Chapter 10

In the magnificent palace, the supreme ruler of the dynasty, His Majesty the Emperor Chongde, finally set down his wolf-hair brush. He was looking with a beaming smile at the tall, jade-like man standing before the imperial desk, his deep, imposing eyes filled with glints of amusement.

Emperor Chongde was thirty-five this year, in the prime of his life. His handsome features were remarkably similar to those of the Prince of Su. Since ascending the throne at twenty-five, he had been diligent in his governance, smoothing out the mess left by the old emperor one by one, and gradually reclaiming the power of the state. Years of imperial life had added a layer of regal authority to his demeanor.

The palace head eunuch serving nearby, Eunuch Liu, did his best to lower his neck and minimize his presence. He dared not look at the Emperor, who had shed his usual cold and stern facade in front of ministers and concubines, and he dared not look at the man with the solemn face standing before the desk—the current Emperor’s most trusted younger brother, the Prince of Su, Chu Baning.

"Baning, how was your wedding night?"

Emperor Chongde’s slightly raspy voice was relaxed, revealing his current good mood.

"..."

Emperor Chongde gave a light cough and said, "...You consummated the marriage, right?"

"Imperial Brother, please watch your words!" Chu Baning’s face was stern.

Emperor Chongde chuckled and said, "Last night was your first time as a man, wasn't it! Your Imperial Brother finally doesn't have to worry about you failing to take a wife and heading down the path of Longyang!"

"This younger brother does not have a penchant for Longyang!" Chu Baning clarified sternly once more.

Emperor Chongde stood up, walked to the desk, and patted his brother’s shoulder, saying with deep emotion, "Baning, I know. You have finally become a man; your Imperial Brother is happy for you!"

Chu Baning’s face turned black instantly.

Eunuch Liu pressed his neck, already as low as it could go, even further down, praying in his heart that His Highness the Prince of Su would not lose his temper, and hoping even more that their Majesty would stop challenging the Prince’s tolerance. Heaven knows that when a serious person is teased to the point of exploding, even the Empress Dowager couldn't stop him!

"Baning, hurry up and give me a little prince next year. Let's see who dares to say my younger brother is cursed to lose his wives and have no heirs!" Emperor Chongde could no longer maintain his imperial decorum; he was so happy he was rubbing his fists, itching to run out and grant a general amnesty to celebrate his brother finally becoming a man and tasting the fruits of marriage.

The Prince of Su pursed his lips and remained silent, though his earlobes were slightly tinged with red. He could only use an even more solemn expression to make himself look normal and unaffected by an Emperor who cared far too much about his younger brother’s private life.

Emperor Chongde paced the hall a few times, suddenly remembered something, and hurriedly called out, "Eunuch Liu~"

Eunuch Liu, who was currently playing the role of background scenery, hurriedly stepped forward and bowed: "Your Majesty, this servant is here."

"Eunuch Liu, hear my command: go to the Imperial Hospital and send Physician Hu and Physician Li to the Prince of Su’s mansion. They are to be stationed there until the Princess of Su is pregnant!"

"As you command!" Eunuch Liu flicked his whisk and went off to carry out the order.

The Prince of Su frowned, his face stern as he said, "Imperial Brother, this is not according to protocol!"

Emperor Chongde was in a great mood and didn't mind the Prince’s "father-like" stern expression. Instead, he laughed: "Baning, this is absolutely necessary! Do you know that because of your marriage, the gambling dens in the capital have broken all previous records for bets placed? Also, don't think I don't know that those idle ministers in the court are all craning their necks, waiting for the Princess of Su I appointed to have an 'accident'... Hmph, those old things, they hide their own scandals while wishing they could announce everyone else's to the world."

Chu Baning pursed his lips and said nothing.

"Do they really think my younger brother's scandals are so easy to watch?" Emperor Chongde suddenly raised an eyebrow, smiling with particular craftiness. He looked straight at the man before him and said solemnly, "Baning, you must protect your Princess well and ensure she lives a long life! I’ve wagered half the silver from my private treasury in the gambling dens—don't worry, don't worry, I bet that your Princess will not only live well but will also give you a little prince..."

Seeing his brother’s darkened face finally relax a little, Emperor Chongde secretly wiped sweat from his brow, relieved he hadn't provoked an explosion. Of course, Emperor Chongde knew that if it were his own wife being gambled on like this, even a saint would lose his temper. So, he didn't blame Chu Baning.

To comfort his newlywed brother who was the subject of rumors, Emperor Chongde grabbed Chu Baning’s hand and said, "Baning, come, let’s go have a drink with your Imperial Brother!"

Chu Baning pulled away without a trace and said expressionlessly, "Imperial Brother, it is not appropriate to drink now; there are still ministers waiting for an audience!"

Emperor Chongde laughed dismissively, "It’s fine. Today is the second day of your marriage; I’ve already had Eunuch Liu issue a decree—don't bother me with trivial matters!"

For a diligent, rarely willful Emperor, the Prince of Su could only be dragged off to the side hall to drink, like a duck forced onto a perch.

The attendants and palace maids had long since prepared chrysanthemum wine and exquisite side dishes. The two noble men of the country sat side by side, drinking the wine together. In the garden outside the hall, the autumn chrysanthemums were in full bloom, swaying gently in the autumn breeze.

After three rounds of drinks, Emperor Chongde was slightly tipsy. His handsome face was flushed, and he tugged at Chu Baning’s hand, rambling incoherently: "Baning, I’ve finally waited for you to marry. Your... condition should be cured now, right? All these years, Mother has been truly heartbroken over this matter... We’ve made it this far through such difficult circumstances, why did it have to..."

Chu Baning suppressed the urge to throw the man off and said expressionlessly, "Imperial Brother, you are drunk!"

"I know... I’m just too happy. What’s wrong with getting drunk for once?" Emperor Chongde leaned lazily on the long couch. As Chu Baning’s patience reached its breaking point, he let go of his hand, looking at the upright, handsome man before him with a smile on his lips. "Don't worry, I’ve already given orders that no one will disturb us. Let’s just drink to our hearts' content today, just us brothers."

Knowing his Imperial Brother was meticulous and would never put himself in danger, Chu Baning nodded slightly.

"Tell me, Baning, tell your Imperial Brother, how did you... become willing to be with your Princess? I thought you would spend your wedding night in the study..."

Chu Baning’s face turned as black as the bottom of a pot again. If not for the fact that this man was the Emperor, he would have flicked his sleeves and left. Finally, under the drunken interrogation of Emperor Chongde, Chu Baning said coldly, "She is my Princess!"

Emperor Chongde looked at him in surprise, thought for a moment, and then asked cautiously, "You mean to say... because the young lady of the Lu family is your Princess, something that belongs solely to you, you are willing to touch her?"

Chu Baning held his wine cup and remained silent.

Emperor Chongde fiddled with the jade pendant at his waist nonchalantly and laughed, "If that’s the case, how about I appoint a few more secondary consorts for you tomorrow?"

Chu Baning stood up abruptly, flicked his long sleeves back, and said coldly, "Imperial Brother, you are drunk. This younger brother will go call someone to bring over some hangover soup!"

Chu Baning strode out of the side hall. Seeing Eunuch Liu waiting outside, he said, "The Emperor is drunk. Have someone boil some hangover soup and bring it over! Also, keep your mouth shut. Today’s events..."

"Your Highness, rest assured, His Majesty has been reviewing memorials all day."

The Prince of Su nodded, called his personal attendant Mu Yuan, and left the palace directly.

Back at the Prince of Su’s mansion, A'nan had taken a very stifling afternoon nap. When she woke up, she felt sore all over and lay lazily on the bed, not wanting to move.

Suddenly, a long, jade-like hand lifted the bed curtain. A'nan looked up in shock and saw the man standing before the bed: a stern face, tightly pursed thin lips, and long, black hair neatly tied under a gold crown. The whole person gave off the feeling of an old-fashioned professor from a university—young, yet as repressed as an old pedant.

"Your... Your Highness..."

A'nan still remembered her place and hurriedly scrambled to get up. But the next moment, because she moved too quickly, she nearly threw out her back and lunged toward the floor. Just as she was about to face the fate of breaking a leg, a pair of powerful arms caught her waist and pulled her into a broad, warm chest.

The mellow scent of a man, accompanied by the faint smell of chrysanthemum wine, rushed into her nose. A'nan fell straight into his arms, her head spinning.

Chu Baning returned his wife, who was as stiff as a log, to the bed and scolded her in a raspy voice: "Why are you so careless? Your foot injury hasn't healed yet; you should be more careful."

A'nan quickly regained her composure, lowered her head with a stern expression, and admitted her fault earnestly: "Your Highness is right; this wife has been taught."

A'nan cursed the unreliable maids in her heart. They didn't even wake her when the Prince returned. She had truly spoiled them too much—the poor maids were forced outside the room, weeping: "Princess, it’s not that we didn't tell you, it’s that the Prince finds us dirty and won't allow us to enter your bedroom, wuwuwu!!"

After complaining about the maids in her heart, A'nan carefully peeked at her newly appointed husband, who was sitting casually by the bed. She suddenly met those deep, pitch-black eyes and was so startled she quickly looked away.

Although they had been married for two days, aside from the night they shared the bed, they hadn't had any intimate contact because of her injury, though they did sleep in the same bed at night. However, A'nan still wasn't used to this overly serious man. Every time she met his dark eyes, she subconsciously wanted to hide, feeling that his aura was too powerful for her to face directly.

Seeing his little wife acting like a mouse seeing a cat, Chu Baning frowned slightly. Remembering he still had things to discuss with her, he cleared his throat and said, "The Imperial Brother has bestowed two physicians upon us today. See where they should be housed and make the arrangements."

"This wife understands," A'nan replied, though she muttered in her heart: *For no reason at all, why did the Emperor send two physicians to the mansion? Isn't this just asking for people to laugh at us?*

"Also, for the return visit to your maiden home tomorrow, if you need anything prepared, have the maids go find Steward Qin. After the return visit, the management of the mansion will be handed over to you."

A'nan looked at him in surprise. Her leg injury hadn't healed yet; if she went back like this, wouldn't she have to be carried directly into the house in a sedan chair? With the Prince of Su’s germaphobic nature, he certainly wouldn't let a nanny carry her... As for the steward—this was exactly what she wanted. If she firmly held the power of the household in her hands, then no matter how many mistresses the Prince of Su might have in the future, they wouldn't be able to shake her position!

"Your Highness, I haven't paid my respects to the Empress Dowager and the Empress yet. Is it alright to return to my maiden home first?" A'nan asked worriedly. After all, the current Empress Dowager was her proper mother-in-law, and the Empress was her proper sister-in-law; both were of incredibly noble status. Because she had injured her leg, she hadn't even served them tea before returning to her maiden home—wouldn't that be seen as not taking them seriously?

There was no helping it; having such noble relatives meant A'nan had to be extremely careful.

"It is fine. The rule of returning on the third day was set by the Sages. I have already spoken of it; Mother and the Empress will understand."

Hearing the Prince of Su’s words, A'nan could only agree. She began to worry about tomorrow. Would she, a concubine-born daughter of the Prime Minister’s house with an injured foot, really be carried into the Prime Minister’s mansion in a sedan chair? Even her eldest sister, the Imperial Concubine, didn't have such treatment. Would she be struck by lightning for doing this?