Chapter 21 "I want to go to bed."
Seeing Ling Zhenli's nervousness, Pei Xuanlin's eyes darkened, and he vaguely sensed that she actually didn't know how to wield a sword.
It's not surprising. The prime minister may have just wanted to create the image of his daughter as someone who was proficient in all kinds of martial arts, so he deliberately had people spread the word that she could dance with a sword. You can only blame the prime minister for being cunning and shrewd, not her.
Moreover, he knew that prominent families often fabricated titles for their children that they were not actually good at, in order to promote their children's excellence. This made it seem like the family produced many outstanding individuals, both to boost their children's reputation and to solidify the family's status. This practice was not uncommon and was not limited to the Prime Minister's family.
Minor issue.
Xiao Chongheng, who was on the field, was very displeased that Pei Shang'er wanted to bully Ling Zhenli, and reminded her, "Jin'an, the Crown Princess is still the Crown Princess."
Pei Shang'er glared at Xiao Chongheng, displeased, and told him to shut up.
Pei Xuanlin stood up abruptly and said authoritatively:
"Jin'an, the Crown Princess injured her hand at the polo match a few days ago, so she probably won't be able to perform a sword dance for you. How about I, as her older brother, perform a sword dance for you instead?"
Pei Xuanlin's gaze was threatening, his expression conveying the message that if Pei Chang'er did not agree, she would not be able to back down gracefully.
It would be an extremely high honor for the Crown Prince to personally perform a sword dance for this wedding banquet. The Crown Princess, holding a grudge, would certainly not perform a sword dance for her.
After weighing the options, Pei Chang'er agreed.
Soon, the palace servants brought a precious sword from the princess's residence and presented it to Pei Xuanlin.
Pei Xuanlin stood in the hall with his sword in hand. A flash of silver light appeared, and the sword's edge moved like a dragon soaring through the air. All the guests held their breath in awe.
The emperor and empress were very satisfied, and the imperial son-in-law Yang Chengxiu also breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.
As the dance progressed, she lightly flicked the tip of her sword, gently presenting the delicate pink roses on the table to Ling Zhenli.
Amidst gasps of surprise, Ling Zhenli covered her lips and chuckled softly. As she picked up the flower with her fingertips, her wide sleeves slipped down, revealing a coral bracelet on her wrist. She then pinned the offered rose to her head, exuding a unique charm.
Pei Xuanlin smiled as his dance ended, stunning the entire audience.
In particular, the scene where he presented flowers to the Crown Princess, who then wore the flowers on her head, showed the couple's deep affection and made others envious.
Pei Shang'er herself laughed, but it was a cold laugh.
Pei Xuanlin was a master swordsman and had led troops in battle. If Yang Chengxiu hadn't stopped her, she would have insisted on having a match with him.
Only Xiao Chongheng remained cold and gloomy throughout the scene of the two being affectionate.
Xie Daojian's eyes were filled with undisguised envy. Chen Rao noticed something was wrong with his son as soon as he took his seat, as he kept staring at another seat.
It's normal for a young man to be in love. Xie Daojian is getting on in years and it's time for him to get married. If the girl is of good character, it would be good to take advantage of the joyous occasion of the wedding banquet to ask about her family's opinion.
Following Xie Daojian's gaze, they only saw the Crown Princess.
Coveting the Crown Princess is a capital offense punishable by death.
What a misfortune for our family!
Rather than letting their son go astray, it would be better to find him a marriage partner now and send him to a distant place. It would be better than him being beheaded for coveting the Crown Princess in the future.
Thinking of this, Chen Rao disregarded everything else and pulled Xie Daojian outside to talk.
“Zhen’er, you’re not getting any younger. Princess Jin’an is three years younger than you and she’s already married. Since His Majesty and the Empress are here today, tell your father quietly which girl you’ve taken a fancy to. As long as she’s of good character, I don’t care how high or low my official rank is, I’ll arrange for her to marry into your family.”
“Father, the woman I once loved died after my family was confiscated and I was convicted of a crime. Since then, I have no intention of marrying.”
Chen Rao frowned.
Not planning on it? If you're not planning on it, why are you staring at the Crown Princess like that?
Is it because the Crown Princess is too beautiful?
"Father noticed you kept staring at the Crown Princess at the banquet... Father knows the Crown Princess is beautiful, but it's not enough to judge a woman by her looks alone; character is even more important. I remember Lu Xin, the only daughter of Minister Lu, she's so pretty and charming. She comes from a prestigious family and is known for her dignified and generous demeanor, gentleness and virtue. Why don't I ask her for you?"
"Father, I think the Crown Princess only meant something because the Crown Prince was practicing swordsmanship earlier and it reminded her of the conflict between Jin An and her. As for marriage... I don't want to delay Miss Lu's life, so please don't bring it up again." Xie Daojian cupped his hands, looking like he would rather die than marry her.
Chen Rao got a little anxious: "Your mother has no other children besides you. She may not say it, but she still hopes that you will get married and start a career."
Xie Daojian hesitated for a moment, but still said, "Father, you and Mother are both healthy. Why don't you give your son another brother or sister? I feel that having only one child in the family is a bit lonely."
It wasn't that she felt lonely, but she was afraid that he was her only child, so she kept urging him to get married.
"Giving birth is like passing through the gates of hell, how could you say something like that, sending your mother to the gates of hell!"
"That's it. So your son doesn't want his wife to go through the ordeal of death. Father, please don't bring up the matter of your son getting married again."
"..."
Chen Rao was a martial artist and knew he couldn't win an argument with his son, a scholar, so he sighed deeply.
Let's put this matter on hold for now.
...
At the banquet, Pei Chanlian was humiliated by Xiao Chongheng and then mocked by Pei Shang'er. Her face turned red with anger, and she refused to return to her seat. Instead, she said that she was feeling unwell and had to go home. She even sent a maid to secretly call Yang Chongzheng back home as well.
Yang Chongzheng shook his head helplessly. Seeing his brother's predicament, Xiao Chongheng was truly puzzled and asked, "Why does my brother admire a woman like Roujia?"
Upon hearing this, Yang Chongzheng could only sigh: "Anu doesn't like her, she must think there's nothing wrong with her, but I think she's very cute."
Xiao Chongheng still didn't understand: "Brother, you're really blind. After she slept with you, she insisted on marrying me instead of you. She even made you and Mother coerce and entice me to marry her. I ignored her, and she kept entangled with you after the marriage. She didn't marry you and even used you. This is not fair to you!"
"Anu, when it comes to feelings, there's no such thing as fairness..."
Yang Chongzheng patted Xiao Chongheng on the shoulder, "Especially seeing how distraught you were after losing the woman you loved, I was even more frightened. That woman may have been beautiful or gentle and considerate, but in my mother's and my eyes, she was just a woman of low status, unworthy of you."
Xiao Chongheng immediately retorted, "Roujia is absolutely no match for her. I could talk for three days and three nights about how good she is..."
"Yes, love is unsolvable. You love her for a reason, and so do I. I love Roujia for a reason. I'm just afraid that Roujia will never talk to me again. Even without a title, I want to stay with her. So I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's my fault that you lost your love forever. Even if you hate me, I will still do this... People are selfish."
After Yang Chongzheng finished speaking, he left, and Xiao Chongheng fell into thought.
If Ling Zhenli really dies, then he will indeed hate his brother and mother for the rest of his life.
Fortunately, she didn't die, and he didn't believe she was dead.
Ling Zhenli's soul is so stubborn and unyielding, so indomitable and tenacious in its survival. Even if she were reduced to ashes, she would do everything in her power to be reborn from the ashes.
So when he received the news of her death, Xiao Chongheng couldn't believe it, didn't want to believe it, and couldn't believe she was dead.
His conviction was correct; she was not dead.
Being alive is the most wonderful thing.
Ling Zhenli understands best that as long as a person is alive, everything can turn around, and even a dead end can be overcome. If you try to commit suicide, then you will have nothing left. As long as you dare to face it and accept the consequences, tomorrow will be a new day.
***
At night, the moon climbs above the treetops and then hides behind the clouds.
The nights in the Eastern Palace were always exceptionally quiet. The red candles flickered gently on the candlesticks, casting the shadows of the two people onto the gauze curtains outside the bed.
Pei Xuanlin pressed down on Ling Zhenli's hand, which was trying to remove the hairpin, and said softly, "I'll do it."
His fingertips ran through her thick hair as he carefully removed the golden phoenix hairpin, afraid of hurting her in the slightest.
Ling Zhenli looked at his focused profile through the bronze mirror and couldn't help but smile.
"Your Highness's sword dance at the wedding banquet today captivated all those young ladies from noble families," she teased deliberately. "I saw the daughter of Minister Li almost shredded her handkerchief."
Pei Xuanlin gave a light snort and took off another pearl hairpin: "And my beloved concubine? Has she also been captivated by her husband?"
"Me..."
Ling Zhenli deliberately dragged out her words, turned around and grabbed his wrist playfully, saying, "I'm already tired of seeing this!"
Pei Xuanlin chuckled, raised an eyebrow, and pulled her into his arms. The lingering jasmine scent from her hair wafted towards him.
"Tired of seeing it?" He whispered in her ear, watching with satisfaction as her jade-like earlobes gradually turned pink. "Then why did someone put the flowers on their head when I presented them with my sword?"
Ling Zhenli blushed immediately: "The flower is beautiful, and I was planning to wear it on my head anyway."
Pei Xuanlin chuckled softly, his fingers stroking the last gold hairpin in her hair: "Ah Li, your deliberately annoying little face is just so adorable."
"I didn't..."
Before she could finish speaking, her hairpin was removed, and her long, flowing black hair cascaded down in an instant.
"So beautiful."
Those two simple words made Ling Zhenli's heart race.
Pei Xuanlin seemed to love praising her.
He would praise her incessantly whenever he could find an opportunity. Women love to be flattered, and Ling Zhenli was no exception. She was always delighted by his flattery.
Ling Zhenli turned to face him and found that Pei Xuanlin's usually sharp features were incredibly gentle at this moment. The wine he drank at the wedding banquet seemed to be really taking effect now. She reached out as if possessed and smoothed out non-existent wrinkles on his clothes.
"Are you tired today?" she asked softly.
Pei Xuanlin held her hand and gently kissed the scar on her palm, making Ling Zhenli's heart itch.
“Your husband is very strong.”
He was making lewd jokes to tease her, and Ling Zhenli, feeling shy, deliberately avoided his intense gaze.
A light rain began to fall outside the window, gently tapping against it.
To avoid an accident, Ling Zhenli quickly got up and picked up a small wooden box from the table.
She opened the box, inside were several delicate osmanthus pastries, and handed them to Pei Xuanlin.
"I asked the kitchen to make this for you. I noticed you didn't eat much at the banquet, and I was worried you'd be hungry."
Pei Xuanlin's eyes lit up instantly.
His beloved Ahri is always thinking of him, even caring about such small things.
Pei Xuanlin quickly picked up a piece and took a bite. The crispy crust crumbled and fell off. Ling Zhenli, afraid of getting his clothes dirty, hurriedly tried to catch it with her hand, but he took the opportunity to bite her fingertip.
"Ouch! Are you a dog? You bit me again."
She exclaimed in surprise, but couldn't help laughing out loud.
He didn't argue, but just looked at her tenderly, a little powdered sugar still on the corner of his mouth.
"Look at you, you even got some pastry on your lips while eating it."
Ling Zhenli sighed and gently wiped the sugar stains from his lips with a handkerchief, but he grabbed her wrist.
In the candlelight, his eyes were as deep as a pool.
"Ah Li".
He called her by her nickname, his voice incredibly gentle, "I want to go to bed."
Ling Zhenli was stunned. Time to go to bed?
The next second, before she could dodge, Pei Xuanlin lifted her chin and gently kissed her lips.
The sweet aroma of osmanthus pastry lingered between their lips and teeth, more intoxicating than any wine.
When the kiss ended, Ling Zhenli, her face flushed, leaned weakly against his shoulder, panting, "Weren't you going to bed?"
"right."
Pei Xuanlin picked her up horizontally, startling her into a soft gasp.
"On our wedding night, what did you say we should do before going to bed?"
"You! You have to attend the morning court session tomorrow!"
"So let's start early and finish early."
...
The gauze curtains hung low, and the candlelight gradually dimmed.
Ling Zhenli nestled in Pei Xuanlin's arms, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat.
The sound of rain outside the window grew louder, which only made the room inside the tent feel warm and cozy.
Ling Zhenli snuggled into Pei Xuanlin's arms, and Pei Xuanlin embraced her in return. The two had just finished and were in the midst of their passionate lovemaking.
"Ah Li, are you happy today?"
"I'm so happy. Putting everything else aside, Princess Jin'an is really beautiful. No wonder everyone says she is the most beautiful woman in the world."
"Why is Ah Li blushing today? Didn't you always think you were the prettiest?" Pei Xuanlin teased Ling Zhenli by gently pinching her nose.
"Oh dear, I'm definitely pretty, but I can't just say I'm the prettiest, or people will laugh at me."
Ling Zhenli laughed as she pinched Pei Xuanlin's nose, wanting revenge for being pinched earlier.
"Alright, alright, Ah Li is the prettiest... By the way, what caused your dispute with Duke Xiao Xun of Yan today? I heard from the palace servants that you two had a fight on the city wall?"
Pei Xuanlin thought to himself that he and Xiao Chongheng were like brothers, and he didn't want his wife to have a bad relationship with his brother, so he wanted to mediate.
"It wasn't a big deal..." Ling Zhenli lied guiltily, "It's just because Princess Roujia insisted that I play polo with her, which injured my hand, so naturally I didn't want to give her a nice look."
Despite the clumsy lie, Pei Xuanlin was unsuspecting and believed her.
"Roujia is competitive and likes to compare herself to others. Just ignore her next time. Chongheng... Chongheng shouldn't stand up for Roujia. If it's about this, it's probably because Princess Wuyang sent him to find you."
Upon hearing this, Ling Zhenli became curious and wanted to subtly inquire about Xiao Chongheng.
"Isn't Princess Roujia his wife? How can he not defend his own wife?"
"Well... it's a long story. My cousin's beloved woman is a courtesan, but she has a criminal record and cannot be brought back to the Duke's mansion. Princess Wuyang was very dissatisfied when she found out and used some method to force him to marry Roujia."
“He is Princess Wuyang’s son. Would Princess Wuyang really kill him?” Ling Zhenli said with a hint of resentment. “In the end, he just couldn’t let go of power and wealth. After weighing the pros and cons, he abandoned that woman.”
Pei Xuanlin assumed she was speaking up for another woman and that her poor relationship with Princess Roujia was the reason she said this, failing to notice the jealousy in her words.
“You…” Pei Xuanlin flicked her forehead, “If Princess Wuyang wouldn’t kill her own son, surely she could kill a courtesan?”
"..." Ling Zhenli's eyes widened instantly.
After a long while, she placed her legs on Pei Xuanlin's lower abdomen, lay on top of him, and said resentfully, "Princess Wuyang has been my father's enemy for many years. My father dislikes Princess Wuyang the most. However, when Emperor Shizong was in power, he allowed Wuyang to interfere in court affairs. My father tried to persuade Emperor Shizong many times, but he always turned the tables on him. I don't like Wuyang."
"Of King Sejong's five children, his favorite was Princess Wuyang, and then... perhaps my father."
When his father was mentioned, Pei Xuanlin's heart softened a little.
During his innocent childhood, although his father and mother were not married, they stayed together, accompanying him as he grew up and guiding him through a wonderful childhood.
But later, Yang Mingkong forced him to be raised by the deceased Crown Prince Zhanghuai, and took over the Crown Prince Zhanghuai's residence. Everything changed then.
Soon, his father became emperor, and the first thing he did was to snatch him back and make his mother empress, but Yang Mingkong refused.
Overwhelmed with love for her son, Pei Xuanlin's mother knelt and kowtowed, begging Yang Mingkong to return her child to her, but Yang Mingkong sentenced her to death for the crime of disrespect...
After this incident, the bond between Yang Mingkong and Pei She was completely severed. Even though Yang Mingkong returned Pei Xuanlin to Pei She immediately after the incident, it was still to no avail. Pei She was heartbroken and perhaps unable to bear seeing her once dashing son in such a wretched and painful state, Yang Mingkong gave Pei She a cup of poisoned wine, which Pei She drank.
Historical records describe how much Yang Mingkong loved her youngest son, Pei She, whose name means "amnesty to the whole world."
When Pei She was born, the emperor and empress granted a general amnesty for him, a privilege unique to any prince of the dynasty. This was because he looked so much like Yang Mingkong, who was also his mother's fourth child. Emperor Gaozong was also Emperor Taizong's fourth child. With this affection between them, Pei She was entrusted with great expectations.
Pei Xuanlin couldn't help but feel sad. Perhaps the biggest mistake his father made in his life was falling in love with his mother and giving birth to him.
"Sanlang...are you missing your father?" Ling Zhenli sensed his sadness and felt bad for him too. "Yes."
They were both pitiful people who had lost their parents.
Despite his own grief, Pei Xuanlin comforted Ling Zhenli, saying, "My aunt can even kill her own husband, so how could she possibly harm someone unrelated to her? It's no wonder, the imperial family is ruthless, and it's understandable that Ali dislikes her."
After saying this, Pei Xuanlin realized his mistake and tried to salvage the situation, saying, "But Ah Li is so good to me, even if she makes a mistake, I will help you solve it."
Ling Zhenli nodded gently in his arms.
Although she didn't believe it, she was happy to hear it since Pei Xuanlin was willing to say it.
The last red candle finally burned out, and in the darkness, only their intertwined fingers remained.
Although Ling Zhenli was tired, she couldn't fall asleep for the time being. She was going to see Xiao Chongheng tomorrow, and she didn't know what would happen...
Hopefully, she and Hsiao Chung-heng won't repeat the same mistakes.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
