New Song Dynasty: My Wife is an Imperial Princess

In the backyard, the sky was ablaze with the colors of sunset.

Whether it was because of the slanting rays of the setting sun or the thought of sleeping with Tang Qian in the same bed that night, the faint blush on Yan Xi'er's face did not fade for a long time.

She sat in front of the bronze mirror and looked at herself again and again, but she always felt that something was missing.

Tang Qian wore a light red lipstick, which she liked. Since she disliked pearl and flower ornaments, she simply placed a light plum blossom between her eyebrows and applied some blush. Her makeup was simple and elegant, yet it perfectly complemented Yan Xier's stunning beauty.

Yan Xi'er knew that the purple jade hairpin was not to be worn. She knew that glass was fragile and that the sharp edges of the cracks could hurt people. If it were to break suddenly while the two of them were being intimate, it could cause a bloody incident, which would be terrible.

Xiao Li stood behind her, combing her princess's hair. Yan Xi'er's somewhat cautious appearance made her chuckle: "Miss, you are naturally beautiful and you and the young master are in love. There's no need to be so nervous. Isn't this just a natural progression?"

"After all, we haven't gone through the wedding ceremony yet, so to be honest, I'm not really confident about doing this."

"Who told the young master to like you, Miss? If it weren't for these extraordinary times, he would have already sent someone to fetch you in a grand sedan chair carried by eight men. Besides, it was Miss Yingluo who sent you. What do you have to worry about?"

As the mistress and servant were whispering to each other, a series of light footsteps came from the corridor outside. Yan Xi'er immediately gestured to Xiao Li to be quiet.

If outsiders were to overhear these intimate details of her private life, she would truly be too ashamed to live.

Fortunately, the person who arrived was dressed in a white palace gown, followed by Rong'er in a green dress; it was none other than Zhao Yingluo, who had returned.

Seeing the somewhat troubled look on the other person's face, Yan Xi'er frowned slightly. Could it be that she had suffered some injustice from Tang Qian's mother? Then she had to stand up for her good friend.

"No, not at all." Zhao Yingluo hesitated for a long time, seemingly unsure how to begin. It was only under Yan Xier's urging that she bowed slightly to her. "Didn't we agree to switch rooms tonight? Could... could we postpone it for one more night? There's something I want to ask you clearly."

“Of course, that’s fine.” Zhao Yingluo had expected Yan Xi’er to blame her for going back on her word, but instead, she noticed Yan Xi’er’s expression suddenly relax. Her initial slight nervousness had vanished. “Actually, I’ve thought about it carefully. It’s better for Tang Qian to take the initiative in this kind of thing. For us to actively throw ourselves at him, I really…”

"It's best if you don't hold any grudges, Xi'er." Zhao Yingluo suddenly smiled coldly, while stretching her arms as if to challenge Tang Qian. "Your current status makes it difficult to do anything outrageous, but I'm different. What you can't do tonight, I'll do myself. I refuse to believe that I, as the young mistress of the Tang family, can't win over my husband."

Seeing Zhao Yingluo turn and leave with great confidence, exuding an aura of determination that made Yan Xi'er and Xiao Li exchange a glance. Had this girl changed her ways? Wasn't she always so self-pitying and lacking in confidence?

Following closely behind, Rong'er also raised an eyebrow at Xiao Li and gave her a provocative smile.

You two just wait and see. Before, it was Tang Qian who was attracted by your princess's beauty, which allowed him to rival my young lady. My young lady had no choice but to temporarily avoid confrontation. Now? The roles have reversed.

Returning to her and Tang Qian's temporary residence, Zhao Yingluo hurriedly ate a few bites of dinner to fill her stomach. Seeing that it was already 7:15 PM, she waved to Rong'er: "My husband never needs anyone to serve him, so you can go and rest. I'll handle things myself."

Although she wanted to stay to fulfill her duty, Rong'er knew Tang Qian's selfless character. From the moment he and Zhao Yingluo started sleeping in the same bed, Tang Qian had never let her stand guard in the room. Even if Zhao Yingluo had any needs at night, he would do it himself, without any of the aristocratic airs of expecting everything to be done for him.

After escorting Rong'er back to her room, Zhao Yingluo sat alone inside, pondering whether to express resentment or joy when confronting Tang Qian later. However, she waited and waited, but Tang Qian still did not appear.

As the hour of Hai approached, Zhao Yingluo finally couldn't help but stand up, push open the window, and saw that the study across the street was brightly lit, with Tang Qian seemingly still writing furiously at his desk.

Upon entering the study, Zhao Yingluo peered inside and saw Tang Qian gripping a charcoal pencil and writing furiously, though what he was writing didn't resemble an official document.

"It's like a story, but who is this Mu Guiying? I've never heard of her before."

"It's just a fictional story, used to boost morale." Tang Qian seemed oblivious to the strange look on Zhao Yingluo's face, and pulled her to sit on his lap. "I just wrote three acts, come and take a look, what do you think?"

"The blood of the Yang family generals spilled on the Golden Beach? Mu Guiying fought against Yang Zongbao?" Zhao Yingluo only glanced at it a few times before being captivated by the story written by Tang Qian, completely forgetting the purpose of her visit. "Although this story is about resisting the Liao, it is not much different from the current situation. Comparing the past with the present, we can indeed use General Yang Ye's heroic deeds to boost morale. Husband, are you planning to have the storyteller in the city tell the story in the teahouse?"

"No, no, it's just that it's too abstract to explain. Even if a storyteller can make it vivid and engaging, the people can't truly feel the experience. I plan to have Butterfly Dance perform it."

What does "performance" mean?

"Isn't it more captivating to tell stories through singing and dancing, with the performers playing the roles and bringing the content to life?"

"Oh, so you added a lyric poem to the end of each short dialogue, and the content fits the plot perfectly. I never imagined that my husband was such a great lyricist. I really can't understand how my husband became so infamous in Tokyo because he couldn't do academic work?"

Tang Qian gave an awkward smile. Was he supposed to tell her that he had just written all of this down? Even if he did, Zhao Yingluo wouldn't believe him.

“I don’t like reading the Four Books and Five Classics, so I couldn’t pass the imperial examination. But I’m quite interested in writing lyrics.”

"Yes." Zhao Yingluo nodded noncommittally. "I am very clear about this."

Zhao Yingluo put down the play she was reading and turned to look at Tang Qian: "A gentle breeze dyes her green dress. The national fragrance cannot be contained, it permeates her icy skin. She has only just begun to bloom. Yet, outside the window, it has already been known. The more she is cherished, the more charming she becomes. A branch of her hair, she seeks a suitable match. Do not compare her to tea. Clearly, she is more beautiful. Is this poem, 'Little Chongshan,' written by my husband?"