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墨書 Inktalez
The place for Set Up Camp is a large open space, layered from the outside in. At the very center are the Emperor and the various consorts of the palace, followed by the princes and lords, then officials, and finally guards, each layer protecting the political power center in the middle.
It truly looks magnificent.
He Yu wrapped his arm around Xiao Yao as they walked toward their tent. On the way, they happened to encounter Consort Chen, who was out for a stroll. Xiao Yao and He Yu hurriedly greeted Consort Chen. After acknowledging their greeting, Consort Chen allowed them to rise; after all, with people coming and going, directly letting them skip the formalities might invite gossip.
Consort Chen looked Xiao Yao up and down in surprise and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, it’s been a few days since we last met. Have you gained some weight?"
Xiao Yao lowered her head obediently and then smiled, "Well, it’s because the prince has been treating me too well, so I’ve ended up looking like a ball!"
"That’s true," Consort Chen noted that although these two hadn’t seen each other for a while, they were still very affectionate. She felt reassured and laughed, "A little weight gain is no problem; it’s good for childbearing. As long as the prince dotes on you, you’ll always look like a celestial being in his eyes!"
Hearing this, Xiao Yao also joked back, "If the prince really thinks that way, then my sacrifice of my figure is indeed worth it!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the three burst into hearty laughter. People passing by not far away turned to look at them, but no one dared to stop; one was a consort and the other a prince—such people were not something ordinary folks could gather around.
After enough laughter, He Yu squinted and said, "No matter what you look like, in my eyes you are the most beautiful!"
"Look at this! We haven’t even returned yet and we’re already putting on a show in front of me!" Consort Chen seemed unable to take it anymore and waved her hand to send them off.
He Yu and his wife readily took their leave and turned to walk back to their tent.
Along the way, Xiao Yao remarked, "Consort Chen is indeed very straightforward; if she were a man, she would surely achieve great things on the battlefield."
"Yes," He Yu sighed. "According to the old steward, my grandfather greatly favored her back then and treated her like a son when teaching her. Later on, when my grandfather and father went to war outside Yanmen Pass to restrain the He Family, it was then that the Emperor married my aunt. Now it’s been over twenty years since then; my grandfather and father both died in battle at Yanmen Pass. Who knows how things turned out this way?"
He Yu looked up at the setting sun not far away while Xiao Yao gently covered He Yu's mouth and whispered, "Shh! My lord, there are ears on the other side of the wall."
He Yu chuckled lightly, taking Xiao Yao's hand and kissing it. "Don't worry, I will be careful."
"Mm." Xiao Yao nodded, and He Yu smiled as he stroked Xiao Yao's belly. "Now that I have you and our child, I'm no longer alone. Naturally, I will be mindful of everything."
"Mm," Xiao Yao said, wrapping her arms around He Yu's neck, her words full of reliance. "Now that you have a family, you need to consider things more. I don't want anything to happen to you, okay?"
"Of course."
After returning to the tent, a maid brought hot water. Yun Zhu and Yun Yue took the water and entered the tent.
Seeing this, He Yu told Xiao Yao to wash her face. "After such a long journey, wash your face to refresh yourself, then drink something, comb your hair, and change your clothes. There's a banquet tonight."
"Huh? There's a banquet tonight?" Xiao Yao turned to look at He Yu. "You didn't tell me."
"I forgot," He Yu admitted nonchalantly. "Tonight is a gathering; it won't last too long. If you're tired, you can come back early, but at least you should make an appearance at the beginning; otherwise, it wouldn't be good."
"Mm." On this point, Xiao Yao would not throw a tantrum; after all, it was an important occasion. Regardless of its scale, if she needed to be there, she had to show up.
"Good girl." He Yu nodded in satisfaction. "Hurry up and get ready."
Xiao Yao washed her face with hot water and felt much more refreshed. Then she chose a dress with an outer coat; it was a floor-length gown with a long-sleeved top resembling Tang clothing. The hem flared out at the waist, perfectly covering her slightly protruding belly while looking playful and cute. Around the neckline was a row of exquisite frog buttons; this time, Xiao Yao adorned one of the buttons with an emerald bead for embellishment—just right. The sleeves flared out at the elbows, giving an overall elegant yet lively appearance.
He Yu came out in a light lotus-colored robe with an outer layer of moon-white sheer fabric that matched perfectly with Xiao Yao's outfit. Xiao Yao twirled in front of He Yu. "How do I look? Is it pretty?"
"Not bad; you certainly have many styles," He Yu said while stroking his chin.
"That is," Xiao Yao proudly lifted her face, "your princess is also knowledgeable and talented!"
Hearing this, He Yu almost laughed out loud at first, but then thought about it and realized that in a way, Xiao Yao could indeed be considered well-informed. He could only suppress his laughter and reluctantly nodded, "Yes, my Daughter-in-law is the most knowledgeable."
Knowing that He Yu was teasing her, Xiao Yao shot him a glare and rolled her eyes. After a very proud "hmph," she turned her face and walked away.
He Yu, smiling, pulled Xiao Yao back, "Alright, drink this."
"What is it?" Xiao Yao looked at the milky liquid. Could it be milk? She wasn't very sure, but knowing that He Yu wouldn't harm her, she took it and tasted a sip, her eyes lighting up with surprise. "Milk?"
"Yes." He Yu nodded. "I heard from the physician that this is good for you and the baby, so I got a little for you to try. If you like it, I'll go get some cows to raise; if not, we'll find something else."
"I like this!" Xiao Yao hugged the bowl of milk with a happy expression.
He Yu's face visibly relaxed. After all, not many people in the capital drank this; many complained about its strong smell and were afraid that Xiao Yao wouldn't like it. He didn't expect her to accept it so quickly; she must have had it before and was used to it. He smiled and said, "Alright then, I'll get you this bowl every time."
"Good." Xiao Yao was very happy. It wasn't easy to get milk these days, so He Yu must have put in quite a bit of effort to think of this.
After drinking the milk and changing into new clothes, Xiao Yao let He Yu wrap his arms around her as they left the tent and headed toward the banquet location.
There was a very unpleasant issue with everyone living nearby.
That was encountering a group of familiar faces right outside the door, especially those she didn't particularly like.
Sure enough, as soon as they stepped out, they ran into the Eldest Prince and his wife. He Yu and Xiao Yao approached to pay their respects. The Eldest Prince laughed heartily, "Consort Xuanping looks quite plump lately; she must be well taken care of by Xuanping Wang."
"That's right," He Yu replied with a smile, "as the saying goes, a happy heart leads to a plump body. Since Yao Yao married into the He Family, she doesn't have to worry about anything, so naturally, she's become well-fed." The Eldest Prince chuckled at this, "That's true, but it's not right for the mistress not to manage the household."
Well, no more hidden jabs; it was a direct shot.
Xiao Yao curtsied and smiled gently, "The Eldest Prince is overthinking it. The stewards at the Xuanping Prince's Mansion are quite capable; they can handle all the major affairs of the household in an orderly manner. Therefore, the matters that require my decision are only a few necessary ones, so I have relatively more leisure time."
After she finished speaking, He Yu almost burst out laughing. He turned to admire his lovely wife, his eyes filled with interest. It hadn't been long since she married into the He Family, yet her eloquence had improved so much.
The Eldest Prince realized he was no match for this couple and found himself directly mocked by them instead. He could only concede defeat and hurriedly made his exit after exchanging a few pleasantries.
The onlooking Fourth Prince decided it was best to keep his distance from these two for now.
Instead, the Third Prince stepped forward to greet them. "Your Highness, Your Highness."
He Yu and Xiao Yao returned the greeting. The Third Prince smiled and asked, "I wonder if Your Highness plans to take the lead in this autumn hunt?"
"The lead?" He Yu chuckled. "I can't do that; you know I'm not skilled in archery and horseback riding. I expect this year's lead will still go to the Eldest Prince."
The Third Prince nodded at this and said nothing further. It was He Yu who brought up another topic. "Next year, the Fourth Prince will be getting married. I wonder if the Third Prince has someone in mind?"
The Third Prince was taken aback for a moment before shaking his head with a wry smile. "I haven't considered such things yet; I doubt there's any family in the capital willing to marry their daughter to me."
"Why would you belittle yourself like that?" He Yu laughed. "The Third Prince is talented and charming; it's just that fate hasn't arrived yet."
"Indeed," Xiao Yao chimed in, "I've seen many officials bringing their daughters here today; the Third Prince could take this opportunity to choose someone."
Winking with anticipation, Xuanping Wang looked at Third Prince.
Third Prince was initially surprised but then propped his head up and laughed, saying, “Hong Ming, it seems your Daughter-in-law has been spoiled by you.”
“Not at all,” He Yu chuckled, showing no sense of guilt but rather a proud expression. “This isn’t me spoiling her; this is called a united couple.”
“Exactly, Third Prince, once you have Consort Prince, you will understand,” Xiao Yao chimed in.
These two...
Third Prince felt utterly helpless.
After arriving at the banquet location, most people had gathered, each sitting in their respective places waiting for the Emperor to arrive.
Upon seeing He Yu approach, officials of lower rank all bowed to him. He Yu returned each bow with a nod and walked with Xiao Yao to his seat before finally sitting down.
Perhaps due to being outside, the etiquette was not overly strict.
Everyone was actually curious to see how He Yu brought his wife along. In contrast to other couples, regardless of rank, husbands typically walked ahead while their wives took a step back. Only He Yu was so unconventional; everyone sighed in admiration that only Xuanping Wang could do this.
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