mtl008 Chapter 22 What kind of good father stays up late at night, waiting for someone to come and report o
Chapter 22 What kind of good father stays up late at night, waiting for someone to come and report o
After drinking the wine, Lu Yuxi was sent to drink the spicy hangover soup, while Lin Shiming squatted in front of the bench and began to examine the pair of candles.
"Will this candle really burn all night?"
Lu Yuxi sat beside him, sipping her soup, but her eyes never left Lin Shiming.
"One night might not be enough, but three hours should be fine."
"Why?"
"The meaning of the dragon and phoenix candles is that one represents the groom and the other represents the bride. They are lit together before going to bed at night, and the next morning you see how many are left. If both candles burn out completely, that is the best meaning. If they don't burn out completely, you have to see how long they are left, whichever candle goes out first. The one that goes out first has a shorter lifespan."
"Oh, that's why I chose the shorter cooking time, so I wouldn't have leftovers by the next day!"
"That's right. However, our royal family will naturally avoid the candles going out halfway. Both of these candles are exquisitely crafted and generally cannot be extinguished without a particularly strong wind. Moreover, both of these are carved dragons, so even if they were to go out, it would be impossible to tell which one it is."
"Don't talk nonsense!" Lin Shiming turned around and warned Lu Yuxi, then turned back to fiddle with the two candles. "Have you finished drinking? If you have, go check all the windows, don't let the wind blow in."
It's not that he's superstitious; it's just that his very existence is inexplicable.
Lu Yuxi naturally followed Lin Shiming's instructions. He put down the empty bowl in his hand, got up and carefully checked all the windows in the inner room, and then squatted down in front of the bench.
Lin Shiming handed him a tinderbox.
"Here are two tinderboxes, let's light them together!"
"it is good."
The two carefully lit the candles at the same time, and watched as the flames flickered twice before slowly stabilizing.
Lin Shiming was overcome with curiosity and wanted to see if the breeze could blow it out, but he hesitated to take a bite.
Lu Yuxi saw through his thoughts. "Try it if you want. Just be careful so it won't go out. It's okay if it does go out; you can just light it again."
"No way!" Lin Shiming's eyes widened in anger as he pulled Lu Yuxi to her feet and took several steps back. "Don't cause trouble!"
Lu Yuxi glanced at him helplessly. Which of us wants to cause trouble?
Lin Shiming easily understood his gaze.
"Don't you dare try to get me to cause trouble!"
"Okay, my mistake." Lu Yuxi chuckled and pulled him to sit on the bed. "The wedding candles are lit, shouldn't we celebrate our wedding night?"
No, it's not my fault I was nervous. How am I supposed to respond when you suddenly say something like that? Should I just say, "Then let's get started quickly?"
"...I haven't even asked you yet, how do you know so much about wedding nights?" Let's change the subject first and prepare ourselves mentally.
Lu Yuxi paused for a moment, then lowered her head and answered softly.
“A few years ago, when my elder brother, Crown Prince Huamin, was getting married, I was helping him prepare for the wedding and that’s how I found out about it from the Imperial Household Department.”
How did I manage to dredge up someone's painful past just by trying to change the subject? Lin Shiming felt so guilty he almost slapped himself. I deserve to die!
"Well, well, let's go to the bridal chamber instead, it's getting late..."
Lu Yuxi looked up in surprise and saw Lin Shiming's guilty gaze wandering around, with a trace of red on his ear.
Immediately, Lu Yuxi smiled silently, agreeing with him.
Waaaaah, I, a dignified young general, have been reduced to selling my body to appease people today, waaaaah.
Although Lin Shiming had learned a lot about related topics in his previous life, this was his first time actually experiencing it. He couldn't help but close his eyes nervously, feeling Lu Yuxi's hands begin to peel off his clothes layer by layer.
Then he was gently laid down on the soft bed.
A soft, slightly amused voice rang in her ears.
"Don't be afraid."
*
Shortly after the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), the doors of the main hall of the East Palace were opened from the inside.
Wearing only an inner garment and a cloak, Lu Yuxi appeared in the sight of the eunuch guarding the door.
Several eunuchs hurriedly stood up and bowed, not daring to look up again.
"His Royal Highness."
"Go and fetch a few buckets of hot water; the Crown Princess and I wish to take a bath."
"The slave obeys."
The eunuchs at the door quickly went about their duties, and in less than a quarter of an hour they had prepared a bathtub, hot water, and other necessary items in the side room.
After adding the last bucket of water and leaving a few more buckets on the charcoal stove as spares, the head eunuch pondered for a moment, then tentatively approached the screen in the inner room and inquired, "Your Highness, the water is ready. Would Your Highness require our services...?"
Lu Yuxi's voice soon came from inside, and upon closer listening, it seemed to contain a hint of restraint.
"No need. You may all leave."
The eunuch dared not linger any longer, hurriedly replied, and then turned and ran out the door.
As the door closed, Lu Yuxi's gentle voice finally rang out from inside the room again, "Alright, I've already chased them all out. Shall I help you take a bath?"
Lin Shiming, who was completely buried in the quilt, finally revealed his head and a rosy, moist face.
"Then, what about the bed...?"
Even a young general has his pride.
"It's alright, I'll take care of things after I shower."
"Oh."
*
The emperor's sleeping quarters, Huangji Palace.
Inside the main hall, Xuanzheng Hall, Emperor Longyun was pondering a memorial. But his gaze, fixed on the first page, was enough to prove how distracted he was.
"Li An!" Emperor Longyun's voice was somewhat impatient.
"The slave is here."
"What time is it? There's still no news from the Crown Prince's palace?"
Li An cursed under his breath. What kind of father stays up all night waiting for a spy temporarily planted in the Eastern Palace to report on his son's affairs in his room? Is he crazy?
Although he cursed countless times in his heart, Li An still wore a fawning smile on his face.
"Your Majesty, it is just past 3:45 AM now, and there is still no news."
Just as Emperor Longyun was about to erupt in anger and start cursing, a palace attendant suddenly strode in from outside.
"Your Majesty, this humble servant pays his respects."
Emperor Longyun's expression changed, and he casually tossed aside the memorial in his hand. "Is this news from the Crown Prince's Palace?"
"Your Majesty, that's right. Just now, news came from the Eastern Palace that His Highness the Crown Prince has asked for water."
"Did you see clearly? Was it the Crown Prince who ordered the water?"
"Look closely, the eunuch we arranged is waiting at the entrance of the main hall tonight. I saw it clearly, it was His Highness the Crown Prince who came out to call for water."
"Hahahaha!" Emperor Longyun slapped the table and laughed heartily. "Well done, my son! Li'an, prepare the carriage, I'm going to the Fengxian Hall to pay homage to our ancestors!"
"Your Majesty, it's already late at night. You still have to get up for court and have tea with your wife tomorrow. Now that you know, why don't you rest first and go to offer sacrifices tomorrow?" Are you out of your mind?
"No need! I'm in high spirits right now because of this happy occasion. What's a couple of hours less sleep? Such an important matter should be informed of our ancestors immediately!"
Li An twitched his lips. "This servant obeys the decree."
*
Late at night, Emperor Longyun, traveling light and with few attendants, went to the Fengxian Hall again.
“Li An, do you know that after my future crown prince uncle was lured away by Lin Qingyuan, the royal family issued a secret order that all future emperors should strive to snatch someone from the Lin family into the royal family sooner or later to relieve the long-standing hatred of my Lu royal family.”
"But the next two emperors failed to complete it. When it came to me, Lin Shihe even snatched away a potential crown princess. I thought I would only be disgraced and be scolded by my ancestors in the future, but unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better, and my Lu family finally snatched a son from the Lin family's fox den to be the crown princess!"
Li An smiled obsequiously, "In my opinion, this is all thanks to Your Majesty's literary and military prowess, wisdom and resourcefulness, which enabled you to fulfill our ancestors' long-cherished wish in one fell swoop."
"Exactly! Based on this alone, I will have something to say before Emperor Taishi in the future!" Emperor Longyun tapped the armrest of his imperial carriage with pride. "Moreover, back then, my uncle's affair with Lin Qingyuan was not publicized or a wedding was held. Today is different. All the people in the world know that it was the Lin family boy who 'married' into the royal family, and they will have to serve me tea as his bride. I must explain this achievement to them in detail before the ancestral tablets!"
Li An's smile became even more obsequious.
*
The dramas at Huangji Palace and Fengxian Hall naturally wouldn't reach the East Palace, since Lu Yuxi has always been upright and wouldn't do something like planting people just to spy on other people's privacy.
At this moment, in the main hall of the East Palace, Lu Yuxi, who had just finished bathing, was busy making the bed, while Lin Shiming, dressed in his undergarments, sat on the couch eating snacks.
He would occasionally offer a few pointers.
"There are folds on the left side."
"Be careful, or you'll blow out all the wedding candles!"
…
After finishing half a plate of snacks and drinking two cups of tea, Lu Yuxi finally changed into new bedding under Lin Shiming's "guidance".
"Come and rest, we have to get up early tomorrow to serve tea."
Lin Shiming then patted the crumbs off his hands, rinsed his mouth, wiped his hands and mouth clean with a handkerchief, and slowly got into bed.
After cramming the people inside, Lu Yuxi turned around and extinguished the other candles.
By the time he finally got into bed and lay down on the outside, Lin Shiming was already asleep with gentle breathing.
"You little heartless one."
Lu Yuxi murmured something softly, reached out and pulled the person into her arms, then closed her eyes to rest.
*
When I opened my eyes again, it was already broad daylight.
Lu Yuxi closed her eyes to calm herself down before realizing that she had already gotten married yesterday. Turning her head, she saw Lin Shiming sleeping soundly with his head on her arm.
Lu Yuxi reached out and smoothed the strands of hair that had fallen onto Lin Shiming's face, but her gaze inadvertently fell on the red mark on Lin Shiming's collarbone. In an instant, the ambiguous and romantic moments of last night replayed in her mind.
Some understood the meaning of "From then on, the emperor no longer held morning court".
"Your Highness!"
A soft exclamation came from outside.
Lu Yuxi tugged on the rope at the head of the bed in response, and then cautiously called out Lin Shiming's name twice.
"Shiming, wake up, it's time to get up."
Lin Shiming impatiently turned over.
"Shi Ming, Shi Ming?"
"Stop barking!"
Lin Shiming sat up angrily, his clear black and white eyes glaring at Lu Yuxi.
"Didn't you have your wedding leave and not be attending court today? Why are you up so early?"
Lu Yuxi smiled helplessly and sat up as well. "You forgot, we have to serve tea to Father and Mother this morning."
"!"
Why didn't you remind me sooner!
In an instant, chaos erupted inside the room.
The eunuchs who were waiting outside filed in, some bringing water and others tidying up.
Lin Shiming looked around, "Lu Yuxi, where are my clothes? Where did I put them?"
"I've had some of what you brought put in the wardrobe on the left, and the rest are in the west wing." Lu Yuxi walked over and gestured to the eunuch serving beside her to open another wardrobe. "However, since it's your first day of marriage, you should wear the Crown Princess's everyday clothes that I prepared for you. After this month, you can wear whatever you like."
"What about my other things? Oh right, my two wolf cubs!"
"Everything's arranged. I'll come back and take you to see it in a bit."