Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter C058

After such a commotion, Wushuang in the inner chamber also awoke.

Upon waking, she thought she was still at the Ruyi Pavilion and subconsciously called out, "Meifang," until Ji Yang's face appeared before her eyes.

Do not ask her why she recognized Ji Yang at a glance, for the smugness, satisfaction, and secret joy in his eyes could not be concealed. In truth, setting aside the unpleasant beginning of their previous life and her misunderstanding of him due to her own state of mind, Ji Yang, when not being a headache, was not difficult to get along with.

"Your Highness, why are you up so early?"

"I just had Fusheng take the wedding cloth out."

Wushuang, though hesitant, still asked, "How was that wedding cloth made? Did the female officials say anything after inspecting it?"

"I had Fusheng put some blood on it. Say what? What would they dare to say?"

Outside the door, the female official only opened the box to glance at it before quickly closing it.

People like them naturally recognized what a real bridal veil looked like, but since the item came from inside, it meant it had Prince Wei's permission. They naturally dared not say more, exchanged a few pleasantries with Fusheng, and then hurriedly left.

Inside the room, Wushuang breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that the female officials had left.

Linglong and the others came in to help her rise, change, and wash up, while Ji Yang waited in the outer chamber. Once both were ready, breakfast was served.

The two sat down to eat. Ji Yang's tastes were actually similar to Wushuang's; they both preferred slightly sweeter flavors. Although there were also savory pastries on the table, neither of them touched them much.

[You are going too far!]

[Where am I going too far? Usually, you have to handle official duties, and I don't argue with you. Today is the first day of our marriage, you have no official duties to attend to, so what's wrong with giving me the daytime? She has always been timid. You know the women in the palace; they are all man-eating tigers and wolves. I won't feel at ease if I don't accompany her.]

[Even if you enter the palace, you will be with Father Emperor, not accompanying her.] Prince Wei tried to reason with him.

[You always complain that I throw everything at you. Now that I'm helping you with matters, allowing you to rest well, why are you unwilling?]

[You are being unreasonable.]

Ji Yang ignored him, thinking that the red bean rice cake he had just eaten was quite good, and he picked up a piece for Wushuang. As for Prince Wei inside, he felt as if he had lost all sensation of the outside world. If he had a body at this moment, his expression would likely be extremely unpleasant.

***

After finishing their meal, it was time to prepare to enter the palace.

According to regulations, the new Princess Consort had to wear ceremonial attire upon entering the palace, but Wushuang frowned as soon as the topic of ceremonial attire was mentioned. Seeing her unwilling expression, Ji Yang said, "It's not necessary to wear ceremonial attire; regular attire will do."

"Really?"

Ji Yang nodded, telling her it was true. If it wasn't acceptable, it would have to be. Those who dared to find fault wouldn't care about this, and those who cared wouldn't dare to find fault.

Since he said it was acceptable, Wushuang decided to listen to him. It wasn't that she was being difficult, but the nine-pheasant crown was simply too heavy. The base of the crown was made of filigreed red gold, and the crown itself weighed over ten jin. She had only worn it for a day yesterday and could not bear it.

But even without the ceremonial attire, the Princess Consort's regular attire was still very elaborate. Fortunately, it was not as heavy overall. Wushuang wore a gold-woven, scattered-flower, embroidered hundred-children-thousand-blessings jacket, with an oil-green, embroidered phoenix-patterned, double-edged horse-face skirt. On her head, she wore a gold-thread chignon, adorned with a red-jeweled, red-gold hairpin, red-gold gemstone-inlaid pearl floral hairpins, and a red-gold filigree temple ornament with tassels to hold back stray hairs on her right temple.

With her already good features and fair complexion, her stray hairs were all combed up, revealing her delicate face, truly a beauty that could topple cities and states. She didn't even need to use makeup powder or rouge, only a touch of lip gloss on her lips.

Just as Linglong finished applying the lip gloss, Ji Yang, who was changing clothes nearby, walked over and wiped it off for her.

"Why apply lip gloss? That stuff is mixed with cinnabar. Be careful of poisoning if you ingest it."

He rubbed it twice with his thumb, wiping off the lip gloss, and his finger was also stained. Looking at Wushuang, the traces of the lip gloss being wiped off were clearly visible on her lips, which was quite unrefined.

Linglong could only have someone bring a warm cloth to wipe Wushuang's lips, and then use pearl-ground makeup powder to pat around her mouth, making her look slightly more normal.

Ji Yang, having just wiped the lip gloss off his hand with a cloth, was wearing an autumn-yellow, four-dragon round-collar robe with a white collar. He wore a winged-official's hat, looking exceptionally noble and imposing, quite different from his usual attire, and more like Prince Wei.

Wushuang inexplicably found the clothes familiar, for she had also owned an apricot-yellow garment before, one given to her by Mei E. This apricot-yellow hue, while not vibrant, was not bland either; it was dignified and elegant, leaving a deep impression.

Fusheng said, "Your Highness wore red yesterday, so changing the color today is good. Black, gray, and sapphire blue appear somewhat somber. This round-collared robe, newly made last month, is just right, looking quite noble."

Ji Yang said with disdain, "Loquacious."

Yet, he was usually this loquacious with his master. If he were to be less so one day, what would happen if those little bastards below noticed? Therefore, Fusheng did not show any annoyance.

Wushuang sat before the dressing table, watching Fusheng take a jade thumb ring from a tray held by a nearby eunuch and place it on his finger. He shook his hand in distaste, but ultimately wore it, and she could not help but smile.

"What are you smiling at? Let's go."

Wushuang then followed behind him.

After a few steps, he seemed to realize something was amiss and stopped.

"You are walking rather too slowly."

She pouted, saying, "I am a woman; my steps are small, so it's normal for me to walk slowly."

He thought about it and agreed, so he slowed his pace. At first, he could not control it, but gradually, they walked side by side. However, one was tall, and the other was short; one had his hands behind his back, and the other had her hands clasped in her sleeves, placed in front of her.

Granny Gong and Fusheng, walking behind the two, could not help but smile.

Upon entering the palace, they should have separated according to protocol. Ji Yang was to pay respects to Emperor Taihe, while Wushuang was to pay respects to the Empress Dowager.

Yet, for some unknown reason, he did not send Wushuang to Cining Palace, but instead took her with him to Zichen Hall. However, Wushuang did not enter, but waited outside.

At this time, Emperor Taihe had just finished the morning court session. Seeing his son standing before him, he was somewhat moved.

"That you are able to marry, this also settles a matter of concern for me. Your nature is cold and aloof, and your Princess Consort is young. In your daily interactions, you must be more accommodating to her... let her take good care of her health, and bear you several legitimate sons. When that time comes, I will certainly reward her handsomely…"

For the Emperor to engage in such domestic talk was extremely rare, but Ji Yang did not appreciate it. While his expression was respectful, his eyes concealed impatience.

Emperor Taihe caught a glimpse of this out of the corner of his eye, and his gaze sharpened. He noticed that 'Prince Wei' seemed particularly imposing and spirited today. This was unlike the temperament of his 'too composed' son. As Emperor Taihe spoke, his gaze gradually became complex.

"Very well, I know you are impatient, so I won't say more. Go."

"This son takes his leave."

After Ji Yang left, Emperor Taihe summoned Feng Xi to inquire.

Feng Xi went out for a while, and upon returning, he said softly, "It is said that the Princess Consort was waiting outside, but she did not entered."

"Why did the Princess Consort of Prince Wei not go to pay respects to the Empress Dowager?"

Feng Xi paused, "Perhaps she is waiting for Prince Wei to go together?"

Emperor Taihe's eyebrows twitched, but he said nothing, turning to go to the imperial study within.

He stood before the dragon desk, seemingly pondering something. After a while, he suddenly turned and searched through the bookshelves, soon pulling out a painting.

Unfurling the scroll, it was a portrait of a woman, whose features resembled Prince Wei's by four or five parts.

He sighed, sat down behind the dragon desk, and placed the portrait before him.

"This child took after you, while that child took after me. It's rare to see him come out once. When I speak with him, we never see eye to eye, and he speaks even less than I do…"

"You resented me for a lifetime, and he has resented me for so many years. I truly do not know if I was right or wrong…"

***

Cining Palace.

Hearing that Prince Wei had come with Princess Consort Wei, the Empress Dowager could not help but shake her head and smile.

"I always say that marriages are predestined by heaven and cannot be forced. Look, if we had truly listened to Minghui back then, it would have been a thankless task, and we would have created a pair of resentful lovers."

Sulan naturally knew what the Empress Dowager was talking about, and could not help but smile, saying, "Now, the Commandery Princess is much more sensible than before. There is no smooth sailing in life. It is good to correct oneself in time. Surely, after the Commandery Princess overcomes these two hurdles, she will be able to live smoothly in the future."

"Then I shall take your auspicious words." The Empress Dowager stood up, letting Sulan support her as she walked out, "Go, go and call Prince Wei and Princess Consort Wei in. I don't need to be so particular."

Wushuang paid her respects to the Empress Dowager before raising her head to look at this Empress Dowager whom she had never met. In her previous life, by the time she became Lady Fengtian, the Empress Dowager had already passed away, so she naturally had no chance to meet her.

She found that the Empress Dowager had a very kind appearance, not only in her features but also in the many laugh lines on her face. In her previous life, when Wushuang had nothing to do, she had studied that some people were born with kind faces, but because of their mean nature, their mouths often drooped, and they had lines. However, those with kind and open minds often smiled, resulting in many laugh lines on their faces, and these lines mostly curved upwards.

"Princess Consort Wei, how are you looking at this old one? Does this old one have something on her face?" The Empress Dowager asked with a smile.

Wushuang's face flushed slightly, and she shook her head, speaking the words in her heart.

She had always been clear that she was not a clever person, and she was not good at lying in front of others, especially in front of these shrewd people in the palace. Although Wushuang thought that the Empress Dowager had a kind face, this did not mean that she thought the Empress Dowager was a simple person. In fact, none of the women in the palace who could sit on the position of Empress Dowager were simple.

Upon hearing Wushuang say that she had a kind face, and even mentioning her laugh lines, the Empress Dowager was amused and laughed.

"Princess Consort Wei is truly sweet-tongued. This old one will take your auspicious words, and hope to always smile and live a long and healthy life."

Previously, because of the incident where Commandery Princess Minghui was tricked, the Empress Dowager was somewhat angry with Wushuang, thinking that she might be a scheming woman. Even before marriage, she had persuaded Prince Wei to solve her troubles, so that everyone suffered losses, while she alone remained unscathed.

Now, looking at her, this woman was quite simple. Prince Wei was willing to come with her, it seemed that he was truly fond of this Princess Consort.

"This old one doesn't have anything to give you. Sulan, go and fetch this old one's pair of jadeite bracelets."

After Sulan brought the bracelets, the Empress Dowager took Wushuang's hand and said, "Just now, this old one was thinking about what to give you as a gift, and then I thought of this pair of bracelets. Although you are young, you are fair-skinned, and you have a rich and noble appearance. You can surely carry this pair of bracelets."

Indeed, when the bracelets were placed on Wushuang's wrist, her hands were as soft as tender shoots, her skin as white as congealed fat, and they complemented the rich and noble emerald green bracelets perfectly!

"Thank you for the Empress Dowager's gift."

"It's not really a gift. It's rare that Prince Wei married you. You two must live well together in the future."

Upon hearing these words, Wushuang naturally acted shy, while Ji Yang remained indifferent on the side.

The Empress Dowager did not keep the two of them for too long. After they left Cining Palace, this trip to the palace was considered over.

Wushuang found it simple to the point of being unbelievable, "Don't we need to pay respects to those Noble Consorts and Imperial Concubines?"

Ji Yang raised his eyebrows, "There's no Empress of the Inner Palace, so you don't need to pay respects."

In fact, what he did was not entirely proper. Whether from a superficial perspective or any other, it was always necessary to make a show of it. If he had not decisively said that there was no need to go, if it had been Wushuang alone, or if Prince Wei had accompanied her on this trip, they would have mostly gone to see them. After all, Wushuang had her concerns, and Prince Wei was more considerate.

This was also why Ji Yang was determined to come on this trip, to let him see that the person was overthinking things.

***

On the carriage back, the two of them were originally sitting side by side, but gradually they ended up embracing each other.

Wushuang was thin-skinned, and she could not push him away, nor did she dare to make a sound, for fear that Fusheng outside would hear.

"You wouldn't let me apply lip rouge, so you must have had another purpose," she said softly with a hint of grievance, her breath coming in soft pants.

He felt no shame, "That lip rouge is extremely unpalatable. Why put on such things when you are perfectly fine?"

As he spoke, his hand was still being unruly under her clothes. Wushuang quickly pressed his hand down. Since last night, he seemed to have learned a lot. Before, he would at most give her a couple of kisses, but now he knew how to do these things.

"No, there are people outside," she pleaded softly.

"Then it's fine once we're back?"

Wushuang, too lazy to pay him any mind, was nevertheless harassed until her face and ears flushed crimson. She could only whisper again, "We'll talk about it when we get back."