After breakfast, Huayang strolled around the courtyard of Siyi Hall.
This is really a square courtyard, and all the houses can be seen at a glance.
In the middle of the yard was a locust tree that had obviously been transplanted not long ago. Its trunk was as thick as a bucket, and three secondary trunks as thick as legs grew from half a person's height above the ground, growing and winding in different directions. The crisscrossing branches were higher than the roof of the house, and the tender green leaves were layered. In midsummer, the bottom of the tree was the coolest place in the entire yard.
Huayang looked up. The bright morning light shone through the gaps between the leaves, causing her to squint slightly.
Chen Jingzong was clearly not there, but she seemed to see him standing on the tree, leaning against the trunk, holding a bunch of white flowers in his hand. He stuffed the petals into his mouth and chewed them, while asking her condescendingly: "These are locust flowers. Princess, would you like to try some?"
Huayang at that time already disliked him, and when he saw him eating flower petals raw, he felt that this man was extremely rude and not like a son of the Chen family at all.
She ignored Chen Jingzong and went back to the house.
Looking back now, Huayang feels calm. He died such a tragic death, so what did it matter if he caught some pheasants and chewed some wild flowers during his lifetime
The main courtyard is like this. There are two simple small courtyards around the east and west wing rooms respectively. The east wing room and the courtyard are used for washing and drying clothes, and the west wing room is for her four maids to live in.
Huayang walked to the moon gate in the east wing, without intending to go in. He just glanced casually and saw Chen Jingzong's wet undershirt.
She thought of what Zhen'er said, that this undershirt was washed and dried by Chen Jingzong himself.
Fortunately, he had some dignity and did not throw the clothes stained with that stuff to her maid.
Huayang was about to walk away when he suddenly stopped.
Last night, Chen Jingzong, this "hungry ghost", ate her for at least half an hour.
That thing is like a tight-mouthed water bag. Although most of it is held inside, who can guarantee that none of it spilled out
His face changed slightly and Huayang hurried back to the inner room.
She didn't call Chaoyun in. After closing the door, Huayang walked to the two small boxes on the bed, squatted down, and opened one of them.
Inside were the jewelry she often used, as well as a small green porcelain bottle containing three bean-sized pills.
The palace is filled with all kinds of rare treasures, including various miraculous elixirs.
Among the concubines in the harem, some hoped to conceive a prince, while others did not want to.
The former is easy to understand. If you give birth to a dragon, even if it is just a princess, your second half of life will be stable.
As for those who didn't want to have children, there were many reasons. Some of them didn't like the emperor and hated him so much that they didn't even want to have a dragon child. Some of them had already given birth to enough dragon children and were eager to serve him in the emperor's bedchamber to consolidate his favor or maintain their figure. There was also a group of the most daring ones, which were some concubines who were not favored. Because of loneliness and lust, they took the risk of flirting with some guards. Of course, those who only wanted to have sex would try every means to avoid pregnancy.
Over time, various kinds of contraceptive drugs appeared among the women in the harem.
The bottle in Huayang's hand was prepared for her by her mother before she left Beijing.
At that time, Huayang went to the palace to find her mother to complain, because she didn't want to follow the Chen family to Lingzhou to mourn. She was married to Chen Jingzong, but why did she, a princess, have to mourn for an old country woman she had never seen before
Huayang hopes that her mother will support her decision and agree that she should stay in the capital.
But her mother gave her a lot of lectures, saying that she was a princess and although she could enjoy many imperial powers, she must not deviate from the "filial piety". Chen Jingzong's two sisters-in-law were both coming to Lingzhou, but she, the princess, didn't come. What would the people say if this got out
There was one thing that the queen mother did not say, but Huayang understood it in her heart, that is, the queen mother admired her father-in-law's talents very much and believed that her father-in-law would be the next Prime Minister. The queen mother wanted her to marry Chen Jingzong in order to win over her father-in-law.
Under the pressure of reputation and interests, Huayang had no choice but to accept it.
Then her mother gave her the bottle of contraceptive pill.
The queen mother told her as an experienced person that it was basically a pipe dream for a newly married man to leave his wife by his side and do nothing. If they couldn't help it, it wouldn't be a big deal for the young couple to sleep secretly in the house, but they must not have a child. This bottle of contraceptive pills was the mildest, and it could be used once every three months to ensure infertility without hurting the body.
Chen Jingzong is a grandson and only needs to observe mourning for one year. The three pills allow him to have sex from time to time, which is better than nothing.
Huayang asked angrily: "What if he wants to come more times?"
The queen mother frowned and said that Chen Jingzong was really going too far, and asked her to show her dignity as a princess. Husband and wife should be considerate of each other instead of one side indulging without principles.
After hearing this, Huayang finally felt relieved. She knew that although her mother put the overall situation first, she still cared about her daughter.
.
The contraceptive pill tasted slightly bitter. After Huayang took it, he drank half a bowl of water to dilute the medicinal taste that remained on the tip of his tongue.
She didn’t know if it was because of the effect of the medicine or because she was feeling uncomfortable, but she always felt uncomfortable in her stomach.
Huayang lay down on the bed angrily.
She had never taken contraceptive pills in her previous life.
What the Queen Mother said may apply to most men, but Chen Jingzong is an exception.
He was a rough man and sometimes he was really shameless. Huayang was just joking with the maids around her. When he saw her smiling face, he thought she was in a good mood, so he dared to come over at night.
But during the time in Lingzhou, Huayang hardly smiled except for socializing in front of her father-in-law and mother-in-law. She was even more unfriendly to Chen Jingzong in private, and vented all the grievances she had suffered in the Chen family's old house on Chen Jingzong.
Huayang had no mood to sleep with him because she couldn't eat or sleep well. Chen Jingzong probably noticed this, so he lay obediently on the ground every night to block the snakes and insects that might crawl over for her, and never asked for sex with her once.
Huayang turned over.
She used to take all this for granted. She was a princess and Chen Jingzong was the prince consort. The prince consort should listen to the princess and anyone who dared to offend her was disrespectful.
She was used to bossing him around and treated her trusted maidservants better than him.
But now think about it, Chen Jingzong is a man who is obviously very greedy, but he was able to hold out for so long without forcing her, which is also a gentlemanly demeanor, right
She always treated him as a rough man, and his every move was vulgar. She even compared him with his eldest brother, who was the top scholar in the imperial examination, and his third brother, who was the third scholar in the imperial examination. The more she compared him, the more she looked down on him.
But Chen Jingzong never lost his temper with her. Wasn't the shamelessness in her eyes a kind of broad-mindedness
Therefore, he still has many good qualities, but she was completely immersed in her own situation in her previous life and did not notice it.
Then, she should be nicer to him in this life.
.
At noon, Chaoyun and Chaoyue stood at the door of the main hall, discussing in a low voice what to cook for the princess at noon.
Suddenly, a "thump" sound came from the west room.
Chao Yun's face turned pale. In such a remote town, could there be a thief who dared to commit a crime
Not to mention that the princess disliked the Chen family's old house, they also disliked it. The yard was small, the wall was low, and there were occasional snakes and insects appearing, making people live in fear every day!
Chaoyue has been cooking every day recently, and her strength has grown and she is also quite brave. She asked Chaoyun to stay here and she quickly ran to the kitchen to get a kitchen knife!
When she grabbed the kitchen knife and ran out, she saw the prince consort walking towards her from the west wing, holding a pheasant with colorful feathers in one hand and a fat fish that was still dripping with water in the other. Under the eaves of the corridor, Chao Yun was stunned.
Chaoyue was also stunned.
Chen Jingzong looked at the shining kitchen knife in her hand.
Chaoyue quickly hid the knife behind her back, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Chen Jingzong understood immediately, glanced at the upper room, and asked Chaoyun: "Where is the princess?"
Chao Yun whispered, "I went to bed after breakfast."
Chen Jingzong was not surprised. She was weak and very tired last night.
Carrying the prey and walking in front of Chaoyue, Chen Jingzong frowned and said, "Everyone in a ten-mile radius knows that this is the Chen family. Ordinary thieves would never dare to come. Those who dare to come are not afraid of your kitchen knife. Next time you encounter such a thing, just shout for help. The guards can hear it."
Chao Yue lowered her head, thought for a moment, and asked, "What if it was you?"
Chen Jingzong: "Next time I come back, I will whistle first."
Chao Yue heaved a sigh of relief: "Don't worry, Prince Consort, I've remembered everything."
Chao Yue's eyes widened: "Isn't this inappropriate?"
Chen Jingzong: "If you don't stew it, then let your princess continue to starve."
Chaoyue compromised instantly.
Chen Jingzong glanced at the kitchen and turned around and said, "Bring my breakfast over here."
There was a lot to do, so Chaoyun ran over to help Chaoyue.
Chen Jingzong strode to the upper room, stood in the main hall for a while, and then went to the inner room.
It was quiet inside, and the gauze curtain was lowered outside the bed.
Chen Jingzong lifted the curtain and saw her sleeping in the middle of the bed. She was already thin and slender, and the luxurious bed made her look even smaller and more fragile.
Suddenly, Chen Jingzong sniffed and smelled a faint smell of medicine.
Noticing that she was frowning, Chen Jingzong's heart sank. Could it be that he was too strong and hurt her
Even though he was confused, it was not a good idea to wake her up at this time, so Chen Jingzong left silently.
After sitting in the main room for about a quarter of an hour, Yun handed over a bowl of noodles, still vegetable and egg noodles.
The soup is watery and there is not a drop of oil.
Chen Jingzong stopped Chaoyun who was about to leave and asked, "Is the princess sick?"
Chao Yun shook his head: "No."
Chen Jingzong: "I seem to smell medicine."
Chao Yun: "Then you must have smelled it wrong. The princess was in a good mood this morning and ate a bowl of noodles."
Her tone was so cheerful and joyful, which showed how poor Huayang's appetite was before.
Chen Jingzong couldn't get anything out of her, so he asked her to leave.
He went hunting in the mountains early in the morning. He exerted himself a lot and was very hungry. When he ate noodles, he picked up a big spoonful at a time and slurped it into his mouth in a few gulps.
Huayang, who had been sleeping for an hour, was woken up by his tut.
When she just woke up, she was wondering what the sound was. When she heard Chen Jingzong instruct Chaoyun to have another bowl, she suddenly realized what was going on and then frowned.
She really didn't like Chen Jingzong's way of eating.
She decided to be nicer to Chen Jingzong, but if Chen Jingzong continued to frequently challenge her patience, she was afraid that she would not be able to show a good face.
After a simple tidying up, Huayang walked out.
Chen Jingzong was just about to start eating his second bowl and had already picked up the noodles with his chopsticks. He turned his head when he heard the noise and met Huayang's rosy but slightly depressed face.
Why are you angry again
Chen Jingzong lowered his eyes and ate the noodles first.
He took a big bite, Huayang frowned even deeper, and signaled Chaoyun at the door to go away with his eyes. Then he walked to the table, looked at Chen Jingzong and said, "Can you eat slowly, and it's best not to make any noise."
Chen Jingzong glanced at her and said without raising his head: "I'm hungry."
Huayang: "You can eat slowly if you're hungry, and you don't have to do anything later."
Chen Jingzong is soft-hearted and does not respond to harsh treatment. The more others try to control him in trivial matters, the more he refuses to obey.
So he pretended he didn't hear it and continued eating as usual.
Huayang gritted his teeth in anger.
In the past, she would have left and stayed far away until she could no longer hear that sound.
But she had decided to be nicer to him.
Huayang was willing to give him another chance and said bluntly: "The way you eat gives me a headache. The more headache I have, the more annoyed I am with you. How can I live a good life in the future?"
Chen Jingzong raised his head unexpectedly and swallowed the noodles in his mouth. He looked at Huayang and asked, "Do you want to live a good life with me?"
His eyes were straightforward and sharp, as if he could see into people's hearts, with a bit of arrogance of "no one can fool him". Huayang subconsciously raised his chin and nodded proudly.
Chen Jingzong wasn't sure what she was thinking, so he asked tentatively, "I'll eat quietly, will you let me sleep on the bed from now on?"
Rather than worrying about those complicated little thoughts, he cared more about the benefits that could actually be obtained, otherwise it would be useless for her to talk big.
Hua Yang looked at him and said, "Okay, but there is a condition."
Chen Jingzong sneered heavily, how funny, they are husband and wife, it's only natural for him to sleep in the bed, but when it comes to her, she even has conditions!
Huayang didn't care about his ridicule and directly put forward her request: "In summer, you must take a bath before going to bed every day, or at least wipe your body. In spring and autumn, you can do it every two days, and in winter, you can do it every three days. Of course, if you sweat too much, you must wash every day. Also, whether you take a bath or not, you must wash your feet and brush your mouth clean, and there must be no alcohol smell left."
Chen Jingzong said nothing.
Seeing that stubborn look, Huayang's chest began to rise and fall again.
Chen Jingzong glanced over there, lowered his eyes and said, "If we're just going to bed, I find it troublesome that you have so many rules."
Huayang: "What do you mean?"
Chen Jingzong spun the noodles in the bowl with his chopsticks, then suddenly looked up, stared at her and said, "What I mean is, if you go to bed happily every night, I will do whatever you say."
Huayang: …
In broad daylight, he could actually say such shameless and obscene words! "You are dreaming!"
When she turned around, Huayang really wanted to spit at him, but her upbringing made her hold it back.
Chen Jingzong looked at her angry back and said with a smile: "Then I will give in. It doesn't have to be every night. As long as the princess is willing to cooperate when I want, I will agree to all the conditions."
Huayang continued to move forward.
Chen Jingzong's voice was slightly cold: "Husband and wife, you only do it once or twice a month, or even less, and I beg for it by looking at your face, do you call that a good life?"
Hua Yang stopped and said sarcastically, "There is a cause before there is an effect. You did a lot of things that made me unhappy, so I gave you a bad face."
Chen Jingzong: "Same here, you provoked me first, I don't want you to get what you want."
Huayang laughed angrily, then turned around and glared at him: "How did I offend you?"
Chen Jingzong: "On the first day you got married, you looked at me like you were picking at a piece of merchandise. You didn't treat me as your husband at all."
He was not blind. On the day of the tea ceremony, she looked at her eldest and third brothers with admiration. But when she looked at him after the admiration, she showed a look of disappointment.
Since she wanted to marry a scholar, why did she agree when the emperor granted the marriage
Her family spoiled her princess-like temper, but he was a man of integrity and was too lazy to bow down and serve them.
(End of this chapter)