Turning to the third page of “Notes on Gazing at the Moon”: Intimate Affection in Whispers.

The Prince Consort and Princess shared a deep affection. The Princess loved two things about the Prince Consort—first, his peach blossom face that outshone all flowers, and second, his hands that seemed carved from jade.

Perhaps because the Prince Consort’s fingers had been injured before, whenever the Princess had nightmares at night, she would unconsciously take the Prince Consort’s hand to examine it. Only after looking and feeling, confirming that the Prince Consort’s fingers were normal, would the Princess sigh with relief, lean into the Prince Consort’s embrace, and fall into deep sleep.

The Prince Consort had grown accustomed to the Princess’s behavior. Usually at these times, he remained silent, allowing the Princess to do as she pleased, pretending to be sound asleep. Only when the Princess leaned into his embrace and fell into deep sleep would he open his eyes, gently place his arm around the Princess’s waist, and pull her closer to himself.

But this night, the Princess kept examining the Prince Consort’s fingers, unwilling to let go for a long time. The Prince Consort even felt tears falling one by one onto his hand. The Prince Consort had always dreaded the Princess’s tears, so he stopped pretending to sleep. He opened his eyes and asked the Princess: “Mingyuezhu, what’s wrong?”

The Princess sobbed: “Back then, it must have hurt a lot, right?”

“It’s all in the past…”

“Why wasn’t I by your side then…” The Princess cried until she could barely breathe: “I should have been by your side.”

“It’s really all in the past.” The Prince Consort held the Princess in his arms, carefully kissing away her tears one by one: “I’m fine now.”

To prove that he was fine, the Prince Consort extended his hand for the Princess to see. The hands before her were as white as jade, with long fingers. Except for the calluses from archery and horseback riding, there wasn’t a single scar. The Princess bit her lip and clutched the Prince Consort’s hand against her cheek. She said in a muffled voice: “Seventeenth Lord, such things won’t happen again, right?”

“They won’t,” the Prince Consort said.

That night, the Prince Consort comforted the Princess for a long time. The candle in the latticed window was extinguished only after an hour. After the Princess fell asleep with tear marks on her face, the Prince Consort kissed her hair, unable to sleep for a long time.

He wasn’t annoyed that the Princess had disturbed his sleep; rather, his eyes reddened.

The Prince Consort was a man who rarely shed tears. Rumors said that when he was young, he fell from a horse and broke his leg. Even in such pain, he hadn’t cried. But now, in the quiet of the night, holding the deeply sleeping Princess in his arms, he silently wept alone.

He thought that in this life and beyond, for all eternity, he would never meet another woman who cherished him like this.

She trusted him completely, treasured him, and would cry out of concern for his old injuries from long ago. What virtue or ability did he possess to deserve such intense and pure love from her?

The Prince Consort kissed the Princess’s temple, murmuring: “Mingyuezhu, such things won’t happen again, I swear.”

A few days later, a Tibetan delegation came to the capital to pay tribute. After the tribute ceremony, the Tibetan delegation proposed a polo match with the Great Zhou.

Emperor Yanxi enthusiastically agreed. Since this polo match concerned the Great Zhou’s face, Emperor Yanxi commanded that the elite players of the Great Zhou participate. The Prince Consort, who played polo exceptionally well, naturally took up the challenge.

Before taking the field, the Prince Consort wrapped white cloth around his hands. His good friend from the imperial examination, now the Escort Guard Captain of the Imperial Bodyguard, Meng Liulang, asked: “What are you doing?”

The Prince Consort replied with a straight face: “To prevent injuring my hands when hitting the ball.”

Meng Liulang couldn’t believe it: “Isn’t hand injury common in polo? You’re a grown man, why do you care about this?”

The Prince Consort shook his head and said firmly: “That won’t do. The Princess praises my hands for being beautiful. They can’t be injured.”

Meng Liulang first felt embarrassed at being exposed to this couple’s intimate matters, then was left speechless. After a moment, he managed to squeeze out a sympathetic comment: “The Princess… must be difficult to please, right?”

The Prince Consort gave him a strange look: “If you’re envious, just say so directly. No need for such insinuations.”

Meng Liulang: “…Fine.”

The polo match ended with the Great Zhou’s victory. The Prince Consort galloped back and forth, swift as the wind and lightning, earning the most credit. Emperor Yanxi was greatly pleased and asked the Prince Consort what reward he desired. Meng Liulang quietly said, “Your Majesty can reward him with a box of hand cream.”

Prince Consort: “…”

Emperor Yanxi: “…”

As the saying goes, good news stays within the door, but bad news travels a thousand miles. Meng Liulang was loose-lipped, and the Prince Consort’s actions on the polo field quickly spread throughout Chang’an. Some mocked the Prince Consort for being henpecked, saying he was trying too hard to please the Princess. Others sympathized with the Prince Consort’s situation. Originally, the Prince Consort and Princess had been a well-matched couple, but who would have thought that his wife would suddenly become a noble Princess of the Great Zhou? Not to mention that the Princess’s fief of three thousand households brought in annual silver that was a hundred times the Prince Consort’s salary. According to the law, she could also have her officials, and her travel accommodations were more prestigious than the Prince Consort’s. Even though the Prince Consort was a young top scholar from a renowned family with a bright future, he still couldn’t compare to the Princess.

Moreover, as a Prince Consort of the Great Zhou, he couldn’t take concubines. Even keeping a singing girl in the mansion required the Princess’s permission. The Princess, on the other hand, could openly keep male companions. How could people not sympathize with the Prince Consort?

But besides those who mocked or sympathized, more people envied the deep affection between the Prince Consort and the Princess. The young women of Chang’an all said that the Prince Consort remembered the Princess’s preferences at all times, disregarding others’ opinions to do so—truly a model husband.

Besides, when a wife accommodates her husband, people praise her as a virtuous wife. So why should a husband be mocked for accommodating his wife?

This topic was being discussed with great interest throughout the streets and alleys of Chang’an, and the Princess, at the center of the gossip, didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

In their mansion, the Princess expressed her dissatisfaction to the Prince Consort: “You knew that Meng Liulang couldn’t keep a secret, yet you told him everything. Now look what’s happened—your reputation as a henpecked husband has almost reached the Western Regions.”

The Prince Consort smiled gently: “What’s wrong with being henpecked? Listening to one’s wife is a good thing.”

The Princess said, “But people are laughing at you. You’ve already been promoted to Deputy Minister of Rites. How does it feel to be mocked?”

“The salary of a Deputy Minister of Rites can’t buy this mansion.”

The Prince Consort spoke the truth. Land in Chang’an was extremely valuable, especially this mansion located in Xuanyang Ward, which was even more expensive. The money to buy the mansion had come from the Princess’s fief.

The Prince Consort said with a straight face, “When you take from someone, you’re obliged. When you eat someone’s food, you’re obliged. I’m happy to please the Princess. Others have no say in it.”

The Princess giggled and threw herself into the Prince Consort’s arms, tickling his waist: “But I’ve gotten an undeserved reputation as a domineering wife. Tell me, how have you pleased me? In what way have you pleased me?”

The Prince Consort held her, preventing her from moving around. He smiled: “However, the Princess wants me to please her, that’s how I’ll please her.”

The Princess’s cheeks flushed red: “Such a silver-tongued flatterer. Did you listen when I told you to play less polo? Did you listen when I told you not to be so obsessed with official duties and to take better care of your health? You don’t listen to me at all. How dare you claim to please me?”

As the Princess enumerated these points, the Prince Consort realized he was in the wrong. He said, “From now on, I’ll listen to everything you say.”

Hearing this, the Princess’s eyes darted mischievously: “Really? Everything I say?”

“I’ll listen to you.”

“Good.” The Princess opened her cosmetic box and tossed the Prince Consort a box of almond honey hand cream: “This is from Madam Jiang. She said it’s the most fashionable in Chang’an right now.”

The Princess recalled Madam Jiang’s mischievous smile when giving it to her and wished she could crawl into a hole: “No, actually it’s for you. Didn’t you say you’d listen to me? Then open it and apply it.”

The Prince Consort flatly refused: “No.”

The Princess was puzzled: “Didn’t you say you’d listen to me? Why won’t you apply it?”

“No way.” The Prince Consort was unwilling: “What man uses this?”

The Princess said, “Now you’re claiming to be a man. But do you remember when we were thirteen and went to the temple? The old monk mistook you for a girl dressed as a boy.”

At the time, the Princess had laughed uproariously. To this day, she still teased the Prince Consort about it. Whenever it was mentioned, the Prince Consort felt like dying of embarrassment. He said awkwardly: “Mingyuezhu, we agreed not to mention this.”

The Princess replied: “We also agreed that you would listen to me, but you aren’t.”

The Prince Consort still shook his head vigorously: “Anything else is fine, but not applying hand cream.”

There were men in Chang’an who used hand cream. But perhaps because the Prince Consort was too handsome, with peach blossom eyes that shimmered beautifully and a lotus face that blurred gender distinctions, he had been mistaken for a girl too many times in his youth—far more than just the one instance the Princess knew about. So he was extremely resistant to this.

The Princess became annoyed: “Are you a man or not? Why do you always go back on your word?”

Perhaps this statement reminded the Prince Consort of those embarrassing experiences. Wanting to prove himself, he replied without thinking: “Whether I’m a man or not, others may not know, but doesn’t the Princess know?”

The Princess was stunned. In that instant, countless heart-racing memories flashed through her mind. When she finally reacted, her face was completely flushed. She covered her face and turned away: “You… you’re bullying me again!”

She turned her back on the Prince Consort. He tried to turn her by the shoulder, but she shrugged him off. The Prince Consort said: “Mingyuezhu…”

The Princess didn’t respond.

“Mingyuezhu…”

The Princess still didn’t respond.

“Mingyuezhu… are you really angry?”

The Princess still didn’t respond.

The Prince Consort sighed and resigned himself: “Fine, Mingyuezhu. I’ll listen to you. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it.”

The Princess’s anger turned to joy, and she turned around: “Really? Whatever I want you to do, you’ll do it?”

The Prince Consort said: “Really.” He glanced at the almond honey hand cream and quickly added: “Except for the hand cream.”

He had to go to the Ministry of Rites in the afternoon. If his subordinates smelled the hand cream, he’d be laughed to death.

The Princess’s eyes darted mischievously: “Fine, except for that. From this moment on, you’ll listen to me in everything else.”

“I’ll listen to you in everything else.”

“Then… don’t move.”

The Prince Consort knew this wasn’t good, but having just made a promise to the Princess, he could only sit by the latticed window, not moving at all.

The Princess inched forward until she was only a hair’s breadth away from him. She looked up at his face, staring until he felt uneasy: “Mingyuezhu, what are you looking at?”

“Looking at… where to bite.”

Before the Prince Consort could understand her meaning, the Princess raised her head and moved to bite his chin.

The Prince Consort quickly leaned back to avoid her: “Mingyuezhu, what are you doing?”

The Princess missed and became angry: “What did you just say? That you’d listen to me in everything. You’re going back on your word again!”

The Prince Consort persisted: “But I have to go to the Ministry of Rites this afternoon…”

“I don’t care. Will you listen to me or not?”

Seeing her anger rising again, the Prince Consort had no choice but to say: “I will…”

The Princess giggled and picked up a piece of red silk from the table, blindfolding the Prince Consort: “If you can’t see, you can’t dodge.”

With his eyes covered, the Prince Consort became very nervous. But this scene, in the Princess’s eyes, was of the Prince Consort’s cold white jade-like face covered with a fiery red silk scarf, making the cold white seem colder and the bright red brighter—like red plum blossoms on white snow in winter, captivating the heart and mind.

The Princess was almost entranced. In the past, when she looked at the Prince Consort, her soul was always first captured by his peach blossom eyes. Now with his eyes covered, she discovered how straight his nose was and how beautiful his lip line was, just like lotus petals. The Princess unconsciously moved closer and closer.

The Prince Consort was so nervous that he didn’t dare move. Even his fingers pressed against the black wood floor curled up in tension. He didn’t realize that this appearance, in the Princess’s eyes, made her want to tease him even more.

The Prince Consort was blindfolded and couldn’t see anything. But when vision is deprived, other senses become more acute. The Prince Consort first smelled a faint fragrance that grew stronger, knowing it was the Princess’s scent. The Princess was slowly approaching him.

Then, a lock of hair brushed against his neck, a bit ticklish. The young woman’s breath was like orchids, gently blowing against his earlobe, causing a tingling sensation that made him involuntarily shiver.

His reaction elicited a muffled laugh from the Princess. He began to beg for mercy: “Mingyuezhu, I was wrong. Please spare me.”

The Princess coughed once and hooked her index finger under his chin, just like a villain molesting a virtuous woman in a play. She asked: “What were you wrong about?”

The Prince Consort racked his brains: “I was wrong to say ‘Whether I’m a man or not, others may not know, but doesn’t the Princess know?'”

Princess: “…”

The index finger under his chin grew hotter with embarrassment and anger. The Princess gritted her teeth: “I was thinking of letting you go since you have to go to the Ministry of Rites this afternoon, but now, there’s no need for that.”

Before the Prince Consort could react, the Princess pushed him to the ground. He struggled briefly, but the Princess gently bit his shoulder through his clothes and commanded: “Don’t move.”

Only then did the Prince Consort remember his agreement with the Princess. Afraid of angering her, he truly didn’t move. He comforted himself that even if his shoulder was bitten and left with teeth marks, others wouldn’t see it, so it was fine.

But the Princess didn’t bite down further and instead released her grip. Furthermore, the Princess didn’t take any further action for so long that the Prince Consort began to panic. His eyes couldn’t see, but his other senses were more acute. He could hear the swallows hopping back and forth at the window, could hear the breeze causing crabapple blossoms to fall, but couldn’t hear the Princess’s voice. If not for the unique fragrance emanating from the Princess and the soft, jade-like warmth pressing on him, he would have doubted the Princess was still in the room.

His heart was extremely anxious. He didn’t know how much time had passed when suddenly his neck was gently bitten, followed by soft lips kissing his Adam’s apple, wandering and lingering around his neck. The Princess’s kisses were passionate and lingering, one after another falling on his neck, leaving him completely defenseless.

The Prince Consort’s breathing gradually grew heavier. He embraced the Princess and flipped her beneath him, but she pushed him away. She removed the red silk covering his eyes, adjusted her disheveled hair, and said with a beaming smile: “Weren’t you going to the Ministry of Rites? Go ahead.”

Prince Consort: “…”

Indeed, one should never offend a woman.

Especially when this woman is one’s wife, and even more so when she is a Princess of the Great Zhou.

In the afternoon, at the Ministry of Rites, several clerks reporting to the Prince Consort kept peering at his neck.

On the Prince Consort’s neck were visible, densely packed red marks, too many to conceal.

One straightforward clerk said: “Has the Prince Consort perhaps been bitten by mosquitoes…”

Before he could finish, another clerk quickly tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to stop talking.

What mosquitoes? These “mosquitoes” were the Princess, right…

The Prince Consort pretended not to hear, but his face, as cold as jade, clearly reddened.

Now he would become an even greater topic of conversation in Chang’an.

It would have been better to agree to apply that hand cream.

The Prince Consort thought ruefully.