Mei Zhuyu had a few days of wedding leave and didn’t need to go to the Ministry of Justice. For the first two days, he stayed at the residence of Duke Yu, but after that, he returned to his own house in Changlefang. Both he and the Duke, along with others, assumed that Wu Zhen would continue to live at Duke Yu’s residence. After all, many noble women in Chang’an preferred to stay at their maternal homes rather than with their husbands, and given Wu Zhen’s personality, it was unlikely she would follow Mei Zhuyu back to his house.
Mei Zhuyu led a simple life, shunning indulgence and the pleasures of music and dance, while Wu Zhen was quite the opposite. Although they were married, if they were to live together for a long time, it was likely that Wu Zhen would not be comfortable. Mei Zhuyu understood this clearly and did not insist.
However, as soon as Mei Zhuyu returned home, his residence became lively. Wu Zhen had sent over many of her belongings, including clothes, jewelry, and some decorative items she liked.
Mei Zhuyu was somewhat surprised but also very pleased. Even though Wu Zhen mentioned she would only occasionally stay there, she had made sure to have her already clean and tidy home thoroughly organized again, so that her things could be arranged. He even had new cabinets and furniture made for her use.
With a new mistress in the house, the place felt less empty and cold. Wu Zhen wandered around the arranged room, recalling her previous visits when she had sneaked in and was caught by the young lord, who had pulled her out from under the bed. She glanced under the bed now, only to find it clean and empty. Her red round-collared robe, which had likely been discovered, was nowhere to be seen. She wondered how the young lord felt upon finding her clothes there.
Wu Zhen, with a bold demeanor, showed no signs of embarrassment and curiously rummaged through the cabinets, hoping to find her outfit.
When she didn’t find it, Mei Zhuyu entered the room and noticed her searching. He asked, “What are you looking for?”
Wu Zhen turned to him, “I’m looking for a red round-collared robe.”
She had more than one, but if the young lord had indeed found the one she had left behind, he would certainly understand what she meant.
As expected, Mei Zhuyu’s expression turned awkward. His ears flushed red as he silently approached the bed, opened a small cabinet nearby, and retrieved the neatly folded robe. Underneath it lay a set of undergarments and some women’s clothing. He handed the robe to Wu Zhen.
Wu Zhen didn’t take it and asked, “Have you ever wondered why there’s a robe under your bed?”
Mei Zhuyu replied, “I don’t know, but I’ve seen you wear this outfit.” Just thinking about it made him uneasy, and he felt as if he could hardly sleep on that bed anymore, so he locked it away in the small cabinet.
Seeing him feign calmness while blushing, Wu Zhen suddenly felt speechless. This young lord, a few years younger than her, was usually shy and straightforward, easily embarrassed by intimate gestures. Yet, at night on the bed, he had been surprisingly fierce, with a strength that caught her off guard. The marks on her waist still hadn’t faded.
Despite this, she was quite satisfied. It was indeed comfortable. Previously, when Hu Zhu had spoken to her about such matters, she had dismissed them as uninteresting, but after experiencing it herself, she found it quite different. Her young lord was silent and reckless at night, entirely different from his daytime demeanor.
Mei Zhuyu had no idea what his new bride was thinking. Seeing her not take the robe from him, he opened the cabinet to put it away. Just as he closed the cabinet, he felt a tug at his waist. Wu Zhen grabbed his belt and pulled him toward the bed.
When he was pushed down onto the bed, Mei Zhuyu was still a bit dazed. “What’s wrong?”
With a soft sound, Wu Zhen loosened his belt and let it drop to the floor. “Let’s sleep,” she said, pulling at his collar with a smile.
Mei Zhuyu was taken aback and held her hand down. “It’s still daytime; it’s barely past noon…”
Wu Zhen sat on him, wrapped her arm around his neck, and playfully nibbled on his red earlobe, whispering, “But I want to sleep.” She wanted to see if the young lord would still be as fierce during the day as he was at night.
Mei Zhuyu pressed her hand down again. “Let’s wait until tonight; right now…”
Wu Zhen fell silent, deftly freeing her hand and reaching for something.
“This is your room; why can’t we? No one will see,” she said, continuing her actions. Suddenly, she let out a surprised yelp as she was flipped onto the bed. The young lord, trembling slightly, enveloped her beneath him, his voice hoarse, “I was too rough last night; your waist is bruised. It might hurt now.”
Wu Zhen giggled and leaned back to peck him on the cheek. “I thought you were just shy.”
Mei Zhuyu was indeed embarrassed, but he felt that his desires were insignificant compared to Wu Zhen’s wishes. “You’ll be in pain,” he said, his words sounding like a dam about to burst, filled with a sense of impending collapse.
Wu Zhen had already pulled open his collar. “Alright, then be gentle.”
In the end, he couldn’t be gentle. Wu Zhen realized that the young lord wasn’t fierce at night; he was fierce when the mood struck. Although he seemed to remember not to be rough, he still instinctively increased his strength when passion took over. By the end, he didn’t hold Wu Zhen anymore but instead propped himself up beside her, gripping the silk blanket and avoiding contact with her waist and shoulders.
Mei Zhuyu’s ears turned red as he sat up, feeling a bit ashamed as he dressed and fetched water to wash Wu Zhen.
Wu Zhen sat up, holding the blanket, and watched him. After a moment of silence, she said, “I’m sorry.”
“Hmm?”
“You don’t like this, and I forced you.”
“There’s no forcing; as long as you’re happy,” Mei Zhuyu hesitated for a moment, then leaned down to kiss her forehead. “I hope you’re happy and carefree,” just like when he first met her, so radiant and captivating.
Wu Zhen scratched his chin and smiled. “So it seems the young lord likes me?”
Mei Zhuyu nodded and then left the room. Wu Zhen watched him close the door and chuckled softly. She got up, dressed, and leaned against the window in Mei Zhuyu’s study. The window overlooked the water, giving a view of most of the courtyard.
To her surprise, the lush courtyard didn’t consist solely of greenery. By the pond, a large cluster of blue and purple irises bloomed, and beneath the water, there were lotus flowers yet to bloom, showing hints of pink. Under the water’s surface, a few redfish swam, flicking their tails. In the grass by the pond, delicate yellow flowers were blooming.
Though it wasn’t as extravagant as her flower-filled courtyard, it was elegant and unique, providing a refreshing comfort in the warming summer. Wu Zhen dozed off in the gentle breeze and fragrant summer grass. When Mei Zhuyu returned to his room, he found her asleep and covered her with a light, soft blanket.
She was beautiful, with long eyelashes and bright eyes that sparkled when open, making one feel that such a person should live freely and elegantly.
Mei Zhuyu stared at her for a while, then gently brushed his fingers across her cheek—just like a dream; she had truly married him. He lightly grasped Wu Zhen’s hand, then slowly let go.
Though they were husband and wife, he understood that while Wu Zhen was attentive and considerate towards him, he didn’t share the same feelings for her. She was open and transparent, and he saw it. However, while marriage could be compelled, feelings could not. He merely hoped that such days could last a little longer. Even if, in the future, Wu Zhen no longer wished to be with him, he would still take good care of her.
A few days after their wedding, the Dragon Boat Festival arrived. The day before, they hung mugwort and calamus at the door, trimmed a few branches of calamus flowers inside, and burned bundles of mugwort in the kitchen and various corners of the house. That night, Wu Zhen slept at Mei Zhuyu’s residence. When she woke up in the morning, she found no one beside her. She got up and opened the bedroom window, and sure enough, she saw Mei Zhuyu practicing swordplay in the backyard.
This was something Wu Zhen had only discovered a couple of days ago. She had thought the seemingly frail young lord could not wield a sword, yet he moved with grace and skill, even with an ordinary wooden sword, producing a faint sound of clashing metal. Curious, she asked him about it, and Mei Zhuyu explained that he had a master who taught him. Wu Zhen assumed he had hired a martial arts instructor at home and didn’t press further. Many noble families would hire martial arts instructors to teach their sons physical fitness, which was quite normal.
With this realization, Wu Zhen finally understood why the young lord, though seemingly unassuming, possessed such strength.
Of course, she thought she understood.
Wu Zhen leaned against the window for a while, and when she saw Mei Zhuyu put away his sword, she waved at him.
Mei Zhuyu walked over to the window, and Wu Zhen reached out her hand. He wiped the sweat from his palm and took her hand.
“How did you spend the Dragon Boat Festival last year?”
“Just at home.”
“Boring. Today, you’re coming with me. I’ll take you out to have fun. Hurry, change into a different outfit, wear that purple robe with the missing sleeve.”
Mei Zhuyu complied and changed. When he turned around, he was surprised to see Wu Zhen wearing the red round-collared robe he had hidden in the small cabinet. He was momentarily stunned, and Wu Zhen pulled him out to the street.
They hadn’t had breakfast yet. Since they had gotten up early, the breakfast stalls near the entrance of Changlefang were still open. There were stalls selling fried noodles, boiled dumplings, steamed cakes, and porridge, each with its specialties. Wu Zhen, drawn by the aromas, chose one and walked in. This stall specializes in hu bing (meat pancakes). The vendor skillfully spread the batter in the pan, wrapped it with meat, brushed it with oil, and fried it until golden brown, making it look delicious.
If someone was in a hurry, they could grab it to go, but since Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu weren’t rushed, they decided to eat there. Because it was the Dragon Boat Festival, the vendor also gave them two zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) and two bowls of plain porridge.
After breakfast, the market opened, and Wu Zhen led Mei Zhuyu toward Qujiang Pool.
Although they rode horses, they didn’t go fast. By the time they reached Qujiang Pool, the sun was already bright. At this time, many people had gathered by the pool. Some were setting up stages for performances, while others, dressed as servants, were setting up tents under the trees to reserve spots for the noble ladies. Soon, there would be dragon boat races, and if they didn’t arrive early to secure a good spot, they would be surrounded by crowds and unable to get close to watch the races.
Nearby, the common folk from the market had also arrived early, most of them cheerful and leading their children. They had busy lives throughout the year, and only on special occasions could they take their families out to enjoy themselves. Many children were being led by adults, laughing and playing, holding zongzi and boiled chicken and duck eggs.
Wu Zhen noticed that many people around her had colorful ribbons tied around their wrists. She remembered this and looked around until she finally spotted an elderly woman carrying a basket. The woman had a dozen colorful silk ribbons and embroidered pouches containing five poisonous herbs hanging from her basket. Wu Zhen approached her and bought two ribbons and two pouches, tying one ribbon around Mei Zhuyu’s wrist and hanging a pouch filled with herbs like aster, white atractylodes, and calamus on him. “I almost forgot this.”
Mei Zhuyu suddenly smiled and took the remaining pouch from her hand, bending down to hang it on her, saying, “May you be free from illness and disaster, and may all evils retreat.”