Chapter 4: Bridal Chamber "...Tonight is our wedding night, how come...
Xie Jing wore a heavy phoenix crown and thick auspicious clothes for several hours, and he had a headache and a sore waist.
Unfortunately, there were both ceremonial officials and maids inside and outside the house, so it was impossible to relax.
Ordinary brides don’t have so many rules in the bridal chamber, at least they don’t have to sit upright all the time.
But the palace ceremonial officer was appointed by the Empress and was keeping a close watch. He had to wait until the Prince Consort arrived before the wedding ceremony could begin. He would not leave all night and would return to the palace early tomorrow morning.
His two personal maids were married off as part of his marriage and could occasionally serve him some tea, but they could not do anything else.
Xie Jing just sat on the marital bed and waited, feeling increasingly uncomfortable. His mood towards his husband had changed from "The later the better" to "How long does that kid want to eat at the banquet? Why hasn't he come yet?"
It was too boring, so he cursed the emperor, empress and crown prince two or three times in his mind, then began to curse the rest of the princes and princesses who had bullied him, then the concubines who had harmed his mother, and then the palace maids who flattered the powerful and looked down on the weak... There was almost no one left to curse, when news came from outside the door that the prince consort had arrived.
Xie Jing covered his face with a wedding fan and could not see his husband. He only heard the ceremonial officer leading him forward, and the footsteps stopped not far away.
"Your Highness has been waiting for a long time."
When Yu Qing entered the room, the first thing she thought of was Wen Shuo's words teaching her how to lift the veil on her wedding night. She even replayed it twice in her mind. When she saw the seventh princess, she realized that the princess did not use a veil when she got married, but a wedding fan.
The preparations she had made in advance were wasted. She felt a little flustered and thought: "It should be the same as lifting the veil. First, take a good look at her, then praise her beauty..."
Yu Qing slowly pushed aside the gorgeous golden fan in Xie Jing's hand, revealing a beautiful and radiant face.
She was truly stunned—Princess Qingjia was much more beautiful than in the painting.
Are the skills of the palace painters so poor?
She felt that she hadn't even captured one-tenth of the princess's appearance.
The two of them rushed to get married over a month ago, but this was the first time they saw each other's faces.
Xie Jing also looked at Yu Qing. Yu Qing's voice was elegant and clear, not unpleasant to the ear. Surprisingly, he didn't look like a military commander at all.
Before getting married, he thought the man would be a big, strong man with straight eyebrows and sharp eyes, but this man has a handsome face and is gentle and refined. He looks even more energetic against the backdrop of the bright red wedding gown, and he really looks like a handsome young man.
Before the fan was pushed away, Xie Jing was frowning, trying his best to hide the disgust in his heart, but after looking at each other, his brows relaxed unconsciously.
Both of them had their own surprises, and there was silence for two or three breaths. Only then did Xie Jing begin to feel uncomfortable.
Why are you still staring at him without blinking? What are you thinking?
Xie Jing coughed and said, "Prince Consort."
Yu Qing reacted quickly, realizing she had been mesmerized. She immediately said, "...Your Highness is a goddess. I have never seen such beauty. Please forgive me for being rude..."
Then she noticed that the princess's face was a little red. Was she shy?
Blame her, how could she stare at someone so directly? This is a princess.
Xie Jing thought, this is teasing him. He looks honest, but he is so smooth-talking.
He cursed the other person for being shameless in his heart, but when he looked into Yu Qing's eyes, he couldn't help but feel surprised.
When some men see a beautiful woman, their obscene and lustful thoughts are written all over their faces, but Yu Qing's expression seems serious and sincere, without any evil thoughts.
The ceremonial officer read out a congratulatory speech and the two men drank from the wedding cup.
When the princess's sleeve brushed past him, Yu Qing could smell her fragrance.
Not knowing much about spices, she thought it must be some royal, luxurious incense, not at all greasy, but incredibly refreshing.
The female official also took out gold, silver, colorful fruits, etc. and scattered them on the wedding bed. This is a common ceremony at weddings.
The wedding fruits included peanuts, lotus seeds, and red dates, which symbolized "early birth of a child." The ceremonial officer then spoke some auspicious words, first expressing gratitude for the emperor's grace, then praising the couple's well-matched character and personality, and finally wishing the newlyweds a harmonious and long-lasting marriage.
Everything else was fine, but when the two newlyweds heard the auspicious wish of "having a baby soon", they froze for a moment.
The biggest problem on the wedding night is now revealed - how to get through the stage of consummating the marriage?
After all the ceremonies were over, the ceremonial officials and attendants withdrew from the room, leaving behind two maids who served the princess personally.
Red gauze curtains, flickering wedding candles...then the newlyweds sleep together in the bedroom.
It is naturally impossible to consummate the marriage.
Yu Qing had prepared several excuses. For example, he had recently been told by a master that he had committed too many sins and had a difficult fate, which would easily offend the princess. Or he might have been injured outside the Great Wall and still not recovered. Or he might simply say that he had a hidden illness that was slowly being cured.
Anyway, the idea of having sex would have to wait. But facing the beautiful princess, he suddenly didn't know how to bring it up. Even if he could say something beautiful, the fact was that they couldn't have sex on their wedding night.
How could a husband not want to be close to her on her wedding night? What would she do if she upset the princess?
The princess was raised in the palace as a pampered child and had never suffered any grievances. But as soon as she got married, she was treated coldly. This was too much.
She had to lay the groundwork first... She had no experience in dealing with such a beautiful and shy girl. Yu Qing now regretted not asking Wen Shuo for advice. She was really tongue-tied.
Xie Jing exchanged a glance with his personal maid, who stepped forward, bowed, and said, "How are you, Your Highness? My name is Qiu Lian, and this is Dong Li. We are the two of you who serve His Highness Qing Jia in person."
Yu Qing nodded: "Qiulian, Dongli, I've got it in mind."
Qiu Lian said, "Today is the wedding day for His Highness and his wife, but unfortunately, the princess's blood circulation is out of balance and she's not feeling well today. I'm afraid she needs to rest early."
Hmm? Yu Qing subconsciously looked at the princess, while Qing Jia avoided her gaze. As a fellow woman, Yu Qing immediately understood. Sunflower water?
Yu Qingsong agreed without hesitation, as it was exactly what she wanted. "I understand. Then... I will stay somewhere else tonight so as not to disturb Your Highness."
Qiu Lian was originally planning to make a few more remarks to smooth things over, but she didn't expect the prince consort to be so easy to talk to.
Xie Jing was surprised. Just now, this person was staring at him with ill intentions, but how could he be so decisive and efficient, without even showing any reluctance?
Yu Qing finished speaking and was about to bow and say goodbye, but Xie Jing quickly called out to him, "...Prince Consort?"
The palace's ceremonial officials were all in the side rooms in the courtyard. Once Yu Qing left, they would live in separate rooms on the wedding night. If this got to the Queen's ears, it would be troublesome. Xie Jing didn't want to cause any more trouble.
Yu Qing saw the princess' eyes flicker a few times, and then she said, "...Tonight is our wedding night, how can we go anywhere else? Or...stay here."
Princess Qingjia's voice was low, soft, and cautious.
Yu Qing was completely unable to refuse, and he also realized that what he had just done was inappropriate. Even if they did not sleep in the same bed, he could not let the bride stay alone in the empty room on the wedding night.
"If Your Highness doesn't mind, I will stay here. Your Highness, rest assured, I will not overstep the bounds."
In fact, Xie Jing cares a lot.
But he smiled at Yu Qing: "...Yeah."
The maid dressed the princess and she changed her clothes and washed up. The dress and hair bun were very heavy and took a long time to take off. Yu Qing waited obediently behind the screen, listening to the jingling sounds.
She thought to herself that today hadn't been easy at all. How uncomfortable would it be to have menstruation? The gold crown and jewelry combined must weigh several kilograms... The princess must be very tired.
Qingjia came out, having changed out of her wedding dress. She was now wearing a scarlet inner garment, with her long hair hanging down to her waist. She sat back on the wedding bed.
"Your Highness, you must be tired after a hard day's work," she said softly. "Can you have someone wash and dress you for bed?"
Yu Qing didn't need too many servants to serve him in the mansion, so he said, "Don't bother, I can do it myself. I actually cleaned myself before coming here...otherwise, I would have smelled too much of alcohol."
Xie Jing was stunned. Yu Qing was dressed neatly, and only in the candlelight could one see that the hair on his temples and neck was slightly damp.
Xie Jing has always liked cleanliness and can't stand dirt. This reminded him of when the two of them were drinking the wedding wine together, but he didn't notice any smell of alcohol or sweat on the other person's body, and his breath was very fresh.
It's quite clean, he thought.
I heard that many people who come from the military are rough, casual and don't care about details. They will feel very resistant when they know that they are being assigned to a warrior.
This Yu Qing... isn't too annoying.
Xie Jing reluctantly said to him, "Your hair isn't dry yet. You'll catch a cold if you go to bed right away. Take off your hair crown quickly and wipe it carefully."
During all these years in the palace, Princess Qingjia has always been gentle, quiet and kind, so it is easy for Xie Jing to say nice things about her.
However, Yu Qing rarely heard such concern. She had been practicing martial arts since she was young, had followed her father to fight in wars when she was a teenager, and had been stationed at the border in recent years.
Not to mention sleeping with wet hair, she could even endure lying in the icy river water for the whole night. She didn't care about such trivial matters at all.
Yu Qing was really not used to it, but now, he finally had a sense of reality that "I have a wife from now on." Yu Qing thought, is this what they call the land of tenderness?
No outsiders except the newlyweds were allowed in the bridal chamber tonight. After Qiu Lian and Dong Li finished serving, they had to go out to spend the night according to the rules. Only Xie Jing and Yu Qing were left in the room.
The bed in the bridal chamber was surprisingly large, twice as large as the bed in his bedroom in the palace. Not only could it accommodate two people, but even four people could sleep on it.
The candlelight flickered and the curtains were half-drawn. Xie Jing glanced outside with some concern and saw Yu Qing sitting on the small couch by the window in her clothes, about to blow out the candle.
"Wait a minute." Xie Jing said.
Yu Qing raised his head: "Hmm?"
"...Are you just going to sleep like this?" Xie Jing asked.
Yu Qing was stunned and hesitated. Did the princess still want her to go to bed? Although there was nothing wrong with two women, she was not used to being close to anyone.
Yu Qing was very sensitive about her secrets and couldn't risk them being discovered. She knew such a dignified princess wouldn't do anything to her, but she still felt uneasy...
The princess said, "There's no bedding yet."
Oh, fortunately, she wasn't asked to sleep over there. Yu Qing said, "This couch is quite soft, it's okay."
The princess said, "...How can that be? There's extra stuff here, take it."
Xie Jing thought to himself that he didn't care whether Yu Qing slept well or not. He was mainly afraid that this person would feel uncomfortable and cold in the middle of the night and come to his bed again or go out and ask others to take him there.
The princess' voice was soft and gentle, and every word she said was sincere and caring. Yu Qing felt embarrassed to let her insist, so she took the quilt and extinguished the candle beside the bed for the princess.
In the dim light, Xie Jing watched Yu Qing neatly make the bed and lie down, and he also rustled back into bed.
He was very tired and his whole body was starting to feel sore, but thinking about the person outside, he couldn't fall asleep peacefully.
This day actually went more smoothly than he had imagined, and many difficulties did not occur.
She had originally thought that being alone with her "husband" on the wedding night would be a disastrous experience. He and Qiu Lian and Dong Li had even planned in advance that if the martial arts prince wanted to force him, he would just smash the cup and let them in. However, he would probably be called in and reprimanded by the Queen. He also prepared a sleeping pill just in case, so that he could knock Yu Qing down first and then endure the loud snoring of a drunk man beside her pillow... But Yu Qing was very easy to talk to, respectful, and gentle.
Is it true or false? It can’t be just a pretense.
Xie Jing was afraid that the other party might be waiting for an opportunity to strike, so he carefully leaned out of the bed curtain to confirm that there was nothing wrong with the figure on the couch.
And in the darkness, Yu Qing suddenly whispered, "Your Highness, what's wrong?"
Xie Jing was startled and thought, he really hasn’t slept yet!
Yu Qing had exceptional hearing. She heard movement from the bedside and wondered if the princess had any instructions or was dissatisfied with something. Would she be lonely and afraid, marrying here alone, without anyone close to her?
She was about to turn over, but she heard the princess say, "...Let me see if you're sleeping well. Is the couch too hard?"
Yu Qing said: "No."
Princess: "Then why are you still awake?"
Yu Qing coughed and said, "...I'm a little excited about getting married today. Your Highness, please forgive me for making fun of you."
Princess:"……"
Yu Qing said, "Don't worry about me, Your Highness, please take a rest."
A warm feeling rose in her heart.
Although Qing Jiagui is a princess, she is not at all domineering or spoiled. On the contrary, she is like a quiet and beautiful flower, gentle, peaceful and considerate.
She was obviously very tired, but she kept thinking about Yu Qing's feelings throughout the night. She was a little restrained, but her concern was real.
What a shame... Yu Qing thought, the princess had been kept in the dark from beginning to end, and had no idea that her husband was actually a fake. Qingjia was an innocent person, and Yu Qing couldn't help feeling a little guilty.
Xie Jing was in his bed, still sweating from the shock of Yu Qing's sudden voice. He felt a little uneasy when he recalled Yu Qing's words about not being able to sleep because of her marriage.
Yu Qing was also very unlucky. He was originally a general guarding a region because the emperor was far away. However, he was detained in the capital by an imperial order. He married a wife, but in fact he would never be able to consummate the marriage.
His appearance is acceptable, and his character is flawless, so he can be considered a gentleman. He is respectful and sincere to himself, and his attitude is meticulous.
If they had not been married, perhaps Xie Jing would not have hated him... But Xie Jing took out his dislike for those people in the palace on Yu Qing.
His state of mind was not that detached, and even though he knew the other party was innocent, it was hard for him not to harbor resentment.
Xie Jing thought that if Yu Qing was more sensible and didn't have any dirty thoughts, and maintained this attitude until the end, then he could reluctantly play the role of a gentle and virtuous wife and live with him peacefully for a while.
So many years have passed, and this year or two is just a fraction. In any case, "Princess Qingjia" will definitely disappear one day.
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