Marrying the Crown Prince

The two of them joked around for a while before calling for water to wash off the filth. When they came out, the bedding on the bed had been cleaned and replaced with a new set.

Thinking about the madness he had just experienced, Zhou Zhou felt his face burning.

However, before she could stand there in a daze for long, Li Ziyan pulled her to sleep together.

Both of them were exhausted today. They had barely exchanged a few words when they both closed their eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

I slept until I naturally woke up; it was past 5 AM and past 7 AM.

Li Ziyan woke up around the same time. They exchanged a glance, and for some reason, both felt a little awkward. How to describe the feeling...

They just weren't used to having someone next to them yet, and they were too tired last night to notice someone next to them when they fell asleep. So when they woke up this morning and found someone next to them, they both exclaimed "Holy crap!"

"At this hour, the greetings are probably already over." Zhou Zhou glanced at the sky and roughly estimated the time.

“It’s alright,” Li Ziyan said. “Nothing will happen on the second day of the Crown Prince’s wedding.”

Zhou Zhou blinked, thought for a moment, and still couldn't quite grasp the idea. "Don't we need to pay our respects?"

Shouldn't the bride serve tea to her parents-in-law?

Is this how a crown prince gets married?

Li Ziyan remained silent for a long time before stiffly replying, "You're overthinking it."

Zhou Zhou could no longer suppress the smile in her heart, and it appeared on her face. "Yes, I understand. Thank you for your explanation, Your Highness."

Her eyes were like water, bright and clear, with a hint of cunning.

Li Ziyan sighed softly, affectionately picked up her long hair, tucked it behind her back, and called out loudly towards the door, "Someone come here."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chang Yi and Dong He, who were waiting at the door, appeared and said, "This servant greets Your Highness the Crown Prince and Your Highness the Crown Princess."

"Prepare water, the Crown Princess and I need to wash up," Li Ziyan instructed.

"Yes."

The items were already prepared at the door, so soon a basin of water, a towel, and various toiletries were brought out.

After washing up, Li Ziyan continued to tidy up at a leisurely pace and even served breakfast.

"No rush, it's already late anyway, let's eat something first." He picked up his chopsticks and placed a thumb-sized pan-fried bun on Zhou Zhou's plate, who looked conflicted.

Zhou Zhou looked at the pan-fried bun in the bowl, then at Li Ziyan, and finally felt relieved. Li Ziyan's mind was full of hidden thoughts, and now that he seemed so indifferent, he must have a foolproof plan. So why was Zhou Zhou so nervous?

Once Zhou Zhou had thought things through, her restless heart calmed down. She picked up a pan-fried bun with peace of mind, took a bite, and the aroma of meat filled her mouth, making her eyes crinkle with delight.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Li Ziyan led her to Empress Chu's Phoenix Palace.

The road wasn't far, and Li Ziyan walked side by side with her, their hands naturally clasped together.

Seeing Zhou Zhou's composed expression, Li Ziyan felt that she must have guessed correctly, so he asked, "Why aren't you panicking anymore?"

Zhou Zhou's brow twitched slightly. Looking straight ahead, he slowly replied, "Your Highness already sent Eunuch Changyi to ask for leave, yet you still tease me. What are your intentions?"

Her displeasure stemmed from two points: first, even now, he still wanted to test her to see if she could see through his heart; second, what did he intend to do if she hadn't thought of this?

The Crown Prince doesn't keep idle people, so he wants to sideline himself, right?

All sorts of possibilities ran through Zhou Zhou's mind. With each passing thought, her expression became calmer, her emotions hidden so well that neither Ju Fang nor Si Zhu noticed.

In the end, Zhou Zhou decided to ask the question and see how the other party would respond in order to judge his true feelings. If he was indeed a shameless person, it would be good to withdraw his feelings early on, so that the initiative would be back in his own hands.

Zhou Zhou's question was quite blunt, but Li Ziyan was not annoyed; on the contrary, she was in a good mood.

“I’m so glad you asked directly.” He expressed his joy without hesitation.

Zhou Zhou: "..."

I really want to swear.

Li Ziyan stopped and straightened Zhou Zhou's body, his gaze fixed intently on her face.

“Zhouzhou, you must remember that the most taboo thing between husband and wife is to keep things to yourself, so I’m very happy that you’re willing to ask.”

"No matter what happens in the future, I hope you will ask directly instead of making wild guesses."

Zhou Zhou thought for a moment, but still felt something was off. "So, Your Highness, what were you doing just now?"

Do you test others first, and then talk about your true feelings with them afterward?

There's no such logic in the world!

Li Ziyan was stunned, and looked away somewhat guiltily. "This is the second thing I want to talk about today."

“When we go to the Empress Dowager’s palace later, Father Emperor’s other concubines may also be there,” Li Ziyan said hesitantly, carefully choosing his words. “Their words often have multiple meanings, so you must be careful.”

"So Your Highness is worried that you can't handle it?" Zhou Zhou twitched the corner of his mouth, thinking that this man... still needed some discipline.

Li Ziyan fell silent.

He didn't know how to explain it. He definitely trusted Zhou Zhou's abilities, but... he was still afraid.

As the saying goes, concern leads to confusion, and today he certainly lost his composure and composure.

It's his own fault that the beauty is unhappy!

Zhou Zhou grabbed Li Ziyan's hand, stopping him from dwelling on the matter. "Let's go, Father and Mother are still waiting for us."

If there's anything, they can deal with it privately after we've paid our respects. For now, let's focus on uniting against external threats.

Zhou Zhou pulled him along, and Li Ziyan obediently followed.

As he walked down the street, he looked down at the hands on his wrists that didn't belong to him, his eyes softening, as if they could drown a person in them.

Soon, the newlyweds arrived at Fengyi Palace.

As soon as they arrived, the noisy main hall of Fengyi Palace fell silent instantly, as countless probing gazes swept over them.

Zhou Zhou and Li Ziyan stepped across the threshold together, bowed, and said, "Your subject greets the Emperor and Empress Dowager, wishing the Emperor good health and the Empress Dowager peace."

Emperor Chenze glanced at his son's face, then at Zhou Zhou's rosy lips and white teeth, and finally confirmed one thing—the Crown Prince's health was not good to begin with, and he probably had a long night of fighting before he could rest. He looked unwell today, so it would be best to give him some nourishment and also tell him to be more moderate.

As for the daughter-in-law, she had a rosy complexion and looked to be in good health.

Seeing that his father hadn't spoken for so long, Li Ziyan couldn't help but feel a little worried—was he unhappy with his new daughter-in-law?

Little did he know, his father was worried about his kidney deficiency.

If he had known, Li Ziyan's reaction would have been more than just a frown.