Chapter 101 Part 1

She was the source of all his beautiful dreams.

He was aware of this, but still couldn’t help but lower his head slightly, staring at her sleeping in his arms. Her messy black hair, her feather-like dark eyebrows, her quietly drooping eyelashes, her exquisite nose, her plump earlobe peeking out from between her hair, and her lips that looked like a half-opened cherry blossom soaked in spring dew…

His eyes became darker and his Adam’s apple moved unconsciously.

Having known her for so long, this must be the first time he’s had the opportunity to boldly and thoroughly observe her features. Suddenly, he recalled a line: Add a fraction and it would be too much; take away a fraction and it would be too little.

If there truly existed such a flawless beauty in this world, it must be her. She seemed to have grown perfectly into the depths of his heart. Even if he were to gaze at her for a lifetime, he would never tire of it.

Lost in thought, his gaze unconsciously brushed past her chin and then froze. In the next moment, he felt his throat grow dry and parched, his neck’s veins throbbing with blood surging hotly, and he could hardly control himself.

Her front lapel was a little disheveled. From his angle, he could easily see a hint of her snow-white skin between the folds of her clothes.

She still leaned her forehead against him, eyes tightly shut, curling up against his chest in a deep slumber. He couldn’t tell if it was real or merely an illusion brought on by his fevered ears and hazy vision, but in a daze, he thought he caught sight of a faint blush spreading across her once jade-like, fair earlobes and the exposed cheek of her delicate face.

Pei Xiaoyuan snapped awake, realizing he could no longer indulge in such unchecked desire. Otherwise, he truly did not know what he might do. She was just the Li family princess he welcomed into Yongning Mansion, not his Pei family’s real bride. If she woke up and realized that he had been so disrespectful to her, he feared he would have no place to hide his shame.

He forcefully suppressed the surging heat within him and averted his gaze. Slowly, inch by inch, he moved away, taking care not to disturb her. Finally, he managed to put some distance between himself and that warm, soft body. Quietly, he slipped off the bed, not daring even to wear his boots for fear that the sound of their soles against the floor might wake her. Bending down, he picked up both boots, and barefoot, he hastily gathered his clothes in one hand and tiptoed out while holding his breath.

Xuyu got up to the sound of clear chirping of morning birds outside the window, opened the door and went out.

After the night rain, the wild slopes and the tangled forests outside the posthouse were filled with wet fog. The morning air was chilly and moist. Pei Xiaoyuan stood outside the inn door, as if appreciating the wild beauty of an autumn morning. Hearing a sound behind him, he turned his head. He saw her stepping out and walking toward him.

“Princess, you’re up?” With as smile in his eyes, he greeted her in a low voice. He looked neatly dressed and refreshed, just like he always was.

The postmaster had already prepared a carriage in response to Yang Zai’en’s order. In the early morning of this autumn day, accompanied with the sound of eight hundred morning drums announcing the opening of city gates, Xuyu quietly rode back to Yongning Mansion before the hustle and bustle of Chang’an began.

He shi had received the news from Yang Zai’en in advance, and had lit the stove in the bathing room of Ziming Courtyard. A large tub was prepared, filled with fragrant water infused with sandalwood, orchid, aloeswood, and borneol, ready to drive out the cold and warm up the body. Upon returning, Xuyu went straight into the room, undressed, and entered the bath. She then dismissed the two maids, Jiu’er and Luyu, who had accompanied her from the palace to assist in bathing. Alone, she soaked in the steaming, fragrant bathwater, eyes closed for a long time. Only when the water began to cool did she rise, dry her skin, and drape herself in a sleeping robe. Covering herself, she was about to step out when she passed by a tall mirror standing against the wall near the bathing room door. Her steps slowed, and she paused. In the end, she retraced a few steps and finally stopped in front of the mirror. Slowly, she loosened and opened her sleeping robe.

The fragrant mist condensed into an even and dense layer of water vapor on the mirror surface, and the body in the mirror was hazy, as if covered by clouds.

Xuyu stretched out her hand and rubbed the mirror back and forth a few times, and the image in the mirror emerged clearly.

By now, the sky was fully bright. The morning sun streamed over the walls and through a small hidden window in the corner of the bathing room, scattering softly to the tall mirror behind the door.

She stood quietly, and for the first time in her life, she examined the body in the morning light with the same critical eyes she used when analyzing a painting.

It looks like her chest was full and fair as freshly fallen snow, every curve and contour perfectly balanced in harmony.

…Anyway, at least it shouldn’t be considered ugly, right?

In fact, this morning, before he had fully woken up, she, who had always been a light and sensitive sleeper, woke up first because of the unconscious movements and unintentional touches of the person next to her.

Perhaps it was because the countryside around the posthouse was cold that night, while his body radiated a comforting warmth. When she woke up, she found that she had been lying in his arms since she cried herself to sleep, and had never left him. Then, in the haze, she noticed something strange with his body. For a moment, she was at a loss, too afraid to move for fear of waking him. By the time she fully came to her senses and attempted to quietly slip out of his arms, she realized he had already awakened.

In the past, she had no understanding of matters within the boudoir. Even now, the main purpose of this wedding was not to marry a man. The two people closest to her in the palace, the emperor and the old eunuch Zhao Zhongfang, were equally unsuited to address such personal matters. Thus, she had entered this marriage without ever considering such situations. Instinctively, however, she understood that if she had opened her eyes in that moment, it would probably be quite embarrassing for both of them. So, she chose to feign sleep, remaining still until he rose and left the bed.

Naturaly, the reason why she was looking at herself in the mirror at this moment could not possibly because he left quietly without hesitation this morning. It could not possibly be that, after her initial sigh of relief, a faint sense of inexplicable loss had crept into her heart, uncontrollably giving rise to doubts about herself. Absolutely not.

After a while, the lingering mist in the room, stirred by the warmth of the furnace, slowly condensed again onto the mirror she had just wiped clean. The delicate, beautiful figure in the mirror gradually blurred before her eyes once more.

“Princess?”

At this time, He shi‘s voice came from outside, obviously she was feeling uneasy because she had waited too long.

“Princess, do you need some hot water?”

He shi‘s voice was not loud, but it still startled Xuyu, her heart was pounding. She turned around abruptly, and tried to calm herself down. After hurriedly covered up her body, she opened the door, and walked out as if nothing had happened.

He shi led Zhu’er, Jiu’er, and Luyu to surround her and help her comb her hair, put on makeup, and change her clothes.

Before noon, she was to accompany Pei Xiaoyuan to pay a return visit to Prince Ning Mansion—a matter of great importance that could not be delayed. After finished getting ready, she walked out of the bedroom. Pei Xiaoyuan was waiting for her in the Qiushuang Pavilion, where she had been the morning after their wedding. He wore a black gauze hat, and a silver-blue brocade robe adorned with patterns of jeweled flowers. Around his slim waist was a golden, ten-plaque belt made of rhinoceros hide, and on his feet, he had replaced his old boots with a new pair of black deerskin riding boots.

Typically, his attire consisted of either his few sets of simple blue garments made of fine cloth or gauze, or his official robes. Rarely did he wear brocade clothes like he did today. The radiant sunlight shone on him from under the eaves of the pavilion, reflecting his handsome and calm facial features, making him look particularly elegant and noble.

Xuyu knew that it was He shi who dressed him up like this. In He shi‘s view, this was the first time that the prince consort accompanied the princess to the gate of Prince Ning Mansion after the wedding, so he couldn’t dress casually.

His arms were bent on a railing beside the pavilion pillar. He leaned slightly over the railing, twirling a horse whip in his hand, looking at a few fat carps swimming leisurely in the water under the pavilion. Though he appeared to be admiring the scenery, his expression was clearly one of indifference, his thoughts elsewhere. Suddenly he heard the princess’s maid called out to him “Prince Consort”. He turned his head to look and immediately straightened up, stepping down from the pavilion. He walked toward Xuyu, who was waiting for him on the stone path.

“Princess, please.” He said, his eyes shining and his face smiling, looking exactly the same as usual.

Xuyu was much the same, smiling and nodding before stepping forward without hesitation. She took the lead as they headed outside. As before, Pei Xiaoyuan followed half a step behind her, and the group made their way toward the main gate of the residence.

Qingtou was running in from the main gate at this moment, running along the passage to the hall where the princess and prince consort had performed their wedding rites on the night of their wedding. He stomped heavily as he ran, and after coming out again, he prepared to dash toward the side gate. He was already panting heavily from exhaustion, but his feet did not stop.

Zhu’er, who had come out earlier to wait nearby, watched this and burst into giggles. She called out, “What are you doing? I’ve seen you running around like this non-stop for the past two days! Don’t you feel dizzy, always going in circles? Take a rest already! The Princess and Prince Consort are about to come out!”

Qingtou finally stopped, hands on his hips, panting for breath. He solemnly explained, “You’re new here, so you wouldn’t know! It’s a custom in Chang’an. When the bride enters the household, the groom’s relative must exit through the side gate, then re-enter by following the same path the bride took. They must stomp along the way. The more they stomp during the first three days of the marriage, the more auspicious it is!”

It was the first time that Zhu’er heard of this. Seeing that he was sweating from running, she hurriedly fanned him with a handkerchief and asked curiously, “Brother Qingtou, what does it supposes to mean?”

“This is called ‘treading the bride’s path’, it means to block off the bride’s retreat and making her settle down in the future. When the Princess married into our family, the closest person to the groom is me, your brother Qingtou, right? Since today is the last day and I’m still home. I naturally have to stomp a few more circles to ensure that the Princess can live peacefully with Master for a long time in the future—”

At this moment, a cough suddenly came, interrupting his words. He looked up and saw that his master and the princess were gradually walking towards him accompanied by Yang Zai’en and a group of maids behind them. He Amu, who went to escorted the princess out of the mansion, walked quickly and looked at him with a slightly unhappy look on her face. He slapped his mouth, and then stole a glance at his master, trying to gauge his expression. His master face was as impassive as ever, so it was impossible to tell if he was annoyed. However, things were different now. He had been promoted to the sixth manager of the Prince Consort Mansion, a position personally appointed by the princess. He was responsible for the horses and carriages for the princess and his master’s travel, as well as the training of falcons, dogs and other animal in the west courtyard of the mansion. He had a team of about ten underlings, including stewards, falconers, and dog trainers, all of whom reported to him. Even if his master was angry with him at this moment, Qingtou was not afraid, as long as the princess was not angry with him. The princess, as always, was smiling warmly and in good spirits. He bowed respectfully.

“The Princess’ carriage is ready. Master’s horse is also at the gate!” After reporting, he hurried out to call people to prepare to set off.

Prince Ning Mansion was the first family to receive the newlyweds after the princess’ wedding, and the whole family regarded it as a great honor and attached great importance to it. In the morning, everything was prepared, just waiting for the two to arrive. After the carriage stopped outside the gate, Li Hui, along with his uncle, cousins, and other officials of the prince mansion, greeted them outside the gate, and Prince Ning personally received them at the second gate. Li Hui’s mother, Lady Xue, who rarely received guests on weekdays, also wore new clothes today, and led her daughter Li Wanwan and other female relatives in the mansion, waiting in front of the hanging flower gate with a smile on their faces.

The princess and her consort were welcomed into the hall. After a round of greetings, they sat down according to their positions. After congratulating the newlyweds, Lady Xue apologized and said with a smile, “The Princess and Prince Consort’s wedding is such a joyous occasion. Though I’m usually clumsy with words, I had hoped to join Aunt and the others to personally extend my congratulations and add to the festivities. However, due to my status, I dared not overstep. Today, I’m finally able to see the two of you together, fulfilling my wish.” After that, she ordered someone to deliver the gifts she had prepared, a hand-embroidered women’s shawl and a treasure saddle inlaid with turquoise. The newlyweds accepted the gifts and expressed their gratitude.

After some light-hearted conversation, the banquet at Prince Ning Mansion residence began, arranged in two locations. Prince Ning hosted Pei Xiaoyuan and the male family members and officials of the mansion in the East Hall, while Lady Xue and others accompanied the princess for entertainment in the West Flower Hall.

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