Chapter 57 I'll be gentle, I promise it won't hurt
Eunuch Wei was a eunuch who grew up in the Zhou family and served the late emperor.
When Zhou Chuanxing's brothers were born, Eunuch Wei was always by their side serving them.
The children from back then have all grown up now.
Unfortunately, their parents died early, leaving behind only a few children who have struggled to survive until now.
Grandpa Wei genuinely cared for the children as if they were his own.
Unfortunately, he was just a eunuch, and there was very little he could do.
As Zhou Chuanxing helped him to the throne, he recalled the past and tears streamed down his face. It took him a while to wipe them away.
"Of all you brothers, you've worked the hardest. You've been leading troops in battles all these years. It's not only tough, but also very dangerous. If it weren't for you, how could the Great Zhou Dynasty have survived until today?"
If the Empress Dowager were still alive, your marriage to Prince Duan and Chao Li would have been arranged, but the Empress Dowager...
"Alas, this old servant truly feels sorry for you all."
Zhou Chuanxing spent most of his time leading troops in the field, always pretending to be an emotionally detached person.
But in today's situation, even the most hard-hearted person cannot remain unmoved.
"Godfather, please take good care of Nuannuan and me in the future."
Eunuch Wei was ashamed, "How could this old servant possibly take care of you?"
Zhou Chuanxing didn't expect Wei Gonggong to help him much. "I would like to ask you to be the judge and witness of my marriage with Nuannuan."
At this point, Eunuch Wei understood that he was to be used as a tool.
"Your Highness, you and Nuannuan are a match made in heaven, a truly perfect couple. This old servant is honored to officiate your wedding today, wishing you a blessed and harmonious marriage that lasts a hundred years."
Zhou Chuanxing's eyes were filled with tears as he looked down at the beautiful and delicate young girl.
"Nuan Nuan, will you marry me?"
Although there was no grand wedding or elaborate wedding attire, Tang Xinuan was very happy.
"Erlang, I do."
Zhou Chuanxing couldn't help but hug her, embracing her tenderly.
He released her after a moment. "Today was a bit rushed. Let me find the Imperial Observatory to choose an auspicious day for us to get married in the mansion."
Tang Xinuan nodded obediently: "I'll do whatever Erlang says."
The two stood up.
Tang Xinuan was exhausted after a long day, so Zhou Chuanxing ordered someone to take her to the inner courtyard to rest.
Eunuch Wei understood what Zhou Chuanxing meant by getting married in the mansion; it couldn't be made public, so it was considered a private engagement.
How could one not feel heartbroken to see their child, whom they've grown up, suffer such injustice?
Watching Tang Xinuan leave, he gripped his whisk and said as if making a vow, "Your Highness, this old servant will risk his life to ensure that you can marry Miss Tang openly and honorably."
Zhou Chuanxing respectfully bowed and said, "Thank you for your kindness, godfather."
Eunuch Wei was moved to tears again.
After a moment's consideration, Zhou Chuanxing said, "It's too much of a waste for you to be a eunuch in the manor. You've worked hard all your life to take care of my father and mother, and now you're coming to the manor to take care of me. So I'll bestow upon you the title of Duke."
Eunuch Wei hurriedly said, "This will not do."
Zhou Chuanxing: "It is unreasonable for a dignified regent to recognize a father-in-law as his godfather. In that case, the wedding you witnessed will not be valid."
Eunuch Wei understood, "Then this old servant will accept the decree."
Zhou Chuanxing added, "However, I cannot bestow this title of Duke upon him; it must be done by the Empress. Do you understand what I mean?"
Eunuch Wei understood: "This old servant knows what to do."
Having watched the whole thing, Prince Duan felt as if he were watching a play.
After Eunuch Wei left, Prince Duan walked to Zhou Chuanxing's side, stroking his chin and pondering, "Second Brother, what exactly are you trying to do? I'm getting more and more confused."
Zhou Chuanxing gave him a cool look: "You don't study properly, you don't do your job properly, and you're not in a hurry to get married. I told you to get married and have a child as soon as possible, but you don't care. I have to make my own plans."
Prince Duan asked in surprise, "You've included me in your calculations?"
Zhou Chuanxing: "So, do you want to marry Miss Chu?"
Prince Duan replied without hesitation, "Of course I want to marry her, but she doesn't want to be with me."
Zhou Chuanxing was at his wit's end with his younger brother: "Then just let nature take its course, things will work out."
Tang Xinuan returned to the inner courtyard and sat alone by the window, seemingly lost in thought. Xiaoqian noticed that her fair face was getting redder and redder.
"Miss, did you and the Prince just... get married?"
Tang Xinuan didn't know what was going on either.
"They're at least engaged, right?"
She remembered reading in the book that engagements involved giving tokens of love.
"Xiaoqian, do you still have the inkstone that my grandfather gave me?"
Xiaoqian carefully recalled the whereabouts of the inkstone. "There must be one," she suddenly exclaimed, slapping her forehead. "I remember now. Back when you entered the Marquis's mansion, everything was kept by the madam. The year before last, the young master went to the storeroom to look for something and found that inkstone. He took it and it's now in his study."
Tang Xinuan vaguely remembered some things from her childhood.
Her grandfather often fiddled with that inkstone in front of her, and even said that when she got married, he would give that inkstone to her future husband.
Now that she has decided to marry Zhou Chuanxing, the inkstone naturally belongs to Zhou Chuanxing.
"Xiaoqian, when shall we sneak back to the Marquis's mansion and retrieve that inkstone?"
Xiaoqian was terrified of the young master. "Miss, this is too scary! What if the young master catches you and you try to get out again..."
Tang Xinuan knocked on the window, signaling Lian Qiao to come in.
"Miss Tang, did you call me?"
Tang Xinuan winked at her, "Have you ever stolen anything?"
Lian Qiao shook her head somewhat guiltily, "I'm a good person, how could I do such a petty thing?"
Tang Xinuan said regretfully, "Then we can't leave it to her. Xiaoqian, call Baihe over."
Lianqiao, who had always been vying for favor with Baihe, was not about to give up her chance. "Miss Tang, you should leave such a trivial matter as stealing to me. I guarantee I can handle it with ease."
Tang Xinuan drew on the inkstone and then drew a map of the Marquis's mansion.
“This is my cousin’s study. The inkstone is in his study. You’re going to steal it… no, that’s mine. You’re going to get it back for me.”
Lian Qiao confidently replied, "I guarantee I will complete the mission."
What is telepathy? When Tang Xinuan was pondering what to give Zhou Chuanxing as a betrothal gift, Zhou Chuanxing also thought of this.
Back then, the Empress had four jade bracelets made and gave one to each of the three brothers and Chao Li.
After finishing his duties in court, he went back to his bedroom, found the item, and delivered it to Tang Xinuan's bedroom.
"What is this? Is it for me?" Tang Xinuan couldn't hide her joy at seeing the gift; her eyes sparkled.
Zhou Chuanxing smiled gently and sat down opposite her. "Open it and take a look."
It is a jadeite bangle with excellent clarity and color.
"So beautiful."
Zhou Chuanxing took it and personally put it on her wrist. "This is what the Empress Mother prepared to give to her daughter-in-law. The Empress has one, my third brother has one, and Chao Li also has one."
Tang Xinuan has fair skin, and the exquisite jade bracelet makes her look even more like a fairy.
She held up her hand in front of Zhou Chuanxing and waved it, "Isn't it pretty?"
Zhou Chuanxing couldn't hide his amazement. "She looks beautiful. My daughter looks good in anything."
Tang Xinuan became even happier, "Erlang, you're so kind."
Tokens of love are naturally exchanged between the two parties. Zhou Chuanxing, worried that the young girl might not think of anything, took the initiative to remind her, "What about mine? What are you planning to give me?"
Tang Xinuan blinked and said mysteriously, "I've already asked Lian Qiao to fetch it."
Zhou Chuanxing was genuinely curious, "What was it? Where did she get it?"
Tang Xinuan really wanted to give him a surprise, but she just couldn't resist.
“It’s an inkstone that my grandfather left me. He said that when I got married, I would give the inkstone to my son-in-law as a gift.”
The little girl is growing up quickly and is already thinking about tokens of love.
Zhou Chuanxing was very happy.
"Okay, I'll wait for you."
Tang Xinuan added, "The inkstone is in the Marquis's residence. I drew a map, and Lianqiao went to get it for me."
Zhou Chuanxing couldn't help but hug the soft little girl.
Even if they were to pledge their lives to each other, they still had to go through the proper procedures; he couldn't let his little girl suffer.
Therefore, we still need to ask the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to choose an auspicious day.
Otherwise, he really wanted to share a bed with the girl, even if they did nothing, just leaning against each other would be nice.
Tang Xinuan spent the morning catching grasshoppers in the suburbs and the afternoon copying books. She was busy all day and started yawning not long after dinner.
She wanted to sleep, but Zhou Chuanxing wouldn't leave.
She has recently read a lot of the "Rules for Women" and has gradually come to understand the principle that men and women should not touch each other.
In particular, unmarried men and women are not allowed to sleep together.
"Erlang, aren't you leaving?"
Zhou Chuanxing really wanted to stay. He would be willing to stay by the bedside even if he didn't sleep with the girl, just by saying the word.
"Let's go, let's go," Zhou Chuanxing said, but he didn't move an inch.
His gaze fell on the little girl's long, smooth, black hair. "Nuan Nuan, let me help you with your hair."
Tang Xinuan was quite shocked, "You know how to use Tongfa?"
Every time she combed her hair, it became a mess. A few times she pulled her scalp and got so angry that she threw the comb.
"I can learn if I don't know how." Zhou Chuanxing looked at his little girl with a smile in his eyes.
Tang Xinu instinctively covered her head, "Then I don't want to, what if you hurt me?"
Zhou Chuanxing couldn't resist the urge to touch her, saying, "I'll be gentle, I promise it won't hurt."
Tang Xinuan didn't believe her, "It's obvious you don't know how."
"Trust me," Zhou Chuanxing said, holding her back from running away. "I learn very quickly, so I definitely won't hurt you. Be good, let me try first."
With the tragic air of a hero going forth never to return, Tang Xinuan straightened her back and said in a serious tone, "Then you come."
Zhou Chuanxing couldn't help but chuckle, "You're that scared!"
He first tidied his long hair, then held a comb and slowly combed it down from the top of his head.
Her long hair was smooth, like satin, without a single knot. The comb went straight through, so it wouldn't hurt her.
The girl is just being spoiled.
Does it hurt?
Tang Xinu shook her head with a tense expression, then flashed two rows of white teeth at Zhou Chuanxing.
To make amends for his guilty conscience, he said, "I was just thinking that your hands, which are used to wielding swords and spears, couldn't handle such delicate work."
"You think I'm rough around the edges?"
Zhou Chuanxing stopped giving her a piece of his mind, blew on his hands and tickled her, "You're already complaining about me before we're even married, you little rascal, just wait and see how I deal with you."
While dodging, Tang Xinuan picked up the blanket and threw it at him.
"You big bad guy, watch how I beat you up."
The two of them started playfully wrestling, and before anyone knew who had fallen first, they ended up in a position where the man was on top and the woman was on the bottom.
Zhou Chuanxing had never done anything so ambiguous before; even this ruthless man who killed without blinking an eye blushed.
Tang Xinuan was only wearing a thin gauze dress, revealing her fair and slender arms and long legs.
But she just didn't realize how alluring she was.
How alluring.
How deadly.
She pinched Zhou Chuanxing's cheeks hard. "Erlang, see how I deal with you!"
Zhou Chuanxing lost control and let out a muffled groan.
Tang Xinuan was startled. "What's wrong? Did I run into you?"
Zhou Chuanxing gritted his teeth and replied, "No."
Tang Xinuan said with some regret, "I've gained quite a bit of weight recently, I am a little heavy."
"Not fat, not fat," Zhou Chuanxing said, worried that she might be trying to control her weight. He felt bad for her losing even a gram of weight after all the effort she had put in. "It would be just right if you gained a little more weight."
He quietly pulled her down, covered her with a blanket, and shut her out of her alluring body.
Tang Xinuan protested, "It's so hot, and you're covering me with a blanket? Are you trying to kill me with heat?"
She blinked gently, her raven-feather-like eyelashes trembling slightly, and Zhou Chuanxing wondered if he had been completely captivated.
He suddenly turned around and pulled the person into his arms.
"Let me hug you."
Tang Xinuan was more generous than him, stretching out her arms to hug his back.
"Erlang, actually... we're already engaged, so you don't have to leave."
Zhou Chuanxing used to overestimate his self-control, thinking he could remain unmoved even when faced with temptation.
I only realized now that it was entirely because I hadn't met a girl I liked.
At this moment, all he wanted was to transform into a beast, to think of nothing, and to use his boundless energy to perform the most primal actions.
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