Although the emperor repeatedly warned Prince Rui to consider the royal family's reputation and not to rush into it and make a fool of himself, the rumors in the capital were still like a flood that could not be stopped.
It is old news that Prince Rui fell in love with Duke Anguo's sister at first sight. Now people are talking about: Did the prince wander outside Duke Anguo's mansion again today
How long has it been since Miss Su divorced and became the object of everyone's secret disdain
In a blink of an eye, Prince Rui was completely bewitched by her. If things continued like this, it would only be a matter of time before he would marry her into the palace.
How many girls in the boudoir are jealous and grit their teeth, hating men for being vulgar and only looking at faces without caring about moral character. A divorced woman, who has no virtues at all, makes them rush to show their courtesy, even a prince is no exception.
Some people looked on coldly. In their opinion, Prince Rui was also a man. Since he was a man, he could not avoid the problem of being lustful. He was just greedy for the novelty of the moment. Could it be that the honorable position of the princess could really be taken by a remarried woman? Not to mention His Majesty, the Queen Mother would not agree.
In the Su Mansion, Su Yi was still carefree and contented, and Master Su was also calm and composed. Only Liu was quite upset because of recent events.
During this period, she did not dare to socialize with other ladies. Whenever they met, those ladies would try to find out about the affairs between Sui and King Rui from her, either openly or secretly.
But Liu really knew nothing about this. On the Dragon Boat Festival, she was no less frightened than anyone else because of Prince Rui's sudden action.
In the past, she felt that Master Su was not ambitious and was worried that the family situation was getting worse day by day. Now, the mansion has been rewarded by His Majesty, Su Yi has attracted the heart of Prince Rui, and the Anguo Mansion is in the limelight. However, Liu has become uneasy.
More than a month later, someone from the palace came with a message, which made Liu's worries reach their peak.
Every once in a while, the Empress in the Central Palace would summon some ladies of honor into the palace to talk to them and win their favor as a sign of her favor.
Those who could be summoned were either the wives of ministers whose husbands were highly valued by the court or appreciated by the emperor. Liu had never had such an honor before.
But she knew that the Queen's target was definitely not her, nor Master Su, but Su Yi. According to the eunuch's hint, the Queen wanted her to bring Su Yi along so that the other party could take a good look at her.
Her sister-in-law really caught the eye of the royal family. This was the first thought in Liu's mind.
But she soon became worried again. After all, that was the royal family, and it was definitely not comparable to a small Shen family. Could Su Yiru really adapt to a place like that if she married
There was no point in worrying anymore, the day to enter the palace would soon arrive.
Liu and Su Yi stepped into the high palace wall, followed by the eunuchs, and were taken to a side hall. "Ladies, please wait a moment. The Queen will summon you soon."
In addition to them, there were already many women sitting in the side hall, as well as a few young girls. They were all talking in low voices, but when they saw the two of them come in, they stopped talking.
Among these people, few looked familiar, and most were people she had never interacted with before. Liu was nervous and didn't want to talk to anyone rashly, so she took Su Yi to find a seat at the back.
The others looked at them for a while, but no one came over to say hello. Soon, the conversation resumed.
Su Yi sat beside Liu and saw her hand trembling slightly when she picked up the teacup, causing the cup lid and the teacup to make a slight collision sound. He could not help but pat her hand gently and comforted her: "Relax, sister-in-law, just think of it as visiting someone else's house, except that the host is of a different identity."
Liu smiled bitterly in her heart. It was easy to say, as she just thought that the status of the host was different. But when she thought that she would be meeting the Queen Mother soon, who would not be nervous
She discovered one thing these days: this sister-in-law was exactly the same as her husband. The two siblings seemed to have no idea what fear was. Prince Rui had taken a fancy to her, such a big thing, and she, an outsider, felt uneasy knowing it. However, her sister-in-law was as calm as ever, drinking tea and watching plays all day, as carefree as a god.
Liu was both distressed and envious.
After Su Yi comforted Liu, she lowered her head and drank tea. She made up her mind that she would behave herself well today. Even if someone picked a fight with her, she would not fight back on the spot. She would settle the score later, so as not to scare her sister-in-law and make Master Su feel bad when she returned.
She noticed that many eyes were on her, but she was used to this and didn't care. She only looked up when she noticed a gaze lingering on her for particularly long.
The other person was sitting right opposite her. He was about the same age as her, dressed like a woman, not very good-looking, and had a plump figure. There was also an old woman sitting next to her, who seemed to be her mother-in-law.
Seeing her looking over, the other party looked away.
Su Yi felt that the two people looked familiar. Just when she thought it was her illusion, she saw that Liu also noticed the person opposite and her expression suddenly turned unpleasant. She, who was such a friendly person, actually snorted unceremoniously.
Su Yi was curious and dug in her mind. Then she remembered that the two people opposite were the original owner's childhood sweetheart, the mother and wife. They were the ones who abandoned Miss Su and married someone else.
Now it was Liu's turn. She patted her hands and said, "Let the past be the past. We should just consider ourselves blind. It is not worth worrying about those treacherous villains."
Su Yi smiled and said, "Thank you, sister-in-law. I had already forgotten about it."
"Just forget it." Liu said hurriedly, but looking at her expression, she obviously didn't believe it. She thought Su Yi was comforting her.
Su Yi shook his head helplessly and did not make any more useless explanations.
After drinking half a cup of tea, the queen finally summoned them.
The empress was the emperor's first wife. They had been married for more than 30 years. Not to mention their deep love and affection, they treated each other with respect. Although the empress had never given birth, she managed the harem in an orderly manner, winning admiration from the court and outside. The emperor respected her very much, and even some of his concubines did not dare to be too presumptuous.
She sat on a high phoenix throne. If it weren't for her elegant and luxurious attire, she would have looked like an ordinary middle-aged woman with gentle eyes and a smile on her lips.
But no one dared to look down on her because of this, and everyone bowed respectfully.
"Everyone, stand up and take your seats," said the queen.
After taking their seats, the Queen first spoke to several old princesses and princesses of counties, and then to the wives of the ministers. Her words were kind, and the content did not touch upon the affairs of the court. She only asked about the girls and boys of each family. She also said that although the ladies lived in the back house, their contributions were no less than those of the men outside. It was because of them that the ministers could be loyal to the court wholeheartedly. She and His Majesty were grateful for the hard work of the ladies and had never forgotten them.
Just a few words moved everyone present and they expressed their gratitude.
The Queen asked someone to serve tea again, and then said with a smile: "These days, I have also heard some rumors in the capital. They all say that Miss Su is stunningly beautiful. Today, I have invited her to open her eyes. Is Miss Su here?"
Liu looked at Su Yi worriedly. Su Yi looked calm, stood up from her seat, and bowed generously, "Your servant greets Her Majesty the Queen."
The queen looked at her carefully, her eyes full of admiration, "Well, you are indeed a rare beauty. More than ten years ago, when you followed the old wife of the Duke of Anguo into the palace, I said at that time that you must be a stunning beauty. Now that I see you again, you are three times more beautiful than before. There are such beautiful people in the world. It is really God's preference."
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty." Su Yi said with lowered eyes.
After hearing this, the people present felt mixed emotions.
Originally, they all didn't believe that King Rui would really marry Su Yi, after all, his status was there.
Today, when they learned that she was among the people summoned by the Queen, many people were already suspicious. But when the Queen said these words of praise, everyone present was smart, so what was there for them not to know
Your Majesty, the Queen is very satisfied with Miss Su. In fact, this may be what Your Majesty wants.
For a moment, all kinds of words of praise rang out in the palace, as if they had poor eyesight before and did not see Su Yi, and only saw her after the queen finished praising her.
As he was speaking, a voice sounded outside the hall, "What are you talking about? It's so lively?"
The voice is clear and charming, and one can tell at once that the owner of the voice must be a rare beauty.
The eunuch's report also proved this point. The person who came was Concubine Li, who was now the most favored concubine in the harem.
Concubine Li was about thirty years old, not young, but she had a unique charm. In addition, she had a graceful figure and a well-proportioned body. Although she already had a son and a daughter, she still enjoyed the emperor's favor.
She had walked in before the eunuch announced it, and hastily bowed before the queen, saying with a hint of anger, "It's so lively here, Your Majesty, why didn't you inform me? I'm so bored in the palace."
The queen was still smiling, with a look of helplessness in her expression, as if she was really looking at her own sister. "The last few times I asked someone to invite you, you found it boring, and now you blame me again."
Concubine Li smiled sweetly, "The past is the past, but today is very different. I heard that the Queen invited the most beautiful woman in the capital. How can I not come and see her?"
As she said this, she turned to face Su Yi. When she saw her face clearly, a strange color flashed in her eyes, and she soon smiled again, "The most beautiful woman, her reputation is well-deserved. No wonder our Prince Rui thinks about her day and night and is obsessed with her. I heard that His Majesty even scolded her for this."
Everyone was silent for a moment. Although everyone knew that what Concubine Li said was the truth, no matter how impolite a person was, they would not say it to her face. Wasn't this implying that Su Yi was a misbehaving person, or even a disaster
Su Yi took a look at Concubine Li and saw that although she was beautiful, she was not as beautiful as herself. Although her figure was good, she was not as slender as her. She was even shorter than her, not to mention her fighting ability. She was definitely not able to beat her with a finger. So she generously ignored it, lowered her eyelids, and said lightly: "Your Majesty, you are joking."
Concubine Li was still smiling, "Miss Su, don't be modest. Since you can make Prince Rui fall in love with you, you must have more than just a pretty face. Most likely you have other outstanding qualities. I wonder how is Miss Su's music, chess, calligraphy and painting?"
"I am sorry to disappoint you, Your Majesty. When I was young, I was a naughty child and I was not good at playing the piano, chess, calligraphy or painting."
"Oh?" Concubine Li smiled and said, "That woman must be very good at making tea?"
Sue still shook her head.
"What about poems and songs?" Concubine Li asked again.
Without waiting for Su Yi to answer, the Queen said with a smile, "Sister, you are here to be a school official today. Is it okay to test the students?"
Concubine Li sighed and said, "Don't blame me, Your Majesty. It's rare to see the most beautiful woman in the legend. I was too excited, so I was a little rude. It's a pity..."
She hadn't finished her words, but everyone knew what the second half of the sentence was.
It’s a pity that hearing about her is not as good as meeting her in person, and it’s a pity that the so-called most beautiful woman really only has a face.
The Queen said, "As long as Prince Rui likes it, what's the pity?"
This was the first time she had spoken clearly today. All she said was that Prince Rui was going to marry Su Yi. Those who had originally been gloating over Concubine Li's comments suddenly felt depressed again.
The smile on Concubine Li's face froze because of these words. She seemed to suddenly feel bored and left quickly.
Watching her leaving, the queen lowered her head, took a sip of tea, and shook her head.
Concubine Li has always been proud of her beauty and doesn't take other people seriously. Now, suddenly there comes Su Yi, who is even more beautiful and has a better figure. How can she be willing to accept this
What's more, Concubine Li has always wanted to marry her niece to Prince Rui as a concubine, so as to bring Prince Rui to the boat with her and the Fifth Prince, but she didn't think about whether His Majesty would allow it.
Over the years, His Majesty has trusted Prince Rui, favored Prince Rui, and even treated him better than other princes. This was not only because Prince Rui was raised by the Emperor's side, but also because he was not interested in state affairs. Although he was capable, he had no ambition. He was only obsessed with martial arts and never participated in the fight for the throne or party struggles.
The emperor needed just such a person, who was neutral, capable of protecting the dynasty, not coveting the throne, and yet able to satisfy him and occasionally show kindness. Prince Rui agreed with all of these.
If Prince Rui's mind had changed even a little, would Your Majesty still value him as much as he does now
So, Concubine Li still couldn't see clearly. She was blinded by the emperor's favor and thought that he would indulge all her requests. However, she didn't know that her husband was the king of a country before being a husband and a father.
After today, the wind direction in the capital has changed again. Those who originally held a mentality of watching the show, or even mocking and sneering, no longer dared to speak openly. They only secretly hated the injustice of the heavens in their hearts, allowing some people to get everything just by relying on their faces.
Later, when the Queen Mother summoned Su Yi again and rewarded him with many things, everyone knew that the matter was settled.
Sure enough, not long after, the imperial decree granting the marriage came down.
From then on, Sui became busy. Although it was her second marriage, she was marrying a royal family, so she could not be careless than last time.
Wedding dress, dowry, etiquette, rules, these are enough to urge Qinglian every day and keep her busy.
When Su Yi thought about her current situation and why she couldn't even listen to a play, she felt a little angry. So when King Rui climbed over the wall to fight her again, Su Yi ignored him and treated him as a transparent person.
There was no one else in the garden. Qinglian had quietly retreated when she saw King Rui. Only Su Yi was left lying on the recliner, sniffing the sweet osmanthus fragrance wafting from outside the pavilion, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.
King Rui walked up to her, his tall figure blocking out the last bit of sunset.
Su Yi lay on her side, the lines of her body from the shoulders down were soft and gentle, suddenly sinking at the waist, and then slowly rising into a round and full arc.
A thin blanket covered her body, revealing nothing, yet also seeming to cover nothing.
King Rui's gaze remained on Sui Yi, and without him noticing, he had already glanced back and forth many times.
For the first time, a trace of confusion appeared in his dark and deep pupils, because in his cognition, a strong and powerful body should not be like this, it shouldn't be like this, like this...
So what
He couldn't explain it clearly, and even suddenly felt a little upset.
The person behind him didn't move for a long time. Su Yi turned around and found that the other person's eyes were fixed on the wrong place. If it were any other man, he would have some obscene thoughts in his mind at this time, but he had a confused expression, as if he was wondering why and what to do, like a lost lamb.
Has no one ever taught him about the relationship between men and women
Su Yi thought about how obsessed with martial arts this guy was, and felt that even if someone taught him, he probably wouldn't be interested in learning.
I have to say, she guessed it right.
When Prince Rui was young, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager gave him two palace maids to teach him, but his murderous aura scared the maids so much that none of them dared to approach him. He also didn't notice the two extra people in the palace at all. He stayed in the camp all day long and had to go out of the capital from time to time, only coming back after a year or two. The two maids stayed in the palace until they were old enough to be sent back home, but Prince Rui never even looked at them.
When he was older, the emperor urged him to get married. He tried and failed many times, but he finally took the initiative to ask for marriage. After the marriage was granted, the aunt who was taught in the palace came to the prince's mansion, but she didn't even see the shadow of the prince, let alone talk to him about the wedding night.
When the emperor learned about this, he thought about it and ordered people to return to the palace. He felt that Prince Rui was already thirty years old, so no matter what, he should not be so ignorant as to what to do on his wedding night, right
Besides, even if he doesn’t know, doesn’t he still have the Duke of Anguo’s sister
Unfortunately, the emperor didn't know that when these two got married, they didn't think about the wedding night and were only interested in fighting.
"What are you looking at?" Su Yi turned over and half sat up on his elbows.
King Rui finally came back to his senses and said in a low voice: "Fight with me for a few moves."
Su Yi waved her hand, "I'm busy, but you're so relaxed, getting married right away. Do you know how tired I am to learn the rules these days? I don't have time to play with you."
Prince Rui frowned slightly.
He seldom had any expression on his face, and he only frowned when Sui rejected him.
Normally, he was imposing, and when he frowned, people dared not look directly at him. But Sue was never afraid. She lay back lazily and said, "Make way. Don't block the sun."
Prince Rui stood there for a while, probably making sure that she really couldn't get up, then he turned around and left, going directly to the palace.
The emperor heard his intention and almost threw the memorial back at him. "You are getting married soon, and you can't bear it for a few days? Who doesn't learn the rules before getting married? Do you think you are the one?"
He gave a lecture, and if it were anyone else, they would have been frightened. But the Prince of Rui just stood there, as if he would not leave unless he agreed. The emperor felt a headache when he saw him, and finally he could only angrily say to the people around him: "Go, call him back, the future Princess of Rui will not have to learn the rules!"
King Rui then thanked him and slowly retreated.
The emperor asked the imperial kitchen to stew bird soup that night.
Thus, Sui Yi was relieved and went to her wedding day in a carefree manner.
The marriage process and etiquette were so complicated that she didn't understand them clearly. Fortunately, there were people around her to remind her, and she followed them step by step, and soon she was sent to the bridal chamber.
In the bridal chamber, they need to drink wedding wine, eat wedding cakes, etc. By the time everyone has left, it is already late at night.
Su Yi was wearing a wedding dress and heavy makeup, which made her facial features look extremely gorgeous. When her veil was just lifted, many of the servants gasped, and even King Rui was stunned for a moment.
There was no one around at the moment and she didn't need any service. She washed her makeup by herself and took off the jewelry on her head one by one. A red hairpin got caught on her hair at the back of her bun. She was just getting distressed when another pair of big hands took over and fiddled with it for a while with a bit of awkwardness, and finally took the hairpin off.
"Thank you." Su Yi turned around and said to him.
The makeup on her face had been washed off, revealing her originally fair and translucent skin. Her black hair was loose, and under the dim candlelight, she looked particularly soft, and seemed even more charming than when she was wearing a phoenix crown and a bridal robe.
King Rui was standing behind her. Su Yi glanced at his clothes and asked, "Aren't you going to change your clothes? Where are we going to fight tonight?"
"Tonight?" he asked.
Su Yi snorted lightly: "Who was it that looked so eager to do something before? Now that you finally have the chance, you are not active again?"
Besides, if there is no fighting on the wedding night, am I really going to spend the wedding night with him
Su Yi doesn't have that idea for the time being.
King Rui also changed his clothes, and then pressed a mechanism somewhere, and a door appeared on the wall.
Su Yi followed him curiously and walked along the secret passage for a while. Suddenly, the view in front of him opened up and he saw a huge martial arts arena. On the shelves beside the arena, there were all kinds of weapons.
Su Yi walked over to admire it and said, "Let's fight with bare hands first, and then use these if we're interested in them later, how about that?"
King Rui nodded in agreement.
Su Yi tied her hair with a headband, and the two of them, dressed in pajamas, fought fiercely in some secret room on their wedding night.
King Rui was no match for Sui Yi, he had known this for a long time, but when Sui Yi really fought him seriously, he realized how flexible the other party's body was and how unpredictable his moves were.
But although he always admitted defeat honestly, he would not give up easily. The two fought again and again, and in the end, even Sui was a little out of breath.
She once again put King Rui on the ground, her two slender legs twisting him so that he couldn't move. She leaned over slightly and said, "Admit it, at least tonight, you can't beat me."
The breath she exhaled hit the other person's face, and a few strands of her hair were scattered, swaying slightly in the air.
King Rui smelled a warm fragrance, which certainly was not his smell. He looked up at Su Yi. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, with some fine beads of sweat on the tip of her nose. She looked complacent and cunning, like a beautiful little fox.
He didn't make a sound, but suddenly fought back again, but soon discovered that the place where he attacked this time seemed different from usual...
He was stunned by the strange feeling.
Sui jumped up and beat him severely.
"You are touching me!"
The next day, King Rui walked out of the bedroom with a stiff figure.
His men snickered.
Your Majesty, tsk tsk.
The author has something to say: Male protagonist: It’s not me, I didn’t, don’t talk nonsense.