Youthful Glory

"What was that sound?" Ming Tan paused in confusion, then stood up and approached the antique shelf.

"The books fell over." Without much thought, she straightened the fallen military texts and returned to her desk.

The secret chamber wasn't soundproof, and the generals inside sat stiffly, their scalps tingling as they exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief.

They all thought the same thing: Who would have guessed that the Lord and his Consort were so affectionate in private?

Back when the Lord had married, they had attended the wedding banquet at the manor. At the time, there had been no indication that the Lord valued this marriage much, and after the wedding, he rarely mentioned his Consort—almost as if she didn’t exist. Naturally, everyone assumed their relationship was lukewarm.

Now, sitting on pins and needles, some even wondered: Having overheard things they shouldn’t have, would the Lord make sure they never left this chamber alive? Would pretending to be deaf and blind now still save their necks?

Jiang Xu had no intention of letting the men in the chamber continue eavesdropping, nor did he want Ming Tan to be so embarrassed by her own sudden whims that she could dig out the entire Thirteen Ming Tombs with her toes.

He closed the book, stood up, took Ming Tan’s hand in one of his, and picked up the food box with the other. "The study isn’t well-ventilated. Let’s go back to our quarters to eat."

Ming Tan had been about to suggest opening a window, but the moment his cool, broad hand enveloped hers, the words died in her throat. She simply nodded obediently and let him lead her out.

But just as they were about to leave, one of the generals in the chamber, suffering from a cold, couldn’t hold back any longer—he suddenly sneezed!

The door had just opened, letting in the chilly early winter wind.

Ming Tan froze, her mind blank. It took her a long moment before she belatedly glanced at Jiang Xu.

Jiang Xu was silent for a beat, then, seeing no way to hide it, explained succinctly, "There’s a secret chamber behind the antique shelf. Before you came, I was discussing matters with others."

Ming Tan instinctively wanted to ask why he hadn’t told her sooner! But as the events of the past moments flashed through her mind, humiliation surged violently, and she couldn’t bring herself to demand an answer—after all, she hadn’t given her husband any chance to explain earlier.

She yanked her hand from Jiang Xu’s grip, her entire body burning as if on fire, covered her face, and hurriedly fled toward Qi’an Hall.

This was mortifying! The fourth peak of embarrassment had appeared without warning! She never should have thought those first three peaks were insurmountable—this one had been scaled effortlessly! How could something like this happen? It was utterly absurd!

As expected, by the time Jiang Xu returned to Qi’an Hall, the thin-skinned and frequently embarrassed someone had already locked herself in her room, burrowing under the covers in stubborn refusal to emerge.

Jiang Xu sat by the bed and lied without batting an eye to comfort her, "What’s all this? It’s only natural for a husband and wife to be close. They didn’t think much of it, so you shouldn’t dwell on it either."

Ming Tan clearly didn’t believe a single word.

"I’ve warned them. Rest assured, they won’t speak of tonight’s events to anyone, nor will it affect the Consort’s sterling reputation for virtue and grace."

This much was true, but Ming Tan only let out a muffled whimper from under the covers, offering no further response.

After what felt like an eternity of awkward consolation, the little head finally emerged—not because she had come to terms with it, but because she was suffocating.She whispered, "Husband, there's no need to comfort me. Let me be alone for a while."

With that, she turned toward the inner side of the bed, curling up like a little shrimp.

Jiang Xu had no more words of comfort to offer. After a long silence, he extinguished the lamp and climbed onto the bed, gently ruffling her hair.

"Sleep now."

Ming Tan responded with a muffled "Mm."

He embraced her from behind, and when she didn't resist, he turned her over and pulled her into his arms. After a moment's hesitation, he attempted to speak: "This lord, I—"

"I said there's no need to comfort me anymore. I'm fine."

"I'm not comforting you. I just wanted to ask—why would fabric be outdated for three months? Did it grow mold?"

"......"

Ming Tan wriggled out of his embrace in one swift motion, turning back toward the inner side of the bed, fuming silently.

Jiang Xu, having failed to get an answer from her, continued to ponder the question seriously, resolving to ask her maidservant about it early the next morning.

Once the winter solstice passed, the year drew to a close. With no major affairs in court, the palace was bustling with preparations for the New Year's Eve banquet.

In the imperial study, Emperor Chengkang set aside his memorials for once and sat down for a leisurely game of chess with Jiang Xu.

"Truly not coming? This year's palace fireworks have new designs, and the imperial kitchen has hired several new chefs. You won't go hungry."

"I've already seen the finest fireworks."

"What?" Emperor Chengkang instinctively looked up.

"Nothing." Jiang Xu lowered his gaze to the chessboard, speaking lightly. "The Princess Consort has been preparing for days at the manor. I won't be attending."

Emperor Chengkang considered this and didn't press further. After all, it was the newlywed couple's first New Year together—it was natural they'd want to celebrate privately at home.

"Then I'll have the eunuchs deliver imperial dishes to your manor."

Jiang Xu didn't decline again. Bestowing dishes wasn't merely about the food—it symbolized trust and closeness between ruler and subject.

After two games of chess, a eunuch presented the list of New Year's gifts for each noble household, prepared by the Empress, for Emperor Chengkang's review.

The emperor opened it and skimmed casually. Seeing Prince Dingbei's Manor at the top of the list, he tossed the booklet over. "See if anything's missing."

A pair of eight-treasure gold hairpins with intricate filigree and crabapple motifs, a pair of jade Ruyi scepters from the South Sea, a brocade quilt with gold-threaded cloud patterns...

Jiang Xu patiently read to the end before suddenly asking, "Are this Jinchun brocade and Liuyun brocade the latest fabrics?"

Emperor Chengkang: "......?"

He'd merely been polite in letting him review the list—never expecting he'd actually take interest and even comment on it.

The attending eunuch answered respectfully, "Reporting to the Lord, Jinchun brocade is newly tribute fabric from Suzhou—only twenty bolts were sent in total. It's most splendid for spring garments. Though Liuyun brocade isn't new, it's imperial tribute—forbidden to wear outside the palace unless bestowed."

Jiang Xu nodded, closed the booklet, and handed it back.

Emperor Chengkang couldn't resist asking, "Why are you asking about fabrics?"

"No reason. Just that last time I bought two bolts of brocade, the Princess Consort said they were outdated."

He'd only ever known clothes could be new or old—never realizing capital ladies cared about fabric trends. While he found it absurd, he couldn't let his own princess consort suffer the indignity of wearing outdated materials daily.

"......"

"You actually bought brocade?"

Jiang Xu met his gaze with a look that plainly said, "Why wouldn't I?"

Emperor Chengkang was momentarily speechless, staring at him in astonishment. Even after Jiang Xu took his leave, the emperor remained dazed for a long while.Jiang Qizhi was even buying brocade for his own consort now—at this point, if someone came to report that Rongzhou had fallen without a fight, he would believe it.

As the year drew to a close, every household bustled with activity. The auspicious snow heralded a bountiful year, and the New Year's Eve of Chengkang's seventh year finally arrived amidst a flurry of heavy snowfall.

"It's snowing!" Early in the morning, Ming Tan heard the soft sound of snow outside and pushed open the window barefoot.

She wore only thin sleeping robes, her dark hair loosely cascading over her shoulders. Excited, she tiptoed to lean out, even catching snowflakes in her palm as if she felt no cold.

Before long, someone draped a thick crane-feather cloak over her shoulders. "Be careful not to catch a chill."

The cloak wasn’t hers—it was heavy and thick, like suddenly being wrapped in a thick quilt.

Ming Tan paid it no mind, carefully cradling the snowflakes she had caught and extending them toward Jiang Xu. "Husband, look! It’s really snowing!"

"Is this your first time seeing snow?"

"Of course not! But this year’s snow was so late. I’d already promised Minmin we’d build a snow lion, but it just wouldn’t come."

True enough—this winter’s first snowfall had only arrived on New Year’s Eve.

Outside the window, everything was blanketed in silver. The rooftops looked as if covered with a feather-soft quilt, and the tree branches bent low under the weight of fresh snow. The icy wind carried the crisp chill of new snow into the room, dispersing some of the lingering warmth from last night’s intimacy.

They had been up until the third watch, and someone had insisted that if she couldn’t get out of bed the next morning for New Year’s Eve, it would all be his fault. So he had restrained himself—but now it seemed her earlier complaints were just exaggerated words. Bright and energetic this early in the morning, she even had the mood to admire the snow by the window.

Jiang Xu gathered her long black hair and scooped her up by the waist, settling her back onto the soft couch. His voice was firm. "Running barefoot on the floor will make you catch cold."

"The floor’s heated—how could I catch cold?"

Ming Tan retorted but guiltily tucked her feet back under the cloak.

Jiang Xu said nothing more.

Ming Tan then asked for confirmation, "Husband, we don’t have to go to the palace today, do we?"

"No."

Ming Tan finally relaxed. She had heard from Princess Consort Yu that in previous years, if they were in the capital, the Emperor would summon close relatives to the palace for the New Year’s Eve banquet, to watch the fireworks, and even stay overnight.

This was her first New Year with her husband—she had no desire to go to the palace and face that noisy crowd of consorts.

Suddenly remembering something, she added, "Husband, are you going to the training grounds later?"

"Yes."

"Then let’s go together."

"What are you going there for?" She couldn’t even lift a bow—he had long given up hoping she would deign to exercise there.

"I want to build a snow lion. Will you come with me, husband?" Ming Tan gazed at him with sparkling eyes.

"..."

Childish.

Jiang Xu almost refused outright, but Ming Tan tugged at his sleeve. So the words on his lips turned into a reluctant "Mm."

Delighted by his agreement, Ming Tan stretched up from the couch to wrap her arms around Jiang Xu’s neck, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Husband is the best to A Tan!"

The cloak slipped down with her movement. Jiang Xu caught her and lifted her into his arms again, carrying her back to the bed.

"This prince sees you are not, as you claimed last night, too exhausted to speak or walk. You seem quite energetic."

His voice was slightly hoarse, carrying a familiar edge of danger—but by the time Ming Tan realized it, it was too late to escape.

"I—Mm! Mmm!"