"If only it could be like that," Song Shuhao replied to Xue Liangyue with a faint smile.
Thinking back, she had never had any contact with this Prince Anping in the past, only exchanging greetings and paying respects. She would have to carefully consider whether to ask him for a favor.
The image of Prosecutor Zhao—tall, handsome, and dashing—appeared in her mind; he didn't seem like a difficult person to talk to. "If he seems as easy to talk to as he actually is," Song Shuhao thought to herself.
Seeing Song Shuhao's dazed expression, Xue Liangyue pressed her lips together and sighed, "Now that you're better, I'm happy for you, but I wonder... when will my wish come true?"
Song Shuhao was pulled back to her senses by her words. Knowing that Xue Liangyue intended to stay by His Majesty's side, she comforted her, "You are so good, there's nothing to worry about. His Majesty has praised you several times, so there's really no need to belittle yourself."
Xue Liangyue smiled, but said nothing more.
·
After much effort, Song Shuhao finally found out that Inspector Zhao would be passing through here today. She waited nearby for him to appear. From afar, she saw Inspector Zhao, dressed in an indigo brocade robe, walking towards her with his companion while talking. Song Shuhao gritted her teeth, composed herself, and finally stepped out from behind a big tree to greet him.
Upon reaching Zhao Jian, Song Shuhao bowed her head in greeting. Sensing his gaze upon her, as if scrutinizing or examining her, Song Shuhao hesitated for a moment before raising her head to meet his eyes and saying, "Your Highness, I have a request."
Zhao Jian was indeed observing the woman before him. Having been raised by Empress Dowager Feng for nearly ten years, she had blossomed into a beautiful young woman. He had heard that her father had once been a minor official, but had died ten years ago, and that her mother had become mentally impaired and ignorant of worldly affairs. She truly had no background whatsoever; otherwise, Empress Dowager Feng would not have repeatedly hinted at wanting to arrange a marriage between them.
But do you think that simply placing a woman beside him will allow you to control or subdue him? That's a gross underestimation of people, especially this person in front of you… Song Shuhao, I'd guess she's around twenty years old. Not young at all. His ex-wife wasn't even as old as she is now when she died.
"So soon they need something from me?" Zhao Jian chuckled inwardly, but maintained a calm expression. "What is it? Tell me." Those who had been traveling with Zhao Jian took their leave, leaving only Song Shuhao to speak with him alone.
"This servant would like to ask Your Highness, if I wish to bring my mother along, would Your Highness grant me permission?" Song Shuhao knew that this was a trivial matter for the person in front of her, but it was very important to her. She had to explain clearly so that he would understand the reason.
"To be honest, my mother has been unable to take care of herself for ten years. If I were to leave her alone in Lin'an City without anyone to look after her, I would be unable to feel at ease or at ease... But I wonder if this would cause trouble for His Highness?"
Song Shuhao carefully observed Zhao Jian's expression, but she couldn't discern his thoughts. He listened to everything without showing even the slightest reaction. Was it still not going to work? Song Shuhao thought, if that was the case, then there was nothing she could do but reconsider.
Zhao Jian had heard her words, but he hadn't expected that she was asking him for this reason. He didn't rush to answer, and saw Song Shuhao subtly conceal her disappointment, but compared to her bright eyes a moment ago, they had become dim.
After a long silence, Zhao Jian looked down at Song Shuhao and slowly said, "After the wedding, we will naturally be a family, and it is only right that we bring your mother over as well. You don't need to worry."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Jian saw a delighted smile appear on the face of the person who had been looking dejected. Even her previously dimmed eyes brightened instantly, brimming with joy. Sunlight shone down, falling on her fair face, creating an almost transparent illusion.
For a moment, Inspector Zhao deliberately bent down slightly and lowered his head, getting so close that he could even see the fine hairs on Song Shuhao's face. Caught off guard by his sudden closing of the distance, Song Shuhao blushed instantly, her pink cheeks as tempting as the freshest, sweetest peach in summer.
She lowered her head, blinked slightly, and took two steps back, withdrawing from the ambiguous situation. Zhao Jian straightened up again, looking at the person before him with amusement. Song Shuhao merely whispered, "Thank you, Your Highness," before quickly bowing and taking her leave in a hurry.
Watching her departing figure, Prosecutor Zhao did not linger any longer and also left.
·
Day after day, before they knew it, Song Shuhao's wedding day was drawing ever closer. She was to be escorted directly from the palace to the fiefdom of Prince Anping, and in order to make it to the auspicious day, she needed to set off early.
Empress Dowager Feng ensured that Song Shuhao's marriage was grand and magnificent. Not only was the dowry extremely lavish, but everything else, including the wedding dress, headdress, and jewelry, was made of the finest materials and the most exquisite gemstones. Even the smallest details were meticulously arranged.
Just before her departure, Empress Dowager Feng spoke privately with Song Shuhao once again. Song Shuhao stood quietly to the side, head bowed, listening intently. Empress Dowager Feng looked at her, sighing repeatedly, as if extremely reluctant to part with her yet helpless. After a moment, Empress Dowager Feng slowly began to speak to her.
"Ah Hao, now that you're getting married, it might not be so easy to see each other again. You must take good care of yourself after you go. In any case, you will be the Crown Prince's consort from now on, and no one will be able to bully you. You'll be in an unfamiliar place, and there may be some difficulties, so you must be careful."
"Let's leave aside what I told you last time... Settle down properly for now. If anything happens, I'll have someone send you a message. When you have time, remember to write me a couple of letters so I know how you're doing."
Song Shuhao complied with all of Empress Dowager Feng's words, as obedient as ever. Empress Dowager Feng looked at her, recalling the Emperor's words that he didn't need her to act as an inside agent, nor did he expect to rely on a woman.
Empress Dowager Feng sighed inwardly, but she had no choice but to do it this way for now. In any case, having such a person around was always a good thing, as he might come in handy sometime.
Song Shuhao was also pondering Empress Dowager Feng's words. Initially, she had clearly intended for her to become a spy for Inspector Zhao. Now, however, she had changed her tune, and she wondered why. But since the Empress Dowager had already spoken this way, she didn't need to trouble herself further…
After hearing Empress Dowager Feng give her some additional instructions, Song Shuhao kowtowed to her before finally withdrawing. As she stepped out of Changning Palace, she looked back at the magnificent palace, knowing that whatever had happened in the past, it was truly time to say goodbye.
The next day, after kneeling to bid farewell to Empress Dowager Feng and the Emperor, Song Shuhao embarked on her journey to marry. After leaving Lin'an City in a sedan chair, she changed to a horse-drawn carriage for convenience. Sitting in the carriage, Song Shuhao lifted the curtain and looked out, but the surrounding scenery was completely unfamiliar.
After watching for a while, Song Shuhao looked away and sat up straight again. The thought of being able to often take care of her mother instantly dispelled the faint sorrow in her heart. In any case, it was still a reunion with her mother, and that was good enough…
·
The marriage of the Prince of Anping's heir to the Crown Princess was undoubtedly a grand and lively affair. Since it was a marriage personally arranged by the Empress Dowager, it was good in some ways and bad in others. At least on the surface, no one dared to make any comments.
Although it was his own wedding, Prosecutor Zhao didn't seem to care much. After the wedding ceremony, he had someone escort Song Shuhao to the bridal chamber first, then went to drink and chat with his relatives and friends. It wasn't until he was tipsy and the night was deep that Prosecutor Zhao finally settled down and went to see Song Shuhao.
Having already experienced marriage once, he felt neither curiosity nor excitement about these things. He calmly stood by the bedside, looking at Song Shuhao sitting upright on the edge of the bed with a red veil on her head. Without any expectation, he simply walked over and lifted the veil for her.
The next moment, his eyes met Zhang Yixi's face, which was both happy and shy. Even though she had been ignored for so long, she didn't seem impatient at all. Her face had a shy smile, which revealed her calmness and gentleness.
Zhao Jian saw her looking at him with a pair of clear eyes that held a hint of inquiry, eyes that seemed to surpass a thousand rays of light. In an instant, her smile widened, making her face seem brighter than candlelight.
He looked away and saw her pink lips again. She must have washed up, because Song Shuhao's face was no longer covered in heavy makeup, and she didn't even seem to be using lip rouge... Zhao Jian suddenly felt a little thirsty.
He recalled the time Song Shuhao had asked him for a favor; when he suddenly leaned in, she was clearly shy but tried her best to pretend nothing was wrong. Now they had already gone through the wedding ceremony and were truly husband and wife, able to be as intimate as they wanted. Zhao Jian suddenly longed to see Song Shuhao blush again.
Feeling the intense gaze Zhao Jian was giving her, and seemingly slightly stunned, Song Shuhao resisted the urge to look away. She continued to look at Zhao Jian and softly called out, "Your Highness?"
Zhao Jian smiled, bent down, took Song Shuhao's hand, and helped her stand up. "We haven't drunk our nuptial wine yet." After a slight pause, he continued, "Now that we are husband and wife, we should change our way of addressing each other. Do we have to call you 'Your Highness' for the rest of our lives?"
Hearing the words "a lifetime" from Prosecutor Zhao's mouth, Song Shuhao was taken aback and nodded. She opened her mouth as if to utter those two words as he wished, but no sound came out. Prosecutor Zhao seemed oblivious and simply led her to the table.
After pouring a full glass of wine for both of them, Zhao Jian handed one of the glasses to Song Shuhao, casually hooking his arm around hers, and said, "I don't need to teach you this, do I?"
Song Shuhao responded and raised her arm slightly, slowly bringing it closer to the wine glass. Zhao Jian did the same, and the two gradually drew closer, seemingly becoming intimate and ambiguous even though they weren't touching.
Zhao Jian glanced sideways at Song Shuhao, finding her serious and focused demeanor rather amusing. Why she was the one being betrothed was something everyone knew without needing to be explicitly stated; he didn't believe she was unaware… yet she still managed to put on this act.
He wouldn't mind playing along with her.
After drinking the nuptial wine, Zhao Jian took the wine cup from Song Shuhao's hand and placed it on the table, smiling as he called out to her, "Madam." He saw Song Shuhao's eyelashes flutter slightly, and he continued, "After this spring night, we should rest."
Song Shuhao didn't speak, but hesitated before nodding. Zhao Jianfu smiled and scooped her up in his arms. Seeing that she was still clutching her clothes, her head bowed and refusing to look at him, he paused for a moment, then carried her towards the red-curtained tent…