Chapter 39 39 Sleeping Together
In the harsh winter, heavy snow fell on the vast northern land.
The mountains and fields turned into a blanket of white. A young boy, his feet sinking into the ankle-deep snow, ran across the snowfield, his padded jacket wrapped around his chest. His breath turned into white mist and dissipated in the cold wind. His nose was red from the cold, but his eyes shone brightly.
The route home, which he had walked countless times, was crystal clear in his memory. He ran towards home, leaving a long trail of footprints in the snow behind him.
Pushing open the half-closed courtyard gate, the creak startled two sparrows that were seeking shelter from the snow under the eaves.
"Yuezhi! Yuezhi!" the boy called out happily, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement, as if he had found some incredible treasure.
With his excited voice, the thick curtain of the main room was lifted from the inside, and a wave of warm air mixed with the faint scent of gardenias rushed out.
The woman wore a light pink cotton coat that had been washed until it was faded. Her long black hair was simply tied back with a silver hairpin, with a few strands hanging gently down her neck. She held an embroidery basket in her hands, and her wrists were still wrapped with unfinished silk threads.
"You're back? Look at you covered in snow." Her voice was gentle, with her usual tenderness, as she beckoned to him, "Come in quickly, don't catch a cold."
The boy strode to the eaves, carefully opened his padded jacket, and presented it to her like a treasure—it was a plump wild rabbit, its head smashed open, already lifeless.
"I learned to shoot it with a slingshot from Qiu Shi. The one I shot was the fattest." The boy looked up at her, his eyes sparkling.
Yuezhi was slightly taken aback, and a gentle smile spread across her eyes.
She hurriedly put down the embroidery basket, reached out, and gently brushed the snow off his hair and shoulders.
Warm fingertips brushed against his ear unintentionally, and the boy shyly squinted his eyes, put the hand holding the rabbit ears behind his back, and deliberately moved his face forward.
Yuezhi noticed the frost on his face and, feeling sorry for him, took out a handkerchief to carefully wipe it clean. She then rubbed her palms together to warm them and warmed them for him.
"My face was red from the cold after being outside all morning."
The boy smiled shyly, "I'm all grown up now, I'm not afraid of the cold anymore, I can help you with chores so you don't have to work so hard."
Yuezhi smiled gently and praised softly, "Our Aheng has grown up. He can even hunt rabbits now. This rabbit is really fat. I'll braise it for you tonight."
The tenderness in her eyes was more moving than the heavy snowfall.
She took his cold hand and led him into the main room, where the warmth melted away the boy's chill.
The two sat by the charcoal brazier to warm themselves. Yuezhi used the wild animal pelts that the neighbor had sent to make a collar for him. The boy sat quietly beside her, his body warmed by the smoke from the charcoal fire, and he gradually leaned against her.
In a hazy state, Yuezhi put the unfinished collar into the embroidery basket, stirred the charcoal fire, withdrew her arms and pulled his weary body into her embrace, softly humming a tuneless melody to lull him to sleep.
He mumbled incoherently, "Yuezhi, I'm really not afraid of the cold, I don't need to wear a scarf. I don't want you to be so tired."
"But I can't bear to see you get cold." Yuezhi hugged him and gently patted his back.
"Then I'll earn lots and lots of money to support you, and neither of us will get cold, so you can rest properly..." He leaned against her chest, his breathing gradually matching her heartbeat.
Before he fell asleep, Yuezhi's sigh of relief and pity still echoed in his ears, passing through the vast snow and warming his heart.
After a good night's sleep, I slightly opened my eyes.
The sound of his heartbeat from his dream hadn't disappeared; it still echoed in front of him. Pei Heng followed the sound and leaned closer, his cheek touching something soft and warm, the unique fragrance of a woman.
He blinked, and when he saw the delicate embroidery on the bodice in front of him, memories of last night flooded back like a tsunami, instantly making his face burn.
"That's not what the old woman was talking about..."
"It's okay, we can take it slowly."
"My husband."
The bride's coquettish words still lingered in his ears. Pei Heng took a deep breath and recalled the time when he shared a bed with Yue Zhi. He was just an innocent child back then, and he only felt that her body was fragrant and soft. The feeling of being held by her was both safe and secure.
Now, however... he has become her bedmate.
His face flushed, his eyes sparkling with a mixture of shyness and joy as he gazed at her body, which was not covered by her undergarments, lying on her side beside his pillow. The exquisite curves of her body were more beautiful and moving than the finest jade carvings.
There was no woman more beautiful than her in the world, and no one could stir his heart and make him yearn for her like she did. Even if it meant going against his conscience, he wanted to possess her.
He reached out and put his arm around her waist, embraced her intimately, and closed his eyes to continue his unfinished dream.
The morning sunlight streamed into the winding corridors, where festive red ribbons hanging from the beams drooped halfway, intertwined with the lantern tassels, casting dappled light and shadow on the ground.
The bonsai osmanthus in the courtyard was covered with golden flowers that shimmered in the sunlight. Its sweet fragrance spread throughout the princess's residence with the morning breeze, drifting past the closed windows.
As the sun rises in the east, the morning frost on the roof tiles melts, and warmth returns to the air.
Yuezhi opened her eyes somewhat dazedly, not knowing how long she had slept. She felt as if someone was lying in her arms.
On a frosty autumn day, she was weak and her bed was always chilly. A few days ago, it had been raining continuously, and she had to put a hot water bottle in to warm her feet before she could fall asleep. Now, the person in her arms was warm, even warmer than the hot water bottle. His shoulders and back were stiff, and the cheek pressed against hers had a distinct outline, making it impossible for her to ignore the clear touch. Her mind immediately became much clearer.
She got married yesterday, to a wonderful man, someone she truly loves.
Although there were some discordant noises and the two of them made some awkward and embarrassing mistakes, it was ultimately just a matter between the bedroom, and at worst, it was a private secret between them that they understood each other, so it wasn't really a problem.
Thinking this way, a gentle stream slowly flowed through my mind, on which floated a newly opened spring flower, which would leave a mark if gently pinched. The other half of my mind showed a bustling alchemical cave, with a scorching hot iron pestle standing on the burning coals, full of the roughness of brute force.
How can they get along? How can they be a good match?
Yuezhi blushed more and more as she thought about it, her heart pounding faster, and the hand she was holding behind the prince consort curled her fingertips slightly.
As she was pondering her unspeakable thoughts, the young man in her arms let out a satisfied groan, tightened his arms around her, and pressed himself against her. His deep, beautiful phoenix eyes slowly opened.
"What are you thinking about? Why is your heart beating so fast?"
A deep, magnetic voice sounded, and Yuezhi's heart tightened. She unconsciously pulled her arms back and hugged them to her chest. "It's nothing."
The young man remained silent, as if scrutinizing her feigned composure. Yuezhi pursed her lips, thought for a moment, and then said, "I'm thinking about what I need to do today. I should choose an auspicious time to visit your parents at the Liang residence. Although we can't live with them, we are family now, and we should show them proper respect and filial piety."
Pei Heng frowned. "Princess, you don't need to see them."
"Why?" Yuezhi was quite surprised. Wasn't the prince consort very filial to his parents? Why wouldn't he want her to see them?
Pei Heng patiently explained, "Since ancient times, the relationship between ruler and subject has always been one of mutual respect, followed by that between father and son. You are the emperor's sister, how can you be a subject to show filial piety? Even the princess's husband is first and foremost her subject, and only then her husband."
He ascended the throne and made her a noble princess so that she could enjoy a life of luxury, not so that she could better share her husband's burdens and fulfill her filial duties to her parents-in-law after marriage.
Moreover, the Liang family's marriage alliance with the princess was a blessing for the entire family. It was also because the Liang family members were reasonable and mindful of the bigger picture that he chose Liang Zhang as her consort.
In retrospect, this choice has been a mixed blessing.
She was pleased that Liang Zhang and the Liang family were indeed very sensible, but worried because they were so sensible, she had no choice but to continue to tolerate the existence of her nominal husband.
Instead of their sweet and loving words in bed, he wanted to talk to her about the unrelated Liang family.
Pei Heng concealed his emotions well, but Yue Zhi was skeptical when she heard his words. "But, can a daughter-in-law be disrespectful to her parents-in-law?"
This contradicts her simple understanding of the past twenty years.
“You are a princess, not a daughter-in-law of the Liang family. We have only seen incompetent and foolish emperors of the past marry princesses, causing them to be bullied by their parents-in-law. But we have never seen a wise and enlightened emperor in a prosperous era allow his sisters and daughters to serve their parents-in-law and care for their husband’s family after marriage.”
"As a princess, one should treat one's subjects with a balance of kindness and severity, and maintain a distance, rather than being lenient and kind. Doing so would only spoil them and cause them to lose their reverence for the royal family."
Pei Heng stroked her back and patiently taught her.
"I see..." Yuezhi gradually understood and said with shame, "I haven't read history books and didn't know these things."
Pei Heng smiled, propped his head up with his arm to look at her, "It's alright, we have a long time together as husband and wife, I can teach you slowly."
As before, if Yuezhi didn't understand something, he would teach her; if he didn't understand something, Yuezhi would teach him. They shared their innermost thoughts and talked about anything.
The sun was already high in the sky, and Yuezhi's stomach was growling with hunger. The two of them couldn't stay in bed any longer, so they had to get up.
After bathing, Pei Heng took out an inner skirt from the wardrobe and helped her put it on. Both of them put on their undergarments before calling in a maid to help them dress and wash.
The maids were all veterans who had worked in noble families for many years. They had seen and experienced many shady things, so they were extra careful in their work. They tried their best to speak to Yuezhi in a normal manner, and dared not glance at the "Prince Consort's" face.
After finishing his makeup, Pei Heng looked at the beautiful woman in the mirror with a smile on his lips and bent down to help her up.
"The imperial chefs haven't left yet. I'll take the princess to try their breakfast skills."
He was attentive and considerate in his words, but the arm that was supporting hers wrapped around her like a snake, his hand grasping her palm, their fingers intertwined.
As her hand pressed against his rough palm, memories of the night's wet, red stains surfaced in her mind, stirring her most sensitive nerves. In front of the servants, she felt both ashamed and unable to push him away.
In a soft voice: "My lord, you're holding on too tightly."
"That way, the princess can stay closer to me. If you walk close to me, you won't have to worry about falling."
Yuezhi blushed. "Won't the servants see this? Wouldn't that be beneath the dignity of the royal family?"
"This is the princess's and my home. At home, there is no need to be prim and proper; instead, the wife leads and the husband follows, and the couple plays music in harmony."
He spoke softly on purpose, which sounded to Yuezhi like he was coaxing her like a precious treasure, making her very happy. So she followed in his footsteps with peace of mind.
Inside the bridal chamber, the maids were tidying up.
She removed the red silk cloth, cleaned the candlesticks, picked up the scattered clothes from the floor, and took a basin to collect the bed sheet in preparation for washing...
Nineteen is the age when one can cause trouble. The bedding on the bed was in disarray, and all the auspicious symbols on the bed were thrown into the bed. The sensible Huachun leaned over and searched for a long time before finally finding the bridal veil at the foot of the bed.
The snow-white wedding veil was stained with red.
The inexperienced maids blushed upon seeing this, exchanged glances, and smiled shyly.
Soon they seemed to remember something, their smiles faded, and their eyes were filled with pity.
No one dared to ask the Emperor how he truly viewed the princess. He had given her the title of princess and treated her with the respect due to a brother, so why did he want to ruin the marriage between the princess and her husband? Now that the two had consummated their marriage, there was no indication that he intended to bring the princess into the harem...
The poor princess believed that the "prince consort" beside her was the gentleman she truly loved, unaware that the man beside her had already been replaced, and she was merely a blind sparrow being manipulated.
*
The breakfast prepared by the imperial chefs in the palace was delicious for Yuezhi. In the past, she could only drink a bowl of porridge and eat a noodle dish, but today she ate two baskets of steamed snacks and a bowl of thin noodles.
Golden glutinous rice cake, mushroom and crystal shrimp dumplings, Wensi tofu, chicken and silver needle noodles... every single one is delicious.
After she finished eating, a maid brought her some medicine. Pei Heng helped her drink it, and then he saw her face, which had been looking so happy while eating, scrunch up because of the bitter medicine.
Before Yuezhi could voice her complaints, Pei Heng was already dissatisfied.
Hua Chun asked, "Who brewed this medicine? Couldn't they have added some licorice or rock sugar to reduce the taste? Why make the princess suffer like this?"
Hua Chun bowed and replied, "Your Highness, the medicine was prepared by Physician Su. He has been away from the manor these days, so our maids have been watching over the preparation of the medicine. Because we are not knowledgeable about pharmacology, we dare not add or subtract ingredients from the medicine. Please forgive us, Your Highness."
Before Pei Heng could speak, Yue Zhi pressed him down, "It's alright, I'm used to taking this medicine. They're just following the rules, why blame them? I just hope Su Jingyun can complete the medical officer promotion assessment soon and come back to the manor, so that the medicine won't be so bitter when he brews it."
Before long, the maid brought over the sweet soup.
Pei Heng watched her drink it and didn't want to bring up Su Jingyun's matter again. He also wanted to call someone back as soon as possible, but the person had been injured by the twenty strokes of the cane that day and was still recuperating in the palace.
He picked up a handkerchief and wiped her mouth, then changed the subject.
On the occasion of the princess's wedding, officials in the court were given a day off, and the emperor was exempt from attending the morning court session. The "imperial son-in-law" was able to stay at the mansion and accompany her for the entire day.
The two went to the warehouse together to count the gifts.
Three thousand taels of gold, twenty thousand taels of silver, countless agates, jadeite, and mutton fat jade, two red corals, more than thirty pieces of antique paintings and calligraphy, fifty bolts of new cloth yet to be seen on the market, thirty bolts of Shu brocade and Suzhou embroidery, a pair of fine steeds from the north, spices from the Western Regions, candied fruits and preserves from the south, and a bushel of pearls from the East China Sea…
Upon hearing the list of names Hua Chun presented, Yue Zhi was stunned. A few months ago, when Hua Qing got married, the dowry she gave Hua Qing consisted of only a few pieces of jewelry, a few hundred taels of silver, and some clothes, bedding, bowls, and chopsticks.
They held a wedding banquet at their own residence, with most of the expenses covered by the palace, yet they received so many gifts.
"Take out one thousand taels of silver and give it to the relief hall in the city, and tell them to use it to provide porridge and meals to the poor. Send the remaining gold, silver, pearls and jade to the palace. I will petition the emperor to add them to the national treasury."
“Such fine red coral should not be left to gather dust in the warehouse. Let’s send one to the palace to present to the emperor, and send the other to a Buddhist temple outside the city to be placed in front of the Buddha to bring blessings to the emperor.”
"Oh, and take half of those dried fruits, candied fruits, and spices and send them to the palace to present to the Emperor. I wonder if he has ever tasted these novelties. He lives alone in the palace and doesn't even marry an Empress. I wonder if he enjoys his meals when he's alone..."
After murmuring to herself, Yuezhi remembered that she still had her husband by her side. They were already married, and she couldn't make all the decisions on her own like before. She should ask him questions so that there wouldn't be any discord between them.
"What does the Prince Consort think of my arrangements?"
Pei Heng was basking in the comfort of knowing that "she still cares about me." When she asked, he quickly affirmed, "The princess's arrangements are excellent. She has the Emperor's best interests at heart in everything she does. The Emperor will be pleased to know this."
Yuezhi smiled, a hint of sadness in her eyes, and said in a low voice, "Yesterday was my wedding day, and he didn't even come to see me."
She said guiltily, "He must be busy with state affairs... I also think that perhaps I've only been thinking about your marriage to the manor lately and haven't paid much attention to him. He must be blaming me in his heart."
"How could that be?" Pei Heng blurted out, then immediately realized he had made a mistake.
She forced herself to smooth things over, saying, "The princess and the emperor have a deep sibling bond. How could the emperor blame you for such a small matter? Besides, the emperor is happy that you can get married and have a family. Otherwise, he wouldn't have assigned so many people to handle things for you. If the princess worries too much about this, the emperor will be concerned."
After saying that, he sighed heavily in his heart. These were not words he would say; they were more like words Liang Zhang would say.
He didn't want Yuezhi to have a deep impression of Liang Zhang, but because of his usurpation of the throne, he had no choice but to imitate Liang Zhang's "subject" demeanor, and in doing so, Liang Zhang's image appeared in himself.
It's really disgusting.
There's nothing you can do about it, even if it's unpleasant. Yuezhi likes Liang Zhang's shell but his heart. He wants to stay with her for a long time, so even if he doesn't like pretending to be someone else, he has to keep pretending.
He accompanied her boating on the lake in the mansion. The willow branches by the lake were reflected in the water, and occasionally fish would leap out of the water, creating ripples.
The lotus flowers had long since faded in late autumn, and slender stems emerged from the lotus leaves, each topped with a plump lotus seedpod. He rowed his boat to collect the seedpods, while Yuezhi sat on the other side, filling a basket with the seedpods. With delicate hands, she skillfully peeled the lotus seeds, carefully removing the bitter seeds, and then fed them to his lips with her fingertips.
Pei Heng took a bite, then mischievously touched her fingertips with his lips. He watched as she quickly withdrew her hand, her cheeks flushed, like a delicate pink lotus blooming in the middle of a lake.
When the princess was granted the mansion, the intention was simply to make her feel more comfortable and at ease. However, in less than two months, she managed the mansion so well that every corner was a treasure.
After picking lotus pods, we went to the garden to gather wild jujubes, pluck willow branches, and cut bamboo...
Together with his servants, he pulled out the best-looking chrysanthemums from the ground and planted them in flowerpots. Yuezhi sat to the side, pruning the flower branches, and her skill was comparable to that of the gardeners in the mansion.
After touring the entire mansion, I learned that she had fenced off a plot of land near the kitchen in the garden, where chickens, ducks, and geese were allowed to roam freely, laying eggs and producing high-quality meat.
In the orchard of the side courtyard, a patch of open space has been cultivated into a small vegetable garden, where fresh fruits and vegetables of the season are grown. What people can't eat, they throw into the ground to compost, or feed to the birds and cats. In the bamboo grove of another side courtyard, winter bamboo shoots are already growing underground...
The servants and maids who were superfluous to her were all assigned one or two tasks, such as planting vegetables and feeding the animals. They were taken care of carefully, which was worth their monthly salary and not too tiring.
Pei Heng finally understood why the people he had carefully selected had become so undisciplined once they arrived at the princess's residence.
This mansion, though cold and unwelcoming to guests from the outside, was actually a self-sufficient agricultural life lived inside. No wonder she always complained that she had too much money and sent things to the national treasury every few days.
"The twigs of this old willow tree are very tough. All the baskets and hampers used in the mansion are made from these. I taught the maids and servants to weave them, and some of them can now weave them better than I can."
"The fish in the lake were only released less than a month ago, and they won't be ready to be harvested and eaten until this time next year."
“Huachun said that there are some trees in the garden that are too old and thick, and they are blocking the light. I plan to find someone to cut them down in a few months. At that time, we can make some new furniture and plant some new saplings.”
"By the way, my sworn brother in Jeju gave me a bunch of lotus seeds. I'll plant them in the lake next spring, and then I'll see a different kind of lotus in the summer."
Yuezhi introduced their home to the prince consort with great pride, and even after walking for a while, she didn't feel tired at all; on the contrary, she felt even more energetic.
As night fell, she was once again kissed and melted in the young man's arms.
As the daytime excitement faded and fatigue gradually set in, Yuezhi drifted off to sleep before he could even loosen her belt.
The beautiful woman, fast asleep, possessed an alluring charm, leaving only the young man, his heart filled with longing, holding his ink-stained brush, unsure where to put it. He noticed a touch of vermilion on her lips, seemingly harmonizing with his ink-colored brushstrokes, and a thought arose in his mind…
In her sleep, Yuezhi was pushed around and offered a cup of tea. She didn't really want to drink it, but the person insisted on bringing the porcelain cup to her. The rim of the cup brushed against her lips, and since they had already touched, she had no choice but to drink it.
The tea was warm and fragrant, and while I couldn't say I particularly liked the taste, it was much better than the bitter medicine I drank every day.
The moon sets and the sun rises; the dream fades away.
The next morning, she subconsciously licked her moist lips. There was no strange taste, so she figured she must have eaten well the night before and slept soundly, hence the drooling.
She sat up, but couldn't find her husband beside her pillow. Huachun came to tell her, "The prince consort has gone to the Hanlin Academy for his shift. He will be back before dinner."
Yuezhi lowered her eyes in disappointment, thinking to herself that they were newlyweds and had only been together for one day before separating.
She didn't notice, but Huachun noticed a strange color on the pillow. Her face turned pale with shock, and she quickly reached out to take out the embroidered pillow, took off the pillowcase, and handed it to the maid behind her who was waiting to help her with her dressing, urging her to take it to wash.
The Emperor is really something, how did it end up on the pillow?
Hua Chun carefully returned to her original spot and secretly glanced at Yue Zhi's face. Her face was fair and rosy, with no strange stains, which put her at ease.
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