In a short while, a few floating clouds in the sky slowly obscured the crescent moon, disappearing from sight, as if ashamed to see the annoying scene.
·
Lingxiao's marriage went extremely smoothly, without any disruption. Prince Ning would never allow such a situation to occur, so he arranged everything with utmost care and precision.
Many people came to help Ling Xiao with her wedding. Zhang Xin and Song Shuhao were present, and many of Ling Xiao's colleagues and friends also came, making it quite lively. Even at this time, Ling Xiao couldn't help but take Song Shuhao's pulse and said that the pregnancy was stable and that she should move around more. Zhang Xin teased him for having endless worries.
The Ning Prince's residence and Ling Xiao's residence are not far apart; even walking slowly, it wouldn't take more than half an hour, and the festive atmosphere could only reach such a small area. In truth, it was a significant event, involving the Ning Prince and a newly favored female official of His Majesty; it was hard not to pay attention.
But Zhang Ye wasn't satisfied. Dressed in his wedding robes and riding a tall horse, he picked up Ling Xiao, who was also dressed in wedding robes and covered with a red veil. He then led the wedding procession and Ling Xiao in the bridal sedan chair in a very high-profile manner. He wanted to tour the entire city of Lin'an so that the whole world would know that he had finally married the woman of his dreams.
It was precisely because Prince Ning was so unassuming that a huge crowd of onlookers gathered, practically blocking the entire street. Everyone craned their necks to see the handsome man on his tall horse, beaming with joy and exuding an imposing aura, and their curiosity was also piqued about the bride in the bridal sedan chair. Fortunately, officials had been arranged in advance to maintain order, preventing any chaos.
Nie Shaoguang hid in the crowd, watching the bright red sedan chair pass by down the long street, and Prince Ning sitting on horseback, full of pride and joy, his expression proclaiming another happy marriage. She then felt that everyone else was good, except for her.
Why is it that she can't get what she wants?
Nie Shaoguang felt a surge of resentment, then thought of her brother and couldn't help but suppress her smile. Now that Ling Xiao had married Prince Ning, her brother should know why he had been so harshly rejected. From the very beginning, he hadn't been on the same path as her; how could he possibly accept her?
However, she still found it strange. Her brother was usually so clueless when it came to matters of the heart, so how could he have fallen for Ling Xiao? Nie Shaoguang thought about it again and still felt strange. If feelings had developed at the border, why did he seem to have no reaction after they returned?
If her own brother hadn't gone to propose marriage, she really wouldn't have known about this!
When Nie Shaoguang returned home, her brother hadn't gone to the Prince of Ning's mansion for the wedding banquet—after all, he was an official, and there was no reason for him not to attend—but was instead in his study polishing his precious sword. Nie Shaoguang was startled. When Nie Zhiyuan saw her enter, he didn't even send someone to announce her arrival. As he packed his things, he frowned and said, "Why didn't you knock before coming in?"
He sheathed his sword, not seeming to be about to act impulsively. Nie Shaoguang composed herself and smiled, "I forgot for a moment, I'll definitely remember next time." Nie Shaoguang was unusually easy to talk to, and Nie Zhiyuan glanced at her, sensing that something must be on her mind.
The next moment, Nie Zhiyuan heard his sister say, "Lingxiao got married today, and she married Prince Ning. Brother, I went to see it too. The procession and the festivities were extremely lively and joyous. But brother, are you alright?"
"What could possibly happen to me?" Nie Zhiyuan asked calmly.
Nie Shaoguang smiled and said, "It's best if nothing's wrong, but I'm curious, since you don't seem to care that much, why did you send someone to propose marriage in the first place? That's not like you at all..." She was trying to find out, and Nie Zhiyuan could see right through her.
"If we're compatible, we'll stay together; if not, we'll part ways. Since we're not meant to be, let it go. Why should we beg and plead?" Nie Zhiyuan's words were both vague and clear. He just felt that she was different from others, that she seemed more attentive, while he had never been attentive to anyone before, so he had this idea.
If I had known earlier that she had something going on with Prince Ning, I wouldn't have gotten involved.
Seeing her brother's composed demeanor, Nie Shaoguang couldn't help but ask, "Why didn't you try to fight for it, brother? Why are you just giving up so willingly? Perhaps a fight would have yielded a better result..." If it were her, she certainly wouldn't have given up so easily. Even if it meant facing a prince, so what?
"Her heart is already with someone else, what's the point of fighting for her? And how could I possibly like her that much?" Nie Zhiyuan said casually, but then he remembered that Nie Shaoguang had something she couldn't let go of.
Normally, I wouldn't say anything, afraid of touching on her painful memories or upsetting her, but now that we've brought it up, I feel it's alright. Therefore, Nie Zhiyuan quickly said to Nie Shaoguang, "Now you should also learn to let go; you can't force things. The Chen family girl's remarriage isn't bad, which shows that the past didn't have a big impact. If you can be like the Chen family girl, both your mother and I will be truly at ease."
Nie Zhiyuan mentioned Chen Yifei, whose remarriage was also a matter of great interest. Even without deliberately inquiring, many people knew something about it. The conversation had turned to her, which Nie Shaoguang naturally didn't like. She had only been polite to get information from Nie Zhiyuan, but hearing this, her face stiffened again.
"What's so great about me remarrying? Other people have childhood sweethearts, innocent and carefree, what do I have? People will talk behind my back, and who knows how they'll look down on me, I don't care!"
"If you don't care, then give up the idea of making a fuss. Do you really want to go back to the palace? This year's election only allowed His Majesty to select some palace maids from his subordinates. If you want to go back, it's the same path you'll take."
It all boils down to the same old things, and Nie Shaoguang had no interest in hearing them. She stared at Nie Zhiyuan with a stern face, displeased. Suddenly, something flashed through her mind, and she narrowed her eyes, saying, "Brother, tell me honestly, the current Princess Ning… are you aware that she's a bit strange?"
Nie Zhiyuan looked up at her, a strange feeling passing through his heart, but he didn't show it on his face. He just frowned and gently scolded Nie Shaoguang, "What exactly do you want to do by thinking about things like this all the time?"
Hearing Nie Zhiyuan's question, Nie Shaoguang felt uneasy. She couldn't say what she was thinking... She frowned just like Nie Zhiyuan, looked at her brother, pouted, and said with dissatisfaction, "I don't feel that you are good to me, I only feel that you are helping outsiders."
After saying that, Nie Shaoguang left Nie Zhiyuan's study without saying goodbye, just like when he came.
·
In mid-August, Zhang Yu received news that Zhang Jin had arrived safely in the capital of Dayuan. Song Shuhao leaned over to glance at the secret letter, but when she saw Zhang Yu's gaze on her, she stiffened her neck and turned her face away, pretending that she hadn't done anything.
“Ah Xin said we’re all going to her place to celebrate the festival today, so there’s no rush. You take a nap first, and I’ll finish reviewing the memorials. We’ll go together later.” Zhang Yu put away the secret letter and said to Song Shuhao. They had already had lunch, and Song Shuhao’s schedule was very regular, so it was time for her to prepare for her afternoon rest.
After she nodded, Zhang Yu accompanied Song Shuhao to her afternoon nap, coaxing her to sleep before returning to the palace to continue his work. At that moment, Lü Yuan walked in from outside and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager sent someone with some small cakes, and the person is waiting outside the palace." He was asking whether he wanted to see her or not.
"Instruct the Imperial Kitchen to prepare a box of small cakes and have that person take it back, saying that I have received the Empress Dowager's concern." He wanted to ignore the existence of Empress Dowager Feng, but she had no such intention and had been causing trouble in secret these past few days. Sending small cakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival seemed to be a reminder that he should still remember this Empress Dowager.
But she wasn't giving up. How could he forget her? He had to remember her every moment, otherwise, if anything went wrong, he'd have to find a way to fix it himself. Even though they were small actions, slowly, they revealed some underlying trends. That's why… Zhang Yu's eyes suddenly sharpened. How could he see Song Shuhao still heartbroken and wronged? He absolutely couldn't let those people use those things to hurt her!
Song Shuhao slept soundly for over an hour during her afternoon nap. Zhang Yu ordered hot water to be prepared so he could wake her up for a bath and to get ready before heading out. But she was sleeping peacefully, seemingly dreaming, with a slight smile on her lips, appearing to be in a good mood.
Zhang Yu was also happy, though he didn't think he could give Song Shu much. She wasn't particularly concerned about food, clothing, or daily necessities; good things were fine, but a little less wouldn't bother her. However, she had come back to the palace at her own expense.
What does it matter if I give her everything she wants? And she's so easily satisfied, she hardly ever asks for anything. Zhang Yu gazed at Song Shuhao's peaceful sleeping face and silently thought, then the best thing he could do was to make sure she lived a peaceful, smooth, and happy life every day.
Zhang Yu raised his hand to touch Song Shuhao's face and gently called her name a few times. Unexpectedly, the person on the bed curled up, hugged his hand with both hands, and rubbed her face against his palm like a lazy and content cat. He smiled and leaned down to kiss her, "Shuhao, wake up."
Song Shuhao seemed to hear his words. After a while, she groggily opened her eyes, but didn't seem to want to wake up, muttering softly. Zhang Yu chuckled and said, "If you don't get up now, it'll be late. Otherwise, we can skip it..."
As soon as he spoke, Song Shuhao remembered that she was going to Zhang Xin's place for the Mid-Autumn Festival. She immediately tried to open her eyes halfway and said, "No, I have to go. I also prepared a gift for Yu Cheng." Xia Yu Cheng is not even three months old and has been feeling a little unwell lately. If they want to celebrate the festival together today, the only option is to go to the Little Princess's residence.
Song Shuhao snapped out of her daze, smiled at Zhang Yu, and stretched out her arms for a hug. Her genuine smile, in Zhang Yu's eyes, was like seeing ripe fruit hanging on a tree branch in autumn—you knew it would be exceptionally sweet even without tasting it. But you still wanted to try it; only by tasting it could you truly appreciate its flavor.
Zhang Yu picked her up and took her directly to the bath, serving her himself without asking anyone else to help...
·
Xia Yucheng grew more and more adorable and endearing with each passing year. The slightest teasing would make him giggle with delight. Sometimes, people were hesitant to tease him, worried that his laughter might become too loud and cause an accident. But it seemed that everyone who met him disliked him.
When Zhang Yu and Song Shuhao arrived, Xia Yucheng was patiently chewing on her fingers with great concentration. Upon seeing the two of them, she abandoned that activity, staring at them with her big, black, pearly eyes, and silently laughed to herself, waving her chubby little arms.
Song Shuhao, now pregnant, adored children even more. She reached out to hold one, but Zhang Yu beat her to it. Knowing he was worried she might get tired or it might be inconvenient for her, Song Shuhao didn't say anything. She simply teased Xia Yucheng, which she enjoyed, and then presented Xia Yucheng with the gift she had brought.
Newlyweds Ling Xiao and Prince Ning arrived late, and Zhang Xin, as the hostess, entertained them with great skill. After chatting for a while, the kitchen prepared the meal, and Zhang Xin had the wet nurse take Xia Yucheng away. Then everyone sat down around the table to eat.
Considering Song Shu's dietary restrictions and Zhang Xin's experience, Zhang Xin took care of her and specially instructed the kitchen to prepare some suitable dishes. Since they were already very familiar with each other, the meal was enjoyed in a harmonious and pleasant atmosphere.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Zhang Xin ordered an altar to be set up. On the altar were neatly arranged small cakes served on a white jade plate, watermelons specially cut into the shape of lotus flowers, and other seasonal fruits and vegetables. Red candles burned brightly on the altar, and a statue of the moon goddess was placed facing the direction of the full moon, giving the impression of a moon worship ceremony.