149 149
"With Your Highness by my side, I find it difficult to control my emotions."
When the hanging brocade curtains stopped swaying, Qingyang's head was pressed tightly against the satin pillow that Zhang Su had placed upright in front of the carved headboard.
Only the brocade tent was quiet. Her breathing was still rapid, just like when she had run several laps in the martial arts hall when she was young. However, it was different from the boring and tiring running laps. Her body was in a state of extreme laziness and comfort, and her mind was immersed in layers of soft but continuous waves. For a moment, Qingyang seemed to have returned to the seaside in Fuzhou, back to that evening, when the golden sunset spread across the sea and the tide surged to the beach again and again.
At that time, Zhang Su was with her, but now...
Qingyang slowly opened her eyes and saw Zhang Su, standing almost motionless above her. The golden crown on his head was still in place, and his hair was not particularly messy, with only a few strands of hair falling down his temples. His face, a crimson jade in the dim tent, met her gaze briefly before his narrow, long phoenix eyes expertly lowered.
No one spoke, only the same disordered breathing could be heard.
After a while, Qingyang finally understood why Zhang Su was still holding on.
She moved her legs.
Zhang Su was not sure whether the Crown Princess was hinting that he could leave or was simply tired, but such a posture seemed to be disrespectful when not in bed. So Zhang Su left the Crown Princess in time, and while the Crown Princess was still calming down, he reached out and picked up his red silk outer robe that he had placed at the end of the bed while leaning over.
Qingyang only felt a red shadow flash before her eyes, and the next moment Zhang Su was kneeling on her right side with a red robe half covering his face. The prince consort looked very handsome from the front, and the outline of his face from the side was also impeccable, and his cold and restrained look was even more evident.
The hem of his outer robe was long enough to cover his kneeling calves.
Qingyang glanced at herself again, without any idea. Zhang Su pulled up the quilt that had not been used at all and covered her shoulders. It was at this time that Zhang Su finally turned around and looked at her again.
Qingyang looked at him, and with the hand that had barely regained a bit of strength, he directly pulled the edge of his robe from underneath, which was being held down with one hand.
Zhang Su subconsciously tightened his robe, but relaxed after meeting the prince's gaze.
Qingyang smiled and asked him to lie down in.
Zhang Su first lifted the quilt and lay down flat, then completely took off the red robe that was lifted by the Crown Princess and put it aside.
Qingyang arranged the pillows and shifted to lie on his side. He looked at Zhang Su's face, seemingly calm except for a hint of crimson, and placed a hand on his chest. Sensing the sudden tenseness beneath his palm, watching his Adam's apple roll and listening to his suddenly heavier breathing, Qingyang casually explained, "I've been served by you for so long, and I've never even felt your bones."
Although she had been with Zhang Su for many years and her face was very familiar to her, Qingyang was extremely unfamiliar with the body beneath Zhang Su's robes.
Zhang Su had no reason to refuse the Crown Princess, so he just closed his eyes.
With him like this, Qingyang no longer had to worry about anything. He stuck to him completely, his hands wandering freely inside the quilt.
At a certain moment, Zhang Su held her hand and said in a hoarse voice: "Dirty, I don't want to dirty your Highness's hand."
It was a completely lame excuse. Qingyang scoffed and said, "If you can't pollute your hands, you can pollute other places?"
Zhang Su: “…”
Qingyang pushed his hand away, then pulled it back in surprise. Seeing Zhang Su's head tilted away, his Adam's apple rolling, Qingyang instantly felt like teasing him. He faced him, resting his head on his chest, stroking his face with his right hand, and said with a smile, "It's only been less than half a minute since we last met, and you're thinking about it again so soon? You're usually so polite, but I didn't expect you to be so greedy."
Zhang Su closed his eyes and said, "It's not that I'm greedy, but with Your Highness beside me, I can't control my emotions."
Qingyang paused and asked curiously, "If I don't agree to your request, how will you resolve it?"
Zhang Su's voice became even hoarse: "...It's okay, I just need to calm down for a moment."
Qingyang was relieved because she didn't want to at the moment.
Pulling the quilt over herself, Qingyang closed her eyes, using Zhang Su's warm, delicate chest as a pillow. Her body hadn't fully recovered yet, and Qingyang wanted to lie down a little longer before showering. She wasn't sleepy at all, so she could smell the faint scent of soapberry on Zhang Su's body, a scent she'd often smelled as a child.
Qingyang remembered and asked him lazily, "Are you still bathing with soapnut powder after leaving the palace?"
Zhang Su must have taken a bath in Jiuhua Palace tonight, using the soapberry powder that Jie Yu had asked her to prepare according to Zhang Su's childhood habits.
Zhang Su: "Yes, Your Highness, if you are not used to it, I can change it."
Qingyang shook his head, put his nose against his chest and took a deep breath: "I'm also used to the scent of soapberry on you."
Zhang Su just loosened his hand and clenched it again.
Maybe it was too comfortable, Qingyang felt sleepy while lying there, so she got off Zhang Su and asked Zhang Su to put on her pajamas for her.
The Crown Princess sat casually, supporting herself on the bed with one hand, her messy black hair draped over her fair skin, her waist and below hidden in the bright red wedding quilt.
Zhang Su didn't dare to look any further. He put on his trousers first, and his eyes swept over the several pieces of clothing scattered at the head, inside and foot of the bed by the Crown Princess. He subconsciously took off the clothes in the reverse order of the ones he had taken them off and picked up the bra that felt so soft to the touch first.
While he was silently pondering how to put on the small garment, Qingyang snatched it away and threw it to the end of the bed: "I'll be showering soon, so just wear the middle garment."
Zhang Su breathed a sigh of relief and went to get the red silk top and trousers.
He knelt and served the Crown Princess. So close, Qingyang's gaze wandered casually around his waist and abdomen a few times before settling on one spot. At this moment, Zhang Su was clumsily plucking out the Crown Princess's long hair, strand by strand, while his other hand tightly cupped the sides of her dress. He clearly saw nothing, yet still...
Qingyang smiled and looked up at him: "Why are you not calm again?"
Zhang Su: “…”
He lowered his head, but because of the height difference, Qingyang could still see his whole face clearly, just with his eyelids lowered.
Qingyang didn't know what she looked like in Zhang Su's eyes, but the Zhang Su in front of her rekindled her still unfamiliar interest.
Qingyang tore off the loose shirt that covered his body, hooked his arms around Zhang Su's neck and kissed him.
.
After coming back from the shower, Qingyang fell asleep almost immediately after hitting the bed. She hugged Zhang Su for a while before going to sleep. When she woke up in the early morning as usual, she found herself lying alone in the middle of the bed. Zhang Su was lying flat on his back about an arm's length away, almost sticking to the edge of the bed, and he was about to fall off if he turned over.
Looking at Zhang Su's "strange" face with his hair disheveled and sleeping, Qingyang was in a daze for a while before he remembered their wedding, and the two intimate moments last night also quickly emerged in his mind.
Knowing how easily Zhang Su lost his composure, Qingyang stopped hugging him and stepped over Zhang Su and got off the bed wearing another set of undershirt.
The daybreaks were coming earlier and earlier, and the morning light shone through the window paper, illuminating the inner room. The two wedding candles on the table had burned out, and two clumps of red wax had accumulated in the candlesticks.
The familiar inner room was only filled with the festive items used in the wedding ceremony, which made Qingyang feel that everything he saw was new.
When Qingyang came out of the bathroom, Zhang Su, who was already dressed neatly, was actually making the bed. In the clothes basket at the corner of the bed was the undershirt he wore last night.
"You don't have to do these trivial things. If you are ready, I will call Fu Liu and the others in."
Qinfang had long been the head maid of Jiuhua Palace. Jie Yu was mainly responsible for accompanying her on her outings. He did not care much about the trivial matters in Jiuhua Palace, nor did he have that much time and energy. After all, no one was there during the day, and the job of serving her closely fell on the four senior palace maids of Fuliu.
Zhang Su: "I want to go back to the side hall to wash up."
Whether it is the two concubines in the West Palace or the princes and princesses in the East Palace, the palaces they live in all have two entrances. The front hall is used for entertaining guests, banquets or leisurely entertainment, while the back hall is the sleeping hall.
The rear hall consists of a main hall sitting in the north and two side halls on the east and west. When Qin Hong was still the crown prince in Chongyuan Palace, the west side hall was the bedroom of the crown princess Lu Wenrong. However, the couple had a good relationship, so Lu Wenrong lived with Qin Hong in the main hall most of the time. The couple would only live separately when she was not feeling well or Qin Hong was upset and needed to rest.
Including several princely palaces and princess palaces outside the palace, the prince, princess, princess and her husband all have their own courtyards. If the couple has a good relationship, they will naturally live together. If the relationship is not good, the princess and her husband will need to ask servants to let them know if they want to set foot in the prince's or princess' courtyard.
Qingyang also cleaned up the west wing hall as the prince consort's bedroom. As newlyweds, Qingyang was naturally willing to live in the same room with Zhang Su. However, Zhang Su was not used to being served by the four palace maids of the Crown Princess, nor was he used to going to the bathroom to relieve himself when the four palace maids came in to serve the Crown Princess. He didn't want to go to the bathroom first and delay the Crown Princess' dressing, so he suggested going back to the west wing hall to clean up.
Qingyang guessed what Zhang Su was thinking and responded with a smile.
Zhang Su stepped out of the inner room and passed through the east side room. When he arrived at the main hall, he saw Aunt Qinfang and four senior palace maids waiting there.
They were all familiar faces. Zhang Su nodded slightly and walked out past the five women.
Xie Yu, accompanied by four young eunuchs, waited outside. Upon learning that the consort was returning to the West Wing Hall, Xie Yu ordered the four young eunuchs to accompany him. These four eunuchs were specially assigned to the consort. No one in the Jiuhua Palace doubted the consort Zhang Su's loyalty to the Crown Princess, but what if a palace maid, captivated by the consort's beauty, wanted to sleep with him? Rather than causing trouble and upsetting the Crown Princess, it was better to eliminate such a possibility at the source.
This is the difference between the Crown Princess and the Crown Princess. After the Crown Princess enters the palace, she is surrounded by either eunuchs or palace maids, and has no conditions to betray the Crown Prince. As for the Crown Princess... it is better not to arrange palace maids to test the prince's determination.
More than a quarter of an hour later, Zhang Su, who had dressed neatly, returned to the main hall to see the Crown Princess.
Later they will go to Qianyuan Hall to offer tea. The newlyweds will continue to wear bright red dresses, but they are not as elaborate and grand as their wedding gowns.
On her wedding day, Qingyang simply put on some makeup. When she saw Zhang Su come in and stand farther away than the four palace maids, Qingyang signaled them to step aside. Then she walked up to Zhang Su and asked him with a smile, "Do you prefer me in a skirt or an official robe?"
Zhang Su: "I like them all."
Qingyang: “You have to choose one.”
Zhang Su glanced at the Crown Princess in front of him, lowered his eyes and said, "I like Your Highness more."
Qingyang did not expect this answer. Thinking of the man's fiery palms and lips last night, and the fact that "Your Highness" at that time was not wearing a skirt or official robes, it was indeed just "Your Highness". Qingyang actually felt a slight heat on her face, although she knew very well that Zhang Su had no such intention.
"Let's go to Qianyuan Palace."
After saying this, Qingyang walked out, cutting off those wild thoughts.
Zhang Su followed two steps behind, not daring to even look at the bed further inside.
【Author’s words】
Here it comes, there is really only a single update today, but don’t worry, it will definitely be completed this month, and the torment of frequent updates will soon be over!
100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow [Three-color cat head]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com