Wu Run and others returned to the Princess's Mansion first and had already prepared everything.
Huayang didn't actually feel that her face had become rough, but she had been following the army for the past few months, and she had been hastily bathing every time, fearing that the enemy would suddenly attack her and she wouldn't even have time to put on clothes. Now, when she returned to the mansion, Huayang drank some tea and went to the bathroom with four close maids. As for Chen Jingzong, she sent him to Liuyun Palace to rub his rough skin and thick flesh clean before coming back.
In Liuyun Hall, Chen Jingzong stood outside the bathtub and rubbed his body two or three times until it turned red, then stepped into the bathtub to soak in it.
Fugui was busy taking care of her.
He had just put his master's changed clothes into a bamboo basket specially used for dirty clothes. When he turned around, he suddenly found that his master's head had sunk!
Wealth: …
He rushed over, grabbed his master's shoulders and lifted him up: "Master, what's wrong with you?"
Chen Jingzong felt his strength and floated to the surface on his own initiative, looking at Fugui in confusion.
Fugui's face turned pale: "Are you okay? I thought you fainted."
Chen Jingzong: "Why did I faint?"
Fugui: "Then why did you dive into the water?"
Chen Jingzong: "I haven't taken a bath for a long time, so I'll make my face feel good."
Wealth: …
Chen Jingzong took a breath and continued to soak in the water.
Fugui's expression changed several times, and finally he continued to pack his things, thinking that his master would go to find the princess later, so he might as well take a bath and have a good rest.
Chen Jingzong scrubbed his body and took a bath, and after finishing, he carefully applied the facial cream that his third brother had just given him to his face and neck. These two places were exposed to the wind the most, while his body was always protected by clothes. Chen Jingzong felt that he was not much rougher than Huayang, but she was as delicate as a peony, while he was more like a slippery stone, strong and hard.
Chen Jingzong thought he was refined enough, until he arrived at Qifeng Palace and was stopped in the main hall by Chaoyun and Chaoyue.
Chao Yun: "The princess is applying powder. She asked you to come over and wait for a moment."
Chen Jingzong: "Apply powder?"
Chao Yue smiled and said, "Just mix the best pearl powder with egg white, apply it evenly on your face and body like a film, wait for about a quarter of an hour and then wash it off with clean water."
Chen Jingzong: …
It was the first time he heard that pearls could be used in this way.
Pearls are so rare. If she were to apply them all over her body, how many pearls would she have to grind at one time
No wonder people always say princesses are born with golden branches and jade leaves. They are indeed noble ladies raised with gold, pearls and jade!
Chao Yun glanced at the Prince Consort's face, which was obviously rougher than before, and said jokingly, "How about I go get some and give it to you?"
Chen Jingzong's face darkened.
Chaoyun thought that the prince consort was really unhappy, so she quickly apologized and continued to serve him.
After the two maids left, Chen Jingzong touched his chin unconsciously.
Never mind. Third brother's facial cream is quite effective. His face will be restored in a few days. Pearl powder is such a precious thing, it would be a waste to use it on him.
About quarter of an hour later, Huayang finally came out of the bathroom, wearing a complicated white dress, with her long, half-dried black hair draped behind her.
Surrounded by four big maids, the eldest princess walked through the main hall without looking around, not even giving a glance to the prince consort sitting there, leaving only a faint and elegant fragrance.
Chen Jingzong silently picked up the tea bowl and took two sips.
After a while, four big maids served the eldest princess and came out one after another.
Chen Jingzong then went in and saw her leaning on the warm couch by the window in the side room. As it was already afternoon, she sat on the east side of the couch. The warm sunlight shone through the glazed window onto her hair, cheeks and dress, making her look like a quietly blooming white peony.
Chen Jingzong took off his boots and sat next to her.
Huayang rested his chin on the windowsill with one hand, flipping through the book with the other hand. His long eyelashes were half drooped, but he still didn't look at him.
Chen Jingzong didn't care. He looked at her rouge-colored cheeks after bathing, then looked at her white jade neck. Suddenly, he leaned close to her collar and took a deep breath.
Hua Yang then glanced at him and said, "I don't think you are born in the Year of the Rabbit, but more like a Dog."
Chen Jingzong: "Actually, I am born in the Year of the Ox and I like chewing peonies."
Huayang didn't reply. His eyes swept over his hair and face, and he smelled a refreshing scent.
Chen Jingzong poked her face and said in the tone of a countryman who had just seen something new for the first time, "Is this the face that has been applied with pearl powder? It really seems to be smoother and more tender than before."
Huayang: "There's still some left, would you like to apply it too?"
Chen Jingzong: "You never kiss me, what's the point of me applying it?"
Huayang pursed his lips. His tone made it seem as if she applied the pearl powder just to make his kiss more enjoyable.
Chen Jingzong touched her slightly cool, silky long hair again.
Huayang put the book on his lap and asked, "Why didn't you spend more time with mother and the others just now?"
He could continue to work at the garrison, but before she finished mourning, he, as the princess consort, could not attend any social banquets, including returning to the Chen residence to celebrate the New Year.
Chen Jingzong: "What's the point of staying here? Just meet them and let them know that I'm safe. Even if I stay there forever, my eldest brother and third brother won't be able to ask about my well-being, and my mother won't be able to stay with me forever."
Huayang smiled and said, "You have made great achievements in the war, but your father didn't praise you?"
Chen Jingzong said with disdain: "Who cares."
Huayang: "When we were at the city gate, my father praised me a lot."
Chen Jingzong said with a half-smile: "He probably praises you more times than he praises the three of us brothers combined. You are not his daughter-in-law, you are almost his daughter."
If you really look into it, this statement is somewhat treasonous, but Chen Jingzong has always been outspoken in front of Huayang, and Huayang has long since stopped caring about it.
This time, even the maids around her had to keep it a secret, so Chen Jingzong had to do it himself.
Huayang glared at him and continued reading.
Chen Jingzong found the lotus bowl, cleaned it carefully, poured warm water into it, put the food in it, and then covered it with the lid.
The head maids would definitely come in to serve, Chen Jingzong thought about it and hid the lotus bowl under the bed.
.
After his hair was dried, Huayang went to bed to take a rest.
The crude wooden bed accompanying the army was nowhere near as comfortable as the one at home. Huayang fell asleep almost as soon as he touched the bed. They had been riding in a carriage that was shaking and bumpy all the way. Even in his sleep, Huayang had the illusion that the bed beneath him was shaking as well.
Fortunately, this was the most comfortable sleep she had had in months.
When I woke up, the room was dark.
Huayang just moved, and a slender and strong arm suddenly came from behind, hugged her and pulled her into his arms.
Huayang was confused for a moment.
After Chen Jingzong died in her previous life, she had dreamt about him many times. Some of the dreams made her feel uncomfortable, while some of the dreams were just like now, in which he was as passionate as when he was alive.
In the dream, she was willing to give it to him, but unfortunately the dream was false after all. After waking up, she was still the only one in the bed, and she was accompanied by only the long and lonely night.
Unable to see clearly, Huayang touched Chen Jingzong's face. His face was a little rough, but warm.
She pulled his ear again, and he kissed her as if he didn't feel anything. Huayang then pinched the tip of his ear with his newly trimmed nails.
Chen Jingzong took a deep breath, released her lips, and said helplessly: "It's already past the first watch, shall we go eat first?"
Huayang smiled. In his dream, Chen Jingzong never thought about eating.
She hooked her arm around his neck and pulled him back.
Today is the first day they returned from the battlefield together. She brought him back personally. Huayang wanted to do with him the things she could only do in her dreams before.
Chen Jingzong hesitated and reminded her, "Your maids must be waiting outside to serve us when we get up and eat."
Huayang: "You should restrain yourself."
Chen Jingzong: "I can't restrain myself."
Huayang pinched him.
Chen Jingzong half pressed her down and whispered in her ear: "I can't help it, I just like to hear you hum."
Huayang used all his strength to push him away.
What kind of person is he? When he can't speak, it makes people feel distressed, but when he can speak, it makes people wish he would shut up forever.
Since Chen Jingzong refused to restrain himself, Huayang had no choice but to get up with him and go outside to eat.
Chao Yun and others knew that the princess had traveled hard, and were not surprised that she had slept until now. Some people lit the lamps, some combed her hair, and some served the food.
After dinner and washing up, Huayang said to the four maids, "You must be tired now. You don't have to keep watch tonight. Go to bed."
The four maids retreated respectfully.
This is easy to understand. In the past, the prince consort and the princess would often do something at night, and they would definitely need someone to serve them after they were done, so keeping watch was very necessary.
It is less than a year since the death of the late emperor, and the prince consort must behave himself. Since he is just sleeping, he can usually sleep until dawn, so they can come early in the morning and wait for him.
But they all underestimated the courage of the prince consort, and also underestimated the princess's "favor" for him.
That night, the prince consort, who had been a vegetarian for half a year, washed the fish in the lotus bowl three times like a maid. He had wanted to do it again before dawn, but when he was washing the fish for the third time, it was fine before washing. It might be that he rubbed it too hard. After washing it, he refilled the bowl with water and checked it again, and he saw a thin line of water spurting out from a place.
Chen Jingzong: …
This fathead fish was soaked for the first time today, and it’s ruined after only three uses
Was it because of his amazing fighting power tonight, or was it because the craftsman made a mistake when making this fathead fish, causing it to have congenital defects
All in all, Dawn's plan was completely ruined.
Chen Jingzong hid the lotus bowl under the bed unhappily, dried his hands, and got back into bed.
Huayang was about to fall asleep when he suddenly heard him sighing deeply.
Huayang: "What's wrong?"
Chen Jingzong: "It broke after only three uses."
Huayang's groggy mind suddenly came to his senses, and he asked nervously, "Is it broken?"
Chen Jingzong understood what she meant. He was still in mourning for the late emperor. If she had a child at this time, not only would she suffer, but she would also definitely beat him up.
He explained: "It didn't break when I was using it, but I accidentally rubbed it when I was washing it."
Huayang asked her again and again, and only after he confirmed that the thing was really broken by his big, rough hands did she give up the idea of taking the medicine.
But this incident still made her feel scared, and she demanded firmly: "Don't even think about it before you take off your clothes."
Chen Jingzong: …
It sounds like, if her thing wasn't broken, she would be willing to do it a few more times before taking off the medicine
If he had known this would happen, why did he sigh just now? He could have quietly thrown away the broken one and then soaked a new one.
The prince consort was extremely regretful!
(End of this chapter)