Title : 守寡后我重生了
Author : 笑佳人 (Xiao Jia Ren)
Description
Before becoming a widow, Hua Yang disliked almost everything about her husband. She disliked his sullen face every day, disliked him for lying on the bed full of sweat, and even disliked his lack of restraint at certain moments.
But when he really died and she became a widow, Hua Yang actually began to miss his good qualities one by one, such as his figure walking steadily in the heavy rain carrying her on his back, such as his blazing hot chest in the cold winter.
Once reborn, Hua Yang decided to be nice to him.
Chapter 1
The sky in early autumn was deep blue, and the breeze was blowing the white tulle hanging in the waterside pavilion.
Inside the tulle, two beauties in brocade clothes sat lazily behind a long table with fruits and tea, surrounded by maids, serving them attentively.
Outside of the tulle, two strong guards fighting each other with their chests exposed.
Sweat beads rolled down their handsome and upright faces, dripping on their muscular bodies.
During the stalemate, one person broke free and grabbed the opponent's narrow waist.
The waist and abdomen were contracted, as vulnerable as blades of grass.
The eyes were on fire, sending out a beast-like panting.
The surrounding air seemed to be getting hotter and hotter.
Hua Yang gently shook her round fan, the shadow of the fan covered her eyes that seemed to have little interest but were actually obsessively admiring.
In fact, she used to hate fighting, and men's stinky sweat would only make her disgusted and sick.
But at this moment, she actually felt that the scene in front of her was so full of vitality that her mind pictured galloping horses, fighting tigers and leopards… and her late husband Chen Jingzong.
Chen Jingzong was tall and strong. It was said that he had been practicing martial arts since he was six or seven years old.
His father was a master of politics and was a Cabinet Elder in two dynasties. His brothers also Zhuangyuan and Tanhua respectively, but Chen Jingzong resolutely entered the martial arts path.
He had a cool and handsome face, and it was because of this face that Hua Yang agreed to the marriage confer by her father emperor and mother empress.
Who would have thought that to really get along day and night and become a husband and wife, just a face was not enough. Chen Jingzong's words and actions were almost always challenging her bottom line of patience.
He liked to drink at the dinner table and his mouth needed to be rinsed repeatedly before the smell was gone. However, Chen Jingzong was a rough man and didn't care much, so when the couple share the bed, she could always smell the alcohol from Chen Jingzong's side.
Chen Jingzong was proud of his martial arts skills. He had developed a muscular body that was stronger than any sweaty horse she had ever seen. No matter who saw him for the first time, they would always praise him as "heroic".
But military attachés love to sweat, and every time Chen Jingzong came back from duty, he would bring back the smell of sweat.
If he was a fastidious person and the smell didn't reach Hua Yang it would be fine, but Chen Jingzong was not fastidious. He either forgot to wash his hair or simply didn't even take a bath, and just casually lay down on her fragrant bed, which made Hua Yang feel disgust that his rough skin and thick meat ruined her bed of fine silk.
Father-in-law and brothers calmly reasoned with him, but he spoke coldly, making the atmosphere in the whole family stiff, and she was also embarrassed.
Because of these trivial things that happened every day, Hua Yang became more and more displeased with Chen Jingzong.
Chen Jingzong also knew it in his heart, and he had his own pride, so the number of times he came to spend the night with her became less and less.
That was exactly what Hua Yang wanted. In addition to being disgusted with his lack of refinement, she also couldn't stand Chen Jingzong's brute strength. Every time he came to spend the night, Hua Yang would scream at the top of her lungs.
They were married for four years, and she disliked him for four years.
Until Chen Jingzong died on the battlefield.
Until the burly man who always came home covered in sweat went into his eternal sleep and never appeared in front of her again.
People always remember the deceased fondly. After Chen Jingzong died, Hua Yang no longer care about his bad things, and gradually only his good things remained in her mind.
For example, the figure of him walking steadily in the rainstorm while carrying her on his back.
For example, his chest that was as hot as fire on a cold winter day.
"Why, Pan Pan was stunned?"
Hearing the teasing and smiling voice, Hua Yang came back from her memories and realized that the two guards had finished the competition and were kneeling outside waiting for the reward.
Hua Yang was not willing to let her unorthodox aunt laugh at her. She pouted slightly and dissatisfiedly said, "I just thought their skills were mediocre and not worth mentioning, so I thought of something else."
Eldest Princess Anle winked at the maids.
A maid went to reward the two guards and told them to retreat.
After the men left, Princess Anle teased Hua Yang and said, "They are one of the best guards in my mansion, and they only get an average rating from you. However, Pan Pan once had such a brave and capable Prince Consort. It's normal to have high vision."
Hua Yang still looked laid back and lazy, as if she no longer cared about outsiders mentioning her late husband.
Princess Anle clicked her tongue: "Oh my, have our Pan Pan really become so indifferent?"
Hua Yang: "He's been dead for three years, what's the point of remembering him."
Princess Anle: "When a man's wife dies, some men marry new ones within three months. You are the elder sister of the current Holy Emperor. Since you have no affection for Chen Jingzong, do you still want to imitate that chaste and martyr woman and win a memorial arch for yourself?"
Hua Yang: "I don't need a memorial arch, but why do I have to find another Prince Consort? If the new Prince Consort is also a sweaty and careless man, wouldn't I be causing trouble for myself?"
Princess Anle said with a smile: "I agree with this. Auntie just can't stand you sleeping alone every night for all these years. Why don't you learn from Auntie and raise some handsome companion in the house, either as jade gentlemen or as heroic warriors. Invite them before going to bed and send them away after you wake up, how happy it would be."
Hua Yang:…
She knew that her aunt, an unorthodox person, was going around and around trying to lure her into that unorthodox path.
Hua Yang cared about her face, she didn't want the reputation as a profligate person that raise handsome companion to spread.
If she had this hobby, that's fine. The majestic princess could do whatever she like, regardless of what others think. The problem was, Hua Yang had no interest in raising a handsome companion.
Just because she had already met three types of the most outstanding men in the world.
One type was a general like Chen Jingzong, whose martial arts skills were unparalleled in the world, but the unparalleled heroes in the story books were nothing more than that.
A peerless hero also has to eat and live a life, and a peerless hero also has things that make people dislike them.
The other type was the literati like father-in-law and brother-in-law, who were gentle and elegant.
But they were not as perfect as they seemed. She had seen her father-in-law hide behind her mother-in-law after being frightened by a snake, and she had seen her husband's brothers fall down in embarrassment in the wind and rain.
The last type was the emperor like her father, the most noble person in the world.
But so what if you are noble? Her virtuous and benevolent father seemed to be a wise monarch, but in fact he was a lustful person and ended up dying on a woman's body.
The highest thing that men in the world want was to ascend the throne and become an emperor, or become a prime minister and become aristocrats. Some people just dream about it, while some people work hard for it throughout their lives.
But Hua Yang had seen all three types of the best men. Sometimes she admired them, and sometimes she felt that they were nothing more than that.
Therefore, what other men could enter her eyes and make her willing to sleep with them?
Her aunt was not particular and only wanted to have fun in bed.
Hua Yang was very particular, and the men who couldn't even enter her eyes had no right to get close to her body or get into her bed.
The aunt and niece were still joking about the "handsome companion", when the steward from the front of the mansion hurried over, looked at Hua Yang worriedly, lowered his head and reported: "Eldest Princess, Grand Princess, the Chen Mansion just sent someone to say, say Lord Chief Minister… has died of illness."
With a "dang" sound, the fan in Hua Yang's hand fell to the ground, and the jade pendant hanging on the umbrella handle broke into two halves.
Chief Minister Chen, Chen Jingzong's father, was also her father-in-law.
.
If Hua Yang admired anyone most in her life, that person must be her father-in-law, Chen Tingjian.
Her father-in-law was extremely talented. He passed the provincial imperial examination at the age of sixteen, became the Zhuangyuan at the age of nineteen, and became a Cabinet Elder at the age of forty.
When Hua Yang married into the Chen family, the previous Chief Minister was old and sick, and everyone thought that her father-in-law was going to take over the cabinet.
At this critical juncture, the father-in-law's old mother passed away. According to the regulations, father-in-law should stay home and mourn for three years.
The majestic Princess Hua Yang had to follow her husband's family to live a poor life in their hometown thousands of miles away. She was almost suffocated to death. But her father-in-law left the capital in an indifferent and calm manner, seemingly had no regrets being about to reach the top but had no choice but to give up.
After the mourning finished, her father-in-law returned to the capital with the whole family.
This time, he was promoted to the position of Chief Minister without any suspense, and he devoted his whole life to the imperial court from then on.
When her father emperor died and the Prince Yu rebelled, it was her father-in-law who planned the strategy to stabilize the court internally and suppress the rebellion outside.
Because of this respect, even if Chen Jingzong died, even if she moved back to her princess mansion, Hua Yang would still retain her identity as the daughter-in-law of Chen family, and she would still call "father" respectfully when she saw the chief minister.
Her father-in-law was the pillar of the country, and he should leave his name in history!
Therefore, Hua Yang never thought that after his father-in-law's death, a wave of courtiers would come forward to list his crimes.
She never expected that her younger brother, who always respected her father-in-law, would actually order to raid the Chen family.
The eldest brother Chen Bozong was wrongly imprisoned and tortured to death.
Her mother-in-law could not bear the heavy blow and passed away.
The rest of the Chen family were all punished and sent to the frontier.
.
In the twelfth lunar month of winter, heavy snow fell.
Hua Yang still couldn't hold it back, she left the capital with a small escort and stopped on the path that everyone in the Chen family must pass through.
She stood on the roadside. The maid was afraid that she would be cold, so she put a thick fox fur cloak on her and stuffed a warm small copper stove into her hands.
Soon Hua Yang saw those relatives who had sat in the same room with her, chatting and laughing, were walking towards her in thin white prison uniforms, with their hands and feet shackled.
The eldest brother, the Zhuangyuan, was no longer there. The third brother, the Tanhua, who was once full of smiles and charms, now looked haggard and lifeless. When he saw her, he didn't seem to see her.
The sisters-in-laws burst into tears, not for themselves, but only asking her to intercede on behalf of the children.
Hua Yang and Chen Jingzong were married for four years, and spent more than half of it in mourning at the old house. After that, they have no children due to less meetings and more separations.
But she had three nephews and two nieces in the Chen family.
Now they walked past her with numb expressions or with tears streaming down their faces.
Hua Yang just stood in the wind and snow, watching the familiar brother and sisters-in-laws, innocent nephews and nieces walk further and further away until they disappeared.
"The snow is too heavy, we should go back."
The maid's eyes were red as she helped her towards the carriage.
Hua Yang looked towards the middle of the official road.
The white snow and messy footprints were probably the last traces of the Chen family left in the capital.
However, the footprints that stretched all the way were quickly covered by falling snowflakes.
But she still saw those familiar faces.
"You take care of yourself. I'm leaving."
It was the day Chen Jingzong left for the expedition. The dawn was dim, he stood at the bedside and said goodbye to her.
"The Old Four is a rough guy. If he wronged Princess in any way, this minister will definitely punish him."
It was her father-in-law's resolute voice on the day she served tea after marriage.
"This courtyard is newly expanded, and the tables, chairs, beds and cabinets are also new. If Princess is not satisfied with anything, I will ask someone to replace it."
She had just moved into the old house, and her mother-in-law accompanied her to see the courtyard first, lest she wouldn't get used to it.
"If what I said is unpleasant to hear, Princess please don't get angry at the fourth brother."
"Princess, be careful, this goose can bite!"
"This is newly picked peach blossom. Does Fourth Aunt like it?"
…
Hua Yang closed her eyes.
It shouldn't be like this.
The ending of the Chen family shouldn't be like this!
Chapter 2
Lingzhou, Shiqiao Town, Chen house.
The night was deep and cold, and Chen Jingzong suddenly opened his eyes.
In the Babu bed where even needle falling could be heard, there were indeed thin and weak sobs coming from the bed.
Chen Jingzong frowned irritably.
He admitted that it was wrong for a noble princess to follow them all the way to their hometown for mourning. Even he, a rough martial artist, felt he wronged her. But she had begun putting on a face from the day they left the capital, and she had been sulking for more than two months now. After struggling for so long, no matter how squeamish you are, you should admit it, but why are you so aggrieved that you cry secretly in the middle of the night?
Chen Jingzong couldn't understand.
When the emperor conferred the marriage, the Chen family didn't hide anything from her. She had seen him with her own eyes.
When they went home to mourn this time, the old man suggested that she stay in the capital, he didn't what she thought, she took the initiative to follow them.
Coming by herself, feeling wronged by herself…
Chen Jingzong sat up.
She was a princess, and everyone in the Chen family wanted to care for her. Before returning, her mother wrote a letter to the second aunt to let her prepare a luxurious and expensive Babu bed for her on this side in advance.
(This is babu bed, it looks like a small room)
Inside the Babu frame was a canopy bed, which was spacious enough for four adults to lie down comfortably.
The outer part of the bed was the ground level which was quite wide, with her small dressing table at one end and two golden nanmu boxes on the other, containing the gold and silver jewelry she had brought with her.
Logically speaking, he as the prince consort could enjoy this bed with her.
But she didn't want to see him. It had been twenty days since they came here, and Chen Jingzong actually spent most of the time sleeping on the ground level.
Fortunately, it was almost summer, and he was strong and not afraid of the cold.
"Why are you crying?"
The room was also dark, and Chen Jingzong couldn't see her face clearly, only a vague outline.
She didn't respond, either because she was too lazy to pay attention to him or because she deliberately wanted him to listen to her cry.
The cry was delicate and weak, hitting his heart again and again.
Like the gentle water waves on the lake on a calm day, the dark roots of the old trees on the shore were washed away in circles.
Chen Jingzong couldn't help remembered how beautiful she was when they were intimate in the past.
Her temperament was really not cute at all, but at that time it drove him crazy with affection.
Sighing, Chen Jingzong walked out of the Babu bed, found the place where the fire matches was set, and lit a lamp.
The lights were flickering and dim, and not even the darkness by the window could be dispelled.
There was a basin of water on the washstand. Chen Jingzong was about to wet the towel directly with cold water, but remembered her delicateness, he picked up the warm copper pot and poured half a pot of hot water into the cold water.
When it was ready, Chen Jingzong entered the bed again with a lamp in one hand and a towel that had been twisted so it was no longer dripping in the other.
The Babu bed was like a small room, with soft lighting trapped inside.
Chen Jingzong put down the lamp and turned to look at bed.
He thought he would see a beautiful face full of resentment, but he was surprised to find that she was still asleep. Her crying had subsided, and there was a teardrop that had not yet rolled down on her fair and delicate face.
So, she just had a dream that made her sad?
After standing silently for a while, making sure that she was still sleeping soundly again, Chen Jingzong looked at the towel in his hand. Not wanting to work in vain, he quietly sat by the bed and leaned over to help her wipe away the tears.
No one knew better than him how tender her fairy-like skin was, so Chen Jingzong subconsciously moved lightly.
Hua Yang felt that someone was touching her, but her head was dizzy and she had no strength in her body.
She knew she was sick.
The day after everyone in the Chen family was escorted out of the capital, she fell ill.
The imperial doctor said she contracted the cold from going out on a snowy day, but Hua Yang knew that she was sick in the heart.
She wanted to save the Chen family. Hua Yang had been to the palace as early as when she heard that her brother was going to raid the Chen family.
And the result?
Her younger brother, who had just grown up and had hardened wings, actually said coldly that this was a state matter and told her not to interfere.
Hua Yang went to seek help from her mother, who, like her, had a problem with her younger brother.
The two blood relatives' pleas for mercy were in vain, and those ministers who intended to help the Chen family were directly punished by her younger brother.
The remains of her parents-in-law and eldest brother had not yet cold, and the bodies of the sisters-in-law and nephews were weak. How could they endure the hardship of being exiled?
Thinking of this, tears fell from the corners of Hua Yang's eyes again.
In terms of feelings, Hua Yang didn't have much connection with them. She just felt that they were innocent and couldn't bear it in her heart.
Chen Jingzong looked at her moist and dense eyelashes and forgot to move.
In fact, except for now, he had never seen her cry before.
No matter what grievances she suffered in the Chen family, all she showed towards him was arrogance and disgust, as if looking at him one more time would make her eyes dirty.
Crying is more or less a sign of weakness. As arrogant as she was, she only seized other people's shortcomings and made sarcastic remarks. How could she show weakness to others?
Seeing the tears flowing continuously and unable to be wiped away, Chen Jingzong tried to call: "Princess?"
After calling three times, the sleeping beauty finally woke up and looked at him with tearful eyes.
No matter how hard Chen Jingzong's heart was, it softened a little, and he asked in a low voice: "What did you dream about?"
Hua Yang stared blankly at the person in front of her.
Even though they had been separated for three years, of course she still recognized her husband.
He was wearing a white middle coat. Maybe all dead people wear this in the underworld?
When he was alive, he always had a stern face, as if everyone owed him money, but at this time he looked much gentler.
After all, he was a person who had died once. No matter how strong his anger was, it must have dissipated.
They were a couple who once only looked at each other with resentment, but now Hua Yang actually found that feeling of dependence in him.
She had relied on her father, but her father was busy having fun with his concubines.
She had relied on her mother, but her mother was more concerned about whether her younger brother could securely sit in the East Palace and the Dragon Throne, full of worries and troubled.
From the moment she got married, as a married woman, she was expected to be grown up, and even acting coquettishly towards her mother became insensible.
Hua Yang didn't like this at all. She wanted to continue to be the carefree little princess, pampered and cherished by her father emperor and mother empress.
If Chen Jingzong was still alive, Hua Yang would not show this side of her in front of him, but he was dead and might leave at dawn, so why she still care?
She threw herself into Chen Jingzong's arms, pressed her face against his chest, and wrapped her hands tightly around his waist.
Chen Jingzong's whole body froze.
No woman had ever hugged him like this. In the past six months after their marriage, apart from putting on face, the most she did was push him away.
Hot tears wetted the thin shirt, and the chest felt cold.
Chen Jingzong suppressed the weirdness for the time being, hugged her and gently touched her head: "What on earth were you dreaming?"
Hua Yang responded absently: "I didn't dream."
Chen Jingzong: "Then why are you crying?"
Hua Yang was startled, then slowly raised her head, looked at him and asked, "You don't know?"
Chen Jingzong looked confused: "Know what?"
Hua Yang looked at his confuse but calm eyes and felt sad.
Although he always quarreled with father-in-law, but the father and son were in the same boat. While he treated other family members coldly and indifferently, but they were close relative of his own flesh and blood. If she tell him the great changes in the Chen family, how sad and angry he would be?
After being a peaceful ghost for so many years, why let him suffer in vain again?
Hua Yang shook her head, hugged him tightly again, and changed the subject: "Why are you here?"
Because seeing someone that was impossible to see, Hua Yang thought she was still dreaming.
Chen Jingzong was confused and was about to ask clearly, but she suddenly raised her hand and touched his face with a slight trembling.
Chen Jingzong took a deep breath.
The Hua Yang in his eyes had messy black hair, with tears like hanging dew on white-petaled peonies, and eyes brimmed with water. His desire to speak was gone.
Chen Jingzong vaguely saw a trace of affection, as precious and rare as the last drop of nectar from Guanyin Bodhisattva's Jade Pure Bottle that had tilted for a long time.
A fire suddenly burst in his heart.
Reason told him that he shouldn't have such thoughts, but he was just a young and vigorous man who had to mourn after only three months of marriage.
The body that had been vegetarian for so long had its own reaction.
His arm hugged her waist and forced her towards him, then Chen Jingzong lowered his head.
As soon as he came closer, Hua Yang's body went limp.
Some things could only be understood by tasting the essence, not to mention that she had been a widow for three years.
For many long nights, Hua Yang, who had difficulty sleeping from loneliness, would be immersed in the memories of Chen Jingzong.
Now that the couple had reunited, Hua Yang just wishes she could keep him for a long time.
She was like a delicate vine, trying its best to wrap around him. No matter how he galloped on the battlefield, she would never fall off.
She forgot everything until Chen Jingzong suddenly covered her mouth with his hand.
Hua Yang looked over in confusion.
Chen Jingzong's breath was heavy, and beads of sweat slid down his handsome and sharp face. His dark eyes were deep, burning with blazing fire.
"Don't make a sound, otherwise the old man will scold me again."
During the mourning period, it was forbidden to marry, eat meat or drink alcohol, and it was also forbidden for couples to have sex.
Somethings he dares to do then dare to take responsibility for it, but it was better that only the husband and wife know about such things.
Hua Yang looked at him blankly.
Old man?
Chen Jingzong would only call father-in-law "old man".
But they met in her dream. Why was Chen Jingzong afraid of father-in-law?
As soon as her doubts arose, the next moment she was smashed into pieces by Chen Jingzong.
The light shone from outside, casting the figures of the two people inside of bed.
Hua Yang was lying down, her shadow was not obvious, but Chen Jingzong looked like a galloping cheetah.
Hua Yang closed her eyes in shame.
But soon, she opened her eyes again and stared at the shadow belonging to Chen Jingzong in disbelief.
Ghosts also have shadows?
Can a ghost's body be as hot as fire?
And how can everything in the dream seems so real?
With more and more doubts, Hua Yang looked at the man above her again.
When their eyes met, Chen Jingzong let go of his hand, his handsome face quickly approached, and he roughly blocked her lips, chewing peony as he always did.
Hua Yang didn't like such a kiss, but he was as strong as an ox, and Hua Yang couldn't push him away, so she helplessly continued to observe her surroundings.
The bed curtain was white, not the bed in her princess mansion.
The middle coat that Chen Jingzong threw aside was also white, not the one she wore last night.
What the hell is going on?
Hua Yang was so confused but she didn't have time to think about it carefully. It wasn't until the sky outside the window turned bright that Chen Jingzong finally stopped.
He rolled up his middle coat into a ball and threw it outside, then he turned around and hugged Hua Yang, kissing the side of her neck with lingering emotions.
Hua Yang, who had been stiff for a long time, suddenly grabbed his arm and dug her nails deeply into it.
Chen Jingzong took a deep breath and was about to ask her why she hurt people. Then he remembered the good deeds he had done. He smiled lowly, hugged her and apologized: "It's just this time, I won't do it next time."
Hua Yang became more and more stiff and this time pinched herself, it hurt.
Both of them were in pain, could it still be a dream?
Chen Jingzong comforted her: "Don't worry, I've spent outside. I guarantee you won't get pregnant."
Hua Yang:…
She pushed away the sticky man, grabbed a thin quilt and wrapped it around her body, and got out of bed barefoot.
After getting out of the Babu bed, Hua Yang found that this was a rather sparsely furnished room, which seemed a bit familiar.
Coming to the window, Hua Yang gently opened the window.
A small yard appeared in front of her. In the flower bed under the window, there were a row of peonies in bud.
"Why don't you sleep more?"
Chen Jingzong's low and hoarse voice sounded behind her, and Hua Yang slowly turned around.
The first ray of morning light passed by her and fell on Chen Jingzong.
He only wore a pair of inner pants, revealing his strong chest, broad shoulders, and thin waist.
Having just a feast, he looked satiated. He stood nonchalantly within the halo, without any shame.
Hua Yang looked at him three times from head to toe and from toe to head, she didn't see any ghostly look.
The author have something to say:
Fourth master Chen: If ghosts are capable of this, you don't have to sleep alone every night.
Chapter 3
Chen Jingzong walked up to Hua Yang.
The height difference meant that Hua Yang's face was facing his chest, which was exuding waves of warmth.
Even though this toned body belonged to her husband, Hua Yang still couldn't watch it openly. Like the guards in her aunt's house, she had to hang up a layer of thin veil to see.
She looked away, still holding the thin quilt wrapped around her body in one hand.
The quilt was white and embroidered with delicate dark patterns of peonies. When she wrapped it casually, it still conveyed the coolness and refinement of a fairy descending to earth.
Only her cheeks were still red, and a strand of hair on her temples was wet with sweat, slightly curled against her cheeks.
Chen Jingzong thought that this was when she was at her most delicate and approachable, like an ordinary girl instead of an arrogant princess.
"Why did you run down? You're not afraid of the cold."
His gaze swept across her pair of delicate white feet, and Chen Jingzong suddenly bent down and hugged her into his arms.
The way husband and wife get along, Chen Jingzong had always acted based on her face. If she didn't want to see him, Chen Jingzong would never get close to her. If she showed a little bit of good face, Chen Jingzong would dare to push people to the bed. In short, he would not force her to have sex, but when he could take advantage, Chen Jingzong wouldn't hold it in.
He was a mortal, not a monk.
Before falling asleep last night, she was angry because she bumped into a small snake, so Chen Jingzong took the initiative to sleep on the bed floor.
At night, she took the initiative to hug him, touched his face, and cooperated obediently. Chen Jingzong, who felt comfortable physically and mentally, was not willing to let the person next to his pillow catch a cold.
Hua Yang was in turmoil, sensing that Chen Jingzong was about to hug her back, she struggled slightly, supported his chest with one hand, and pointed out the window with the other: "It's dawn."
Chen Jingzong turned his head, his handsome face completely illuminated by the sunlight.
Misunderstood what she meant, Chen Jingzong chuckled and said, "I just carried you back, not come at you again."
Hua Yang tried not to be distracted by him and looked at him inquiringly: "Aren't you afraid?"
Chen Jingzong: "Afraid of what?"
Hua Yang was about to reveal his "ghost" identity when a sneeze suddenly came from the garden. Hua Yang looked over and saw the little maid Zhen'er standing outside the kitchen nervously covering her mouth. The senior maid Chao Yue, who had her back to her, it seemed that she was teaching Zhen'er a lesson.
Before they noticed this side, Hua Yang quickly raised her right leg and pressed her toes against the window to avoid exposing the indecent scene between herself and Chen Jingzong.
The fair and slender calves flashed before his eyes, and Chen Jingzong's eyes darkened again.
It's a pity that he really can't do anything more.
Putting her on the Babu bed, he noticed the small movement of her quickly retracting her feet into the quilt, as if she didn't want him to see it anymore. Chen Jingzong smiled and asked, "Should I help you change, or should I call the maids to come in?"
Hua Yang looked at him steadily: "If the maids come in, will you leave?"
Chen Jingzong looked strange: "You want me to stay?"
He used to go out because he didn't want to see her cold face.
Hua Yang was about to nod when she suddenly remembered the dirty clothes he had thrown to the ground.
"Stay, but don't let the maids see. Also, take your clothes away."
She was bold, but the maids must be afraid of ghosts.
Chen Jingzong just thought that she was too embarrassed to let the maids guess the intimacy last night, so he agreed without thinking.
After there was no trace of him in her field of vision, Hua Yang put on the middle coat scattered beside the bed, pretended to have just woken up, and shook the golden bell that she always placed next to her pillow.
Chao Yun, who was in charge of the night watch, walked in and raised the gauze curtain.
Hua Yang noticed that she was dressed extraordinarily plainly, in a green top and green skirt, with only a wooden hairpin in her hair.
Hua Yang loved beauty so much and never allowed her makeup to have any flaws. She also had high requirements for the maids around her. Like Chao Yun and Chao Yue, their daily dressing was no different from ladies from wealthy family.
She looked at Chao Yun steadily. In her memory, Chao Yun seemed to have dressed like this once, and it was when…
"Princess, where's Prince Consort?"
Chao Yun glanced in the direction of the clean room and asked warily.
The prince consort was a big and rough man, and the princess was very particular. She had always disliked the prince consort for rushing to use the clean room before her.
Hua Yang looked at her in astonishment: "Prince Consort?"
Chao Yun lowered her voice: "Yes, I was outside all the time and didn't see Prince Consort go out."
Hua Yang only felt a "buzz" in her head, and all her doubts were finally answered at this moment.
Chen Jingzong's warm body, the familiar simple house, the simple dress of the maid…
It turned out that it wasn't Chen Jingzong's ghost who came back to see her, but she was the one who go back to a few years ago!
Chao Yun thought that the princess was shocked that "prince consort had robbed the clean room", her mind turned and deliberately shouted to the other side of the clean room: "Prince Consort, come out quickly. Princess has something to ask you!"
Chen Jingzong did not doubt that her, but before coming out, he put the middle coat stained with "evidence" into the bucket provided in the clean room, rubbed it a few times and then wrung it dry.
When he finally came out, Hua Yang's master and servant all turned their attention to him.
Chen Jingzong was still bare-chested, holding a middle coat twisted into a twine in his hand.
The master and servant both lowered their eyes.
Chen Jingzong glanced at Hua Yang a few more times, then went to the closet to find a middle coat and quickly put it on.
"Why do you call me?"
Walking outside Babu bed, Chen Jingzong asked suspiciously. She had clearly told him to hide well just a moment ago.
Chao Yun secretly made a look at her master.
Hua Yang paused and said, "I want to take a bath, you go out first."
Chen Jingzong:…
Why does it feel like she turn her face as soon as she gets out of bed?
But he left obediently.
The couple lived in Siyi Hall.
Although it was only one-entrance courtyard, it was the largest courtyard in the entire Chen House, built specifically for her.
The eldest brother and the third brother lived in front of them respectively, and theirs were also one-entrance courtyard with the east and west wing, but theirs didn't have the ear room or small kitchen, they had to send their maids to collect water and daily meals from the main house. And the so-called main house was just a small house with three entrances, not as good as the big house given to the Chen family in the capital.
The wing rooms on the brother and sister-in-law's side were all occupied by the children. On their side, the west wing was converted into a study and a warehouse by the princess, and the east wing…
Chen Jingzong twitched his lips.
She disliked him, and as soon as she moved into the old house, she said that since the husband and wife was going to mourn, in order to avoid suspicion, it was better for him to live in the wing room.
Therefore, Chen Jingzong slept alone in the wing room on the first night.
The next day she found a big black slippery insect and was so frightened that her face turned pale. Because Chao Yun and Chao Yue were also afraid, she called him back again.
But it was only at night. During the day, the couple basically stayed in separate rooms, and most of his clothes and belongings were placed in the east wing.
Instead of calling the maids she brought, Chen Jingzong went to the water room to fetch a bucket of water by himself.
After rinsing his mouth and face, Chen Jingzong squatted on the ground and washed his middle coat again with bath beans to completely remove the smell of his emission.
When he went out to dry his clothes, he found Zhen'er and Zhu'er struggling to carry hot water to the upper room.
The courtyard was small, and Hua Yang didn't like servants from the Chen family coming to her territory, so there were only four maids in Siyi Hall: Chao Yun, Chao Yue, Zhen'er, and Zhu'er.
In fact, it was enough, but the four maids have to do more menial work than when they were in the capital.
After hanging up his clothes, Chen Jingzong turned around and saw smoke coming out of the chimney in the small kitchen.
Chen Jingzong thought about last night again.
He never blamed her for complaining, the journey from the capital was too much for a grown man like him. The delicate princess couldn't eat well or sleep well, so she lost a lot of weight.
With great difficulty they reached here, but because they were in mourning, they couldn't eat meat. Only drank porridge and vegetables every day, how could people have good mood. When could she get the meat back?
For her sake and for his own sake, Chen Jingzong couldn't just sit idly by.
While it was still early, Chen Jingzong walked around to the side of west wing, climbed up the wall skillfully, and jumped down.
Shiqiao Town was surrounded by mountains and rivers. Coincidentally, Chen House was located in the northwest corner of the town. Half a mile back was a creek. Cross the creek and walk half a mile further, there was a low but continuous mountain.
.
After the warm water was mixed, Hua Yang went to take a bath first, deliberately not letting the maid follow her to serve.
Last night Chen Jingzong looked like a very hungry wolf, but she was stupid and thought he was a ghost who had been homeless for three years and finally came back to see her, so she didn't want to scold him.
The two circles of red marks on her wrist were caused by his pinching.
On her body…
Hua Yang didn't even want to look.
After took a bath, Hua Yang put on her clothes and called Chao Yun to come in and wipe her hair.
She was leaning on the recliner with her eyes closed, her face was flushed, really good-looking.
Chao Yun thought of the noise she heard last night. The prince consort was so strong that he could shake such a heavy bed.
It's just that the princess was trying to hide it, so naturally she had to pretend she doesn't know anything.
"How long have we lived here?"
Hua Yang asked casually.
Chao Yun did the math and said, "We arrived on the third day, today is the twenty-fifth. Only about twenty days have passed."
Hua Yang understood. This year was the 20th year of Jingshun, and it was the first year that she followed the Chen family to Lingzhou to mourn.
Why come back?
Hua Yang didn't know, but if she could really live again, she would be very happy.
Her father-in-law had made great contributions for the country and should not be slandered after his death. His wife, children and grandchildren should not end up like that.
Including her younger brother, he was obviously smart, sensible and cute when he was young, so why did he become a confuse ruler when he grew up? She must pull her brother back from the wrong path!
And Chen Jingzong.
Even though he was a stinky person, he was a general and hero who was loyal to the emperor and loved the people. Hua Yang would try her best to save his life.
After combing her hair, another senior maid, Chao Yue, also prepared breakfast.
Hua Yang glanced into the garden: "Where is Prince Consort?"
Chao Yue shook her head. She had been busy in the kitchen and didn't pay attention to the outside.
Chao Yun stayed by her master's side and also didn't know.
Zhen'er: "We saw Prince Consort when we were carrying water. He seemed to be going to dry clothes, but then he disappeared."
Hua Yang frowned.
Fortunately, she quickly remembered that in her previous life, Chen Jingzong was not very honest during mourning. He often climbed over the wall secretly to go hunting, and a few times he even brought roasted chicken and fish back for her. Hua Yang was tempted in her heart, but refused to let him laugh at her. She would rather not eat, but also insist on her dignity as a princess, and satirize him for his unfilial piety and disrespect towards his own grandmother.
Chen Jingzong didn't take it seriously. While sitting in front of her and eating meat, he scoffed: "Grandma loves me. She loved to watch me eat when I was little. The more I ate, the happier she got. Grandma's spirit is in heaven, if she sees me starving because of mourning, Grandma will be the first to feel sorry for me."
Hua Yang didn't want to listen to his crooked reasoning and drove the person out, leaving only the smell of roasted meat in the house.
"Princess, please eat first. If you wait any longer, the noodles will become sticky."
Chao Yue, who was in charge of the kitchen, advised softly.
Hua Yang nodded, picked up the chopsticks, and looked at the noodle bowl on the table.
Chao Yue made egg noodles with vegetables this morning. The vegetables were delivered from the main house. They were just picked from the Chen family's vegetable field early in the morning, so it was very fresh.
The noodles were smooth and shiny, and looked delicious.
Chao Yue was a good cook, but in her previous life Hua Yang was in a bad mood because of mourning and had no appetite for anything. When she returned to the capital, her face looked haggard and her body was thin, which made her mother cry and her younger brother was also very angry, believing that the Chen family had treated her harshly…
Hua Yang suddenly startled. Could it be that some of her brother's overwhelming resentment towards the Chen family was because of her?
It shouldn't be. She had never complained about anything to her brother. Whenever her brother asked how everyone in the Chen family, she would always praise them and hid all her dissatisfaction in her heart.
Forget it, she couldn't change her past life. This time, she wanted to avoid anything that might make her brother resent the Chen family.
With the Chen family's merits in the front and her efforts in the back, she didn't believe that her younger brother could still become a confuse monarch?
With change of mood, Hua Yang felt that this bowl of plain noodles was very fragrant. She ate all the noodles and drank half a bowl of soup.
Chao Yue looked on the side, wanting to cry with joy. The princess had a bad appetite in the past three months. She had been thinking of ways to make delicious food day and night, and she was so worried that she was almost gone bald!
Chao Yun also had red eyes. The Chen family's old house was shabby and simple. The princess was not happy living there. If she still couldn't eat, how would she survive the next two years?
Fortunately! Fortunately!
Chapter 4
After breakfast, Hua Yang strolled around the small courtyard of Siyi Hall.
This was really a small square courtyard, with all the rooms visible.
There was a locust tree planted in the middle of the yard that was obviously transplanted not long ago. The main trunk was as thick as a barrel. Half a person's height above the ground it branched out into three leg-thick secondary trunks, growing and winding in different directions. The crisscrossing branches were higher than the roof of the house, and the green leaves were layered on top of each other. In midsummer, under the tree was the coolest place in the entire yard.
Hua Yang raised her head, and the bright morning light filtered through the gaps in the leaves, causing her to squint her eyes slightly.
Chen Jingzong was clearly not here, but she seemed to see him standing by the tree, leaning against the trunk, holding a bunch of white flowers in his hand, while stuffing the petals into his mouth and chewing them, and asked her condescendingly: "This is locust flower. Princess, do you want to try?"
At that time, Hua Yang despised him. Seeing that he actually ate flower petals raw, she felt that this man was extremely boorish and looked nothing like a son of the Chen family.
She ignored Chen Jingzong and turned back to the house.
Looking back now, Hua Yang was calmer. He died so tragically, so what if he caught pheasants and chew wild flowers while he was still alive?
The courtyard was like this. There were two simple small cross yards behind the east and west wing. The east wing its cross yard were specially used for washing and drying clothes, and the west wing was for her four maids to live.
Hua Yang walked to the Moon Gate in the east cross yard. She didn't intend to go in, just swept it causally and saw Chen Jingzong's wet middle coat.
She thought of what Zhen'er said that Chen Jingzong washed and dried this clothes himself.
Even though he was shameless, he didn't throw the clothes stained with that thing to her maid.
Hua Yang was about to walk away when her footsteps suddenly stopped.
Last night, Chen Jingzong, that "hungry ghost", ate her for at least half an hour.
That thing was like a tight-mouthed water bag. Although most of it was held inside, who could guarantee that he didn't spill any at all?
Her face changed slightly, and Hua Yang hurried back to the inner room.
She didn't call Chao Yun in, and closed the door. Hua Yang walked to the two small trunks placed in the Babu bed, squatted down, and opened one of them.
Inside were her commonly used jewelry, as well as a small cyan porcelain bottle with three bean-sized pills in it.
There were all kinds of rare and exotic treasures in the palace, including all kinds of miraculous elixirs.
Among the concubines in the harem, some hope to conceive dragon seeds, while others do not.
The former was easy to understand. If you conceive dragon seeds, even if it was just a princess, you would be stable for the rest of your life.
As for the group of people who didn't want to have children, there were many reasons. Either they didn't like the emperor and were so disgusted that they don't even want to conceive dragon seeds, or they have already given birth to enough dragons and were eager to sleep with the emperor to invite favor or to keep in shape. There was also the most daring kind, which were some unloved concubines who thought of some spring due to loneliness and took risks to hook up with some guards. This kind only wanted to seek pleasure so naturally must try every means to avoid pregnancy.
Over time, various kinds of Bizi drugs appeared among the women in the harem.
The bottle in Hua Yang's hand was prepared for her by her mother before she left the capital.
At that time, Hua Yang went to the palace to find her mother, complaining because she did not want to follow the Chen family to Lingzhou to mourn. She was indeed married to Chen Jingzong, but why did she have to go to mourn an old country woman she had never met before?
Hua Yang hoped that her Mother Empress would support her decision and approve her staying in the capital.
But Mother Empress told her a lot of principles, saying that as a princess, although she could enjoy a lot of imperial power, she must not deviate from "filial piety". Chen Jingzong's two sisters-in-law were coming to Lingzhou, but if she didn't come just because she was a princess, what will people think if word gets out?
There was another point that Mother Empress did not say, but Hua Yang knew in her heart that the mother empress admired father-in-law's talents very much and believed that father-in-law would be the next chief minister. Mother Empress wanted her to marry Chen Jingzong, so she had the intention to win over father-in-law.
Reputation and profit, when those two principles were laid down, Hua Yang had no choice but to relent.
Then Mother Empress gave her this bottle of Bizi elixir.
As an experienced person, Mother Empress told her that it was basically a fool's dream to expect a newly married man to leave his beloved wife alone and do nothing. If couldn't bear it anymore, it's okay for the young couple to hide in the house and sleep secretly once, but they must not give birth to a child. This bottle of bizi pill was the mildest in nature. Use it once every three months, which could ensure infertility, and it won't hurt the body at all.
Chen Jingzong was a grandson, he only had to mourn for one year. Three pills allowed him to occasionally indulge in forbidden pleasures, which was better than nothing.
Hua Yang asked angrily: "What if he wants to come a few more times?"
Mother Empress's face darkened and she said that if Chen Jingzong was gone too far, just let her show off her majesty as a princess. Husband and wife should be considerate to each other, rather than indulge in unprincipled connivance by one party.
Hua Yang finally felt comfortable after hearing this, knowing that although her mother focused on the overall situation, she still cared about her daughter.
.
The taste of bizi pill was slightly bitter. After taking it, Hua Yang drank half a bowl of water to dilute the remaining medicinal taste on her tongue.
It's unknown if it was because the medicine was taking effect or because she felt awkward in her heart, she always felt that her stomach was not very comfortable.
Hua Yang lay on her bed angrily.
She had never taken bizi pill in her previous life.
Mother Empress's statement might apply to most men, but Chen Jingzong was an exception.
He was a boorish man, and sometimes he was indeed shameless. Hua Yang was just joking with the maids, but when he saw her smiling face, he thought she was in a good mood, so he dared to press her down at night.
But during that time in Lingzhou, except for socializing in front of her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Hua Yang almost never smiled. Privately, she didn't even have a good face for Chen Jingzong, venting all the grievances she suffered in the Chen family's old house on Chen Jingzong.
Without good food and good sleep, Hua Yang was not in the mood to sleep with him. Chen Jingzong probably noticed this, and he honestly lay on the ground to block the snakes and insects that might crawl over for her every night. He never asked for sex once.
Hua Yang turned over.
She used to take all this for granted. She was the princess and Chen Jingzong was the prince consort. The prince consort should listen to the princess. It would be disrespectful to dare to offend her.
She was used to bossing him around and treated her close maids better than him.
But now that she thought about it, Chen Jingzong, a man who was obviously very greedy, could insist on not forcing her for such a long time, it was also a kind of gentleman's demeanor, right?
She had always regarded him as a boorish man, and all his actions were very vulgar. She even compared him time and time again to his eldest brother, the Zhuangyuan scholar, and Third Brother, the Tanhua scholar. The more she compared them, the more she looked down on him.
However, Chen Jingzong never lost his temper on her. The shamelessness in her eyes, was it not a kind of broad-mindedness?
Therefore, there were still many advantages to him, but in her previous life, she was completely immersed in her own situation and never noticed it.
Then, she should be nicer to him in this life.
.
When the sun was three poles high, Chao Yun and Chao Yue stood at the door of the hall, discussing in a low voice what to eat for the princess at noon.
Suddenly, there was a "plop" sound from the west wing room.
Chao Yun's face turned pale. In such remote town, could it be that a thief dared to come and commit crime?
Not to mention that the princess disliked the Chen family's old house, they also disliked it. The courtyard was small, the walls were low, and snakes and insects occasionally appeared, making people fearful every day!
Chao Yue had been cooking every day recently, and she had become stronger and more courageous. She asked Chao Yun to stay here and quickly ran to the kitchen to get the kitchen knife!
After she grabbed the kitchen knife and ran out, she saw the prince consort carrying a pheasant with bright feathers in one hand and a fat fish still dripping water in the other hand walking from the west wing. Under the eaves, Chao Yun was stunned.
Chao Yue was also dumbfounded.
Chen Jingzong looked at the kitchen knife shining in her hand.
Chao Yue quickly hid the knife behind her back, her face turned red and she looked embarrassed.
Chen Jingzong understood in an instant. He glanced at the central house and asked Chao Yun, "What about the princess?"
Chao Yun whispered: "She went to bed after breakfast."
Chen Jingzong was not surprised. She was weak and must be tired after last night.
Carrying the game and walking up to Chao Yue, Chen Jingzong frowned and said, "Who in radius of ten miles not know that this is the Chen family's house. Ordinary thieves will never dare to come. Those who dare to come will not be afraid of your kitchen knife. Next time you encounter this kind of thing, call people directly, the guards can hear you."
Chao Yue lowered her head, thought for a moment, and asked, "What if it's you?"
Chen Jingzong: "When I come back from now on, I will whistle first."
Chao Yue breathed a sigh of relief: "Don't worry, Prince Consort, I remember everything."
Chen Jingzong handed her the game in his hand: "The fish will be stewed in soup for today, and the chicken will be saved for tomorrow. Remember to tie the beak to prevent it from squawking."
Chao Yue's eyes widened: "Isn't this inappropriate?"
Chen Jingzong: "If you don't stew, then let your princess continue to starve."
Chao Yue compromised instantly.
Chen Jingzong glanced at the kitchen, turned around and said, "Bring me my breakfast."
There were a lot of things going on, so Chao Yun ran over to help Chao Yue.
Chen Jingzong strode to the central house, stood in the main room for a while, and then went to the inner room.
It was quiet inside, and the gauze curtain was put down outside the Babu bed.
Chen Jingzong lifted the curtain and saw her sleeping in the middle of the bed. She was already thin and slender, but she was made even more petite and frail by this luxurious bed.
Suddenly, Chen Jingzong sniffed and felt a faint medicinal smell.
Noticing her frown, Chen Jingzong's heart sank. Could it be that he used too much strength and hurt her?
Even though he was puzzled, it was not good to wake her up at this time, so Chen Jingzong left silently.
After sitting in the main room for about a quarter of an hour, Chao Yun brought a bowl of noodles, which was still green vegetables and egg noodles.
The clear soup was watery and there was no oil speck at all.
Chen Jingzong stopped Chao Yun who was about to leave and asked, "Is Princess sick?"
Chao Yun shook her head: "No."
Chen Jingzong: "I seem to smell the medicine."
Chao Yun: "Then you must have smelled wrong. Princess was in a good mood this morning and had a bowl of noodles."
Her tone was so cheerful, which showed how bad Hua Yang's appetite was before.
Chen Jingzong couldn't ask her anything, so he told her to retreat.
He went hunting in the mountains early in the morning, exerted a lot of energy, and was very hungry. When eating noodles, he picked up a large chunk with his chopstick and sucked it noisily into his mouth several times.
Hua Yang, who had been sleeping for an hour, was woken up by his noise.
When she first woke up, she was still wondering what the sound was. When she heard Chen Jingzong ordering Chao Yun to bring another bowl, she suddenly realized it and frowned.
She didn't like Chen Jingzong's way of eating.
She decided to be nice to Chen Jingzong, but if Chen Jingzong continued to frequently challenge her patience, she might not be able to show a good face.
After simply tidied up, Hua Yang walked out.
Chen Jingzong was about to eat the second bowl and had already picked up the noodles with his chopsticks, but when he heard the movement, he turned his head and met Hua Yang's rosy but slightly gloomy face.
Why are you angry again?
Chen Jingzong lowered his eyes and ate the noodles on his chopstick first.
He took a big mouthful, and Hua Yang frowned even deeper. She signaled Chao Yun at the door to retreat with her eyes. Then she walked to the dining table, looked at Chen Jingzong and said, "Can you eat more slowly? It's best not to make any noise."
Chen Jingzong glanced at her and said without raising his head, "I'm hungry."
Hua Yang: "You can also eat slowly when you're hungry, anyway you don't have to do anything later."
Chen Jingzong ate soft food and not hard food, and the more others try to interfere with him on such trivial matters, the more he disobeyed.
So, as if he didn't hear anything, he continued to eat as before.
Hua Yang gritted her teeth in anger.
In the past, she would have left and hid far away until she could no longer hear the sound.
But she had decided to be nicer to him.
Hua Yang was willing to give him another chance and said bluntly: "The way you eat gave a headache. The more headache I have, the more annoying you will be. How can we live a good life in the future?"
Chen Jingzong raised his head unexpectedly, swallowed the noodles in his mouth, looked at Hua Yang and asked, "Do you want to live a good life with me?"
His eyes were direct and sharp, as if he could see into people's hearts, with a bit of "no one can fool him" tough stand. Hua Yang subconsciously raised her chin and hummed equally proudly.
Chen Jingzong wasn't quite sure what she was thinking, so he asked tentatively: "If I eat quietly, can I sleep on the bed with you from now on?"
Instead of worrying about the little twists and turns, he cared more about the benefits that could actually be obtained, otherwise it would be of no use what she said.
Hua Yang looked at him and said, "Yes, but there is a condition."
Chen Jingzong snorted hard, how funny, they are husband and wife, it's a natural thing if he wants to sleep in the bed, but when it reached her, she has conditions!
Hua Yang didn't care about his ridicule and made her request directly: "In summer, you should take a bath every day before going to bed, or at least wipe your body. In spring and autumn, you can take a bath every two days, and in winter, you can take a bath every three days. Of course, if you sweat too much, then you must wash it every day. Also, whether you take a bath or not, your feet must be washed and your mouth must be brushed clean, so that no alcohol smell remains."
Chen Jingzong said nothing.
Looking at his very stubborn expression, Hua Yang's chest began to rise and fall again.
Chen Jingzong's eyes swept over there, and he lowered his eyes and said, "If it's just going to bed to sleep, I find all these rules of yours very troublesome."
Hua Yang: "What do you mean?"
Chen Jingzong twirled the noodles in the bowl with his chopsticks, then suddenly raised his head, looked directly at her and said, "It means that if you're willing to sleep with me happily every night, then I will do whatever you say."
Hua Yang:…
How could he say such shameless and obscene words in broad daylight!
"You're dreaming!"
When she turned around, Hua Yang really wanted to spit at him, but her upbringing made her hold back.
Chen Jingzong looked at her angry back and said with a smile: "Then I'll compromise a bit. It doesn't have to be every night. As long as Princess is willing to cooperate when I want to, I will meet all the conditions."
Hua Yang continued to walk forward.
Chen Jingzong's voice was slightly cold: "We're husband and wife. Only once or twice a month, or not even at all, and it's always me who begging for it while looking at your bad face, how can it be called a good life?"
Hua Yang stopped in her tracks and said sarcastically: "Actions have consequences. You did a lot of things that make me unhappy first, so I gave you a bad face."
Chen Jingzong: "Back at you, you offended me first, and I don't want you to get your way."
Hua Yang laughed angrily, turned around and glared at him: "What did I do to you?"
Chen Jingzong: "On the first day we got married, you looked at me as if you were picking on a piece of merchandise. You didn't regard me as your husband at all."
He was not blind. On the day of the tea ceremony, she looked at his eldest and third brother with admiration, and after admiring them and looked at him again, she showed a disappointed look.
Since she wanted to marry a scholar, why should she agree when the emperor offered her this marriage?
The family is willing to indulge her princess temperament, but he has a backbone and is too lazy to be a lowly servant.
Chapter 5
Of course Hua Yang would not forget the days when she first married Chen Jingzong.
Chen Jingzong was handsome, and Hua Yang also married him with high expectations for a happy married life. However, the bad experience on their wedding night made her want to regret her marriage and return to the palace.
With the pain like that, how could she give him a good look the next day?
Seeing that his arms were too thick and his legs were too long, she only thought that if he also learned the gentleness of Chen Bozong and Chen Xiaozong, maybe he wouldn't be so rude and impatient.
He didn't know how to correct his faults, yet he found fault with her attitude and deliberately going against her preferences?
Seeing that Chen Jingzong was about to take a big gulp of noodles again, Hua Yang pointed to the door bitterly: "You go to the wing room to eat!"
Husband and wife could only live a good life by working together. If Chen Jingzong refuse to cooperate, why should Hua Yang tolerate him?
In response, Chen Jingzong just looked at her, picked up the bowl and chopsticks, and left.
Hua Yang returned to the bedroom angrily.
Chao Yun followed and helped the princess sit down while gently massaging her back. She said with concern, "Princess, don't be angry. Anger harms the body, and it's not worth it for such a small matter. "
Hua Yang stared out the window. From here, she could see Chen Jingzong stepping into the east wing: "I don't want to be angry either, but did you hear what he said?"
Chao Yun stood far away at first, but then she heard the princess got angry, so she quietly approached. Then she heard the prince consort shamefully said something like "as long as he wants the princess, she has to cooperate." Later, the princess was even more angry.
Not to mention the princess, even Chao Yun was so angry!
What, as long as the prince consort wants to sleep with the princess, she must cooperate. Is the princess a prostitute?
Golden branch and jade leaves Princess, but instead of thinking of ways to coax the princess and took the initiative to fight for the opportunity to sleep with her at night, the prince consort actually think that the princess is showing off and deliberately angered her?
"Hearing this, I almost want to push Prince Consort on the bench and beat him with a plank to vent my anger for you!"
As Chao Yun said this, she glared towards the east wing.
Hua Yang imagined that scene and felt a little better.
Chao Yun thoughtfully squeezed the princess's shoulders. Listening to the princess's breathing return to calm, she then told her about prince consort's hunting: "Princess, Prince Consort is sometimes very annoying, but he still cares about you in his heart. He climbed over the wall and went out without even eating breakfast, only came back after catching a pheasant and a fat fish, then asked Chao Yue to make soup for you to replenish your health."
She was very fair, scolding the prince consort when he deserved it, and praising him when he deserved it.
Hua Yang was startled.
In her previous life, Chen Jingzong went out to cheat some meat, but it seemed that it was not so early. After all, his grandmother passed away and was buried only half a month ago.
Could it be because he got the benefit last night, so he reciprocated in this way?
But would she care about a bowl of fish soup?
She clearly showed him the way and clearly stated what she wanted, but Chen Jingzong refused to agree!
"I won't eat. Go tell Chao Yue that if he wants to drink soup, let him cook it himself. You are not allowed to help. You can only provide him with three normal meals a day."
Chao Yun hesitated for a moment, but she quickly made her choice!
On one side was an ordinary bowl of fish soup, on the other side was the majesty of the princess, of course the latter was more important!
Prince consort made princess angry like this, don't even think getting rid of it with just a bowl of fish soup.
Chao Yun came to the kitchen aggressively.
Chao Yue was scraping the fish scales, wearing an apron around her waist. Where there was still the demeanor of a princess's senior maid in the past.
However, Chao Yue enjoyed working for the princess. Thinking that she would be able to cook a pot of delicious fish soup for the princess later, the corners of her mouth were raised.
Chao Yun walked to her side and murmured for a while.
The smile on Chao Yue's face disappeared and she asked Chao Yun to serve the princess first. She wiped her hands and glanced at the half-scraped fat fish with pity, then walked out of the kitchen and came to the window sill of the east wing, and said with calm voice: "Prince Consort, Princess has an order. She doesn't want to drink fish soup. If you want to drink it, you can go ahead and stew it yourself."
Not long after she finished speaking, Chen Jingzong walked out, holding an empty bowl in one hand and chopsticks in the other.
Chao Yue stood neither humble nor arrogant.
Chen Jingzong looked to the central house. The window had been closed, blocking the people inside.
Chen Jingzong frowned.
Quarrelling is quarrelling, but he didn't really angry. She was the princess, entitled to find fault with him. It's just a trivial matter, not worth his concern.
But he couldn't watch her continue to withered her body away. In the final analysis, this was the hardship she had to endure when she married him.
Chen Jingzong went to the kitchen, then closed the doors and windows tightly.
Chao Yue listened outside for a while and went to report to the princess.
Hua Yang was a little curious. She knew that Chen Jingzong could roast wild game, but could he also cook fish soup? How many men in this world can cook?
In the kitchen.
Chen Jingzong sorted out the fish neatly.
Only after his father was over thirty years that he completely settled in the capital and brought the whole family over. However, his grandmother couldn't get used to living there. After a year, she took his second uncle's family back to their old house.
When Chen Jingzong was ten years old, he also returned with a martial artist master. He stayed there until he was eighteen years old, when his grandmother urged him to go to the capital to let him earn a future.
In those eight years, his grandmother, who was born as a village girl, liked to cook by herself. Chen Jingzong often helped, and he learned all the old lady's cooking skills.
The fish were native to the mountains, and the terrain around the lake was so steep that no hunters nearby would pass it. Without any danger, the fish in the lake grew fat and plump.
Chen Jingzong only cut the fish head, the fish body was temporarily marinated, leave it for lunch and let the maid braise it in soy sauce.
The fish head was as big as one of his hands. It was first fried and then stewed, and the soup was cooked over high heat.
It was very hot in front of the stove. When Chen Jingzong added firewood, a drop of sweat fell from his forehead.
It would be cooler if the window was opened, but the fragrance of the fish soup would also spread out. If the wind blew and it reached the main house, the old man could smell it and he would definitely scold him.
Chen Jingzong was not afraid of being scolded, but it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble, and he didn't want his family to wonder whether she was also eating meat and talk behind her back.
About a quarter of an hour later, Chen Jingzong opened the lid of the pot and saw that the soup inside had turned thick white, with slippery tofu and small umbrella-like mountain mushrooms tumbling inside.
Chen Jingzong opened the cupboard, found a pastel peony-patterned soup bowl, and took out a matching set of bowls and chopsticks.
She seemed to like peonies very much. The shadow of peonies could be seen everywhere inside and outside the house.
.
Chao Yun hid behind the window of the main room, then she saw the kitchen door opened and the prince consort carried a tray walking toward the central house. She quickly went to the inner room to report to the princess.
Hua Yang sat at the table with a piece of rice paper spread out in front of her, and was about to write a letter home to her mother and brother in the capital.
In the previous life, she regarded Lingzhou as a remote and poor place, thinking that she had come here to suffer and had nothing to write about, so she would only send a letter home before the new year to deal with it perfunctorily.
Now, she wanted to write something interesting to convince her mother and brother that she was living a good life here.
Just after I wrote the "Dear Empress Mother", Chao Yun came to report the news.
"You all retreat."
Hua Yang held the brush in her right hand and her cuff in her left hand, continued to write.
Chen Jingzong walked into the main room carrying a tray and saw Chao Yun and Chao Yue coming out one after another.
His expression was as usual, and didn't seem to care that the maids knew that he had personally cooked fish soup for the princess.
Chao Yun and Chao Yue lowered their heads and stepped aside to make way for him. When Chen Jingzong passed by, the two women smelled an alluring aroma of soup.
Chao Yun swallowed in vain.
For them, fish soup was indeed not a rare thing, but after not having it for three months, a bowl of fish soup had become a delicacy in the world.
A curtain apart.
Chen Jingzong went straight to the desk and placed the tray opposite Hua Yang.
Hua Yang raised her head slightly, glanced at the soup bowl, and then concentrated on writing again.
Chen Jingzong opened the lid of the soup bowl, and a strong aroma suddenly spread around.
Hua Yang's eyelashes twitched slightly, but she didn't seem to smell anything.
Chen Jingzong didn't look at what she was writing. He scooped up a bowl of fish soup and let it cooled down. Then he sat down and used chopsticks to pick out some thornless meat from the fish head and put it on a small plate.
"The soup is still a little hot, eat the meat first."
After collecting five to six pieces of fish, Chen Jingzong pushed the plate towards her.
Hua Yang looked calm: "I'm here to mourn for the old lady, not to eat meat."
Chen Jingzong: "You are so thin, the old lady will feel distressed if she saw you."
Hua Yang: "How could it be? As soon as I got married, I treated you like a piece of merchandise. I looked down on you every day and didn't even allow you to sleep on the bed. The old lady would only blame me for wronging her sweet grandson."
Chen Jingzong:…
"Don't worry, the old lady is timid. Even if I sleep on the floor every night, she won't dare to contradict the princess."
He quickly retorted.
Hua Yang looked at the plate of fish meat, then raised her eyes to look at him: "Since you are angry, why bother to come here and being courteous?"
Chen Jingzong: "You are starving and becoming thin in our house. If I don't make you fatter, I won't be able to explain to the emperor when we return to the capital."
Hua Yang continued to write: "I'm in a bad mood, and I have no appetite no matter how good the food is."
Chen Jingzong: "Will you feel better if I eat quietly?"
Hua Yang acquiesced.
Chen Jingzong wanted to mention the matter of going to bed again, but he was afraid that the two of them would quarrel again, so he had to answer her first: "Okay, you eat the meat and drink the soup obediently, and I will change."
Hua Yang really wanted to be nice to him, and when she saw that he had taken a step back, she also couldn't be stubborn.
She moved the brush and paper aside and took the plate.
Chen Jingzong immediately handed over the chopsticks.
The fish meat was very fresh, slightly salty and just right. Hua Yang ate carefully and cautiously. Fortunately, she did not eat any fish bones.
Chen Jingzong sat opposite and looked at her with her long eyelashes hanging down, her thin cheeks were white and pure, and her lips looking so delicate.
As expected of a princess, she made almost no sound when eating, but it seemed to be like this naturally, and it wouldn't make people think that she was doing it on purpose.
"If the soldiers eat like you, the enemy's cavalry will be able to go straight to the camp."
Chen Jingzong said sarcastically.
Hua Yang didn't even look at him: "I'm not a soldier."
Chen Jingzong: "But I am a martial artist. Even if you beat me to death, I can't be like you."
Hua Yang: "I'm not asking you to imitate me. Just imitate father, elder brother and the others. Of course, in places I can't see, you can eat and drink as you please."
Chen Jingzong sneered, but continued to pick up the fish for her, so that there were always five or six pieces of meat in front of her.
Hua Yang wanted to stop using her chopsticks after eating seven to eight pieces.
Chen Jingzong was still digging into the fish heads and said without raising his eyes: "Eat more, your breasts is almost disappear."
Hua Yang:…
Chen Jingzong saw her face turned red, whether from anger or embarrassment, and smiled: "Can I be honest? When you first got married, you looked a little fat."
He used the word fat just to tease her, but she was actually well-rounded.
He had seen many thin beauties in the capital, including his two sisters-in-law, who were all seem to be easily blown down by the wind, but she was different. She also had a slim waist, but her cheeks were round, like a round juicy peach exuding a sweet smell. Really made people want to pounce on it and take a few bites.
Originally, the old man asked him to marry a princess who sounded difficult to serve, and Chen Jingzong was not willing. Until the day of martial arts competition, Chen Jingzong saw her shining white in the Empress's group from a distance. Just like the first hint of snow, she was so white that it made his lower abdomen feel tight.
He just lusted after her. As long as she was willing to let him sleep with her, whether she looked down on him during the day and even called him a bastard, Chen Jingzong didn't care.
Hua Yang was already angry with him for his dirty words, but when he saw Chen Jingzong's eyes focused on her chest, she became even more angry.
She must have been too submissive to him last night, which encouraged his shamelessness.
She put down her chopsticks with a cold face: "Won't eat, you can take it away."
Chen Jingzong pushed the soup bowl toward her: "The soup is the main course. Try it. If it tastes good, you will forgive me for my tactless mouth. If it tastes bad, it will add to my crime and you can punish me as you wish."
Hua Yang's heart moved, she picked up the spoon and took a small sip. After drinking it, she frowned. Just as she was about to speak, Chen Jingzong suddenly said: "If you say it tastes bad, then the rest of the fish soup is mine, and I won't go to the mountains to get you some game again in the future unless you agree to sleep with me. Each time we sleep together, it's equivalent to one day's portion."
Hua Yang:…
Chen Jingzong: "Now if you tell the truth, whether or not you let me sleep with you in the future, as long as I go to the mountains to find food, I will always bring a portion back for you."
Hua Yang's face turned red and scolded him in a low voice: "Do you think about sleeping every day?"
Chen Jingzong leaned back in his chair, looking as if he was not at fault: "You only gave it to me once or twice, and you still don't allow me to think about it?"
Hua Yang didn't want to talk to him about this and went to bed with a straight face.
She sat sideways, with her face facing inward, revealing a slender peach-pink neck.
Chen Jingzong watched for a while, then walked over with a soup bowl and sat opposite her.
Hua Yang didn't look at him.
Chen Jingzong sighed: "Drink, your health is important."
He raised the bowl to Hua Yang's mouth. Hua Yang tilted her head, but when she turned her head, she saw a few wet spots on Chen Jingzong's trouser and some mud on the uppers of his shoes.
Hua Yang softened when she thought that he had gone to the mountains to hunt wild game before breakfast, just to replenish her health.
She took the soup bowl, lowered her eyes, and drank spoon by spoon.
To be fair, Chen Jingzong's cooking skills were very good and the fish soup was delicious.
Because she drank it, the atmosphere between the couple also eased.
Chen Jingzong served her a second bowl.
After drinking this time, Hua Yang refused to take any more.
Just as Chen Jingzong was about to return to the table, he suddenly remembered something and turned around to ask her, "I seem to smell some medicine, are you feeling uncomfortable?"
Hua Yang snorted, turned away and said, "I was afraid of getting pregnant, so I took bizi pill. It's a bit bitter."
Chen Jingzong frowned: "Bizi Pill?"
Hua Yang briefly explained to him the function of this pill.
Medicine was three parts poison. Chen Jingzong still didn't quite understand: "I said it was done outside, why do you have to do this?"
Hua Yang grabbed his cuffs and glared at him: "You saw it with your eyes, are you sure you didn't leave a drop behind? Of course you're not the one getting pregnant. I am the one who need to drink the abortion medicine, and I may fall ill or even die. You can treat it as if nothing happened!"
Was she stupid by insisting on taking such a bitter medicine? But they can't afford the consequences of being pregnant during the mourning period!
When Chen Jingzong saw that the ends of her eyes were red, and he immediately regretted it.
He was also getting married for the first time, becoming a husband for the first time. He subconsciously felt that as long as he did it outside, everything would be safe. His intention in saying so was merely to spare her from unnecessary suffering or taking medicine in vain.
"It's my fault, don't be angry." Chen Jingzong put the soup bowl aside, turned around and squatted in front of her, holding her hand to apologize.
Hua Yang shook off his hand with a cold face. All the anger she had suffered this morning surged up at this moment, and tears hung on her eyelashes.
Chen Jingzong suddenly realized that he was not afraid of her putting on a face, not afraid of her sneering, but he was afraid of her being aggrieved.
"Okay, I promise you, I won't think about that again before the mourning finish, and you won't have to take any more medicine."
Hua Yang remained unmoved.
Chen Jingzong paused then continued: "From now on, I will eat in good manners, bathe and rinse my mouth every day, and promise not to give you headache again."
Hua Yang finally lowered her eyelashes, looked at him and said, "You said this yourself. If you break your promise in the future, I will never be nice to you again."
Chen Jingzong nodded repeatedly.
After it's all settle, he suddenly remembered, when she ever been nice to him?
Chapter 6
The remaining fish soup was not wasted, including the fish head and meat, all fell into Chen Jingzong's belly.
Having just made her cry, Chen Jingzong was a little embarrassed when he ate. He took her little spoon and scooped the food slowly, instead of holding the bowl and pouring it directly into his mouth like before.
Hua Yang sat across from him and continued writing letters home.
She did not hide anything, so Chen Jingzong openly watched her write. He saw that the first page she wrote was all about how his family took good care of her on the road, and the lines were full of satisfaction for them. The spoon in Chen Jingzong's hand hit the corner of his mouth, and some soup was spilled down. He hurriedly dodged but luckily it didn't fall on his clothes, but his movements were quite large, making him look clumsy.
Hua Yang glanced at him sideways.
The disgust was still there, but it didn't have the usual hatred, more like criticism.
Chen Jingzong was tickled both body and mind by this look, but he promised her not to be so lustful, so he had to pretend that his heart was calm.
"You're only reporting the good news and not the bad news?"
Putting down the spoon, Chen Jingzong guessed that this was the only way to explain why she had been resentful on the road, yet the narration she wrote seemed like a different person.
Hua Yang: "It's just the truth. Apart from you, your family really cares about me. As for the poor conditions of the inn and the busy traffic, it is inevitable."
Chen Jingzong: "Why apart from me? Where did I treat you badly?"
Before Hua Yang could settle old scores, Chao Yun's voice came in: "Princess, Prince Consort, the old madam is here!"
The couple looked at each other, Hua Yang stood up and cleaned up the desk, while Chen Jingzong quickly hid the soup pot and other items… in the clean room.
Hua Yang:…
She would probably never use this set of utensils again.
When Chen Jingzong came out, she glared at him before walking out.
Sun shi was following Zhen'er into the yard, followed by her close maid, La Mei.
Sun shi was the wife of the cabinet elder, Chen Tingjian.
She was born in Lingzhou City. Her father was a teacher in the official school and was very knowledgeable. Chen Tingjian often visited her father before he met Sun shi and asked to marry her.
After her mother-in-law passed away, the daughter-in-law Sun shi wore white clothes and a sandalwood hairpin on her hair. She was dressed like an ordinary woman from a small town. However, she was beautiful when she was young, and later she followed Chen Tingjian as an official wife. Able to enjoy wealth and honor naturally her bearing was impressive, and she looked like a rich madam at first glance.
Siyi Hall was only separated from the main house by a corridor. Yesterday evening, Hua Yang was frightened by a snake screaming. Both Chen Tingjian and Sun shi heard it, and Sun shi rushed over to comfort her. Today she came over to take a look, very worried that the delicate daughter-in-law princess would fall ill from fear.
After inquiring with Zhen'er, Sun shi saw Hua Yang coming out of the central house, followed by her fourth child.
Her eyes swept over the faces of the young couple, Sun shi narrowed her eyes slightly.
Something doesn't feel right!
The princess disliked the rudeness of the Old Four, and the Old Four also disliked the arrogance of the princess. The two disliked each other when they were together, but now they looked very harmonious!
Could it be that the princess finally discovered some advantages of the Old Four, such as when being afraid of snakes and insects, she could let the Old Four block it?
While Sun shi was thinking = secretly, Hua Yang felt sour after she was reborn and see her mother-in-law again.
Almost everyone in the entire Chen family respected her, but among them, her mother-in-law treated her the best.
Her father-in-law and two brother-in-law were men. Even if they want to show consideration to her, they rarely met and talked to her alone. The two sisters-in-law were more afraid of her, or they didn't want to be seen as deliberately flattering, so they rarely took the initiative to get close to her. Only her mother-in-law often came to visit, showed concern and considerate to her.
Maybe there was also a bit of fear, but Hua Yang could distinguish between sincerity and surface courtesy, and her mother-in-law really liked her.
Such a good mother-in-law, but in her previous life she was devastated by the triple blow of her father-in-law's death from illness, the whole mansion's imprisonment, and the unjust death of her oldest son.
"Mom, you are here."
Hua Yang walked a few steps quickly and held her mother-in-law's left arm.
Sun shi froze!
After the eldest daughter-in-law and the third daughter-in-law got married, they followed her sons in calling her mom. Only this daughter-in-law princess had a noble status and always politely called her mother.
Mother was also quite good. She was an ordinary woman from a small place, but she was lucky enough to get a princess as her daughter-in-law. The ancestral graves of her family were already emitting green smoke!
Now hearing the daughter-in-law princess called her "mom", Sun suddenly felt flattered!
Hua Yang saw her mother-in-law's surprise, but she couldn't explain anything.
She didn't really integrate into this family in her previous life, but this time it was different. If she wanted to live a good life with Chen Jingzong, some changes had to be made.
Chen Jingzong glanced at her a few times.
Hua Yang seemed unaware and devoted herself to entertaining her mother-in-law.
Sun shi came back to her senses and asked with concern: "After sprinkling those medicines last night, did you see any more bugs?"
Hua Yang smiled and shook her head.
Sun shi looked at the mountains to the north and said helplessly: "This side is closer to the mountains, so there are more snakes and bugs. We are all used to it. Poor noble princess, you must be frightened when encountering this kind of thing for the first time."
Hua Yang did not deny it.
In her previous life, she was really tortured by those bugs that occasionally appeared. When she was frightened, she lost her temper at Chen Jingzong, which prompted Chen Jingzong to spread pesticides everywhere, so there were fewer and fewer bugs.
She was obviously timid, but why wasn't she afraid when she misunderstood Chen Jingzong as a ghost last night?
Hua Yang glanced at Chen Jingzong secretly.
Chen Jingzong thought she was complaining that he didn't take good defense, but didn't think much about it. He could guard against thieves, small snake as thick as chopsticks, but how could he guard against it when he was in the east wing?
Then again, he had to be grateful to the little snake, otherwise he would have to sleep alone in the wing room, and how could he have the happy thing he had last night.
The three of them entered the main room.
Sun shi suddenly sniffed.
Hua Yang felt guilty like a thief, she was indeed cheating, but she didn't want her mother-in-law to find out.
Chen Jingzong explained: "Because of that snake, I checked everywhere last night and didn't go to bed until midnight. I got up late in the morning and didn't have breakfast until now."
Sun shi understood and asked her daughter-in-law: "How is Princess's appetite this morning?"
Hua Yang: "Maybe I have finally adapted to the climate here. My appetite is much better. I ate a bowl of noodles."
Sun shi was very happy and looked at her little face and said, "That's good, that's good. Princess has lost a lot of weight recently, but you have to raise it back quickly."
Hua Yang nodded, thinking that if she followed Chen Jingzong and cheat every day, her body would be back to normal soon.
After chatting for a while, Sun shi was ready to leave.
She knew that she came from a humble background, and she and her daughter-in-law princess didn't have much common ground, everyone would feel uncomfortable if she stay too long.
Hua Yang and Chen Jingzong sent her out of Siyi Hall together.
When walking back, Chen Jingzong asked her: "Why you suddenly changed the way you called?"
Hua Yang: "I can call whatever I want, what's there to question."
Chen Jingzong stepped in front of her and looked down at her: "Changing the way you called is one thing. Something wasn't quite right with you last night. Why did you cry when you were sleep?"
Hua Yang lied: "Had a nightmare."
Chen Jingzong: "But at that time, you said you hadn't dreamt and even threw yourself at me out of the blue."
Hua Yang's face turned slightly red and glared at him, "Don't you like it?"
Chen Jingzong had a complicated look on his face: "I like it, but I have broken the rules after all."
The implication was that if Hua Yang hadn't taken the initiative to seduce him, he would have continued to mourn honestly.
Hua Yang believed that he was just being annoying, so she pushed the person away, quickly returned to the house, and closed the door to prevent him from following in and disturbing her writing letters home.
Chen Jingzong pushed the door open but didn't move further. He stood for a while and then went to the yard.
In the future, he would go into the mountains more often, so he would need to make some handy bows, arrows, and fish bags.
In the room, Hua Yang wrote a letter for a while when she suddenly heard the sound of scraping wood outside. She came to the window curiously and saw Chen Jingzong sitting on a small bench under the eaves of the east wing, holding a long wrist-thick wood in one hand and a hacking knife in the other, sharpening it with concentration.
Both sleeves were rolled up above his elbows, revealing a pair of slender and strong forearms.
With his head lowered, his side face was handsome and sharp, much better looking than the guards in her aunt's mansion.
This was her prince consort. The man she had chosen with her own eyes, even if only because of his face, it was still her own choice.
It didn't matter if he was vulgar, she didn't want him to die, and no one could take his life away this time.
.
In front of Siyi Hall was Fucui Hall, where Chen Jingzong's third brother's family lived.
Chen Xiaozong was a Tanhua who was full learning and literary talent. Now he returned to his hometown to mourn and could not go out if it was not important. He could only obey his father's instructions and teach his nephew, niece and two sons to study in his own school.
Chen Xiaozong didn't like hanging around the children. When his father gave the order, he subconsciously pushed it on his eldest brother: "Father, Eldest Brother is more knowledgeable than me, and his temper is the most like yours among our brothers. He is serious and steady, and can control Erlang and the others. Why don't you let Eldest Brother teach?"
Chen Tingjian said expressionlessly: "I let you teach just to hone your temperament. Your eldest brother is already stable enough, so there is no need for him to come."
Chen Xiaozong:…..
After teaching all morning in the school at the main house, Chen Xiaozong felt exhausted.
Watching his niece and Dalang return to Guanhe Hall, in the corridor, Chen Xiaozong continued to take his Erlang and Sanlang to Fucui Hall.
After entering the courtyard, her saw his wife standing under the eaves of the corridor, holding her already very pregnant belly with one hand and raising her neck behind her, as if she was smelling something.
Chen Xiaozong was puzzled: "What are you doing?"
Luo Yuyan asked the maid to take her sons to wash their hands first, then walked to Chen Xiaozong and whispered to him: "I seem to smell the aroma of fried fish, you try it."
Chen Xiaozong laughed without trying: "How is it possible? It's impossible for our family to eat meat and fish, and there are no other families behind us. Even if there are people eating fish on the street at the front, today is north wind, and the smell will never reach our side. "
Luo Yuyan pursed her lips: "Who said there is no one behind us? The fourth brother and the princess live there, and they have a small kitchen! Hmph, she's a princess and can't bear hardships. Maybe mom specially sent fish and meat over there! I don't care, I carry your family's seed in my belly, and I haven't eaten meat for almost three months. I'm not greedy but child is. Erlang and Sanlang are both smart, aren't you afraid of starving me and make this one stupid?"
The princess was miserable, was she not? She was also the daughter of the Marquis family in the capital. She grew up enjoying delicious food, so how could she feel sad about a fish meal?
Chen Xiaozong: "Impossible. Father is very strict, and mom also obeys him. In other aspects, they take care of the princess, but they will never do this. It's even more impossible to let the steward buy meat, and give people the handle for nothing."
Luo Yuyan: "But I smell fish!"
Seeing that she even swore, Chen Xiaozong took a sniff, but he didn't know whether it was really not there or his nose didn't have Luo Yuyan's ability, Chen Xiaozong didn't smell anything.
At this time, the maid from the main house brought lunch, which consisted of white rice with three dishes and one soup. Of course, both the dishes and the soup were vegetarian.
Chen Xiaozong helped his wife into the house first, and Erlang and Sanlang also came over after washing their hands.
Erlang was five years old and understood that his family would be in mourning for his great-grandmother. Sanlang was three years old and didn't understand those big principles. Seeing that his favorite meat was not on the table, his little face was filled with disappointment and he looked at his father and mother with aggrieved eyes. He wanted to go back to the capital. When he was in the capital, he had meat to eat every day. His grandfather's hometown was so poor that every meal was just vegetables and white porridge.
If Luo Yuyan didn't smell the fish, she could bear it. But after smelling it, she felt aggrieved when she thought that her father-in-law favored Siyi Hall, and she couldn't eat!
Chen Xiaozong saw the gloom at the dinner table and felt very uncomfortable in his heart.
The main reason was that his wife, a daughter of marquis mansion, was now pregnant and could only eat these. How can he bear it too?
"Eat first, I'll think of a way."
Chen Xiaozong said warmly.
His Tanhua title was not earned for free. He had a handsome face, graceful demeanor, and a soft voice that could coax people. Which woman could stand it?
Luo Yuyan took a look at her husband's handsome face and decided to endure it a little longer.
She was not unreasonable. Everyone was in mourning and she had no objection. But if her father-in-law allowed the fourth house to open a small stove, then she wanted the same treatment!
After the meal, Chen Xiaozong sat in the main room for about two quarters of an hour before going to Siyi Hall.
Zhen'er was sitting on a small stool at the entrance of the courtyard, holding needle and thread in her hand, and a sewing basket beside her legs.
Hearing footsteps in the corridor, Zhen'er poked her head and saw the third master Mr. Tanhua wearing plain clothes and a crown scarf, handsome and graceful like a jade tree.
Zhen'er's cheeks were slightly red, she quickly packed up the things around her and stood up.
"Third Master."
"Well, I have something to ask your Prince Consort, please go and pass the message."
All three brothers lived in one-entrance courtyard, once stepping inside it was easy to bump into the female family members. He was respectful to his older sister-in-law, also didn't dare to be rude to the sister-in-law princess, so when he wanted to see the fourth brother, he always talked in the corridor.
Zhen'er took the order and ran to tell Chao Yun.
In the central house, Hua Yang and Chen Jingzong had just finished eating. There was a long fish bone and many small thorns on the plate in front of Chen Jingzong.
There was not a single thorn on Hua Yang's side. Chen Jingzong picked out all the thorns and then put the meat for her.
"Princess, the third master is here to look for prince consort."
Chao Yun told Zhen'er not to leak her mouth before coming in to report.
Hua Yang looked at Chen Jingzong: "Could it be they smell something?"
The aroma of roasted fish was stronger than that of stewed fish soup. Although Chao Yue followed Chen Jingzong's example and closed the doors and windows tightly, some of the aroma still escaped.
Chen Jingzong: "So what if they smelt it. As long as you and I don't admit it, they can't say anything."
He asked Chao Yun to pour tea. His mouth was greasy, and he had to rinse his mouth before meeting his third brother, otherwise the evidence would be too obvious.
Hua Yang watched him getting busy, thought for a while, and said, "Third Brother is not a greedy person. He is probably here for Third Sister-in-law. Third Sister-in-law is pregnant and vegetarian diet is indeed pitiful."
It was said that many sisters-in-law were prone to comparison and quarrels, but this would never happen to Hua Yang.
In her previous life, both sisters-in-law were respectful in front of her, and Hua Yang was aloof and would rather stay by herself than chat with her sisters-in-law.
The brocade dress, fine clothes, and jewelry she used were all imperial gift, she had no need to envy others.
Coupled with the fact that she had witnessed the misery of Chen Xiaozong and others walking in the snow wearing hand-chains and shackles, Hua Yang was more likely to be soft-hearted after being reborn.
Chen Jingzong spit out the tea in his mouth and looked at her like she was a fool.
Hua Yang frowned: "What?"
Chen Jingzong: "You're not a princess; you're clearly a fairy descended to earth, unaware of the troubles of the mortal realm, wanting to help anyone you pity."
Hua Yang was ridiculed by him, causing her fair face to turn from white to red, then red to green.
Chen Jingzong spoke before she did: "Do you think I'm stingy? Just a fish, but I don't even want to divide it with my brother and sister-in-law?"
Hua Yang didn't think so, she just felt that if the third house already knew their secret, then it would be okay if Chen Jingzong occasionally sent a fish or a chicken. After all, there was a pregnant woman over there.
Chen Jingzong sneered: "I went to catch fish because I saw you were too thin and wanted to replenish your body. If Third Brother really feels sorry for Third Sister-in-law, he can go by himself. Don't look at him as a scholar, he didn't enter the capital until he was seven or eight years old. when he was a child, he also ran around in the mountains. Even if he can't catch pheasants and rabbits now, if he wants to eat fish, he knows where to find it.
"He didn't go on his own because he was afraid of being discovered by the old man, ruining his reputation as a gentleman and filial son. If he gets the meat from us, both of them could feel at ease, thinking that we were the ones who broke the rules first. If the old man found out, their greediness is justifiable because they have pregnant woman. What excuse can you and I have, say that you are a noble princess who cannot endure hardship?
"Don't say they won't reveal the secret. They have Erlang and Sanlang over there. Third brother is sly, but can two children fool the old man?"
Hua Yang:…
Chen Jingzong: "Fortunately you are a princess. If you are the daughter of an ordinary family, if you have more sisters-in-law after you got married, you will be bullied for the rest of your life."
After saying that, he flicked the hem of his clothes and walked away.
Hua Yang gritted her teeth.
Chao Yun persuaded in a low voice: "Princess, don't be angry, there is some truth to what Prince Consort said."
Hua Yang understood that. What she was angry about was Chen Jingzong's attitude. If you want to be reasonable, just be reasonable, do you have to be so sarcastic?
She heard that many prince consorts are respectful in front of the princess. Why is Chen Jingzong different? Even father emperor never talked to her like that!
Chapter 7
Outside Siyi Hall, next to the corridor.
Chen Xiaozong stood with his hands behind his back, leaving Zhen'er with only the view of his back, eliminating any suspicion that he wanted to seduce the maid next to the princess.
Zhen'er secretly looked at the beautiful jade figure, and felt pity in her heart.
If prince consort was as gentle and polite as the third master, then princess and prince consort would definitely be in harmony with each other, instead of having a big quarrel every three days and a small quarrel every two days.
While she was thinking wildly, there were footsteps behind her. Zhen'er turned around and saw the prince consort who was also very handsome but always had a stern face, and hurriedly lowered her head.
For a cold-faced martial man like prince consort, only the Cabinet elder and their own princess dared to look down on him in the entire Chen mansion.
Chen Jingzong walked straight past the little maid.
When the two brothers met, Chen Xiaozong called him Fourth Brother with a smile, and then walked away.
Chen Jingzong was impatient: "Do you want something with me?"
His aura was intimidating, but Chen Xiaozong was not afraid, and joked in a low voice: "Nothing serious, I just smelled the smell of your fish in the front, so I came here to remind Fourth Brother. You also know that our father is the strictest. If he finds you eating meat during mourning, I'm afraid he will punish you to kneel in the ancestral hall."
Chen Jingzong sneered: "Where did the fish smell come from? The best dish on the table just now was the scrambled eggs with wood ear."
Chen Xiaozong didn't smell the meat himself and only listened to what his wife said, so he tried to deceive his younger brother first.
Seeing his brother's denial, Chen Xiaozong smiled and asked, "You really didn't go to the mountains to catch some fish?"
Chen Jingzong pointed towards the courtyard with his hand and said unhappily: "Without this ancestor, I might really catch a few to satisfy my craving after a while. But she is here, and I don't want to cause trouble for myself and give her another reason to dislike me."
Chen Xiaozong immediately showed a sympathetic smile.
In fact, when the family got together, the princess still took care of his brother's face and did not deliberately put on an attitude. However, if the relationship between the couple was not good, there would always be various clues, so how could the truth be hidden from anyone.
"Okay, since you're fine here, I'll go back and take a rest. I have to continue giving lectures to the children in the afternoon, it's a headache."
Chen Xiaozong didn't ask any more questions and left with a smile.
In Fucui Hall, Luo Yuyan was lying sideways on the bed, not sleeping. When she saw her husband came back, she asked excitedly: "How is it?"
Chen Xiaozong shook his head: "Fourth Brother said they didn't eat meat. What you smell may be the smell of scrambled eggs with wood ear."
Luo Yuyan glared: "Can I not tell the difference between the smell of scrambled eggs and fried fish? You still don't believe me, do you? Don't forget, that year when you won the Tanhua's title, you ran to drink with some flower girl, and deliberately changed your clothes, but I could smell of powder on your hair!"
Chen Xiaozong suddenly got a headache: "What drinking with flower girl? It's my classmates who insisted on having a banquet and even ordered the singer on their own initiative. The singer fluttered her sleeves and scattered the makeup powder, and I got some on my body. I changed my clothes because I was afraid that you would misunderstand and be angry in vain. But you used it as irrefutable evidence to wrongly accuse me."
Heaven can bear witness, he only has this one wife in his life, never thought about others, let alone messing around with them.
Luo Yuyan brought up the past just to prove that she had a good nose, she did not doubt her husband.
Her father-in-law was strict with her husband and his three brothers, strictly forbidding them from leading a debauched lifestyle and indulging in loose women. At home they didn't even have tongfang.
It was said that before the second master Chen Yanzong died of illness at the age of eighteen, someone once proposed that he marry a wife to ward off the sickness, and if it didn't work out, he could still leave a descendant. Chen Yanzong refused on the grounds that he did not want to waste a poor woman, and father-in-law and mother-in-law never insist on it. If it changed to other family, the parents might even use some drug to force their son to have a child.
All this show that the Chen family's family tradition was upright.
"Fourth Brother said he didn't eat, so you believe it?"
Luo Yuyan moved inside and asked her husband to lie down and talk.
Chen Xiaozong: "If it's just him I probably won't believe it. But there is a princess, how can he dare to fool around in front of the princess?"
Luo Yuyan snorted: "What if the princess is also greedy? Wouldn't the two people cooperate together."
Chen Xiaozong recalled Princess Hua Yang's noble demeanor and denied: "The princess is not like someone who is easily swayed by food."
The more noble a person, the more they wanted to save face. The princess usually disliked the fourth brother a lot. In order not to give the fourth brother a reason to laugh at her, Chen Xiaozong guessed that even if the fourth brother brought delicious food to the princess this time, the princess would not eat it.
It seemed to make sense, and since she had already had lunch and was full and not so hungry, Luo Yuyan stopped caring about it and cuddled up to her husband and chatted about other things.
In Siyi Hall, because of Chen Jingzong's merciless ridicule, Hua Yang gave him another cold shoulder and let him to go to rest in the east wing.
Chen Jingzong didn't take it seriously.
This kind of temper was normal for her, he had long been used to it.
.
With Chao Yun by her side during the day, Hua Yang wasn't too worried about any ugly bugs appearing around her, but not at night. Chen Jingzong had to be there so that she could sleep peacefully.
Therefore, after dinner, Chen Jingzong stayed in the side room, and Hua Yang did not chase him away.
"Princess, the water is ready."
Hua Yang was ready to take a bath.
Chen Jingzong held his head in one hand and lay on his side on the couch near the window. He looked at her and said, "You just washed yourself in the morning, and now you're washing again. You're not afraid of washing off your skin."
Hua Yang knew that this dog could not spit out ivory from his mouth, so she ignored him.
Chen Jingzong changed his posture and closed his eyes to rest.
After waiting for about two-quarters of an hour, the person came back. Chen Jingzong turned his head and saw that she had changed into a white satin middle coat embroidered with green lotus leaves. Her black hair was pulled up high with a jade hairpin, revealing a slender snow-white neck, and flushed cheeks unique after bathing.
His eyes widened, but the beauty walked past his without even glancing, and entered the bedroom in a blink of an eye.
Just as Chen Jingzong was about to follow her, he suddenly remembered that he had promised her in the morning that he would take a shower every night in the future.
Chen Jingzong went to the west room and washing quickly with her remaining water.
After washing, he remembered that he forgot to take a change of middle coat, but Chen Jingzong was too lazy to ask the maid for help. After drying, he just wrapped the outer coat he had just taken off around his body, and went to the bedroom casually.
Chao Yun just helped the princess to comb her hair, and there was no need for her to serve any more. She saluted the prince consort who came through the door, bowed her head and left.
Hua Yang left the dressing table and looked outside the Babu bed. She frowned subconsciously when she saw Chen Jingzong wearing a white outer coat.
Chen Jingzong: "I took a shower and forgot to take my middle coat."
As he spoke, he untied his outer coat.
Hua Yang:…
When he exposed a bit of his chest, Hua Yang quickly turned around and put down the gauze curtain.
Chen Jingzong changed into his middle coat, blew out the lamp, and came to the curtain.
His eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, and he saw her lying face in the middle of the bed, with a thin quilt draped over her body, outlining her slender and graceful figure.
Chen Jingzong was very conscious, took the pillow and quilt placed on the outside of the bed, and continued to sleep on the bed floor.
Hua Yang looked at above the bed silently.
During the two years in Lingzhou in her previous life, she and Chen Jingzong had hardly exchanged a friendly word. At first, he slept on the floor, and later he just kept sleeping, as if this was what a husband and wife should look like.
Of course, the two of them also had a couple life after taking off the mourning clothes, but not very often. Moreover, due to her resistance and Chen Jingzong's lack of tenderness, the experience wasn't particularly enjoyable for her and was, in her view, somewhat optional.
On the contrary, last night, because she found something she thought she lost, she catered to him quite a bit, and actually…
Hua Yang shook her head, interrupting the memory that shouldn't have popped up at this moment.
"Are you asleep?"
His voice came from the ground, neither high nor low, a little hoarse.
Hua Yang: "Is something wrong?"
If he wanted to sleep up here, she would agree as long as he keep his hands to himself.
Chen Jingzong put his hands behind his head, looked at the dark top of the bed and said, "It's nothing. I brought back a chicken this morning. Tomorrow, do you want to eat it at noon or at night?"
Hua Yang originally didn't care about this, but for some reason, when Chen Jingzong mentioned this, her mouth filled with excitement.
"At night. It won't be easy for people to find out."
"Well, the fish in the mountains are fat, but the pheasant doesn't have much meat. One is barely enough for the two of us to drink soup and fill the gap between our teeth."
Hua Yang: "Sleep, don't think about it." The more she thought about it, the hungrier she got.
Chen Jingzong: "I can't help it."
Hua Yang secretly slandered, isn't it just a chicken, but he kept thinking about it like this?
"Then you think about it, I'm going to sleep."
Hua Yang moved inside, adjusted her posture and prepared to sleep.
Chen Jingzong: "You didn't think about it? I think you seem to enjoyed it."
He could tell that she really didn't like that very much in the past, so he didn't dare to delay it for too long every time for fear that she would become more and more resistant. But last night, she was completely different.
Enjoy?
Hua Yang finally realized what he was "thinking about" and gritted her teeth, pretending not to hear.
But Chen Jingzong sat up, stared at her back and said: "When I was eating noodles in the morning, you listed three conditions for me. If I can do it, you will let me sleep on the bed. Just now I took a shower and rinsed my mouth, so can I come up?"
Hua Yang: "Fine, but you can't touch me."
That medicine could only be taken once every three months. Hua Yang didn't want to ruin her body because of his greed.
Chen Jingzong didn't say anything, just threw the pillow up and lay down heavily with the quilt in his arms.
A hot breath sprayed on the back of Hua Yang's neck, which showed how close he was lying to her. Hua Yang could even feel the man's body heat coming from him.
The bed seemed to suddenly become smaller.
The images that she didn't want to recall became clearer and clearer in her mind, including the strong bodies of the two guards fighting in her aunt's house.
Hua Yang quietly moved inside.
Just after she steadied herself, there was movement behind her, and Chen Jingzong chased after her again.
Opposite Hua Yang was the bed board, so she stopped moving. But Chen Jingzong was like a wolf eyeing his prey, making no secret of his appetite, and the breath he sprayed became heavier and hotter.
How can Hua Yang fall asleep like this?
"You turn around, breathing so heavily, it makes me upset." She said pretending to be unhappy.
Chen Jingzong sprayed her twice more and really turned around. He also moved two feet away to make it easier for her to turn over.
The couple lay still, and the inside the curtain quickly became quiet.
Hua Yang still had her eyes open.
She thought of her own rebirth.
Things happened so suddenly. Would she wake up tomorrow and return to the grand princess mansion in the capital, back to a time when there was no Chen Jingzong and the Chen family were sent to the frontier?
If that was the case, she couldn't change anything, but at least she should let Chen Jingzong understand that she didn't dislike him as much as before.
Hua Yang slowly turned around, and opposite was Chen Jingzong's back lying on his side. This posture made his shoulders seem wider.
Hua Yang's mind wandered away again.
Before she got married, she slept alone. When Chen Jingzong died and she became a widow, she still slept alone.
The same person, but the feeling was completely different.
Because she lived in the palace before getting married, the palace was her home, with her father emperor, mother empress, and younger brother.
As a widow, she lived alone in the grand princess mansion. It was not good to live in the palace again, and it was also difficult to take her mother out. Even if she could, her mother would not leave the palace, otherwise it would arouse random suspicion among the courtiers and the people.
The Grand Princess Mansion was her home, but it was so deserted that it didn't feel like a home.
If Chen Jingzong live well, even if the couple quarrel every day, it would be much livelier.
During these three long years, she still missed him to some extent.
"You are not allowed to move."
Chen Jingzong was aware of her since the moment she turned around, and thought she was just changing her position to sleep, but suddenly he heard her say this.
Chen Jingzong remained motionless.
Hua Yang leaned forward and put her hand around his thin waist.
If he hadn't been so annoying several times during the day, maybe she would have wanted to hug him like this long ago.
Chen Jingzong's whole body tensed up.
Hua Yang squeezed his hard arm, touched his broad shoulder, and sensed his warm body temperature, really felt that he was a living person, lying next to her.
She felt peaceful and secure in her heart, but Chen Jingzong felt like a pot of fire had been overturned on his body.
Could it be this is her new idea of torturing him?
Thinking that she had just taken medicine in the morning, Chen Jingzong closed his eyes and continued to serve as a piece of wood.
.
Hua Yang slept soundly this time.
She remembered that she fell asleep holding Chen Jingzong, but she didn't expect that when she woke up in the morning, it would be Chen Jingzong holding her.
Her whole body was surrounded by Chen Jingzong, with his regularly rising and falling chest behind her, and his strong arms around her waist.
While Hua Yang was glad that she was still here, she felt that Chen Jingzong's arms were too heavy and made her feel uncomfortable.
She tried to lift his arm.
At this moment, the arms suddenly stretched forward, and his broad palms clasped her with incomparable accuracy.
Hua Yang:…
"Sure enough, you lost weight."
Before she exploded, Chen Jingzong retracted his hand and whispered with disdain.
Hua Yang sat up with a livid face.
Chen Jingzong raised his eyebrows: "Why, only you are allowed to molest me, but I am not allowed to reciprocate?"
Hua Yang hit him with a pillow.
Chen Jingzong jumped out of bed and rushed to the clean room.
Anger was anger, but Hua Yang still wanted to ask him to do something. After breakfast, she handed him the two letters she wrote yesterday: "Go and ask father. If father also has memorials to send to the capital, please sent my letters along with it."
Father Emperor valued father-in-law very highly, and since father-in-law had finish taken care of the funeral, he should write a memorial to father emperor to report that he was safe.
Chen Jingzong deliberately asked: "What if he didn't write a memorial?"
Hua Yang: "Then you send the steward to the post station."
The ancestral home of the Chen family was too small. She and her two sisters-in-law only had four maids, and there were no boy servants available.
Chen Jingzong understood: "I am the boy servant beside you."
Hua Yang glanced at him and took a silver leaf from the room and gave it to him: "Your reward. Can you go now?"
Chen Jingzong flipped the silver leaf, looked at her with unclear meaning, and left.
Main House.
The Cabinet Elder Chen Tingjian was entertaining his second brother Chen Tingshi.
He won the Zhongyuan title at the age of nineteen. After that, he either stayed in the capital or worked as an official. For thirty years, he relied on his second brother to take care of the family property and their mother. Now that the brothers were reunited, they naturally have a lot to talk about.
"Brother, this is our family's account book. You were not at home before, but now that you and sister-in-law are back, I'd better leave the family's property to you to take care of."
Chen Tingshi pointed to the two boxes of account books that the servant had brought in, and said respectfully and honestly.
Chen Tingjian waved his hand: "What are you talking about? We have to go back sooner or later. It's still up to you and sister-in-law to continue take care of these things."
Chen Tingshi: "Nevertheless brother better check the accounts…"
Chen Tingjian: "You're being too distant with me!"
He grimaced, under the prestige of a veteran official, Chen Tingshi no longer dared to persuade.
Chen Jingzong came here at this time.
Although Chen Tingshi was the uncle, he still stood up nervously when he saw this heroic and cold nephew.
Chen Tingjian glared at his son: "Why don't you greet your second uncle properly? There's no respect to the elder, how can you behave like this!"
Chen Jingzong's expression was indifferent: "We're uncle or nephew, why so distant?"
He actually used his father's own words that he had just heard.
Chen Tingjian's eyes twitched, this Old Four is not good at reading, but he talks back better than anyone!
Chen Jingzong didn't say much and put the two letters on the table next to the old man: "Princess's letter. When you have time, send it together to the capital."
The corner of Chen Tingjian's eyes twitched again, he motioned to his second brother to go out first. Then he asked his son: "Do you know what is written in the letter?"
Chen Jingzong: "Don't worry, they are all praising our family."
Chen Tingjian breathed a sigh of relief, but with a stern expression on his face, he lectured his son: "Your mother and I have a clear conscience towards the princess. The only one who wronged her is you, a pighead. Knowing that the princess dislikes you for being vulgar, but you still don't know how to repent!"
Chen Jingzong sneered and left without listening to the words.
The Author has something to say:
Old Four: Dislike me? last night is the second time the princess took the initiative to hug me!
Old One looked at his children, and Old Three looked at his wife who was pregnant with their third child: ….
Chapter 8
Chen Tingjian and his son was like fire and water when they met, but Chen Tingshi, who was waiting outside with his shoulders hunched, the one that suffered.
Chen Tingshi had lived in the shadow of his brother since he was a child.
His elder brother was a genius. He passed the children examination at the age of nine, passed the county imperial exam at the age of twelve, passed the provincial imperial examination at the age of sixteen, and became a Zhuangyuan at the age of nineteen!
Chen Tingshi had no talent for reading, and was not very smart to begin with. The more people around him compared him with his brother, the less he could study. In the end, he just broke the pot, stopped striving to get scholarly honor, and ran to his family's fields to farm! Facing the loess and turning back to the sky, although it was physically hard, no one expected him to study anymore. Chen Tingshi felt particularly relaxed, as if a big stone had finally been lifted off!
Chen Tingshi, who farmed the land honestly, did not resent his elder brother because of the comparison. On the contrary, he admired and was very grateful to his elder brother!
If his brother had not become an official, he and his mother would not have live better and better in their hometown. If his brother had not become an official, he would not have married the most beautiful girl in town!
"Brother, I was the one who stood up first just now, don't blame Jingzong."
When he came back in, Chen Tingshi persuaded him with a shameful look, blaming himself for getting up to greet his nephew which confuse the social rule, and causing his nephew to be scolded.
Chen Tingjian waved his hands, not wanting to talk more about his family's Jianzhong.
Chen Tingshi looked at the letter on the desk again and asked nervously: "The princess's letter is for the emperor? Do she dislike the simplicity of our home?"
Chen Tingshi, who had been farming for most of his life, never thought that a princess would live in his home one day!
The princess didn't appear much after coming here, and she wore a veil every time. But just by looking at her figure and the blurry eyebrows under the veil, one could tell that she must be a fairy-like beauty.
Thinking that the princess would complain about their family to the emperor, Chen Tingshi began to sweat on his forehead, looking at the two letters like looking at death sign.
Chen Tingjian looked at the words on the envelope for a while, then touched the beard that had reached his chest and said, "You are worrying too much. The princess is reasonable and will never waste brush and ink on such trivial things."
Looking at the princess' writing, which was brisk and gentle, and then thinking about what his wife said yesterday that the princess actually called her mom, he knew that the princess was not dissatisfied with the arrangements at their home, except for the Old Four.
Chen Tingshi believed in him. His brother had been like this since he was a child, always had a well thought out plan in mind.
He stole a few more glances at his brother's beard.
His brother was not only ten million times more talented than him, but also very handsome. Not to mention when he was young, even now at fifty, he was still elegant and graceful. His long beard was smoother than a woman's hair and the roots were distinct, it wouldn't make people think it's unkempt or excessive.
Do all the officials in the capital have beards like this?
Chen Tingjian suddenly said: "I also want to write a memorial to the emperor. Second Brother, please go back first."
Chen Tingshi nodded, called the servant, and carried the two boxes of account books back.
Their branch of family lived in the east house of Chen House. They consisted of Chen Tingshi, his wife Qi shi, and their son Chen Jizong's family of three.
Qi shi was sitting in the main room.
Like Sun shi, she only wore white mourning clothes and did not use any make up on her face. However, Qi shi's appearance was flamboyant and well-maintained, really couldn't tell that she was already forty years old. With her bamboo-leaf eyebrows and red phoenix eyes, she had the shrewdness of a lady in charge. Usually when Chen Tingshi stood by her side, he didn't look like her husband, but more like a steward, obeying her orders.
Seeing her husband bringing the account book back, Qi shi curled her lips and smiled: "Brother didn't read it, right?"
Chen Tingshi sighed: "Brother believes in us and tells us to continue to be in charge."
Qi shi drank tea slowly, and after everyone had left, she sarcastically said in a low voice: "Believe it or not, in the capital brother is a high-ranking official with a generous salary. He got reward from the emperor above and filial piety from officials below. He doesn't put our family's land and shop in his eyes. If this time he comes back not for mourning, but get expelled by the emperor and loses his official position, the first thing he will do is fight with us for the family property."
Chen Tingshi didn't like to hear this and tried to reason with her: "Our family's ancestral property only has fifty acres of land. Now we have more fields and several shops, all relying on brother to send money home every year. Even if one day brother really wants to go back, it's also what he deserves."
Qi shi: "Bah! He sent money here, but that's his duty to honor his mother, and it's just such a little money. If I hadn't planned carefully to pick a land today, and buy a shop at the right location tomorrow, racking my brains to let the silver continue to give birth to more silver, afraid we won't even scrape money together for mother's medicine!"
Chen Tingshi: "You are telling lies with your eyes open. In the past thirty years, the total amount of money brother sent home was three to four thousand taels. This time, before returning from the capital, he sent back another five thousand taels…"
With a "bang", Qi shi slammed the tea bowl on the table.
Chen Tingshi's shoulders trembled and he looked over with three points of fear.
Qi shi glared at him and said, "Don't mention what was sent before. Almost all of it were spent to take care of mother, repaired the house, added family's property, and all of it was for public use. There is almost nothing left. As for the five thousand taels that were sent this time, more than half of it were spent to repair Siyi Hall for the Old Four and the princess, and the Babu bed in the princess's room alone cost 1,500 taels. It was you who watch people sent it over. Have you forgotten this? Where can I cut corners?"
Chen Tingshi lowered his head. Siyi Hall was very expensive. Even the locust trees in the yard and the peonies in the flower beds were all the precious varieties. He couldn't appreciate them, but he knew they were expensive.
Qi shi: "Five thousand taels, more than half of which was spent in Siyi Hall, and the rest was used for my mother's grand burial. In order to wait for brother and the others to come over for the burial, we bought as much ice as we could, and we also added 1,000 taels from the public account. How could he, a Cabinet Elder, keep track of this? It was obviously our two families who contributed the money together, but you actually thought it was all contributed by brother alone. You are so stupid. No wonder you're not even pass the county exam!
"Here, here is the account book. Every expense is clearly written down. See for yourself!"
Qi shi opened a box, took out the account book on top, and threw it directly at Chen Tingshi's hands.
Chen Tingshi instinctively grabbed the account book but did not open it.
What to see, every time his wife spent a large amount of money, she had to whisper it in his ear, and he could almost memorize it.
He was a rough man, and it was indeed his wife who took care of everything at home all these years, including taking care of the shop, repairing the house, and receiving people and things.
His brother contributed money and his wife contributed effort, only he was the one that useless.
"Forget it, let's not talk about it. Anyway, it's rare for brother and the others to come back and stay for two years. Let's not argue about money. It won't look good if it goes out."
Qi shi sneered: "I didn't want to argue. It's because you only see your brother and don't treat me as a person."
Chen Tingshi sighed helplessly, and no matter what Qi said next, he would never talk back.
.
Chen Tingjian was writing memorial in the study, Chen Bozong was studying, and Chen Xiaozong was responsible for teaching the children. All three of them, father and son, had something to do.
Only Chen Jingzong was trapped in a small courtyard, feeling extremely bored.
Yesterday's bow and arrows were ready, and he still wanted to go into the mountains.
"I may not come back until dusk this time. If the old man comes looking for me, you can find an excuse to help me fool him."
Carrying a bow and arrow on his back, Chen Jingzong came to discuss with Hua Yang.
He was dressed in grey plain clothes. If one didn't look at his face and only at his figure, he looked like a mountain hunter.
In the past, Hua Yang didn't like him running into the mountains every day, which not only violated the etiquette of mourning, but also considered not doing an honest day's work.
Now she didn't want to care about these, and felt that it was good for him to go to the mountains. Mastery of study lies in diligence, wasn't hunting a kind of martial arts training?
He could only boast about this one skill, if he wasted his martial arts skills, it made people looked down even more.
"Go ahead, be careful not to be recognized." Hua Yang warned while flipping through the book.
Chen Jingzong looked at her contented look, and his expression became strange again.
When she first moved here, she was like a canary locked in a cage. Although she didn't struggle desperately, her face was full of reluctance to be trapped.
Why it changed after just one night?
"Wouldn't it be boring for you to stay here all day?" Chen Jingzong asked, sitting opposite her, in no hurry to leave.
Hua Yang looked outside the window and said calmly: "I'm used to it."
The palace was a big cage, Chen House was a small cage, and the Grand Princess Mansion was neither big nor small, but it was still a cage.
So what about being a princess? Like all women in the world, she could only be trapped in the inner house. At most, she could go shopping in the streets and go to other people's houses to eat and be a guest.
The only difference was that as a princess, she had the best food and clothing in the world, and she didn't have to worry about money.
Chen Jingzong couldn't understand what she was thinking, but he could only tell that if she had a choice, she wouldn't want to stay at home all day long.
With a turn of thoughts, Chen Jingzong asked: "Perhaps you can go into the mountains with me? Going there every few days is just a way to relax."
Hua Yang's heart moved slightly, but she gave up the next moment.
There were also a few mountains near the capital. When she traveled, there were guards in front of her to clear the way, and there were palace maids in the back to serve. Moreover, the mountains on the outskirts of the capital were beautiful, and the stone steps for climbing were neatly paved. At a glance, the mountains behind Shiqiao Town were only wild trees and mixed forests. Every time Chen Jingzong came back, the uppers of his shoes and trousers would be stained with mud, which showed that there were ordinary dirt paths inside.
Plus there may be snakes and insects in the mountains…
"Not going."
Chen Jingzong did not force it, and said before leaving: "If you feel interested one day, just tell me."
Hua Yang looked up and saw that his figure had disappeared.
.
Without Chen Jingzong, Siyi Hall became even quieter. After a while, the crisp and neat sounds of children reading came from the schoolroom on the other side of the Main House.
Hua Yang sat under the shade of the trees in the yard and couldn't help but think about the appearance of his nieces and nephews.
Counting the one in the belly of her second sister-in-law Luo Yuyan, Chen Jingzong had a total of three nephews and two nieces.
Hua Yang didn't like children very much, but Wan Yi, Chen Jingzong's niece from eldest brother's family, was sweet and well-behaved, and had always been her favorite.
An eight-year-old girl was the age when she first learns the female arts.
Her sister-in-law Yu Xiu came from a poor family and might not have much good things in her hands.
Hua Yang called Zhu'er: "Go to Guanhe Hall and tell the eldest madam that I miss the eldest miss. If the eldest miss willing, let her come here to eat at noon."
Zhu'er immediately went to Guanhe Hall.
Yu Xiu was sewing summer clothes for the children. When she saw that her princess sister-in-law had sent a maid, she hurriedly put down her work and came out to welcome her.
Zhu'er smiled and passed on her master's words.
Yu Xiu was flattered and responded in a panic: "Okay, you go back to the princess. As soon as Wan Yi comes back, I will ask her to come and pay respect."
Zhu'er bowed and left.
Yu Xiu was still standing blankly under the eaves.
Chen Bozong walked out of the study.
When Yu Xiu saw her husband, she quickly walked up to him and said nervously: "Why did the princess think of calling Wan Yi over? Wan Yi is clumsy, what if she accidentally broke things over there. I heard that the princess used imperial gifts…"
Chen Bozong frowned and said: "Wan Yi is eight years old, how can she be so careless? Don't be nervous and say something belittling the children."
He looked the most like Chen Tingjian, and his temperament was also the most similar, dignified and serious. After being scolded, Yu Xiu turned pale and lowered her head.
When Chen Bozong saw it, his brows furrowed deeper. Knowing that her cautious temper probably could not be change, he said no more and went back to his room to continue reading.
Yu Xiu was depressed for a while. Thinking of the princess, she went to get ready and took out the best clothes she had brought for her daughter this time they came to Lingzhou.
Around noon, the children came back.
Yu Xiu first took her daughter into the house to change clothes. When Chen Bozong saw it, although he did not approve, he didn't say anything more, so as not to spoil his wife's appetite and make her unable to eat later.
"Dad, Mom, I'll go over then." Wan Yi said with a smile.
Yu Xiu: "Go ahead and don't talk nonsense when you get to the princess."
Wan Yi smiled and walked briskly.
Yu Xiu looked at her daughter's back and felt a little envious: "She is quite brave. When I met the princess, I didn't even know where to put my hands."
Chen Bozong lowered his eyes and drank tea.
The five-year-old boy Dalang looked at his nose, his nose pointed at his heart. He was not afraid of his fourth aunt princess, but the fourth aunt seemed to only like his sister and never called any of the boys over.
Siyi Hall.
Hua Yang guessed that Wan Yi was coming, so she stood at the gate of the hall and waited. When the eight-year-old girl walked into the yard with a sweet smile, Hua Yang's eyes softened.
When everyone in the Chen family got exiled, Wan Yi was just fourteen years old, which was exactly the flower bud age. Hua Yang couldn't imagine how much suffering she would suffer in the bitter cold borderland.
"Fourth Aunt, you have lost a lot of weight."
Since the old lady was buried, Hua Yang had never left Siyi Hall. After such a long time, Wan Yi suddenly noticed the changes in her body.
Hua Yang smiled and said: "It's my first time in Lingzhou, so I haven't acclimated to it. It'll get better after a while. What about you, are you tired from studying?"
Wan Yi shook her head: "I'm not tired, but Third Uncle seems to be quite exhausted. By the way, why didn't I see my Fourth Uncle?"
Hua Yang pointed to the inner room and said nonsense: "He sleeps lazily inside. Let's eat first, don't worry about him."
Wan Yi was surprised. Her fourth uncle was too lazy, he was actually still sleeping at noon. How could he be so shameless!
Wan Yi glanced at the bedroom. In front of the princess, she even wanted to blush for her fourth uncle!
Hua Yang saw it and was secretly amused.
Who is to blame? Chen Jingzong refused to stay at home honestly, so don't blame her for making such excuses.
There was a cute little girl beside her, and Hua Yang ate lunch with gusto. After the meal, she asked Chao Yun to take out a silk handkerchief she had prepared and gave it to Wan Yi.
There was a lifelike peony embroidered on the handkerchief, and a colorful butterfly flew over as if it was about to fall.
This was embroidered by the embroiderer in the palace. The needlework was exquisite. With Yu Xiu at her side to give guidance, Wan Yi could benefit a lot from following it.
"What a beautiful handkerchief, thank you Fourth Aunt!"
Wan Yi liked this gift so much. She held the handkerchief with both hands cherishingly, and her dark and bright eyes were full of joy.
Hua Yang smiled and touched her head: "Go back and rest early."
Wan Yi hugged her coquettishly, then bowed and left.
Guanhe Hall.
Chen Bozong and Yu Xiu were both waiting for their daughter. Yu Xiu was relieved to learn that the princess had given their daughter an exquisite handkerchief.
Chen Bozong didn't look at the handkerchief and asked casually: "How does your Fourth Uncle get along with the princess?"
He wanted to know if the fourth brother had curbed some of his indecent habits.
When mentioning the fourth uncle, Wan Yi showed a look of hatred for iron not becoming steel: "I didn't even see Fourth Uncle. Fourth Aunt said he was still lazily sleeping in."
With a "poof" sound, Chen Bozong almost spit out the tea he had just swallowed.
Yu Xiu also looked in disbelief. The children didn't dare to sleep for so long, why did the fourth brother…
"How unbecoming!" Chen Bozong put down his tea cup, unable to hide his anger.
Yu Xiu and her daughter looked at each other, and walked away tacitly.
Chen Bozong decided to discipline his younger brother who was getting more and more willful.
In the afternoon, he sent the maid to Siyi Hall to invite his fourth brother over.
The little maid made a trip and came back with a complicated expression: "Princess said, there were mice in Siyi Hall last night. Fourth Master caught the mice all night and now is still asleep. If you have something, he will come to see you after he wakes up."
Chen Bozong:…..
The Author has something to say:
Old Four: I was wronged!
Old One: If you didn't sleep in, what were you doing?
Old Four: ….
Chapter 9
At dusk, seeing the last ray of sunset in the yard disappearing, Chao Yun finally heard a short whistle from the other side of the west wing.
She patted her chest and happily said to the princess who was sitting in the main room reading a book: "He's back, prince consort is finally back!"
Hua Yang was slightly relieved. It was so late, and she was a little worried that Chen Jingzong had some accident in the mountains, like being bitten by a poisonous snake, or accidentally falling off a cliff or something.
She only had this one prince consort. Although he had a lot of problems, it was better than nothing.
Hua Yang liked to be the most noble princess in the capital, not the most noble "widow".
Following a burst of steady and powerful footsteps, a tall and majestic figure appeared at the door, making the whole room a little dark.
Hua Yang raised her head, glanced at Chen Jingzong's seemingly handsome and serious face, and quickly fell into his hands.
This time he came back without any game. His left hand carried three oil-paper bags and his right hand carried… a jar of wine!
Hua Yang frowned. She almost forgot that in her previous life, Chen Jingzong had to take two mouthful of wine almost every time!
"Where did you get the wine?" she asked in a low voice.
Seeing that her master was getting angry, Chao Yun hurriedly lowered her head and retreated.
Chen Jingzong didn't take it seriously, stepped in, and put the wine jar on the table. He sat down again, and explained while picking up the teapot and poured the tea: "I shot two rabbits this morning, and deliberately crossed the mountain to another town more than ten miles away to exchange it with the wine."
He said it so easily, but he had to climb the mountain and hike more than 20 miles back and forth, just for a jar of wine!
Hua Yang hated the smell of alcohol, and even more disliked that Chen Jingzong put so much effort into buying the wine.
"The meat had been eaten, so what if we're drinking some wine?"
Chen Jingzong looked at her face and couldn't understand her temper.
"I don't like you drinking," she said bluntly.
Chen Jingzong's expression became serious, recalled for a moment, and said, "Your condition for letting me sleep on the bed didn't include abstaining from alcohol. If you find the smell unpleasant, I promise to brush my teeth thoroughly."
Hua Yang was silent.
Another reason why she hated alcohol was her father in the palace.
When her father emperor summoned the ministers, he looked like a wise monarch, but in private he liked to drink and indulge. When she was nine years old, Hua Yang accidentally encountered her father forcing a palace maid when he was drunk. Her father's red face, vulgar language, and obscene behavior were all Hua Yang's nightmares, causing her to resist seeing him from that year on. When she saw him, she couldn't suppress the disgust in her heart.
Chen Jingzong was just drinking a little, but Hua Yang was very worried that one day he would drink too much and force himself on her like his father did on that palace maid.
In her memory, she and Chen Jingzong once went to her uncle's house for a banquet. Chen Jingzong drank too much that day. When Hua Yang came out of the shower, she found him sitting by the bed, smelt full of alcohol, and stared at her with dark eyes.
Hua Yang looked calm on the surface and coldly told him to go to sleep in the front yard, but in fact the hands hidden inside her sleeves were shaking uncontrollably.
So what if she was a princess? When she was alone with Chen Jingzong, she was just an ordinary woman with no strength to bind a chicken. She couldn't even break off one of Chen Jingzong's hand.
Fortunately, Chen Jingzong still listened to her that night.
This man was like this, constantly done things that she disliked, but he always reminded her of some of his good qualities after his death.
"One bowl at most, don't drink too much." Hua Yang compromised again.
Chen Jingzong: "One bowl at normal time. But if there's a celebration or something that troubles me, you won't stop me, right?"
Hua Yang snorted: "As you like. If you drink too much, find a room to sleep by yourself. Don't come to my place."
But inside she wondered, he could even ignore his own father's scolding, what things could troubled him.
Chen Jingzong was noncommittal and quenched his thirst. He pushed three oil paper bags over and said, "I also bought some snacks. There is nothing good in town. You can eat them if you like. If you don't like it, keep them for me."
Hua Yang glanced at the oil paper bag.
A pampered princess, let alone rough work, she couldn't even do trivial things like removing ropes with her own hands.
Seeing that she didn't move, Chen Jingzong scoffed, untied the rope and unfolded the oil paper.
Hua Yang saw a pack of melon seeds, a pack of dried meat, and a pack of dried apricots.
Compared with the special snacks in the palace, these three packages were much inferior in every aspect. The melon seeds were not plump enough, the color of the dried meat was not bright enough, and the dried apricots were too small.
But in these neighboring villages and towns, these three packages were already high-quality goods, and they were things that Chen Zhai, who was in mourning, could not buy right now.
The purpose of mourning was to commemorate the deceased. The more grief you show, the more people would praise your filial piety. If you were still in the mood to eat snacks, what it looked like?
Everyone knew that mourning was painful, and officials might even have to worry about delaying their future. But filial piety was paramount, and scholars like the Chen family must pay more attention to etiquette.
"Will my stomach hurt after eating it?" Hua Yang had no confidence in the food from a small town.
Chen Jingzong: "Wouldn't you know after you try? Anyway, I'm fine after eating it."
Hua Yang hesitated for a moment, but decided to wait until one day when she was really greedy.
"Supper is not ready yet, you should go take a bath first."
He was covered in dust, and Hua Yang didn't want to take another look at him.
Chen Jingzong told Chao Yun at the door: "Just bring a bucket of cold water, no need to boil it."
Hua Yang frowned: "A bucket of water can wash it clean?" It wasn't even enough for her to wash her hair.
Chen Jingzong looked over: "If we won't do anything, what's the use of washing it so cleanly?"
If she slept with him, he could take a brush and brush it thoroughly from head to toe to ensure that she was satisfied with everything.
Hua Yang's face turned red.
She was really too simplistic at the beginning, thinking that even if the Cabinet Elder's son practiced martial arts, he would definitely be a refined scholar!
Zhu'er went to fetch water, and Chao Yun went to the inner room to get a change of clothes for Chen Jingzong, put them on the shelf next to the bathtub, and then retreated.
Hua Yang asked her to put away the jar of wine and three bags of snacks, and continue to sit in the main room.
Not long after Chen Jingzong entered the clean room, there was the sound of splashing water, followed by particular sound of a wet towel being clenched and rubbed along the back.
It was as if the two guards from her aunt's mansion appeared in front of Hua Yang's eyes.
She didn't look at their faces carefully, but she deeply remembered their broad shoulders and thin waists.
In comparison, Chen Jingzong's body was even better-looking. His figure was more slender, his muscles were strong, well-proportioned and just right.
Fucui Hall.
Luo Yuyan felt uncomfortable sitting for a long time and was walking slowly in the yard. Erlang and Sanlang were squatting under the tree and playing with ants. Chen Xiaozong, who had been teaching all day, was lying comfortably in the side room to rest.
The main house sent a maid to bring dinner, which was dumplings stuffed with three kinds of vegetables, three vegetarian dishes, and an egg drop soup.
Luo Yuyan watched the maids come in, and then watched the maids leave, her mouth was very tasteless.
People were like this, they didn't appreciate meat when they could eat it every day, but if they couldn't eat meat for three months, they would be very greedy!
"Mom, let's go in and eat." Erlang was hungry, he threw away the small wooden stick in his hand, and stood up.
Luo Yuyan nodded, and just as she was about to walk in, a wisp of stewed chicken's smell suddenly drifted over from Siyi Hall.
Luo Yuyan looked at her two sons silently.
Erlang and Sanlang both sniffed hard.
After confirming his eyes with his brother, Sanlang happily ran to his mother: "Mom, there is meat!"
Luo Yuyan hissed, told her sons to keep quiet, and then called Chen Xiaozong out.
This time the aroma of the stewed chicken was stronger, and Chen Xiaozong could smell it too.
He smiled, that good Old Four, he lied without even blinking!
.
Siyi Hall's dinner today included stewed chicken and wine, and Chen Jingzong enjoyed it very much.
Hua Yang stopped her chopsticks after she was seven-tenths full.
"There still one more bowl, do you want it?" Chen Jingzong looked at the soup pot and asked her.
Hua Yang: "You drink it."
Chen Jingzong poured the chicken soup into a bowl and drank it in several gulps.
Hua Yang:…
She knew that she would never be able to transform her prince consort into an elegant person in this life.
After she solve the Chen family's problem, in the next life, she may be able to look for someone with outstanding appearance and demeanor.
"Prince Consort, Eldest Master asked you to go there after dinner."
Zhen'er came over to report.
Hua Yang was surprised: "Could it be that Eldest Brother also smelled it?"
She somewhat regretted following Chen Jingzong to cheat. It was like being a thief, and she had to worry about a little wind.
Chen Jingzong thought for a while and said: "Even if Eldest Brother smells it, he will only pretend not to know if he cares about your face. He must be looking for me for something else."
When he said this, Hua Yang remembered: "Eldest Brother also sent someone to look for you in the afternoon. I said that you were busy catching mice last night and were catching up on sleep during the day."
Chen Jingzong: "Okay, then I'll go over and take a look."
After rinsing his mouth carefully, Chen Jingzong went to Guanhe Hall.
Chen Bozong stood in the corridor and watched his fourth brother coming from Siyi Hall in a distance. His hair was still half wet, so he was sure that his fourth brother had slept all day and had taken a shower when he woke up covered in sweat.
"I heard that you were busy catching mice last night. Until what time have you been busy?" Chen Bozong asked with a serious face.
Chen Jingzong said some nonsense: "I don't remember exactly, but it was almost dawn."
Chen Bozong: "Even so, you shouldn't sleep all day, it's embarrassing."
Chen Jingzong frowned: "You don't have to worry about my business. Just say, why are you looking for me?"
Chen Bozong: "That's it. Not to mention what the princess thinks of you, Wan Yi went to have lunch with the princess at noon. As a Fourth Uncle, don't you feel ashamed when your niece knows that you slept in?"
Chen Jingzong squinted his eyes and finally understood the cause and effect.
He said perfunctorily: "Ashamed, I won't sleep in anymore."
Chen Bozong:…..
Knowing that the Old Four just agreed casually and pretended to admit his mistakes honestly, it was hard for him to teach him a lesson.
"His Majesty has shown great grace by marrying the princess into our Chen family. You should abide by the etiquette in front of the princess and don't act arbitrarily."
"Okay, I will kowtow to her three times every time we meet from now on."
"You…"
Chen Jingzong ignored him and turned around to walk back.
When passing Fucui Hall, he happened to meet Chen Xiaozong stepping out of the gate.
When they met, Chen Xiaozong smiled first, like a jade-faced fox: "Where did Fourth Brother coming from?"
Chen Jingzong stopped, "Problem?"
Chen Xiaozong walked over and caught a glimpse of a figure at the other end of the corridor. When he looked over, he only saw the corner of his eldest brother's clothes flashed away.
"Eldest Brother is looking for you?" Chen Xiaozong asked curiously.
Chen Jingzong: "None of your business."
Chen Xiaozong: "Okay, let's just talk about ours. You ah, you! Yesterday the maid said she smelled fried fish over there but I didn't believe it. Today we all smell the smell of stewed chicken over there. Does Fourth Brother still want to deny?"
His tone was teasing, with an easy-going attitude of "Although you have violated etiquette, you are my biological brother, so I won't discipline you."
Chen Jingzong said expressionlessly: "We only stewed chicken fir mushrooms."
Chen Xiaozong smiled and patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, Third Brother won't expose you."
Chen Jingzong pushed his hand away: "Eating is eating, and not eating is not eating. I won't admit to something I haven't done. If Third Brother doesn't believe me, you're welcome to search our kitchen. It will clear our names."
Chen Xiaozong's smile froze. Even if there was no princess, it would be too ugly for him, a scholar, to look through his brother's kitchen.
Seeing that his younger brother wanted to be tough to the end, Chen Xiaozong had to change his words and said helplessly: "Fourth Brother, Third Brother won't laugh at you for cheating. To be honest, eating a vegetarian diet for a year is really too harsh. Eldest Brother and I only read books every day and doesn't require any energy, so it's still bearable. But you practice martial arts and have to keep fit, how can just eating vegetarian food be enough. Third Brother understands that. Third Brother came here to see you, but it's actually for your Third Sister-in-law."
Chen Jingzong's cold expression eased slightly.
Chen Xiaozong saw hope, and his expression became more sincere. He took his brother and took two steps to the side: "Your Third Sister-in-law is pregnant at the wrong time this time. Fortunately, she is doing well. She didn't have any fetal movement on the journey, but her complexion is obviously not as good as when she's pregnant with Erlang and Sanlang. She has no energy during the day and her legs often cramp at night, all because eating too much vegetarian food.
"She is sensible, no matter how hard, she can endure. But as her husband, seeing her suffer from cramps to the point of tears, it truly pains my heart. Besides, she can't eat well, and our child in her belly won't grow properly.
"Fourth Brother, Third Brother knows that you are very capable and can go to the mountains to catch game. For the sake of your Third Sister-in-law and your unborn nephew and niece, next time you catch game, can you share a bowl with your Third Sister-in-law? Just one bowl to replenish your Third Sister-in-law's body, Third Brother doesn't need it."
This was said with great sincerity and was quite touching.
Chen Jingzong was silent for a moment and said: "Third Brother has a deep affection for Third Sister-in-law, and I admire it. But I really didn't cheat. Please trust me."
Chen Xiaozong looked at him in disbelief, unable to accept that he had already said so much but the Old Four still refused to admit it!
The next moment, Chen Jingzong said again: "But Third Sister-in-law's health is very important. I am willing to find opportunities to go into the mountains to get her some food."
Chen Xiaozong's shock suddenly turned into relief. He knew that although the Old Four was crude, there was no way he would not care about brotherhood.
Chen Jingzong: "However, if father finds out about this, he will definitely punish me, and I will have to kneel in the ancestral hall for several days. If I haven't married, I wouldn't mind kneeling for the sake of Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law. But now that I am married, I don't want to make the princess look down on me even more, so I asked Third Brother to write a note stating that it was you who asked me to enter the mountain, so as to save me from worries. This is also for the sake of harmony between me and the princess."
Chen Xiaozong:…..
The way Fourth Brother said that, why did he beat around the bush, and not just once?
Chen Jingzong looked at the sky and said, "If Third Brother agrees, you can go and write the note now. I'll wait for you here. If Third Brother doesn't want to write the note, just pretend we didn't talk about this."
After saying that, he waited and saw that his brother was hesitant and was about to leave.
Chen Xiaozong subconsciously grabbed his arm.
Chen Jingzong looked over calmly.
Chen Xiaozong knew that he had been tricked by this seemingly crude and unpretentious brother.
Since tonight he came to ask his fourth brother for help for his wife, if he gave up just because of a note, the deep feeling and righteousness just now would suddenly become a joke.
But if he wrote those note to his fourth brother, he would be the one who was punished by their father to kneel in the ancestral hall if they were exposed in the future.
Father wouldn't care whether his wife has cramps in the middle of the night. Even if there were extenuating circumstances, he would still be punished!
If he had known this, if he had known this…
Can he ignore his wife's grievances?
Chen Xiaozong, who knew exactly what he would choose, smiled, pointed at his brother while shaking his head, and said, "You wait here."
A quarter of an hour later, Chen Xiaozong returned again, still carrying a lamp in his hand.
Chen Jingzong unfolded the note and read it carefully under the light to make sure that his third brother did not play tricks with his words. He gave him a meaningful look and said, "Third Brother is quite considerate."
Chen Xiaozong sighed: "I just hope you will act cautiously and never let father catch you."
Chen Jingzong: "I'll try my best. By the way, when I bring back the game, I will ask the maid to inform Third Sister-in-law. Then I will ask Third Sister-in-law to send a servant here to cook. The princess is very strict about rules, so I'm afraid she won't agree to let the maids around her to touch the meat during the mourning period."
Chen Xiaozong really wanted to ask, if the princess really disdain it, could it be that the fish and chicken in the past two days were all cooked and eaten by the Old Four alone?
But the Old Four didn't admit that he was cheating at all, and some things could only be tacitly understood. Besides, it was natural for the princess's maid to only serve the princess.
The brothers finished their conspiracy and went home.
Chen Jingzong found Hua Yang sitting on the bed in the inner room.
"Why you gone for so long?" Hua Yang asked casually.
Chen Jingzong sat on the edge of the bed and handed her the note in his sleeve.
Hua Yang took it suspiciously. After reading it, she looked at Chen Jingzong incomprehensibly.
Chen Jingzong smiled: "With this, we can eat whatever we want from now on. If something goes wrong, Third Brother will take care of it for us."
This was also good news for Hua Yang, who couldn't help but laugh: "How did you get it?"
Chen Xiaozong was a veritable Tanhua. How could a crude guy like Chen Jingzong be able to trick him?
Chen Jingzong was not conceited: "Third Sister-in-law is pregnant. I took advantage of this weak point, so he can only agree."
After hearing this, Hua Yang looked at the Tanhua's leisure handwriting and couldn't hide her envy: "Third Brother is so kind to Third Sister-in-law."
Reputation was the most important thing for a scholar, and Third Master Chen willingly gave away his handle for his wife.
If Third Master Chen had not yet married when her mother empress conferred the marriage, she would have married Third Master Chen. If the couple were harmonious, how could there be so much anger over trifles.
Suddenly there was a cold sneer from above her head, and the paper in her hand were snatched away.
Realizing that her little thoughts had been seen by him, Hua Yang couldn't help but feel embarrass. She pulled up the quilt as if she was sleepy and lay down with her back to him.
"I was the one who went to the mountains, and I was the one who hunted. It's him who got all the good names."
Hua Yang blinked after hearing the ridicule.
Well, the Fourth Master of Chen family was also very good. Even if Third Master Chen loved his wife, he still needed help from his brother. Fourth Master Chen directly delivered the fish, chicken and three bags of snacks to her table.
The Author has something to say:
Old Four: This is not the only thing I am better than him
Hua Yang: Tell me
Old Four: …
Chapter 10
Luo Yuyan never expected that she just wanted to eat some meat, but she would cause her husband to send written pledge to her brother-in-law Chen Jingzong.
"I won't eat it. Why did you write that note?"
In the dark night, Luo Yuyan sat on the couch and looked at her husband with great annoyance: "If there is no written note, they won't dare to be too presumptuous and just eat a few meals in secret. Now that we are helping to take the blame, they won't have any scruples. In any case, it's us who father will punish if there's any trouble."
Chen Xiaozong looked at her with a smile: "The Old Four has no ill intentions. He just wants to drag us into the water and let us willingly keep the secret. By the way, everyone cheats together, so no one laughs at anyone."
Luo Yuyan pouted: "You still speak for him! If he really treats you as a brother, why would he make things difficult for you?"
Chen Xiaozong: "This is not difficult. I keep a secret for him, and he give me the game he worked so hard to catch. This is fair."
Luo Yuyan was just not happy: "When the game is brought back, I have to send a maid to cook over there. The princess pretended to be noble, but I handed her solid evidence. I will never be able to raise my head in front of her in this life."
Chen Xiaozong still laughed: "That's the princess. Why, you still want to show your sister-in-law's airs in front of the princess?"
Luo Yuyan slapped him angrily: "Why do you always speak for them?"
Chen Xiaozong sat up, hugged her with one hand, and gently touched her abdomen with the other: "The matter has come to this, why worry about it so much. I just hope that you will eat more nourishing food, and the two of you will be healthy."
Luo Yuyan's eyes showed the tenderness of a loving mother, and said helplessly: "If it weren't for this child, we wouldn't have lost this face."
If she had known that instead of taking advantage, they would instead be manipulated by Siyi Hall, she would rather eat vegetarian food every day than say anything to her husband!
.
Two days later, Chen Jingzong went to the mountains again and brought back two fish and two chickens. He hid one portion in the west wing and put the other in the kitchen.
After it was all ready, Hua Yang asked Zhu'er to go to Fucui Hall to pass on the message.
Luo Yuyan complained in her heart, but she couldn't make mistakes in terms of etiquette. Since she was borrowing Siyi Hall's kitchen, how could she really only send a little maid over to cook?
Hua Yang entertained her in the main room.
No matter what, it was started because of her gluttony. Luo Yuyan's face was red and she was too ashamed to look at Hua Yang, she lowered her eyes and said, "Blame my body for being useless, I always have leg cramps in the middle of the night. Third Master was so worried that he actually did something like this, bothering Fourth Brother to go to the mountains for such a stupid thing. Really made Princess laugh."
Hua Yang also took advantage of this matter, so how could she use it to laugh at others.
Besides, her heart felt terrible when she saw Luo Yuyan's big belly. She felt that Luo Yuyan was more fragile than tofu or jade at this time, and the slightest touch or tiring would trigger the fetal gas.
"It's all trivial and not worth mentioning. Third Sister-in-law, please sit down and talk."
Hua Yang signaled at Chao Yun.
Chao Yun quickly helped Luo Yuyan to sit on the chair together with the nanny that she brought over.
This nanny was almost fifty years old. She was good at taking care of pregnant women and young children, and was the old servant next to Luo Yuyan.
Hua Yang knew that everyone in the Chen family would be polite when in front of her. Even if they had something to do, they would have to be polite first and wasted time in vain, so she took the initiative to say: "Chao Yun, take nanny to the kitchen to have a look. Prince Consort's martial skills are not very good, after a long trip today he only brought back one fish and one pheasant. How about nanny cook it according to Sister-in-law's preference, and the kitchen will be at your disposal."
The nanny nodded respectfully and looked at Luo Yuyan again.
Luo Yuyan's eyes flashed slightly, and she said softly: "Since already troubling Fourth Brother, I will accept it shamelessly. Nanny, you stew the fish and the chicken. I will take the fish away and leave the chicken for the princess to replenish her body."
Just as the nanny was about to respond, Hua Yang said with a faint smile: "I appreciate Third Sister-in-law's kindness. It's just that I'm not pregnant, so I should be mourning the old lady with Prince Consort."
What a joke. Even Chen Jingzong knew not to leave a handle, and someone as proud as Hua Yang would be more impossible to let outsiders know that she was cheating.
In her previous life, Chen Jingzong was among this outsider. When he placed the fragrant roast chicken in front of her, Hua Yang wanted it so much, but for the sake of face, she could only resist eating it.
Now that she regarded Chen Jingzong as one of her own, she didn't mind showing her true nature in front of him.
After hearing these words, Luo Yuyan's face turned red again.
If this sister-in-law's identity was different, Luo Yuyan would use roundabout ways to ridicule her to relieve her anger. However, Hua Yang was the most favored princess in this dynasty. Even the emperor's equally favored Princess Nan Kang was ordered by Hua Yang to be slapped in the mouth by the palace maid. Guifei1 niangniang2 couldn't even blow the pillow wind into the emperor's ear and let Hua Yang eat a loss, so how could she, a small daughter of marquis mansion, dare to confront Hua Yang head-on?
"Ah, once pregnant, stupid for three years. It's because I didn't think twice before talking. I hope Princess can forgive me."
Not only she could not talk back, Luo Yuyan had to apologize with her tail tucked.
Hua Yang smiled in an approachable manner: "Third Sister-in-law is too polite. It takes time for nanny to cook. Third Sister-in-law, please go back and wait first. Later you can call the nanny directly. Third Sister-in-law must rest, no need to be courteous with me again."
The people had already give order to see off the guests, so Luo Yuyan had to leave.
Hua Yang went to east side room.
Chen Jingzong leaned on the couch comfortably, holding the playbook Hua Yang had read earlier in his hand.
"Give it back to me." Hua Yang walked to the couch.
Chen Jingzong put the playbook in her hand but did not let go: "My martial arts are not good?"
Hua Yang: "Otherwise, am I to say that you hunt easily, so that she doesn't have to be sincerely grateful to you?"
Chen Jingzong looked at her petal-like lips and let go.
He occupied the side room, and Hua Yang went to the inner room.
As a result, a soon as she sat down by the window, Chen Jingzong actually followed in and sat opposite her with great fanfare.
Hua Yang raised her eyes and asked what he want with her eyes.
The bright sun outside the window was obscured by the dense branches and leaves of the locust tree, but the light was still bright, making her face white and transparent. The most beautiful jade in the world could not compare to this beautiful face.
Chen Jingzong thought about the image of her with messy black hair and flushed cheeks inside the bed curtain, but his face still looked proper: "You will get tired of eating only chicken and fish. Next time I will take the game to that town and exchange it for some pork and duck meat."
Hua Yang continued to read, and said casually: "It's up to you, just don't let anyone recognize you."
Chen Jingzong: "Hmm."
Hua Yang read two lines of words, raised her eyes again, and met his eyes that were looking at her openly. His eyes were dark and seemed to be burning with fire.
For two lifetimes, Chen Jingzong was the only person who dared to look at her like this. Unless it was imperial relatives, other men did not even dare to look directly at her.
"Just go out if you have nothing to do."
Hua Yang glared at him.
Chen Jingzong: "Where to go? The nanny next to Third Sister-in-law is still in the kitchen. If she saw me going to the east wing, it's unknown what she'll think about us."
Hua Yang: "Then go to the side room and wait there."
Chen Jingzong: "Why you insisted me to go? You do your own thing and I do mine, we don't disturb each other."
Hua Yang felt that his staring was a distraction, like there was an extra wild wolf beside her. Who could concentrate on reading?
"Don't you like going to the mountains? You still have a whole afternoon, you can go there again."
"I'm tired and don't want to move."
Hua Yang:…
She took the book and went out, and asked the maid to carry the lounge chair under the shade of the tree. She lay down on it comfortably. However, when she raised her eyes, she saw Chen Jingzong sitting by the window, facing her.
Just when Hua Yang was about to raise the book to block him, Chen Jingzong walked away.
Hua Yang relaxed instantly.
.
As soon as the fourth month ends, the Dragon Boat Festival was just around the corner.
There were many ways for wealthy families to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, such as raising a dragon boat team to compete on the river, or inviting a theater troupe to sing at home, and the whole family gather together happily.
This year's Dragon Boat Festival in Chen House was destined to be deserted, but it was still necessary to gather together for a meal.
The main house sent a maid to convey the message. After the maid left, Chen Jingzong said to Hua Yang, who was not paying attention at the side: "What's wrong with you this time?"
The old lady passed away, and there were a bunch of things in the Chen House before and after the burial.
When guests came over to express their condolences, or when relatives stayed vigil at the funeral, Hua Yang didn't show up at all. She only offered incense to the old lady on the day she first arrived and on the day the coffin was sent for burial.
But whether it was the people in Chen House, the guests who offered condolences, or the people watching the ceremony in town, they all felt that this was how the majestic princess should be.
Chen Jingzong himself was tired of socializing with his family, and he could understand Hua Yang's avoidance.
However, some face-saving effort still needed to be done, and you have to find a reason to avoid it.
Hua Yang raised her eyebrows and looked at him: "What's wrong?"
Chen Jingzong: "You're not going to the family dinner…"
Hua Yang: "Who said I'm not going?"
Not to mention Chen Jingzong, Chao Yun also looked at her master in surprise.
Hua Yang continued to admire the peonies in the flower bed.
These peonies were all precious varieties. Probably because they were transplanted, but the flowering season was delayed, and they only bloomed in the past two days.
The Moutan peony was the size of a bowl, its petals layered on top of each other, as thin as brocade.
Hua Yang looked at these flowers and missed the gorgeous clothes she had left in the capital. Many of them were printed and dyed according to the colors of various peonies, and they looked real when placed among the flowers.
In Chen Jingzong's eyes, she was much more beautiful than those peonies, but now he was more curious about what she was thinking.
"You never liked to attend those family dinners, why are you going this time?"
Chen Jingzong walked up to her and asked.
Hua Yang couldn't give him any reason, so she could only put on the wilfullness of a princess: " I want to go, so what? Is that not allowed?"
Chen Jingzong:….
If he said not allowed, the old man and the others would torment him.
A sensible son would definitely inform his parents and asked them to be prepared to welcome the princess daughter-in-law, but Chen Jingzong was not so "sensible".
On the fifth day of Fifth lunar month, all the branch of the Chen family gathered in Danyuan Hall of the main house.
Chen Tingjian and Sun shi were the first to arrive.
The two sons of Chen Bozong and Chen Xiaozong arrived at about the same time as Chen Tingshi's family of five from the east house.
Chen Tingjian was talking to his younger brother Chen Tingshi.
Sun shi was surrounded by her two good grandsons, Erlang and Sanlang. Even if she wanted to entertain her sister-in-law Qi shi, her attention would inevitably be taken away by her grandchildren.
Qi shi had a smile on her face, but felt very unhappy in her heart. If she was also an official's wife, would Sun shi still dare to neglect her like this?
She looked at Chen Tingjian without a trace, thinking about his identity as a Cabinet Elder, and felt that his long beard became more and more elegant. Chen Tingzhi looked like a farmer in front of him!
Qi shi envied the men in the eldest house. Her son Chen Jizong also glanced at Yu Xiu and Luo Yuyan secretly and felt that the two cousins-in-law were better than his wife in everything.
"Grandma, I'm hungry."
Sanlang's clear voice suddenly sounded in the hall, and then everyone fell silent.
Sanlang was only three years old and didn't notice the changes around him. He just looked at his grandmother expectantly.
The little guy who used to eat delicious food in the capital had to eat vegetarian dishes every day after returning to the old house. Now finally could eat rice dumplings, Sanlang was looking forward to it.
Sun shi was just about to coax her grandson when the maid outside turned around with a mixture of joy and surprise: "Master, Madam, the Fourth Master and the Princess are here!"
Chen Tingjian was the first to stand up!
To be honest, when he was in the capital, he could meet the emperor almost every day, and the young crown prince was his student. He was used to seeing the two most noble people in the world. Chen Tingjian had already been able to deal with any of the emperor's relatives with ease, and even severely reprimanded the crown prince.
But he had no experience getting along with a princess, especially since this princess was the most favored in the palace and became his daughter-in-law!
The Chen family was not an aristocratic family, not even a scholarly family. Only the two generations of father and son have achieved fame and become high-ranking officials.
Chen Tingjian was not a flatterer, and he was not afraid that the princess would complain about the Chen family's disrespectful treatment to the emperor. What he afraid of was that his family's poor hospitality would make the noble princess feel wronged.
Just like the most delicate peony in the world was transplanted to the Chen family, how dare he, Chen Tingjian, cruelly destroy of heavenly thing?
If the Old Four was promising, it would only be enough to win the princess's affection and make her feel happy physically and mentally. However, the Old Four was a disgrace. The more the son wronged the princess, the more the father-in-law had to do his best to make up for it!
Sun shi, Chen Tingshi and others had just stood up after him, and Chen Tingjian had already walked out. When he saw the princess in plain clothes walking beside his son, Chen Tingjian bowed and saluted from a distance.
Hua Yang stared at her father-in-law in white clothes under the eaves.
Long before she married Chen Jingzong, she was already very familiar with her father-in-law.
She had witnessed her father-in-law's calm and composed demeanor in front of her father emperor, where a few words from him were like grand strategies for governing the country. She had also wilfully attended her father-in-law's lectures to her younger brother, where he effortlessly cited classical texts and examples.
For such a good Cabinet Elder, his sons must be like beautiful jade in the world.
It could be said that Hua Yang happily cooperated with her father emperor and mother empress' marriage proposal, partly because she fell in love with Chen Jingzong's face, and partly because she admired this father-in-law.
In her previous life, she had not been able to see her father-in-law for the last time, but she had witnessed his family being wronged and suffered.
Father-in-law worked hard for the court and the people all his life, but the court had failed him.
As an imperial daughter, Hua Yang felt ashamed.
"Father, please dispense the curtseying. We are all family. Father, you must not be so formal in the future."
Hua Yang quickened her pace slightly, her voice gentle.
Chen Jingzong glanced at her. She was like this. She was gentle and soft-spoken in front of her father, eldest brother, and third brother, but she only looked coldly at him.
Chen Tingjian stood up straight, but lowered his head slightly to avoid looking directly at the princess in front of him. He only made a gesture of inviting her in.
Inside, everyone in the Chen family consciously moved to both sides.
Hua Yang walked in with a smile, her eyes swept over her mother-in-law, Chen Bozong, Chen Xiaozong and others one by one, and then looked at Chen Tingshi's family on the right side.
Chen Tingshi lowered his head deeply.
Qi shi glanced at the princess quickly. Obviously she was just an eighteen-year-old woman, but her stern eyebrows made her quickly avoid her.
Chen Jizong also wanted to take a peek, because it had been so long since the princess moved here and he had never seen her face.
However, when he really saw the appearance of the princess, Chen Jizong turned into a blockhead with crooked neck. It was Chen Jingzong who came over and kicked him in the calf. Chen Jizong suddenly came to his senses and hurriedly dodged to his mother's side.
Qi shi hated Chen Jingzong's merciless kick, but there was nothing she could do about it.
Chen Tingjian glanced at his second brother Chen Tingshi vaguely.
This glance was no longer the care of the elder brother for the younger brother, but contained the official authority of a Cabinet Elder.
Chen Tingshi wiped his sweat repeatedly and decided to beat his good-for-nothing son when he went back. He was usually just a lustful person, but he dared to turn his lust on the princess. Do you still want your life?
