When Su Rong and Zhou Gu arrived at Zhengyang Hall, the Nanchu King and the Old Duke of Protectorate were happily seated, with Duke Cui and Xie Yuan also present, creating a lively atmosphere.
Seeing the two arrive, the Lady of the Duke, playing the role of the mother-in-law, personally greeted Su Rong. Noticing Su Rong’s pale face, she pushed Zhou Gu aside sharply and glared at him, lowering her voice to say, "What did I instruct you? I told you to be mindful of restraint. Why didn’t you listen?"
Zhou Gu touched his nose, not daring to utter a word.
The Lady of the Duke took Su Rong’s hand and turned to face her, showing much more warmth than she did towards Zhou Gu, "This rotten boy, completely lacking restraint. You must never spoil him too much."
Smiling, Su Rong replied, "Mother, it’s just that I’ve been overly fatigued recently with court affairs and the wedding preparations. It’s not his fault," she sighed, "After all, the wedding processes are really too cumbersome."
The Lady of the Duke thought about it and agreed, "Indeed, they are cumbersome. You have worked hard."
She escorted Su Rong into the inner hall, leaving Zhou Gu to the side.
Zhou Gu, defended by Su Rong, escaped a scolding, and with a warm heart, followed the two into the inner hall.
The tea ceremony went very smoothly. After respectfully serving tea according to status and seniority, Zhou Gu quickly took Su Rong from his mother’s hands, helped her to a seat, and sat down beside her himself.
The Old Duke of Protectorate looked at the young couple, his face creasing with smiles, "Good, very good." He looked at Zhou Gu and teased, "You rascal, finally gotten what you wished for, are you satisfied now?"
Zhou Gu shook his head, "Not satisfied, Xiaoqi and I are to grow old together, destined for three lifetimes," he said.
It was only the beginning, there was still a long road ahead, and he would never be satisfied.
The Old Duke of Protectorate laughed heartily, "Alright, you’ve got ambitions."
Had these words been said before, Zhou Gu would definitely have felt that his grandfather was being sarcastic, but now he knew that wasn’t the case, and he smiled happily.
Without much to say, Su Rong also laughed, looking at Zhou Gu with eyes full of warmth.
The Lady of the Duke was emotionally moved, recalling when Zhou Gu had been jilted, that despondent figure, never having imagined today’s joy. While Zhou Gu wasn’t satisfied, she was very content and fulfilled. Her youngest son had finally sought and attained what he wanted, and as a mother, she felt utmost relief and joy.
Eldest Lady Su also felt relieved and joyful. She remembered how Su Rong’s heart had leaped with joy when Zhou Gu went to Jiangning County, the twists and turns they had weathered, but in the end, all came to fruition. Seeing her daughter happy made her incredibly happy as well.
Su Xingze had only arrived at the Nanchu Capital yesterday morning and could only stay one more day at the most before having to rush back. Watching his sister, whom he had cherished and protected since childhood, get married, the joy on his face swept away all his fatigue. He sat next to the Eldest Lady Su, his smile unstoppable.
Everyone enjoyed a meal together. After lunch, Su Rong, fighting exhaustion, pulled Su Xingze aside to talk.
Zhou Gu tactfully refrained from hurrying her to go rest, but instead accompanied her to the Warm Pavilion of the side hall, allowing the siblings to talk. He then went to find his mother, brazenly seeking advice on how to make amends after making Su Rong uncomfortable.
The Lady of the Duke tapped his head, "I knew it, Xiaoqi was protecting you, making excuses for you. What tired from the wedding? It’s actually you who have tired her out."
She spoke irritatedly, "A man needs to learn restraint and moderation. Do you understand that?"
Naturally, Zhou Gu understood, but understanding was one thing, practice was another. Seeing Su Rong lying soft and pliant on the bed, allowing him to do as he wished, he was a man after all – it would be odd if he could hold back. The fact that he managed to restrain himself for so long without breaking was already a testament to his remarkable control.
However, aware of his fault, he took whatever the Lady of the Duke said as truth. He could only take her scolding, not daring to talk back or even make a sound.
Seeing that he took the scolding without a word, the Lady of the Duke laughingly scolded, "It’s my fault. You rushed back to the Royal Capital, and I only reminded you to exercise restraint, forgetting to prepare medicine for you. I didn’t anticipate your unreliability, nodding in agreement, yet you still wore her out to such a state. Here’s what you’ll do, go find Doctor Zhang, he will certainly have..."
She spoke halfway, then remembered something and shook her head, "Never mind, I think there’s no need for you to go. Nanny Zhao knows much more than you and must have already prepared the medicine."
She sighed, "We should be even nicer to Xiaoqi from now on, especially you. Look at how she tolerates and indulges you. Nowadays, she’s pampered a hundred, a thousand times more than she ever was at the Duke Residence, at the Eastern Palace."
Zhou Gu straightened his back, "Back then, she was the kindest to me."
The Lady of the Duke laughed and shooed him away, "If you have nothing else to do, stop bothering me here. Go and consult with Doctor Zhang. What a doctor says always carries more weight than my words."
Zhou Gu nodded and immediately left.
Su Rong kept Su Xingze company for an hour, not wanting to let him leave. Su Xingze smiled helplessly, "I’ll just leave a day later, then. I’ll try to come to Nanchu every year to see you. Now go back and rest!"
Su Rong meant just that, "A few more days, Daliang won’t stop turning without you. With Jibei settled, there’s no need for you to rush."
Su Xingze said, "This year, Daliang also suffered from a snow disaster. While it’s not as severe as Nanchu’s situation, Daliang’s territory is much larger. The Crown Prince is so busy he doesn’t touch the ground, and the court officials are also working hard all day. I could only squeeze in this trip because the Crown Prince sent someone to take over my duties in Jibei temporarily. It wouldn’t be good to return even later."
After all, even riding a fast horse day and night, a round trip takes a month.
Su Rong thought for a moment, "Then stay for another three days! You’ve come all this way; take some time to tour the Nanchu Capital. Let Fen Ling accompany you."
After she finished, she added, "Tomorrow, let Zhou Gu accompany you as well."
Su Xingze laughed, "Fine, Fen Ling’s company is enough. There’s no need for my brother-in-law to come; he should stay with you!"
Su Rong’s face didn’t change color, "Both of us will accompany you."
She should be rested by then, she should be able to rest by tomorrow.
Su Xingze laughed again, "That’s also good."
Zhou Gu went to find Doctor Zhang and secretly pulled him aside. Before Zhou Gu could even explain his purpose, Doctor Zhang understood, handed him a tube of ointment, and taught him how to use it. He then said, "If you have time, sir, I can teach you a set of massage techniques, so you can later help the princess alleviate fatigue and relax her muscles."
Zhou Gu was eager, "Teach me now."
Doctor Zhang nodded and went with Zhou Gu to a private chamber, where he called someone to serve as a model. One taught, and the other learned. Before they knew it, an hour had passed.
After learning from Doctor Zhang, who praised him, "You’re quick-witted. It didn’t take long for you to learn."
Zhou Gu, noticing the time was just right, thanked him and hurried back to find Su Rong.
Su Rong was about to ask Zhou Gu where he had been when she saw him return, a tube of ointment peeking out from his sleeve. He whispered in her ear, "Let’s go back. I’ll apply the ointment for you, then give you a massage. I’ve just learned the technique from Doctor Zhang, a unique method that can relieve fatigue."
Su Rong glanced at him, "You’re too late. Nanny Zhao prepared the ointment for me this morning."
Zhou Gu looked at her eagerly. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
Su Rong laughed, hooking her arm around his neck, "But you can still try your newly learned massage techniques on me, and see if they’re effective."
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