Chapter 7 The Wedding Night. She straddled him.
The twilight was sultry. A drop of sweat trickled down the man's temple beneath his mask and landed on the front of his shirt.
The man seemed to be taken aback for a moment, then bowed and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me. I am a secret guard by the general's side, specializing in espionage, and cannot show my true face to others."
Jing Hui's hand was still tugging at his sleeve. "Can't even this princess look?"
The guard froze for a moment. "Your Highness, please forgive me."
After a moment of stalemate, Jing Hui released his grip, straightened his disheveled sleeves, and placed his hands back on his knees, saying, "Alright, thank you, you can go now."
The man silently stood up, took a few steps outside, then stopped and turned back, saying, "It's late, Your Highness, please rest early."
Jing Hui raised an eyebrow. "Is this something a bodyguard like you should say?"
"I have overstepped my bounds."
After the man left, Ayu brought Jinghui a cup of tea and asked, "Why does the princess want to see that man's face?"
Jing Hui shook her head. "It's nothing, I can't really explain it."
Ah Yu smiled and said, "If the princess really wants to see it, she can just give the order. There's no need for his permission."
Jing Hui tapped A Yu's head and said, "When has this princess ever done anything to force someone to do something against their will?"
"Ouch."
Ah Yu rubbed her head and said, "That's right, our princess is the best princess in the whole world."
Jing Hui smiled, finished his tea, handed the wedding bowl to A Yu, and then stood up to look around the bridal chamber.
The canopy bed was exactly the same as the one in the Brocade Palace, with bright red bed curtains hanging down from both sides. A pair of dragon and phoenix wedding candles were burning brightly at the head of the bed, and the antique shelves were filled with rare treasures. The room was filled with the familiar scent of jasmine.
"Does the princess like it?"
Ayan came in from outside, carrying some food in her hands. She placed it on the table and said, "If you can't sleep tonight, I'll bring you a few more bunches of jasmine."
Empress Hye-hyo loved jasmine, and Gyeong-hui also loved jasmine from a young age.
If she couldn't sleep anywhere except the Brocade Palace, smelling jasmine would make her feel much better.
"No need, it's just right."
Jing Hui walked to the table, sat down, ate some soup, and asked, "Is Father feeling any better?"
Although both Ayu and Ayan are Jinghui's personal maids, their duties are quite different.
Ayu served Jinghui closely, while Ayan, skilled in martial arts, helped Jinghui win over the court and resolve palace affairs.
The two, one working inside and the other outside, have worked together very well over the years.
"He has not woken up."
Ayan whispered to Jinghui, "We have people in each palace. If those princes make any moves, you will be the first to know. Don't worry, Princess."
Emperor Jingwen not only had absolute control over the military, but also had extreme control over his sons.
According to the conventions of previous dynasties, princes could leave the palace and establish their own residences after marriage or upon reaching the age of fourteen. However, for some reason, Emperor Jingwen required all princes to marry a principal wife and have a legitimate son before they could leave the palace.
Currently, most of the princes have concubines or secondary consorts, so none of them have left the palace to establish their own residences.
At the same time, the princes' positions in the court were mostly sinecure or nominal, and they were always the first to take on the hard and tiring tasks.
If there are important matters that need to be done by them, such as supervising major construction projects, there will always be a court official above them who will give them a head.
The purpose was to temper their character, but Jing Ao, the oldest of the princes, had been tempering himself for more than four years, yet he still did not hold a proper official position.
To this day, these princes are not as involved in court affairs as Jing Hui.
This led to the fact that whenever Emperor Jingwen assigned a task to his sons, no matter how small, they would swarm around him, vying to show off in front of the emperor.
For example, the reconstruction of the General's Mansion was overseen by Jing Ao. Even if Jing Ao and Jing Hui were at odds, he still had to do this job well.
No one could guess why Emperor Jingwen acted this way.
In the past, when he was healthy, the princes, though often vying for his favor, remained relatively peaceful. But since he fell seriously ill, the princes and their respective factions have begun to stir.
Whenever Emperor Jingwen awoke from a coma and summoned his court officials to report on their duties, it was a time for them to vie for the position.
Jing Hui was exposed to power from a young age, but she didn't crave it, so she didn't need to fight for anything.
Now, she is probably the only one who truly cares about Emperor Jingwen's health.
Hearing Ayan say this, Jing Hui felt much more at ease and nodded.
After a long day, Jing Hui felt sleepy after a light snack.
The table was covered with scales, rulers, and wine cups. Jing Hui pushed the utensils forward, leaned on the table, and asked, "When will Lu Songyuan be back?"
Ayan glanced at the water clock, listened to the sounds of clinking glasses in the front yard, and said, "It will take about another hour."
"So long!"
"yes."
She lifted her veil herself, and she couldn't drink the wedding wine by herself. The people from the Ministry of Rites were still waiting outside, so Jing Hui couldn't rest right now.
She sighed, propped her head up and looked outside. Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she said, "Bring the fire-avoidance diagram that the old woman gave me yesterday."
Let's start dealing with Lu Songyuan from the wedding night!
She wants complete control!
Seeing the malicious smile on Jing Hui's face, A Yan shook her head and went to the box by the bed to take it out.
Jing Hui flipped the book open directly, her smile growing even wider.
Ayan and Ayu watched from the side, exchanged a glance, and smiled helplessly.
After an unknown amount of time, just as Jing Hui was about to fall asleep with the fire-avoidance diagram as her pillow, there was finally movement of a wheelchair in the corridor. Then came the sound of people from the Ministry of Rites paying their respects, and the wheelchair rolling over the threshold and into the room.
Jing Hui propped her chin up and sat up. When she looked up, she met the gaze of Lu Songyuan, who had just been pushed into the room.
Lu Songyuan was wearing the same wedding attire as the bodyguards who had escorted him today.
Perhaps he had drunk too much, for his eyes were glazed over, the sharpness in them gone. The candlelight shone on his wedding dress, making his cheeks flushed and giving him a softer appearance.
Lu Qingyue pushed him to Jing Hui's side, bowed, and stood aside. Lu Songyuan tilted his head and said in a low voice, "Greetings, Your Highness."
The veil is gone.
She looks absolutely stunning today.
"Um."
The faint smell of alcohol wafted over, and Jing Hui wrinkled her nose. "You've had too much to drink."
"There were too many people coming to offer toasts."
Lu Songyuan also lowered his head to sniff, and frowned slightly.
"No matter how much you drink outside, General Lu must drink this glass of wine inside."
An official from the Ministry of Rites stepped forward with a smile, took out a cup of Heqin wine, poured one cup for each of them, and presented it to the two of them, saying, "Please drink the Heqin wine."
Jing Hui and Lu Songyuan exchanged a glance, picked up their wine cups, clinked them together, and drank in turn. The master of ceremonies watched from the side and couldn't help but shake his head.
In the past, it was common to see the bride shy and the groom teasing her. But why are the princess and the general sitting so upright, drinking the wedding wine as if they're about to fight? They look like they're about to smash the bowls.
After each person drank two cups of wine, the master of ceremonies stepped forward and cut off a strand of their hair, singing, "May you be a couple bound by marriage, and may your love last forever."
Two strands of hair were placed into a brocade pouch, which the master of ceremonies hung above the couple's bedside, saying with a smile, "The ceremony is complete. Congratulations on your wedding, Princess and General."
Jing Hui gave A Yan a look, and A Yan stepped forward to distribute golden melon seeds to everyone. The official in charge of ceremonies returned to the palace with a smile to report back.
The servants came forward, tidied up the bed and table, and then withdrew.
Only the two people, Ayan, Ayu, and Lu Qingyue remained in the room.
There was no sound; the silence in the east was eerily quiet.
Lu Songyuan reached for the teapot, poured a cup of tea for Jing Hui, and said, "Your Highness, please rest well soon."
"Um?"
Jing Hui glanced at him and said, "And you?"
The person in charge of building the General's Mansion is Jing Ao, so there must be spies in the mansion.
If Lu Songyuan doesn't go to pick her up today, fine, but if he runs away on their wedding night and something bad gets out, Jing Hui won't be so polite!
Lu Songyuan glanced at Jing Hui, and the words that were on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down.
He said, "I'm not going anywhere."
Seeing that it was getting late, Ayan stepped forward and said, "Princess, it's getting late, you should wash up and rest."
"good."
They weren't close before marriage, and Jing Hui didn't expect to be an ordinary couple with Lu Songyuan after marriage, living happily ever after. But there were some things that needed to be clarified sooner rather than later.
She stood up, pointed at Lu Songyuan with her finger, and said, "Now that we are married, we are one, and we will each get what we need. I don't need you to consult me on everything, I only hope that you will not do anything to harm me in the future."
Lu Songyuan paused for a moment, then frowned, seemingly puzzled by Jing Hui's words.
He shook his head. "I don't understand what Your Highness is saying."
What a pretentious act.
"what ever."
After saying this, Jing Hui went to the clean room.
After washing up, she walked into the room wearing a red nightgown and saw Lu Songyuan still sitting at the table reading a book.
Jing Hui walked past him with satisfaction and went to the dressing table.
Lu Songyuan glanced at Jing Hui, then instructed Lu Qingyue to push him to the clean room.
Jing Hui turned her head to look around, and only after everyone was out of the room did she pat A Yu's arm and say, "Quickly put away the fire-avoidance diagram!"
There was something covering the table, which she had placed under the silk, so Lu Songyuan should not have seen it.
Ayu accepted the order and tidied up the things on the bed and table, while Ayan helped Jinghui dry his hair.
Exhausted from a long day, Jing turned around and pounced on the bed.
Feeling the softness of the blanket, Jing Hui rubbed her face against it, saying, "So comfortable, I can get a good night's sleep tonight."
Ayu and Ayan stood by the bed, watching their princess thrashing about in the middle of the bed, and shook their heads in unison.
Having just looked at the fire avoidance diagram, and already forgotten it, how could one possibly sleep well on their wedding night?
-
The moon hangs on the eaves, and the candlelight flickers.
Jing Hui was lying in bed, feeling dizzy and about to fall asleep, when she heard the sound of a wheelchair rolling.
She immediately snapped out of her daze, lay face down on the pillow, and stared wide-eyed at Lu Songyuan, who was arriving in a wheelchair.
After taking a bath, Lu Songyuan's black hair was casually draped behind his head. He was wearing the same nightgown as Jing Hui, which made him look even more gentle than when he was wearing his wedding clothes.
Lu Qingyue pushed him all the way to the bedside.
Because of his leg problems, the beds in the general's mansion were designed with a small, convenient lever mechanism on each side.
Lu Songyuan locked the wheelchair armrests in place and instructed, "You can all go out now."
Upon hearing this, Lu Qingyue took the lead and walked outside. After taking a few steps, seeing that the princess's two maids had not moved, she stopped.
Lu Qingyue coughed, and just as he was about to say something, Jing Hui realized what was going on.
Although it is unknown how serious Lu Songyuan's leg ailment is, it is conceivable that his posture of using leverage to get into bed would not be graceful.
"You can all leave now, there's no need for a night watch here."
Jing Hui waved her hand, lay down by the window, and ordered, "Turn off the lights for me when you leave."
"yes."
The three of them left together, and the room darkened.
A moment later, there was the sound of clothes rubbing together behind her, followed by several heavy breaths, some long and some short. Then the bed curtains were drawn, the quilt was lifted, and someone lay silently behind her.
Neither of them mentioned the matter, and they separated themselves, each seemingly on the verge of a long sleep.
It seemed to be raining outside; raindrops were falling from the eaves and pattering on the steps, making a noisy noise.
Lu Songyuan joined the army in his childhood. Over the years, he endured hardships and lived a life of hardship. Even after becoming a general, he was still in danger wherever he went.
Therefore, he never sleeps on a soft bed, never wears soft clothes, never indulges in the pleasures of life, and is always vigilant about his surroundings.
The bed was so soft today, it felt like lying on a cloud. There was also a faint fragrance in the bed curtains. Lu Songyuan moved his arm and felt a tickle.
He turned his head to look and saw that Jing Hui's hair had brushed against his arm.
Lu Songyuan froze for a moment, then closed his eyes.
Even though neither of them moved, the ends of her hair kept sliding along his arm.
Lu Songyuan recalled the scene in the book he had casually picked up from the table, and suddenly felt a dryness in his mouth and a surge of restlessness.
After years of suppressed desire, it surged forth like lava, ready to erupt.
We can't stay here any longer!
Lu Songyuan suddenly opened his eyes, only to be caught off guard and meet a pair of bright, peach-blossom eyes.
Jing Hui had woken up at some point and was half-propping herself up as she looked at him.
The two were only an arm's length apart, yet he was so oblivious that he didn't even notice.
"Your Highness."
A cold glint flashed in Lu Songyuan's eyes. He tried to sit up, but Jing Hui suddenly pressed down on his shoulder and straddled him.
Sitting somewhere, Lu Songyuan let out a muffled groan.
"The wedding night".
Jing Hui leaned closer to Lu Songyuan and asked, "Where are you going?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
