Chapter 24: Love "The princess's hair feels so comfortable to the touch."...
Xie Jing didn't answer.
The Queen's smile widened. "Speaking of him, it reminded me of a few words I gave you last time. Do you remember?"
Qing Jia seemed a little afraid to raise his eyes: "...I remember."
"Have you told your husband?"
"I didn't say it," Qingjia said with an embarrassed look on his face. "I just couldn't wait for the chance to bring it up with him."
The queen's smile faded, and Qingjia felt a little frightened.
"Opportunities are earned, not waited for," the Queen said slowly. "Back then, your mother chose him as your consort because he had a good reputation. Your brother, the Crown Prince, also admired him. He must be a perfect husband. They've paved so many paths for you. You can't always wait for others to hand you opportunities. You must learn to fight for them yourself."
Qing Jia nodded and said, "...Yes. My daughter has learned her lesson."
"It seems I didn't tell you enough last time. You're still too naive and don't know how to be impatient," the Queen said. "A relationship between husband and wife requires dedication to maintain in order to last. Don't think that just because you're a princess you can be carefree. Your husband and wife come from a distinguished family, so you're not just an ordinary couple. If you want him to always value you, love alone is not enough."
She continued to patiently persuade Qingjia, "The Crown Prince is a military commander, having commanded hundreds of thousands of troops in the northwest. Now that he's returned to the capital, he must find a position commensurate with his status. Your brother, the Emperor, cherishes talent, but unfortunately, the Prince Consort didn't understand, and he ended up in the Cavalry Battalion. You didn't explain it clearly to him last time, so he missed out on promotion. Yu Qingnian is too young, and without guidance, he can't figure out many things. Do you understand?"
The Queen's intentions were clear.
Whether Qingjia is trying to persuade or coax her, she is Yu Qing's partner anyway, so she has to be pulled over to Yu Qing no matter what method is used.
Qingjia hesitated for a while, but stood up, moved his lips, and his eyes turned red.
"I know everything Mother said, but I really can't do anything about it."
The Queen chuckled.
"Silly child. You are the closest person to the Prince Consort, how could there be no solution? All you need to do is persuade the Prince Consort and ask him to consider your brother's good intentions. The Prince Consort loves you very much."
Qing Jia said, "Your Majesty, you don't know that the Prince Consort and I are not close... We haven't even slept in the same bed together in all these days."
The Queen was stunned: "What?"
Qingjia wiped her tears with a handkerchief.
"When we got married, my daughter was unwell and we didn't have sex. My husband was originally a betrothed, so he and my daughter were very distant and he never came to visit me afterwards. A while ago, my daughter fell seriously ill again and had to recuperate for a long time. My husband thought I was too ill and felt it was a bad omen, so he ignored me even more."
The Queen's brows furrowed even more tightly. "But, doesn't the Prince Consort still care about you?"
Qing Jia cried, "That happened in front of outsiders. That's why my daughter felt so bad."
There are so many couples in the world who sleep in the same bed but have different dreams. The queen knew that it would not be strange if Yu Qing was really like this.
What was unbelievable to her was that Qingjia could be so cowardly, after all, she was Rong Fei's daughter.
They had been married for so long, but they weren't even husband and wife. She was indeed a sickly woman, and the Queen knew she was useless, but she hadn't expected her to be so useless.
Now he looks like he's about to cry, which makes the queen really annoyed.
"...That's all." said the Queen.
Qingjia sighed sadly.
The queen wanted to teach her some strategies, or simply give her some drugs or incense. With Qingjia's looks, wouldn't it be easy for her to win the favor of her husband?
But then she thought, Qingjia isn't very smart and doesn't have a very interesting personality, so she was afraid that teaching her would be a thankless task. And she wasn't sure if she could really help.
It would be better to... find someone else, someone who is more reliable, more trustworthy, and smarter.
"Go back and think carefully about it," the queen said, "and don't cry anymore. Maybe one day the prince consort will change his mind."
Xie Jing took his leave and sneered almost inaudibly as he stepped out of the palace.
Playing dumb for so many years was still somewhat useful, as the Queen really believed Princess Qingjia's predicament.
It seems that after Xie Tingxuan ascended to the Eastern Palace, the Queen no longer had any major worries, and she became more relaxed and plump, no longer as meticulous and suspicious as before.
After the morning court session, the Crown Prince came to the Central Palace to pay his respects, and the Queen told him about the situation in Qingjia.
"... Qingjia can't even say a word to the Prince Consort?" Xie Tingxuan said in surprise, then "tsk," "Yu Qing thinks highly of himself. He sent people to show his goodwill several times, but it was useless. I thought Qingjia would be a help. I don't want to be too stubborn with Yu Qing. It seems that if it really doesn't work, I can only-"
"Don't be impatient," the Queen said. "Yu Qing has achieved fame at a young age and is very proud. Forcing him will only make him resist. If he doesn't like Qing Jia, that's just fine. It won't prevent us from arranging someone else. The original arrangement of marrying Qing Jia was just a temporary measure. Now, as long as Yu Qing stays in the capital, won't it be easy for him to do whatever he wants? He is young and full of energy. There will always be a way."
Xie Tingxuan understood, his eyes turned, and he smiled: "Yes, I think Qingjia is not reliable either. Sending Yu Qing someone more suitable may be a good choice for her."
*
After leaving court, Yu Qing and Minister Wen walked together for a while.
Minister Wen is Wen Shuo's elder brother Wen Xu. He is handsome and capable. After entering the officialdom, he has been very successful and works in the Ministry of Revenue. He is much more reliable than his younger brother.
Because she was good friends with Wen Shuo and their two families visited each other frequently, she and Wen Xu naturally became familiar with each other. Although they didn't meet often, they maintained a gentlemanly friendship.
She had just returned to Beijing, and many new people in the court did not live up to their titles. Asking Wen Xu about these things was the right person to ask.
"That General Duan we just mentioned was the top scorer in last year's military exam. He has a clean family background and is quite favored by the Emperor. It's said that he has some skills in governing his people..."
"I see..." Yu Qing listened carefully to the introduction and nodded frequently.
"Huh? The prince is also walking this way?" Wen Xu said.
Further down, in the opposite direction of the Xuanbei Marquis Mansion, the Wen family's carriage was parked here, and Yu Qing seemed to have followed.
"I won't go back home yet," Yu Qing said, "I ordered a hairpin earlier, and I'm going to the street to pick it up today."
Remembering that Yu Qing had just gotten married, Wen Xu realized, "Is that so?"
"This time when I met the prince, I felt that his aura was different compared to when I returned to the capital," he said with a smile, "Maybe it's because of the marriage."
Yu Qing was a little puzzled. She and Qingjia weren't really married, yet even Wen Xu said so. Could something have really changed...
She took back the jade hairpin and went back to the house to find Qingjia, but she saw that Qingjia was dressed more luxuriously and solemnly than usual today, and her hair was in a very formal bun.
"I went to the palace this morning," Qingjia explained. "My mother heard I was ill, so I went to see her to prevent her from worrying."
She had probably just returned home and hadn't had time to change, so she quickly went to the inner room to change into a new dress. Then, beside the dressing table behind the screen, she removed her ornaments and untied her hair. As she removed her pearl hairpins one by one, her long hair slid down softly, spreading across her shoulders.
Yu Qing actually hesitated briefly.
"What's wrong? What are you doing standing there?" Qing Jia asked.
Yu Qing said: "...Your Highness, this is for you."
Xie Jing turned around and saw Yu Qing had produced another jewelry box. He felt as if he was facing a formidable enemy. He had never opened the dazzling phoenix hairpin he had received from Yu Qing since then.
Xie Jing: "Did you buy new jewelry?"
Yu Qing said, "Not really. I bought it a long time ago, but it was custom-made, so it took time. I just got it today."
Xie Jing felt complicated. Yu Qing handed it to him, so he had to take it. He didn't know what strange things were inside, so he prepared to control his expression.
"Actually, I don't need any of them. You don't have to spend time buying these next time..." He opened the box while gently persuading Yu Qing, and then paused.
Inside was a hairpin carved from blue jade, lustrous and translucent, in the shape of an orchid.
He was suddenly surprised. In just a few days, Yu Qing's vision had improved so much?
Seeing that the princess was silent, Yu Qing asked, "Your Highness?"
Xie Jing came back to his senses, took out the hairpin, and said, "...It's quite beautiful. Did you choose it?"
Yu Qing said, "Well, I think this color should suit Your Highness very well. Would you like to try it on?"
Qing Jia had just removed her other accessories, her long hair half tied up, and before her was a makeup mirror. Why not give it a try?
Yu Qing thought about it, took the hairpin from Qing Jia's hand, and said, "I will help you."
Before Xie Jing could react, Yu Qing had already leaned forward. He was too close to her, and his throat was blocked for a moment, so he couldn't say no. Then, he felt Yu Qing's hand touching the hair on the back of his head, and suddenly his scalp was numb again.
Soon, Yu Qing inserted the hairpin into the princess' hair and looked at it from left to right. It really matched Qingjia's temperament. She was so focused on looking at the hairpin that she didn't notice that Qingjia's face was blank.
"It's very beautiful," Yu Qing said happily, "Look."
Xie Jing didn't even bother to look in the mirror and just casually replied, "Yeah."
Yu Qing put down his hand.
She found that Qingjia's hair was really smooth and slippery, and felt like brocade. After touching it twice, she felt a little unsatisfied.
"I don't think I've seen you wear the gold hairpin you wore last time," Yu Qing said, "Don't you like the look of it?"
Yu Qing had no other intentions, he just wanted to pay attention to the princess's preferences, and asked very sincerely.
Xie Jing lied: "I don't dislike it. It's just too expensive. I'll find a good time to wear it later. For now, just keep it well..."
"It's okay, it won't break," Yu Qing said. "Even if it does break, I'll just buy you another one."
Yu Qing had to go to the Cavalry Camp in the afternoon, so he just returned home to stay for a while.
Xie Jing felt uncomfortable with his son-in-law being here. After the man left, he finally calmed down, glanced in the mirror, and felt both amused and helpless.
Yu Qing even said it looked good, but what was so good about it? He even stuck the hairpin in crookedly!
Considering that the other party was also inexperienced, Xie Jing didn't bother with it.
He pulled out the hairpin, held it in his hand, and looked at it, feeling conflicted.
If I don't intervene, something bad will really happen. Compared to when they first got married, Yu Qing is obviously... becoming more and more unruly. Before, I had to bow before entering the door, but now I dare to touch his hair directly.
Xie Jing felt very regretful, mainly because he and Yu Qing had always lived in peace before, and he had never forcefully rejected anything, which resulted in it being too late to resist.
How can we make Yu Qing lose interest in "Princess Qingjia"?
Aristocratic families value bloodline inheritance. The Yu family has few descendants in recent generations, and Yu Qing is the only child.
This person is very respectful of etiquette and rules, and he would probably value these things. Xie Jing thought about it for a while and felt that this idea might work.
As for the hairpin...it's really nice.
He took out his pair of blue jade earrings and compared them. They were very similar. This color has always been his favorite.
*
Yu Qing had just taken over the Cavalry Battalion and needed some time to get used to military affairs. He talked with several deputy generals for a while and when he returned home, it was already later than the usual meal time.
Qingjia didn't ask anyone to serve the meal first, but waited for her.
When Yu Qing apologized to her, the princess just shook her head: "It's okay, I know you're busy today, and I guessed it would be late."
Qing Jia not only wore the hairpin that Yu Qing had given her, but also her earrings. The two complemented each other, making her look as clear and transparent as jade.
She suddenly wanted to buy more. With such beauty, she should change her outfit every day.
In the evening, after Yu Qing finished bathing, he put on his clothes and sat alone in his bedroom, drying his hair while flipping through a gun manual.
Her hands unconsciously played with the ends of her half-dry hair. The gun manual was placed in front of her, but she didn't look at it too closely.
Qiying came in with a plate of grapes. "Are you daydreaming? What are you thinking about?"
Seeing that her hair was still wet, Qiying said helplessly, "Your hair isn't dry yet, and the window is open. Be careful not to catch a cold."
Yu Qing has a hot body, and now that summer is approaching, he feels cooler in the breeze.
She took the towel handed to her by Qiying and wiped it intermittently.
Her own hair was thick and straight, and she found that even when it was semi-dry, it was still quite stiff. The princess's hair was different, completely soft and pliable...
"You know, the princess's hair feels really comfortable to touch," Yu Qing said.
Qiying: "...How would I know this?"
Yu Qing: "It's amazing. I've never touched hair like that before."
Qiying was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
"If you want it, you can get it if you take good care of it. Next time, I'll use cypress leaves and petals soaked in water to wash you, and then add floral oil and ointment..."
Yu Qing felt troubled when he heard this: "Forget it."
She has always been used to being casual. There was a lot of dust and sand outside the pass, so Yu Qing just used ordinary soap beans to smear it all over the place, and then wiped it dry with a coarse cloth. Fortunately, her hair was naturally thick, otherwise someone else would have lost a lot of hair.
Yu Qing thought that she didn't need to have one herself, and she could just touch the princess's in the future.
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