Chapter 10, In the Quiet of the Night

The prince consort practices swordsmanship in the open space of the garden

Therefore, Ji Yang did not consider the direction that Shen Du had reminded her of, "That's right, the elder sister-in-law is devoted to Buddhism, especially fond of tranquility, but the lady of the house still prefers lively gatherings"

Born with a seductive charm

Subsequently, there are Qi Beiyuan of Songlin Garden, Liu Seshe who is currently favored in Huanhua Garden, as well as several other concubines, and naturally, there are also the lesser concubines.

"Sister Wu is a great talent, and she has a good temperament. Today, I mentioned going to her place to learn some calligraphy, and without a second thought, she agreed. " Ji Yang said with a smile, but as she spoke, a hint of sympathy suddenly appeared in her eyes, "In fact, Sister Wu is not very old, and she has no children or family. It would be quite pitiful if she were to live her life all alone like this."

As Shen Du lay on the bed, she inhaled the steam from his recent shower, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. She wanted to modestly retreat a little, but felt reluctant to do so, so she simply moved closer and rested her head on Shen Du's arm to speak.

After Shen Du finished bathing and changing, Ji Yang also had to get dressed up, as the concubines from the various courtyards outside the corridor were still waiting to serve tea to their mistress

Although the daughters do have archery lessons, there are very few who practice sword dancing. Ji Yang could not say that her swordsmanship was actually for the purpose of dancing, so she rolled her eyes and said: "I just want to defend myself; that time by the Zhang River was truly terrifying"

Ji Yang was mesmerized as she watched from the side, yet in her heart, she thought, this is what true sword dancing is all about, far more spirited than the sword dances of the court dancers. In that moment, she couldn't help but mimic Shen Du's movements, having danced the Hu Xuan for quite some time, switching to sword dancing felt refreshing, especially with a ready-made master like Shen Du.

Shen Du turned his head to glance at Ji Yang, "What makes you want to learn swordsmanship?"

In Shen Du's view, the beauty's lips are best used for soft, delicate cooing rather than for speaking. Although Shen Du initially felt a twinge of pity for Ji Yang, who was tired from last night, seeing her so spirited at this moment stirred something within him

Outside the tent, Qingqing and Zijing stood behind the pillars, listening to the sounds from within. Although they had long been accustomed to it, after exchanging a glance today, both felt a bit embarrassed.

Shen Du extended his hand and pulled Ji Yang up, and the two of them returned to the Chongguang Hall together

Ji Yang wished to learn swordsmanship from Shen Du, harboring a sense of closeness. If someone else were to teach, it would lose its significance. Therefore, she quickly shook her head and said: "No need, no need. I will learn by following Liu Lang during his daily sword practice. If you see that my posture is incorrect, just correct me; there is no need to trouble outsiders."

Once again, there were disturbances late into the night, and the noise was so loud that Qingqing and Zijing could not help but worry for Princess Anle. It is no wonder she could not restrain herself, singing in a soft and melodious manner. However, this princess was rather too carefree; her voice was both soft and enchanting, causing even the two maidservants to feel their hearts flutter.

Ji Yang moved aside to the inner side of the bed and nodded in agreement with Shen Du's words

Shen Du merely said this one sentence, seemingly reminding Ji Yang of the preferences of her two sisters-in-law, but upon closer listening, it was actually a way to dissuade Ji Yang from visiting.

Ji Yang was startled by a glance from Shen Du, and she couldn't help but recall the complaints made by Yu Sui'er earlier today

Upon hearing this, Shen Du could not help but cast a glance at Ji Yang. It was not that he lacked the means to engage in such conversation, but rather that he was simply too lazy to employ them on Ji Yang.

Ji Yang also came to her senses, realizing that she had indeed crossed the line, and her face turned a bit red with shame

How could Ji Yang have ever thought that she would be unpopular, or that there would be people who disliked her? Not to mention the noble ladies in the palace, even her masters, who could possibly not love her?

Shen Du looked at Ji Yang's face and thought that it would be good for someone like her to learn a bit of self-defense. Given her flexibility, learning swordsmanship should not be too difficult for her. "I am often not in Jizhou, so I am afraid I cannot guide you much. If you wish to learn, I will find another master for you."

Such frankness made the listeners somewhat awkward, yet Ji Yang herself was oblivious to it. When she spoke such words, it was akin to her playfully acting cute towards Shen Du. Her voice was as clear as water, crisp and sweet, but the ending notes naturally carried a soft, endearing quality. Those who liked her felt as if they could take their hearts out and offer them to her, while those who did not would remark on how she indiscriminately acted cute regardless of the occasion or the person.

After Shen Du came out of the clean room, he saw that although Ji Yang was already lying on the bed, her eyes were still very lively, darting around. Knowing that she was not very sleepy yet, he spoke up: "Did you visit Sister-in-law and Fifth Sister-in-law today?" This was naturally a form of small talk; in fact, Ji Yang's actions today had already been reported to Shen Du by someone who picked out the important details.

Ji Yang felt Shen Du's fingers touch the strap of her clothing at her chest, her face involuntarily flushed even more, and she leaned back slightly, but was pressed forward by Shen Du.

Zijin was not as composed as Qingqing, unable to resist the urge to turn her head and strain her eyes to look into the tent. Through the sheer gauze, she could vaguely see Princess Anle propping herself up on the bed railing, her waist rising and falling, and Zijin feared that her delicate waist might snap.

The silhouette was simply too beautiful, resembling the full bosom of a ripe peach, with a waist that could hold a bowl of fine wine, followed by a pert bottom and long, straight legs. Zijing took a glance at herself and quickly turned her head away, thinking to herself: No wonder the marquis was in such high spirits.

Ji Yang casually asked: "Where is the prince consort?"

Once Shen Du was seated, Yu Sui'er went outside to invite those concubines in. The first to enter was Shen Du's esteemed concubine, Mrs. Ruan.

Shen Du did not stop Ji Yang. Once she straightened up, she deliberately adopted the demeanor of a master and patted her on the head, saying: "Since you have entered under my tutelage, you must respect your teacher and honor the way, and you must not go against the teacher's orders"

When Shen Du came to a stop, Qingqing took a snow-white handkerchief and was about to approach, but upon looking up, she saw Princess Anle walking straight towards her. In a hurry, she lowered her head and handed the handkerchief to Ji Yang

However, after a moment of reflection, Ji Yang felt a sense of admiration for Shen Du's attitude of not being overly concerned with pleasing his superiors. The achievements of a man that are forged through his own hard work are truly commendable and represent the essence of a genuine hero. Thus, Ji Yang's momentary grievance quickly faded, transforming into an even greater admiration for Shen Du.

Upon hearing this, Ji Yang became interested, no longer feeling drowsy. She put on soft-soled shoes and draped a shawl over her shoulders before heading to the garden. That open space was where Ji Yang danced, not far from the main house

At this moment, a delicate cry mixed with sobs came from within the tent, "Liu Lang—"

Ji Yang took the handkerchief and walked over to Shen Du's side. She was not accustomed to serving others, so she directly handed the handkerchief over while watching Shen Du wipe his sweat. With a hint of eagerness, she asked, "Liu Lang, could you teach me how to sword dance?"

After causing such a commotion for half the night, Ji Yang finally fell into a deep sleep, too exhausted even to wash up. However, being young has its advantages; by the time the first light of dawn broke, Ji Yang was already waking up in a daze, while Shen Du had long since departed.

It seems that Shen Du truly dislikes being referred to as "the son-in-law of the emperor." Thinking of this, Ji Yang couldn't help but feel a bit wronged. After all, she married him; could he possibly have any dissatisfaction? She wondered how many people were vying for the position of this son-in-law.

For Shen Du, such matters are merely a necessity; it makes little difference whether the one lying below is a princess of the heavenly family or a courtesan of the brothel.

Today, the world is not at peace; the northern regions have repeatedly experienced warfare, leading to a decline in population. Both the father of Ji Yang and the various regional governors and officials encourage widows to remarry, thus remarriage is not considered a rare occurrence.

Look, when this person is asking for help, even the lord is willing to lower himself and call out. Shen Du noticed that Ji Yang did not possess the usual arrogance of a princess; her small eyes looked genuinely pitiful. Moreover, after he had exhausted her so thoroughly last night, the princess merely huffed a couple of times. Even if Shen Du's heart was hard, it softened at this moment, and he slightly nodded his head.

Ji Yang is someone who acts impulsively. She clung to Shen Che's arm, blinking her eyes and asked, "Does Fifth Sister-in-law's family have no intention of letting her remarry?"

Ji Yang's entire face suddenly brightened, more dazzling than the myriad rays of golden light spilling from the horizon. Her face bore the freshness of a recent bath, along with the lingering glow from last night's toil, truly radiant like the morning sun. Shen Du couldn't help but glance at her a couple more times, truly deserving of the beauty that could captivate a city or a nation.

Shen Du did not expect Ji Yang to be so proactive, but he remained composed and simply said: "Both elder sister-in-law and fifth sister-in-law have a quiet temperament"

"Master, please allow me to pay my respects to you." Ji Yang took this opportunity to establish her status, and she could naturally see that Shen Du was not patient enough to teach her. This act was entirely to prevent Shen Du from going back on his word. Having received the bow, it would be difficult for him to refuse her in the future

Shen Du originally thought that Ji Yang was just being playful, but to his surprise, she truly knelt down and respectfully performed three bows.

This is the blindness in emotions

Shen Du replied nonchalantly, "You are worrying too much."

Shen Du donned a dark narrow-sleeved robe, moving with the grace of flowing clouds and flowing water, the sword's edge shimmering with light, like scattered cold stars. In the dim light before dawn, it appeared as if the sword danced like a roaming dragon, its brilliance akin to cold silk.

Ji Yang summoned Yusui'er and Luzhu'er to assist her with bathing and grooming, but she still felt somewhat unwell and planned to take a nap later, so she only wore a thin robe

The candlelight filtered through the red gauze, casting a glow on Ji Yang's face, as if she were enveloped in a cloud of pink mist. The two individuals on the bed leaned closer to each other, and with every breath Shen Du took, he could smell the faint, elusive fragrance emanating from Ji Yang's neck, an indescribable scent that stirred his heart and spirit.

"This is natural." Ji Yang smiled sweetly, extending her hand to Shen Du. She rarely knelt down, and after just a short while, her knees were already in pain

She is as beautiful as a celestial being descended to the mortal realm, with a lively and carefree personality, unbound by formalities. She greets everyone with warmth and kindness, and with the support of Empress Su behind her, who could possibly dislike Ji Yang, and who would dare to? Thus, the people Ji Yang encounters can be categorized into two types: those who like her and those who particularly adore her

In fact, this is also a presumption made by Ji Yang. Who said that Shen Du must always stay in the princess's residence? Currently, Shen Du is in her room, but it is merely due to an unwritten custom that the groom must stay in the bride's chamber for the first month after marriage

Seeing Shen Du remain silent, Ji Yang tugged at his clothing and said in a delicate voice, "Is it not possible, my lord?"