Toward evening, Yanyu went out for a walk. She didn’t cover the entire Prince Qin’s residence, only two or three areas, but even that was enough to see how vast it was. Truly, it was worthy of being the Emperor’s favorite son—one garden alone was larger than three ordinary ones, filled with rare treasures of every kind.
From afar, she saw mountains and water, lush greenery and clear waters. Upon such scenery stood a grand building, solemnly perched on high. Yanyu pointed: “Does His Highness live there?”
Nanny Deng, walking beside her, explained: “Yes, Princess Consort, your eyes are sharp. That is where Prince Qin resides. It is called Changfeng Terrace. He works and lives there. Would you like to go see? I imagine His Highness is inside at this hour.”
Yanyu shook her head lightly: “Better not. I’d rather walk a bit more.”
The Prince seemed to dislike her, and she had no wish to deliberately seek him out and annoy him. Why invite trouble?
Nanny Deng continued: “Prince Qin’s residence is indeed large. It would take two or three days to see it all. If you wish to walk these days, I will accompany you and show you around.”
Yanyu smiled: “Tomorrow morning, I must go to the palace to pay respects. Since childhood, I’ve never been inside. Nanny, could you tell me about the people and matters there?”
“Ah, yes, yes. I’ll explain everything in detail.”
After a short walk, Yanyu grew tired and returned to her quarters to rest. She sipped tea slowly and asked her maids about some matters.
Ningxia nodded repeatedly: “Everything was placed in the storeroom yesterday. The inventory list is in the bottom layer of your jewelry box.”
Having just married and moved in, Yanyu still felt unsettled, as though living in someone else’s home. She had lived in the Shao household for years, where she was treated kindly—elders cherished her, peers got along well. Though at first there had been gossip, it eventually faded.
Yet even there, though elders did not treat her as a guest, she could not act as if it were truly her own home. She had to be cautious, minding her words and actions, ensuring everything was proper, never betraying their care. After years of such caution, now in a new residence, she had to remain vigilant still.
She was tired. After supper, she bathed, changed clothes, and lay on the bed. Not yet sleepy, she asked Ningxia to place a lamp by the bed.
By its light, Yanyu read for a while.
Last night, Prince Qin had stayed in her chamber, so Yanyu thought he surely wouldn’t come again today.
Ningxia sat nearby, doing needlework and finishing a bellyband. All of Yanyu’s undergarments were sewn stitch by stitch by herself and her maids. But staring too long at the needle made her head ache, and her blurred vision often led to pricked fingers. For the past two years, she hadn’t done much sewing.
Ningxia added the final stitches, then examined it carefully under the light: “This pattern is truly exquisite. It took eighteen days to embroider. Miss, try it on to see if it fits. If not, I’ll adjust it.”
Yanyu looked it over. The design was indeed beautiful—a full peony motif, each stitch fine and dense.
Ningxia knew her mistress’s skin was delicate, so she had taken extra care to avoid coarse threads, spending more effort. She stepped forward to remove Yanyu’s thin under-robe. Just as she slipped it off her shoulders, footsteps sounded outside, and someone entered.
The sudden appearance of a man in the boudoir nearly frightened Ningxia to death. Then she realized—it was her master.
Xiao Chengji’s looks were striking. No man in the capital could compare. But his aura was overpowering, not in a positive way. His hawk-like eyes swept coldly across the room, making one want to kneel. He was not the gentle, approachable type of nobleman. The maids and matrons serving Yanyu all feared him.
Ningxia quickly refastened Yanyu’s robe, bowed, and left with her sewing basket.
Yanyu rose from the bed and curtsied: “Why has Your Highness come?”
Xiao Chengji’s tone was cool: “Passing by. Wanted to see if you were still lazing in bed.”
Yanyu didn’t know what to say. On the first day of marriage, she had accidentally overslept, leaving her husband with the impression she was lazy. She had no way to explain.
But one thing Xiao Chengji had said was true. They weren’t familiar. In truth, they really weren’t—today was only their second day of truly knowing each other.
Yanyu couldn’t guess his temper. After thinking hard, she said: “Today several concubines came to pay respects. I didn’t let them in. I don’t know which one Your Highness favors. I can take extra care of her in the future.”
What Yanyu meant by “taking care” was truly just that—so long as the concubines didn’t cause trouble for her, she had the tolerance to let them be.
But Xiao Chengji misunderstood. For years, he had overseen the Ministry of Justice with an iron hand—his word was law. If he said someone should be “taken care of,” that person would not live to see the next day.
He looked Yanyu up and down, surprised at her supposed jealousy. He thought she meant that whichever woman he favored, she would have killed.
Xiao Chengji himself had no interest in killing these women, but if Yanyu wanted to, he wouldn’t stop her.
“I like them all.”
Yanyu was secretly shocked. She hadn’t expected Prince Qin to be such a philanderer. No wonder he claimed not to know her well, yet still insisted on consummating the marriage.
Xiao Chengji stepped closer. His towering height pressed down on her, the sense of oppression too strong. Yanyu shrank back two steps, but before she could retreat further, his hand pressed firmly on her shoulder.
His sharp, hawk-like eyes bore into her: “Miss Wen, what’s wrong? Don’t you know how to help your husband change clothes?”
Yanyu murmured “Oh,” and removed his outer robe, laying it aside, then reached for the belt at his waist. She had never served anyone before. His belt was made of rhinoceros horn, the clasp carved into a lion’s head. She had no idea how to undo it, and her small hands fumbled at his waist for a long time.
Xiao Chengji lowered his gaze. A fragrance rose from her body—he couldn’t tell what it was. He suspected she had used some kind of aphrodisiac perfume to seduce him. Otherwise, after years of restraint, how could he lose control so easily?
But Yanyu was simply puzzled—why wouldn’t the clasp come undone?
Seeing her fumbling at his waist, Xiao Chengji seized her hand: “What are you dawdling for?”