Youthful Glory

After falling into the pond, Ming Tan flailed about a few times. Her disheveled robes were completely soaked, clinging to her delicate curves.

She closed her eyes, coughing from the water she'd swallowed. Just as she caught her breath, she was pressed against a warm, solid chest.

Instinctively, she tried to retreat, but the warm presence pursued her relentlessly until her back met the pool's edge—nowhere left to escape.

Ming Tan had always been adept at assessing situations and adapting accordingly. Seeing no way out, she immediately changed tactics. With pitiful eyes, she grasped Jiang Xu's hand, swaying it gently as she pleaded, "Husband, just once... only once, alright? My monthly courses have just ended."

"Once?" Jiang Xu leaned in, his breath brushing her neck, sending shivers down her spine.

Ming Tan instinctively shrank back, her spine stiffening, her gaze evasive.

But his hand had already found its way to the small of her back, tracing slow, teasing circles over her waist. A wave of trembling pleasure coursed through her, and she hastily bargained, "Then twice! At most twice—no more!"

Desire flickered in Jiang Xu's eyes as he freed one hand to tilt her delicate chin upward. He studied her face like a fine porcelain piece, his gaze darkening as it lingered, drawing nearer.

When their noses almost touched, he murmured two low words: "Three times."

Then his lips captured hers in a searing kiss, biting and exploring until she arched backward helplessly. The long-restrained hunger in him was overwhelming, leaving no room for refusal.

Outside, the night was still. A sudden breeze scattered the fragrance of flowers through the grass.

The moonlight, obscured by foliage, cast a hazy glow while spring stars dotted the sky, some flickering as if peering curiously at the boundless springtime passion within the boudoir.

...

Time became indistinct. Ming Tan's knees ached from kneeling, her pleas for mercy fragmented into breathless whimpers and involuntary moans.

Her thin sleeping robe, half-undone and soaked through, clung to her body, swaying damply with each movement.

Lost between tormenting soreness and indescribable pleasure, her waist felt nearly crushed—stiff and numb.

Yet the man behind her showed no mercy. Soon, he flipped her onto his lap. Before she could catch her breath, a muffled gasp escaped her as her delicate brows furrowed, plunging her into another wave of ecstasy.

Later, when wrapped in blankets and carried back to bed, Ming Tan couldn't move a muscle. Her eyes fluttered half-closed, long lashes trembling.

She had wept several times that night—her eyelids slightly swollen, nose tinged pink, soft cheeks flushed with fading color—a picture of pitiable exhaustion.

Jiang Xu couldn't resist ruffling her hair before pressing a kiss to her brow. "I'll take you horseback riding tomorrow. How does that sound?"

Ming Tan might not have heard him, responding with a vague murmur before turning away. But he promptly pulled her back into the familiar embrace of his chest.

The night passed dreamlessly.

By the time she woke the next morning, the sun was high. A cooling sensation soothed her body; though sore, it was far better than expected.

As Lǜ'e helped her dress, Ming Tan inquired about the previous day's punishment before asking casually, "Was it you who applied the medicine? Or Suxin?"

Lǜ'e stifled a giggle. "I would have, but the Lord insisted on tending to you himself."

"..."

Flustered, Ming Tan shot her a light glare.Lǜ'e continued smiling as she adjusted her collar, saying, "Suxin has gone to fetch the meal. Miss only had breakfast yesterday, so you must eat more today. Besides, isn't Lord coming back to take you horseback riding? That requires a lot of energy."

"Horseback riding?"

"Yes, before leaving, Lord instructed that he would return at noon to pick you up and asked us to prepare your riding attire."

Ming Tan finally remembered. Before bed, he had indeed mentioned something like that. And from his tone, it seemed like a deliberate attempt to make amends and cheer her up.

Hmm... this brute could only come up with such one-sided gestures he thought would please her.

"Oh, and the little white rabbit is doing very well too. Its fur is glossy and flawless—it will surely complement Miss's elegance perfectly," Lǜ'e added.

"What little white rabbit?"

Ming Tan asked in confusion, but the moment the words left her mouth, she remembered—it was that Zhaoyebai horse.

Honestly, the name "little white rabbit" was rather poorly chosen, just something she had casually come up with. Yet it had caused her plenty of trouble in bed. Last night, her little white rabbit had suffered quite the ordeal—

At noon, Jiang Xu returned.

Last night had been rather rough, and the little Consort had accused him of not knowing how to comfort her. So, he decided to take her to the Yongchun Garden's riding grounds to teach her horseback riding. Such patience could be considered an effort to appease her.

Truthfully, Ming Tan had no interest in riding, but she thought that apart from their time in bed, she and her Husband rarely spent time together. Since he had made time specifically to accompany and indulge her, she didn’t want to spoil the mood.

Most importantly, she also wanted to spend more time with her Husband, fostering some interaction beyond the bedchamber.

The weather was pleasant today, with the sun not too harsh, and the riding grounds were spacious. Ming Tan gazed at the pure white Zhaoyebai foal and couldn’t resist stepping forward to gently stroke its coat. As she admired it, she sighed, "So beautiful. The saddle is lovely too—the engravings on it are quite exquisite."

"..."

Jiang Xu paused for a moment before stepping forward. With deliberate slowness, he mounted the horse to demonstrate for her.

Soon, he dismounted and patiently explained the basics of mounting and controlling the horse.

"Remember, once you’re on the horse, grip the reins firmly, step on the stirrups with the balls of your feet—not the arches—" Midway through, noticing Ming Tan was still staring at the ornate saddle, he stopped and asked, "Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand." Ming Tan nodded and briefly repeated what he had just taught her to prove she had been listening.

However, while her mind understood, her body did not. The moment she stepped onto the stirrup, her balance wavered.

It wasn’t entirely her fault—this foal was a living, moving creature. Actually riding it was far harder than just talking about it.

"Don’t be afraid. This lord will steady you."

Jiang Xu swiftly supported her waist, lifting her up.

With someone holding her, Ming Tan grew bolder. She clutched the reins tightly, fighting the nervousness caused by the restless movements beneath her. Gritting her teeth, she closed her eyes and swung her leg over the horse.

"Husband! Don’t let go, don’t let go! Hold me quickly!"

Once mounted, she felt the support at her waist suddenly vanish. Panicked, she glanced to the side, then clung to the horse’s neck, calling for help.

"Don’t cling. Do as this lord instructed earlier—sit straight and hold the reins." Jiang Xu stood to the side, hands behind his back, offering only verbal guidance instead of physical assistance.

But Ming Tan was too frightened. Every time she tried to sit up slightly, fear immediately drove her back down.

"Sit straight.""Sit up straight, A Tan's waist seems to have a mind of its own..."

"Take your time, let go first, don't cling."

Ming Tan didn't dare release her grip at all. Swallowing hard, her voice trembled as she said, "Husband might not believe this, but my hands also seem to have developed their own ideas..."

Jiang Xu: "..."

Not far away, beneath the shade of trees, the Empress's procession had come to a halt.

Empress Zhang half-squinted as she observed the perfect couple on the riding field, sighing softly as if moved by some emotion: "The affection between young spouses is truly the most precious."

"Indeed, Your Highness and His Majesty were also young spouses—such a bond is incomparable to others," flattered a minor talent who had caught the Emperor's eye yesterday with an incense pouch and was temporarily brought to Yongchun Garden.

The Empress smiled faintly but remained silent.

Meanwhile, Shufei curled her lips, watching the pair on the field—one refusing to yield while the other coquettishly clung—and suddenly teased, "Shall we guess whether the mighty Prince Dingbei... can withstand such delicate beauty?"

"I bet he can't! As the saying goes, 'The hardest to bear is a beauty's favor,'" a consort tittered.

"Exactly. The way His Highness treats his princess seems no less devoted than the bond between Xian Junwang and his princess, who grew up together."

"What do you think, Lanfei?" Shufei pressed.

Lanfei didn't answer, only shaking her head lightly.

The Jiang Qizhi she knew was not a man who would compromise or accommodate.

As a child, she had been a study companion to the princess, learning alongside imperial children and noble scions in the palace—Jiang Qizhi among them. Back then, she had been intensely curious about this former crown prince who had nearly been betrothed to her in the womb.

Perhaps because of this curiosity, she found herself paying him more attention than others. Over time, this attention accumulated into something more—a fleeting, bittersweet infatuation during those tender years of budding affection.

Bitter because she knew: he was a man of grand ambitions, destined to fulfill them one day. Love meant little to him, hardly worth mentioning.

And she was fated to enter the deep palace, to become the Emperor's woman. Even standing face-to-face with him, there could be no further connection.

Her only consolation had been the thought that such a brilliant man would belong to no woman—not her, nor anyone else.

Yet now, it seemed she might have been wrong.

"Looks like we guessed right!"

The consorts giggled.

Not far off, Ming Tan sprawled over her horse's back, utterly unable to sit upright, pestering Jiang Xu beside her every now and then.

At first, Jiang Xu remained unmoved. But after a while of her nagging, he relented, taking the reins to lead her horse a short distance.

Ming Tan, ever the opportunist, pressed further once she succeeded—asking Jiang Xu to lift her onto his swift steed, Jifeng, under the pretense of learning together. Jiang Xu obliged.

He intended to teach her properly, but Ming Tan had no real interest in learning. Once mounted together, she comfortably nestled against him and asked curiously, "Husband, can you ride very fast? How fast at most?"

"Without changing horses, four hundred li at most."

"So fast! Then when you have time, could you take A Tan riding outside? I've never experienced galloping at full speed before." Ming Tan looked up at him with slight admiration.

Jiang Xu gave a noncommittal "Hmm," then added after a pause, "In a while. I must leave for Lingzhou in two days. After returning, I'll take you.""Lingzhou?" Ming Tan knew Lingzhou was extremely prosperous, but it was also very far from the capital—even farther than Qingzhou by more than half the distance. "Will Husband be gone for long this time?"

"At least a month, at most three."

"So long..."

Since marrying Jiang Xu, although he often went away on official business, he had never been gone for two or three months. Hearing he would be away for so long suddenly filled Ming Tan with an inexplicable sense of loss.

That night, as they settled in, Ming Tan tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Her constant shifting kept Jiang Xu awake as well. Suddenly, he pulled her into his arms and asked in a low, drowsy voice, "What's wrong?"

"Husband is going to Lingzhou this time, but Lingzhou isn't like Hezhou or Qingzhou... I've heard it's lively and prosperous, no less than the capital."

Jiang Xu gave a noncommittal "Hmm" and lazily pressed, "What else have you heard?"

"I've also heard... that Lingzhou has a hundred and eighty pleasure boats, all connected, with small boats coming and going. The women there are graceful and charming, with every type of beauty imaginable—it's truly a land of intoxication and dreams, a haven of tenderness.

"Moreover, the women of Lingzhou are gentle and delicate, famously beautiful. My uncle's household once had a concubine brought back from Lingzhou when he traveled south. She was deeply favored at the time, though she passed early due to poor health. Minmin used to say that if that concubine were still alive, even she would have to take a backseat."

"Consort has heard quite a lot."

Ming Tan lowered her voice and asked, "So... so might Husband suddenly bring back a girl too? A Tan isn't jealous—absolutely not jealous! But if Husband does bring back a girl, could you at least send a letter in advance? So A Tan can... prepare herself?"

Prepare for what?

Prepare to tear down the gilded Buddha statue of Lingmiao Temple for breaking its promise?

Jiang Xu still hadn't opened his eyes, merely listening to Ming Tan's endless chatter. Only after she finished did he lazily murmur in a low voice, "If Consort is uneasy, she could always accompany this prince on the trip."

Author's note: Traveling A Tan o(≧v≦)o