Chapter 5: The couple thought Yu Qing was the type who was not good at speaking, but could...
The next day, Yu Qing woke up as usual. She had practiced martial arts for many years and had sharp eyes and ears. She heard the long breathing sounds from the bed curtains and knew that Princess Qingjia was still sleeping, so she didn't move.
It was not until he heard some noise in the yard outside, thinking that the ceremonial officer might be coming, that he quietly folded the quilt and placed it in the corner of the bed.
The princess slept in the innermost bed. Yu Qing whispered, "Your Highness? Your Highness?"
The princess was not sleeping soundly, and when she woke up and saw Yu Qing, she showed a little surprise. Yu Qing realized that he had accidentally scared her and hurriedly said, "Your Highness, the ceremonial officer will be here soon."
Xie Jing said: "...Yeah."
They didn't share a bed last night because of the princess. This is a very private matter for a girl, so Yu Qing thought it would be best not to let the ceremonial officer know.
They woke her up because they were afraid that the group of people would come in and disturb her later.
Then Yu Qing called for someone, and the servant of the Marquis' Mansion who was on duty outside heard the sound and came in to take care of the newlyweds. A beautiful maid also came in.
She guessed that the princess might need to clean up, so she went to the outer room and let the princess change clothes and wash up inside.
The princess looked a little pale, Yu Qing thought, and ordered the servants to prepare breakfast according to her instructions.
It was already dawn outside, and Yu Qing asked, "Is Your Highness alright?"
She was afraid that the princess had not yet changed her clothes and washed up, and it would be rude to go in rashly. She only stepped into the room after hearing the maid's response.
Princess Qingjia was just coming out from behind the screen. She was wearing a long dress of fine brocade of cloud goose pattern and a smoke gauze shirt, with her long black hair hanging down her shoulders. Yu Qing was secretly impressed again.
When the time came, the ceremonial officer came in. Seeing that the newlyweds had stood up, he smiled and said some polite words, wishing them a harmonious marriage and presenting them with a new reward, all prepared according to the emperor's will.
Yu Qing and the princess expressed their gratitude, and after the ceremonial officer had done what he was supposed to do, he set off to return to the palace.
Before the princess was dressing up, a servant from the marquis's mansion brought her a heart-shaped comb.
Yu Qing said, "Your Highness, in folk marriages, it is customary for the husband to comb his wife's hair on the second day after the wedding to bless her with long-lasting blessings in the future. I wonder if I could do your hair for you? It would only be for good luck."
These were the rules that Yu Qing understood before getting married. Although they were all formalities, as a husband, there was nothing he could do other than these formalities.
Princess Qingjia was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay."
The princess's long hair was black and smooth, and there was a faint fragrance in her hair.
Yu Qing combed the hair from head to toe three times, chanting: "Comb once to the end, comb twice to the eyebrows, comb three times to tie the heart together forever." Then he returned the comb to Dong Li for safekeeping.
When Yu Qing raised her eyes, she happened to see Qingjia's appearance in the bronze mirror. Her face without makeup lacked some of the grace and beauty of last night, and her temperament was a little different, but she was still graceful and beautiful.
The two happened to look at each other through the mirror, and Qingjia quickly lowered his eyes, perhaps because he was a little embarrassed?
Yu Qing stepped back tactfully and thought, are all girls so shy?
After Qingjia finished dressing up, Yu Qing ordered someone to serve the dishes, as they would have breakfast together this morning.
"I don't know what Your Highness likes, so I've asked them to make a few more dishes. You can pick the one that suits your taste," Yu Qing said. "We have a small kitchen in this courtyard and hired several chefs who are good at cooking different cuisines. They may not be as good as those in the palace, so Your Highness can try them out first."
The breakfast alone filled the entire table. Then a maid brought a small cup and placed it in front of Xie Jing. Xie Jing asked, "What is this?"
The maid said, "Your Highness, this is the medicinal soup prepared for you."
Xie Jing had not seen this maid last night. Seeing that her clothes were somewhat different from those of ordinary servants and her temperament was calm and proper, he understood that this person's status was probably similar to that of the head maid in charge of the palace.
The maid opened the lid of the cup for him, and Xie Jing scooped a spoonful calmly.
The aroma of the medicinal food wafted into his nose, and he identified the herbs and ingredients in it. They were all for nourishing qi and blood, soothing the meridians, and there was nothing strong about them. They were very mild and the quantity was just right - suitable for women to take during their menstrual period.
Xie Jing: “…”
He drank two mouthfuls of the medicinal food first, thinking that the excuse he made yesterday was actually taken seriously. It must have been said by Yu Qing. This man seemed to know a lot?
He ate some more food in bits and pieces, thinking that Yu Qing might say something to him during their breakfast, after all, they were a newlywed couple.
However, Yu Qing remained quiet throughout the whole process and did not intentionally bring up any topics, which surprised Xie Jing a little.
It seems that Yu Qing is the kind of man who is not good at speaking but will keep things in mind silently?
But whether it was last night or this morning, Yu Qing said everything just right and without ambiguity, and it seemed like he knew how to hold himself in check, not that he wasn't bad at speaking.
This prince is a little strange, Xie Jing thought.
Even if he said he had no thoughts, his gaze always fell on him, which was obvious;
You can say he has his own thoughts. Last night when we talked about not consummating the marriage, he agreed without hesitation and didn't feel disappointed.
After breakfast, the two of them went to the Xuanbei Marquis and his wife to offer tea. Since the princess was of noble status, she naturally did not have to serve her parents-in-law like an ordinary bride. She just came over to greet them and exchange a few words.
The Yu family is not large, so there is no need for Xie Jing to know a large family, which is very worry-free.
I had heard that Marquis Xuanbei was ill, and now it seems to be true. Yu Heng's face was solemn and resolute, he spoke little, but his complexion was not good.
Mrs. Lu is quite kind to others and it can be seen that she was a beauty when she was young. Yu Qing looks more like her than his father, and their eyebrows and eyes are about 70% similar.
It is true that a son resembles his mother, and Xie Jing also looks like his mother.
When facing him, the princess, the Yu family members were polite but not friendly enough in their words and deeds, which was normal.
After all, she was not the daughter-in-law chosen by the Yu family themselves, but was welcomed into the family under the emperor's order. With her royal status, the other party must have many concerns.
Xie Jing spent the entire time chatting with Madam Lu. After finishing a cup of tea, Xie Jing felt it was almost time to leave, when Madam Lu asked someone to bring over a box.
"This bracelet is a family heirloom," Madam Lu said. "It was originally with me, but now that Qing'er is married, I'm giving it to Your Highness for safekeeping. It's not a valuable item, so I hope Your Highness won't dislike it."
Xie Jing nodded, told Qiu Lian to accept the bracelet, and said gently, "Madam, please call me Qingjia from now on."
After the two said goodbye, Madam Lu looked at Qingjia's back and said to Yu Heng, "...I was worried that the Seventh Princess's personality wouldn't get along with Qing'er, but now she seems quite kind. I hope nothing goes wrong in the future..."
Yu Qing sent the princess back to her residence and walked around the mansion to help her get familiar with the route.
"You can ask the butler or come to me directly. I will arrange more people to serve His Highness."
Xie Jing said, "I like quietness, and there aren't many people around me in the palace, so there's no need to worry so much."
Xie Jing felt at ease only when his own people were using the property. He didn't want outsiders to serve him so closely, but Yu Qing seemed to misunderstand, thinking he was being polite. He said, "Don't worry, I'll have the butler bring them over later. Your Highness doesn't have a residence of his own right now, and it's already unfair for you to stay in the Marquis' Mansion. That courtyard is quite spacious, and you'll be responsible for all matters from now on. The two girls, Qiu Lian and Dong Li, are new here, so they're bound to be unfamiliar with the management. It would be best for Your Highness to pick a few more capable ones to work with first."
Xie Jing originally thought that he was living a life of dependence on others, but now it sounds like it is not that bad.
The Marquis's Mansion gave him a large enough and independent courtyard to manage himself, which was better than his treatment in the palace.
"……Um."
"By the way, I thought the courtyard was for His Highness, so I didn't name it rashly. Does Your Highness have a name you like? We can inscribe a plaque on it later."
Xie Jing couldn't find any fault with her thoughtfulness. He could only smile at Yu Qing and said, "Okay... I just need to think about it."
The princess' eyes curved slightly and she smiled. Yu Qing almost stared at her again. She said quickly, "Yeah, think about it slowly. There's no rush."
She looked away, changed the subject, and pointed to a place not far away, saying, "That's Huaifeng Pavilion, where I live."
Xie Jing pondered: "...Is it a bit far from me?"
Yu Qing paused. The princess was right. This was actually intentional because it would be inconvenient to be too close.
The two of them could not live together like ordinary couples. Yu Qing needed to be a respectful and indifferent husband, and spend less time together except for necessary meetings.
After all, if you walk by the river often, you will get your feet wet. The closer you are to it, the easier it is to reveal your flaws.
These were strategies she had thought of long ago, but now that the princess had only asked casually, she felt pressured.
Yes, it’s a shame that a newlywed couple is separated by almost half a city.
Yu Qing explained, "It's like this. I usually practice martial arts every morning and evening, and I'm afraid of disturbing Your Highness. Besides, I'll be busy attending court and handling military affairs in the future..."
Xie Jing felt that this distance was good and safe, and he had no objection to Yu Qing's words.
Yu Qing said, "...but I will come to see you often, even if I am far away."
Xie Jing: “…”
He really wanted to say, "That's not necessary," but looking at Yu Qing's handsome face, he could clearly sense a certain tension and a gesture of goodwill, so he swallowed his words and said, "Okay."
The two of them walked slowly, neither too far nor too close. It seemed a bit cold for a newlywed couple, but since they were strangers, it was natural for them to have such an atmosphere when they got together.
Yu Qing was wondering whether to bring up a topic, but she was not as good at dealing with girls as Wen Shuo. The elegant and gentle Seventh Princess was completely different from her, and she couldn't guarantee that she could please her.
They traveled in silence until they reached Princess Qingjia's courtyard. Yu Qing then said goodbye to her, "Your Highness, you've worked hard these past two days. Take a good rest... I'll come see you later."
The princess nodded.
On the way back to Huaifeng Pavilion, Yu Qing thought silently that the princess really didn't have a hint of arrogance at all, not like a noble princess. Even the daughters of aristocratic families probably didn't have such a temperament.
When she spoke, her voice was always soft, her eyelashes were always raised and then lowered gently, and she accepted any arrangement without saying a single "no".
If she had been a little more proud, Yu Qing might not have been so cautious, but she was so gentle and quiet, like the delicate wings of a butterfly, and Yu Qing was afraid of hurting her.
Now that we have just gotten married, it’s okay if we are a little distant from each other. But if time goes on and I’m still not close to her, won’t she be sad?
She had done nothing wrong, so she must not have known that her husband actually wanted to stay away from her...
Yu Qing realized that he would not be a husband in the future, but a heartless man.
Someone like Qingjia needs to be held in the palm of someone's hand and be well cared for. And she herself is simply not capable of being a proper husband.
What should I do?
When she reached the gate of her yard, Qiying called her and she came to her senses.
"How was last night?" Qiying asked.
In the morning, she went to see the newlyweds and served breakfast to the princess. After observing them, she thought that everything should be peaceful last night.
Yu Qing said: "Well, it just so happens that Princess... it's not convenient, so we sleep in separate beds, and I sleep on the couch. It's too soft, and I can't sleep."
She was used to sleeping on the camp bed in the tent. Even Yu Qing's bed in the mansion was very hard. The princess's soft couch had a velvet cushion and was covered with bedding. She felt her back had softened after sleeping, and she felt light and airy when she woke up this morning.
Qiying said: "...Is that so? That's not bad, I'm lucky."
Yu Qing thought so too. He probably wouldn't have to go to the princess's room to sleep these few days. She was on her first date and wouldn't call the prince consort to sleep with her. He just had to pay his respects, have dinner with her, and then come back.
This is just a temporary hiding place. I have to make plans later... Let's take it one step at a time.
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