Late Ming Dynasty: So what if Emperor Chongzhen was inactive?!

Chapter 12 Hey you, tear this page out!

Inside Zhang Yan's room, the lighting was provided by a Wanli period cloisonné enamel chrysanthemum-petal-shaped candlestick with a design of intertwined floral patterns. A small white wax candle, about the thickness of a baby's arm, was lit on the candlestick. Because it was a bedroom, there was only one lamp. Candlelight has almost become a distant memory for modern people; those born later may have no experience with it at all.

Such a large candle isn't actually that bad in brightness. However, the characteristic of candlelight is that its light source is a single point, making it easily blocked; if you're facing away from the light source, it casts a large shadow. Modern abundant light sources are enough to make people forget about the night, and the reversal of day and night has become the norm, but in the era of candlelight, the boundary between day and night is particularly clear.

In the candlelight, Zhang Yan's face seemed to be softly illuminated, creating a special atmosphere in the dimly lit room. Zhang Yan somewhat regretted letting Zhu Youjian in; regardless of what he was like as a child, he was now, after all, a grown man who had undergone a coming-of-age ceremony.

"Strange, how did my Guan Gong and Qin Qiong end up with my sister-in-law?" Zhu Youjian asked, picking up the two old figurines next to the candlestick.

"These were left behind by the late Emperor. When Teacher Sun came to complain, the late Emperor asked Teacher Sun for these two dolls back, saying that you liked them very much and that they would be returned to you after you finished your studies. Now they have been returned to their rightful owner, Your Majesty. Please take them," Zhang Yan said softly.

Zhu Youjian was silent for a moment after hearing this, and then said, "I'm sorry to have bothered you tonight, sister-in-law. I'll come again another day."

"Your Majesty, let me see you off." Zhang Yansong stood under the eaves to bid farewell to Zhu Youjian. Watching his figure gradually disappear, she was unable to calm down for a long time. She turned back into the house and looked at the empty room, feeling a little lost.

"Your Majesty, shall we return to Xiangning Palace or..."

“Let’s go to the Princess Consort,” Zhu Youjian said, his anger flaring.

"Your Majesty, you've arrived!" Princess Zhou Yufeng was overjoyed to see Zhu Youjian arrive, even showing a hint of excitement.

She skillfully approached Zhu Youjian, helped him remove his everyday clothes, and hung them on a nearby clothes rack. However, after doing this, she stopped and asked somewhat aggrievedly, "Your Majesty, will you be staying in my palace tonight?"

"You've already taken off your clothes, and you're still asking me? Of course I'm asking you to stay the night!" Zhu Youjian was somewhat amused and exasperated.

He removed the hairpin from the winged crown.

"Your Majesty, let me do it." Zhou Yufeng smiled broadly, took the golden hairpin from Zhu Youjian's hand and placed it aside. She pushed Zhu Youjian to sit on the bed, then carefully removed the hat from Zhu Youjian's head, and then untied the net cover inside. Zhu Youjian's long hair cascaded down like a waterfall, the strands smooth and black, no less beautiful than a young girl's.

"Your Majesty, you are so handsome!" Zhou Yufeng said, gazing at Zhu Youjian with a satisfied look.

Everyone likes to be praised, especially for being handsome. Zhu Youjian was pleased. He reached out and pulled Zhou Yufeng into his arms, then turned over and kissed her.

After a long while, their lips parted. Zhou Yufeng's clothes were disheveled, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin. Her face was flushed, and her eyes seemed to be filled with longing. However, she did not allow Zhu Youjian to go any further. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, we are currently in mourning. We cannot."

"Oh dear, we can just have the eunuchs in the Imperial Household Department revise the 'Daily Records of the Emperor'," Zhu Youjian said nonchalantly.

Zhou Yufeng was stunned. Her husband had changed so much recently. If she hadn't seen every inch of Zhu Youjian, she would have suspected that her king had been replaced by someone else.

She leaned closer to Zhu Youjian and sniffed him, then said with some disgust, "Ugh, it smells awful. Go wash up quickly, and then we'll..."

"Shall we shower together?!"

"But I've already washed it."

"Wash it again after you've washed it. Let me check if you've washed it properly," Zhu Youjian said with a mischievous grin.

Not long after, the emperor and his concubine played together in the water.

The usually dull Zhu Youjian accompanied Zhou Yufeng on a very bold and exciting bath together.

Outside the door, an old eunuch squatted under the eaves, biting the tip of a writing brush, racking his brains about how to describe the event in the daily records.

"Hey you, tear this page out!" Zhu Youjian's voice came from inside the room, and the old eunuch had no choice but to obey the order.

Looking at the record he had painstakingly written down, which he had crumpled into a ball, the old eunuch's eyes became somewhat resentful.

After playing for more than half an hour, Zhu Youjian pulled his princess out of the water. The two dried themselves off, put on their pajamas, and snuggled together to sleep.

Zhou Yufeng, small as a kitten, curled up in Zhu Youjian's arms. She quickly fell asleep, sleeping soundly, having a sweet dream, her face full of smiles.

(End of this chapter)