Chapter 223 Husband and Wife (Two chapters combined)
Du Xiaoyun wanted to slip away.
Princess Rui shouted sharply, "Stop right there!"
Du Xiaoyun felt a chill run down her spine and obediently sat back down in her chair.
Du Xiaoyun was extremely anxious. The Crown Princess had finally come to the girls' school, and she wanted to see her!
She was sitting in the chair, but her eyes kept glancing outwards; it was obvious she didn't want to sit there.
Princess Rui was furious with her younger sister. She glared at her sister with exasperation, almost grabbing a candlestick and throwing it at her on the spot!
What sins did she commit in her past life to end up with such a treacherous sister?
Fortunately, Li Wanwan was genuinely listening to the lecture.
She sat upright on the cushion opposite Princess Rui, with a guqin on the small table in front of her. It was the guqin that Xie Leshi had given her during the exams before the new year.
The sound quality is excellent, she likes it very much and cherishes it. She takes good care of it every day to prevent it from getting dusty.
Li Wanwan was very satisfied with today's class. As a girl from a poor family, she couldn't get along with most of the rich girls in the girls' school.
She usually couldn't even get a music room, let alone a good seat in class. She was always the one in the last corner, very far away from the teachers.
Now that she is close to Princess Rui, she can hear more and see more clearly.
Princess Rui's anger at her sister's antics finally dissipated considerably thanks to Li Wanwan's earnest attempts to learn, and she began to properly teach Li Wanwan.
That's right, only Li Wanwan was given lessons. Du Xiaoyun, that girl, was in Cao Ying but her heart was with Han, and she couldn't listen to anything at all!
Princess Rui did not rush to give a lecture, but first had Li Wanwan play a piece of music to assess her skill level.
Li Wanwan played "Autumn Frost," a piece she learned this year. The melody is melodious and the piano music is pleasant. It is not very difficult, but it requires a lot of attention to detail.
"You played well," Princess Rui nodded. "But your fingering could use some more practice. How long have you been learning the piano?"
Li Wanwan replied, "Replying to Princess Rui, I have been studying for a year."
"Only a year?" Princess Rui was taken aback, but praised her generously, "Then you not only played well, you played very well."
Li Wanwan lowered her eyes because someone was giving her pointers.
Princess Rui gave her some pointers on fingering. Li Wanwan wasn't exactly a piano prodigy, but she was quite good at learning.
Princess Rui said, "You've almost mastered this piece. Practice it on your own later. I'll teach you a new piece today."
In another large classroom at the end of the corridor, every seat was taken, and even the corridor and the view outside the window were crowded with people. It was fortunate that it was on the first floor, otherwise many people would have fallen to their deaths.
The Crown Princess's attire today is exceptionally elegant. It is not the elaborate and luxurious palace dress of a Crown Princess, but a white fairy dress, exuding a fairy-like aura, as if she were a fairy who does not eat the food of the mortal world.
A cinnabar mole was placed between her eyebrows, which did not make her look seductive, but rather made her even more beautiful and delicate, with a captivating appearance.
The moment she sits there, she becomes a landscape painting by a master.
The classroom was quiet; no one dared to make a sound, for fear of disturbing her.
There was a wall-mounted chessboard in the classroom specifically for teaching, and she personally set up a chess game: "This is a chess game set up by Mr. Meng."
Master Meng was the most renowned chess master in the six kingdoms, and the game he set up was hailed as one of the most difficult chess games to solve in the six kingdoms.
Everyone couldn't help but sigh in admiration. As expected of the Crown Princess, she made such a brilliant move with her first move. It seems that their trip today was worthwhile.
"Your Highness, do you know Master Meng's chess games?" a bold young lady asked.
The Crown Princess smiled, but before she could speak, a female official beside her said, "The Crown Princess was able to solve it when she was thirteen years old."
A collective gasp filled the classroom.
To solve Master Meng's chess game at the age of thirteen—what terrifying skill!
"Actually, solving this game isn't difficult," the Crown Princess said, pointing to the chessboard as she began her explanation.
After the lesson, everyone benefited greatly, and no one dared to underestimate their chess skills anymore, after all, they were the ones who could solve Master Meng's chess problems.
The Crown Princess said gently, "I am teaching everyone how to solve this chess game so that you can see that chess is not difficult. As long as you study hard, you can solve any chess game in the world. But at the same time, I also hope that you can understand one thing: I started learning chess when I was two years old. There is no shortcut to chess, and you can't improve overnight. You need to practice hard every day."
These words were tantamount to admitting that she was not a genius girl, and that everything she had was the result of hard work. Acknowledging her shortcomings did not sometimes invite disdain; on the contrary, it made her seem down-to-earth and unintentionally brought her closer to her students.
"If I work hard, can I become as outstanding as the Crown Princess?" another young lady asked.
The Crown Princess smiled gently: "Everyone has their own strengths, and your efforts will make you even more outstanding."
Good heavens, what kind of Crown Princess is this? She's so unpretentious! Where did those rumors come from that she's monopolizing the suspension bridge and preventing ordinary people from crossing? That's outrageous!
It was clearly her family who did it; she was just implicated because of them!
The effect of this lecture was obvious. If people only believed in the Crown Princess to a certain extent before, they now believed in her to a certain extent.
"In addition," the Crown Princess said softly, glancing at the door, "the classroom is full, and it seems some people couldn't get in. Actually, Princess Rui is also here today to teach everyone. Her zither skills are better than mine. Girls who want to learn the zither might as well go and listen to Princess Rui's lesson."
No, no, no, we just want to listen to your lectures!
The Princess Consort Rui and the Crown Princess have been at odds for quite some time. The Princess Consort Rui frequently makes snide remarks about the Crown Princess, but the Crown Princess never argues with her and is now even helping her gain popularity—
That's so thoughtful!
What reason would they have not to like, love, or support such a Crown Princess?
In the second period, several young ladies indeed went to Princess Rui's classroom.
Princess Rui thought it was her piano playing that had attracted them, so she taught with great enthusiasm, only to find out after class that...
"It was the Crown Princess who sent us here."
Princess Rui's face immediately darkened.
Princess Rui, feeling wronged, carried her zither case to Gu Jiao for comfort.
Perhaps she was too engrossed in her rant, because she left her zither in Gu Jiao's yard when she left.
In the afternoon, Prince An came to the clinic.
He came to have his eyes checked again.
Gu Jiao took him to the examination room and performed the examination as usual. She remained calm and composed throughout, as if the awkwardness of that night had not occurred between them.
Gu Jiao had long since let it go; she wouldn't take such things to heart.
Prince An smiled wryly, realizing that he was truly the only one who cared about this.
"How are you feeling?" Gu Jiao asked.
"Much better," Prince An said with a smile.
It's not just polite talk, it really is much better. He didn't feel much for the first three nights after taking it, but on the fourth night, he noticed that he could feel a glimmer of light.
God knows how long he has been tormented by this disease. Any one of his weaknesses could bring him fatal disaster, so he has been living on thin ice all these years.
Gu Jiao nodded: "Continue taking the medicine, and also change your diet. Eat more offal and the like."
Prince An didn't like those foods, but since it was her who said so, he listened and said, "Okay."
Gu Jiao looked at him: "Have you caught a cold?"
His voice sounded off.
Prince An smiled and said, "I was so happy that I could see the light at night that I went to sit in the courtyard for a while."
It's not in the yard, it's on the roof.
The joy of almost regaining one's sight is something that others can hardly understand.
"Hand." Gu Jiao pointed to the pulse pillow on the table.
Prince An obediently placed his hand on it.
Gu Jiao took his pulse, then withdrew her hand and said, "It's not serious, you don't need to take any medicine."
"How come there are still doctors who don't prescribe medicine? Don't they need to make money?" Prince An teased her.
Gu Jiao glanced at him and said, "The consultation fee is ten taels."
Prince An: "..."
Prince An chuckled: "Alright."
He would be willing to give even a hundred taels, let alone ten.
After class, Zhuang Yuexi came out of the girls' school and immediately saw her brother's carriage parked in front of the clinic.
Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. Had her brother come to pick her up, or—
Why did you park the carriage over there?
Zhuang Yuexi didn't wait for Zhuang Mengdie and went to the clinic alone. The clinic was busy at the moment and there were no extra staff to serve her. She walked in by herself and heard her brother's voice.
She arrived at the clinic, pushed open the slightly ajar door, and peeked through the crack. She happened to see Prince An's smile after being swindled out of ten taels of his consultation fee.
That was a smile that Zhuang Yuexi had never seen on Prince An's face before.
Prince An was not an aloof, handsome man, but he had never smiled so sincerely before.
He looked at that person, his eyes shining.
The person being watched by him was completely unaware, or rather, indifferent, and buried himself in organizing his own things.
Zhuang Yuexi's fingers suddenly clenched.
Xiao Liulang has been getting out of class late lately, and today Gu Jiao was the one who picked up Xiao Jingkong.
The happiest person was Xiao Jingkong. He was the first to rush out of the classroom and ran towards the gate like a whirlwind.
"Jiaojiao!"
I ran and got all sweaty again.
Gu Jiao wiped his sweat: "Were you a good boy today?"
“Good boy! I’m the best boy!” Little Jingkong said earnestly.
"Really?" Gu Jiao took his hand. "What did you learn today?"
Little Jingkong, holding Gu Jiao's hand, skipped and hopped forward: "Today we learned the Analects and arithmetic!"
"Have you learned it all?" Gu Jiao asked softly.
Xiao Jingkong patted his chest: "Of course! I'm not as stupid as my brother-in-law!"
Gu Jiao corrected, "Your brother-in-law isn't stupid; he's very smart."
Xiao Jingkong seriously doubted his brother-in-law's intelligence.
How come someone who's smart always gets the lowest score?
The two chatted happily as they crossed the street and came to a shop. After passing several shops, they turned a corner and entered Bishui Hutong.
Just as they turned the corner and hadn't taken two steps, Gu Jiao suddenly twitched her ears. She grabbed Xiao Jingkong, picked him up, and took a big step to the side!
With a loud bang!
A huge flowerpot crashed down where they had just been standing, shattering into pieces and scattering dirt and broken petals everywhere.
Xiao Jingkong opened his eyes wide.
Gu Jiao hugged him with one arm and protected his head with the other, preventing him from looking, and let him rest his head on her shoulder.
She stared coldly at the window above, her voice soft: "It's nothing, it just fell down by accident."
Gu Jiao didn't chase after them, but carried Xiao Jingkong all the way home.
Gu Jiao returned home, while the Crown Princess, who had spent the entire day teaching Go at the girls' academy, also returned to the palace.
She first went to Kunning Palace to pay her respects to Empress Xiao and report on the progress of her teaching.
Consort Zhuang was also present.
"Your subject greets Your Majesty and Consort Zhuang."
Strictly speaking, she did not need to perform the grand ceremony to Consort Zhuang. However, Consort Zhuang was the birth mother of the eldest prince, and her status was far beyond that of ordinary concubines. Furthermore, the Zhuang family held immense power, and Consort Zhuang was practically on par with Empress Xiao in the harem.
Consort Zhuang smiled.
Empress Xiao asked, "Come and sit down. I heard that Princess Rui left at noon. Why are you so late?"
The Crown Princess sat down next to Empress Xiao and explained softly, "There were too many students, so we added two classes this afternoon."
Empress Xiao knew there were extra lessons, so why ask? Wasn't it just to show off in front of Consort Zhuang?
She sent the Crown Princess to teach at the girls' school, but Consort Zhuang was unwilling for the benefits to fall solely on the Crown Princess, so she summoned Princess Rui and asked her to also teach at the girls' school.
As a result, hardly anyone attended Princess Rui's classes. Wasn't that just inviting humiliation?
Empress Xiao took the Crown Princess's hand with satisfaction and patted the back of her hand affectionately: "I just received news that the Liang Kingdom's envoys are arriving soon, and His Majesty wants to host a welcome banquet for them. His Majesty has appointed you to organize it."
If the palace banquet is organized by the Crown Princess, then the task of receiving the envoys will most likely fall to the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince and His Majesty's incognito trip to Jiangnan made Empress Xiao extremely envious, but now they have finally turned the tables.
It's all thanks to her outstanding abilities.
Consort Zhuang rolled her eyes and smiled nonchalantly, "So His Majesty has decided that the Crown Princess will host the palace banquet? That's wonderful! Everyone has witnessed the Crown Princess's abilities... Unlike Princess Ning and Princess Rui, who are clumsy and can't do anything. They would only cause trouble if they went. They would be better off staying at home to rest and prepare for pregnancy."
The Crown Princess paused slightly.
Empress Xiao squeezed her handkerchief, suppressing her sudden surge of anger, and said to the Crown Princess, "Consort Zhuang came here to tell me good news: Princess Ning is also pregnant."
Mentioning this touched a nerve with Empress Xiao.
It's one thing for Princess Rui to be pregnant, but how come Princess Ning is also pregnant in just a few days? This is her third pregnancy.
The Prince Ning's mansion already has two daughters who are not highly regarded by His Majesty. If the Princess Ning gives birth to a son this time, the Prince Ning's position in His Majesty's heart will be even more unshakable.
His Majesty has a very deep affection for this eldest son. When Consort Zhuang gave birth to the eldest prince, His Majesty was just a young prince. In those years, the deposed crown prince and the Liu family were very powerful, suppressing several princes who were not in his camp to the point of being unable to breathe.
His Majesty's residence doesn't even have a wet nurse. The eldest prince has no milk to drink, so His Majesty personally goes to milk goats for him.
His Majesty raised this son with great care, so even though he was at odds with the Zhuang family and had a cold relationship with Consort Zhuang, he never neglected his eldest son in the slightest.
Empress Xiao suddenly regretted assigning so many tasks to the Crown Princess; her biggest task should have been to give birth to a grandson for the emperor as soon as possible.
After Consort Zhuang left, Empress Xiao earnestly instructed the Crown Princess to make sure she gave birth to the eldest grandson of the royal family, and also gave the Crown Princess a tonic soup.
Not content with just that, Empress Xiao also summoned the Crown Prince and instructed him to reduce his duties in court, delegating what he could to his subordinates, so that he could have more free time to have a grandson with the Crown Princess.
The Crown Prince was a filial son, and that very night he abandoned his official duties and returned to the Eastern Palace early.
The Crown Princess sat quietly in the room, with a bowl of medicine that was getting cold on the table.
"Linlang." The Crown Prince strode in.
The Crown Princess stood up, turned around, and bowed to him: "Your Highness."
The crown prince stepped forward and took her hand, his eyes full of tenderness: "I've already told you that we are husband and wife. When we're alone, you mustn't be so distant with me."
The Crown Princess smiled and asked, "Why is Your Highness back so early? Have you finished dealing with the matters at the Ministry of Personnel?"
The Crown Prince said, "None of those things are as important as you." As he spoke, he noticed the medicine on the table. "Is this medicine given to you by the Empress Dowager? Why haven't you drunk it yet? It's almost cold."
"It was too hot just now." The Crown Princess put down the book in her hand and reached out to pick up the medicine bowl.
The Crown Prince suddenly spoke up: "Linlang, in your heart... haven't you forgotten your cousin yet?"
The Crown Princess smiled and looked up at him gently: "How could that be? I am now His Highness's woman, and my heart belongs only to His Highness."
"Stop thinking about your cousin. He can't make you empress, but I can." The crown prince embraced her soft waist. "Linlang, give me a child."
The moon was dark and the wind was high; the candlelight flickered gently.
The Imperial College finally finished its day's classes, and Xiao Liulang, leaning on his cane, returned to Bishui Hutong.
The courtyard gate was ajar, and a lamp was left on in the main room.
Xiao Liulang entered the courtyard, closed the gate, and bolted it shut.
When he entered the main room, he found Gu Jiao waiting for him, but she had been waiting for so long that she had fallen asleep on the table.
Her head was tilted to the left, resting on her arm, her chubby little face pressed against the pillow, and the red birthmark on her left cheek was faintly visible in the flickering candlelight.
The night breeze in March is cool.
Xiao Liulang turned around and closed the door to the main room.
He moved very gently, but Gu Jiao still woke up.
She rubbed her eyes and sat up groggily. When she saw Xiao Liulang, she instantly woke up, her eyes sparkling: "You're back? Are you hungry? I'll go heat up some food for you."
Her eyes were so bright, as if they carried warmth.
Xiao Liulang subtly averted his gaze and said, "No need, I've already eaten." He paused, then emphasized, "I really have."
Gu Jiao's gaze then fell on his stomach, her serious expression suggesting she was trying to determine if his belly was bulging.
Xiao Liulang felt that unfamiliar feeling well up in his heart again.
Fortunately, she eventually believed him; otherwise, if she had said, "I don't believe you unless you let me touch you," Xiao Liulang would have been at a loss.
Gu Jiao yawned slightly: "Then you should get some rest, you have class tomorrow."
Xiao Liulang hummed in agreement, turned and walked towards the west room, then suddenly remembered something and turned back to ask her, "What if... I don't pass the exam? What if I fail and become depressed, never to rise again, and never amount to anything..."
"I'll take care of you," she said without hesitation.
"Why?"
"You are my husband, we are husband and wife."
Xiao Liulang felt another pang in his heart.
How come this girl always manages to say such poignant things without even realizing it?
"Hiss—"
Gu Jiao suddenly frowned and gasped.
"What's wrong?" Xiao Liulang hurried over, then realized that his reaction was a bit too much. He cleared his throat and resumed his cool and aloof expression.
Gu Jiao didn't notice the subtle change in someone's emotions. She dangled her two numb arms, like a soulless little wooden puppet: "They're numb."
Xiao Liulang hesitated for a moment, then said to her, "Should we..."
"Yes," Gu Jiao responded quickly, "I want to press it."
Xiao Liulang silently took a deep breath and sat down next to Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao's arms were numb, so she turned around to face him.
Xiao Liulang lifted one of her hands and gently massaged it for her.
His movements were very gentle and proper, only pressing on the forearm at most.
"Is it still numb?" Xiao Liulang asked.
"It's still numb." Gu Jiao lied through her teeth.
Xiao Liulang massaged her for a while longer, and Gu Jiao felt so comfortable that she almost fell asleep.
Xiao Liulang looked at her, took a deep breath, and gently placed her hand back on her lap: "Alright, it's getting late, you should go back to your room."
Gu Jiao: "Oh."
Xiao Liulang stood up.
"How about I give you a massage too?" Gu Jiao tilted her head and looked at him. "I'm very good at it. You've had a long day, are you feeling dizzy or exhausted?"
That earnest look in his eyes made it seem like he was a bastard if Xiao Liulang said no.
Xiao Liulang sat down helplessly.
"Don't sit so far away!" Gu Jiao moved her small chair next to him and started pressing down on him with great seriousness.
At first, it was all right, but as I kept pressing it, something just didn't feel right.
Xiao Liulang looked puzzled. What did his dizziness and mental fatigue have to do with his chest muscles?
Is it sour here?
Is it sour here?
"here."
"here."
"here!"
Xiao Liulang tensed up, and he took another deep breath.
"My shoulders don't ache."
"My stomach doesn't hurt."
I've heard of people experiencing backaches and muscle soreness after sitting all day, but I've never heard of someone experiencing abdominal pain and weakness.
Gu Jiao: "Oh."
Her little hands moved to another spot and continued pressing.
It felt so good to press!
Xiao Liulang had taken his umpteenth deep breath tonight. He closed his eyes and said, "...My back doesn't ache."
"My legs don't ache at all."
"My back doesn't ache anymore!"
Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow: "Oh."
She has a great waist; it's strong yet without an ounce of fat.
Gu Jiao smacked her lips, reluctantly withdrawing her hand.
She pulled her hand back, but her eyes were still glued to him.
Xiao Liulang glanced at her: "What are you doing?"
Gu Jiao shook her head: "No, no, I didn't drool!"
Xiao Liulang: "..."
It's almost the end of the month! Those of you who still have monthly passes, don't waste them!
(End of this chapter)
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