Chapter 124 "Brother Qi, you are the only son in your family..."
Inside the new house.
Princess Lekang had long since removed her elaborate and heavy wedding dress and golden crown. After taking a bath, she lay comfortably on the bed, reading the latest storybooks published by Langhuan Pavilion.
In the past six months, many talented young ladies have submitted their works, and Langhuan Pavilion has successively published and sold many wonderful stories about women. There is also a travelogue co-written by Madam Sang and her partner, which is written in a beautiful and captivating style. It was well received as soon as it was published and even became quite famous among the literati.
The wedding candles were lit high, illuminating the entire room. She was engrossed in the celebration when suddenly the candle flame flickered and she instinctively asked, "What time is it?"
The palace maid glanced at the water clock and said, "It's almost 9 PM."
Princess Lekang frowned slightly, put down her storybook, and looked towards the door.
It's so late, why hasn't the prince consort come over from the front yard yet?
On their wedding night, they always have to put on a show.
not to mention……
Princess Lekang glanced at the palace maid standing by the bed without showing any emotion.
This was a gift from her mother before her marriage, ostensibly a trusted confidante to help her manage the princess's residence.
As for whose confidant it is, that's self-evident.
Princess Lekang remained silent, pondering what excuse she could use to get rid of her as soon as possible.
Before she could finish speaking, the palace maid spoke up: "Your Highness, I heard that Prince Heng and his consort went around toasting several times today. Perhaps they got drunk. Why don't I go to the front yard to look for them for you?"
No sooner had she finished speaking than the door was suddenly pushed open, and Jiang Yunlin rushed in, her face pale, as if she were being chased by a ghost.
Princess Lekang breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stepped forward to greet him with concern, "My lord, are you alright? I've been waiting for you for ages."
Jiang Yunlin composed himself and forced a reassuring smile. "I'm sorry to have worried the princess. I was seeing off the guests one by one in the front courtyard, which caused me to be late."
“We’re already husband and wife, why are you still calling me ‘Your Majesty’? It’s too formal.” Princess Lekang pulled her towards the inner room, but then noticed the palace maid following them out of the corner of her eye. She paused, “Is there something else?”
The palace maid clenched her hands, looking as if she dared not look up at Jiang Yunlin, and her voice became softer and gentler, "This servant, this servant, has come to serve the prince consort in bathing and changing clothes."
Jiang Yunlin's face darkened immediately upon hearing this. "No need. I don't like being served by outsiders. You can leave now."
The palace maid reluctantly left the room.
“She was sent by my mother.”
Princess Lekang pulled Jiang Yunlin into the private bathroom. The window paper reflected her figure as she undressed her husband. She explained in a low voice, "Tomorrow I will find an excuse to send her to serve elsewhere. The people in our courtyard must be absolutely reliable confidants."
She sighed, "It seems I'll have to trouble you again, my elder sister."
Princess Lekang had always grown up in the palace, under the watchful eye of Consort Lin, and had never had the opportunity to cultivate her own people.
“Actually, I don’t need anyone to wait on me,” Jiang Yunlin comforted her. “I’ll just put on a show for the next few days, and then I’ll move to the study in the front yard.”
Princess Lekang laughed and said, "That won't do. We've already publicly acknowledged our mutual affection before the Emperor. How can we separate rooms right after getting married? Besides, I'd like Sister Mi to teach me more about court affairs."
Jiang Mi is Jiang Yunlin's real name, which she told Princess Lekang on the day Emperor Qingxi bestowed the marriage upon her.
"Alright, as long as you want to learn, I will definitely teach you everything I know." Jiang Yunlin patted her head, finally revealing a touch of feminine tenderness when they were alone.
She looked at Princess Lekang like a little sister, and from now on, the two of them would keep this deadly secret together.
Princess Lekang, with her sharp eyes, suddenly noticed a suspicious red mark near Jiang Yunlin's ear and couldn't help but ask, "Why are there mosquitoes in the middle of winter?"
Jiang Yunlin paused in his unbuttoning, and let out a barely perceptible sigh.
"Yingying, there's something I need to tell you."
She looked earnestly at her ally, her tone tinged with conflict and helplessness: "I was delayed for a while in the front yard, not to see off the guests, but to check on the drunken Editor Qi in the guest courtyard, and then he..."
Jiang Yunlin lowered her eyes, a blush rising on her beautiful face.
"He seems to be interested in me."
Princess Lekang immediately perked up.
"Wait, does Editor Qi like you as a man or as a woman?" She nervously looked Jiang Yunlin up and down. "Has he found out you're a woman?"
Jiang Yunlin shook his head, his expression becoming increasingly conflicted. "I think he was drunk, so he probably didn't realize my true identity..."
"Good heavens!" Princess Lekang exclaimed, covering her mouth. "Then he's just like in the storybooks, fallen in love with a man?"
She's been obsessed with this story lately, and has even shed tears several times for the two men in the book who defied societal norms to finally be together.
"No, no." Princess Lekang realized what was happening, stared intently at Jiang Yunlin's peach-blossom face, and said with certainty, "Sister Mi, you like him too, don't you?"
Jiang Yunlin covered his face and lowered his voice: "So what? I've already entered officialdom as my brother. There's no possibility between me and Brother Qi."
They were from the same cohort and entered the Hanlin Academy together last year. Because they shared similar interests, they often spent time together.
Jiang Yunlin initially had her own selfish motives. The more she and Qi Xiuyuan acted like good brothers, the less likely anyone would suspect her identity.
But as time went by, she was no ordinary person, so how could she control her admiration for this talented young man beside her?
But she still had a great grudge to avenge, so she could only keep this affection deep in her heart and never reveal it.
However, tonight's unexpected event made her suddenly realize that it wasn't just wishful thinking on her part; Qi Xiuyuan also had feelings for her.
...But he didn't even know he was a woman.
Recalling the embarrassing scene of his escape, Jiang Yunlin's face grew even hotter. He grabbed a towel from the shelf, soaked it in cold water, and then applied it to his face.
"Oh, why are you shy?"
Princess Lekang forcibly took the towel off and said in a serious tone, "Since you like each other, why don't you talk things out sooner rather than later? At worst, you can meet at the princess's residence in the future, as long as... as long as you are careful and don't get pregnant."
As she finished speaking, her face flushed red, and her voice grew softer and softer.
Jiang Yunlin was both amused and annoyed: "...Aren't you thinking too far ahead?"
Even for the sake of her own career, she wouldn't do something so foolish.
Besides, if Qi Xiuyuan were to frequently visit the princess's residence, people who didn't know better would think that Princess Lekang had grown tired of her husband right after getting married and had gotten together with Qi Xiuyuan.
"I'm not afraid," Princess Lekang said confidently, raising her head. "My elder sister said that a princess should act like a princess. So what if I keep a few male concubines?"
She couldn't bear to see lovers forced apart. As long as Sister Mi and Qi Xiuyuan loved each other, she would just let her take the blame once.
“Yingying, thank you.” Jiang Yunlin’s expression became serious. “But don’t worry, I won’t put all of us in danger for the sake of a momentary romantic relationship.”
Her secret about her background was kept by Shen Lingyue, Yan Yi, Princess Tong'an, Princess Lekang, Imperial Physician Wen, and others, all so that she could go further and higher in the officialdom.
If she indulges in romantic love and acts recklessly, how can she face everyone?
So when she realized that Qi Xiuyuan was infatuated with her, her first reaction was to knock him unconscious, carry him to the bed with difficulty, keep him in a prone position so that he wouldn't choke on her, and then quickly run back.
Princess Lekang was a little disappointed after hearing her explanation, but she was even more impressed.
“Sister Mi, you’re amazing.” Princess Lekang sighed, twisting the hem of her clothes as she looked down. “Unlike me, I’m so useless. I still can’t forget him.”
If she could have a second chance, she would rather give up everything she has now and just want to be with Yun Zhi forever.
She looked at Jiang Yunlin expectantly, "Don't you think I'm a loser?"
"No, because you're still too young and don't understand what real suffering is." Jiang Yunlin gently pinched her cheek. "Alright, think about Master Yunzhi. You can do so much more for him. Isn't that another way of helping others?"
...
The next morning, Jiang Yunlin and Princess Lekang were having breakfast when a palace maid reported that Qi Xiuyuan had come to bid farewell to the prince consort.
"I'll go out and take a look. Please enjoy your meal, Princess." Jiang Yunlin nodded to her, then got up and went to the small flower hall outside to receive guests.
As soon as Jiang Yunlin got up in the morning, he instructed the maid to send Qi Xiuyuan a set of clean clothes. By this time, he was fully awake and still had the faint scent of soap on his body after his bath.
As soon as Jiang Yunlin entered the room, he spoke first: "Brother Qi, how did you sleep last night? You got yourself so drunk, it really startled me."
Qi Xiuyuan looked up at the newly appointed imperial son-in-law, who was beaming and full of vigor, with a complicated expression. It took him a long time to speak before he finally said, "Thank you for taking me in last night, my brother. I... I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"
"Really?" Jiang Yunlin shook his head. "I went to check on you in the guest room last night and saw that you were sleeping soundly. So I asked the maid to check on you every hour. I didn't hear anything wrong."
"Could it really be that I was drunk?" Qi Xiuyuan murmured. "I clearly remember last night..."
“Brother Qi,” Jiang Yunlin interrupted his reminiscence with a smile, “It’s getting late. You haven’t returned all night. Aunt Qi must be worried.”
"You're right, I should take my leave."
Qi Xiuyuan suppressed the faint sense of melancholy in his heart and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Jiang Yunlin.
Jiang Yunlin personally escorted him to the gate of the princess's residence and then arranged for a carriage to take him home.
As she was leaving, she patted Qi Xiuyuan on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Brother Qi, look at me, I'm younger than you, and I'm already married. You're the only son in your family, and your aunt must be hoping that you'll find a good man soon and have children, so you should hurry up too."
Qi Xiuyuan suddenly raised his head, a glint of something sinister in his eyes: "Is that really what you think?"
"yes."
Jiang Yunlin's smile grew even brighter, but only she knew that her palms, hidden behind her back, were about to be torn apart by her fingernails.
Get married soon, and forget me soon...
"Then I'll take your kind words, Your Highness."
Qi Xiuyuan coldly uttered these words and got into the carriage without looking back.
In the dimly lit carriage, he let himself lean back, his brain still slightly throbbing from the hangover, and fragmented images flashing through his mind from time to time.
Was the woman who came to his room last night really a maid from the princess's residence? Wouldn't he have taken liberties with an innocent stranger?
But he clearly remembered that before he lost consciousness, something warm and soft landed on his forehead.
Qi Xiuyuan raised his hand and gently stroked it, as if recalling the lingering touch.
That's it, alcohol really is no good, I'll never touch it again.
...
The wedding proceeded smoothly until Princess Lekang and Jiang Yunlin returned to their parents' home on the third day after the wedding to pay their respects to the emperor and his father. Nothing went wrong during the entire process.
Apart from a palace maid in the princess's residence accidentally soiling the memorial that the prince consort had just written and being relegated to guarding the storeroom in the northwest corner, everything was quiet.
Shen Lingyue waited quietly at home for several days, but didn't hear any bad news, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Another Lunar New Year's Eve has arrived in the blink of an eye. Everyone gathered at Songhe Hall to play mahjong and stay up all night.
Shen Lingyue's card skills have improved significantly after practicing every now and then over the past year, and she is eager to redeem herself.
Laughter echoed from inside Songhe Hall, drifting far outside and dissipating amidst the swirling snowflakes.
As the clock struck midnight, Shen Lingyue was the first to rush to her grandmother's side, "Grandmother, Happy New Year! Wishing you joy, health, and all the best! Here's a red envelope—"
"You little rascal, you've been waiting for this moment tonight, haven't you?" The old lady was already used to her lively antics, and she chuckled as she pulled out a stack of red envelopes from behind her back. "Come on, everyone gets one."
Shen Lingyue chuckled, then took a few steps back and, led by Pei Xian, offered New Year's greetings.
After having enough fun, they rushed back to Danyue Pavilion to catch up on sleep in preparation for the New Year's Day banquet a few hours later.
"The thought of having to go through this every year makes me wish I could fast forward to sixty years old."
At sixty, I won't have to suffer like this on the first day of the Lunar New Year...
Shen Lingyue yawned and got up, letting the maids do whatever they wanted to her.
Pei Jinghuai dressed much faster than her. He came out from behind the screen, adjusting his collar in front of the bronze mirror, and said, "Actually, there is another way to be absent openly and legitimately."
"What? Taking sick leave?"
Pei Jinghuai chuckled: "Pregnant women won't have to go to the palace to receive banquets anymore."
Shen Lingyue: ...Get out!
There's no need to make such a big sacrifice, haha.
They entered the palace amidst all the cursing and swearing. Shen Lingyue instantly regained her senses and obediently followed Meng Wanyin into the main hall with Yan Yi.
Since we're already here, let's cheer up and have some watermelon!
The melon-eating radar is activated, scanning for you—
"Our Emperor is truly vigorous for his age; there is even more good news coming from the harem."
"I wonder if Consort Wang's baby is a prince or a princess. She's truly blessed..."
? ? ?
Shen Lingyue squinted and strained to see ahead. Finally, not far from Consort Gao, she saw a young woman with a protruding belly, being carefully surrounded by several palace maids.
Even Consort Gao took good care of her, sending people to check on her from time to time.
Shen Lingyue was shocked and quickly pulled Yan Yi to hide under the table.
"No way, no way, another Wang Meiren has appeared?"
"Is it possible that the storyline involving Prince Heng is destined to be unskippable?"
"But he even changed his son-in-law!"
Yan Yi grasped her hand, applying slight pressure, "Don't panic, she's just a pregnant concubine, and Wang is a common surname, it's normal."
“But…” Shen Lingyue frowned, her face filled with deep worry for the future, “I really don’t want to see any more bloodshed, and what about the princess…”
Ever since they learned that Princess Tong'an harbored ambitions to seize the throne, she and Yan Yi had carefully reviewed the predictions given by the "golden finger" (a powerful magical ability).
In the storyline of the failed coup at the Heng Palace, Princess Tong'an and her husband Wei Shao seem to be completely omitted.
In the storyline that Yan Yi saw, which depicted Princess Tong'an's successful ascension to the throne, the figures of the older princes, such as Prince Heng and Prince Yu, were also nowhere to be found.
Are they destined to be unable to coexist and to fight to the death?
"Don't rush, wait a little longer."
Yan Yi repeated her words, and her calm and composed expression finally comforted Shen Lingyue, allowing her to quickly adjust her emotions and eat and drink as if nothing had happened.
On the sixth day of the second month, good news came from the palace:
Consort Wang gave birth to the eighth prince safely, and His Majesty was overjoyed, promoting her to the rank of Consort Wang.
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