Chapter 58

 

Hua Yang came back from celebrating her birthday outside. The next day she went to the study and asked Chao Yun and Chao Yue to lay out all the paints and grind them carefully. She wanted to paint.

The sun was shining brightly outside the window. While grinding the lapis lazuli with her hand, Chao Yun curiously asked: “Princess, where did Prince Consort take you? Why did he bring out your interest in painting?”

Chao Yue ground the malachite with concentration, watching the fine green powder accumulate little by little, and chuckled: “Do you even need to ask? This area of ​​Lingzhou has beautiful mountains and clear waters. Prince Consort must have taken the Princess to visit some famous mountains and rivers.”

Hua Yang chatted and laughed with them, spread out the rice paper, and first tried to draw the outline and layout of the mountains and lakes.

The morning passed in preparation for painting. After taking a half-hour break at noon, Hua Yang came to the study again.

She painted very seriously, and only painted a corner of Phoenix Mountain in one afternoon.

Chao Yun looked outside and reminded: “Prince Consort will be back soon.”

When Hua Yang heard this, she slowly put away her brush. At least until she finished the painting, she didn’t want Chen Jingzong to see it, lest he deliberately say something inappropriate again.

After going back to the main room and washing her hands, she felt her shoulders were a little sore. Hua Yang lay down on the couch and asked Chao Yue to squeeze her shoulders.

Maybe it was because she had been cooking in the kitchen for a year last year, Chao Yue’s hand strength was well-trained, and she was a little better than Chao Yun in doing things like shoulder-squeezing and back-beating.

Chen Jingzong took a shower and changed clothes in Liuyun Hall before coming to Qifeng Hall.

The weather was hot, and after a busy day at the military station, it was unknown how many times his official uniform got wet with sweat and dried again. When they first got married, Chen Jingzong would deliberately make Hua Yang angry. Now that the couple’s little life was like honey mixed with oil, Chen Jingzong was also happy to clean himself up so that he could hug her directly when he saw her, rather than being disliked by her first.

He stepped into the main room and saw Chao Yue coming out of the side room. When she saw him, Chao Yue whispered: “Prince Consort, the Princess is practicing painting in the study today. She was so tired, so I squeezed her shoulders for a while, and the Princess unexpectedly fell asleep.”

Chen Jingzong nodded and went in.

On the couch, Hua Yang was still lying down, with her arms folded underneath her head serving as a pillow.

Her head was tilted sideways, facing him, with half of her face looked chubby from the squeeze, looking a bit childish.

This sleeping posture was neither elegant nor beautiful, and it looked like she was really asleep.

Of course, being the beloved daughter of the heavens, her inherent beauty made any sleeping position look good.

Chen Jingzong took off his shoes, got on the bed from the other side, then sat cross-legged on one side of her, and continued to squeeze her shoulders and legs.

Hua Yang was painting while standing, which was both mentally and physically tiring. She was so comfortable being massaged by Chao Yue that she fell asleep without even realizing it. But after all, she knew that it was close to dinner time, so after taking a nap, Hua Yang woke up leisurely.

The afterglow of the setting sun diffused into the window, and the room was half light and half dark.

Feeling the right strength on her shoulders, Hua Yang just thought it was still Chao Yue who massage her and asked lazily: “Hasn’t Prince Consort back yet?”

“Come back, unless you have another Prince Consort.”

Hua Yang:…

She tilted her head in surprise.

Chen Jingzong took the person into his arms and traced his fingertips on half of her face which had slight marks from being pressed.

Seeing her long eyelashes hanging down, as if she was still embarrassed by the indulgence on the boat yesterday, Chen Jingzong seemed to have returned to the swaying boat that might turn over at any time. He knew how to swim, so he wasn’t really worried, there was usually no one in that area anyway. But she was so panicked, and the more panic she was, the more it killed him.

Chen Jingzong leaned forward and kissed her petal-like lips.

Hua Yang closed her eyes, unable to hide from him, but also unwilling to always follow his lead every time, so she pulled his ears and pinched the thinnest part of his earlobes with her nails.

“Chao Yue said you are tired from practicing painting. Is that true, or have you still not recovered from yesterday?”

Chen Jingzong rubbed her shoulders.

Hua Yang looked outside: “Let’s eat, I’m hungry.”

Apart from the sunrise, she didn’t want to mention anything else that happened yesterday.

Chen Jingzong smiled and asked her to sit on the edge of the couch. He jumped down and helped her put on her shoes.

Hua Yang looked at his figure squatting on the ground, and then looked at the couch that was almost as high as the bed in the boat cabin, and her face was on fire again.

Last year, she was bored while mourning at home, and Chen Jingzong often brought back some rough and crude story books after going hunting in the mountains. They were not the most refine thing, but they were enough to pass the time. Anyway, no one else knew what she read.

Most of the story books were still quite decent. For example, the scholar met the female fox demon, which mainly told bizarre stories such as repaying kindness. Although it also written that the scholar and the fox demon have intercourse at night, it was basically just a sentence or two to convey it, it wasn’t too exaggerated. If Chen Jingzong really brought that kind of erotic book to her on purpose, Hua Yang would definitely have a fight with him and then throw the book into the stove in front of him.

However, one time, Hua Yang actually saw a storybook about a lone bully who force a beautiful boat girl. It was only three pages long and even included an illustration!

In the picture, the boat girl was half-lying on the couch, with the bully standing behind her.

Hua Yang knew something was wrong when she saw the picture. She knew it should be thrown away, but her curiosity was inexplicably stirred up.

After reading it, she threw the storybook into Chen Jingzong’s arms and scolded him righteously.

Chen Jingzong read the story in front of her and said without changing his expression: “I really don’t know. After I picked out three books, the shop owner said this one was good and gave it to me for free. I looked the cover and thought it was okay, so I brought it back.”

Hua Yang asked him to burn it, and Chen Jingzong actually burned it.

Who would have thought that he remembered it so clearly and used it on her yesterday!

Hua Yang had made up her mind that she would never allow Chen Jingzong to use those extremely obscene tricks in the future. Husband and wife should lie in bed in a decent manner.

After putting on her shoes, Hua Yang went to the next room with an indifferent expression without even looking at him.

Chen Jingzong glanced at her almost red earlobes and smiled lightly.

As punishment, Chen Jingzong was not allowed to stay at Qifeng Hall for the next three nights, and he left voluntarily after dinner.

After Hua Yang rested at night, Chao Yun and Chao Yue gathered together and muttered quietly.

“Has he Princess and Prince Consort angry at each other again?”

“It doesn’t look like it. When Prince Consort left, the corners of his mouth seemed to be up. When really angry before, Prince Consort’s face was even more fierce than when Cabinet Elder was lecturing people.”

“I get it. It’s the Prince Consort who took advantage of our Princess again, so he’s willing to accept the punishment.”

.

On the afternoon of the 23th of Fourth Month, after spending five full days, Hua Yang finally finished the painting “Viewing the Sun on Phoenix Mountain”.

As the sky dawning, the trees on the mountain, the fields on both sides of the lake, and the houses seemed to be shrouded in a layer of mist. Only the sun in the sky was burning fiery red, and only the lake illuminated by the glow was dazzlingly colorful.

Chao Yun and Chao Yue stood on each side of their master, looking stupefied when they saw it.

“Prince Consort’s birthday gift to the Princess is this sunrise, right? It’s so beautiful in the painting, so it must be more spectacular when you’re experienced it in person.”

“I didn’t expect that Prince Consort, who looks like a rough man, could come up with such an elegant and refined gift.”

Hua Yang’s eyes fell on the seemingly inconspicuous top of Phoenix Mountain in the painting. It had to be said that Chen Jingzong’s behavior in the boat was so arrogant, but the line he said on the mountain, “give her a round of Hua Yang” was particularly pleasing to her.

If he were a Confucian general like Zhou Yu, who was both brave, strong and graceful, he would really be a perfect Prince Consort in Hua Yang’s eyes.

Knowing that Chen Jingzong could not imitate Zhou Yu, Hua Yang painted his rare elegance moment, so that when Chen Jingzong made her angry in the future, she could still use this painting to remind her of this side of him.

“Take it to Wu Run and ask him to hire someone to frame it.”

“Yes.”

Chao Yun carefully rolled up the painting and went to the front yard to find Wu Run.

When Wu Run saw this painting, he also guessed where the prince consort took the princess on her birthday.

While appreciating the painting, Wu Run secretly nodded. Sure enough, one couldn’t judge a person’s true nature based on just a few meetings. Prince consort could think of such a gift, and he was not a layman in his bones.

When Chen Jingzong returned in the evening, Wu Run smiled and saluted him.

Chen Jingzong glanced at him a few more times. Wu Run usually liked to smile and looked like a kind gentleman, but today his smile seemed to be particularly warm.

When he arrived at Qifeng Hall, he found that Chao Yun and Chao Yue also had similar smiling faces, and the eyes they casted over him were obviously approving.

Chen Jingzong felt strange and asked Hua Yang: “What happened? The people around you seem to be more hospitable to me today.”

Hua Yang glanced at him and said perfunctorily: “Perhaps you have been busy with the affairs of the military station lately, earning their admiration with your diligence and dedication.”

Chen Jingzong stayed in Liuyun Hall for three consecutive nights, and spent last night in the military station. This explanation seemed to make some sense.

“If you keep up your good work, your prestige in their hearts will be even higher.” Hua Yang encouraged him insincerely.

Chen Jingzong just sneered, hugged her and said, “I don’t care what they think, instead of fighting over those vanity, I want to fight with you every night…”

Hua Yang hurriedly stuffed a piece of handkerchief into his mouth.

Such a good prince consort, why does he have an extra mouth?

.

The next morning, Hua Yang woke up late. When she woke up, she found that Chen Jingzong’s knees had made two holes in the expensive bedsheet.

She gritted her teeth with hatred, and somehow, she found that standing was not so difficult to accept.

Of course, as soon as this idea came up, Hua Yang cut it off and threw it out far away.

Chao Yun and Chao Yue came in to serve her. When Chao Yue made the bed, she inevitably noticed the two holes. Although she wondered how the two holes were made, she vaguely guessed that they were related to the princess and prince consort, so she sensibly didn’t ask.

After Hua Yang had breakfast, Wu Run came and reported: “Princess, His Majesty’s decree has arrived. Prince Xiang has done countless things to harm the people, the whole family is to be demoted as common people and sent to the frontier. The private property of Prince Mansion, except for the land and houses that have been seized from the people, must be returned to the common people, and the rest are all put into the national treasury. The imperial envoys and the Jinyiwei are raiding the mansion and arresting people at this time. It is said that the three streets in front and behind the Prince Xiang Mansion were crowded with people watching.”

Hua Yang: “What about the other officials?”

Wu Run had obviously inquired clearly and said: “The previous officials of Lingzhou who colluded with Prince Xiang will be punished. Among the current officials, Xiang Baoshan and Wang Feihu have done capital crimes. While Lin Yan has only embezzled a small amount of money and the land he occupied is not much, so he will only be taken away his hereditary official position and demoted to a small soldier. The emperor also promoted Lu Da to be the new commander of the Lingzhou Guard. The official position of Prince Consort remains unchanged, and other vacancies will be left to be determined later.”

Hua Yang nodded. She heard Chen Jingzong talked about these people in the military station. Xiang Baoshan appeared to be sanctimonious, but in fact he was greedy and ruthless. Many soldiers in the military station died because they were enslaved by them. It was Xiang Baoshan who hid it for Prince Xiang, and then coerce and induce the families of those soldiers. Wang Feihu was greedy and lustful. He had no merit whatsoever and deserved his death. Lin Yan had real abilities and he had also made contributions in suppressing bandits. The reason why he listened to Xiang Baoshan was because he particularly doted on Xiang Baoshan’s sister. He kept a cold eye on the evil deeds of Prince Xiang and others, but he himself had never done anything bad.

As for Chen Jingzong, he was a Prince Consort and would be transferred back to the capital next year. There was no need to be promoted in the local military station.

The raid on Prince Xiang Mansion lasted all day. After the common people saw the excitement, a wave of people knelt down outside Ningyuan, thanking the princess for getting rid of the local tyrant, and shouted Long Live the Princess.

When Chen Jingzong came back on horseback, he was blocked by these people and had to take a detour to the side gate.

Fu Gui listened to those voices and felt very proud: “Prince Consort, to the people of Lingzhou, our Princess is really like a Bodhisattva who has descended to earth!”

Chen Jingzong glanced at him sideways: “She’s a fairy, what do you mean Bodhisattvas?”

The Bodhisattva was a monk and should not be blasphemed. But a fairy was different, she could become a wife.

The Author has something to say:

Hua Yang: I am indeed a fairy. I know that men like you existed in the mortal world. Even if you beat me to death, I won’t come down to earth.

Old Four: It doesn’t matter. I can fly up after I become a ghost.

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TN: I’m sorry I didn’t upload yesterday, I have some personal stuff happened 😔