...
The morning light was just beginning to break, and the weather was fine.
Yue Jiang got up early to change her clothes and had breakfast. A little while later, Qing Ke came over and whispered a report.
"Your Highness, General Shan just came over and said that His Highness came to Yichun Palace last night and stood outside the palace for a long time."
"General Wei You wanted to knock on His Highness's door, but His Highness wouldn't allow it and didn't let anyone announce his arrival after he left."
Yuejiang chewed lightly on a piece of flatbread as she listened to Qingke's words, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Fortunately, Jing Yan had a conscience and was always thinking about her, so she felt uncomfortable early on.
If someone is slow to notice even the slightest abnormality, even if they do notice it, the result will be minimal, and it will be difficult to make any difference afterward.
It will only make her work in vain.
Yue Jiang pointed to the yam sweet soup on the table and instructed Qing Ke: "Take this bowl of sweet soup to His Highness and tell him that I miss him and that His Highness should remember to drink the sweet soup."
Qingke asked, puzzled, "Princess Consort, didn't you want the Crown Prince to take the initiative to seek you out and break his own rules for you? Why are you so concerned about His Highness now?"
Yue Jiang smiled: "I want Your Highness to take the initiative, but I can't completely neglect my duties as a wife. Besides, you think this is my way of showing concern, but Your Highness doesn't think so!"
"Go quickly, or the sweet soup will get cold, and His Highness will think I'm not doing my job well."
"Yes, ma'am," Qingke replied. Hearing Yuejiang speak so earnestly, she dared not mess things up. She immediately placed the sweet soup on a tray and sent it to Xiande Hall.
Meanwhile, Jing Yan was also having his meal, but he didn't have much of an appetite. He was thinking about what he would say to Yue Jiang later.
Should I ask her directly why she's suddenly become so indifferent towards me?
But Yue Jiang wasn't indifferent to him; she was just a little more aloof than before.
The distance between Yue Jiang and Jing Yan allowed him to inadvertently observe the relationship between his father and mother, and he had always hoped to treat Yue Jiang with the respect due to a guest.
Jing Yan felt quite uncomfortable with such politeness.
This shouldn't be the case!
"Your Highness, Qingke requests an audience."
Jing Yan was lost in thought when he suddenly shouted from outside the hall.
The eunuch beside him whispered a few more words to Jing Yan before he came to his senses: "Bring him in."
Before long, Qingke came in carrying a tray, and she respectfully presented the sweet soup in her hands.
"Your Highness, the Crown Princess sent me to bring you this sweet yam soup. She said she misses you very much and hopes you will drink it."
After Qingke finished speaking, he still held the tray high. When Jing Yan heard this and saw this intention, his heart was moved for a moment, but in the blink of an eye he realized that something was wrong.
Yue Jiang is already married to him, so there's nowhere in the Eastern Palace she can't go. Even when she lived in Qiluan Palace, Yue Jiang would brave the wind and rain to travel all the way there.
They had been apart for several days, and yesterday Yue Jiang had been very affectionate towards her for two hours.
Later, they didn't prepare dinner for him, effectively "kicking" him out.
Although the gift was delivered this morning, Jingyan knew it wasn't just a perfunctory gesture, so he simply had a palace servant make the trip—it wouldn't be much trouble.
What exactly does Yue Jiang want him to do?
"Your Highness, the sweet soup is getting cold," Qingke said, her arm aching and her wrist trembling slightly, causing the soup bowl on the tray to make a soft clattering sound.
Jing Yan raised his chin, gesturing to the table: "Put it down. Please thank the Crown Princess for her kindness. I will take her to the inner palace in a little while."
“Yes,” Qingke put down the tray and took his leave.
Jing Yan gazed at the white jade-like bowl of soup, and with a slight reach, placed the sweet soup in front of him. Upon opening it, he was greeted by a faint aroma of honey and red dates.
...
After the meal, Jing Yan came to pick up Yue Jiang as promised, and Yue Jiang greeted Jing Yan with the same enthusiasm as always.
She stared at Jing Yan's lower eyelids, full of worry: "Your Highness, why are there some dark circles under your eyes? Did you not sleep well last night?"
Jing Yan recalled how he had wandered to the outside of Yichun Palace last night. He concealed his unusual expression and instead of answering, asked, "Did Jiang'er sleep well last night?"
As he asked, he subconsciously glanced at Yue Jiang's bed. There was still only one pillow and one brocade quilt, so it seemed that he wasn't planning to let him stay today.
Yue Jiang didn't notice the probing in Jing Yan's words and nodded earnestly: "Your Highness came back yesterday, and since I thought Your Highness was very close to me, of course I slept very well."
Jing Yan felt conflicted. He still remembered that night when Yue Jiang almost cried, saying she was afraid of being alone in her room.
Could it be that Yue Jiang has gotten used to sleeping alone these past few days?
"It's good that Jiang'er is well rested. Let's go and pay our respects to the Empress Dowager!"
Jing Yan concealed his slight unease and led Yue Jiang to the inner palace.
...
Empress Ye didn't actually want Yue Jiang and Jing Yan to come and pay their respects to her every day. Firstly, it was troublesome, and secondly, she wanted to leave more time for the young couple to spend together.
Empress Ye couldn't help but grumble because Jing Yan had been away at the military camp for several days before returning.
“Yan’er, I told you yesterday not to bring Jiang’er, but you still came so early in the morning. Aren’t you tired? You should be more considerate of Jiang’er.”
When Empress Ye's words reached Jing Yan's ears, perhaps because he was already married, he sensed a different meaning in them. However, Yue Jiang said that she had slept very well last night.
The excuse that he came to pay his respects early this morning was just that—an excuse. He nodded and admitted his mistake: "Your subject knows he was wrong."
Yue Jiang apologized to Jing Yan, saying, "Jiang'er knows she was wrong."
Empress Ye just wanted to show concern for the two of them, and surprisingly, one of them apologized, and then both of them apologized, even for something that wasn't really a mistake.
She couldn't help but shake her head and chuckle, holding Yue Jiang's hand to protect her.
“Jiang’er, don’t be like Yan’er. You’re very well-behaved, so let him admit his mistakes. But if he bullies you, tell me, and I’ll stand up for you.”
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