Chapter 68 Unsatisfied desires can lead to Yi'er's service.
"Although he came from a merchant family, the Shen family had quite a bit of money, and this man was also very good at dealing with people and generous with his money, which won over many people in the mansion."
"More importantly, it is said that he was His Highness's savior. When His Highness was assassinated outside, it was that Shen who saved His Highness."
"Given this favor, His Highness must treat Shen somewhat differently. Master, you must be extra careful," Eunuch Kong warned.
He said so much, but Yang Lingyi only heard the words "His Highness and Lady Shen have a different relationship."
“I know Your Highness well; you are always very clear about right and wrong. Shen saved her, so Your Highness will definitely repay her. It’s normal for you to be considerate of Shen.”
Yang Lingyi didn't want to admit that Yuan Yan treated Shen Lianzhou specially, and shook her head at Eunuch Kong's reminder.
"It's good that Master has a clear understanding," said Eunuch Kong.
As they were talking, a servant reported something.
"My lord, Shen Shuqing is already waiting outside."
Seeing this, Yang Lingyi stopped talking and nodded, "Let him in."
“Servant Shen pays respects to the Chief Minister.”
After entering, Shen Lianzhou bowed respectfully to Yang Lingyi, as was customary.
"Please rise, Shen Shuqing," said Yang Lingyi.
Upon hearing the commotion, Xue Ji stepped forward and helped Chen Lianzhou to her feet.
"We are both from His Highness's household, there is no need for such a grand ceremony," Yang Lingyi said with a dignified smile.
"My lord is kind and benevolent, but I dare not be negligent. This is my duty, and I should be respectful and attentive." Shen Lianzhou lowered his head, appearing humble.
Yang Lingyi replied, "I have already heard that you saved His Highness, Shen Shuqing. His Highness and I are both very grateful for this kindness. From now on, there is no need to be so formal in the mansion. We can address each other as brothers."
Shen Lianzhou felt very uncomfortable listening to Yang Lingyi's words, which were full of the air of a proper husband.
When he first met His Highness, this Yang Zhengqing was nowhere to be found, but now he has stepped forward to thank him on His Highness's behalf.
What does his affair with His Highness have to do with Yang Lingyi? Why does Yang Lingyi need to remind him like this?
"I am of humble status and do not deserve such an honor."
Shen Lianzhou already harbored resentment towards Yang Lingyi for being able to become Yuan Yan's chief minister simply because of her status. Hearing these words now only added to her discomfort, and she barely managed to suppress it.
Fortunately, Lu Lingyue arrived at that moment.
After Yang Lingyi let him in, she immediately began to look Lu Lingyue up and down.
The man was dressed in a dark blue robe, with a tall and slender figure. His hair was as black as lacquer, and his face was as beautiful as jade. He exuded a cool and subtle aura, like a bamboo grove in a courtyard or a cold moon reflected in water, isolated from his surroundings.
He looked like a noble young master from a prestigious family, but he did such a despicable thing, which shows that you can't judge a book by its cover.
Lu Lingyue bowed and said, "Greetings, Chief Minister."
Yang Lingyi was extremely displeased with what Lu Lingyue had done to Yuan Yan, and upon seeing this, her smile vanished: "Get up."
"Lu Shifu has been in this mansion for some time now and should know the rules of the Prince's mansion. In the future, you must remember to abide by your duties and serve your mistress well."
Lu Lingyue naturally understood the meaning behind Yang Lingyi's words.
"...I understand."
The phrase "serving as a servant" elicited a slight surprise in Shen Lianzhou's eyes. He had been in the Prince's mansion for several months and had never seen Lu Lingyue refer to herself as "serving as a servant."
I don't know what wind blew in today, but Lu Lingyue's attitude has changed.
"Go and invite His Highness over." When Yang Lingyi mentioned Yuan Yan, the air of a high-ranking official she had just been putting on immediately fell away, and a gentle look unconsciously appeared on her face.
When Yuan Yan arrived at the main hall, he saw that all the men in the backyard were there.
[Host, they're about to offer tea to Yang Lingyi, the chief minister.] The system explained the rules of the inner court to Yuan Yan.
Only after Yang Lingyi drank their tea did she acknowledge their status as her husbands and servants.
"Your Highness, you've arrived."
Upon seeing Yuan Yan enter, Yang Lingyi tilted her head up and greeted him affectionately. The two then sat down side by side.
Upon seeing Yuan Yan again, Lu Lingyue's heart skipped a beat.
In front of him, Shen Lianzhou knelt on the ground, raising a teacup to offer it.
"Please have some tea, Zhengqing."
When it was Lu Lingyue's turn, his straight back finally bent, "...Please use, Zhengqing."
Lu Lingyue's expression was like snow, with a fragile, melting quality.
Yuan Yan noticed his unusual expression and glanced briefly at Lu Lingyue's face, but said nothing.
As a servant, Lu Lingyue was only right to kneel before Yi'er.
Yang Lingyi accepted tea from Shen Lianzhou and Lu Lingyue in turn, and gave them jade bracelets as a greeting gift. After exchanging a few pleasantries, the formalities were over.
"It's almost time. Is Yi'er hungry? Let's have our meal first."
After Yuan Yan finished paying his respects, he inquired about Yang Lingyi's needs and summoned servants to serve the meal.
"My two younger brothers, please sit down and have a meal with us today."
Yang Lingyi asked Shen Lianzhou and Lu Lingyue to sit down as well.
At the table, Yuan Yan picked up a dish from the plate and placed it on Yang Lingyi's plate.
"Yi'er, have a taste. This cherry meat is sweet and tastes very good."
She knew Yang Lingyi liked sweets, so she specially picked out this dish.
Yang Lingyi blushed slightly when she saw that Yuan Yan took care of her even while eating, and gently tugged at Yuan Yan's sleeve.
"Sister Yan, Shen Shuqing and the others are still here."
Yuan Yan smiled and turned to look at Chen Lianzhou. "Lianzhou, you should eat too. I remember you liked that soup, so I had some served."
Shen Lianzhou had been standing quietly to the side.
Looking at Yuan Yan and Yang Lingyi's sweet appearance, he always felt that Yang Lingyi's happy smile was a bit of an eyesore, but knowing that he could not compare with Zheng Qing, he could only choose to endure it.
It wasn't until Yuan Yan spoke to him that Shen Lianzhou finally showed a slight smile, and his mood brightened a little.
"Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Your Highness. I really like this Snow Cloud Soup."
"Your Highness works hard every day to attend to the affairs of the court, and you should take good care of your health."
Knowing Yuan Yan's preferences, Shen Lianzhou served her some of her favorite dishes and began to serve her as usual.
Yuan Yan and her two husbands got along very well, but Lu Lingyue was the only one who seemed out of place and no one paid any attention to her.
"His Highness truly dotes on the Minister," a servant remarked after lunch.
The bitterness in Lu Lingyue's heart inexplicably intensified, as if countless ants were gnawing at her.
Yes, Yuan Yan treats all the other men very well now. But she treats him coldly, as if he doesn't exist at all. Her indifferent attitude is obvious to everyone present.
This was clearly his own choice, but now Lu Lingyue feels no relief at all. Instead, she feels like she's being boiled in hot water, filled with scalding torment.
It felt like holding a bitter gall bladder in your mouth; the bitterness of regret slowly spread from the back of your tongue. The longer you held it in your mouth, the more unbearable it became.
As if torturing herself, Lu Lingyue watched Yuan Yan's tender care for Yang Lingyi from a neglected corner. She knew this love no longer belonged to her, and that watching would only bring more pain, yet she couldn't tear her eyes away.
Even Hengwu sighed as she watched the whole day unfold.
"If only the head of the family hadn't rushed to interfere back then. How many women in the world could be as considerate as His Highness towards the Minister?
It's a pity, His Highness used to respect the young master very much. If that incident hadn't happened, His Highness would have treated the young master just as well after they got married.
Hengwu felt genuinely sorry for the young master.
As Lu Lingyue listened to Hengwu's words, she felt that faint, stabbing pain in her heart once again.
“It’s not just my mother’s fault; it’s that I ignored her feelings, abandoned and trampled on them, and broke her heart.”
"I am the one who is to blame for this whole ordeal." Lu Lingyue looked away, her heart filled with bitterness.
"Young Master?" Hengwu was surprised that Lu Lingyue would say that.
Now that things have come to this, if he were Yuan Yan, he would definitely hate him too.
Lu Lingyue's fingertips were icy cold, and he could no longer think straight. At this moment, regret had overwhelmed him, making it hard for him to breathe.
"Since you feel you made a mistake before, why don't you try your best to make amends?"
"Most women prefer gentle and considerate men. It's not good for you to remain at odds with His Highness like this. One of you has to take the initiative to apologize before you can make up."
Seeing the young master's pained expression, Hengwu tried to comfort him again.
This time, Lu Lingyue finally listened.
"Hengwu, from now on, do not call me 'Young Master' anymore. Follow the rules of the Prince's Mansion." He said softly.
...
That night, Yuan Yan stayed in Yang Lingyi's room as usual.
Yang Lingyi was held and laid down by Yuan Yan, her face flushing again.
Does the wife want it?
But he still felt a bit sore and uncomfortable, and he didn't know if he could handle it again tonight.
Yang Lingyi felt a slight inner conflict. Recalling what he and Sister Yan had done last night, he felt a sweet warmth in his heart and his body began to heat up.
However, after waiting for a while, Yuan Yan did not make any further move.
Yang Lingyi became uneasy and leaned gently into Yuan Yan's arms.
"Sister, shall we allow Yi'er to continue serving you tonight?" He said, his voice becoming soft and hesitant as he finished speaking.
Yuan Yan had already closed her eyes, but then she heard Yang Lingyi shyly whisper these words in her ear.
When he opened his eyes, Yang Lingyi's beautiful almond-shaped eyes were moist and affectionate, filled with both anticipation and trepidation.
Yuan Yan chuckled: "Yi'er, have you forgotten? Tomorrow is the day you enter the palace. Get some rest early tonight, don't tire yourself out."
Upon hearing this, Yang Lingyi's face instantly turned red.
"Sister Yan...that's not what I meant." These words sounded as if he was sexually frustrated, making Yang Lingyi feel embarrassed.
"Yes, I know," Yuan Yan replied good-naturedly.
"It's really not." Seeing that she didn't believe her, Yang Lingyi's voice rose a notch more than usual, her almond-shaped eyes widened, and she hugged Yuan Yan's arm.
Seeing that her husband was getting impatient, Yuan Yan smiled, lowered his head slightly, and directly kissed that red little mouth, silencing all of Yang Lingyi's unfinished words.
"Mmm..." Yang Lingyi's body went limp at the touch, and she was quickly kissed into a daze, forgetting what she wanted to say.
Xueji, who was on night watch, blushed as she listened to the commotion inside the house.
The master and the prince have started again.
*
The following day, Yuan Yan and Yang Lingyi rode together in a carriage to the palace to see the Emperor and Empress Dowager.
Inside the carriage, Yang Lingyi looked slightly tired. In contrast, Yuan Yan seemed unaffected.
"You stayed up too late last night and didn't sleep well. You'll get a good rest when you get back from the palace." Yuan Yan let Yang Lingyi lean against him and gently patted her body.
"Sister, you must not do such things again before you go to the palace next time."
Yang Lingyi thought about the marks on her neck that she had barely managed to cover up when she did her makeup that morning, and felt slightly embarrassed and annoyed. She couldn't help but give Yuan Yan a reproachful look.
"Okay, okay, I'll remember. If Yi'er says no next time, I absolutely won't move." Yuan Yan always granted her requests.
"No... Sister, you can't play dumb. You know what I mean." Yang Lingyi blushed and immediately protested when she heard Yuan Yan's teasing words. She buried her face in Yuan Yan's chest and whispered.
Yuan Yan wrapped his arms around him and chuckled softly.
When the carriage stopped, Yuan Yan helped Yang Lingyi down.
At the summons of the eunuch, the two entered hand in hand.
Inside the Cining Palace, both the Empress Dowager and Yuan Hao were present. The eldest prince had also entered the palace early to accompany the Empress Dowager, waiting to see Yuan Yan and Yang Lingyi.
Several powerful figures from the palace gathered together.
"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager."
"Greetings, Crown Prince." Yuan Yan knelt and bowed, with Yang Lingyi following behind to exchange the same greetings.
"Get up."
Yuan Hao's voice was unusually gentle today. He seemed to be thinking about something, as Yuan Yan's expression was somewhat distant, as if he were recalling an old friend through her eyes and brows.
"You still call him 'Elder Prince,' you should start calling him 'Father-in-law' now," the Empress Dowager said with a smile to Yuan Yan.
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