Zhang Yun, armed with his eloquent tongue and his handsome face, persuaded Yuewan, successfully sought a marriage arrangement through Su Rong, and swiftly had their son, Xiao Zhang Zhou.
However, he indeed fulfilled the promise he initially made to Yuewan, ensuring she could enjoy his provisions—eat his food, drink his drink, live in his house. In the household, she managed what she wanted, and when she didn’t, the housekeeper did the managing. Her daily joy involved nothing more than holding a sketchbook in the sun or gleefully tallying the rewards the Princess gave him after his achievements.
One day, Zhang Zhou was brought back from the palace by his wet nurse, only to find Yuewan looking at her sketchbook. He had a look of grievance, "Mom, Chuchu hit me."
Chuchu was a nickname Zhang Zhou, uniquely his own, reserved for Chu An. He stubbornly refused to call her sister like others did or address her as Eldest Princess.
Without lifting her head, Yuewan responded, "So she hit you."
Zhang Zhou burst into tears.
The wet nurse hastily tried to soothe him, but after a long time of failing, she had no choice but to call Yuewan, "Madam, please comfort the young master!"
Reluctantly pulling her gaze from her sketchbook, Yuewan looked at Zhang Zhou with a face full of disdain, "Why were you hit? The princess isn’t someone who hits others without reason. You must have provoked her."
Zhang Zhou whimpered ineffectively, feeling too wronged to articulate his feelings, especially since he was only one and a half years old.
The wet nurse, helplessly looking at Yuewan, said with sympathy, "Madam, the King mentioned that the Eldest Princess’s teeth would decay if she continued to eat sweets. Our young master, with his good memory, took it to heart. When he saw the Eldest Princess eating candy, he tried to snatch it away, and that angered the Eldest Princess who then beat him up."
Upon hearing this, Yuewan realized, "I thought so. The Eldest Princess wouldn’t hit someone without a good reason."
She turned her head to glance at her son. Seeing him generally fine except for being in tears, she doubted any real harm was done. Unlike the little girls who ended up with bruises everywhere after fighting with a bunch of boys at her age. "Did she actually hit you, or was it that light? Was the Eldest Princess’s hand not strong enough? That shouldn’t be, at three years old, according to the head matron, her hand was already quite strong."
All she could do was to ask, "Where did she hit you?"
"The buttocks." The wet nurse said. "The young master is mainly embarrassed. He was held down by the Eldest Princess, and she smacked his bottom several times."
Yuewan burst out laughing.
"Mom, you’re mean. I want to, I want to tell dad," Zhang Zhou, seeing Yuewan making fun of him, cried even louder.
Yuewan immediately sat upright, withdrawing her laughter, "Come here, let mom hold you. No more crying, come here."
Zhang Zhou turned his head and rushed back into the arms of the wet nurse, refusing to let her hold him.
Yuewan reached out but couldn’t catch him. Looking at her son, she whispered, "What will you tell your dad? That he shouldn’t let me laugh?" She hummed lightly, "He himself often makes me laugh. Silly boy. Go on, then!"
After speaking, she withdrew her hand and returned to her sketchbook.
Zhang Zhou continued to sob, feeling unloved by the world.
When Zhang Yun returned, he was greeted by this scene: his son in the arms of the wet nurse, crying pitifully, and his wife engrossed in her sketchbook. A hint of a smile appeared in his eyes as he approached, "What’s wrong, Zhou Zhou?"
Seeing his dad, Zhang Zhou immediately reached out, "Dad, daddy hold me."
Zhang Yun took him from the wet nurse’s arms, holding him close, and asked with a smile, "Why are you crying? Did your mom upset you?"
Zhang Zhou, with tears welling up, looked at him, "Mom laughed at me."
Zhang Yun glanced at Yuewan.
Reluctantly lifting her head from her sketchbook, Yuewan faced her husband. Even after three years of marriage, their union still felt surreal to her. She had never envisioned marrying anyone, let alone Zhang Yun. Among the court officials, he stood out not just for his shrewdness but for his support of the Fourth Young Master and the life-or-death bond he shared with the King during their military service, ensuring his smooth career advancement. Furthermore, his true capabilities were undeniable—intelligent to the point of being almost cunning, yet ruthless and tactful, embodying all the complexities of human nature. Such a man, however, insisted on marrying her—an admittedly naive girl.
Truly, she was naive. As a child, the head matron detested her slow wits, believing that a clever girl should have been by her mistress’s side, not her—a naive girl who couldn’t contain her troublemaking mistress’s antics. If it weren’t for her ability to cling to her mistress’s legs and cry, evoking her mistress’s sympathy, she would have been sent to serve another lady long ago.
Moreover, Zhang Yun was handsome, and even after she slimmed down, she barely matched the beauty of the pampered daughters of the Capital City’s elite. Especially nowadays, as she lived carefree, frequently indulging in food and drink, being pampered by him until she gained weight. Yet, he remarked that she looked cuter with some extra weight.
Really...
She pouted, "Your son probably only inherited my stupidity and not your cleverness because he came from my belly. I tease him, and he gets annoyed, then runs to you to tattle on me."
Zhang Yun chuckled softly, holding his son and sitting next to her, "What happened?"
The wet nurse had already quietly withdrawn. Yuewan briefly explained what happened. It was indeed too simple, not even needing three words but only two, making it clear and straightforward.
After hearing this, Zhang Yun laughed and said to his son, "You did wrong. You shouldn’t have tried to snatch the candy from the Eldest Princess’s hand. You should grab a handful of candy, give it to the Eldest Princess, then turn around and go tell your Seventh Aunt about it, and watch her beat Chu An’s behind."
On the day of the bestowed marriage, Su Rong acknowledged Yuewan as her sister, granting her the title of Princess, so since his birth, Zhang Zhou called Su Rong Seventh Aunt. Su Rong adored little Zhang Zhou, her face lighting up with joy whenever he called her. Whenever there was something tasty, if Chu An had some, he would too. This made everyone behind their backs say Zhang Yun was cunning, not only stealing the King’s interest but also having a son early, who grew up alongside the Eldest Princess.
Yes, Chu An was three years old, and because of the affection from the elders, she had not yet been titled as Princess but remained the Eldest Princess.
Yuewan widened her eyes, "Is that how you teach your son?"
This man, such a schemer.
Zhang Zhou also blinked his clear, large eyes, "Dad, is this really okay?"
"Why wouldn’t it be?" Zhang Yun took out a handkerchief to wipe his tears, "For the Eldest Princess’s sake, you have to be clever about it. Don’t believe me? Try my method and I guarantee she won’t dare to stealthily eat candy anymore, her teeth won’t spoil, and she won’t beat you up again."
Zhang Zhou, with a face like carved jade, after a long while, nodded heavily.
Yuewan facepalmed.
After Zhang Zhou stopped crying, he naturally felt embarrassed to cling to his dad and went off to play on his own.
After her son left, Yuewan whispered to Zhang Yun, "You’re too wicked."
Zhang Yun pinched her face, "The Eldest Princess has already been spoiled by the King and the King’s husband behind the scenes. If I don’t teach Zhang Zhou something, he’ll have no chance against Chu An in the future or manage to win her over."
Yuewan was speechless, "Be careful, Fourth Young Master might hear you and beat you up. Have you forgotten that last time he nearly drew his sword on you when he found out you were eyeing the Eldest Princess?"
Zhang Yun was nonchalant, "As for the younger generation’s issues, who knows what will happen in the future? No one can control it. But I can’t let my son be like a blank sheet of paper, having no standing among all the young masters of the Capital City. Whether he likes a girl or seeks a government career."
Yuewan facepalmed again, "Too wicked, way too wicked."
Zhang Yun smiled and pulled her into his arms, his chin resting on her shoulder, "What are we watching? I’ll watch it with you."
Yuewan hummed, "Heroines and swordsmen."
Zhang Yun laughed, "Better than oil sellers and girls from the Green Building."
He casually lounged and actually watched it with Yuewan, enjoying the quiet peace found behind the hustle.
Court officials all said he really dared, yes, he dared to pry the King’s interest, marrying the girl who grew up with her from childhood, even Zhou Gu commended him for having a discerning eye. Yuewan, that simple girl, was better than countless harem ladies. So many women want this and that, their desires too plentiful, never learning to be content. But Yuewan was content with just a couple of taels of silver to buy sweets and chicken legs.
He who was shrewd in heart only wanted a girl as simple as her to accompany him through life, and that was enough.
After a while, Yuewan appeared to recall something and suddenly said, "I think I might be pregnant again."
Zhang Yun, who was holding a book, let out a "clatter" as it dropped from his hands to the floor.
Sometimes too simple people can really take one by surprise.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
