Youthful Glory

Since their wedding, though they had shared intimate moments in bed, Jiang Xu rarely kissed her. And when he did, it was mostly on her brows, eyes, neck, or skin.

Ming Tan remembered that in the romance novels, couples always kissed mouth to mouth.

Perhaps because the candle by the window had been extinguished by the breeze, Jiang Xu's gaze darkened slightly. His throat felt dry, and his Adam's apple moved unconsciously.

Her lips were pale and looked incredibly soft. Jiang Xu leaned in until their noses touched, their mouths less than half an inch apart, their warm breaths mingling.

What was this brute thinking? They were already so close, yet he still hadn't kissed her!

Blushing with a mix of shyness and frustration, her heart pounding and lashes fluttering, Ming Tan couldn't hold back any longer. She pecked his lips lightly.

She tried to retreat after that brief touch, but Jiang Xu didn't give her the chance. Seizing the moment, he pressed forward, one hand cradling the back of her head as he deepened the kiss.

However, Jiang Xu was still rather inexperienced in this matter. Though their lips and tongues met, their movements were clumsy and awkward. Ming Tan was bitten several times and sometimes struggled to catch her breath. Yet the sensation was intimate and intoxicating, as if her entire body was slowly burning up.

Their clothes soon became disheveled. As the night breeze drifted in through the southern window, garments—his and hers—tangled together and slipped to the floor by the bed.

Ming Tan's body was like smooth, warm jade, yet far softer. Pressed tightly together, Jiang Xu initially restrained himself, his movements gentle. But once lost in the embrace of beauty, self-control never lasted long.

"Husband..."

"Husband, be gentler... Mm!"

Ming Tan had been resting her head on a mandarin duck pillow, but soon her face was buried in it, her voice muffled and whimpering. Later, the pillow disappeared entirely. Pushed into a corner, her disheveled hair damp with sweat, she clung to the man's neck, sobbing quietly, her face streaked with tears like a pitiful little thing who had been thoroughly bullied.

Jiang Xu's eyes were also tinged with red, his dark hair loose, revealing a rarely seen fierceness that only accentuated his striking, handsome features.

He leaned over her, kissing away the tears on her face one by one, his scorching breath lingering—whether to comfort or to stir more desire, it was hard to say.

The spring night passed slowly.

The maid on night duty once again went without rest, dark circles forming under her eyes.

She recalled how, some days ago, a gardener had flattered her, saying that serving in Qǐ'ān Hall must be more prestigious than other posts. Now she sighed inwardly—not everyone could handle duties in Qǐ'ān Hall. And of course, not just anyone could be the princess consort either. Compared to Her Highness's nightly cries, staying up on night watch wasn't so bad after all.

The next morning, Ming Tan woke unusually early, rising at the same time as Jiang Xu. Outside, the sky was still dim, tinged with a hazy gray.

Jiang Xu had intended to go train alone as usual. He carefully moved the slender arm wrapped around him under the quilt and prepared to get up, but the arm immediately coiled around him again. Half-asleep, Ming Tan clung to him, nuzzling into his chest, her voice soft and drowsy: "Husband, are you getting up?"

Jiang Xu hummed in acknowledgment. "Did I wake you?"

Perhaps because he had just risen, his voice was low and husky, gentler than usual.

"No," Ming Tan shook her head.

"Then I'll go train. You were tired yesterday—sleep a little longer."Jiang Xu had mentioned being exhausted from yesterday's events at Duke Ping's residence, but upon hearing this, Ming Tan blushed and pinched him—wasn't it because he had been insatiable? Otherwise, how could he possibly be tired! She buried her face in the crook of his neck and gave him a frustrated little bite.

However, her strength was so slight that to Jiang Xu, the bite felt no different from a mosquito's sting. If there was any difference, it was perhaps that her nibble sent a more tantalizing shiver through him.

The maids waiting outside, hearing movement within, quietly approached the beaded curtain of the inner chamber and softly asked, "Your Highness, shall we prepare for you to rise?"

"Mmm."

Soon, the maids lifted the curtain, and all the necessary washing and grooming items were brought into the inner chamber.

On ordinary mornings, Ming Tan would still be deep in slumber when Jiang Xu rose, so the servants moved with the utmost quietness. Jiang Xu also preferred to dress himself, only allowing them to deliver the items before withdrawing. But today, to their surprise, Her Highness the Consort was already awake as well.

"I want to get up too."

Jiang Xu turned his head. "Why are you rising so early?"

Ming Tan nuzzled against him and wrapped her arms around his. "I want to watch you practice martial arts."

Jiang Xu fell silent.

"Is that not allowed?"

One of the maids dared a furtive glance and saw that the Consort hadn’t yet put on her sleeping robe—nor her undergarments. The brocade quilt covered her from the shoulders down, but her fair, jade-like arms had already shifted from hugging his arm to encircling his neck, practically clinging to His Highness in a coquettish manner.

Who could resist such a sight?

Sure enough, their master soon responded with a quiet "Mmm."

Unlike Jiang Xu, Ming Tan was a pampered noblewoman who would never lift a finger if she could have someone else do it for her. By the time Jiang Xu was ready to change, she had only just finished rinsing her mouth with delicate grace.

Seeing her husband preparing to dress himself, Ming Tan hurriedly gestured for the maid wiping her face to speed up. She shifted into a kneeling position, straightening up to snatch the jade belt from Jiang Xu’s hands.

"Husband, let A Tan help you."

Jiang Xu paused but didn’t refuse, slightly spreading his arms.

His everyday attire was far simpler than the ceremonial robes from their wedding day. Ming Tan meticulously adjusted his collar, fastened the jade belt at his waist, and hung the jade pendant in place. Then, tilting her head in thought, she suddenly looked up and asked, "Husband, don’t you think your waist looks a bit empty? Like something’s missing."

"What’s missing?"

"A sachet, of course! How can you not wear a sachet?"

"What’s the point? To repel mosquitoes and ward off evil?"

Ming Tan: "..."

Must he remember that for so long?!

Though momentarily speechless from his retort, Ming Tan didn’t abandon her plan to make a sachet for her husband. Once they had finished washing up and she accompanied him to the training grounds to watch him practice martial arts, she began mentally sketching out the color scheme and embroidery patterns for the sachet.

Speaking of which, after Ming Tan had redesigned the estate’s layout, one of her top priorities had been constructing a small training ground for Jiang Xu.

The training ground was spacious, surrounded by a still-bare plum grove that had yet to bloom. Jiang Xu stood in the center, practicing his swordplay.

Before this, Ming Tan had seen Jiang Xu fight twice—once on their way back from the Grand Xiangguo Temple, when he and his shadow guards effortlessly wiped out a group of bandits, and the other time just yesterday at Duke Ping’s residence, where he casually disposed of Marquis Jiangyang... Come to think of it, she was rather curious—just how skilled was he? Why did defeating his opponents seem so effortless? And both times he had saved her, he had used the ribbon tied around his sleeve—how could it be so obedient, shooting straight out like an arrow?

At this thought, Ming Tan glanced down at the sheer gauze shawl draped over her own arms.Jiang Xu was halfway through practicing a set of sword techniques when his peripheral vision caught sight of his little consort sitting by the field, continuously waving the silk shawl draped over her arms while murmuring to herself.

"Is it too light?"

"Why won't it fly away?"

"Should I stand up?"

After waving it for a while, she seemed to tire and decided to give up, gently rubbing her wrist bones before puffing her cheeks in displeasure and sitting back down.

A glimmer of amusement flashed through Jiang Xu's eyes as he spun around to continue his practice.

When he finished the set, Ming Tan proactively approached, using a handkerchief to wipe his sweat before voicing her curiosity. Having seen few martial arts experts, Yun Yi's water-walking feat from the previous day had left a deep impression on her. She added, "Compared to Yun Yi, who is more skilled—my husband or her?"

"What do you think?"

Jiang Xu's tone was indifferent.

Before Ming Tan could carefully formulate her answer, Jiang Xu glanced at the plum grove nearly thirty meters away from the training field. With a flick of his wrist, he cleanly reversed his grip on the sword and sent it flying.

Ming Tan paused, her gaze slowly following the sword as it embedded itself in a tree. A moment later, the slender young tree toppled with a crash.

"..."

"Husband, you are indeed more skilled. You just killed my Green Calyx."

Green Calyx, who had been resting indoors after being knocked unconscious the day before, suddenly sneezed—

After training, the two returned to Qi'an Hall for breakfast.

Watching Ming Tan gracefully finish her tonic soup, Jiang Xu recalled Imperial Physician Feng's advice about recuperation and abruptly said, "Your constitution is weak. From now on, rise earlier and join me at the training field for exercise."

Ming Tan was puzzled. "What would I exercise?"

"What would you like to practice?"

"I don't want to practice anything." She only wanted to be a beautiful consort.

"..."

"I can teach you archery."

"..."

She had no desire to learn.

"Or Baduanjin."

"What is Baduanjin?" It sounded rather elegant.

Just then, a maid announced that Concubine Yun had come to pay respects to the consort. Jiang Xu ordered, "Demonstrate Baduanjin for the consort."

Yun Yi: "…?"

She glanced down at the brocade dress she had specially changed into for this visit but didn't dare disobey her lord's command.

"Both hands push up to regulate the Triple Burner!" As she spoke, Yun Yi raised her hands high above her head with sharp precision.

"Drawing the bow left and right as if shooting an eagle!" She spread her legs into a bow stance, one hand pulling back near her chest while the other pushed outward.

Wait, wait… this movement was far too unsightly!

Ming Tan was stunned, utterly unable to imagine herself performing such crude motions daily in front of her husband at the training field. She hastily called out, "Archery! Husband, you should teach A Tan archery instead."

At least archery involved close guidance—much more suited to marital harmony.

Jiang Xu gave an "Mm" of acknowledgment.

Yun Yi also ceased her movements, standing obediently to the side.

Ming Tan invited her to join them for the meal, but she shook her head.

She knew she didn't possess the consort's remarkable composure. Though the breakfast spread was exquisitely lavish to the point of being dazzling, sharing a table with their lord might make her choke to death on the spot.

"You've paid your respects. You may leave." His voice was cool.

"...Understood."

Yun Yi felt she had forgotten something, but with her lord's dismissal, instinct took over. She bowed her head and retreated.It wasn't until she stepped out of Qi'an Hall that Yun Yi discovered the osmanthus cake hidden in her chest. Oh right—she had come to deliver osmanthus cake to the Consort. They had agreed that today she would bring the Consort a fresh batch, so she had scaled the wall before dawn and waited until the shop opened at the third quarter of the hour of mao to buy the first tray of osmanthus cakes from the oven.

Without a second thought, she turned back. But as soon as she re-entered the hall, she saw from a distance the Consort inexplicably using breakfast time to cling to the Prince. Sitting sideways, she had her arms wrapped around the Prince's neck, pestering him relentlessly: "Husband, you cut down my Green Plum—how are you going to make it up to me?"

What? The Green Plum girl was killed by the Prince?

"How would you like me to make it up?"

"Hmm... then husband must feed A Tan this congee."

Why would she need to be fed? Hadn't the Consort been eating perfectly well on her own just moments ago? And was the Green Plum girl's life only worth a bowl of congee? Wasn't it said that the Green Plum girl had grown up alongside the Consort since childhood? Such a bizarre request—surely the Prince wouldn't agree to it.

No sooner had this thought crossed her mind than she watched helplessly as the Prince scooped up a spoonful of congee and brought it to the Consort's lips.

"..."

The Prince actually fed her.

The Green Plum girl's life really was only worth a bowl of congee.