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At the entrance of the Wangfu, He Yu intended to wake Xiao Yao, but upon seeing her sleeping face, he hesitated. So, he carefully planned to carry her down from the carriage. Unexpectedly, Xiao Yao woke up on her own, rubbed her eyes, and sat up. "Hmm? Are we there?"
"Yes," He Yu softly said in Xiao Yao's ear. "Be good, when we get back, wash up properly before sleeping again."
"Mm." Xiao Yao drowsily allowed He Yu to carry her down from the carriage and then slowly dragged her hand back to the Central Courtyard. Yun Yue and Yun Bi stayed at the residence; the bathwater had long been prepared. Seeing the prince and princess return, they quickly helped Xiao Yao remove her hair ornaments and facial makeup. After washing her face several times with a cloth, Xiao Yao's eyes finally opened a little.
He Yu returned to the study to handle some matters. When he came back, Xiao Yao's makeup had been completely washed off, and her hair flowed smoothly down her back. Compared to the dazzling Xiao Yao from before, she now appeared much purer and cuter. When Xiao Yao turned her head and saw He Yu had arrived, she seemed accustomed to reaching out her hand towards him. He Yu smiled and took it. "What? Is this an invitation for this king and princess to bathe together?"
"Mm, you wash me..." Xiao Yao lazily elongated her words, leaving He Yu completely unable to resist, so he could only agree.
He carried Xiao Yao and sat her down in the bathtub, which was indeed quite large; it took four sturdy servants to lift it when filled with water. Leaning against the side of the tub, Xiao Yao let out a long sigh of relief. "Hah... I'm exhausted..."
"That's how it is at times like this," He Yu affectionately kissed Xiao Yao's lips. "But there are only a few times like this in a year; just endure it and it'll pass."
"Mm, I know." Xiao Yao nodded obediently; after all, she was the princess of Xuanping Wang. If enjoying wealth and being adored was a privilege of being a princess, then enduring these few hardships each year was merely part of her duty. Thinking about it as just a few times a year, she decided to endure it.
Perhaps it was truly because they were too tired; although they were bathing together in the tub, neither had any other thoughts.
After washing up, He Yu took a cloth and gently dried Xiao Yao's hair bit by bit. Then he heard Xiao Yao say, "Is Ning Consort really trying to go against us?"
"Naturally," He Yu revealed a hint of sarcasm upon hearing "Ning Consort." "Your husband is firmly supporting the Crown Prince; Ning Consort naturally cannot stand it."
So that's how it is. Having watched many historical dramas in her past life, she understood this situation only partially. They were not on the same side; naturally, there would be various conflicts when gathered together. Xiao Yao expressed understanding. However, after a while, she angrily said, "But she really knows how to stir trouble. Her mouth is quite formidable."
"That’s for sure," He Yu laughed. "This woman has achieved her current status largely thanks to that mouth of hers."
Xiao Yao lay on the bed with her eyes closed and said gloomily, "I never want to see that Ning Consort again in my life. It's fine this time because you are here, but if I were to encounter her alone, I really wouldn't be able to handle it."
"You don't need to handle her," He Yu said softly. "Women like her usually have a bad ending. Don't worry, her fate won't be too good."
"Mm." Xiao Yao nodded gloomily and then turned back to ask, "How do you know her ending will be bad?"
He Yu was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "Generally speaking, those who are too arrogant don't end well."
"Well, you're not exactly low-key either." Xiao Yao pouted; she had openly confronted the Consort in front of all the court officials and princes.
"Yeah..." So my past ending was quite miserable too, He Yu did not say the latter part.
After chatting with Xiao Yao for a while longer, and once their hair was mostly dry, the two finally embraced and fell asleep.
Perhaps they were truly exhausted; when Xiao Yao woke up again, it was already late morning. When she got up, she found that the space beside her was empty.
Xiao Yao got up, and Yun Zhu came over to assist her. "Where is the prince?"
"The prince has already had breakfast and gone to the study in the front courtyard. The princess should have breakfast first," Yun Zhu said with a smile.
"Okay." Xiao Yao nodded, knowing that He Yu hadn't left.
After washing up and having breakfast, Xiao Yao headed towards the study in the front courtyard. Zhao Hezhong stood at the door and saw Xiao Yao approaching from afar. He hurriedly bowed to her, saying, "Servant greets the princess."
"Is the prince inside?" Xiao Yao walked closer and asked.
"Yes," Zhao Hezhong nodded, "but the prince is currently in a meeting. Would the princess like to wait in the side hall for a moment?"
Xiao Yao thought for a moment, just about to respond when the study door opened, and a man dressed in deep blue came out. He had a fair complexion and looked like a scholar. Upon seeing Xiao Yao, the scholar immediately lowered his head and mumbled, "I have met the princess." As he spoke, his entire face turned red, reaching his ears.
Xiao Yao found this shy scholar quite amusing; she had never seen such a bashful man before. However, in front of others, Xiao Yao still remembered some etiquette, so she cleared her throat and softly said, "It's fine. Have you finished discussing matters with the prince?"
"Oh, yes, I have finished. I will take my leave now." He hurriedly left without giving Xiao Yao a chance to nod.
Xiao Yao watched the man's retreating figure and couldn't help but find it funny. At that moment, Zhao Hezhong said, "Princess, please come in."
"Ah, okay." Xiao Yao nodded and stepped into the study.
This was actually Xiao Yao's first time in the front courtyard's study. After all, she rarely came to the front courtyard; today was only because He Yu had instructed her to come after breakfast to find him; otherwise, she wouldn't have come.
Rather than a study, it looked more like a place for meetings in Xiao Yao's eyes. Upon entering, there were two neat rows of chairs; at the front was the main seat. Behind it was a table with a blue-and-white porcelain vase on the left and a mirror on the right. In the center hung a calligraphy piece. Xiao Yao stood there looking at it but couldn't tell whose authentic work it was.
At that moment, He Yu slowly walked over and said, "This is a poem written by Great Ancestor Emperor for my grandfather many years ago; it has been hanging here ever since."
Oh!
Xiao Yao's expression immediately changed. "That's impressive!"
"Yes," He Yu said with a smile, "back in the day, my grandfather established this Dafeng Nation for the Great Ancestor. The Great Ancestor left behind a poem before passing away. Later, my grandfather defended the borders of Dafeng for two emperors and entrusted this heavy responsibility to my father. Unfortunately, my father died in battle during an ambush by the Xiongnu in the year I was born, and my mother followed him in her grief..."
As he spoke, He Yu's voice became choked with emotion. Xiao Yao hugged him tightly; at that moment, no words could compare to a simple embrace. They remained silent for a while, and Zhao Hezhong had already taken the servants from the study and left without a trace. After a long time, Xiao Yao finally said, "Now it's your turn to take up the mantle. You need to work hard and achieve something; otherwise, you would be letting down our ancestors."
Hearing this, He Yu smiled broadly. "Yes, I need to put in more effort."
"Oh, right! Why did you call me here?" Xiao Yao suddenly remembered.
"Naturally to set off! Otherwise, I would have to go back. The main gate is right in the front yard; I wouldn’t need to retrace my steps," He Yu replied matter-of-factly.
"Where are we going... oh right, we are going to the Zhuangzi!" Xiao Yao exclaimed as she slapped her forehead. Turning around, she saw He Yu looking at her speechlessly. Xiao Yao grinned sheepishly and said, "I forgot because it sounded too tiring. By the way, have you prepared everything?"
"It's all at the Zhuangzi; no need to prepare anything," He Yu said as he guided Xiao Yao outside. Hearing this, Xiao Yao had nothing to object to and obediently let He Yu pull her out.
Just as they reached the entrance of the Wangfu, they saw the Third Prince coming over. He Yu stopped to greet him, and the Third Prince smiled back. "Hong Ming, where are you headed?"
"Just taking my wife to stay at the Zhuangzi for a couple of days," He Yu replied with a smile. "What about you, Third Prince? Where are you going?"
"That sounds nice," the Third Prince said with a smile. "My residence is just ahead; I’m going to check it out since I’ll be moving out of the palace soon."
Upon hearing this, He Yu followed the Third Prince Yang Yunpei's gaze and realized their residences were quite close together. He Yu chuckled and said, "That's great! Once you move out, we can visit each other more often. It would be good for our wives to get to know each other better."
The Third Prince nodded with a smile. The two exchanged pleasantries for a moment before parting ways.
After getting on the carriage, Xiao Yao asked, "The Third Prince seems much more low-key than the Fourth Prince, doesn't he?"
"Yes," He Yu nodded. "The Third Prince is not favored by the Emperor, and his mother's status is also low. Compared to the Eldest Prince and the Fourth Prince, he is merely a consort, so naturally, he is not well-regarded."
"However, I find the Third Prince quite approachable," Xiao Yao said.
"Indeed, it's a pity that he doesn't have a prominent maternal family to support him," He Yu said with a wry smile. "When we were all studying in the study room, the Third Prince was praised by the Grand Tutor as a refined gentleman—humble and courteous, with proper conduct. It's unfortunate that his maternal family isn't influential, leading to his awkward position now; it must be difficult for him."
Xiao Yao was surprised by He Yu's evaluation of the Third Prince. After a moment of silence, she smiled and said, "In that case, after the Third Prince gets married, I can interact more with Consort Prince, right?"
"Of course," He Yu smiled and thought for a moment before adding, "Although his maternal family is not prominent, having one less threat is still a good option."
"Yes." Xiao Yao nodded, indicating that she agreed. "Does this mean I can help you?"
He Yu paused for a moment before giving Xiao Yao a very affirmative smile. "Yes, it definitely counts!" (To be continued)
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