After falling into the pond, Ming Tan flailed about for a moment. Her drenched clothes clung to her body, accentuating her graceful curves.
Eyes closed, she coughed and sputtered, struggling to breathe. Just as she caught her breath, she felt a warm chest press against her. Instinctively, she tried to back away, but the warm body followed until she was cornered at the edge of the pond with nowhere to retreat.
Ming Tan was quite adept at reading situations and adapting accordingly. Seeing no escape, she quickly changed tactics. Clutching Jiang Xu’s hand pitifully, she pleaded while swaying back and forth, “My lord, just once? Please, just once? My monthly cycle just ended.”
“Once?” Jiang Xu leaned in, his voice tickling her neck.
Ming Tan shrank back reflexively, her back tensing and eyes darting away. But his hand had already snaked around her waist, caressing her lower back intimately. A shiver ran through her as she hastily bargained, “Alright, twice then. But no more than that!”
A flash of desire crossed Jiang Xu’s eyes. He freed one hand to grasp her delicate chin, tilting it upward. His gaze roamed her face as if appraising fine porcelain, growing darker and more intense as he drew nearer. When their noses nearly touched, he murmured two words: “Three times.”
Then he captured her lips, biting and sucking as he pressed her backward. His long-suppressed dominance overwhelmed her, brooking no refusal.
Outside, a sudden breeze scattered the fragrance of flowers and grass through the quiet night. The moon peeked hazily through the foliage as spring stars twinkled curiously as if trying to glimpse the passionate scene unfolding within.
…
Time passed in a blur. Ming Tan’s knees ached from kneeling, desperately wanting to beg for mercy. But her voice was broken by his thrusts, reduced to fragmented whimpers and involuntary moans.
Her thin nightgown, soaked through, floated in the water, fluttering with each movement. She was lost in a haze of aching pleasure and indescribable tremors. Her waist felt near breaking, simultaneously stiff and numb.
But the man behind her showed no signs of stopping. Before long, he flipped her over and pulled her onto his lap. She barely had time to catch her breath before letting out a muffled groan, brows furrowing as she sank into another round of delirious ecstasy.
Later, when he finally carried her back to bed, Ming Tan was utterly spent. Her eyes were half-closed, long lashes fluttering. She had cried several times, leaving her eyes slightly swollen and her nose tinged red. A faint blush lingered on her soft cheeks, giving her a pitifully alluring appearance.
Unable to resist, Jiang Xu gently ruffled her hair and kissed her brow. “Shall we go horseback riding tomorrow?” he asked softly.
Ming Tan mumbled something unintelligible and turned away. But he quickly pulled her back, tucking her into his familiar embrace.
—
The night passed dreamlessly. When Ming Tan awoke the next day, the sun was already high. Though sore, she felt better than expected.
As Lü’e helped her dress, Ming Tan inquired about their punishment from the previous day, then asked, “Did you apply the medicine? Or was it Suxin?”
Lü’e suppressed a smile. “I wish I could have, but His Highness insisted on tending to you himself.”
“…” Ming Tan glared at her, embarrassed.
Undeterred, Lü’e continued as she adjusted Ming Tan’s collar, “Suxin went to fetch your meal. You only had breakfast yesterday, so you should eat more today. Besides, isn’t His Highness taking you horseback riding when he returns? That requires energy.”
“Horseback riding?”
“Yes, before he left this morning, His Highness instructed us to prepare your riding outfit. He said he’d return at noon to escort you.”
Ming Tan finally recalled his words from the previous night. From his tone, it seemed he intended it as a gesture of appeasement.
Hmm… typical of that brute to think this counted as making amends.
“Oh, and the little white rabbit has been well-fed,” Lü’e added. “Its coat is sleek and flawless – a perfect match for your graceful figure.”
“What white rabbit?”
Ming Tan asked in confusion before remembering – it was the white horse, Zhao Ye Bai. Come to think of it, “little white rabbit” was quite an ill-fitting name. But that casual nickname had caused her no small amount of trouble in bed. Last night, her own “little white rabbit” had suffered greatly indeed.
—
At noon, Jiang Xu returned.
Feeling he had been too rough the previous night, and hearing his wife’s complaints about his poor attempts at appeasement, he decided to take her horseback riding at Yongchun Garden’s grounds. Such patience on his part surely counted as making amends.
In truth, Ming Tan had little interest in horseback riding. But considering how rarely she and her husband spent time together outside the bedroom, she didn’t want to discourage his efforts to please her. More importantly, she longed to be with him and deepen their connection beyond just physical intimacy.
The weather was pleasant that day – sunny but not scorching. The grounds were spacious. Ming Tan admired the snow-white Zhao Ye Bai foal, unable to resist stroking its coat. “It’s beautiful,” she marveled, “and the saddle too – the engravings are quite exquisite.”
“…”
After a moment of silence, Jiang Xu mounted the horse smoothly to demonstrate. He quickly dismounted and patiently explained the basics of mounting and controlling the horse.
“Remember, once mounted, grip the reins tightly. Use the balls of your feet in the stirrups, not your arch-” He paused, noticing Ming Tan was still fixated on the ornate saddle. “Are you listening?”
“Yes, I understand.” Ming Tan nodded, repeating his instructions to prove she had been paying attention.
But while her mind grasped the concept, her body struggled to follow through. As soon as she placed her foot in the stirrup, she lost her balance.
This was hardly her fault – a young, spirited horse was far different from discussing theory.
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll support you,” Jiang Xu said, steadying her waist and helping her up.
Emboldened by his assistance, Ming Tan gripped the reins tightly. Steeling herself against the nervous stomping of the horse, she closed her eyes and swung herself onto its back.
“My lord! Don’t let go, please hold onto me!” she cried out as she felt his steadying hand leave her waist. She glanced to the side anxiously before clinging to the horse’s neck.
“Don’t hug it. Sit up straight and hold the reins as I showed you,” Jiang Xu instructed, standing back to guide her verbally.
But Ming Tan was too frightened. Each time she tried to straighten up, she quickly hunched back down.
“Sit up,” he repeated.
“I can’t! It’s like my waist has a mind of its own…” she whimpered.
“Take your time. First, let go of the neck.”
Ming Tan refused to release her grip. “You may not believe this, but I think my hands have developed a will of their own too…” she said shakily.
Jiang Xu: “…”
—
Not far away, under a shaded grove, the Empress’s procession had halted.
Empress Zhang observed the couple in the distance with half-lidded eyes. “The bond between young newlyweds is truly precious,” she mused softly.
“Indeed, Your Majesty. You and His Majesty were also wed young – a match beyond compare,” simpered a junior concubine who had recently caught the Emperor’s eye thanks to a sachet she’d presented.
The Empress merely smiled faintly, saying nothing.
Consort Su, however, curved her lips in amusement as she watched the pair’s playful struggle. “Shall we wager whether the formidable Prince of Dingbei can resist such feminine charms?” she teased.
“I bet he can’t. As they say, a beauty’s grace is hardest to withstand!” one consort giggled.
“Precisely. The Prince’s devotion to his wife seems no less than that of the Prince of Xian, who grew up with his Princess,” another chimed in.
“What do you think, Sister Lan?” Consort Su asked.
Consort Lan remained silent, only shaking her head slightly.
In truth, the Jiang Qi Zhi she knew was not one to compromise or indulge others. As a princess’s companion in her youth, she had studied alongside the imperial children and noble scions, including Jiang Qi Zhi. Back then, she had been intensely curious about this former Crown Prince who had nearly become her betrothed.
Perhaps due to this curiosity, she found herself paying extra attention to him. Over time, this attentiveness blossomed into a different kind of feeling.
At that tender age of budding romance, she harbored a brief, bittersweet infatuation with Jiang Qi Zhi. Bittersweet, because she knew he was a man of great ambition, destined to achieve his lofty goals. To him, love and romance were inconsequential, not even worth mentioning.
And she was fated to enter the deep palace, becoming one of the Emperor’s women. Even if they stood face to face, there could be no further connection between them.
Her only consolation was the thought that a man as brilliant as him, though not meant for her, would not belong to any woman.
But now, it seemed she may have been mistaken.
“See? We guessed right!” The consorts laughed delightedly.
In the distance, Ming Tan lay sprawled across the horse’s back, utterly unable to sit up straight. She constantly appealed to Jiang Xu, who stood at her side.
At first, Jiang Xu remained unmoved. But after persistent coaxing, he relented, leading the horse by its reins for a short distance.
Emboldened by her success, Ming Tan pressed further. She convinced Jiang Xu to let her ride with him on his swift steed, claiming it would allow for hands-on instruction. Jiang Xu acquiesced.
Though he intended to teach her, Ming Tan had no real desire to learn. Once settled on the horse, she contentedly leaned back against him and asked curiously, “Can you ride very fast, my lord? What’s the fastest you can go?”
“Without changing horses, about 400 li at most.”
“That’s incredible! When you have free time, could you take me out riding? I’ve never experienced galloping on horseback before.” Ming Tan looked up at him with admiration.
Jiang Xu hummed in agreement. “Perhaps in a while. I have to go to Lingzhou in a few days. We can go after I return from there.”
“Lingzhou?” Ming Tan knew Lingzhou was a bustling city, but also quite far from the capital – even further than Qingzhou. “Will you be gone long this time?”
“At least a month, possibly up to three.”
“That long…”
Since marrying Jiang Xu, he had often left on official business, but never for two or three months at a time. Suddenly hearing he would be away so long, Ming Tan felt an inexplicable sadness.
—
That night, Ming Tan tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
Her constant movement prevented Jiang Xu from resting as well. He suddenly pulled her into his arms and asked groggily, “What’s wrong?”
“You’re going to Lingzhou this time, but Lingzhou isn’t like Hezhou or Qingzhou… I’ve heard it’s lively and prosperous, rivaling even the capital.”
Jiang Xu grunted in acknowledgment. “What else have you heard?”
“I’ve heard there are 180 pleasure boats there, all connected, with small boats traveling between them. The women are graceful and charming, of all shapes and sizes. It’s truly a paradise of sensual delights.
“And Lingzhou women are known for their gentle beauty – famous for having many beauties. My uncle’s household once had a concubine he brought back from Lingzhou. She was quite favored at the time, but her health was poor and she passed away early. Minmin used to say that if that concubine were still alive, she might have been overshadowed.”
“You seem to have heard quite a lot,” Jiang Xu remarked.
Ming Tan asked in a small voice, “So… is there a chance you might suddenly bring back a girl? I’m not jealous, definitely not jealous. But if you do bring someone back, could you perhaps send a letter in advance? Just so I can mentally prepare myself?”
Prepare for what? To tear down the gilded Buddha statue at Lingmiao Temple for breaking its promise?
Jiang Xu’s eyes remained closed as he listened to Ming Tan’s endless chatter. When she finally finished, he replied lazily, “If you’re worried, you could always accompany me.”