Song Mansion.
When Song Changrun woke up, he felt a splitting headache. He struggled to sit up, holding his forehead, and then he heard a woman's voice, "You're awake. Come with me to serve tea to my parents."
He looked in the direction of the sound and was stunned for a moment when he saw the woman sitting in front of the mirror doing her makeup.
He shook his head, trying hard to recall what happened last night, but only some hazy fragments came to mind. He felt that although the princess he saw today was beautiful, she lacked a certain charm.
Perhaps it was because her expression was too cold at the moment...
Song Changrun glanced at the white wedding veil that had not yet been put away on the bed, where a spot of blood was particularly noticeable.
"Mother came by?"
"Um."
Why didn't you wake me up?
She said she saw you were too tired and wanted you to get some more sleep.
Song Changrun was suddenly in a good mood. He threw off the covers and got out of bed, letting the maid help him change his clothes.
After they finished getting ready, the two went together to serve tea to Master Song and his wife. Because of Wei Yinqiu's status, she was granted special permission not to kneel and could serve tea standing up.
The Song family only had one legitimate son, Song Changrun, so you can imagine how much he was favored. Moreover, he was quite talented, having passed the imperial examination with top honors and now holding the fourth-rank position of Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.
As a third-place scholar in the imperial examinations, Song Changrun was naturally handsome and refined, with a gentle and elegant demeanor. Looking at him, who could tell how many cunning schemes he harbored?
Actually, Wei Yinqiu hadn't initially intended to go to such extremes; she could simply avoid the wedding night. But Qingying's words changed her mind.
She said, "Besides his three concubines, Song Changrun also has illicit affairs with several maids. In addition, he has a lover in Yunfang Courtyard. He's keeping a wife at home while having affairs on the side. Why should he be allowed to be so promiscuous?"
Yes, why should he? Just because he's a man, does he think he can get so dirty and then try to smear her reputation?
Besides, all she wanted was to be with the person she loved, what was wrong with that?
After serving the tea, she returned to her room and lay down on the chaise longue to rest. She had been tossed and turned for so long last night and hadn't slept well in the latter half of the night, so she was completely exhausted.
Just as she was dozing with her eyes closed, a warm, large hand slowly covered her waist. She stiffened and suddenly opened her eyes.
The man breathed on the back of her neck and whispered in her ear, "My wife..."
She suppressed the churning in her stomach, grasped his hand in return, slowly turned around, and softly called out, "Runlang."
Song Changrun stared at the woman's beautiful face in front of him, somewhat infatuated, "My wife is really beautiful."
He moved closer little by little, and just as his lips were about to touch Wei Yinqiu's lips, she covered his mouth. He was stunned for a moment, his face full of confusion.
“We are newlyweds, and I know that Sanlang dotes on Yinqiu, but last night…” She paused, lowered her head shyly, and said in a soft and seductive voice, “Yinqiu’s body is too weak to bear it.”
Song Changrun immediately understood and said with a smile, "It was my recklessness last night that hurt you, my wife. You are delicate and fragile. I will definitely be more careful in the future."
Unexpectedly, "acting cautiously" could be used in this way, but to Wei Yinqiu, it only sounded sticky and disgusting.
Fortunately, Song Changrun was a considerate person and did not continue to pester her. He even thoughtfully helped her into the inner room to rest and instructed the servants to make her a nourishing soup.
The following night, the two lay on the same bed and inevitably their skin touched. Song Changrun's hand moved closer to her under the quilt, but she refused again with the same excuse she had given the day before.
Song Changrun did not force her, but lay on the bed staring at the bed curtains above him, feeling very distressed. He couldn't help but wonder: When did I become so powerful? Or was it because I drank too much the night before and hurt my wife without thinking?
Wei Yinqiu turned her back to him, closed her eyes, and pondered silently. She wasn't lying; her body was indeed still aching, but it was also true that she didn't want to be close to Song Changrun.
She secretly pondered when would be the best time to implement her plan...
Perhaps it was a blessing from heaven, but she got her period early the next morning, and there was nothing Song Changrun could do about it.
She was in a very good mood, and even on the third day after her marriage, when she went to the palace to see the Empress Dowager, she was beaming.
Since the marriage was arranged, her relationship with the Empress Dowager has plummeted to a freezing point, and the two haven't had a proper conversation face-to-face for a long time.
"Yongning is back." The Empress Dowager smiled when she saw her, her usually gentle face beaming.
But she knew very well that the Empress Dowager was a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Back when the late emperor was in power, the Empress Dowager was the Empress in the central palace. Everyone said that the Empress was kind, virtuous, and dignified, but little did they know how many lives had been lost in the harem because of her. She never dealt with her enemies personally; her greatest skill was using others to do her dirty work. No matter how many favored concubines came and went in the harem, she always remained firmly in her position as the mistress of the harem.
Throughout history, those who have the last laugh in the imperial harem have never been kind-hearted individuals.
Wei Yinqiu stepped forward and gracefully bowed, "Yongning greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
"Rise quickly and come here so that the Empress Dowager can have a good look at you."
To be honest, Prince Xian was not the Empress Dowager's biological son. The Empress Dowager had two sons in total, one of whom is the current emperor, and the other is Prince Yu.
If she hadn't been raised by the Empress Dowager's side since childhood, she probably wouldn't have been qualified to call her "Grandmother."
She sat down next to the Empress Dowager, who carefully examined her face and said with a smile, "You look much healthier; it seems that the Third Prince of the Song family treats you well."
"Yes, he treats me very well."
Consort Yan, standing nearby, said, "My aunt has excellent judgment; this Third Son of the Song family is someone we can entrust with our affairs."
Wei Yinqiu glanced at her, just smiled and didn't say anything, but thought to herself: If you think it's so good, why don't you marry your own niece to him?
Back then, the eldest daughter of the Yan family was in love with Song Changrun. It was Consort Yan who intervened, choosing another husband for her niece and forcing her to marry him. Otherwise, she wouldn't be the young mistress of Song now.
But this is for the best. Although Song Changrun is talented and a womanizer, he is just a spoiled brat who has been pampered by his family. He is not very clever and is easier to fool. If it were someone else, she would not be able to guarantee that the plan to switch the bride and groom on their wedding night would have gone so smoothly.
After speaking with the Empress Dowager in the palace for a while, he encountered Wei Huaixu when he came out.
"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
"No need for formalities." Wei Huaixu remained as gentle and refined as ever. "I remember you used to call me Crown Prince Brother."
She was stunned for a moment.
In fact, they hadn't seen each other privately since Wei Huaixu returned from his campaign. Firstly, she was preoccupied with her own affairs and had no time to pay attention to him; secondly, she disapproved of his behavior with Liu Shushu.
Wei Yinqiu didn't follow up on his words, but instead asked gently, "Did Your Highness wait for me here on purpose?"
"Yes," he answered readily.
"Oh? What are your orders, Your Highness?"
"Someone asked me to bring you something." As he spoke, he took out a maple leaf from his sleeve.
Upon seeing this, Wei Yinqiu's pupils trembled.
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