The layers of red gauze curtains swayed, the dim candlelight casting shadows of figures inside.
For a moment, the scene was filled with romantic passion.
Jiang Si suddenly sat up.
The man with his clothes half-open looked surprised, his voice low and husky: “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Si, clutching her collar, lifted the gauze curtain.
Er Niu, with a braised pork knuckle in his mouth, wagged his tail innocently.
Yu Jin sat up as well, clearly seeing Er Niu in the lamplight. His face immediately darkened: “Er Niu, who let you in!”
He looked around and picked up a porcelain pillow, ready to throw it.
Er Niu dashed out with the braised pork knuckle still in his mouth.
Yu Jin turned to get out of bed, but Jiang Si stopped him: “Where are you going?”
“To skin Er Niu alive! We’ll eat him tomorrow!”
Jiang Si rolled her eyes at him: “It’s our wedding night, and you want to chase after Er Niu? What would people think if they saw you?”
Yu Jin fell silent for a moment, then said angrily: “That dog Er Niu probably thought the same thing, which is why he dared to come steal braised pork in the middle of the night!”
After fuming for a while, remembering that a spring night is precious, he reached out and pulled Jiang Si into his arms, falling back into the bed curtains together.
The dragon and phoenix candles burned all night, and the red gauze curtains swayed throughout until everything quieted down as the sky began to lighten.
Yu Jin’s hand gently caressed Jiang Si’s smooth back. While his body felt satisfied, his heart held some worry.
Could it be that this matter required natural talent? Why was it that even after wearing out the illustrated manuals, he still wasn’t as skilled as Jiang Si?
Jiang Si opened her eyes groggily: “Is it time?”
Yu Jin immediately pushed his worries aside and stroked her disheveled hair: “Sleep a bit more.”
Outside the door, Madam Ji’s cough was heard: “Your Highness, Princess, it’s time to get up.”
Yu Jin’s brow furrowed, about to speak and send her away.
Jiang Si gestured to stop him and got up.
“Since we need to go to the palace to pay our respects, it wouldn’t be good to be late.”
According to custom, for princes who established their households outside the palace, the Emperor, Empress, and consorts couldn’t leave the palace for the wedding. The newlyweds had to enter the palace the next day to pay their respects.
“Come in,” Jiang Si said after tidying her clothes.
Soon the door opened, and Madam Ji led several maids in.
The lingering intimate scent in the room made Madam Ji frown.
How reckless were the Prince and Princess? So young and ignorant!
Looking at Jiang Si, Madam Ji sighed again.
With the Princess looking like this, no wonder the Prince had no self-control…
No, even if it meant displeasing her masters, she had to advise them. Otherwise, how could she face her responsibilities?
“Your Highness, I heard that last night you called for hot water five times—” Madam Ji stopped speaking when she met Yu Jin’s cold, knife-like gaze.
“Is the small kitchen being lazy? Not enough hot water?”
“Of course, there’s enough, but—”
“If there’s enough, and the Prince’s mansion can afford the firewood, why are you talking nonsense?” Yu Jin asked coldly.
“Ah Jin, let it go.” Having heard Madam Ji’s words, Jiang Si wasn’t embarrassed.
These matrons from the palace were very particular about rules and couldn’t stand anything out of the ordinary. It was normal.
Madam Ji’s eyes suddenly widened: “Princess, you shouldn’t call the Prince by his name…”
Jiang Si’s face slightly darkened: “Madam, please call Ah Qiao and Ah Man to attend to my washing up. I hope Madam remembers, from now on I am the only mistress of the Prince’s mansion. I set the rules here, and I believe Madam is a sensible person.”
Madam Ji couldn’t help but look towards Yu Jin.
“Did you not hear what the Princess said?”
Madam Ji wanted to say something more, but seeing Yu Jin’s cold face, she suddenly remembered.
This master dared to brawl with other princes when angered; dealing with a mere housekeeper like her would be nothing.
Madam Ji fell silent.
Chief Steward, I’m sorry, but from now on, whether the Prince and Princess follow the rules or not is your concern.
The Princess was right; she was a sensible person. Now that she had been assigned to Prince Yan’s mansion, her life, death, glory, and wealth were all tied to this household.
Compared to these, let the rules cool off to the side.
In the carriage heading to the Imperial Palace, Yu Jin held Jiang Si and smiled: “You’re so good-tempered. I wanted to kick that old woman out right then.”
They even had to be monitored for how many times they called for water. Everything, even childbirth was controlled. Being part of the royal family was truly joyless.
“You’re the Prince. There’s no need to use force against servants. I’ll take care of the household matters from now on.”
Yu Jin thought this made sense.
Just as the Emperor rarely interfered with the inner palace, if he managed too much, others might think the Princess was incompetent.
“I thought you wouldn’t want to bother with these things.”
Jiang Si smiled: “How could I not? Since I chose to marry you, these are my responsibilities. If I’m always protected by you, I’ll eventually become like a parasitic plant…”
Yu Jin smiled lazily, feeling content: “Whether you’re a parasitic plant or a thorny rose, be whatever you want to be, as long as you’re happy.”
The couple chatted and laughed at the Imperial Palace, where they were led by a eunuch to first pay respects to the Empress Dowager at Cining Palace.
After waiting for a while, one of the Empress Dowager’s attendants came out and said: “These are gifts from the Empress Dowager for the Princess. The Empress Dowager is feeling unwell and has excused the Prince and Princess from paying respects.”
Jiang Si accepted the brocade box from the palace maid, curtsied towards the direction of the Empress Dowager’s chambers, and left side by side with Yu Jin.
After the couple had walked far away, the senior palace maid also left, and two junior palace maids started whispering to each other.
“Miss Cui just went in, and the Empress Dowager is already refusing to see Prince Yan and his Princess. She must not be very pleased with the Princess, right?”
“Of course. Last month when Prince Shu brought his Princess to pay respects, the Empress Dowager had her stay for quite a while. Now she won’t even see Prince Yan’s Princess. It’s clear she doesn’t like her…”
Inside the bedchamber, Cui Mingyue was gently massaging the Empress Dowager’s legs with an ivory mallet, a glint of satisfaction in her eyes.
Jiang Si had seen her at her most vulnerable, ruining her reputation. If she didn’t make life difficult for Jiang Si, she wouldn’t be Cui Mingyue.
“Mingyue, your marriage to Prince Xiang was arranged in a hurry. I’ve wronged you.”
Cui Mingyue smiled: “How could I feel wronged? You don’t mind my previous ignorance, and I already feel like the luckiest person.”
The Empress Dowager’s gaze towards Cui Mingyue grew increasingly gentle.
The Empress Dowager’s refusal to see them didn’t affect Jiang Si’s mood. The couple walked towards the Empress’s palace.
Emperor Jingming was already waiting in Kunning Palace at this time.
The Empress was surprised.
When Prince Shu and his wife came to pay respects, the Emperor had arrived only during their conversation. Why had he come so early for Prince Yan?
This meant she had to reassess Prince Yan and his wife’s position in the Emperor’s heart.
Emperor Jingming had come early purely on a whim.
Recently, there have been frequent rains in various regions, with disaster reports coming in one after another. His mood was truly not good, so he thought he’d come to see his daughter-in-law who could perform magic tricks to relax.
After being a wise ruler for over a decade, Emperor Jingming was very good at relieving stress.
“Father Emperor, Mother Empress, I heard that my seventh sister-in-law is the most beautiful woman in the capital. Is that true?” A young girl sitting below the Empress suddenly asked.
The girl was beautiful, with her most striking feature being her snow-white skin, looking like a jade statue.
This was Princess Fuqing, the Empress’s only daughter and Emperor Jingming’s most beloved child.
However, this noble and beautiful princess had eyes covered with a white mist, and her speech lacked any emotion.