his mouth and entangle with the softness from outside.
So numb.
Xu Ning had a dream. In the dream, Tang Xixu's eyes were dim, but he was very patient in taking off her wedding dress. Every inch of her skin turned red as his long fingers slid over it, and her heart beat accordingly.
The girl in the dream took the initiative to put her arms around the young man's neck. Xu Ning thought that since it was just a dream, he might as well be bolder.
In between breaths, she kissed the mole on Tang Xixu's nose, the place she had been thinking about for two lifetimes.
A kiss fell on the bridge of her nose. Tang Xixu was shocked for a moment, her eyes narrowed slightly, and she lowered her eyes to look at the little girl who suddenly kissed her with her eyes closed.
Tang Xixu smiled faintly and let Xu Ning touch him.
Gradually, the smile faded. Who did she learn how to kiss so well from?
Xu Ning kissed his earlobe, gradually sliding down to his neck, and finally stopping at his Adam's apple.
Xu Ning in the dream: It’s better to dream. In the dream, Ah Xu didn’t move or act strong, and just let me kiss him obediently.
Little did he know that in reality, Tang Xixu was breathing rapidly and his ears were red.
Xu Ning searched Tang Xixu's body for a long time but couldn't find the belt buckle. She frowned and became impatient.
She wanted to tear off the belt, but how could she tear off the satin made of gold silk so easily?
Tang Xixu held Xu Ning in one hand, and with the other hand he held Xu Ning's hand that was wandering all over his body.
It's like a raging fire in my heart and hot wine burning my throat.
He guided Xu Ning's hand to the buttons, lifted them up with one finger, and the belt slipped off.
In a daze, Xu Ning opened her eyes slightly, and Tang Xixu's peach-petal-shaped eyes reflected Xu Ning's lazy expression.
Xu Ning liked Tang Xixu's eyes the most when she was in a state of confusion and passion, as if she could tear her apart and eat her up at any time.
Xu Ning lifted Tang Xixu's chin and said, "Do you know that your eyes are like aphrodisiacs?"
As he spoke, Tang Xixu's clothes were scattered, leaving only an undergarment, and his clothes were wide open. Xu Ning could not stand this kind of thing, and his eyes were shining.
She held Tang Xixu's shoulders, threw him onto the couch, and kissed his Adam's apple directly. Tang Xixu couldn't stand this cat-like kiss, but he was not a saint.
Tang Xixu pressed Xu Ning down, his dark eyes cast on the little girl's flushed cheeks.
Tang Xixu did everything Xu Ning had just done to her.
Boom.
Boom.
Every time his lips slid an inch past hers, Xu Ning's heart skipped a beat.
…
The next day.
She raised her eyelids and saw the man playing with her hair. Tang Xixu was leaning against the bed, with her long hair loose and a faint smile on her face.
He had a lot of fun, and his expression was full of laziness.
Looking at Tang Xixu's expression, Xu Ning came to his senses.
Wasn't last night a dream?!
No wonder the experience feels so real.
Xu Ning covered her head with the quilt, but her hands were weak.
Tang Xixu tilted his head and smiled slightly, then took off her quilt.
Xu Ning's eyes widened: "Don't laugh!"
"Okay, I won't laugh anymore."
The man leaned over and whispered something in Xu Ning's ear.
Xu Ning cursed shyly, "Get lost!"
Are you a pile driver?
"Okay, I'll go make soup for you right away."
There has been a lot of good news recently. Zhao Mingchang gave birth to a boy not long after.
In addition to Yuwen Xin's recent achievements, in November of the 27th year of Zhenning, when the Crown Prince was one month old, Emperor Qianping issued an edict to appoint Prince An Yuwen Xin as the Crown Prince, and at the same time gave him the name of Crown Prince.
On the day of the full moon banquet, Xu Ning asked someone to make two longevity locks and strung them with necklaces.
The little guy is chubby and his little arms are like lotus root nodes.
Xu Ning looked at the little guy and laughed too.
"I like it. If you like it, then you can have a baby too." After Zhao Mingshang finished greeting the guests, he came over and joked with Xu Ning.
Xu Ning pouted and shook her head: "I'm still a child, forget it."
"I heard that the Queen Mother was ill, but I don't know if it's true." Xu Ning was holding a little tiger to tease the baby.
The child grinned.
Zhao Mingchang paused. Speaking of her teacher, she hadn't seen her for a long time.
It's New Year's Eve again. This year's New Year's Eve is the most lively and cheerful, and everyone is together.
On New Year's Eve, Zhao Mingshang went to Zhaoyan Tower to visit the Queen Mother with a food box filled with her favorite dishes.
After not seeing her for more than half a year, the Queen Mother no longer looks as glorious as before.
Feng Jin was dressed in plain clothes, without any hairpins, leaning on the windowsill and looking out the window.
"Cough, cough"
The cool breeze at the top of the tower was the coldest, and the Queen Mother covered her mouth and coughed.
"Teacher, I'm here to see you."
The Queen Mother turned around and met Zhao Mingshang's clear and cold eyes.
This was the first time Zhao Mingchang called her teacher.
Over the years, Zhao Mingshang would go to Empress Dowager Feng's palace whenever he had time, and she taught him many things.
When Zhao Mingshang was young, it was Empress Dowager Feng who encouraged her to go out, to explore the world, to see the people's lives, to feel the world beyond the confines of the inner chamber, and to find out what she really wanted to do.
If it weren't for her, Zhao Mingshang might have also been in the inner house, scheming against his concubines and aunts over trivial matters.
Later, she went out and became a disciple to learn martial arts. Although she was not proficient in it, she was able to protect herself. She also understood the calculations in the minds of her half-sister and concubine, so she let go of her prejudice and did not care about it.
In a society where men farm and women weave and men are respected, women from wealthy families rely on the love of their husbands and fathers to survive. All they want is to live a better and smoother life, even if they have to rely on others.
But in today's society, the status of most women is difficult to change, they can only live like this. Not all women are Fang Hongzhi, who can ascend to the court and be appointed as a general in the name of women.
When Zhao Mingchang was out there making his living, he had not yet met Xu Ning and his group.
How do women from ordinary families live?
Those without money stayed home to farm. If a family had an unmarried son, some girls were hastily married off before they even reached adulthood, simply to earn a dowry for their brothers. Even poorer families would sell their daughters for a bag or two of rice. Those with a little more money would patiently choose a good husband and prepare a dowry from a distance of ten miles. Then, marriage became the most glorious moment in a girl's life.
The dowry they used when they got married was not only a dowry, but also everything they needed for the rest of their lives, including banknotes, farms, shops, and even dressing tables and beds. This was also the life of an ordinary daughter.
Just that small world alone trapped a boring, monotonous life of passing on the family line and raising children.
Zhao Mingchang opened the lunch box and placed the hot food on it.
"Teacher, tonight is New Year's Eve. I have made a few Fengguo dishes according to Fengguo's recipes. Please try them."
Empress Dowager Feng looked much older, and wrinkles appeared on her delicate face because she no longer took good care of it.
But she still looked so domineering, without any of the cowardice and dejection of a loser.
It was as if she was still the queen mother who called for rain, the woman who never gave in to her ambition.
Feng Jin sat down, raised his sleeve to pick up a piece of food with chopsticks, and took a small bite.
The taste buds in memory are awakened.
This was the first time she had eaten hometown food since the fall of the Feng Kingdom in more than 40 years.
This was the closest thing to the Feng Kingdom Palace cuisine she had ever tasted.
A few tears slid down Feng Jin's eyes. She quietly turned her face away and wiped them away, then raised her head to meet Zhao Mingshang's eyes.
"Are you here to pity me?"
"I, Feng Jin, am the Princess of Feng State. I was born noble and will never accept pity from others!"
Zhao Mingchang's eyes were always cold and distant, so unfamiliar that Feng Jin couldn't see through them.
She didn't understand, and Zhao Mingchang saw it. Knowing that her teacher would not lower her head to ask her, Zhao Mingchang told her directly.
"You've been so kind to me over the years, and I don't want to repay you with evil. It's a pity that the teacher I want can't give me what I want. I have to wait a long time to get it. There's not that much time in life to waste."
Feng Jin sneered: "So you help the emperor and help him get rid of me."
"No, I'm not helping him, I'm helping myself." Zhao Mingshang's eyes suddenly turned cold, and he stood up and looked down at Feng Jin.
"Teacher, you taught me before that if you want something, you have to fight for it yourself."
"Haven't you already married into the royal family? What else do you want?" Feng Jin raised his voice.
Zhao Mingshang leaned over and looked into Feng Jin's eyes. An ambitious smile appeared on the woman's beautiful face. This was the first time Feng Jin understood her most proud student in her life.
"I want the world."
A mouthful of blood rushed into Feng Jin's throat: "You!"
"Don't worry, I didn't poison you. You're already in this state, what else is worth me doing?"
Feng Jin was already seriously ill and had little time to live, but he was just out of anger for a moment.
"Teacher, just go with peace of mind. I will help you realize all your ambitions."
Zhao Mingchang shook her clothes and said to the maid coldly, "Let's go."
Feng Jin slid to the ground. She had been scheming all her life, and she thought she had been a chess player all her life, but in the end she was still paving the way for others.
I don’t know when the snow started falling outside, but it drifted into the tower with the wind, covering Feng Jin, who died with his eyes open.
Empress Dowager Feng was discovered two or three days after her death by a eunuch who was cleaning the pagoda.
Emperor Ganping thought it was unlucky and had her buried hastily, but out of gratitude for her upbringing, he still allowed her to be buried in the imperial mausoleum.
As winter passed and spring came, Xu Ning took Tang Xixu back to Wangyue Tower to burn incense for his mother, and on the way, he also sent Old Man Ye to Yaowang Valley.
Xu Ning glanced at Su Zhanfeng behind Qu Xiang.
"Does he come here often? After all, he's the leader of the Dark Front, so why is he so idle?"
Su Zhanfeng, with a paralyzed face, glanced at Xu Ning after hearing this, and continued to pound the medicine.
Qu Xiang raised an eyebrow and looked towards the threshold and said, "Your husband has been waiting for you at the door for a long time."
Xu Ning couldn't help blushing when she heard the word "husband".
Tang Xixu tilted his head and leaned against the door, looking at her.
Xu Ning spoke incoherently: "I watch it every day and never get tired of it." Xu Ning fled in panic to find Sun Baoyi, the master of Yaowang Valley.
Tang Xixu crossed his arms and smiled faintly. Xu Ning's figure disappeared at the end of the corridor, and he coughed urgently.
He stretched out his palm, which was a pool of blood.
Tang Xixu's face looked weak, and if you looked closely, you could see that his eyebrows were already turning white.
"How long will it take me?"
Qu Xiang rolled his eyes at him, speechless expression written all over his face.
"Let it be."
She really couldn't understand these two people. One of them was dying but didn't tell her, and the other naively thought that her husband had recovered a long time ago.
What is going on? Qu Xiang shook his head.
Not long after the matter was settled, another envoy from Xizhou arrived.
There are two envoys, one is Su Wujin and the other is Su Wuxie. Both are princes of Xizhou, which is enough to show how much importance Xizhou attaches to this mission.
"Your servant, Su Wujin, is here to ask for the hand in marriage of General Fengying's daughter, Xu Ning. This will establish friendly relations between our two countries."
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