"I...I..." Ouyang Yue didn't know what to say. She was absolutely not lying to Baili Chen. Her period came quite unexpectedly. According to normal physiology, it should have been two or three days later. It was probably due to nervousness, or because she was really stimulated last night, so it came early. It's really not okay now.
Baili Chen rested his head on Ouyang Yue's shoulder, seemingly venting his frustration. Suddenly, he opened his mouth wide and bit Ouyang Yue hard. Ouyang Yue trembled and let out a low groan. Baili Chen said with dissatisfaction, "What a troublesome little vixen." After saying that, he rested his head on her shoulder again.
After a while, Baili Chen picked up a handkerchief and said, "My wife is sweating again. It seems we really need to wipe her down properly this time, otherwise she might catch a cold."
Ouyang Yue didn't speak; it wasn't convenient for her to say anything now. This time, Baili Chen was noticeably more docile with his hands, but Ouyang Yue could feel that his gaze was becoming increasingly fiery and intense, making her feel uneasy all over.
Soon after, Baili Chen finished wiping himself down and, without letting Ouyang Yue move, dressed her in her undergarments and outer garments, ignoring her inner and outer clothes. He then carried Ouyang Yue to the bedside, placed her on the bed, and lay down himself. Ouyang Yue turned to look at him, and Baili Chen looked back at her. In the night, both of their eyes shone brightly.
Suddenly, Baili Chen said, "This day has finally come." He reached out and gently stroked Ouyang Yue's cheek. Ouyang Yue didn't speak, but her smile deepened. Baili Chen picked her up and held her close, but couldn't help asking, "How many days does it take for your period, my wife?" As a prince in the palace, Baili Chen couldn't possibly be unaware of certain things. Even the groom's dowry would include a few erotic pictures. Besides, Baili Chen had previously consulted two eunuchs who had served in the palace for a long time; these men were extremely knowledgeable about women, so he understood these matters.
Ouyang Yue was startled and choked for a moment before whispering, "Four to seven days, it's not very stable yet."
Baili Chen frowned: "It seems my wife should take some supplements. I've heard that instability isn't good." Ouyang Yue didn't speak, but Baili Chen couldn't help but sigh, "But I can manage instability now, it only lasts a day."
Ouyang Yue glared at him, but Baili Chen simply stroked her back. Although there was a layer of clothing between them, it seemed to have no effect on Baili Chen at all, and Ouyang Yue just leaned into his arms. Baili Chen's deep voice sounded above her: "Wife, won't you take a nap? Didn't you stay up last night? You're not sleepy now."
Ouyang Yue nodded in agreement: "Yes, I'm not sleepy at all, not sleepy at all."
Bai Lichen paused for a moment, then said, "Yes, I'm not sleepy at all either."
The two exchanged a glance and remained silent for a moment. Baili Chen suggested, "Why don't we look at the night view?" Ouyang Yue nodded slightly in agreement. However, just as she was about to get out of bed, Baili Chen jumped to the ground and soon brought two cloaks, one for each of them. The two then walked to the window. Baili Chen directly grabbed a chair, sat down, and then sat down with Ouyang Yue in his arms. The window was large, and the scenery outside was unobstructed.
The night sky tonight is truly beautiful. Although it's not as full as the full moon of the fifteenth, the crescent moon hanging in the dark night sky, radiating a faint, crystalline luster, is still quite enchanting. It's like a jade plate set in the sky, with the scattered little stars twinkling like stardust.
Bai Lichen exclaimed, "I've never looked at the sky so intently before. It's such a beautiful sight." He used to be completely oblivious to the beauty of the scenery. If he hadn't met Ouyang Yue, he probably wouldn't even know how to please a woman.
Ouyang Yue leaned against Baili Chen's chest, feeling the impact of his strong heartbeat. His powerful arms encircled her body, and a thought flashed through her mind. Before, she didn't trust men, or even herself or anyone else. She only knew that she had to constantly strive to remain invincible, so she couldn't relax for a moment. She had never imagined how beautiful it would be to leisurely and quietly enjoy the scenery with someone like this; it was unimaginable. But now, it felt so natural, comfortable, and warm. She even felt no discomfort in turning her back to this man; the feeling of being protected wasn't so difficult after all.
"Today is truly beautiful."
Bai Lichen laughed and said, "That's because they know we're getting married today, so they're here to celebrate. Yesterday the sky was dark and gloomy, but it was a completely different story."
Ouyang Yue gave him a strange look. There seemed to be more stars in the sky yesterday, and the weather was even better than today. "Is that so?"
"Of course! I checked yesterday, and there are definitely more stars in the sky today, and they're even more beautiful. I'm sure I didn't see wrong." Ouyang Yue looked at Baili Chen speechlessly, but the latter said, "That's what I saw. Doesn't my wife believe me?"
“Oh, you’re amazing. I’m not interested.” That was all Ouyang Yue could say.
Bai Lichen smiled and said, "It's nothing. It might be a little different from what I said, but in my eyes, today is a good day. The stars in the sky are indeed more beautiful." So he knew too. Ouyang Yue smiled but didn't say anything. The two leaned against each other and chatted occasionally, but it was an endless warm and sweet moment.
"That's Polaris."
"Polaris, what's that?" Baili Chen suddenly asked.
"Look over there," Ouyang Yue said softly, "aren't there seven stars connected? Those are also called the polar stars. Then, extend westward from north, and that's Polaris. If you observe carefully, you'll find it's eternal and unchanging. You can consider it a kind of faith, a symbol of family, friendship, or even love. From the perspective of love, Polaris symbolizes steadfastness, perseverance, and eternal protection. When you're feeling lost, you can look up at it; it's always there, guiding you out of confusion and towards steadfastness."
Upon hearing this, Baili Chen's eyes lit up: "From now on, the North Star will be our love star."
Ouyang Yue couldn't help but laugh, turning to look at him: "The North Star is in the sky, how did it become our love star?"
"Because it represents our love, symbolizing steadfastness, persistence, and eternal protection. We must believe in each other and grow old together, so it is our love star," Baili Chen said, his eyes shining.
Ouyang Yue tilted her head slightly: "You're really cunning. Do you want my promise?"
Bai Lichen smiled and said, "Will my wife be able to tell?"
Ouyang Yue lowered her eyes slightly, reached out and wrapped her arms around Baili Chen's neck, gently resting her head against him: "I... like you..."
Baili Chen's eyes flickered slightly, and he smiled: "My wife, I love you."
Ouyang Yue looked at him and said, "You are the first man to make my heart flutter. I think that promise of forever is not far away."
The disappointment in Baili Chen's eyes vanished instantly, and he nodded with a smile: "Yes, I will wait." Baili Chen was full of confidence and suggested, "Wife, let's continue looking at the stars. What do you know about stars? Hearing you say that, this starry sky is truly vast and boundless, and there is so much to learn."
"The Weaver Girl star shines by the river, the Cowherd star lingers on the bank. Unable to cross the shallow water, they gaze at each other from afar. Speaking of the Weaver Girl and Cowherd stars, they are also related to the North Star. And there are many groups of stars in the sky, which are hard to understand without careful observation. You see a star that looks like a bow and arrow..." Ouyang Yue patiently explained to Baili Chen, who listened very attentively, occasionally taking a bite of something. Ouyang Yue pretended not to hear and was happy to see it.
Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen chatted until dawn. The servants had already begun preparations for them. On the first day of their marriage, Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen needed to go to the palace to express their gratitude, so they had to get up early. However, to the servants' surprise, the prince and princess got up even earlier than they had imagined.
"Come in." The servants filed in. The servants of the Prince Chen's residence were all very well-trained, each doing their own job. One of the maids carried a box over, and when she saw the neatly made white cloth on the bed, she was stunned. How come there wasn't a drop of blood on it? This... Could it be that Princess Mingyue...
The servant's stiffness immediately caught the attention of the other servants. Just then, Baili Chen walked over, saw their expressions, and said to Chuncao, "Chuncao, go and change the princess's handkerchief."
Hearing Baili Chen's blunt words, Chuncao blushed, but considering the expressions of the others, she didn't dare delay and called out, "Yes, Your Highness. I prepared early this morning. Yesterday, the Princess Consort suddenly started her period, which caught her off guard. I'll go right away." Sure enough, Chuncao took a small cloth bag and went behind the screen. Only then did the servants understand.
So the princess had her period yesterday, which is why they didn't consummate the marriage? That really startled them. But what should they do with the white handkerchief?
Baili Chen waved his hand: "Dongxue, put that white handkerchief away." Dongxue immediately agreed and put it in the box, but kept it for future use. The servants naturally did not dare to stop her. Originally, this thing was to be brought into the palace this morning, but now there was no other way.
At this moment, Ouyang Yue, supported by Chuncao, came out. Baili Chen walked quickly over, and the other servants in the room immediately greeted her, saying, "This servant greets Your Highness."
Bai Lichen helped Ouyang Yue over and said, "My lady, let me introduce you. These four are the four women who have served me all these years. Their names are Bi Quan, Bi Yu, Bining, and Bi Qing."
"Your Highness, your servants Bi Quan, Bi Yu, Bi Ning, and Bi Qing greet you."
"Hmm, raise your heads so this princess can see you." The four women immediately raised their heads. Ouyang Yue saw their faces. Although she had seen them yesterday, she hadn't looked at them closely enough. Now, she could only conclude that they were very ordinary. However, Ouyang Yue could tell from their gait that these four women had some martial arts skills. Of course, they couldn't compare to Dong Xue, but they would be more than capable of protecting ordinary young ladies.
Baili Chen added, "However, they only take care of my daily life." Ouyang Yue smiled at Baili Chen, understanding that he was explaining to prevent her from misunderstanding. Although these four people had been taking care of Baili Chen's life, it was nothing more than making the bed and tidying up the room; they couldn't provide any more intimate care. Baili Chen then said to the four women from Biquan, "From now on, you will be mainly managed by the Princess Consort. I don't need anyone to take care of me here. From now on, you will be directly led by the Princess Consort. If anything happens to the Princess Consort, I will hold you all responsible."
The four women from Biquan exchanged glances, then immediately knelt and said, "Yes, Your Highness." In truth, the four women from Biquan were among the most beneficial people around Baili Chen. However, as Baili Chen had said, they had never had the chance to get close to Baili Chen's heart before. Moreover, given their appearance, they were actually of inferior beauty in the palace, and had no inclination to seduce their master. Besides, Baili Chen had previously killed any women who harbored designs on him; many palace maids had died in Chenyu Palace. The four women from Biquan dared not have any such thoughts. But they were, after all, Baili Chen's personal maids, and now they were all given to Ouyang Yue, showing how much he valued this princess consort.
Ouyang Yue glanced at Baili Chen, but did not refuse.
Baili Chen said, "Is breakfast ready?"
Bi Quan replied immediately, "Your Highness, everything is ready. Please move to the flower hall for your meal."
“Hmm!” Baili Chen followed Ouyang Yue to the flower hall. The Chen Prince’s mansion was generally oriented north to south. The north side was Baili Chen’s residence, including his study, and its general layout was not much different from other mansions. The western part was where the women’s rooms were located. However, Baili Chen did not let Ouyang Yue go to the west courtyard, but instead moved her directly to the north courtyard to live with him. The area at the front of the west courtyard, which belonged to the princess, was empty. It was separated by two small paths before a row of houses was built. The ten women that Ouyang Yue had taken in, as well as the ten women given by the Third Prince, a total of twenty people, lived in one of the small courtyards. Apart from the servants from the Chen Prince’s mansion bringing food, there were no servants walking around in this courtyard. The ten women that Ouyang Yue brought in each had a personal maid, while the women given by the Third Prince naturally had to fend for themselves.
As soon as Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen stepped out of the house, they saw more than a dozen beautiful young women standing in a row in the courtyard. Upon seeing the two of them, they immediately knelt down and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness and Your Highness's Consort." Every single one of them couldn't help but gaze at Baili Chen with a look of spring in their eyes.
Baili Chen's face darkened instantly. Without saying a word, he led Ouyang Yue to the flower hall, leaving the women standing there. Ouyang Yue remained silent, and the dozen or so women exchanged glances, somewhat displeased, but still followed them towards the flower hall. Seeing Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue seated, these women boldly entered the flower hall and silently stood in two rows, as if welcoming guests. Ouyang Yue couldn't help but find this amusing.
Baili Chen coldly shouted, "Get out! My wife and I don't need any servants. Go back after you've finished paying your respects."
The dozen or so women seemed somewhat unwilling, some even looking at Baili Chen with affectionate eyes, trying to seduce him on their very first day of marriage. Ouyang Yue found this amusing and said with a smile, "Your Highness, since they are willing, let them serve the dishes."
Bai Lichen looked at Ouyang Yue in surprise, but saw that Ouyang Yue's smile was cold. He frowned and thought for a moment but did not speak or agree. Ouyang Yue did not forget to mention, "Go and serve the prince. I have people to serve him here."
Baili Chen stared at Ouyang Yue with a slight daze. The dozen or so women breathed a sigh of relief. They really didn't want to serve Ouyang Yue. Their target was Baili Chen. Of the ten people sent by the Third Prince, four hadn't come, but all ten from Ouyang Yue's side were here. They immediately swarmed towards Baili Chen.
The dining table was already laden with all sorts of beautiful dishes, and two people immediately took the initiative, picking up their chopsticks to serve Baili Chen: "Your Highness, please try this fish porridge first, it's especially fragrant and delicious."
"Your Highness, please try this Jade Moon Red. It's incredibly smooth and delicious."
"Your Highness~"
The place was very crowded, with constant coquettish voices that made Baili Chen's ears hurt. He couldn't help but look at Ouyang Yue with resentment. Meanwhile, on Ouyang Yue's side, Chuncao and Dongxue were serving her in perfect harmony and with great respect.
"Your Highness, that stewed bamboo shoot dish looks delicious. Would you like to try it?" Chuncao asked softly.
"Okay, bring it over and have a taste."
Chuncao nodded and picked up the chopsticks, but before she could touch them, they were blocked by someone's chopsticks. Chuncao frowned, and Ouyang Yue also looked over. She recognized the person; it was Ning Yuechang, a member of a branch of the Ning family, and the most beautiful among the twenty people. Ning Yuechang seemed not to notice any of this and quickly picked up a chopstick and put it into Baili Chen's bowl, which was already piled high with food.
Seeing this, Chuncao's face darkened. Just as she was about to speak, Ouyang Yue waved her hand, and Chuncao was shocked and angry: "Your Highness, if this is the case, won't they stop taking you seriously?" Of course, Chuncao said this to Ouyang Yue.
Ouyang Yue's expression was also somewhat cold. She looked at the women who were swaying their hips and throwing flirtatious glances while serving food to Baili Chen. Her eyes were cold and unfathomable, but she didn't say anything and quietly ate her food.
Meanwhile, Baili Chen, sitting opposite them, not only had his bowl piled high with food, but the women were also blocking his view. In the Chen Prince's mansion, some secrets couldn't be kept hidden forever. These women had been guarding Baili Chen's courtyard since early morning, and naturally saw the maids come to collect the things. However, when the maids left, they didn't see any of these women carrying a box containing a white handkerchief. They immediately asked around and learned that Ouyang Yue had started her period, and therefore, the wedding night hadn't been successful.
Upon hearing this, the women were overjoyed. Since Ouyang Yue couldn't share a room with Baili Chen now, it presented them with a tremendous opportunity. They were determined to make Baili Chen remember them, hoping he might even choose them to serve him today. Although there were many women in the manor, there was only Princess Mingyue, while the normal rule for a prince was one principal wife, one secondary wife, and five concubines. In reality, the number of principal and secondary wives was fixed, but the number of concubines could be countless. Since the Chen Prince's manor was currently very clean, they naturally wanted to seize this opportunity.
They couldn't help but secretly mock Ouyang Yue. Knowing she couldn't serve Prince Chen herself, she wanted them to step in. This Princess Consort Chen certainly knew how to play the game; she was pleasing them, which actually benefited her greatly. Judging from the order to serve the food, Princess Consort Chen wasn't stupid; she knew when to be magnanimous.
Thinking of this, they all lost control and argued even more fiercely, which made Baili Chen frown and his dark face not even notice.
"Hey, why did you step on my foot? Move aside!"
"You pushed me, how dare you accuse me first?"
"Why are you pinching me?"
"Who saw me? Stop talking nonsense."
"It was clearly you..."
"Don't wrong me."
Before long, the women started arguing over who would be closest to Baili Chen. They were pinching and kicking each other, creating a chaotic scene.
Bai Lichen's face was completely black, and veins were bulging on his forehead, but none of the women noticed.
"Bang!" Suddenly, Ning Yuechang, who was right next to Baili Chen, slammed onto the dining table. The entire table was swept away, and bowls and plates crashed to the ground with a clatter. Ouyang Yue calmly continued eating, while the others were stunned. Ning Yuechang immediately shouted angrily at the people behind her, "How dare you push me! How dare you!"
"You're the one who dares to do that!" Baili Chen suddenly slammed his hand on the table and roared.
Upon seeing this, Ning Yue was so frightened that she knelt on the ground and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me. Someone pushed me just now, and I didn't mean to."
Baili Chen coldly stared at Ning Yuechang, then his gaze swept over the other women. He said icily, "Didn't anyone teach me the rules of the Chen Prince's residence when I entered? While I and the Princess were having our meal, you all made a racket, disturbing us and even ruining breakfast! Who gave you the audacity? You deserve to die!" He then pointed at Ning Yuechang, "And what are you, daring to compete with the Princess for chopsticks!"
Ning Yue was startled and quickly said, "Your Highness, I acted impulsively because I was too nervous about you. Please forgive me."
However, her words only made Baili Chen's expression grow colder. Ouyang Yue coldly looked at Ning Yuechang. Even the most magnanimous woman wouldn't allow her beloved man to bring people into the mansion. She made that decision because she knew that besides the Third Prince, everyone else in the Chen Prince's mansion would inevitably be sent. Since this was unavoidable, she wanted to control everything. She had to tell those people that whoever they were, once someone was sent to the mansion, it was up to Baili Chen and herself to decide. If they had the ability to send someone, they'd better think about the consequences.
Of course, there are always ways to refuse or subtly accept someone as a concubine. Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen had just gotten married, so she couldn't show too much jealousy. She had to leave herself some room to maneuver. But she would never allow anyone to provoke her. She never thought of letting Baili Chen accept someone as a concubine.
Baili Chen sneered, "For my sake, you can disregard the dignity of the Princess and the hierarchy? Is this the kind of unfit woman your Ning family has raised!" Baili Chen raised his head and suddenly said, "Guards, drag this woman who dared to offend the Princess and talk back to me away and beat her to death!"
Ning Yuechang turned pale, and the other dozen or so women were also dumbfounded. Even if they had made some mistakes, they shouldn't have been deserving of death. However, Baili Chen looked at them coldly and said, "As for these people, they made noise and prevented me from having a meal, and they also ruined a table of food. Take them away and give them thirty lashes each, and each of them should pay thirty taels of silver for the food."
The entire flower hall fell silent instantly, until guards began to drag the women out for execution, at which point someone screamed in alarm.
????"No!"
"No! Please forgive me, Your Highness!"
"No, I'm from the Ning family, I was sent by the Crown Princess! You can't kill me, you can't kill me!"
Baili Chen's expression grew even colder, his eyes filled with darkness. Today, he was going to make an example of someone. After his deep conversation with Ouyang Yue in the cave, Baili Chen had been thinking constantly. He had to be ruthless because he absolutely could not allow others to send people to the Chen Prince's Mansion without any scruples, thus ruining his relationship with Yue'er. Absolutely not!
☆、177、Solve the problem of twenty women on their wedding night!
At this moment, Leng Can and Dong Xue suddenly whispered something in Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue's ears, and the two of them were immediately stunned.
"Is what you're saying true?" Ouyang Yue asked doubtfully.
Dongxue nodded and said, "Your Highness should be right. I just heard that the Crown Princess went to the palace and came out of the Empress's palace. Then she disappeared for some unknown reason. No one at the city gates saw her leave. However, the Crown Princess did not return to the Crown Prince's residence, nor did she go to the Ning residence or other places. After yesterday, the Crown Prince's residence sent people to search for the Crown Princess everywhere, but in the end, there was no news at all."
Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen exchanged a glance, clearly having heard the same news: Ning Xihe, after all, was the Crown Princess, and her disappearance from the palace was far too strange. And who would have such audacity? Dongxue couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, there have been many speculations since then, and one of them is related to you?"
Ouyang Yue squinted and asked, "What relationship?"
"Because the Princess Consort and the Crown Princess had a conflict that resulted in bloodshed, some people suspect that the Prince and Princess Consort poisoned him out of revenge. Of course, there's no evidence whatsoever; it's just speculation." Dongxue knew very well that after returning to the Chen Prince's residence yesterday, Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue hadn't left their room. As one of Ouyang Yue's closest confidantes, she naturally knew that this person couldn't be Ouyang Yue. However, yesterday's conflict did indeed raise some suspicions about Ouyang Yue. "Princess Consort, what about Ning Yuechang now..."
Upon hearing Dongxue's question, Ouyang Yue immediately understood. Ning Xihe had disappeared, and it was likely she was dead. Ouyang Yue and Ning Xihe had a conflict on her wedding day, and the bloodshed that day was considered very unlucky, indicating a grudge between them. If Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen punished the people sent by the Ning family at this time, wouldn't that only increase suspicion? This wasn't a wise move. Ouyang Yue thought for a moment, while Baili Chen's expression darkened, revealing a questioning look. Ouyang Yue sneered, "Those who truly hate me won't like me just because I let someone go, and those who truly like me won't hate me because of my methods. Besides, why should I live for others? Letting them go like this would just tell others that everyone can bully me."