Spring arrives and the land smiles

"Princess, it's time to get up." Just as dawn broke, Zhui'er woke up Qingyan, who had no sleeping posture whatsoever. If it weren't for the fact that she was already used to the princess's uninhibited behavior, any other palace maid would probably have fainted from fright.

Her smooth, lotus-root-like arms embraced the brocade quilt, and a few strands of soft, dark hair cascaded loosely over her bare, fragrant shoulder. Yes, just as the surprised expression on Zhuier's face when she first served the princess showed, the princess loved to sleep naked, having heard that it was good for her health. Of course, this was what Zhuier had heard from the princess, and it was also the only time Zhuier felt the princess had ever lied to her.

Qingyan turned over and continued to dream, showing no intention of getting up.

"Princess, if you don't go to the Imperial Study soon, the Emperor will be leaving court." Sigh, ever since she was made the eldest princess, she has to go to the Imperial Study every day, rain or shine, and she can't even enjoy any of the benefits of being newly married.

"Don't try to fool me." Qingyan sat up lazily and let Zhuier serve her.

"How dare Zhuier scare the princess? Even if you gave me the guts, I'd tremble!" Zhuier said with a grin as she playfully bickered with Qingyan.

"Zhui'er, your skills are getting more and more exquisite." The reflection in the mirror was just a moment ago disheveled, but in a short while, the makeup was already very delicate and simple. In this respect, Zhui'er has won Qingyan's heart.

"Thank you for your praise, Princess." Zhui'er gave a perfunctory bow, then burst into laughter.

"By the way, where is the prince consort?" Qingyan asked Zhuier as she pinned the last chrysanthemum and jade hairpin to her hair.

"The prince consort has been waiting in the outer hall for quite some time," Zhui'er replied while adjusting Qingyan's last sash.

After thinking for a moment, Qingyan asked, "When did the Prince Consort arrive?"

"At three-quarters past dawn today, as the princess instructed, I went to invite the prince consort, but I unexpectedly ran into him at the door of the study, saving me a lot of trouble," Zhuier replied happily, adding playfully at the end, "It seems the prince consort didn't sleep a wink all night, thinking about the princess!"

"Little girl, you're asking for it, aren't you!" Qingyan teased her. Zhui'er jumped lightly and went out to carry out the master's instructions with a giggle.

The study? Qingyan understood immediately; Fu Yunxuan was indeed a person who considered the bigger picture.

She glanced at her reflection in the mirror, admiring her new attire as a newlywed. The light blue pleated silk gauze skirt was lively yet composed, and the simple plum blossom bun on her head had completely incorporated her youthful loose hair, adding a touch of mature beauty.

Upon exiting the inner room, Qingyan's eyes immediately fell on Yunxuan.

It had indeed been a long wait; otherwise, the copy of "The Strategy of Jimo" in her hands wouldn't have been more than half-read. It seemed Fu Yunxuan truly lived up to his reputation as a super bookworm, preferring three days without meat to one day without a book. Back in the day, she would get a headache just looking at English and cramp up whenever she encountered math. Those who found joy in learning truly earned Qingyan's admiration. This made Qingyan feel even more favorably towards Yunxuan.

"I've kept the prince consort waiting." Qingyan's gentle and sweet voice successfully pulled Yunxuan out of the book.

Yunxuan looked up and saw an elegant and beautiful orchid fairy who was also playful and lively, giving him a refreshing and pleasant feeling. "Greetings, Your Highness the Princess." Yunxuan stood up to bow, but Qingyan raised her hand to stop him.

"From now on, you and I, as husband and wife, should avoid such formalities if possible." He spoke of the word "husband and wife" so casually, but it surprised Yunxuan quite a bit.

Husband and wife? Perhaps ruler and subject would be a more fitting description. Yunxuan chuckled, but accepted it with pleasure.

"Princess, General Ning requests an audience," a palace maid announced from outside the door.

Ning Yuan? Why is he here? Qing Yan was puzzled and was about to ask when she saw Ning Yuan walk in without any hesitation.

Qingyan was stunned. Yesterday was their wedding day, and this was their bridal chamber. Yunxuan, the prince consort, was still sitting here. How could Ningyuan, this rigid and conservative simpleton, be so disrespectful and disregard etiquette as to barge in?

As for Yunxuan, Qingyan stole a glance at him and found that he didn't show the anger or embarrassment she had expected. Instead, he looked completely at ease, as if he already knew. Qingyan was momentarily confused about the situation.

"morning."

"morning."

The two then greeted each other as if no one else was around.

"General Ning looks refreshed; he must have slept soundly last night." Yun Xuan smiled faintly at Ning Yuan, his words carrying a hidden meaning.

"Thanks to Lord Fu's calming pill, Ning Yuan is very grateful."

The two went back and forth, but neither of them explained anything to Qingyan, leaving her completely bewildered as she watched them. Qingyan's brows furrowed deeply.

"If you two haven't eaten yet, please join us if you don't mind!" Seeing this, Qingyan didn't bother to think much more. "Zhui'er, prepare the meal." After giving the order, she turned around and left the bedroom without looking back.

The two looked at each other and smiled, then followed.

So, the next day, rumors spread in the palace that the eldest princess had spent her wedding night with her two husbands. This was because some people saw that the eldest princess and her two husbands left the inner chambers of Caiyi Palace together for breakfast the following morning, while the Chongying Pavilion, the sleeping quarters of the secondary husband Ningyuan, seemed to have been unlit since nightfall.

"I didn't expect that even the inner palace had spies planted." As the eldest princess's residence, Caiyi Palace not only had a dedicated study, but Qingyan also had a small study partitioned off from the inner palace with a screen, making it both quiet and safe.

At this moment, Qingyan and Ningyuan were talking in the small study.

"Tomorrow I will transfer Fukukawa Fukumi from Chongying Pavilion. Once those new faces are replaced, we will be safe," Ning Yuan said worriedly.

“With Fukukawa Fukukai gone, your Chongying Pavilion will probably have no secrets left. They even know when you rest. It seems you’re in even less security.” Qingyan smiled slightly and casually poured Ningyuan another cup of tea.

Xuanhua Palace, as the Crown Prince's residence, had been without a master for a long time and was therefore idle. Without a master to serve, the maids and servants in Xuanhua Palace were assigned very arbitrarily. Qingyan moved from Chuyou Pavilion, and there were not many people to begin with, so the original staff was not replaced. With so many unfamiliar faces, Xuanhua Palace had probably become the place where the most spies were concentrated.

"Then, how about Bolanzhai?" Ning Yuan picked up the teacup and brought it to his lips, but did not drink it.

Qingyan was taken aback, then her expression turned slightly angry. She turned around and glared at Ning Yuan, her tone extremely unfriendly: "Don't tell me you're now on brotherhood with Fu Yunxuan!"

"Hmm." Ning Yuan took a small sip of tea, then put down the teacup to indicate his agreement.

"Are you out of your mind? He is the eldest son of Fu Tinghe's eldest grandson, Fu Yan. Have you forgotten why the Fu family remained neutral back then?" In her anger, those modern words she had gotten used to popped out of Qingyan's mouth.

Having spent years together, Ning Yuan was used to it. With a faint smile, he explained, "Fu Yunxuan is your consort, and he is absolutely trustworthy." He paused for a moment, then, under Qing Yan's puzzled gaze, he revealed everything: "Last night, Fu Yunxuan frankly told me that the responsibility of protecting the princess is shared by the Ning family army and his Fu family."

"Last night?" Qingyan was even more puzzled.

"Last night you pretended to be drunk, causing the groom to sleep alone in the study. Now that he's surrendering, you're turning him away. Your son-in-law must be exceptionally talented to be competent!" Ning Yuan's mocking tone and his indignant attitude on Fu Yunxuan's behalf infuriated Qing Yan.

No wonder Ning Yuan went straight into the inner chamber that morning. The two of them were neither ashamed nor surprised. It seems they already knew the inside story of their wedding night.

"Damn Ningyuan, he got the benefits and still acts innocent, he deserves to be taught a lesson!" Qingyan thought angrily, her eyes darting around, and she came up with an idea.

“You’re right. He is, after all, the prince consort. If you hadn’t reminded me repeatedly, I would have overlooked it. Besides, if he holds a grudge after his surrender is rejected, wouldn’t that be even worse? Do you think I should give him a wedding night to show that he’s accepted me?” Qingyan tilted her head and pretended to be innocent, but her tone was very serious.

"You!" Ning Yuan was speechless with anger.

"What? I'm fine, thank you for reminding me." Qingyan's expression changed, she stood up and walked out, ignoring Ning Yuan's calls from behind.

A figure hidden outside the palace saw the anxious concubine and the furious princess.

The next day, rumors spread in the palace that General Ning and the Princess had a falling out over Lord Fu.

Although Bolanzhai is the East Warm Pavilion, it has never been used. It is said that the late Emperor, Qingyan's grandfather, when he was still the Crown Prince, often enjoyed playing chess in the East Warm Pavilion, so it was decorated as a dedicated chess room. The current Emperor has no such hobby but couldn't bear to remove it, so it has remained until now. Aside from the lowly palace maids and servants, the East Warm Pavilion usually has no permanent servants. Therefore, almost all the people in Bolanzhai are people Fu Yunxuan brought from the Fu family. It's not that the palace is unwilling to provide staff for Bolanzhai, but rather that to demonstrate the Longqing Emperor's unparalleled favor towards the Fu family, Bolanzhai is left to Fu Yunxuan's whims.

Since they were all on the same side, it was indeed much safer. Or perhaps they were wary of the Fu family's power and couldn't easily plant spies. But no matter what, Bolanzhai was a place where secrets could be kept.

As winter sets in, the days become shorter and the nights longer, and even as dusk falls, it is still quite early for dinner.

Life at Bolanzhai was as simple and elegant as its name suggests. At this moment, Yunxuan was practicing calligraphy in his study. His writing was vigorous and upright, like pine trees in the snow, which had their own sense of pride.

"Beautiful calligraphy." Qingyan, who had been observing from the side, couldn't help but admire it, unconsciously moving closer to look. She had been here for ten years, with instructors visiting daily, leaving her nowhere to hide. While her other skills were passable, her calligraphy, no matter how much she practiced, always looked like a caterpillar. "The Prince Consort truly deserves to be called the number one talent of our Great Qi." Qingyan never hesitated to praise talent.

"You flatter me, Your Highness." Yunxuan put down his brush on the inkstone, looked up to meet Qingyan's approving gaze, his eyes calm and unwavering. "Your Highness's visit to the Bolanzhai is probably not just to see me write calligraphy!"

Why is this person so capable?

Last night she kicked them out of the bridal chamber, and today she has to ask them for a favor. Qingyan is so embarrassed that she doesn't know how to start the conversation.

"If it's just a visit, wouldn't the Prince Consort welcome me?" Having found a plausible excuse for herself, Qingyan felt somewhat guilty.

"How could we refuse a princess's presence?" Yunxuan replied calmly, his tone distant yet polite.

Qingyan gritted her teeth secretly, looked around, and found that the three walls of the study were almost entirely covered with books. So she pretended to be relaxed and said, "Your Highness, this place can be called a mini Wenyuan Pavilion." She picked up a few books at random and flipped through them, and found that there were many rare books and handwritten copies that were not in the royal library.

"The Divine Notes," Qingyan opened a slightly yellowed handwritten copy. The delicate small characters inside indicated that most of the writing was done by a woman. "If I remember correctly, every handwritten copy of Feng Ran's works was written by his wife, Liu Xuchen. However," Qingyan frowned, her hand movements pausing as she turned the pages, "this last chapter, 'The Moonlit Sand Fox,' is a bit strange, hmm, or—" Qingyan remembered that this chapter was missing from the Wenyuan Pavilion's handwritten copies.

"Or what?" Qingyan's words finally piqued Yunxuan's interest.

"It's not impossible that Feng Ran finished the last chapter herself," Qingyan guessed.

"Oh, how do you know?" Yunxuan walked behind Qingyan and turned his head to look at the handwritten copy with her.

Qingyan carefully examined the paper and handwriting, then glanced at the calligraphy copy Yunxuan had just made on the table. A smile appeared on her lips. "I didn't expect the Prince Consort to have such skill." Although the vigorous and unrestrained brushstrokes were written in the restrained small regular script, they could not hide the same grandeur and magnificence as the copy, just like him. The contradiction between restraint and flamboyance was a perfect match. This man, who appeared gentle and refined, actually had a heart that soared to the clouds.

Yunxuan smiled faintly and remained silent. He took the handwritten copy from Qingyan's hand, glanced at it casually, and put it back on the bookshelf.

"The Prince Consort's skill in imitating handwriting is probably even better than that of Master Yao from the Hanlin Academy!" Qingyan walked to the table, picked up the calligraphy that Yunxuan had just copied, and admired it with great interest. "But it must be difficult to make this paper look so old!"

“Princess, you are very intelligent and you can see it at a glance. This paper is indeed difficult to age, but if you soak it in tea, it will not be difficult to make it look old.” Yunxuan simply explained Qingyan’s doubts.

"Oh? This is the first time I've heard of this. Could you please describe it in more detail, Your Highness?" Qingyan asked with great interest.

"These are mere tricks that wouldn't catch the princess's eye; they're nothing but low-class frivolities," Yunxuan replied calmly, seemingly with no intention of continuing.

Still so distant yet polite, Qingyan was somewhat discouraged; this Fu Yunxuan was indeed not easy to deal with.

The room fell silent. Just as Qingyan was wondering what to talk about to stay, Yunxuan's gentle voice rang out, "Princess, please speak your mind. I will do my best to help you if I can."

"Great! If I had known it would be this simple, I wouldn't have had to jump around like a clown. Of all the places in Xuanhua Palace, Bolanzhai is the most tranquil and elegant. If I were to stay here for a few days, I wonder if it would be convenient for the Prince Consort?" A few days would be enough time to clean Xuanhua Palace.

"I'll have someone prepare right away." Yunxuan summoned a servant. "Give the order that the princess will stay overnight at Bolanzhai tonight." He glanced back at Qingyan. "Wait, go to Caiyi Palace and fetch a bottle of Huazhen Zhuyeqing tea. I think the princess will need it tonight." After saying that, he returned to his desk, sat down, and picked up his brush to continue practicing calligraphy.

Yunxuan's teasing tone made Qingyan's lips twitch. She bit her lip tightly with her pearly white teeth and squeezed out a few words from between her teeth, "Prince Consort, you certainly have the ability to infuriate people." Then she turned and left.

Looking up and seeing Qingyan's angry expression, Yunxuan chuckled and shook his head, his doting gaze lingering on Qingyan's back for a long time.