TGPSAC – Chapter 69

The Spring Banquet was meant to be a joyous occasion, yet it ended with a minister being dismissed, a minister’s son being punished, and a marriage bestowal for the flower of the capital left unfulfilled.

Emperor Shengyuan felt that things had not been going smoothly for him lately, and the matter of visiting Xuanyang Temple to pray for blessings had to be moved up the schedule.

The prayers would begin on the Spring Equinox and last for seven days, so he could return to offer sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple before the Qingming Festival.

Emperor Shengyuan was aware of his physical condition. A trip to a mountain temple to pray would be too much for his body to bear. Even though Xuanyang Temple was a royal temple, with all its facilities prepared to imperial standards, it was certainly not as comfortable as the imperial palace.

Moreover, there were still rebels at large. Some scattered, fleeing rebels were fond of hiding in the mountains, and Emperor Shengyuan did not wish to place himself in such a dangerous environment.

But he could allow Yu Jiuzhou to be in such an environment.

Emperor Shengyuan had already issued the decree. Yu Jiuzhou had no opportunity to refuse, nor was there any need to.

She was currently questioning Chi Wan about something. “I have heard that you told His Majesty that you were only trying to reconcile with me, and that it was not from the heart?”

“Hm?”

Chi Wan was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly explained, “The person who relayed this to Your Highness must have malicious intentions. I never said such a thing.”

“His Majesty summoned me and said I had been wronged. I said I hadn’t, and that His Majesty would be pleased to see Your Highness and I reconcile. Therefore, as a subject, I must certainly resolve His Majesty’s worries.”

So where in that did she say it wasn’t from the heart? It was a downright malicious interpretation.

In the study, Yu Jiuzhou stood before the desk and wrote several large characters on a sheet of Xuan paper—To scheme for oneself, to scheme for the nation.

As Chi Wan was looking at the characters, Yu Jiuzhou dabbed the tip of her nose with the brush. “But isn’t the meaning of your words still that it wasn’t from the heart?”

That she was only doing these things to complete the Emperor’s task, not genuinely for her.

Chi Wan found it strange. Since when did Yu Jiuzhou get hung up on such things? “Your Highness, isn’t this what we agreed upon?”

They were getting along perfectly well in private. Weren’t they supposed to pretend their relationship was poor in front of the Emperor?

Yu Jiuzhou took in her puzzled expression, then turned her head after a long moment and asked, “Then do you know that His Majesty wants us to reconcile because he wants an imperial grandchild?”

“I know.” So what?

Chi Wan didn’t quite understand the connection. They were just putting on an act. They could just have another fight and fall out later. After a few rounds of this, the Emperor would probably be on his deathbed anyway.

Her confusion was all too clear. Yu Jiuzhou sighed inwardly and probed again, “If I show no signs of pregnancy in the near future, how do you think His Majesty will handle it?”

He would surely be furious, enraged.

“Your Highness means to say?”

The two of them couldn’t possibly have a child for real, could they? Should she have it, or find someone else to?

Chi Wan dazedly touched the tip of her nose, the ink staining her fingertip black.

Seeing this, a smile spread to Yu Jiuzhou’s eyes. She then lifted Chi Wan’s chin. “You and I must consummate our marriage.”

“Ah?” Chi Wan was bewildered. How did the topic jump to consummating the marriage?

Weren’t the two of them supposed to have a fight and create distance between them again?

Yu Jiuzhou slanted her eyes. “You are unwilling?”

“No… it’s not that.”

It wasn’t a matter of unwillingness. Standing before her was a stunning beauty, her ideal type in both appearance and character.

Chi Wan just felt that their relationship hadn’t reached that stage yet.

Yu Jiuzhou didn’t give her extra time to think. “Then you are willing.”

This wasn’t about willingness or unwillingness, was it? She just felt it was too fast. All this time, the two of them had been friends, hadn’t they? Why the sudden talk of consummating the marriage?

Chi Wan wanted to say something, but she didn’t know how to express her current feelings.

But Yu Jiuzhou understood. “Chi Wan, I will not force you.”

Feigning retreat to advance. Based on her understanding of Chi Wan, she knew Chi Wan would fall for this.

As expected, Chi Wan hesitated. “Your Highness, I just feel… isn’t this a bit too fast?”

Their emotional foundation was that of friends who had fought side-by-side. As for consummating their marriage, they didn’t seem to have reached that level.

But then Chi Wan remembered that in Great Zhou, marriages were arranged by parents and matchmakers. The two of them were legitimate partners.

Yu Jiuzhou was the Grand Princess, and she was the Fuma. Consummating the marriage was what they were supposed to do.

The Emperor was also pressing them to produce an imperial grandchild. If they didn’t consummate the marriage for a long time, he would surely be enraged.

Chi Wan didn’t realize that she was already starting to rationalize it in her mind, comforting herself that consummating the marriage with Yu Jiuzhou was actually acceptable.

Just the thought of consummating the marriage with such a great beauty made her feel thirsty.

But to her surprise, Yu Jiuzhou gave her a faint look and didn’t press her. “It’s fine. I will not force you.”

No, Your Highness, you can force me a little.

The thought popped into Chi Wan’s head, and she was amused by her own absurdity. What was all this?

“Your Highness, I only have one question. If His Majesty were not forcing the issue, would Your Highness still want to consummate our marriage?”

She didn’t know whether to refuse. Two voices argued in her mind. One told her it was too fast, that their relationship hadn’t developed that far, and that she planned to leave the capital and live in seclusion someday. Consummating the marriage with Yu Jiuzhou would be too irresponsible.

The other voice told her that they were forced into this. To fool the Emperor and achieve their goals, consummating the marriage was no great matter.

If she had to give a reason, Chi Wan still felt their emotional connection was lacking. The two of them had never even held hands, so how could they consummate their marriage?

It was like skipping the dating phase and going straight to marriage, and then having to perform certain marital duties normally. The thought alone was strangely awkward. She couldn’t accept being intimate with someone she had no feelings for. But if that person was Yu Jiuzhou, she didn’t feel repulsed.

Could it be that they had developed feelings for each other over these past days?

Chi Wan was a little unsure about the state of their relationship, so she chose to follow her heart.

She was a cultivator of the Dao, and her main principle was to act as her heart desired—not to pick things up, not to put them down, but to seize them directly.

Her heart was willing. She had read plenty of novels about falling in love after marriage, or intimacy before love, and she wasn’t actually against the idea.

However, she didn’t want to be a tool, and she didn’t want to have a child just for the sake of a power struggle.

The fight for the throne was a bloody affair. Whether it was their relationship or a child, she didn’t want either to be stained with blood.

Yu Jiuzhou was taken aback for a moment, feeling a strange mix of emotions. She had intended to guide Chi Wan into agreeing in a muddled state, which would have been a natural progression for them. Why did she have to ask such a question?

How should she answer?

If the Emperor weren’t forcing her, would she still be willing to consummate the marriage with Chi Wan?

Perhaps her hesitation was too obvious. Chi Wan smiled. “It seems Your Highness hasn’t thought it through either. Please understand, Your Highness, that once we consummate our marriage, our relationship will change. Furthermore, a child is a life. Once born, there will be even less room for maneuver.”

A change in their relationship?

Yu Jiuzhou understood the latter part, but what did she mean by a change in their relationship?

They were partners. She was her Fuma. It was perfectly normal for such a relationship to be consummated. Why would it have to change?

Yu Jiuzhou didn’t understand what Chi Wan was saying, but she was clever. She just needed to return to the previous question. If the Emperor wasn’t a factor, she would still make this choice.

“I would rather have nothing than settle for less. If it’s not you, I can do without this imperial grandchild.”

This was the most forward thing she could bring herself to say. To tell someone that besides them, she would not have a child with anyone else—what more needed to be said?

This sentence was Yu Jiuzhou’s limit; she did not wish to say more.

But Chi Wan’s heart was moved. I would rather have nothing than settle for less. It meant she was Yu Jiuzhou’s only choice.

“Your Highness, when do you plan to?”

“When for what?”

“When will we consummate our marriage?”

Yu Jiuzhou: “…”

Who discussed consummating a marriage so seriously? Did they need to agree on the time and place beforehand?

Chi Wan appeared very proper, with no ulterior motive, simply discussing a matter in a normal way.

It was just that Chi Wan’s eyes were too clear. Otherwise, Yu Jiuzhou would absolutely not have answered this question. “When my Rain and Dew Period comes.”

She suppressed the burning sensation in her body. Especially when she mentioned the Rain and Dew Period, her voice dropped significantly. It was too embarrassing.

Hearing this, Chi Wan’s face also turned red. Wouldn’t that be too soon?

She remembered that Yu Jiuzhou’s Rain and Dew Period was at the end of the month, which meant they would have to consummate their marriage by then. Did that mean she had to prepare herself properly?

Bathe and burn incense daily, marinate herself… no, that’s not right, make herself fragrant to ensure a good experience for both of them.

Actually, Chi Wan had another question. Would they only consummate the marriage once? Or would they continue until a child was conceived?

Never mind, she would take it one step at a time. Things were already like this anyway.

It was unlikely anyone else was like them, discussing when to consummate their marriage.

Chi Wan had a roommate who was in a long-distance relationship with her girlfriend. Every time before they met, the roommate would exclaim, “I’m gonna get some good loving again!”

The speaker felt no embarrassment, but those of them listening felt a little awkward.

But it was clear how much the roommate looked forward to seeing her girlfriend.

This was the first time Chi Wan had experienced the feeling of looking forward to consummating a marriage.

“I will leave it to Your Highness’s discretion.” She adopted the demeanor of a young wife, letting Yu Jiuzhou decide everything.

Perhaps because Chi Wan was so shy, Yu Jiuzhou suddenly felt less bashful herself.

“Is the Fuma willing? I will not force you.”

For some reason, Yu Jiuzhou wanted to hear what she would say.

What could Chi Wan say? She could only give a dry laugh. “Your Highness did not force me.”

She only tempted her. No one could refuse a great beauty like Yu Jiuzhou, a woman with such personal charm.

Of course Chi Wan couldn’t refuse. She was even looking forward to it. “Your Highness, for the Spring Equinox prayers, let me accompany you.”

She changed the subject, adopting a business-like demeanor.

The matter of consummating their marriage should be discussed quietly between two people late at night. Discussing it in broad daylight, in a study where official business was handled, was inappropriate.

But then she remembered what her roommate had said: the more proper the place, the more thrilling it was. Like a study.

At this thought, Chi Wan’s ears turned completely red.

A question mark appeared in Yu Jiuzhou’s mind. Why was this person’s face so red? So red that one could tell at a glance she was shy.

No, it was more like she was thinking of something naughty. But the more Chi Wan acted this way, the more Yu Jiuzhou wanted to tease her.

In that moment, she seemed to understand the joy of those dandies and bullies on the streets of the capital. Of course, she was teasing her own Fuma, not someone else’s.

Yu Jiuzhou suddenly moved closer, and a cold, sharp fragrance washed over Chi Wan. Staring at the lips that were just inches away, Chi Wan swallowed dryly. What would happen if she kissed her right now?

Never mind. Her life had just gotten better; she couldn’t afford to provoke Yu Jiuzhou into a fury.

【But, my dear Highness, can you not be so close?】

Chi Wan lowered her eyes, her gaze lingering on Yu Jiuzhou’s lips for a long time. She exuded a cold aura, yet also a strong sense of desire—to be precise, a cool sexual tension.

They were so close that she could pluck this proud, noble flower with just a reach of her hand.

Chi Wan wanted to dodge, but Yu Jiuzhou grabbed her by the collar. Using the leverage from the grip, she stood on her toes and drew nearer.

Seeing Yu Jiuzhou get even closer, Chi Wan was too scared to move, allowing her to approach.

At this moment, Yu Jiuzhou also realized they were too close, and for a moment, she was caught between advancing and retreating.

But she had never been one to back down. At the final moment, when she set fire to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, she had not taken a single step back.

However, Yu Jiuzhou couldn’t be too forward either. The only reason she could get this close was because of Chi Wan’s shy demeanor.

You retreat, I advance. If Chi Wan had been even slightly more proactive, she might have let her go.

Now, their clothes were pressed together, and the distance between their lips was no more than a hand’s breadth.

As the stalemate dragged on, Yu Jiuzhou found it hard to maintain her posture. She lowered her tiptoed feet back to the ground. Only then did she speak. “You can’t bear to part with me?”

Feeling the cold fragrance on Yu Jiuzhou’s body, her breath like orchids, Chi Wan almost lost control.

In the end, Chi Wan turned her face to the side. “I’m worried about you.”

Seeing her shy appearance, Yu Jiuzhou buried her face in the crook of Chi Wan’s shoulder and chuckled softly. “I heard the Fuma has a booklet, and in it, you write about serving the Grand Princess every day?”

“Er… yes.”

She hadn’t made a special effort to hide the booklet, so perhaps someone had seen it.

In truth, Yu Jiuzhou hadn’t trusted Chi Wan at first and had been having her investigated. Later, after she established trust in Chi Wan, she forgot about the matter.

Recalling it just now, she mentioned it with a smile.

Chi Wan had never intended to hide anything from Yu Jiuzhou. At that time, she had to be completely open, without a hint of concealment. Only by being frank and innocent could she win Yu Jiuzhou’s trust.

So, she wasn’t surprised that Yu Jiuzhou knew about her little booklet.

However, from now on, she would have to hide the booklet well. She still had some unseemly things to record in it; otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to show her face anymore.

Unseemly details of consummating their marriage.

Yu Jiuzhou’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “The Fuma may not know, but a Fuma serving a princess also includes attending her in bed, you know.”

Ah?

Chi Wan’s body went rigid. Didn’t they just agree to consummate the marriage? If she served Yu Jiuzhou every day, did that mean she had to attend her in bed every day?

Just as she was hesitating whether to ask if it was a daily duty, she saw that Yu Jiuzhou had already turned to leave.

As she left, she told her, “The Spring Equinox is on the twenty-first. We will set out for Xuanyang Temple on the twentieth.”

That left half a month. In that time, preparations had to be made: searching the mountain and stationing guards.

Conveniently, the guards of the Imperial City Division were on the adjacent mountain. They could be brought over for training, and Chi Wan could also inspect the results of their training.

When Yu Jiuzhou traveled within the capital, she was followed by over a thousand people. When leaving the city, the number of followers would likely reach ten thousand.

Among the five thousand people in her retinue, there were servants and guards, as well as officials from the Ministry of Rites. Arranging everything was a difficult task.

There was also the matter of what to bring to Xuanyang Temple, and how to arrange the capital’s affairs during her absence.

In her past life, Yu Jiuzhou had been assassinated at Xuanyang Temple and had nearly lost her life.

One reason was that in her past life, she disliked traveling with so many people. A few dozen at most was enough. For the trip to Xuanyang Temple, she had only brought a thousand.

Having faced so many assassination attempts in her past life, Yu Jiuzhou, who was not one to put on princely airs, now brought a thousand people with her even for a simple trip from the Princess’s Residence to the imperial palace.

She did not want to be assassinated on the road simply because she hadn’t brought enough people.

When the Emperor traveled, the procession was led by path-clearing chariots and south-pointing chariots, followed by twelve rows of cavalry guards, then a formation of banners, and then the accompanying officials and the Emperor’s imperial horse, interspersed with cavalry and armored infantry.

Only then came the Emperor’s carriage, driven by the Minister of the Imperial Stud, along with drivers and escorted by the left and right Grand Generals of the Imperial Guard. Surrounding them were Imperial Guards and foot soldiers, followed by musicians and several hundred more soldiers.

At the very rear were forty-eight squads of armored infantry, twenty-four squads of cavalry, and twelve banner detachments.

All in all, it amounted to tens of thousands of people, not even counting the palace attendants.

As the Grand Princess, Yu Jiuzhou’s procession couldn’t match the Emperor’s, but it wouldn’t be too far off.

This time, for the trip to Xuanyang Temple, Yu Jiuzhou would absolutely not allow herself to be forced into such a desperate situation as in her past life. According to the standards for a Grand Princess, she could bring three thousand Imperial Guards, five thousand Jinwu Guards, plus some personal guards, female officials, officials from the Ministry of Rites, and attendants. That would already be ten thousand people.

Adding the ten thousand-plus guards from the Imperial City Division training outside, that would be a total of twenty thousand combat-ready soldiers. They could surround the mountain so tightly that not even a mosquito or fly could get in.

Chi Wan thought this arrangement was quite good. With twenty thousand people for protection, unless the enemy also mobilized an army—and with the rebel princes having just been defeated and the military under strict scrutiny—no one would dare to act rashly for the time being.

But Yu Jiuzhou did not make such arrangements. She only planned to bring two thousand Imperial Guards—more than in her past life, but still not a lot.

If she didn’t already travel with a thousand people on a daily basis, she might not even have been able to take two thousand Imperial Guards this time.

By the time Chi Wan learned of this, the Spring Equinox was almost upon them. She immediately went to find Yu Jiuzhou. “Your Highness, aren’t two thousand Imperial Guards too few?”

Yu Jiuzhou was reviewing memorials. She looked Chi Wan up and down, noting that the bandage on her arm was gone and she was walking with vigor. It seemed her body had recovered a great deal.

Originally, she had wanted to summon Chi Wan to attend her in bed right away, but she had asked Imperial Physician Zheng about the Fuma’s condition.

Imperial Physician Zheng had only said, “The Fuma’s chest is much better, but her arm will need at least another month before she can make any large movements. Even stretching is out of the question.”

Therefore, Yu Jiuzhou had not summoned Chi Wan to attend her in bed. Seeing that her arm was much better today, an idea formed in her mind.

Hearing Chi Wan’s words, Yu Jiuzhou also considered whether the number of people was too small. In her past life, the assassins were all well-trained, each capable of fighting ten men.

Most importantly, there were two masters among them who knew internal energy.

Chi Wan’s injuries had not yet fully healed. She hesitated whether to let Chi Wan go.

“I know. But if you don’t enter the tiger’s den, how can you get the tiger cub?”

There was something very strange about the assassination in her past life. The assassins were not just people from Great Zhou; there were foreigners among them. It seemed more like a joint internal and external attempt on her life.

In her past life, as she gained power, the three princes worried they would be unable to control her in the future. They also wanted to leave the Emperor with no one to entrust his legacy to, forcing him to place his hopes in them. Thus, they had been determined to kill her.

If you can’t be one of us, you can only be an enemy. That was their thinking.

In fact, from their standpoint, this approach was correct. But they should never have colluded with foreign tribes and killed so many people by her side.

Chun Gui, Xia Qu, Qiu Lai, Dong Ying—the four people closest to her. Two of them had died at Xuanyang Temple.

So this time, she was leaving Chun Gui at the Princess’s Residence to handle affairs and keep an eye on the situation in the capital. Xia Qu would assist by moving between the capital and Xuanyang Temple.

Dong Ying was the head of the secret guards and would definitely have to follow her; there was no way around that.

Yu Jiuzhou wanted to use herself as bait to lure out the big fish behind the scenes.

She had previously promised to take Chi Wan with her, but after finalizing the plan, Yu Jiuzhou was reluctant to bring her along. She could put herself in danger, but she couldn’t bring Chi Wan with her.

“Chi Wan, you should stay in the capital this time. His Majesty needs you.”

Given Emperor Shengyuan’s personality, he would be eager for them to strike while the iron was hot, hoping that Yu Jiuzhou would be diagnosed with an imperial grandchild right after returning from Xuanyang Temple.

Chi Wan understood Yu Jiuzhou’s meaning. She stared intently at the beautiful woman before her. This face was simply carved into her heart.

But there was one thing she really disliked about Yu Jiuzhou: she would push her away whenever something happened.

Even if their relationship hadn’t progressed further, even if they were just friends, they should stand together and face everything, good and bad alike.

“Does Your Highness mean to say that I am afraid of death?”

“No.”

Chi Wan was becoming more and more like Yu Jiuzhou. Her tone of voice, calm and composed, was almost identical to Yu Jiuzhou’s when she was angry, though her tone was just a little bit softer.

Speaking to Yu Jiuzhou’s face, she really couldn’t bring herself to be harsh.

Chi Wan knelt beside Yu Jiuzhou. “Your Highness, I want to go.”

Yu Jiuzhou was sitting at her desk. Chi Wan knelt by her left arm, just looking at her profile.

Feeling the scorching gaze from her side, Yu Jiuzhou forced herself not to turn her head. “I don’t want to be a burden to others.”

“Am I ‘others’?”

They were about to consummate their marriage. How could she be ‘others’?

After their last conversation, Chi Wan had been looking forward to Yu Jiuzhou summoning her to attend in bed. She was completely clueless about the intimacy between two women, especially regarding the exchange of pheromones. She had planned to find relevant books in the library to study, but there were none.

She couldn’t very well go to a bookstore outside and ask the owner, “Hey! Do you have any books in your shop that teach partners how to have sex?”

She was afraid the owner would beat her out as a degenerate.

Chi Wan’s question stunned Yu Jiuzhou. Of course she wasn’t ‘others’.

“Chi Wan, that’s not what I meant.”

Chi Wan was angry. “Your Highness said you wanted to consummate our marriage, and I agreed. It wasn’t because you are the Grand Princess and I am the Fuma, and this is the Fuma’s duty. I agreed to it because you are Yu Jiuzhou, and I am Chi Wan.”

“It seems Your Highness does not see me as one of your own.”

Chi Wan couldn’t guarantee how their relationship would develop or where it would lead in the future. She only knew that at this very moment, she was willing to consummate their marriage.

She had actually considered that Yu Jiuzhou might just want an imperial grandchild and didn’t actually like her.

But then she felt that Yu Jiuzhou had also said that although she wanted a child, if the other person wasn’t her, she wouldn’t want to settle.

When she impulsively agreed to Yu Jiuzhou’s proposal, Chi Wan had been a bit carried away. After thinking it over, she wondered why they were consummating their marriage at all.

Undeniably, she certainly had good feelings for Yu Jiuzhou, but what about Yu Jiuzhou?

Regardless of what the other party was thinking, she had to make her own feelings clear.

She agreed to consummate their marriage not because of the partner relationship between a Grand Princess and a Fuma, but because she was not against it, and even had some fond feelings for Yu Jiuzhou.

---

Get instant access to all chapters now.