With the addition of Consort Rong to the palace, everyone had different thoughts.
Those led by the Crown Prince and Xie Lianhong were naturally dissatisfied with the newly appointed Consort Rong, suspecting she had ulterior motives. However, the majority of the peace faction believed that Yelü Nanxian becoming a consort was the Northern Rong's greatest show of goodwill and a ceasefire.
Moreover, the Northern Rong people, who had previously acted in a high-profile manner, suddenly became low-key after Yelü Nanxian entered the palace, and after a while, the discussion among the crowd subsided.
In the blink of an eye, it was March 15th.
March marked the end of winter. However, springtime in Tokyo was still chilly. Shen Youying got up early to dress up and put on a thick rabbit fur cloak before traveling with Xue Shen by carriage to the Lu residence to offer her congratulations.
Today is Lu Minghe's wedding day. Since Xue Shen had promised to go, the two of them got up early and left early today.
Once inside the carriage, Xue Shen felt a pang of regret upon seeing Shen Youying still looking somewhat drowsy. He carefully protected Shen Youying's elaborate hairstyle and numerous hairpins, letting her rest on his lap for a while.
"There's nothing special about attending this wedding. Why don't we send someone to the Lu residence to let them know that it's not a big deal if we don't go?"
Shen Youying yawned wearily, but she wasn't really sleepy. It was just that as her pregnancy progressed, she always felt tired no matter how late she slept. Hearing this, she glanced at him and said, "We've already gone out. Going back now would be a waste of all the effort we've put in."
"And didn't you say you wouldn't feel at ease until you saw your cousin get married?" Shen Youying teased him deliberately.
Xue Shen raised an eyebrow, placed his hand on her waist, and pinched the soft flesh there: "You've certainly learned to tease me."
Shen Youying laughed and tried to dodge his hand. Afraid that she would fall, Xue Shen simply picked her up and let her sit on his lap, nestled in his arms.
Shen Youying complained that the human cushion was too hard, and grumbled, "It's a bit uncomfortable. A softer cushion would be better."
Xue Shen's lips brushed lightly against her neck, and he said, "If you twist a few more times, it'll be even more uncomfortable."
Shen Youying understood, glared at him sideways, but then found a comfortable position and leaned back without moving.
This time, it was Xue Shen who was dissatisfied. He clicked his tongue, touched Shen Youying's lower abdomen, and said, "She'll be three months pregnant soon."
Previously, Master Huodong said that after three months, they could have sex.
Unexpectedly, he said such a thing in broad daylight. Shen Youying bit her lip and gently pushed away his hot hand, saying without much force, "You're still outside."
Xue Shen gently licked her earlobe, his voice tinged with desire: "Zhao Zhao doesn't want to?"
Shen Youying's heart skipped a beat, and this time she remained silent.
Actually, it wasn't just Xue Shen who thought about it; she actually... thought about it a little too.
It is said that husband and wife are like fish and water, a bliss that only they can perceive when they are intertwined. Xue Shen, in particular, is always very considerate of her feelings in this matter, making her shy to talk about it, yet unable to resist.
For some unknown reason, Shen Youying blushed and felt hot in the ears.
A light blush spread across her snow-white, lotus-like face, making her exceptionally alluring. Xue Shen's eyes darkened slightly as he was captivated by her beauty. He picked her up, turned her around, and bit her lips.
Because of the pregnancy, the two of them mostly restrained themselves.
Now that Xue Shen was kissing her so passionately, Shen Youying's spine went numb, and her waist and legs went weak. She almost collapsed into Xue Shen's arms, letting him take her as he pleased.
Xue Shen cupped her face in his hands and kissed her passionately yet restrainedly. His tongue was nimble and skillful, lingering in Shen Youying's mouth, making her feel unbearably itchy and tingling, and she let out soft, animal-like moans.
Xue Shen knew her very well and knew that she had fallen in love, so he slowed down his advances and placed his hand on her lower back, sliding his palm soothingly along her spine.
After a long and reluctant struggle, the two finally parted ways.
Xue Shen wiped the water droplets from the corner of her mouth with his fingertip and said in a hoarse voice, "I told you we should go back."
Shen Youying was caught in a dilemma by him and silently bit her lip.
As the two were lost in thought, they suddenly felt the carriage stop. Danzhu, who was following outside, said, "Your Highness, Your Highness, we have arrived at the Lu residence."
Startled, Shen Youying hurriedly tried to get off Xue Shen's lap. Then she remembered how long they had been so intimate, and wondered if her makeup and hair had been ruined. If things continued like this, and someone saw anything inappropriate, she would be too ashamed to face anyone.
Xue Shen frowned and helped her up: "What's the rush? I've been careful, I haven't messed it up."
Shen Youying was skeptical and wanted to find a mirror to check: "Really?"
Xue Shen nodded: "Would I harm you? It's just that I'm out of lip rouge." He rubbed Shen Youying's bright red lips and smiled: "But you don't need lip rouge right now, you look good enough."
Seeing that he was still making fun of her at this time, Shen Youying glared at him and took the lead in lifting the curtain and getting off the carriage.
In front of the Lu residence, carriages and horses came and went like clouds.
The guests first noticed an exceptionally luxurious carriage stop, and were wondering if it belonged to the Prince of Qin's residence when a porcelain-white hand parted the curtain, revealing the Princess of Qin's face, which was as beautiful as a peach blossom.
Everyone looked surprised and wondered why the Princess Consort of Qin had come, when they saw the King of Qin also get off the carriage.
The guests froze for a moment, then exchanged glances with those they knew: "The King of Qin and the Queen of Qin have both arrived. Are we going to have another good show to watch today?"
Shen Youying didn't care what everyone was thinking. Although Xue Shen had made a joke, since she was already there, Shen Youying still put a lot of effort into preparing the congratulatory gift.
Her relationship with Lu Minghe was a series of unfortunate coincidences, and it's hard to say who owed whom anything; looking back now, it's probably just that they weren't meant to be.
Although she didn't know the reason for Lu Minghe's marriage, as his cousin who grew up with him, she still hoped that Lu Minghe could find a devoted partner and have a harmonious and loving marriage.
The emperor ordered Danzhu to present the congratulatory gifts, and Shen Youying and Xue Shen followed the maid who led the way into the house.
Upon hearing that the Prince of Qin and Princess Qin had arrived, Lu Lin and Madam Ye quickly apologized to the other guests and came out to greet the two.
On the way, Madam Ye's face darkened as she said, "What are they doing? Are they here to laugh at our family?"
Lu Lin glanced at her and warned, "The King of Qin is not what he used to be. We don't need to curry favor with him, but we also don't need to offend him. Since the King and Queen of Qin have graced us with their presence, as the mistress of the house, you should treat them with courtesy, no matter what disagreements there may be."
The Lu family was a noble family that disdained to curry favor with the powerful and influential. He had married Ye Shi precisely because the Ye family was also a family of upright officials.
Unexpectedly, while Ye was quite sensible when she was young, now that she is older, she seems to have been bewitched, making one foolish move after another.
Especially when his son had a heart-to-heart talk with him last time and mentioned the whole story of wanting to marry Ms. Lu, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
Seeing that Ye was about to make another foolish move that would offend people, he finally couldn't help but speak up to remind her.
"If you really can't save face, just pretend to be sick and avoid it. I'll take care of you alone."
Lu Lin was a scholar with a gentle nature. Apart from his son's studies, he rarely cared about family matters and treated his wife with great respect. This was the first time Lu Lin had spoken so harshly to Madam Ye.
Upon hearing this, Madam Ye's face turned pale. Thinking of her son, who had barely spoken to her these past few days, she was unwilling to be disliked by her husband any longer, so she could only swallow her anger and say, "I understand. Today is Minghe's wedding day, and I will not cause any trouble."
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