Chapter 3 The ceremony is completed.
Even though I haven't had a proper rest these past two days, I still can't fall asleep now that I'm finally at ease.
My half-wet hair was pressed against my body, which was very uncomfortable, and the sweet fragrance wafting through the curtains was a bit cloying.
Lingyi then remembered that her governess had taught her that the princess's nuptial wine contained a drug. It was harmless to drink on its own, but when combined with the incense in the bedchamber, it could arouse desire. Originally just a fun item for the harem, it was later used on the princess's wedding night to alleviate the pain of losing her virginity.
Whether it was psychological or the incense in the tent really worked, she gradually felt her mouth dry, a warm current rising in her lower abdomen, and an unfamiliar itch spreading throughout her body.
Lingyi tried her best to endure it, but the sheets beneath her were crumpled by her hands, and she still could not suppress it, and she became increasingly hot and unbearable.
Left with no other choice, she got up to open the bed curtains, but the sweet fragrance dissipated, and the effects of the medicine wore off.
The bed curtains were on the outside of the bed, on the side where Qin Lie slept. Ling Yi carefully crawled over, knelt beside his legs, lifted the bed curtains, and tried to hang them on the gold hooks over there.
If it were her own bed in her palace, she could easily hang it up, but this wedding bed was made to Qin Lie's height and was much longer than hers. Not only could she not hang it up, but she also fell over with a sudden thud. She suppressed a gasp and reacted quickly, bracing herself on the bed with both hands and arching her back to avoid crushing Qin Lie.
Although her heart was still pounding, she breathed a soft sigh of relief. Thank goodness...
Before she could even get up, two large hands gripped her waist.
The next moment, the world spun around her, and she found herself leaning against the bed, with Qin Lie's dark eyes right in front of her.
His face was close enough to touch, and his voice was hoarse: "I originally pitied the princess for being tired, but I did not expect the princess to be so impatient. First, she used a secret medicine to arouse her, and then she threw herself into my arms. This is so improper, and it is my fault."
Lingyi wanted to explain, but his gaze fixed her there.
While his words carried only a hint of sarcasm, his eyes were extremely cold and sharp.
It was as if it were her imagination, because the next moment Qin Lie's eyes turned dark again, and he reached for her chest, tearing open her inner garment.
Granny Zhao waited outside for a long time before finally hearing noises coming from inside. The sounds lingered for a long time, and she couldn't help but think to herself, "The prince consort is a general, and his figure is clearly that of an extremely heroic man. The princess is young and delicate, while the general is a few years older, yet he shows no tenderness whatsoever towards her. The princess is also rather unseemly; although she didn't scream or cry out, her moans were affected and coquettish, utterly shameful."
Then he thought that this was in accordance with the Emperor's wishes, so he felt relieved.
Lingyi's half-dry hair was soaked with sweat again. Thanks to the secret medicine, the pain of losing her virginity, though it brought tears to her eyes instantly, was not unbearable.
What was unbearable was the persistent swelling, which became increasingly pronounced with the endless movements of the person on top of me.
Lingyi couldn't help but reach out to push him away, but the man grabbed both her wrists with one hand and pinned them above her head.
This forced her to straighten her upper body, making her posture even more embarrassing...
Having no other choice, Lingyi remembered the method her aunt Liu Cui had taught her, and forcefully tilted her head back to bite Qin Lie's prominent Adam's apple.
This was just the first move that Aunt Liu Cui had taught her. Before she could even use it, she heard him groan and grab her by the neck, pressing her firmly onto the bed. Lingyi felt as if her small body was about to fall apart and she was afraid she was going to die here. Tears streamed down her face.
Qin Lie finally collapsed onto her.
Lingyi was so overwhelmed that she could barely breathe. She reached out and pushed him away. He got up, put on his undergarments, and went to the clean room.
Even though she was the one suffering the most, Lingyi always felt that the look he gave her before he got up was extremely unfriendly.
She only felt strange and didn't think much of it. Her body and the bed were a mess, so she rang the bell.
When the palace maids came in this time, their breathing was much lighter. After the two of them finished bathing, the palace maids had already made up the bed again. Lingyi was exhausted and immediately fell into a sweet dream after lying down.
When Granny Zhao and her entourage left, it was already past midnight. She instructed the palace servants on duty to keep watch, and then went to a side room to rest for two hours. She returned before dawn the next day to wait and serve the princess as she got up to wash.
Just as dawn broke, noises came from inside the house again, which lasted for a long time before finally stopping.
Before long, the prince consort pushed open the door and came out. Facing the large group of people outside, he ignored them and did not stop walking for a moment.
Lingyi, who only got up at the end of Chenshi (7-9 AM), was not as shameless as him and felt deeply ashamed to face anyone.
A princess should be dignified and elegant, setting an example for all women. Her sexual relations with her husband should not be too long, too frequent, or excessive.
Before she could wake up, the prince consort pressed down on her. Without the clitoris, she was in great pain and could only sob. He pinched her face and looked at her tear-filled face, but seemed to be even more pleased.
She couldn't resist any longer and tried to use the same trick again, but he was already on guard and pinned her down on the bed so she couldn't get up.
Left with no other choice, she remembered the most shameful moves taught by Aunt Liu Cui, and secretly exerted force below her. He hissed and gasped, almost glaring at her with hatred, and after another fierce assault, he finally surrendered.
She thought that Granny Zhao would scold her, but to her surprise, Granny Zhao not only did not scold her, but her eyes were filled with relief.
"Granny," Lingyi asked anxiously during her meal, "Is it too late for me to visit my aunt and uncle now?"
Even a princess must pay respects to her parents-in-law on the second day of her marriage; otherwise, she would be considered disrespectful to her elders.
Zhao Mama said, "The Prince of Dingbei and his wife have not returned to the capital. Only the Crown Prince's wife and the Prince Consort have returned together. My sister-in-law is not an elder. She is just a Crown Prince's wife from a different family. She should be the one to pay her respects to the princess."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a palace servant came to report from outside the door, "Princess, the Prince Consort is coming this way with the Crown Princess and his brother."
Lingyi hurriedly put down her silver chopsticks, and was served by palace maids to rinse her mouth. After tidying her appearance, she sat upright in the main hall.
Qin Lie strode in, dressed in a black outfit, with a handsome face and a cold expression, still exuding an imposing aura.
After last night, Lingyi couldn't help but blush when she saw him, and quickly looked away, looking behind him.
Behind him followed a woman in her thirties, dressed in the robes of an imperial consort, and a young man in his early twenties, also dressed in a close-fitting outfit, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, looking very dashing.
When the two men arrived at this time, Lingyi suspected that they knew she hadn't settled down so late because of the reckless things she had done the night before, and she felt very uncomfortable.
Unexpectedly, the two men became even more rude upon seeing her, their gazes fixed on her face as if they were in a daze.
Qin Lie coughed lightly, and the two of them came back to their senses.
The woman bowed and said, "Your subject, Lady Zhen, the wife of the Crown Prince of Dingbei, greets the Princess."
The man cupped his hands in greeting: "Qin Hong greets the princess."
Qin Lie said from the side, "This is my second sister-in-law, and this is my second uncle's fourth brother."
Lingyi gestured to the palace maids to give them the prepared gifts, saying, "Second sister-in-law, fifth brother, please don't stand on ceremony. We're all family, there's no need for such formalities."
Lady Zhen refused to rise: "His Majesty has merged Chongzhou and Tongzhou into Jizhou, and everything needs to be sorted out from scratch. The elders and the Crown Prince are too busy with official duties to get away. Because my grandmother is unwell, the Princess Consort stayed at the Prince's residence to take care of her. Therefore, only the two of us accompanied my third brother back to the capital. There is a reason for this, and it is not out of disrespect to the Princess. I hope the Princess will forgive me."
Lingyi said, “I have lived in the palace for a long time and am not very familiar with these human relationships. However, I do know that the Prince of Dingbei has made great contributions in guarding the border for Daqing. I am just a junior and it is my duty to pay him a visit. How can you blame me?”
She spoke in a serious and dignified manner, but in reality, these were all clichés taught to her by Granny Zhao. Lingyi counted them one by one under her long sleeves, afraid that she might make a mistake.
She suddenly felt Qin Lie looking over, and her ears immediately turned bright red. She sat stiffly, her face tense, trying her best to maintain the demeanor of a princess.
Little did others know that her affected manner did not appear dignified or solemn; rather, it was like watching children perform in a play, which they found merely amusing.
Qin Lie withdrew his gaze and said to Zhen Shi, "Heaven's grace is boundless, and the princess is kind and understanding. She naturally understands that our situation is understandable. Second sister-in-law, please get up quickly."
Only then did Madam Zhen get up, and the three of them sat down. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, they took their leave.
Lingyi immediately collapsed, slumping and staggering.
Zhao Mama wanted to scold her, but remembering the bluish-purple marks on the princess's body when she bathed that morning, she stopped herself from speaking.
After Qin Lie and the other two left the courtyard, Qin Lie left Qin Hong behind and instructed him: "Avoid some people and get some colorless and odorless contraceptive medicine."
Qin Hong exclaimed in astonishment, "Ah!" and asked incredulously, "You consummated your marriage with her?"
Qin Lie said calmly, "She drugged me last night."
He consummated the marriage not because of the drug's effects, but because the princess dared to drug him, if he didn't accept the offer, all his previous act would be hard to believe.
Qin Hong was even more astonished: "Drugned?! That little princess?!"
That seemingly delicate and frail girl from just now is actually so fierce!
He really wanted to say, "Third brother, you've been wronged because of the Qin family."
But when I thought of that little princess's face, I really couldn't say those words; in fact, I felt a damn envy.
His heart was in turmoil, his face contorted, and finally he managed to utter, "Take care, Third Brother."
Qin Lie: "?"
Qin Hong then asked, "How many sets do you want?"
Qin Lie said, "We'll be there once we reach Lijing. Judging from the current situation, it should take at most ten days."
There were more than a dozen of them. The little princess's pretty face flashed before Qin Hong's eyes, and he grew increasingly worried: "You must be very careful. If she gets pregnant with your child, Grandmother will probably beat you to death! And your sister-in-law..."
"Don't worry," Qin Lie interrupted him, "Even if we consummate the marriage, it'll just be for show."
.
Lingyi took another nap in the afternoon. After waking up, she had nothing to do, so she wandered around the mansion.
This general's mansion was the Qin family's former residence in the capital. Later, his grandfather volunteered to guard the border, and the whole family moved to Jizhou. Only a few servants were left to manage this mansion.
Even though they had made some preparations for the wedding and brought some servants, the mansion still looked somewhat dilapidated, with few people and very empty.
After looking around, Lingyi felt that even at the height of General Qin's power, there was nothing much to see in the mansion.
Although the courtyards were not small, they had neither the scenic beauty of a garden nor any place for entertainment. They only had almost identical studies and training grounds in every courtyard, even the young lady's courtyard.
After walking around like that, it was time for dinner when we returned.
On the small table were eight dishes (four cold, four hot, and one soup), a bowl of white porridge, and four plates of dessert.
Lingyi asked, "Where is the Prince Consort? Has he returned for his meal?"
The palace servants looked at each other, but no one answered.
Originally, the princess had the right to inquire about the whereabouts of her husband, but no one dared to ask.
Granny Zhao coughed lightly, feeling a little awkward. "The Prince Consort has only been back in the capital for a short time, so he probably needs to visit some old friends. It's getting late, so why don't you have your meal first, Princess? You can leave some dishes for the Prince Consort so that he can be served immediately if he's hungry when he returns."
Lingyi thought it made sense. After washing her hands, she sat down. Before she could even pick up her chopsticks, Qin Lie returned.
Granny Zhao added a bowl and chopsticks for Qin Lie.
Palace rules dictate that one should not speak while eating or sleeping. The princess's dining etiquette was impeccable, but with such a prominent person sitting opposite her, even though he wasn't looking at her, Lingyi felt that she was doing something wrong. After a few bites, she put down her silver chopsticks.
Qin Lie glanced at the small table, which was piled high with food, and raised an eyebrow, asking, "Aren't you going to eat?"
Lingyi didn't want to say that her poor appetite was because of him, so she just said, "I slept for half the afternoon and I don't feel hungry yet."
Qin Lie didn't say anything more, but reached out and placed the bowl of white porridge in front of her in front of himself.
He ate very quickly, but his manners were not rude. However, Lingyi didn't care about such things at the moment and only felt her cheeks burning.
She drank two mouthfuls of that plain porridge, how come he didn't find it dirty?
He drank her leftover porridge like that, in front of so many people... how could he be so shameless?!
After Qin Lie finished his porridge and the other dishes, he looked up and saw Ling Yi looking at him with a red face and biting her lip in a mournful tone.
Seeing him look over, she gave him an angry look, like a fluffy ball of fur that had been poked in the head, snorted, and turned to leave.
After visiting three martial arts arenas outside, the heat on my face finally subsided, and the sky had already darkened.
Pearl shrank her neck: "Princess, it's chilly at night, and the General's Mansion is quiet and dimly lit. Let's go back first."
Lingyi can now distinguish her four personal maids. The two older ones are Baozhu and Mingzhu, while the younger ones are Zhenzhu and Yuzhu.
Lingyi knew she was right; many places in the mansion were dark, and she was afraid.
But she just didn't want to go back—what would she do back there? Go back to sleep?
The thought of sleeping brings a different kind of fear.
If she didn't go back soon, she was afraid that Granny Zhao would come looking for her, and Lingyi didn't want to listen to Granny Zhao's nagging.
The head maid was already capable of restraining the princess, especially since she was sent by Consort Guo. If she herself acted uprightly and honestly, that would be fine, but it was unreasonable for a newlywed to refuse to share a room with her husband.
She went back reluctantly, hoping that Qin Lie would already be gone when she returned.
With so many empty courtyards in the general's mansion, and his own study, he could easily find a place to sleep.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, she saw the palace servants on duty waiting outside, including Granny Zhao.
The old nanny immediately scolded Pearl and Jade for not knowing the rules, saying that she had taken the princess out for so long, leaving the prince consort waiting alone in the room.
These words were clearly meant for Lingyi's ears, but Lingyi was no longer concerned with her veiled insults. The thought of Qin Lie inside filled her with bitterness.
As soon as she entered, four or five palace maids rushed in and busied themselves with tasks.
After taking a bath this morning, someone brought her hot water to rinse her mouth and wipe her face, someone removed her jewelry and let her hair down, and someone brought her bedclothes to help her change.
After removing their makeup, they still need to apply face cream, hand cream, and neck oil to moisturize their skin. If Lingyi didn't find it greasy, she would also have to apply a layer of hair oil to nourish her hair.
Normally, Lingyi wouldn't bother with this for ten days or half a month, but today she was doing it on purpose, hoping to delay until Qin Lie, who was always leaning against the bed reading, went to sleep.
Even after all the palace servants had left, Qin Lie remained engrossed in his book, showing no sign of wanting to go to sleep.
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