Chapter 177

 

Hua Yang continued to live in the palace for a few days. During those days, the family of three would still gather in the Qianqing Palace to have dinner together.

Hua Yang found that her mother empress still had the same attitude towards her brother as before. She asked him about government affairs and studies, and nothing else.

But this was easy to understand. If mother empress suddenly changed her temperament and became as friendly and cheerful as father emperor, anyone would find it abnormal.

The next evening, when the mother and daughter were sitting together admiring the flowers, Empress Dowager Qi asked her daughter, “You came to the palace this time to persuade me to change my temper, right?”

Hua Yang: “I am doing this for your and Brother’s sake. You are mother and son, why should you make things so awkward just because of a few harsh words?”

Empress Dowager Qi nodded, and after a while she said, “That kind of straightforward talk, it’s fine for you to tell Mom. As for your brother, whether it’s state affairs or family affairs, you try not to interfere. I’ll take care of family affairs, and the ministers will take care of state affairs. If you interfere, it’s fine if it suits your brother’s wishes. I’m just afraid that one day you’ll make him unhappy and he’ll get angry and ignore you. You have been spoiled by the late emperor since you were a child, where have you suffered any grievances.”

If a grand princess care too much about political affairs, the ministers who noticed this would rush to use her, hoping to influence the emperor’s ideas through the grand princess.

It would save the ministers trouble, but it would put the grand princess in danger.

The same grand princess, but her situation would be completely different if she was loved by the emperor or hated by him, even if there was no punishment.

Empress Dowager Qi did not want her daughter to be used by the courtiers, and she did not want her daughter to have conflicts with her son.

Hua Yang smiled at her mother and said, “Don’t worry, I know my limits.”

She had never learned how to handle political affairs, but she had lived her life again and knew which tragedies in her previous life could have been avoided and which courtiers were truly loyal to the emperor and loved the people. So after her rebirth, she helped where she could and gave advice where she could.

But her help was limited to this year. She had no way of predicting what would happen in the future. The ones who truly govern the world were still her brother, father-in-law, and Cabinet Elder He.

However, it was impossible for her to just stand by and watch. Hua Yang was a person and she had her own judgment. If one day she thought her brother had made a mistake, she would still persuade and stop him as an elder sister. Because this was the way a family gets along together. They share happiness and troubles together, laugh together when they were happy, and get angry together after arguing. But in the end, they were still brother and sister.

It was true that Hua Yang cared about her brother, but she had never asked her mother and father-in-law to blindly obey her brother. She just asked the two elders to be more tolerant and talk things out calmly. There was no need to provoke her brother’s resentment, which would only hurt both sides.

Just like this time, if her brother get drunk again and still cuts off the hair of the two singers, as long as mother empress didn’t issue any repentance edict and just scold her brother, Hua Yang would stand firmly on her mother’s side and scold her brother too.

.

On the 20^th of Fifth Month, a day off, Chen Jingzong went to the palace to pay his respects. Hua Yang smiled and said goodbye to her mother and brother, thinking that she might not stay in the palace for long in the future.

After leaving the palace and getting on the carriage, the grand princess was pulled into the arms of the prince consort.

“It’s hot.” Hua Yang pushed him away in disdain.

Chen Jingzong put one hand around her waist and held her weak hand with the other, looked at her and said, “You are hot, I am hungry.”

Hua Yang pretended not to understand, turned her face away, and asked casually: “Didn’t you eat breakfast?”

Chen Jingzong: “Grains and rice are useless. I must absorb your spiritual energy.”

Hua Yang laughed, but as soon as the corners of her lips raised, Chen Jingzong turned her face over, and the light in front of her eyes was blocked by him.

In fact, Hua Yang didn’t quite understand why Chen Jingzong was always so passionate about this kind of thing. If it was fresh when they just got married, they had been married for six and a half years.

Confused as she was, Hua Yang really couldn’t resist Chen Jingzong like this. He didn’t even need to kiss her, as long as he looked at her with such an undisguised look, Hua Yang would feel weak in her hands and feet.

The carriage rolled steadily across the smooth stone road outside the imperial city. The grand princess leaned on the arms of her consort, and the tassels hanging from the golden hairpin on her head swayed gently.

Chen Jingzong had traveld the road from the imperial city to Grand Princess Mansion countless times. He calculated the distance and placed grand princess in his arms onto the couch on beside him in advance.

Hua Yang knew that he needed time to compose himself, otherwise he would not be able to get off the carriage.

She took out a mirror from the cupboard and checked her appearance. Her hair was not messy, but her face was red, and her collar was half undone…

Hua Yang put down the mirror, turned sideways to him, and slowly straightened her collar.

The carriage was silent except for his still heavy breathing. This reminded Hua Yang of when she was in Lingzhou and wanted to burn incense for the old lady of the Chen family. It was that day in the carriage that Chen Jingzong first behaved improperly towards her.

Hua Yang was so angry at that time that she wanted to bite off a piece of flesh from his shoulder. Now, she was still angry, but she was used to it and was too lazy to argue with him anymore.

When they arrived at the gate of the mansion, Chen Jingzong stood up to go out. Hua Yang subconsciously looked at him, but Chen Jingzong suddenly turned around and met her gaze.

Hua Yang immediately looked away.

Chen Jingzong smiled meaningfully: “Don’t worry, I’ll show you enough when we get back.”

Hua Yang: …

Chen Jingzong lifted the curtain, jumped off the carriage, took the green silk umbrella handed to him by Chao Yun, turned around and waited to pick her up.

Hua Yang glared at him first, then leaned out of the carriage.

The sun was scorching, and Wu Run, Zhou Ji and the others were all lowered their eyes respectfully.

Hua Yang and Chen Jingzong walked under an umbrella and went straight back to Qifeng Hall.

Hua Yang walked towards the east room and when she lifted the curtain, she heard Chen Jingzong ordering Chao Yun and several maids to leave.

This simple sentence seemed like poison, and Hua Yang felt a tingling sensation on her arm as she lifted the curtain.

After entering the inner room, she subconsciously glanced at the dressing table and saw that the lotus bowl was already placed there with that thing soaking inside.

Chen Jingzong followed in.

Hua Yang sat at the table by the window, looked at the washstand and said, “If you send them away, who will help me wash my face?”

Chen Jingzong: “I’ll do it.”

He directly took the gold-lacquered copper basin from the washstand, wet the towel, and wrung it out until it stopped dripping.

Hua Yang wanted to take it, but Chen Jingzong pushed her hand away, lifted her chin, and wiped her face himself.

Hua Yang closed her eyes.

Chen Jingzong stroked her blushing cheek with his fingertips and said in a hoarse voice, “Did you get a heat stroke? Your face is so red.”

Hua Yang frowned slightly.

Chen Jingzong slowly wiped her ears with a towel, then picked up her left hand and wiped even between her fingers.

After wiping, Chen Jingzong took the copper basin and put it back on the washstand. Hua Yang took the opportunity to sit in front of the dressing table and took off the jewelry one by one.

The mirror could reflect half of the washstand. She saw Chen Jingzong take off his robe and wipe his body with a wet towel.

Even among the hundreds of thousand soldiers in the Twenty-Six Capital Guard, he stood out with his tall and striking figure. His broad shoulders, narrow waist, jade-like complexion, and the smooth, graceful lines of his muscles in motion were all remarkably attractive.

Hua Yang’s peeping ended when he began to untie his belt.

In broad daylight, only he could do such a thing without batting an eyelid or feeling any shame!

“How do you know I will come back today?”

Half an hour later, Hua Yang asked while taking a breath and gritting her teeth.

Chen Jingzong looked at her and smiled: “I also prepared for the tenth day. This is called being prepared for any eventuality.”

.

After Hua Yang left the palace, Chen Jingzong naturally did not stay in the guard station anymore. He happily travelled between the guard station and Grand Princes Mansion every day.

One day Princess Anle came to see her niece and as soon as she sat down, she joked: “Look at your little face, it’s much more moisturized than when you were in the palace.”

Hua Yang was slightly annoyed: “If you say this again, I won’t entertain you next time.”

Princess Anle laughed and said, “It’s true that no good deeds went unpunished. I gave you two so many treasures, but you turned your back on me.”

Hua Yang said nothing.

Princess Anle said: “Seriously, the ones I gave you before haven’t been used up yet? I can’t remember whether it’s been three or four years. If you are planning to have a child, I don’t need to give you any more. Otherwise, I will prepare another box for you.”

Hua Yang thought, how can the topic become serious?

But she didn’t want her aunt to worry about her in vain, so she lowered her eyes and said, “Prince Consort has found a way himself, so you won’t have to spend money in the future.”

Princess Anle was surprised and said, “Amazing! He’s indeed the son of Cabinet Elder Chen, truly capable.”

Hua Yang: …

After seeing off her aunt, Hua Yang sent the maids away on a whim. Then she walked to the trunk where Chen Jingzong usually kept his treasures, wanting to see how much stock Chen Jingzong had left.

Upon inspection, she found three brocade boxes in the trunk, two of which were full, and one was more than half empty.

There were so many that it may take four to five years to use them all.

Hua Yang frowned.

She thought of what Chen Jingzong had said on the boat before, about how he didn’t want to tie her up with the child.

Tonight was her day to rest. After Chen Jingzong returned home, the two of them went for a walk in the garden, had dinner and then went to bed.

The next day, Chen Jingzong came back and found that she had not prepared any lotus bowls.

He returned to the side room, stood in front of the couch, and looked at the grand princess who was sitting by the window reading a storybook.

There was an extra pillar in her peripheral vision, Hua Yang glanced at him and asked, “What’s the matter?”

Chen Jingzong: “I was wondering have I offended you, this ancestor, in the past two days.”

Hua Yang smiled: “You didn’t offend me.”

Chen Jingzong: “Then why didn’t you prepare it?”

Hua Yang: “Forget it. If you can’t wait until tomorrow, I won’t stop you from preparing now.”

Chen Jingzong couldn’t actually tell whether she was really not angry or what was going on.

But it was also a good idea to test her. If he soaked one but she refused to cooperate, then she must be throwing a tantrum.

Chen Jingzong called out Chao Yun to bring warm water, then he went to the inner room to prepare it. After the lotus bowl was ready, he went to get that thing from the trunk and opened the lid. He remembered that there were clearly three boxes of treasures inside, but now there was only the half-used box left!

Chen Jingzong stood in front of the lonely box for a long while, various thoughts flashing through his mind. Finally, he took out a treasure and soaked it first.

After the thing was ready, Chen Jingzong returned to the side room, sat next to her on the couch, and took the book from her hand.

Hua Yang looked up.

Chen Jingzong frowned and asked, “What do you mean? Throw it away, or give it away?”

Hua Yang: “I didn’t give it to anyone. I will never give anyone something like that in my life.”

Chen Jingzong: “So it’s thrown away?”

Hua Yang: “I didn’t throw it away. I put it in the storeroom.”

Chen Jingzong: “Why? I use it often, and it doesn’t take up much space.”

Hua Yang didn’t answer and wanted to snatch the book back.

Chen Jingzong stuffed the book directly into his arms.

Hua Yang glared at him but didn’t touch his clothes.

Chen Jingzong knew that she was being stubborn, so he held her in his arms, kissed her until she softened up, and then asked coaxingly, “Why are you suddenly storing that away?”

Hua Yang closed her eyes and said calmly, “Too many. It’s an eyesore.”

Chen Jingzong: “Then use up one box and take another one?”

Hua Yang: “Until when do you want to use it?”

Chen Jingzong was silent.

Hua Yang leaned towards his chest and said in a commanding tone: “After this box is used up, you are not allowed to use it again.”

The author has something to say:

Silly fish’s eyes were full of tears: Grand Princess despises me!

Lotus bowl: Don’t worry, we should make a comeback someday…

Shu brocade: ….

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