Wei Hong looked at her sleeping face, smiled, lay down and pulled her into his arms as usual, wanting to hold her and sleep together.
The sleeping girl frowned and struggled to sit up, muttering, "No, no..."
As he spoke, he kicked Wei Hong twice.
Wei Hong thought he had woken her up, but upon closer inspection, he realized she was still asleep and had actually gotten angry with him in her sleep.
He was both amused and exasperated. He gently patted her smooth back and said softly, "Just a hug, please."
Yao Youqing then calmed down and stopped moving.
The room was silent. Wei Hong continued to pat the door for a while until he fell asleep. Only then did his hand gradually stop and fall to his side.
Chapter 115 Red Robe 47%
The servants arranged all the utensils in the room, and only after they had made it as neat as the main house in the backyard did they leave.
Yao Youqing stood awkwardly in the room: "Your Highness, this...isn't this inappropriate?"
"What's wrong with it?"
Wei Hong raised an eyebrow and pulled her to sit down.
Yao Youqing looked around, her brows still slightly furrowed: "What kind of woman lives in the front yard? If outsiders find out, they'll probably say I have no manners."
Yesterday, Wei Hong discovered that Yao Youqing had not fully recovered from the events in the capital, so he took her out for half a day. Today, he had the front yard where he lived rearranged to her liking, saying that she could rest there during the day.
However, this mansion has now become his temporary office, and he has been exceptionally busy lately. There are many people coming and going in the front yard, and if someone sees this, who knows what rumors will spread.
"Who dares to say you have no manners?"
Wei Hong pulled Yao Youqing onto his lap and said.
"It was because of His Majesty's previous actions that I was so worried that you might be arrested again if I wasn't careful. That's why I had you moved to the front yard so that I could keep an eye on you at all times. Who would dare to say a word against it?"
"Besides, I've already moved my office to Tinglan Garden in front. They won't come here easily. The study next door is just for my own use. At most, it's for trusted confidants like Ziyi to come occasionally. Outsiders won't come here."
"You can just rest here during the day. It's convenient for me to come back at noon to have lunch and take a nap with you. In the evening, we'll go to the inner courtyard again, just like before."
Yao Youqing has no parents-in-law, and besides Wei Hong, she is the only mistress in the mansion. As long as she and Wei Hong are willing, no one will make things difficult for them.
Although she felt it wasn't quite right, she thought about it and finally nodded.
"Then... stay here during the day and go back at night."
This house is too big, and the front and back yards are quite far apart. He has to walk a long way to go back to see her at noon. Staying here certainly saves a lot of trouble, as long as she doesn't go to Tinglan Garden casually.
Wei Hong smiled and lightly pecked her lips: "If you miss me, just have someone go up ahead and call me. I can come over in a few steps."
Yao Youqing leaned against him and chuckled softly: "Whenever I miss you, I'll have you come to see me, regardless of whether you're on important business or not. Otherwise, wouldn't I become a femme fatale in a folk tale, bringing ruin to the country?"
Wei Hong laughed loudly: "Which vixen would be as kind-hearted as my Ning'er? You don't know, now many people in Shuozhou have erected longevity tablets for you and worship you like a Bodhisattva."
The people of Hucheng and Cangcheng already held Yao Youqing in high esteem. After Yao Youqing opened soup kitchens to relieve refugees and settle wounded soldiers, her reputation spread far and wide. Not to mention that before leaving Daliang from the border, she had met the soldiers there, and even the soldiers in the army had a high opinion of her, praising her whenever she was mentioned.
Now, for the sake of the prince, the people of Shuozhou, and the world of Liang, she publicly pointed out in the court that Emperor Wei Chi had colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country. As soon as this news spread, the entire Shuozhou was shaken.
When Wei Hong returned this time, more people wanted to see Yao Youqing than he did, but because she was in poor health and had never liked these social engagements, he turned them all away.
Yao Youqing was taken aback for a moment, then immediately understood.
"Your Highness, did you deliberately leak this news to create momentum for me?"
Otherwise, how could the news have spread to everyone in Shuozhou in such a short time?
The last time something like this happened was when Yao Youqing was betrothed to Wei Hong. To avoid any mishaps, the late emperor arranged for many people to be outside the palace beforehand. As soon as Wei Hong agreed to the marriage, the news was immediately spread. So, before the court session even ended, the whole capital already knew that Yao Youqing was going to marry Wei Hong.
Wei Hong smiled and gently rubbed her forehead.
"I'm just asking people to tell the truth, to tell everyone what you've done honestly, without exaggeration."
"If the people are willing to erect a longevity plaque for you, it proves that you have indeed done a good job and deserve their respect."
As for the idea of him being a living bodhisattva who saves people from suffering, or a reincarnation of a celestial being, those are just stories passed down by word of mouth among the people, and have nothing to do with him.
Yao Youqing understood in her heart that he did all this so that she could have a better life in the future.
Because once Wei Hong enters the capital and ascends the throne as emperor, she will naturally become the empress.
As the Princess Consort of Qin, she could do as she pleased. Even though Wei Hong didn't like her back then, she could still close the door and happily live her own little life.
But the empress was different.
As the mother of the nation, the empress, in addition to the emperor's favor, needed sufficient influence and background to establish herself in the palace. Otherwise, although the empress was not allowed to participate in politics, officials of the court might interfere in the emperor's harem when they wanted to.
Yao Yuzhi was indeed a good father and held great prestige in the court. Out of respect for him, those people would not focus their attention on Yao Youqing for the time being.
But he's getting old, and it's uncertain how much longer he can hold on. Once he's gone, the Yao family will be empty-handed, and Yao Youqing will be all alone, with no one to rely on except Wei Hong.
If we don't take advantage of her current achievements to build momentum for her, once she enters the palace, it won't be long before people forget her past merits and treat her as an ordinary woman, someone who has lost her parents and can be manipulated at will.
"I know the prince is doing this for my own good."
Yao Youqing leaned against Wei Hong's chest and said.
She was gentle by nature, and her previous trip to the capital to refute Wei Chi was merely a momentary act of courage.
When she arrived in the capital, the people there found that she still had the same temperament as before, and they might bully her.
He was telling the world that she was someone he valued highly, someone who had been by his side since his time as a prince, accompanying him all the way.
He's willing to promote her now, so he'll be willing to do a lot for her in the future. Anyone who tries to take advantage of her should think twice.
Wei Hong gently kissed her forehead: "Ning'er deserves my kindness."
He then leaned closer to her cheek, following her ear, and gently bit her round, delicate earlobe, whispering, "If you'd like, you can come to Tinglan Garden to find me."
"I had the room divided into sections by a twelve-panel folding screen; the front was used for meetings, and the back for resting."
"You can listen to me from the back. As long as no one comes looking for me, I'll go to the back and keep you company..."
He had indulged in his passion again yesterday, and Yao Youqing even took the initiative to please him for a while. When he thought of her delicate and charming appearance, he felt a burning sensation in his lower abdomen. He rubbed her body with his large hands and spoke more and more indecently.
Yao Youqing dodged, supporting herself with her arms: "Your Highness, what nonsense are you talking about? That's where you and the other officials discuss matters. How can a woman like me go there so casually, and even... even stay in the house?"
Wei Hong wouldn't let her dodge, chasing after her and kissing her cheek, his voice growing deeper: "It's okay, you can see anyone I can see."
He tightened his grip on her, pulling her firmly back into his arms. Just as he was about to seal her lips with his, he heard someone outside say, "Your Highness, Lord Qi and Lord Zhou have arrived and are waiting for you at Tinglan Garden."
Wei Hong paused, his brows furrowing.
Yao Youqing chuckled and took the opportunity to slip out of his arms, saying, "Your Highness, please go quickly, don't keep the two gentlemen waiting."
Looking at her smiling, crescent-shaped eyes, Wei Hong sighed helplessly, walked over, and gave her a light pat on the bottom.
"Don't get too excited yet, I'll be back at noon."
Yao Youqing's smile froze on her face: "Noon...isn't noon a nap?"
"Yes, afternoon nap!"
Wei Hong smiled meaningfully and left triumphantly while she remained bewildered.
...
After moving to the front yard, Yao Youqing spent much more time with Wei Hong than before. Whenever Wei Hong had free time, he would come back to see her.
If he only had some simple matters to handle and didn't need to meet anyone, he would go back to his study to work, letting Yao Youqing sit beside him. She could read, write, draw, or do whatever she wanted, as long as she didn't overthink things on her own.
With such companionship, Yao Youqing's mood improved significantly, and his health gradually improved as well. He even gained a little weight and was no longer as thin as before, which Yao Youqing found unbearable to look at.
Having some free time that day, and with the weather being nice, Wei Hong took her out again, wanting her to stroll around the streets.
Not long after the two went out, they came across a wedding in the city. The streets were filled with the sounds of gongs and drums, and when the bride came out of the sedan chair, a commotion erupted all around.
While everyone else was cheering with joy, Yao Youqing's breath caught in her throat. She felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar, her body trembling uncontrollably, her face as pale as paper.
Wei Hong, who was holding her hand, immediately noticed and quickly pulled her into his arms: "Ning'er, Ning'er?"
Yao Youqing couldn't hear anything. The red color spread from the bride's body, from the sedan chair, and from the bright red clothes worn by the sedan chair bearers to all around, just like the day she was covered with a veil in the palace.
There is nothing else in this world but red.
It wasn't until Wei Hong carried her back to the carriage and drove all the way back to the manor, away from the hustle and bustle, that she finally felt a little better. Lying on the bed, she murmured, "Your Highness, I'm alright..."
Wei Hong sat on the edge of the bed looking at her, placed her hand to his lips, and his eyes reddened.
He thought he had rescued her in time, but he was too late. She suffered so much, being dressed in a wedding gown, tied up, and locked in a room, experiencing the most desperate moment of her life.
If only it could have been sooner, much sooner.
"I'm really alright, Your Highness."
Yao Youqing sat up and said.
"I just... saw the bride's wedding dress and suddenly remembered. I don't usually see these things, and I don't usually think about them. I had almost forgotten about them."
Wei Hong was with her every day, so he naturally knew whether she had forgotten him or not; there was no way to hide this from him.
He gently kissed the back of her hand, feeling immense guilt. He wanted to say something, but his throat felt choked with phlegm.
If you don't see it on a normal day, you won't think about it. But what if you do see it? Will you think about it every time?
If that's the case, does that mean she'll never be able to attend other people's weddings again, or even see red clothes and red sedan chairs?
Leaving aside those further away, let's talk about Qiongyu and Douzi, who will probably get married soon.
She is Qiongyu's mistress and has always valued this maid. Doesn't she want to see her put on her wedding dress and send her off to her new home?
Wei Hong remained silent, but his self-blame and regret were written all over his face.
Yao Youqing didn't want him to be troubled by her affairs, so she repeatedly comforted him, saying that she was really fine and that she wouldn't think about it after a while.
Seeing that her complexion was still not very good, Wei Hong comforted her instead, forcing a smile and rubbing her head.
"Yes, you'll forget about it after a while. The person you waited for in your wedding dress that day was me, and the person who lifted your veil was also me. Just consider it as... consider it as us getting married again."
"It just so happens that I didn't go back to find you or lift your veil when we got married because I was angry. This time, I'll make up for it."
After he finished speaking, Yao Youqing paused for a moment, then thought about it carefully. The weight that had been pressing on her heart seemed to loosen a little. She nodded and smiled, "Yes, it was Your Highness who lifted my veil, so my wedding dress is still for Your Highness to wear!"
Thinking about it this way, Wei Chi never came again after she changed into her wedding dress that day, so he never saw what she looked like in her wedding dress.
The person who actually saw her and lifted her veil was indeed a prince, her husband.