The result was that she was now being told that the woman who caused him nightmares every night was his own Princess Consort?!
Was there no end to it?
Seeing Li Jin's crestfallen expression, Feng Xi Wu grinned maliciously, "Serve the meal."
He could already hear the footsteps of his little Princess Consort.
Lu Qing Wan had soaked in the hot spring for over half an hour, her skin wrinkling before she finally emerged.
She allowed Man Chun to help her change into a new outfit and style her hair into an elegant peony bun, then gracefully made her way to the dining hall.
As soon as she entered, she saw Li Jin rushing over with a bright red face. Upon seeing her, he stammered a "Princess Consort" and ran even faster.
Lu Qing Wan entered, puzzled. Feng Xi Wu pulled out the chair beside him for her, "You're here, sit. The mansion's morning meals are always light. If you find it not to your taste, tell me, and I'll have them change it."
"These things aren't urgent, we can discuss them later."
Lu Qing Wan was worried about the tea ceremony, "I don't know much about your situation, do we need to serve tea to many people?"
"Don't worry, not many. Just today, we need to go to the palace to serve tea to the Emperor and Consort Ye, and that will be enough."
Lu Qing Wan was surprised, "What about Dowager Consort Wen? Don't we need to go see her?"
That was Feng Xi Wu's birth mother. It was already outrageous that she didn't attend her son's wedding, and now she wouldn't even be served tea. Were this mother and son truly estranged?
"Mother has been in seclusion for a long time. For you and me to serve her tea would be disturbing her."
Seeing her look surprised, Feng Xi Wu said gently, "If you feel it's improper not to serve tea to your mother, we can go to Xiangguo Temple another day and donate some incense money. It would be considered praying for Mother's blessings."
"Praying for blessings is fine, but let's skip Xiangguo Temple. That place gives me the creeps."
Feng Xi Wu chuckled. Lu Qing Wan shot him a fierce glare with her eyes and buried her head in her meal.
Li Su watched her eat without any intention of attending to Feng Xi Wu. He intended to speak up and remind her, but Feng Xi Wu stopped him with a look. Instead, he himself picked up a willow-leaf dumpling and placed it in Lu Qing Wan's bowl, "Eat more. We'll be serving tea to the Emperor and Consort shortly, and we might be delayed. Lunch might be postponed, so don't go hungry."
His tone was so gentle that Lu Qing Wan was completely unaccustomed to it, "Did you take the wrong medicine?"
"You are this King's Princess Consort. It is only right that this King takes care of you, isn't it?"
This girl, why did she get so agitated when he was a little nicer to her?
Could it be that she had been bullied too much, and now found it hard to adapt to being treated kindly?
What was to be done about this?
Hearing his explanation, Lu Qing Wan calmed down, "That's true. In that case, thank you, Your Highness."
Husband and wife, the husband taking care of the wife, seemed only right.
But if this Regent Princess Consort were someone else, would he still be so gently attentive?
Lu Qing Wan felt a slight tightness in her chest. She chuckled at her own sentimentality, shook off the inexplicable emotion, and buried her head in her meal.
...
The Imperial Palace always felt oppressive, no matter how many times one visited.
Lu Qing Wan knelt on the ground, holding the teacup offered by the eunuch, and respectfully raised it above her head, "Please, Your Majesty, accept this tea."
Emperor Jing You sat on a brocade couch. He could easily reach out and take the teacup from Lu Qing Wan's hand, yet he showed no intention of doing so.
He merely looked at Lu Qing Wan with an inquisitive gaze, and after a long while, uttered a surprising question, "Lu family girl, do you hate me?"
Lu Qing Wan looked up in astonishment, "Your Majesty, why do you say that?"
She was truly confused by Emperor Jing You's question. After much thought, she couldn't find any reason to hate Emperor Jing You.
Whether it was the original owner of this body or herself, she had absolutely no connection with Emperor Jing You. There was no reason for her to hate him.
Emperor Jing You, however, was patient, "Everyone knows you are fond of Prince Chen, yet I ordered you to marry the Regent, and you do not hate me?"
Lu Qing Wan chuckled with sudden realization, then pursed her lips, "Your concubine is being impolite. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness. However, if Your Majesty speaks of ordering this concubine to marry the Regent, this concubine has only one thing to say: I thank Your Majesty for granting me the grace of not having to marry Prince Chen!"
She spoke with utmost sincerity, yet Emperor Jing You did not seem satisfied, "Your attitude changes so quickly. Should I praise you for being pragmatic, or find you lacking in steadfast affection?"
Was he blaming her for changing her affections so rapidly?
Lu Qing Wan looked suspiciously at Feng Xi Wu. Had he not told Emperor Jing You about the love-sickness蛊 (gu - a type of venomous insect used in sorcery)?
The latter could not discern her question from her complicated expression. He simply took the teacup from her hand and placed it in Emperor Jing You's.
"Imperial Brother, this younger brother has just gotten married, and you are already putting my Princess Consort through such a trial. It is not appropriate, is it?"
As he spoke, he took Lu Qing Wan's hand and pulled her up.
"Already protecting her?"
Emperor Jing You's face showed surprise.
"Prince Chen nearly took her life. Imperial Brother, you cannot demand more from her."
Feng Xi Wu's open protectiveness served as a direct reminder: your son wronged her first.
Emperor Jing You was in the wrong as well, after all, this marriage was his decree. His words were merely a gentle warning to Lu Qing Wan. Seeing Feng Xi Wu protecting her, he didn't say much more.
He raised the teacup and took a symbolic sip, "So be it. Let the past be the past. Since you are married, you are husband and wife. You must support each other and share in glory and hardship."
A eunuch beside him, filled with foresight, stepped forward with a tray. Emperor Jing You took a pair of jade pendants from it.
"These were the love tokens of the late Emperor and Empress. You know how deep their affection was. Now, I bestow this Dragon-Phoenix pendant upon you both, hoping you will be like the late Emperor and Empress, supporting each other and never betraying one another."
They were a pair of exquisitely carved Dragon-Phoenix pendants made of fine mutton-fat jade, clearly not ordinary items.
Feng Xi Wu held the jade pendant in his palm, "Then, thank you, Imperial Brother! We must go and serve tea to the Consort, so we shall not disturb you any longer!"
As soon as he spoke, his hands were already maneuvering the four-wheeled carriage to turn.
Emperor Jing You chuckled and scolded him, "Say a few words to your Princess Consort and then leave. You brat, have you forgotten your brother after getting married!"
His tone was extremely doting.
Outside Weiyang Palace, Lu Qing Wan couldn't help but sigh, "His Majesty treats you very well. He probably doesn't worry this much about his own sons, does he?"
Feng Xi Wu remained silent. Worry? Perhaps so.
Seeing his lack of response, Lu Qing Wan didn't say more and pushed the four-wheeled carriage towards the Consort's palace.
Just as they reached the outer precincts of Kun Ning Palace, a eunuch hurried after them, "Regent, there is an urgent dispatch from the front lines, six hundred li away. His Majesty requests that you come to the Imperial Study for discussions."
Feng Xi Wu furrowed his brow and looked at Lu Qing Wan. She proactively released the handles of the four-wheeled carriage, "Your Highness, please attend to your business. I will explain to Consort Niangniang on your behalf, and I'm sure she will understand."
Feng Xi Wu nodded, "Let Li Yang accompany you. If I cannot disengage, you should return to the mansion first."
Lu Qing Wan, unfamiliar with the palace, didn't stand on ceremony with him.
Out of caution, she asked him, "The bracelet I gave you, are you still wearing it?"
Feng Xi Wu's heart stirred slightly. He lifted the cuff of his left sleeve, revealing the familiar bracelet, "A gift from my Princess Consort. This King would not dare to casually remove it."
He made it sound as if he hadn't removed it simply because Lu Qing Wan had given it to him, when in reality, it was for his own safety.
However, Lu Qing Wan didn't expose him. She merely bared her teeth and gave Feng Xi Wu a smile, letting him ponder it himself.