Chapter 106

 

In early summer, the evening breeze was gentle, and the bright moonlight sneaked silently into the inner room through the slightly opened window like a stream of water.

It seemed aimless, but also seemed to have been instructed by the Moon Palace Fairy to act as her eyes to peek into everything in the world.

But mortals were unaware of it.

Chen Jingzong brought Hua Yang to her half-person-height mirror.

He was just taking advantage of her being drunk, wanting her to yield, hoping that under the embarrassment, she would have no choice but to say the words he wants to hear.”

But he underestimated Hua Yang after all.

Who was Hua Yang?

She was the most beloved princess of Emperor Jingshun, the emperor of this dynasty. From the time she could remember, everyone around her would praise her beauty, and it was not just verbal flattery against their will. The way they looked at Hua Yang, it was as if looking at a little peony fairy born in the palace, watching her shed her childishness day by day, and seeing her blossom into unparalleled beauty and elegance.

Even an ordinary princess would feel complacent about her beauty when being praised so highly, not to mention the kind of beauty like Hua Yang, which its reputation was well-deserved.

She was beautiful and aware of it. She was beautiful and appreciate it.

If she was sober, she would still scold Chen Jingzong. But now that she was drunk, so drunk that she had no intention of arguing with him, she just looked at herself in the mirror stupidly.

Her black hair fell down like a waterfall, and a few strands of hair swayed gently in the pleasant evening breeze.

Her cheeks were reflected by the light like a piece of scarlet jade, smooth without any blemishes.

The skin on her shoulders and neck was as white as snow…

Suddenly, a big hand with a light tanned color reached up, becoming the only flaw in this beauty.

Hua Yang frowned slightly, and then remembered that there was a prince consort beside her. He was very tall, and although he was clearly standing behind, his handsome face appeared completely in the mirror, looking at her.

The drunken princess remained proud. She looked back at the eyes of the prince consort, showing no trace of embarrassment, only the bestowal of a fairy upon mortals.

She need not express any emotions, but rather he should cherish such an opportunity and do his utmost to serve her.

Chen Jingzong looked at her for a moment, lowered his head and said in her ear: “You are really my ancestor.”

Hua Yang smiled.

The next day, she asked Chen Jingzong to rest in the front yard for three nights in a row as punishment for his daring behavior.

The princess didn’t even look angry, she just gave the order calmly, and the prince consort accepted the punishment honestly without a word of excuse.

If you know something is wrong, correct it and do it again next time.

.

By the end of Fourth Month, Hua Yang’s body had completely recovered its jade-like figure.

But after the Dragon Boat Festival, she started to suffer from real nightmares.

“Why do you always have nightmares lately?”

In mid-Fifth Month, when she was sobbing softly in her dream again, woke up crying again, Chen Jingzong dared not underestimate it anymore. He lit a lamp, wiped her sweat with a warm, damp cloth, and asked with a furrowed brow, “Was it the drowning incident that scared you, and it’s only now showing its effects?”

Hua Yang lowered her wet eyelashes and nodded.

In fact, what she dreamed about was the death of her father. She dreamed that all her previous efforts were in vain, and her father emperor died suddenly just like in her previous life. She also dreamed that not long after she and Chen Jingzong fell asleep, the mourning bell suddenly came from the palace. She sat up in horror, but Chen Jingzong still slept soundly with his back to her. She turned around his shoulder anxiously, but suddenly saw his body was covered in blood.

Chen Jingzong looked at her pale face and said, “Send a note to the palace tomorrow morning and ask His Majesty to send two imperial doctors to check on you.”

Hua Yang thought for a while and said: “I’d better find an excuse to go to the palace and stay a few nights. If I still have nightmares, it will be convenient for the imperial doctor to diagnose and treat me.”

Chen Jingzong pursed his lips.

Hua Yang knew what he was worried about and said with a smile: “Don’t worry, I will stay for five to six nights at most this time. After all, I am a married princess. If I always stay in the palace, the ministers will also discuss it.”

Today was already the 17^th of Fifth Month, and in her previous life, her father emperor died on the night of 22^nd of Fifth Month.

As long as her father emperor could live past the 22^nd and truly avoid that death, Hua Yang could probably truly feel relieved.

Can Chen Jingzong still stop her?

After discussing with him, Hua Yang inform her mother-in-law first, and then took Chao Yun and Chao Yue into the palace.

The weather was getting hotter day by day, and the palaces were densely packed with layers of buildings that block the wind. In fact, it was not as cool as the house of the noble family.

Empress Qi didn’t quite understand why her daughter wanted to live in the palace.

Hua Yang hugged her mother empress’s arm and said coquettishly: “Daughter misses you. Isn’t this reason enough?”

Empress Qi didn’t believe it: “Did you have a quarrel with your Prince Consort?”

Hua Yang had no choice but to make a small pit for Chen Jingzong. After asking her mother empress to send away the palace maids, she blushed while saying: “Prince Consort used to obey me in everything, and he would only sleep with me whenever I wanted him to. Recently, the weather is getting hot and I wore less clothes, but then his eyes became very dishonest. I hate that he kept pestering, so I came to the palace.”

Empress Qi was very surprised and asked: “How often do you want him to sleep with you?”

Of course, Hua Yang couldn’t slander Chen Jingzong too much, lest her mother empress would really think Chen Jingzong was too greedily and she would feel disgusted.

If she were more arrogant, mother empress would at most try to reason with her.

Therefore, she said confidently: “Once every five days, no more!”

Empress Qi:…

She suddenly felt a little sorry for her son-in-law. A young military attache probably was more greedy than ordinary men, but her daughter, who was only in her fourth year of marriage, was actually hanging her prince consort like this.

“Is it because Prince Consort doesn’t serve well, and you don’t like it?”

Empress Qi asked with concern, although this topic was too private, what should mother and daughter worry about? If her daughter was really uncomfortable, it meant that prince consort was too stupid, and she would send an old nanny to give advice to prince consort.

Hua Yang lowered her head, played with her cuffs, and after fiddling with it for a while, she said, “It’s fine, but I have to sweat all over every time. I hate it.”

Empress Qi:…

Her daughter love cleanliness since she was a child, afraid it would be difficult to correct this. But she also couldn’t order the prince consort to use less strength. Was that something people could control?

“You, I don’t even know what to say to you.”

“Then Mother, just don’t say anything and let me stay in the palace for a few more nights, okay?”

“Okay, okay, but you have to promise your mother that you won’t be so wilful in the future. Prince Consort treats you respectfully, then you have to be more considerate of him. Compare to Nan Kang over there, your marriage life is really comfortable. It’s not worthwhile to have falling out with Prince Consort over some trivial matters.”

Hua Yang quickly agreed.

As for Emperor Jingshun, he was only too happy that his daughter had returned to the palace and would not ask for the reason like Empress Qi did.

While having dinner with her father emperor, Hua Yang also observed him carefully. Maybe it was because there was no palace draft this year, but at this time her father was indeed more energetic than she remembered in the previous life.

It was just that some memory was too vague. How could Hua Yang clearly remember those ordinary moments in her previous life before her father died?

.

22^nd of Fifth Month was getting closer and closer.

Even though Hua Yang had already found a way to keep Han Ping’er and the entire group of beautiful girls from entering the palace, Hua Yang was still worried.

It would be best for her father emperor to sleep alone on the night of the 22^nd, and not to go to any of the concubines.

It was just that the method of pretending to be sick had been used before, and this time she had to use a fresh one.

“Father Emperor, I really want to play chess today, but Mother Empress doesn’t want to accompany me.”

On this day, at dusk, when the family of four was having dinner together, Hua Yang spoke to her father emperor with a hint of hope on her face.

Emperor Jingshun immediately understood his daughter’s hint and said with a smile: “It’s okay, Mother Empress is not interested, the Father will accompany you.”

Hua Yang was very happy and followed her father emperor to Qianqing Palace after dinner.

The crown prince also came.

After Hua Yang lost three games in a row and was laughed at by her brother, she was replaced by her brother to play two sets with their father emperor.

Of course the crown prince was also lost, but both siblings worked hard to prolong the defeat.

At the first watch of the night, the crown prince resigned. Except for holidays, he had to get up early every day, so it was not good to delay.

Hua Yang continued to accompany Emperor Jingshun, and this time there was punishment. The loser would have to put on a sticker on their face.

But playing chess was too taxing on the brain, and Emperor Jingshun was also weak. He could endure it if he was asked to do something fun, but playing chess was so boring, and he gradually loses interest.

Hua Yang said coquettishly: “Father, I will leave the palace tomorrow. Can you play two more games with me?”

Emperor Jingshun thought to himself that his daughter had been visiting the palace very frequently this year, and she could back after a few days.

Of course, Emperor Jingshun would only dare to complain inside, and would not really say it to hurt his daughter’s heart.

He steeled himself and stayed with his daughter for another half an hour.

At the end of another round, Emperor Jingshun yawned and said helplessly: “That’s it for tonight. Father is sleepy.”

Hua Yang raised her eyebrows: “Really? Or are you in a hurry to send your daughter away so that you can accompany a certain concubine?”

This was the first time that Emperor Jingshun was teased like this by his daughter. He looked slightly embarrassed and laughed dryly: “How could it be? No one is as important as Panpan. It’s just that Father is old and really sleepy.”

Hua Yang’s eyes softened, she looked at her father emperor opposite and said, “You are not old. You are exactly the same as I remembered when I was a child.”

These words were so sweet that Emperor Jingshun actually wanted to accompany his daughter again.

Hua Yang had already received her father emperor’s promise that he would not favor his concubines tonight, so she did not need to stay up any longer. She smiled and spared her father: “Forget it, Father will have to deal with official business tomorrow morning, so Daughter will no longer delay Father’s rest. Father, please don’t blame.”

Emperor Jingshun did not blame her at all, and personally sent his daughter out of Qianqing Palace, and then sent Eunuch Ma to escort her all the way.

The strange thing was that Emperor Jingshun was still sleepy just now, but after his daughter left, he seemed to be energetic again and it seemed he could something more.

This feeling was very familiar. When the children were young, he would be happy for a while, but he would feel tired after spending time with them for a long time. But as soon as the children left, his strength would come back, and he could have fun with his concubines happily.

He looked at Eunuch Ma.

Eunuch Ma understood this and waited for his master to speak.

Emperor Jingshun didn’t open his mouth. If he really favored his concubines tonight, when the news reached his daughter’s ears tomorrow, he, this father would become a big liar!

Qifeng Palace.

This night, Hua Yang slept the least soundly, waking up almost every hour, lying alone in the spacious and comfortable bed, nervously listening to the movements in the palace.

Everything was quiet, and nothing major happened in the palace that night.

When the sky outside the window was getting brighter, Hua Yang finally fell into a deep sleep.

When she woke up from her sleep at noon, she went to bid farewell to her father emperor and mother empress.

Emperor Jingshun said in surprise: “You didn’t sleep too late last night, why are you so out of energy?”

Hua Yang looked at her father emperor seated opposite her in a dragon robe, he seemed to be in a good mood. She spoke sweetly without hesitation: “Daughter really can’t bear to leave the palace. Just the thought of not seeing you and Mother Empress for a long time makes me feel uneasy. I couldn’t sleep well all night.”

Emperor Jingshun: “Then don’t be in a hurry to leave. Zhen is not chasing you away.”

Empress Qi’s eyes were twitching.

Hua Yang lowered her eyes and smiled: “I know that Father loves me, but I am married after all, so I can’t be too wilful.”

Emperor Jingshun looked at Empress Qi and knew that his wife was very strict in raising their children. He also knew that he couldn’t argue with her on matters of principle, so he didn’t try to persuade further. Instead, he asked his daughter to eat in the palace.

After the meal, Hua Yang really couldn’t bear to part with him, her eyes almost glued to Emperor Jingshun’s face.

It was already the 23^rd of Fifth Month. Her father emperor’s death must have been avoided. This shouldn’t be the last time the father and daughter would meet, right?

Hua Yang suddenly walked over and hugged her father.

No matter how slow Emperor Jingshun was, he still noticed something was wrong. He touched his daughter’s head and said solemnly, “Did Panpan suffer any grievance in the Chen family? Just tell Father and Father will make the decision for you.”

Hua Yang shook her head: “No, they treat me very well, but the palace is where I grew up. You and Mother are my real family. I am truly at home here.”

Emperor Jingshun snorted: “Then just live here.” With him supporting his daughter, let see who dared to make unreasonable comments.

Hua Yang: “But I also miss Prince Consort a little bit.”

Emperor Jingshun:…

Hua Yang walked away quickly as if she was embarrassed to face the two elders. She didn’t look back for the last time until she was about to cross the doorstep.

Emperor Jingshun, who was in his fifties, wore a dark golden dragon robe. He had a slender figure and a pale and gentle face.

Hua Yang smiled: “Next time I came to the palace, how about Father playing chess with me again?”

Emperor Jingshun: “Of course, as long as Panpan want it, Father will accompany you.”

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