Yanyu said: “Your Highness, I’m sorry, I don’t know how to undo it…”
Xiao Chengji closed his eyes, pressed firmly, and the clasp instantly opened. He truly felt that everything Yanyu had said on their wedding night—“I’ll listen to you,” “I’ll serve you well,” “Whatever you say, I’ll obey”—was all false.
Completely false. This little ancestor, raised in the Shao household, had become a useless ornament. She clearly knew nothing, yet dared to boast before him.
Yanyu removed his clothing, placing his jade pendant, sachet, dagger, and thumb ring neatly on a tray. She herself felt embarrassed by her clumsy performance, so she urged Xiao Chengji to go to sleep quickly. If he slept, surely he would forget!
Xiao Chengji sneered: “So early—you think I can sleep?”
Why did he come here? Could she really not guess? And if she couldn’t guess, why was she dressed fragrantly, trying to seduce him?
At last, Yanyu remembered: “I had the maids prepare peach gum and white fungus soup. I’ll bring it for you to taste.”
She ordered Ruidong to fetch it.
The soup was still steaming hot, just taken off the fire. It had been prepared in case Yanyu grew hungry before bed.
Yanyu took it from Ruidong, dutifully carried it to Xiao Chengji, and scooped a spoonful to feed him.
Xiao Chengji’s face was dark—he refused to eat.
Yanyu quickly coaxed him: “Your Highness, don’t worry, it’s delicious.”
Xiao Chengji said coldly: “Are you trying to scald me to death?”
Yanyu suddenly realized—it was still steaming, indeed, too hot. She set the soup aside to let it cool.
The two of them were still unfamiliar with each other and had little to say. Xiao Chengji casually picked up the book Yanyu had left by the bed and glanced at it. At that moment, he noticed a pink bellyband nearby. He looked at the garment, then at Yanyu.
Yanyu, meanwhile, was stirring the soup, waiting for it to cool. The room had several ice basins, so it was fairly cool. After a while, the soup did cool down. Yanyu tasted a spoonful, found it pleasant, and, lost in thought, absentmindedly finished the entire bowl. When she looked up, she met Xiao Chengji’s sharp, narrow gaze. Then she looked down at the empty celadon-red porcelain bowl in her hand.
This time, Xiao Chengji was truly provoked into laughter: “Are you deliberately mocking me?”
Yanyu hadn’t meant that at all. She simply hadn’t yet adjusted to being married. She had been distracted, thinking, and without realizing it, had eaten what was in front of her.
But seeing how Prince Qin’s impression of her worsened, Yanyu didn’t know what to say: “I’ll have the maids bring another—”
“No need.” Xiao Chengji hadn’t had much appetite for it anyway.
Yanyu ordered the maids to bring two cups of tea.
Since it was late, she worried tea might keep her awake, so she asked for pearl orchid tea—brought from Ling City.
The Shao household had a four-hundred-year-old orchid tree, whose blossoms were made into tea each year.
The finest old bamboo leaves were used as the base, scented with orchid and mint. The taste was refreshing, clearing the mind and easing summer heat.
As she drank, Yanyu grew drowsy. After half a cup, her thoughts turned to tomorrow’s palace visit, and she went to bed.
Xiao Chengji knew she was still unwell—she had indeed been hurt the night before. She curled up on the inner side of the bed, sleeping soundly. Xiao Chengji extinguished the lamp on the outer side and closed his eyes.
Outside, Nanny Deng and the others were full of curiosity. They belonged to the PrinceQin’s household and were unfamiliar with the maids and matrons Yanyu had brought with her.
Before the Princess Consort married in, everyone knew the situation clearly: Prince Qin never visited the concubines’ courtyards, not even bothering to speak to them.
Last night, when he stayed with the Princess Consort and consummated the marriage, they were already shocked. Today, seeing him return again to her chambers was like the sun rising in the west.
Nanny Deng murmured: “The heavens are changing! Truly changing!”
Prince Qin’s residence had never had a mistress. Now, with a Princess Consort, everything was bound to change drastically. As lowly matrons, they had little influence. Though they could see many problems in the household, they had no voice before the Prince.
With a Princess Consort, things would surely be different.
Outside stood the tall, stout eunuch Huo Ha, Xiao Chengji’s trusted aide. For years he had followed the Prince loyally, efficient and devoted, earning his favor like a well-kept hound.
Huo Ha squinted his eyes and said with a smile: “This marriage was bestowed by the Emperor. His Highness is grown now—he must give the Emperor face, mustn’t he? If you ask me, after a few days, the novelty will fade, and everything will return to how it was. To think the heavens will truly change—well, I doubt it.”
Huo Ha carried great authority outside.
As the saying goes: “Before a minister’s gate, even seventh-rank officials bow; before a noble’s house, not even dogs bark.”
As the Prince Qin’s favored eunuch, Huo Ha’s influence outside was no less than that of a third-rank official.
Nanny Deng dared not contradict him, only smiling: “Yes, yes, you are right, sir.”
Without Xiao Chengji’s disturbance the night before, Yanyu awoke early.
Xiao Chengji had risen even earlier—by the fifth watch, the Emperor was already preparing for court, so Xiao Chengji had to rise in the middle of the night to prepare.
Yanyu woke just after dawn. Her maids busied themselves with clothes, jewelry, and hairdressing for her palace visit. She still felt weak, so she ate a little.
Ningxia slowly combed her hair: “Miss, which outfit will you wear?”
At home, she usually wore narrow gauze jackets and light skirts, but for entering the palace to meet such nobles, she needed something different.
Yanyu said softly: “Since I’ve just married, wearing something too plain isn’t proper. The lotus-petal red one will do.”
“Yes.”
Yanyu normally disliked jewelry and fine clothes. The Shao household valued simplicity and uprightness, disdaining extravagance. So her usual adornments were modest. Much of her dowry was too ornate for daily wear. She chose a set of red-gold jewelry inlaid with pigeon-blood rubies, and Ningxia dressed her with it.
Soon Bichun entered to say the carriage was ready. Prince Qin had sent people to escort her to the palace.
Outside, Yanyu saw a senior eunuch waiting by the carriage. Huo Ha bowed: “Princess Consort, please board. His Highness awaits you in the palace.”
It was Huo Ha’s first time seeing her. He dared not look directly, but stole a glance—and instantly understood why the Prince had spent two nights in her chamber.
Even heroes falter before beauty. The capital had many lovely women, but none like Miss Wen, whose beauty could sink fish and eclipse birds. That Prince Qin slept in her chamber was no surprise at all.