Chapter 78

 

After saying goodbye to her parents-in-law, Hua Yang returned to Siyi Hall.

After entering the inner room and looking at the time, she realized that including the time spent on the way back and forth, she had actually stayed in Chunhe Hall for more than an hour.

She took off her coat and lay down on her bed.

“Princess, what did you say to Cabinet Elder and Old Madam? Why do you look tired?” Chao Yun bent down and stood beside the bed, asking with concern.

Hua Yang shook her head and ordered: “I’ll sleep for a bit. You all retreat.”

Chao Yun had no choice but to obey the order, put down the gauze curtain, and retreated.

The surrounding area became quiet, and Hua Yang let out a long sigh of relief.

Chen Jingzong took the children out to have fun, and after lunch she began to think about how to persuade her father-in-law. Although she lay on the bed to rest, she actually didn’t sleep for a while.

She was a princess, and she could order her father-in-law to do things, but what she wanted from him was to truly realize that his blind strictness may be counterproductive.

If she spoke too harshly, her father-in-law might be angry. Scholars all valued integrity. If father-in-law felt that she was questioning his suitability to be the crown prince’s teacher, and hurt his face, her father-in-law might go to father emperor and mother empress to excuse himself and resign, making things bigger!

But if she spoke too lightly and only considered Dalang’s feeling, father-in-law would just think that she was too kind and would not take her seriously.

Fortunately, father-in-law still has a rebellious son like Chen Jingzong!

Chen Jingzong complained that he suffered harshly from her father-in-law when he was a child. How could her father-in-law not be angry at being contradicted and disobeyed by his son?

It wouldn’t matter much if father and son dislike each other, but if the chief minister of the cabinet and the crown prince of the East Palace also developed to this point, Hua Yang only needed to give a little warning, and her father-in-law would know the stakes. Even if the possibility of such hidden danger was very little, her father-in-law would definitely nip it in the bud. Unless he really didn’t care that after her brother ascended the throne in the future, he would oppose his good policies for governing the country because of this kind of rebellion.

Recalling her father-in-law’s expression during the chess game, Hua Yang knew that that kind of thought was useless. Her father-in-law really listened.

After relaxing her tense emotions and lying on the soft and comfortable bed, Hua Yang unconsciously fell asleep.

The red sun was gradually setting outside the window, and when smoke began to rise from the kitchens of various courtyards in the Chen Mansion, Chen Jingzong finally returned with the children.

“Fourth Uncle, next time you have a rest day, can you take us out again?”

When parting in the front yard, Sanlang said reluctantly.

Chen Jingzong: “Go ahead and dream, I’m just your uncle, not your father.”

Wan Yi and Dalang both laughed, while Erlang and Sanlang pouted their lips resentfully.

Chen Jingzong had been pestered by his nephew and niece all afternoon. He was already impatient and strode towards Siyi Hall.

Wan Yi thought for a while, then stopped her brothers who were also trying to sneak home, and said, “Grandpa must know that we are out. Let’s go and say hello first.”

Dalang, Erlang, and Sanlang suddenly became eggplants beaten by frost!

But you still have to go.

When the children came over, Chen Tingjian was walking in the yard with his hands clasped behind his back. This was ordered by Sun shi, saying that he had been sitting in the study for a long time and the dinner wouldn’t be served unless he walked around for half an hour first.

When he saw the four children, Chen Tingjian did not stop, but only looked at them one by one.

Dalang, Erlang, and Sanlang stood nervously in a row at the edge of the courtyard.

Wan Yi walked to the old man with a smile, and while walking with the old man, she said obediently: “Grandpa, Fourth Uncle instructed me to deceive you to teach us this morning. As a reward, Fourth Uncle took us out to play all afternoon. But we have already learned our mistake, so please don’t be angry Grandpa, and forgive us this time.”

Fourth Uncle was the least afraid of her grandfather, so Wan Yi pushed the fourth uncle out without any sense of guilt. Moreover, fourth uncle was the princess’s consort, so it was right for him to help take the blame.

Sun shi who sat at the door, watched this with a smile.

Chen Tingjian hummed and asked his granddaughter where she had been playing this past half day.

Wan Yi talked like a lark.

Chen Tingjian looked at his three grandsons again and said, “It’s fine to play around, but don’t forget the homework assigned by your teacher. Go back, it’s time to eat.”

Wan Yi was very surprised. She looked up at her grandfather and found that her grandfather had a peaceful expression, his long beard fluttered slightly in the evening breeze. Unexpectedly he looked amiable.

Sun shi smiled and said: “Go quickly, be careful your grandpa will regret it later.”

Wan Yi thought that her grandmother must have interceded for them in advance. Grandma loves them the most!

.

Siyi Hall.

Chen Jingzong never expected that when he went to the back yard after bathing and changing clothes, Hua Yang was still sleeping.

Before entering the inner room, he asked Chao Yun: “Is the Princess feel uncomfortable somewhere?”

Chao Yun shook her head: “Maybe she’s tired.”

Chen Jingzong: “Princess went out today?”

Chao Yun: “She just went to visit Cabinet Elder and Old Madam, and then take a rest after she came back.”

This was not a secret, so there was no harm in telling the prince consort.

Chen Jingzong nodded and went to the inner room.

The gauze curtain on the Babu bed was still hanging down, and the sky outside the window was already a little dark. There were no lights in the room, making it even darker inside the gauze curtain.

Chen Jingzong slowly came to the bedside.

Hua Yang lay on her side facing him, well covered with a thin quilt, with only one arm stretched out.

She probably just planned to take a nap. She still had her hair in a bun and wore her hairpin. Perhaps because she turned around several times while sleeping, her bun was crooked and her hairpin was messy.

Chen Jingzong sat down and helped her take off the jewelry.

After just picking two things, the person woke up.

Chen Jingzong’s hand was still hanging in the air.

Hua Yang looked at him and then at the sky behind him. Her eyes gradually turned from blank to clear. She changed from lying on her side to lying on her back, then asked with a bit of sleepiness: “When did you come back?”

She didn’t know how messy her hair was now. She had just woken up and hadn’t had time to think about her appearance.

But she didn’t need to care. The princess with celestial air and national beauty, not to mention just dishevelled hair, even if her face was smeared with mud, she would still beautiful.

Chen Jingzong had never seen her when she wasn’t beautiful, including her sullen face and cold eyes of disgust when they just got married, she was also very beautiful.

“I just came back. If you keep sleeping, I thought you were going to pretend to sleep all night and renege my account.”

Hua Yang:…

The remaining drowsiness was completely eliminated. Hua Yang sat up on the bed and then sat firmly. The bun on her head was completely falling down, strands of black hair were scattered, and a pearl hairpin fell to the side.

Hua Yang touched her hair and realized that she looked inelegant at this time. She lowered her eyes and said, “Go out and ask Chao Yun and the others to come in and help me comb my hair.”

In the past, although the hair was loosen out before going to bed, it was carefully combed to make it smooth and silky. But now it must be a mess.

Hua Yang didn’t want to give Chen Jingzong the chance to laugh at her.

Chen Jingzong stood up, walked a few steps away and took her white jade comb with phoenix pattern from the dressing table. He sat down on the bed again, looked at her and said, “It will get dark soon, and you will go to bed after dinner. Why are you still dressing up? It’s fine to just smooth it out casually.”

Just as Hua Yang was about to retort, Chen Jingzong suddenly smiled: “Or do you want to dress up specially for me?”

Hua Yang:…

She grabbed the comb and turned her back.

“Let me do it, you don’t have any strength in your arms.” Chen Jingzong snatched the comb back, held her shoulders, helped her take off all the jewelry, and then combed it down from the top of her head.

The princess who had always been pampered in the palace had a flawless skin that rivaled snow and a head of glossy black hair, soft and smooth to the touch, even better than the Shu brocade she cherished so much.

Hua Yang lowered her head slightly. She had always enjoyed the relaxation and comfort of having her hair combed, and Chen Jingzong was also very good at serving people.

“Did you go to see Father this afternoon?”

After combing for a while, Chen Jingzong suddenly asked.

Hua Yang: “Well, there were servants in the yard when we went to eavesdrop. Father will definitely know. Of course I have to explain it and persuade him not to be so strict.”

Chen Jingzong: “Is he willing to listen to you?”

Hua Yang smiled: “I have reason and evidence, and Father is convinced. Of course he will listen.”

Chen Jingzong was curious about her rationale. His mother had been persuading the old man since he was a child, but he didn’t see the old man change.

He even believed that the old man was just trying to fool her on the surface today and would still treat others harshly in the future.

Hua Yang: “It’s very simple. I just take your uncle and nephew as an example. If Father continues to teach my brother and Dalang strictly, my brother may become like you when he grows up, and Dalang may become like your Second Uncle. Father has been torment by you two, this uncle and nephew, for many years, how dare he teach and make another pair?”

Chen Jingzong:…

He turned Hua Yang around and said through gritted teeth: “I, this Prince Consort, is still very useful. Not only I can return the favors for you, but also serve as a negative example for you to admonish Cabinet Elder, isn’t it?”

Hua Yang had indeed taken advantage of him on those two things, so she was willing to give him some sweet thing. While stroking her long hair that was already combed through, she said with a smile: “When I mentioned you to Father, I asked him what he thought of your talent. Well, what do you think Father said?”

Chen Jingzong was not interested: “Let him say whatever he wants.”

Hua Yang just thought he was being tough: “Father said that compare to Eldest Brother and Third Brother, you can actually exceed them.”

Chen Jingzong was unmoved: “I am your Prince Consort, if he doesn’t praise me in front of you, wouldn’t you be embarrassed?”

Hua Yang paused, then showed a disappointed look: “I see, I thought you were really smarter than Eldest Brother and Third Brother, but it was just Father who was perfunctory with me.”

Chen Jingzong: “…I am originally smarter than them, but the old man doesn’t think so, he only flattered me in front of you.”

Hua Yang had already spent a long time thinking about it, but she didn’t want to get involved in the prejudice between father and son anymore, so she stretched her legs towards him: “Put on my shoes, I’m hungry.”

Chen Jingzong shook her ankle before doing so.

After washing her face and having dinner, Hua Yang regained her energy.

Before it got dark, she wanted to go for a walk in the Chen family’s garden and stretch her muscles. After all, she had just gotten up and if she went to bed right away, there was no way she could sleep.

Chen Jingzong sat on the chair without moving, beating his legs: “I have been walking all afternoon. I don’t want to walk again.”

Hua Yang was in high spirits and set off with Chao Yun and Chao Yue.

Chen Jingzong moved to the side room, lay on the couch and waited for her, closing his eyes to rest.

Hua Yang wandered outside for about three-quarters of an hour. The refreshing evening breeze completely blew away those distracting thoughts. When she walked back to Siyi Hall, she felt that her muscles and bones were relaxed and her body was as light as a swallow. She actually had the urge to ride a horse.

The comfort of her body was reflected on her face. When she stepped into the side room, her cheeks were rosy and her eyes were watery. At first glance she didn’t look sleepy.

It just so happened that Chen Jingzong was not sleepy either.

He closed the door of the side room and asked Hua Yang to wait here while he went inside to get the lotus bowl.

Hua Yang pursed her lips, and while he was away, she turned off all the copper lamps in the side room.

But Chen Jingzong actually took a lamp from the inner room and deliberately placed it on the ground.

The dim and soft halo of light casted from bottom to top, making Hua Yang’s waist and abdomen feel warm.

Until a slender and powerful hand came over and isolated the warmth of the light, but it was even hotter than the light.

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