The gates of the Grand Princess’s Residence were open. Before Chi Wan had even steadied herself after dismounting, she used her momentum to rush inside.
Just as she entered, she saw Yu Jiuzhou standing there, straight and tall.
Her steps came to an abrupt halt. Then, she strode forward. In her haste, she started running before she had her footing and nearly tripped herself.
Fortunately, her sense of balance was excellent. She steadied herself in an instant and quickened her pace to Yu Jiuzhou’s side.
Chi Wan reached out, pulled the other woman into her arms, and held her tight. She could feel Yu Jiuzhou’s body was a little stiff at first, only softening after Chun Gui and the others tactfully turned their backs.
The two of them embraced tightly, each wishing they could meld the other into their own body.
They had never been separated for so long. In the span of three to five months, the children had grown day by day, a very noticeable change.
Watching the little ones grow from tiny things, not much bigger than the sole of a shoe, to being able to interact a little now, made Yu Jiuzhou miss Chi Wan all the more.
The rapid growth of a child makes one feel as if a great deal of time has passed.
As time went on, longing coiled around her heart. When she was awake, her mind was filled with Chi Wan’s image; when she slept, Chi Wan was in her dreams as well.
Finally able to hold Chi Wan in her arms, Yu Jiuzhou’s arms tightened ceaselessly around Chi Wan’s waist.
Chi Wan held Yu Jiuzhou for a long time before suddenly asking, “Your Highness, is my armor too hard?”
Hugging so tightly, her Highness’s delicate body surely couldn’t bear it.
No one knew better than her how fair and tender Yu Jiuzhou’s skin was; the slightest touch would leave a red mark.
Yu Jiuzhou patted her armor, then created some distance between them. After looking her up and down, she said, “You’re thinner. And darker.”
“Does Your Highness still like me, then?” Chi Wan squinted her eyes and chuckled.
That roguish smile instantly dispelled the sense of unfamiliarity that had grown between them after their long separation.
Yu Jiuzhou huffed lightly. “I like those who are good-looking.”
Chi Wan suddenly moved closer and nipped her on the lips. “Your Highness, answer my question.”
Looking at the slightly domineering Chi Wan before her, Yu Jiuzhou’s heart softened, and she found herself inexplicably fond of it.
But was this person part dog? To actually bite her lip.
Yu Jiuzhou raised an eyebrow and turned to walk toward Yongning Courtyard.
Chi Wan quickly followed. “Why won’t Your Highness say?”
Were the words “I like you” so difficult to say?
Then again, she rarely said them either. It was just that she never had the chance; the atmosphere and everything else were never right.
She quickened her pace by two steps and grabbed Yu Jiuzhou’s hand. “Your Highness, I like you very much.”
Yu Jiuzhou’s heart seemed to skip a beat. A faint smile appeared on her face, and her walking pace slowed.
Seeing that she still wasn’t speaking, Chi Wan didn’t press, simply following silently behind her.
Upon returning to Yongning Courtyard, the moment Chi Wan stepped into the room, she shut the door.
She pinned Yu Jiuzhou against the door. “Your Highness was so uninhibited in your letters. Why have you gone silent now that you see me in person?”
“Letters? What letters?”
Yu Jiuzhou tried to recall the letters she had written. What was so uninhibited about them?
Her letters were mostly about happenings at court. Just as Chi Wan had written in her replies, asking if she was writing a work report, it did seem to be the case.
The only other things were her drawings of Chenchen and Guiyi.
Yu Jiuzhou was a very skilled and vivid artist. She couldn’t bring herself to prattle on about tender matters or what the children were up to in her letters, so she used drawings instead.
She drew many pictures: the children smiling, reaching out their hands, or grabbing at things. They looked almost animated.
Chi Wan had looked at them like they were comic strips. The little ones were at their cutest stage, and Yu Jiuzhou was truly amazing to be able to draw them so life-like.
However, her favorite was still the very first letter Yu Jiuzhou had sent.
Seeing Yu Jiuzhou feigning ignorance, Chi Wan said with amusement, “Your Highness wrote it, but now you won’t admit it, is that it?”
She took out the letter she treasured in her bosom, found the bold page, and read aloud, “I… am a little… hor… ny.”
She deliberately slowed her pace, slurring the words.
She was worried that if she spoke too clearly, Yu Jiuzhou would fly into a rage out of humiliation and give her a beating.
Yu Jiuzhou: “? That piece of paper…”
She remembered. That day, news of the former emperor’s death had just arrived. She was in a hurry to deal with matters and had Dong Ying send some things to Chi Wan.
As it turned out, Dong Ying had sent her scrap drafts as well.
Her mind had been in such a mess at the time that she had completely forgotten about those embarrassing drafts on her desk, and now Chi Wan had seen them.
She felt a little fortunate that it was the tight-lipped Dong Ying who had seen them, so it wouldn’t spread. But for that girl to actually show something like this to Chi Wan—where was she to hide her face?
Moreover, what she had meant to say was that she missed Chi Wan, but the meaning in Chi Wan’s words was clearly not that.
Just as Yu Jiuzhou frowned, she saw Chi Wan taking off her armor. As she removed it, she walked over, saying, “This subject will go wash up first. I will satisfy Your Highness in a moment.”
Satisfy? Satisfy what?
She stood there stunned for a long while before it suddenly dawned on her. What Chi Wan was talking about seemed to be…
!!!
Once Yu Jiuzhou understood, her ears grew hot enough to fry an egg.
When Chun Gui came in and saw her Highness like this, she couldn’t help but ask, “Why is Your Highness’s face so red?”
Only after asking did she realize it must have been the Fuma’s teasing.
Her Highness had been perfectly fine this morning; she couldn’t have suddenly fallen ill, and besides, her Highness was in good health.
Ever since her Highness had recovered from that major illness, cured by the Fuma, her health had been excellent.
Once Chun Gui understood, she cleared her throat, pretending she hadn’t asked, and changed the subject. “Your Highness, Dong Ying sent word that the matter has been handled. She will be back in two days.”
Dong Ying?
Hearing this name, Yu Jiuzhou was reminded of the culprit behind this blunder. “Tell her to stay for the full ten days before returning.”
“Ten days? Your Highness, that is not a pleasant place.”
Yu Jiuzhou huffed. “She trains others every day. It’s time someone trained her.”
Chun Gui dared not say more. She wondered, had Dong Ying offended Her Highness somehow?
Usually, Xia Qu was scared to death of Dong Ying’s training. Now Dong Ying was going to be trained?
Chun Gui walked out and happened to see Xia Qu with a gossipy smile on her face. “Tell me, what’s wrong with Her Highness?”
Xia Qu shook her head. “I don’t know what’s wrong with Her Highness, but I know Dong Ying is in for it. The Fuma selected some people to be special forces, but they have to pass training first. If the previous training was devil’s training, the current one is hell’s training.”
Qiu Lai, who was nearby, suddenly spoke up. “Don’t feel sorry for Dong Ying. Serves her right for being such a blockhead.”
“You know?” Xia Qu leaned in curiously.
Qiu Lai shot her a look. “If Her Highness knew that you know, your fate might be even worse than Dong Ying’s.”
Uh… Xia Qu was scared.
Qiu Lai gave a wicked smile. “Do you still want to know?”
Xia Qu shook her head vigorously. “I don’t want to know anymore.”
She was very curious, but with Dong Ying’s cautionary tale right before her eyes, she wasn’t about to court death.
Yu Jiuzhou was unaware of the conversation between the three maids. Especially Xia Qu and Qiu Lai—if she knew what they were talking about, those two would probably have to endure the Grand Princess’s… special attention.
They would get a ten-day training package of their own, just like Dong Ying.
Yu Jiuzhou leaned against the frame of the heated chamber, watching Chi Wan washing up behind the screen. Even though it was only a shadow, she found herself mesmerized.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. She had so many things she wanted to say to Chi Wan.
Even more, she wanted to hear Chi Wan chattering in her ear. Even if it was just about the daily routines of the campaign, she wanted to listen.
Chi Wan, of course, knew Yu Jiuzhou was outside. Her hearing was sharp; she could even distinguish the sound of Yu Jiuzhou’s breathing.
A smile on her face, she scrubbed her body diligently.
Conditions on the march were terrible. Forget bathing, even getting hot water to drink was a luxury.
The only option was to boil a lot of water when they had time, so they could drink it even after it cooled.
Chi Wan had strictly forbidden drinking unboiled water. No matter how thirsty they were, they had to drink water that had been boiled.
If they were desperate, they would put a medicinal packet into the water and wait a while before drinking.
It wasn’t as good as tablets, but Chi Wan did her best to disinfect the water.
Drinking too much unboiled water could lead to disaster if they encountered contamination or a poor water source.
Of course, some mountain spring water was drinkable, but the water quality had to be tested. If it wasn’t up to standard, the army would die from drinking water before the enemy even arrived.
Under such conditions, bathing was an even greater challenge.
When they passed by rivers or streams with clean water, Chi Wan would fetch some and set up a temporary tent to wash.
Many soldiers didn’t care and would just jump into the river to bathe.
But during her three days at the capital garrison, Chi Wan had washed thoroughly for three days straight, afraid of having any strange smells on her.
Although the conditions at the capital garrison were decent, there was no soap or incense. She could only scrub hard with a towel.
She had to smell nice. Otherwise, if she stank, even if the Grand Princess didn’t mind, she would.
Her Highness was very delicate; she couldn’t be offended by any bad smells.
Chi Wan scrubbed her body thoroughly before putting on her nightclothes and coming out.
By now, Yu Jiuzhou was already lying on the chaise lounge, a memorial in her hand. Next to the chaise was a small table with tea, snacks, and a tall stack of memorials.
“Why are you reading so many?” Chi Wan walked over, estimating there were several dozen memorials.
Yu Jiuzhou casually put down the memorial. “The three-month mourning period is almost over. The Ministry of Rites is asking when to prepare for the enthronement ceremony.”
“Those are all from people who want Guiyi to ascend the throne.”
A three-month-old baby ascending the throne would only be able to rule personally after twenty years. When Emperor Shengyuan had established the Imperial Grandson, he hadn’t expected to die so soon.
Of course, Yu Jiuzhou and Chi Wan knew they would face these memorials, but it was clearly impossible for Guiyi to be enthroned.
But Yu Jiuzhou evidently couldn’t get over the mental hurdle of snatching her own child’s throne.
Chi Wan roughly understood her thoughts. “Does Your Highness think it’s a good idea to hand the world over to Guiyi? Will making her the emperor of Great Zhou bring peace and stability to the common people?”
“Guiyi is still too young. Even as her mothers, we can’t be sure what kind of person she will become. And bearing such immense pressure from a young age won’t be good for her development.”
“Besides, we have another daughter. Won’t Chenchen feel that it’s unfair for the throne to belong to Guiyi from birth, when she is clearly the elder sister? As for the notion that only a Qian Yuan can be emperor, I certainly don’t approve of such talk.”
“Guiyi cannot be the monarch, nor can she be the crown heir. Give them twenty years to grow. Perhaps I can’t raise them to be children suited to be emperor, but I will definitely raise them to be good children.”
“Your Highness, give yourself twenty years as well. Try being the empress for twenty years and see if you can truly bring good governance and prosperity to Great Zhou, leading the people on the path to wealth. I certainly believe in Your Highness, and Your Highness should believe in yourself too.”
Yu Jiuzhou definitely wanted to be the emperor. She wanted to prove to the entire world that a princess could be a good emperor, that a Kun Ze could as well. More importantly, she wanted to show Emperor Shengyuan that she was more than just a pawn.
Most importantly, she had her own ambition: to be a wise ruler of a prosperous age.
She wanted to see Great Zhou revived, to see it clean and just, to see its people well-fed.
Seeing Yu Jiuzhou’s contemplative expression, Chi Wan added another sentence, “They are still young. Let them walk their own paths in the future. It’s not right to decide their futures for them now. It’s better for children to choose their own paths. We just need to protect and guide them.”
Yu Jiuzhou becoming the emperor would be protecting and guiding the countless families of Great Zhou, as well as their own small family.
“Alright.” Yu Jiuzhou nodded, her agreement firm.
Chi Wan was right. The children should have the right to choose their own lives.
Throughout history, the fates of crown heirs have rarely been good. Even if they eventually ascended the throne, they lost too much in the process.
At the very least, they lost their relatives. A crown heir would be viewed with suspicion by the emperor, and used by many to seek benefits, including their own family and friends.
Not only that, but Yu Jiuzhou also felt that since she truly wanted to be the emperor, she should just do it.
So what if there were rumors and vicious curses? She was going to be the emperor.
“I know what to do.”
Yu Jiuzhou replied calmly. Perhaps it was time to announce to the world.
She, Yu Jiuzhou, the Grand Princess of Great Zhou, was going to be the emperor.
Chi Wan smiled, then leaned over, bracing her hands on the chaise lounge. Her eyes looked at Yu Jiuzhou earnestly. “Your Highness, I missed you.”
Yu Jiuzhou felt as if an electric current shot through her entire body. Then her chin was lifted, forcing her to meet Chi Wan’s gaze.
“My body missed Your Highness just as much as my heart.”
Some things had to be said boldly. Only by speaking them aloud could one’s wishes be fulfilled.
Yu Jiuzhou’s face instantly turned crimson. Chi Wan had only been back for a little over an hour, and she had already blushed twice.
She felt that if this continued, she would become completely seasoned by Chi Wan’s teasing.
“Shut up!”
Yu Jiuzhou feigned a fierce expression, but to Chi Wan’s ears, it sounded very delicate.
When her Highness was angry, her imposing aura always came first, crushing people with its domineering coldness before she slowly spoke.
It was nothing like now, where there was no sense of pressure at all.
Chi Wan smiled and lifted Yu Jiuzhou into her arms. She then looked down at the person in her embrace, who appeared cold on the surface but was actually lying there quite docilely. “I’ve only just returned, and Your Highness is already being so fierce?”
Her feigned look of grievance made Yu Jiuzhou stare in a daze.
It had been a long time since she had seen her pretend to be pitiful. This familiar way of interacting made Yu Jiuzhou’s heart melt into a puddle.
Her affection for Chi Wan came from within. Her heart, her body—they were all boiling with excitement from the moment she saw Chi Wan.
She desperately wanted to press against Chi Wan. Especially when she saw Chi Wan’s fair neck, she had the urge to bite it.
To leave her mark, to declare that this person was hers.
Yu Jiuzhou recalled her interactions with Chi Wan. It seemed she always liked to bite Chi Wan. Whenever she didn’t know how to express herself, she would always lean on the other’s shoulder and take a bite.
The mere thought in her mind was enough. Her hands were already wrapped around Chi Wan’s neck, and then she leaned in and bit down hard.
A tear slid from the corner of her eye.
Perhaps it was a tear of longing. In a moment with just the two of them, Yu Jiuzhou had a rare loss of control.
Chi Wan frowned in pain. She had been about to cry out to elicit Yu Jiuzhou’s sympathy, but when a drop of liquid landed on her shoulder, its warmth quickly turned cool, trickling down her neck and shoulder.
Yu Jiuzhou… was crying?
Because she missed her?
The thought appeared in Chi Wan’s mind. She took a deep breath and strode toward the inner chamber.
After entering, she kicked the door shut and slowly bent down to place Yu Jiuzhou on the bed.
Yu Jiuzhou had already regained her composure. Her eyes seemed calm, but they couldn’t hide the love and desire within them.
She said nothing, just looked, and that look was enough to make one’s heart sink into her.
Chi Wan knelt on one knee before the bed, her forehead touching Yu Jiuzhou’s. “Did Your Highness miss me?”
After asking, she didn’t speak again, just waited quietly.
“Mm,” Yu Jiuzhou responded softly, then followed with a sentence that surprised even herself. “I missed you.”
Those three simple words made Chi Wan’s hands immediately grip the bedsheets. She had to restrain her body from becoming agitated by that sentence.
The excitement of her heart stirred her body.
Yu Jiuzhou almost never said such things. On the rare occasions she did, it was when she was being teased by her on the bed. Now, she was wide awake, not the least bit muddled.
Chi Wan could hardly conceal the shock in her heart. She restrained herself and kissed Yu Jiuzhou’s lips, gentle and steady.
She was afraid that in her excitement, she would accidentally turn the kiss fierce.
The two had not been intimate for a long time. Naturally, she had to be gentle to let Yu Jiuzhou accept her invasion.
Chi Wan kissed her reverently, but she felt it was becoming less and less enough. She wanted to transform into a beast, to devour Yu Jiuzhou, to proceed to the next step more intensely.
No!
She still restrained herself and actively ended the kiss. Despite her utmost gentleness, Yu Jiuzhou’s lips were still unavoidably red and swollen.
Seeing her staring blankly at her lips, Yu Jiuzhou’s voice, cool yet tinged with desire, sounded out, “Why did you stop?”
“Of course I won’t stop.”
Hearing the impatience in Yu Jiuzhou’s voice, Chi Wan no longer hesitated and kissed her again.
Her lips lingered on Yu Jiuzhou’s earlobe for a moment, and her palm felt as if it had been soaked by something.
Chi Wan glanced at the milky white liquid on her palm. Her eyes flashed, and she could no longer hold back.
Wasting things was a bad habit. How could she waste a piece of her Highness’s heart?
…
The weather in late spring and early summer was slightly warm. A gentle breeze swept by, and the flowers in the garden trembled with the wind. The heart of a flower, as if feeling the cold invasion of the breeze, couldn’t help but shrink back, but it soon rose to meet the wind.
Time flowed by, from noon to evening, and then to midnight, before the cool breeze finally ceased.
The night returned to tranquility. The chirping of insects began, making the sounds of the night even more pleasant.
The chirping of insects only faded at dawn, which was when Chi Wan opened her eyes.
During the campaign, she would wake up at five in the morning, patrol the camp, and then blow the horn to call the soldiers for their meal.
So she was used to this time. After opening her eyes, it took her a moment to realize she was back in the Grand Princess’s Residence, not on the battlefield. She didn’t need to get up at this hour.
Besides, she had her wife in her arms. How could she bear to get out of bed?
Chi Wan reached out, pulled Yu Jiuzhou into her arms, and held her as she went back to sleep.
With her internal energy, she would be fine even without sleep, but she could also fall asleep if she wanted to.
She held Yu Jiuzhou and fell back asleep. When she opened her eyes again, it was already bright outside.
Feeling the person beside her, Chi Wan turned her head slightly and met Yu Jiuzhou’s gaze. “Your Highness.”
She called out with a light laugh, and at the same time, her outstretched hand touched an intoxicating smoothness.
“Not going to sleep a little longer?”
The two of them had been at it until midnight. Forget Yu Jiuzhou, even Chi Wan felt her wrists ache and her tongue go numb.
Yu Jiuzhou supported her lower back and shot her a look. She was dead tired, her waist sore and stiff.
Chi Wan chuckled mischievously and asked in a low voice, “Shall I give Your Highness a massage?”
Her skills were certified. She was a master of tuina massage. After a session with her, all fatigue would be swept away.
Yu Jiuzhou naturally remembered that refreshing feeling and nodded. “Alright.”
Of course, she also knew that when Chi Wan’s palms massaged her body, it was always a little different from a proper massage.
But the person massaging her was Chi Wan. As for how she massaged, that was a private pleasure between partners.
Chi Wan smiled, put on her nightclothes, and brought over a thin veil to cover Yu Jiuzhou from the waist down.
She poured essential oil into her palm, her expression serious. “I’m starting.”
“Mm.”
Yu Jiuzhou’s face was buried in the bedding, making her voice sound muffled.
Chi Wan smiled. “I’ll have the kitchen prepare pear water later. Your throat won’t be so hoarse then.”
Yu Jiuzhou: “…”
“Shut up!”
A stern and raspy voice came from under the covers.
The culprit, however, only laughed more happily. Chi Wan couldn’t suppress the smile on her face, but her hands didn’t stop moving. “If I really shut up, someone might be dissatisfied.”
Yu Jiuzhou’s body stiffened. She reached for a pillow and threw it backward.
How could something like that possibly hit Chi Wan, unless she was willing to be hit?
“Ouch,” Chi Wan feigned a cry of pain.
Yu Jiuzhou quickly turned her head. When she saw the smile on her face, she knew she had been tricked.
Damn it!
She glared at Chi Wan angrily. “Not another word.”
Chi Wan knew when to stop. She just smiled and began the massage in earnest. “Has Your Highness been sitting at your desk all the time recently, without moving around? Now that I’m not home, you don’t even go for a walk after meals, do you?”
“How did you know?” Yu Jiuzhou’s slightly hoarse voice carried a hint of surprise.
Chi Wan huffed lightly. “I am a physician. How could I not know?”
Sitting improperly, or for long periods, could easily cause changes in the bones.
No wonder her back couldn’t take it by midnight. It was a good thing she was back; she could help Yu Jiuzhou properly recuperate.
Yu Jiuzhou enjoyed the massage on her shoulders, neck, and back, followed by a full-body massage. The comfortable feeling made her a little drowsy.
“We need to have someone build a desk you can work at while standing. Sit for a while, then get up and stand for a while.”
The more Chi Wan massaged, the more her heart ached for Yu Jiuzhou’s exhaustion. A diligent monarch had a very tiring job.
Fortunately, Yu Jiuzhou had many secretaries and assistants to help her. Once another batch was trained, she would hopefully be less tired.
Yu Jiuzhou hummed in agreement. Just as she was drifting off to sleep, she suddenly remembered something. “Have you seen Chenchen and Guiyi yet?”
Oh, right. I forgot, Chi Wan thought with embarrassment.
From her return yesterday until now, not a single thought of going to see them had crossed her mind.
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Regards for helping out, fantastic information.