Chapter 31 "The candlelight flickered, the hibiscus-scented curtains were warm..."
Chapter 31: The Hibiscus-Scented Warm Tent
The moment the firecrackers went off, Su Wanyue, who was half asleep in the man's arms, suddenly opened her eyes. She was momentarily stunned, and then spoke in a soft voice: "Your Highness, may you have a happy new year."
Xiao Yu raised an eyebrow slightly. The biggest difference between this year and last year was that he now had a wife in his arms. Xiao Yu had always scorned women. When he lifted the red veil on their wedding night, he saw his wife's face clearly. But compared to her beautiful appearance, he preferred her interesting personality, because there was not a trace of love in her eyes when she looked at him.
At that time, his wife was just a stranger to him, and he didn't care whether she liked him or not. But at this moment, Xiao Yu was very curious about who she really had in her heart.
Thinking this, Xiao Yu's fingertips slowly climbed up the woman's slender waist to her chest. The woman's chest was covered with dense hickeys, vivid and fragrant, yet making her even more tempting to be bullied.
Xiao Yu's calloused fingers traced a circle along her slightly heaving chest. Her body was already sensitive after their lovemaking, and Su Wanyue let out a soft moan as she reached for the man's hand.
"I'm not comfortable serving the princess," Xiao Yu's fingers were more nimble than her small hands. He slipped his fingers through hers and clasped hers tightly. Su Wanyue couldn't avoid him and could only meet his deep gaze.
When they first got married, the man was extremely restrained in bed, never asking for sex more than three times a night. But from some point onwards, he started to "torture" the woman in various ways.
For example, tonight, she thought he wouldn't come over, so she went to bed early, but he still woke her up.
Su Wanyue frowned slightly. Was he also reading a storybook? That's why he had so many tricks up his sleeve.
□*□
This is the most sensitive spot on a woman's body. Su Wanyue trembled slightly, her small hands clenching tightly.
She had a habit of biting her lip when she was nervous. Xiao Yu pressed down on the back of her neck and pressed his forehead against hers. Then, the man took her delicate, smooth lips into his mouth and gently licked them. Because of his gentle actions, the woman gradually relaxed.
But just as she relaxed, the man bit her red lips. The woman subconsciously parted her lips slightly, and the man's tongue took advantage of the moment to enter, sucking the fragrance between her lips and teeth.
Su Wanyue let out a soft "woof," and her almond-shaped eyes welled up with tears again. Xiao Yu helped her relax while gently asking her where she felt unwell. He appeared gentle, considerate, and impeccably dressed. Su Wanyue grabbed his strong, firm arm and said, "Your Highness, it's getting late."
Xiao Yu: "Then Your Highness should rest."
Su Wanyue breathed a sigh of relief and was about to close her eyes when he gently and considerately adjusted her position and then hugged her from behind. The woman suddenly had a bad feeling.
The charcoal burning in the hall was plentiful, so one could not feel the slightest bit of cold. Under the soft hibiscus-scented curtains, the couple nestled intimately together. The woman's eyes were slightly closed, her forehead glistening with fragrant sweat. The man holding her from behind was in no better shape; the veins on the back of his hands were bulging, and his fair, jade-like face was tinged with desire. He looked down at the woman in his arms.
That night, the candlelight flickered, and the red waves rolled.
After their lovemaking, Su Wanyue was so exhausted that she closed her eyes and didn't even know when Xiao Yu took her to bathe.
Once back on the bed, Xiao Yu pulled his wife into his arms and let her rest her head on his arm. Su Wanyue seemed to find it too hot and kept trying to get away, but just when she had nowhere to hide, Xiao Yu suddenly pulled her into his arms. The sleeping woman frowned slightly, then obediently leaned against Xiao Yu's chest.
The next day at dawn, Xiao Yu went to the palace. Not long after Xiao Yu left, Su Wanyue woke up. Qin'er hurriedly led the maids in, "We wish Your Highness a happy new year and all the best."
Su Wanyue's eyebrows curved slightly, and her voice was gentle, "Everyone in the manor will receive a reward today. Go and collect it from the steward later."
Everyone beamed with joy, "Thank you, Your Highness."
The servants received a New Year's reward of ten taels of silver, plus two months' wages. The servants were overjoyed when they received the reward. After all, their princess was kind-hearted. You see, in previous years, because of Zhang Mama's meddling, the rewards they actually received were negligible. How could they not be happy?
In the Zixia Palace, several maids were doing Su Wanyue's makeup, some applying rouge, some styling her hair, and others tidying her clothes.
Su Wanyue wore a long, flowing, light blue brocade dress sent by Consort Qin, with tassels tied around her waist. Chunzhi and the others had never seen the princess wear a jade pendant at her waist before, and they guessed that the princess probably didn't like wearing jade pendants.
Since Xiao Yu was already in the palace, Su Wanyue took Qin'er to the palace at 5 PM. According to the rules, Su Wanyue had to go to Kunning Palace to pay her respects to the Empress first.
At this hour, Kunning Palace was filled with people, mostly concubines from the harem, followed by the Crown Princess, and other noblewomen and their families.
When Su Wanyue appeared, everyone's eyes fell on her. Su Wanyue gracefully bowed to the Empress, but the Empress could not be happy looking at the woman in front of her. Her tone was somewhat perfunctory, "Get up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress." Su Wanyue stood up. The seats at the front were for the concubines of the harem. The servants arranged for Su Wanyue to sit next to Crown Princess Lin Ruohan.
Before Su Wanyue sat down, she smiled at Lin Ruohan. Lin Ruohan smiled charmingly back at her. Not long after sitting down, Lin Ruohan suddenly clutched her chest while eating pastries, as if she was uncomfortable, and her face turned a little pale.
Such a commotion naturally startled the Empress and her ladies. The Left Prime Minister's wife covered her lips with a handkerchief and asked in surprise, "Oh dear, Your Highness, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
The ladies were all experienced women; if a woman suddenly felt nauseous, it was probably due to something in that area. Besides, the Crown Princess had been married to the Crown Prince for two or three years, so it wasn't strange for her to get pregnant at this time.
The Empress's face also showed a hint of joy, and she quickly sent someone to fetch the imperial physician.
Consort Qin yawned lazily, as if she wasn't interested in these matters.
The Empress was furious when she saw Consort Qin's expression. That wretched woman always had to provoke her. Pregnancy is a joyous occasion, yet this wretched woman showed such disinterest.
Fortunately, the imperial physician the Empress wanted arrived soon. The chief physician was the head of the Imperial Medical Academy and was highly skilled in medicine. After bowing to the Empress, he immediately took the Crown Princess's pulse through a handkerchief. Upon examining her pulse, the chief physician's face immediately lit up with a smile, and he said excitedly, "Your Majesty, the Crown Princess is pregnant."
The Crown Princess was indeed pregnant, and the Consort Xian, led by the Fourth Consort, along with a group of ladies, congratulated the Empress and the Crown Princess.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty the Empress! Congratulations, Your Highness the Crown Princess!"
Most people were congratulating the Empress and the Crown Princess, but quite a few people were also glancing at Su Wanyue and Consort Qin.
The Crown Prince and Prince Cheng were locked in a power struggle in the previous dynasty, and the Crown Princess and Princess Cheng were also vying for power. The Crown Princess was the daughter of the Great General Who Protects the Nation, who died on the battlefield. His deputy generals and other soldiers were all fully supporting His Highness the Crown Prince, making his influence extremely powerful. Princess Cheng was the legitimate princess of the Southern Qiong royal family, and Southern Qiong was certainly fully supporting His Highness Prince Cheng. There was a balance to be struck between them.
The Crown Princess is currently pregnant. If she gives birth to the eldest grandson of the Emperor after ten months, the Crown Prince's position will be even more secure.
The concubines and ladies present all understood the situation. Some of them had already glanced at Consort Qin and Su Wanyue. Consort Qin was not a petty person. She lazily offered her congratulations to the Empress. The Empress had finally managed to outdo Consort Qin, so of course she was not willing to let go of this opportunity. She smiled and said, "Speaking of which, since Weiyang married into Prince Cheng's mansion, she and Prince Cheng have lived in harmony. I thought Weiyang would be the first to conceive."
Su Wanyue was quietly drinking her tea when the Empress suddenly brought up the topic of her. The woman placed her delicate hand lightly on the white jade cup and said gracefully, "Your Majesty, Your Highness and I have only been married for half a year. We will discuss the matter of having children."
Consort Qin also said in a charming voice, "The matter of having children depends on fate. Weiyang and Yu'er have only been married for less than a year, so there is no need to rush. Didn't the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince also have children after three years of marriage?"
The Empress originally wanted to show off to Consort Qin, but unexpectedly, the other party resolved the matter so easily. The Empress's face immediately turned ugly, but she couldn't show it.
Looking at the situation before her, Lin Ruohan's charming eyes revealed a hint of irony. She softly called out to the Empress, "Mother Empress."
Upon hearing this, the Empress calmed down slightly. She smiled and patted Lin Ruohan's hand, then turned to ask the Imperial Physician about some things to pay attention to during pregnancy. She also said that the child in the Crown Princess's belly was the Crown Prince's first child, and the Imperial Physician should do everything in his power to take good care of him.
The imperial physician, unaware of the importance of the child in the Crown Princess's womb, responded with trepidation.
Just as things were peaceful in Kunning Palace, a young eunuch from Kunning Palace went to Yangxin Hall. Upon hearing this, the Emperor was surprised and asked, "Really?"
The young eunuch respectfully replied, "Absolutely true."
"You may leave." The Emperor was overjoyed and looked at the Crown Prince. "Crown Prince, you are about to become a father."
Xiao Ruofei's eyes widened, and the Emperor slowly added, "It is the Crown Princess who is pregnant."
Upon learning that the Crown Princess was pregnant, Xiao Ruofei made no attempt to hide his smugness. With this child, the General Zhenguo's subordinates would be even more loyal to him, giving him an extra bargaining chip and making his position as Crown Prince even more secure.
"Then I will go to the Empress Dowager's palace first." The Crown Prince was a man who could not hide his thoughts, and his eyebrows were filled with joy. He cupped his hands towards the Emperor and said.
The Emperor granted him permission to leave first. Once the Crown Prince left, only Xiao Yu and the two young princes remained in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. The Emperor's weathered and profound gaze fell upon Xiao Yu, and he said, "Crown Prince Qin should arrive soon. Yu'er, go to the Qianqing Palace first."
The Crown Princess's pregnancy is a joyous occasion, but the fact that the Crown Prince of Nanqiong is attending the New Year's Eve state banquet at the Qianqing Palace today is also a significant event.
"Your subject will take his leave now." Xiao Yu was tall and slender, with a sharp profile and features as beautiful as jade.
The other two young princes also imitated them well, saying, "Your subject will take his leave now."
Because it was New Year's Eve, the palace was brightly lit with red lanterns, as if it were daytime. Xiao Yu came out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, stood with his hands behind his back, and asked, "Where is she?"
"Your Highness, the Princess Consort is still in Kunning Palace."
According to custom, before attending the banquet, the ladies of the court had to go to Kunning Palace to pay their respects to the Empress.
Given tonight's situation, the Empress might seize the opportunity to bully the Princess Consort, Qingyi sighed.
==Second Update==
When Qingyi arrived at Kunning Palace on orders, the palace was bustling with activity. "This servant greets Your Majesty the Empress and His Highness the Crown Prince."
"Aren't you Prince Cheng's guard?" The Queen waved for him to rise, recognizing him at a glance.
Qingyi was polite and stood up, saying, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince Qin of Nanqiong and Lord Zhou have entered the palace. Your Highness requests the Princess Consort to come over."
With just the words "Prince of Nanqiong," the Empress naturally had to release him, given his noble status and status as a distinguished guest of the dynasty.
The Seventh Princess had seen enough of the excitement tonight. Seeing that Su Wanyue was going to Kunning Palace, the Seventh Princess immediately stepped forward, took her hand, and wanted to go with her.
Seeing this, the Empress suggested going to Kunning Palace now. The ladies had already been in Kunning Palace for more than an hour, so they were naturally eager to go.
However, in order to protect the fetus in Lin Ruohan's womb, the Empress asked Lin Ruohan to ride in the phoenix carriage with her. Lin Ruohan quickly said that she was fine, and the Empress then gave up.
However, since the Empress had already reported the matter to the Emperor and had not deliberately concealed it, everyone who attended the banquet knew that the Crown Princess Lin Ruohan was pregnant.
Qin Jue was aware of this, of course. He wasn't worried about whether Xiao Ruofei's position as crown prince was secure, but rather about what would happen if Wanwan became pregnant one day.
If Wanwan could remain a secret as Princess Weiyang for her entire life without anyone noticing, then if Prince Cheng were to ascend the throne one day, the child would naturally have a good home. But if Wanwan's true identity couldn't be kept secret forever, would Prince Cheng acknowledge the child she gave birth to?
Qin Jue hadn't thought about this issue in detail before, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt that it would be better for Wanwan not to get pregnant so early.
The eunuch leading the way for Qin Jue suddenly shivered. He was puzzled as to why the weather had suddenly turned cold.
The cold wind wasn't particularly biting. The eunuch pondered for a moment, then continued leading Qin Jue to the Qianqing Palace. As Qin Jue walked, he admired the scenery of the Beili Imperial Palace. After passing the Imperial Garden, they arrived at the Qianqing Palace after walking for about an incense stick's time. The pleasant fragrance of plum blossoms wafted through the air. The Qianqing Palace was filled with ministers, and only Xiao Yu was among the royal family. Qin Jue and Zhou Heng greeted Xiao Yu with smiles, "Your Highness Prince Cheng."
“Brother.” Xiao Yu smiled. “Lord Zhou.”
One was the Crown Prince of Nanqiong, and the other was an envoy from Nanqiong. The Imperial Household Department arranged for them to sit in the lower-ranking, more forward-facing positions. Qin Jue and Zhou Heng sat down.
All the ministers present had met Zhou Heng before, but had not met Qin Jue yet. Therefore, as soon as the two sat down, the ministers began to secretly observe Qin Jue.
Then they discovered that the Crown Prince of Nanqiong was on par with their Prince Cheng, both possessing stunningly beautiful appearances and elegant, otherworldly demeanor. The current Crown Prince was still considerably inferior to the Crown Prince of Nanqiong.
Just as the ministers were deep in thought, a eunuch's drawn-out voice came from outside the hall: "Her Majesty the Empress has arrived! Her Imperial Concubine has arrived! His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"
Everyone hurriedly stood up and bowed. The Empress sat at the head of the table, and her eyes immediately fell on Qin Jue. Her heart sank. This Crown Prince Qin from Nanqiong was obviously capable. But he was Prince Cheng's brother-in-law. The more capable he was, the more helpful Prince Cheng would be.
The Empress's joy at the Crown Princess's pregnancy was somewhat dampened, and she even resented that the General Who Protects the Nation had died too early. If the General Who Protects the Nation were alive, the Crown Prince's situation wouldn't be so difficult.
At 7:45 PM, the imperial procession arrived at Qianqing Palace, and the Empress hurriedly led a group of concubines in performing the grand ceremony.
The Emperor raised his hand and said, "Today is New Year's Eve, my beloved ministers, you need not be so reserved."
Everyone hurriedly offered a cup to the Emperor.
Because the Crown Princess was pregnant, after paying respects to the Emperor, many ministers below offered their respects to the Crown Prince, who was expecting a son soon.
Xiao Ruofei was overjoyed, drinking one cup after another. Originally, the New Year's Eve state banquet was to be organized by Consort Qin, and the Empress was particularly worried that Consort Qin would steal the spotlight tonight. Unexpectedly, the one who stole the spotlight in the end was the Crown Prince, and the Empress's mood instantly improved.
The Emperor glanced down at the lower ranks and asked Qin Jue, "I wonder if today's meal suits Crown Prince Qin's taste?"
Qin Jue nodded, rose gracefully to offer a toast to the Emperor, whose expression clearly showed his delight. The Emperor felt even more strongly that the marriage between Bei Li and Nan Qiong was the most correct decision. With this marriage alliance, Bei Li could prosper for at least another hundred years.
Amidst the clinking of glasses and the undercurrents of tension at the banquet, Su Wanyue lowered her eyelashes slightly. The Seventh Princess, innocent and romantic by nature, did not think too much about it. With a happy expression, she raised her jade cup and said, "I toast my sister-in-law, wishing her joy every year and a harmonious relationship with my brother."
Su Wanyue's expression became somewhat unnatural after hearing what she said. She drank the wine in her cup in one gulp and said, "I also wish the princess happiness every year and that she finds a suitable husband."
The seventh princess was surprised that her sister-in-law would say this to her, and she choked with embarrassment, saying coquettishly, "Sister-in-law."
The Emperor, seated at the head of the table, inquired about the recent situation of the Emperor and Empress of Nanqiong. Qin Jue answered with a smile, but his eyes were on Su Wanyue out of the corner of his eye.
Xiao Ruofei regretted not having won over the women before the Crown Prince of Nanqiong arrived at court. That way, he could not only have another pawn in the Prince Cheng's mansion, but also win over the forces of Nanqiong. Anyone with eyes could see that the Crown Prince of Nanqiong was more powerful than the Prince of Xiang of Nanqiong and would definitely become the ruler of Nanqiong in the future.
At the banquet, everyone had different thoughts.
After the Seventh Princess had eaten and drunk her fill, she took Su Wanyue to the Imperial Garden to admire the plum blossoms. Xiao Yu asked them where they were going, and the Seventh Princess replied that she was going to the Imperial Garden. She also promised Xiao Yu that she would be right back and that she would make sure nothing happened to her sister-in-law. Only then did Xiao Yu let her go, or more accurately, let Su Wanyue go.
The Imperial Garden is very close to the Qianqing Palace. The red and white plum blossoms are in full bloom, vying for attention. The Seventh Princess muttered, "It seems like the state banquet on New Year's Eve is always like this. Everyone has their own thoughts, but they all have to pretend to be very happy."
The Seventh Princess disliked attending banquets like this the most. She would avoid small banquets whenever possible, but she couldn't avoid state banquets like the New Year's Eve banquet.
The Seventh Princess, resting her chin on her hand, asked Su Wanyue, "Sister-in-law, do you like these banquets?"
Su Wanyue shook her head, and the Seventh Princess asked curiously, "So, how did you spend New Year's Eve back in Nanqiong, sister-in-law?"
Su Wanyue subconsciously wanted to tell the Seventh Princess that she used to spend New Year's Eve at the Southern Prince's Mansion, but the moment she was about to speak, she stopped herself. "Back in Nanqiong, I would also attend the banquet on New Year's Eve, but I would probably return to my own palace halfway through the banquet."
The seventh princess said "Oh," and then asked, "Will you stay up all night on New Year's Eve, sister-in-law?"
"I will stay up all night with my two older brothers and my cousin, and we will play leaf games while we stay up."
The Seventh Princess sensed the nostalgia in Su Wanyue's tone. This year was her sister-in-law's first New Year in Beili, so she smiled and said, "Then this year, I'll stay up with you to celebrate the New Year."
Su Wanyue naturally agreed.
They stayed in the Imperial Garden for a while before returning to the Qianqing Palace. In the very center of the Qianqing Palace, the third young lady of the Duke of Ling's mansion was performing. Her ten fingers were slender, and her music was extremely melodious.
After the Seventh Princess pulled Su Wanyue to sit down, she leaned close to her ear and whispered, "These should be prepared for Seventh Brother."
The Seventh Princess explained to Su Wanyue that because the Seventh Prince had returned to the capital after making meritorious contributions, many ladies in the court had long planned to marry their daughters to him as prince consorts. However, the Seventh Prince was assassinated in Fuzhou and did not return to the capital. These noble families were filled with regret. Fortunately, there would be other opportunities later.
Halfway through the banquet, the Emperor and Empress returned to the Jiaofang Palace. Consort Qin, who was also somewhat drunk, rubbed her charming peach blossom eyes and sent someone to ask when the Seventh Princess would return to the palace.
The Seventh Princess lowered her voice and said to Zhang Mama, "I'm going to Prince Cheng's residence tonight to keep my sister-in-law company on New Year's Eve."
Zhang Mama glanced at Su Wanyue, then bowed and returned to Consort Qin's side, relaying the Seventh Princess's words verbatim to Consort Qin. Consort Qin, who had always doted on this daughter, nodded upon hearing this.
Your Majesty, once the Empress and Consort Qin left, the Qianqing Palace was no longer so lively. Less than a quarter of an hour later, Xiao Yu wanted to take Su Wanyue away. Seeing that Prince Cheng and his wife were about to leave, the other ministers also began to leave one after another, especially Qin Jue and Zhou Heng, who had already stood up.
Seeing this, Xiao Ruofei also stood up. Qin Jue led his men to Su Wanyue and Xiao Yu. After saying a few words, Qin Jue and Zhou Heng left first. They would go to the Prince Cheng's Mansion tomorrow.
Because the Seventh Princess was also going to the Prince Cheng's residence, Su Wanyue invited her to ride in the same carriage. The Seventh Princess smiled innocently and was about to agree when Xiao Yu suddenly glanced at her lightly. The Seventh Princess instantly came to her senses and quickly waved her hand, "Sister-in-law, my carriage is right at the palace gate. I'll just ride in my own carriage. You should ride in the same carriage as my brother."
Just as Su Wanyue was about to say something, the Seventh Princess had already hurriedly left with her maids. Xiao Yu approached his wife with a gentle demeanor and said, "Let's go."
"I'm pregnant, and I'm not happy." Lin Ruohan stared blankly at the scene in front of her. Xiao Ruofei smiled effeminately when he saw her expression.
"I am very pleased," Lin Ruohan said with a charming smile.
Xiao Ruofei was also happy. Although he was still easily overshadowed by Xiao Yu, with this child, his position as crown prince was secure.
Because the Seventh Princess had set off first, she arrived at the Prince Cheng's residence a step ahead. The steward greeted her with a smile, "Princess, would you like to go in and rest for a while?"
The Seventh Princess shook her head. "My brother and sister-in-law should be here soon. I'll wait for them at the door."
Her brother and sister-in-law were only a short distance away from her, so they would definitely arrive soon.
Just as the Seventh Princess had expected, she had only been standing under the eaves for a short while when a low-key yet luxurious carriage appeared in front of them. Her brother got off first and then lifted his sister-in-law off the carriage.
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