Jiang Xu always planned meticulously before taking action. Before leaving the capital, he had already memorized the southern route and the maps of Ling, Yu, and Quan prefectures where they would be staying for extended periods.
At the foot of Mount Xumin, about fifty li from Tonggang Port, there was a hot spring.
Although they couldn’t reach a comfortable town nearby to rest for the night, it wouldn’t be a problem to arrive at this hot spring a bit later.
The two rode slowly, chatting intermittently. By the time the bright moon reached its zenith, they finally arrived at the foot of Mount Xumin.
Perhaps due to the remote location, the night sky was exceptionally pure and blue. Stars dotted the heavens, and moonlight poured down like water. In the night, misty vapor rose from the hot spring pool, like a half-veiled beauty, partially hidden yet alluring.
Ming Tan seemed to come alive at the sight of the hot spring.
“A hot spring, it is a hot spring!” She dismounted and approached, her tone becoming light and cheerful. “My lord, may I go in now?”
“As you wish.”
Jiang Xu settled the horse and followed her.
Given permission, Ming Tan eagerly began to undress. However, after untying her waist sash, she reconsidered and negotiated with Jiang Xu: “How about this? I’ll bathe first, and you can start a fire. I’ll wash my clothes in the water, and you can help me dry them, alright?”
“…”
Jiang Xu’s hand, which was on his waist sash, suddenly paused. After a moment, he grunted in agreement and silently turned to gather firewood.
Ming Tan paid him no mind and happily began to play in the water. When Jiang Xu had built a fire by the hot spring, she imitated the maids at home doing laundry, rubbing her clothes in the water.
“It’s done, my lord. Here!”
Jiang Xu approached, took the clothes, and returned to the fire. He patiently hung her undergarments, short jacket, and skirt on makeshift branches he had set up.
The flickering firelight illuminated his clean, sharp features. With his sword-like eyebrows and star-bright eyes, high nose, and thin lips, his half-pressed lips gave him an inexplicably serious expression.
Ming Tan found his serious demeanor while drying clothes amusing and felt the urge to tease him.
“My lord!” Ming Tan suddenly called out.
Jiang Xu glanced sideways.
Ming Tan seized the moment, scooping up a handful of water to splash at him.
But Jiang Xu didn’t move, just silently watching as the water fell short by half a zhang. He then looked away, mockingly saying, “How childish.”
Ming Tan: “…”
A cold wind seemed to pass through the forest.
Jiang Xu, seemingly unaware, continued: “You’re in the water, at a lower position, and several zhang away. Without internal energy, you can’t splash water on me. Of course, if I didn’t want you to splash me, even with internal energy, it would be futile.”
“…”
“I think you’re the childish one!”
How could there be such an unromantic man? Back then, Liang Zixuan would have praised, “Sister Tan is like a brilliant pearl; even veiled, her radiance cannot be hidden.” But this man only says “You can’t,” “You’re childish,” and “I’m the greatest.”
Ming Tan turned away angrily, moving to the farthest corner from the shore, not wanting to look at the so-called invincible war god who thought himself above all others.
However, while the hot spring water was refreshing, it was different from ordinary water. The temperature remained constant, and after a while, Ming Tan felt hot and wanted to get out.
But then she realized she couldn’t just emerge naked – her clothes were still with him. Yet, having shown her anger so clearly, wouldn’t it be losing face to initiate conversation now?
As Ming Tan crouched in the corner, adjusting her breathing and debating whether to speak up, she suddenly felt a dangerous presence approaching from behind.
Could it be… something in the water? Her spine tingled, and she instinctively turned, about to cry out.
But in the next moment, she was unexpectedly pulled into an embrace. Her cry was muffled against her lips.
After a long while, Jiang Xu finally released her, allowing her to catch her breath.
“Why did you come in?” Ming Tan asked, startled.
“The clothes will take a while to dry anyway.”
“But you also–“
“Don’t move,” he said, his voice low and husky.
Held in his arms, skin against skin, Ming Tan quickly realized what was happening.
Her scalp tightened, and she truly didn’t dare move.
Whether from the hot spring or her nervousness, her heart seemed to beat faster, pounding as if it would jump out of her throat. Her ears, cheeks, even her neck and collarbone, flushed pink.
Heavens! Although they were alone, this was the wild outdoors! She didn’t want to do such things here! What respectable young lady would dare do this outside?
She obeyed, frozen stiff with fear.
But Ming Tan was still too naive. When a man sets his mind on something, her stillness won’t solve anything.
After a moment of tension, Jiang Xu moved back slightly. Ming Tan relaxed, thinking the crisis had passed. She sighed in relief and tried to shift her numbing feet.
Unexpectedly, the water behind her stirred. The briefly relaxed tension in her mind snapped taut again. Her moving foot felt as if a million ants were crawling on it. She let out a soft hiss, lost her balance, and fell back right into his arms.
“Didn’t I tell you not to move? It seems… the Princess Consort is eager to throw herself into my arms and do something.”
Jiang Xu’s voice was low, his broad palms caressing her delicate skin. His tone was full of “I suppose I’ll have to indulge you” nonchalance.
…?
No! I don’t want to, don’t make things up!
Before Ming Tan could voice her protests, she was pulled into his embrace, her lips sealed with a kiss.
Ripples spread across the hot spring. Her eyes were accused, and her voice whimpered, but all was obscured by the rising mist. Even the moonlight became ambiguous and hazy in the steam. The birds and beasts that usually cried at night seemed to have been scared away. Only rough breathing and stifled moans that escaped through gritted teeth could be heard.
Now, not only had she lost face, but she had lost everything else too.
…
Deep in the night, all was quiet save for the whisper of wind.
As the water calmed, Ming Tan was exhausted. The fatigue of the past few days seemed to surge up all at once.
In her hazy consciousness, she only remembered him wringing out her hair and dressing her. The clothes, warmed by the fire, were her usual comfortable fabric for undergarments and inner robes, not meant to be seen outside.
She didn’t want to do anything, not even lift a hand. After dressing, she fell asleep on his chest.
—
For the next two days on the road, Ming Tan felt uncomfortable, shy, and always avoiding Jiang Xu’s gaze. Jiang Xu didn’t understand why she was so embarrassed. It was just lovemaking, something they’d done plenty of times. What difference did it make whether it was in a hot spring or a bedroom?
Returning to the town where they had previously stopped their carriage, the hardships of their journey finally eased.
After the experience in Tonggang, sitting in the carriage and returning to the capital, Ming Tan no longer felt tired.
In fact, with no official duties on the return journey, it should have been much more relaxed. Jiang Xu had even planned to take her on a water route, passing through prosperous areas to fulfill her desire to buy ten carriages worth of goods to take back to the capital.
But Ming Tan suddenly became sensible. Apart from preparing souvenirs for friends and family in the capital, she didn’t buy anything extra.
When Jiang Xu asked, she spoke seriously about the state of the common people in the Great Xia, saying there were many poor and remote places like Tonggang. As a member of the imperial family now, she should set an example and practice frugality.
Jiang Xu wanted to say something, but since she rarely showed such consideration, even if it was just a whim, he didn’t want to discourage her. So he let her be.
Ming Tan’s newfound sensibility lasted back to the capital.
They had left for Lingzhou in high summer, and now returning to the capital, Shangjing had entered deep autumn. Weeping willows along both banks of the Xian River were desolate, but ginkgo trees lined the streets with brilliant gold. When the wind blew, golden leaves fell throughout the city, a beautiful sight.
As Jiang Xu had left on official business, he naturally had to see Emperor Chengkang first upon returning to the capital. At a fork in the road, Jiang Xu instructed someone to escort the Princess Consort back to the mansion while he rode alone to the palace.
At the Northern Defender Prince’s Mansion.
The carriage stopped outside, and Ming Tan alighted.
Steward Fu had specially opened the main gate. Servants lined up in two rows from the entrance into the second gate, stretching as far as the eye could see.
“Welcome back, Princess Consort!” Seeing Ming Tan dismount, everyone bowed in unison, welcoming her in with loud, respectful greetings.
Ming Tan hadn’t seen such a grand reception in a long time. She felt both nostalgic and overwhelmed.
Fortunately, despite being away for months, she remembered she was the Northern Defender Princess Consort. She put on her dignified air, nodded calmly, then smiled at Steward Fu, saying gently, “The Prince and I have been away for months. Thank you, Steward Fu, for managing the household. It must have been hard work.”
“Not at all, not at all. It’s this old servant’s duty.”
Steward Fu was as humble as ever, his smile as respectful and kind as always.
“No matter how vast the outside world is, it can’t compare to the comfort of our own home. The Princess must be exhausted from months of travel. Please return to Qian’an Hall to rest. Miss Suxin and Miss Lüe have been overjoyed since receiving news of your and the Prince’s imminent return a few days ago. They’ve been busy preparing non-stop!”
Ming Tan nodded and allowed Steward Fu to escort her into the mansion towards Qian’an Hall.
Indeed, Steward Fu seemed to take his duties to her as Princess Consort very seriously. In the past, when Jiang Xu left on official business, he’d simply go and return without fanfare. But now there was this grand reception, with the main gate opened, servants lining up, and a procession to Qian’an Hall.
Outside Qian’an Hall, lanterns and decorations were hung. The maids welcoming her at Qian’an Hall had all changed into bright new clothes. One might have thought the mansion was preparing for a joyous occasion.
A fire basin was placed at the courtyard entrance.
Across the fire basin, Suxin and Lüe stood inside, faces beaming with joy as they bowed respectfully: “Welcome back, Princess Consort. Please step over the fire basin to welcome good fortune.”
“…”
Well, it seemed there was such a custom in the capital for those returning from afar to step over a fire basin.
Ming Tan stepped across.
Suxin and Lüe hurried forward, unable to contain themselves any longer, calling out “Young Miss” and “Princess Consort” alternately.
“How did the Young Miss become so thin!”
“Why is the Young Miss still wearing this skirt? Goodness, the embroidery is coming undone!”
“Did the Young Miss suffer some hardship out there?”
…
The two spoke non-stop, giving her no chance to respond as they ushered her into the room.
Even the usually composed Suxin anxiously looked her up and down, her earlier joy replaced by reddened eyes and a choked voice.
“The Young Miss must have suffered out there. Your face has become so thin, and you look so haggard!”
Lüe’s emotions were also stirred up as she looked at Ming Tan’s hair: “Indeed, with us here, when has the Young Miss ever worn such a simple hairstyle? This can hardly be called a hairstyle at all.
“Concubine Yun returned a few days ago and said the Young Miss had a good journey, but how can this be called good? She went through hardships! Our Young Miss has never endured such grievances!
“If we had known, the Young Miss shouldn’t have taken Concubine Yun. She only knows how to wield weapons, not how to take care of people. If you had taken us servants, we would never have let the Young Miss suffer such hardships.”
Both had served Ming Tan since childhood and had never been apart from her for so long. They cherished her like the apple of their eye, and seeing her thin and haggard appearance broke their hearts.
As they spoke, the two began to weep bitterly around Ming Tan.
Ming Tan was overwhelmed by their crying. After a while, she finally found a chance to speak, saying helplessly: “Stop, stop, stop. People will think the Northern Defender Prince’s Mansion has wronged you two. Aren’t you ashamed? Are you holding a funeral? I’ve just returned from a journey, not risen from the dead!”
“Tsk tsk tsk! The Young Miss has just returned, how can you speak of such things! Young Miss, quickly bow in that direction and apologize to the heavens.” Suxin looked extremely worried.
“…”
Ming Tan couldn’t argue with these two maids. She obediently bowed towards the door.