She looked up at Xuan Yanyu, eyes wide, and pressed out a single word. “Cold.”
The man’s voice was much lower than usual. “Not cold anymore.”
“Mm…” Yan Yunning bit her lip gently.
A quarter of an hour later, Yan Yunning, having freshened up, discarded that light green sleeping robe and changed into a white cloud-brocade sleeping robe — this one was considerably more proper and demure.
The man bent and picked up the sleeping robe from the floor, curving his lips in a smile. “This Seat found it quite pleasing. Why did you discard it?”
Yan Yunning pulled the brocade quilt over herself, buried her face in the pillow, and muttered, “Because certain people’s paws overstepped their bounds.”
“Nonsense.” Xuan Yanyu hung the sleeping robe on the sandalwood rack, came and lay down on the bed, his smile lazy and unhurried. “You are This Seat’s Crown Princess. How is that overstepping bounds?”
Yan Yunning: “…”
“Why are you not answering This Seat?” The man pressed without relenting.
Yan Yunning changed the subject. “Xuan Yanyu, Father Emperor has docked a full year of your stipend. With no stipend for a year, how will you provide for me and the baby?”
Xuan Yanyu suddenly let out a quiet laugh.
Yan Yunning shot him a sideways glance. The next moment, she heard the undisguised amusement in the man’s voice. “Then Ningning will simply have to provide for This Seat. Father Emperor docked This Seat’s stipend, not yours. It will be hard on you to support This Seat for a year.”
Yan Yunning: “…!!”
His treasury, his shops, his manor houses, his rewards, his estates, and the accumulated stipends of every year, along with the farmlands and so on — there was so much of it that her eyes had blurred when she looked it over.
“Will that be alright, Crown Princess?”
“Xuan Xixi, then I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to bear with it. My stipend…” Yan Yunning swatted at the large hand that had found its way to her again without settling still.
“Crown Princess, what about your stipend?”
“Close your eyes. Rest. If you are late to morning court again tomorrow, even my stipend will be docked to nothing.” Yan Yunning said irritably.
“That will not happen.” Xuan Yanyu propped himself on one elbow with a soft pillow under it, his palm pressed to his temple, his smile roguish. He deliberately lowered his voice. “Crown Princess, you still have not answered This Seat from just now. In what way did This Seat overstep?”
“…” Yan Yunning closed her eyes, as though she had fallen asleep.
Xuan Yanyu looked down, sensing that Yan Yunning had turned onto her side and buried herself under the brocade quilt.
“…” The man stared at the quilt as it moved away from him, and made a case for himself, “At least let This Seat have a share of it.”
Yan Yunning generously parceled off a small portion of the quilt for him.
“Ningning, are you hungry? Did you go behind This Seat’s back and sneak some pastries again?” Xuan Yanyu lay propped on his arm and poked at her back.
“Not hungry. I did not.”
“This Seat does not believe you. Turn around — let This Seat see.”
“Your Highness, you are going to be late again tomorrow!!”
“That will not happen.”
“It will. Go to sleep quickly, or you will be punished to the ancestral hall to review memorials by Father Emperor again.”
“…How would Father Emperor punish me again? It will not happen. Father Emperor punished me just today — he would absolutely not punish me again tomorrow.”
“Then since you are not sleepy, go pour me a cup of water.”
“Alright.” The man got out of bed and poured warm water. Yan Yunning drank about half the cup. Xuan Yanyu finished the rest, then asked, “Would you like some pastries?”
“No, Your Highness the Crown Prince.” Yan Yunning said helplessly.
They had only been apart for a day. Why had he become this clingy?
“Truly not having any?”
“Truly not. Your Highness the Crown Prince, please go to sleep.”
“This Seat is not sleepy yet.”
“You are sleepy!!”
“This Seat is not sleepy.”
“…”
“…”
The intermittent sounds gradually faded into quiet…
——
The following morning.
After finishing her breakfast, Yan Yunning accompanied the Empress on a stroll through the Imperial Garden.
It had rained a little the night before, and the morning air was especially fresh. Water droplets slid down flower petals and fell, and the natural fragrance of damp earth mingled with blossoms was wonderfully pleasant to breathe in.
There were also earthworms with soil clinging to them, winding their way through the ground.
Yan Yunning had no attention to spare for anything else. Her thoughts at this moment were on whether Xuan Yanyu had arrived late to morning court today.
“Ningning, your Father Emperor told Imperial Mother yesterday that he wants to have a painter render a portrait of you. Your Father Emperor will personally inscribe it, and once it is mounted, it will be hung in the Imperial Ancestral Hall.”
“Ahem.” Yan Yunning’s ears rang. She was still alive!
Fafa chimed in: [Mistress, do you know what it signifies when a portrait of a living Crown Princess can be hung in the Imperial Ancestral Hall of Xuanzhao?]
[Does it mean I am about to croak??]
Fafa: […It means they hold you in the highest esteem. It is an exceptional honor. This distinction is exceedingly rare. It is also a prayer that the imperial ancestors may bless you with a long and healthy life.]
So it was simply a prayer for her wellbeing — not particularly useful, but it was a good thing.
[I do not want this honor!!] Yan Yunning took a deep breath.
Fafa: […Mistress, perhaps you should go and have your head examined??]
Yan Yunning: […?]
“Do not be alarmed. Your Father Emperor has also bestowed upon you a hot spring summer palace. Once Yueer finishes morning court, the two of you will go together and have the painter render your portraits.” The Empress held Yan Yunning’s hand and smiled.
Yan Yunning: “…”
So she and Xuan Yanyu were going to have their portraits done together?
Let them hang in the Crown Prince’s manor then — there was no need to hang them in the Imperial Ancestral Hall.
Hanging them in the Crown Prince’s manor — like a wedding portrait.
“How about this — Imperial Mother will come as well.” The Empress’s eyes brightened, and she gazed tenderly at Yan Yunning’s abdomen. “The four of us will go together.”
Yan Yunning wanted to decline — she truly did not want her portrait hanging in the Imperial Ancestral Hall. But before she could say anything, the Empress happily took her by the hand and led her off to change into formal attire.
When Xuan Yanyu finished morning court and found Yan Yunning dressed in the full ceremonial robes from her investiture as Crown Princess, alongside the Empress in splendid formal dress, he stood in a daze for a moment.
Prince Xuan stepped around the stupefied Xuan Yanyu, walked to Yan Yunning’s side, glanced at the Empress, understood that she also wished to have her portrait done, and said, “We will join as well.”
The Empress took Prince Xuan’s hand, smiled warmly, and said, “That would be wonderful.”
She and His Majesty had only one portrait together — it had been painted when His Majesty first ascended the throne. Now to add Yueer and Ningning, along with Yueer’s unborn child, and have a portrait done together would be truly lovely.
“Where are we going?” Xuan Yanyu wrapped his arm around Yan Yunning’s waist and asked, puzzled.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, Imperial Mother said she wants to have a painter do portraits of us, and then hang them in the Imperial Ancestral Hall!!” Yan Yunning said to him in a small voice, her tone a little aggrieved. “Can we not hang them? I do not want them hung.”
Xuan Yanyu raised the outer corner of his eyes and said quietly, “This is a good thing.”
“But… the Imperial Ancestral Hall is full of… in any case, I just do not want it.”
Knowing she was faint-hearted, Xuan Yanyu coaxed her gently. “With This Seat by your side, you need not be afraid.”
“Can we truly not have them left unhung?” Yan Yunning tugged at Xuan Yanyu’s hand, coaxing sweetly.
The man said with helpless indulgence, “This Seat will think of something.”
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, you are so good to me.” Yan Yunning gave a bewitching little smile.
Her face was already lovely, and with rouge applied it was lovelier still. Xuan Yanyu pinched the tip of her nose and said in a low, husky voice, “Stop enticing This Seat.”
Yan Yunning raised her brow. “Stop talking nonsense.”
“In what way is This Seat talking nonsense?” The man narrowed his eyes lazily.
“Yes, yes, you are not talking nonsense.” Yan Yunning let out a soft scoff.
“Oh?” Xuan Yanyu flicked her ear lightly, his voice deep and unhurried. “What was that scoff for?”
“Xuan Yanyu! You flicked my ear?” Yan Yunning said softly with a tone of accusation. “It hurt.”
“Nonsense.” Xuan Yanyu laughed lightly. “Stop making false accusations against This Seat.”