TGPSAC – Chapter 88

As Yu Jiuzhou’s voice sounded, Chi Wan shook her head slightly.

“As Your Highness commands.”

This woman, Yu Jiuzhou, even when asking for an embrace, spoke with the tone of a command. But more than the command, it was the trace of allure in her voice that captivated Chi Wan.

Chi Wan strode around the sand table to Yu Jiuzhou’s side.

Before she could even make a move, a soft body filled her arms, fragrant and pliant. She instinctively wrapped her arms around the person in her embrace.

“Your Highness?”

Chi Wan called out. Remembering the stolen kiss from last time, she lowered her head and captured the lips of the person in her arms. She cast aside all reservations. Since things had already come to this, she would let instinct take over.

Upon touching those soft lips, Chi Wan froze for a moment, but she quickly deepened the kiss with more force.

The instant their lips met, she felt an impulse to devour the person in her arms.

Her hands around Yu Jiuzhou tightened involuntarily as she tried to restrain her inner urge, but the initial gentleness was gone.

Yu Jiuzhou tilted her head back and lightly bit her lip. “Gently.”

Chi Wan was somewhat embarrassed. She had only ever seen kissing in movies; when it was her turn, she was relying purely on instinct.

Just as she was about to speak, Yu Jiuzhou grabbed her by the collar. “My Rain and Dew Period lasts for three days. I’ll have to trouble the Fuma.”

A rush of heat went to Chi Wan’s head, and she kissed her again, this time with even more ferocity.

Yu Jiuzhou clung tightly to Chi Wan’s neck, feeling the scorching heat of her palms. Then, Chi Wan lifted her legs, and the next second, she was sitting on the sand table.

In the dim light, they could see each other’s hazy beauty.

Chi Wan tensed her arms, about to carry her into the bedroom, when Yu Jiuzhou suddenly bit her on the shoulder.

That bite stirred Chi Wan’s ferocity. She instinctively pinched the nape of Yu Jiuzhou’s neck. “Your Highness, only puppies bite.”

This remark earned her a soft, powerless, yet alluring slap from Yu Jiuzhou.

Chi Wan retreated slightly and grasped her ankle. “Your Highness is being quite naughty.”

“Sh… shut up.”

Yu Jiuzhou could be bold in her actions, but she could not speak such provocative words. Even hearing them made her feel a mix of shame and annoyance.

But she had little control over her own voice, which was far too sweet and alluring.

This Chi Wan’s movements were truly clumsy, leaving one suspended in a state of wanting.

But why was she only kissing? Was there nothing else?

Just as she was thinking this, Chi Wan suddenly stopped after they had kissed for some time. It was an awkward situation—she didn’t know what to do next.

Perhaps she should ask?

Chi Wan, her face flushed, mustered her courage and stammered, “Your Highness, wh-what’s next? I don’t know how.”

Yu Jiuzhou was speechless.

“The books say, ‘slender hands play in the clear spring.’”

She then took Chi Wan’s hand. “I will teach you.”

Through thin crimson silk, her icy skin gleamed, smooth as snow and fragrant as cream. With a smiling whisper to Jinzhao, she said: Tonight, the pillows and mats in the gauze-curtained bed are cool.

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In the early morning, both were awake but unwilling to open their eyes. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to see each other; it was simply that they were too shy.

They had called for water three times last night. Who knew what the servants outside would be saying.

She didn’t know about the others, but Xia Qu’s face was about to split from smiling.

She hugged Chun Gui’s arm, stamping her feet lightly on the ground. “It happened, it happened! We’re going to have a little master!”

Chun Gui looked exasperated. “Don’t get too excited. Her Highness is thin-skinned. You can’t show a hint of this later.”

Xia Qu nodded repeatedly. “Don’t worry, I definitely won’t say a thing.”

Just then, a specter drifted past them, her voice devoid of any emotion. “Where would a little master come from?”

Xia Qu turned around, speechless. “Dong Ying, your head is full of missions. From now on, just let me and Chun Gui worry about these things.”

Honestly, Dong Ying was no fun at all when it came to gossip.

She knew what Dong Ying was asking: how could they have a little master just by sleeping in the same room? They themselves had been adopted by old soldiers; surely Her Highness and the Fuma couldn’t just adopt a child.

It wasn’t impossible, but the Emperor and the entire court would have to agree.

The maids outside were already prepared, waiting to be summoned so they could swarm in and attend to them.

But after a long wait, no one called for them.

Xia Qu wanted to knock on the door but was pulled back by Chun Gui. “Don’t move. If you disturb Her Highness and the Fuma, I’ll have Dong Ying skin you.”

Xia Qu retorted, “…You only bully me when Dong Ying is around.”

When Dong Ying was away on a mission, she would definitely put bugs on Chun Gui.

Xia Qu fumed silently but still stood obediently outside, waiting.

Inside, the two of them were wide awake but too embarrassed to open their eyes. They knew that the moment they did, they would see things they shouldn’t.

They were under the same quilt and could feel the smoothness of skin beneath it. The slightest movement could easily stir their hearts.

Thinking of the messy sand table outside and the dressing table in the room, it seemed that only the bed was tidy at the moment.

That was because the maids had come in to tidy up while they were washing, but they hadn’t stayed long. The scents in the room were too strong; any Qian Yuan or Kun Ze would be affected.

The older matrons who used to serve Yu Jiuzhou had all retired with honor, and the servants in the courtyard were all young. They had only done a simple tidying of the room.

Chi Wan hesitated. She felt that if she opened her eyes, she would see traces of their intimacy everywhere.

Sigh, maybe it’s better not to open them.

But if she didn’t, her sense of touch was all too vivid.

The two of them couldn’t just lie in bed until the awkwardness passed, could they?

Chi Wan reached out and touched Yu Jiuzhou. “Your Highness.”

Lying here any longer wouldn’t do. Someone had to be thick-skinned. She decided to wake Yu Jiuzhou first.

She just wasn’t sure what she had just touched. It felt very soft.

Yu Jiuzhou pulled the quilt tighter around herself, her face flushing deeper and deeper. “It’s early in the morning, don’t mess around.”

Chi Wan was confused. “? No, Your Highness, we should get up. If we lie here any longer, who knows what they’ll think we’re doing outside.”

What could they be doing?

Yu Jiuzhou’s ears turned crimson. She immediately sat up, pulling the entire quilt with her. “You get up first.”

Chi Wan helplessly covered her chest. Although there wasn’t much to cover, it was better than being completely exposed.

She fumbled around for a while until she finally grabbed a long robe and wrapped it around herself.

They had actually gotten dressed last night, but Yu Jiuzhou’s Rain and Dew Period had flared up so intensely that they were too embarrassed to call for water a fourth time, forcing them to sleep as they were.

Fortunately, a sleeping robe was on the bed. Chi Wan grabbed it and put it on haphazardly.

Seeing her wearing her own clothes, Yu Jiuzhou was about to say something, but then her gaze fell on Chi Wan’s long fingers as she fastened the buttons, and she lowered her eyes again.

Yu Jiuzhou had never expected that even though she was the teacher, her student would surpass her so quickly, so fast that it caught her completely off guard.

The person who had shyly said “I don’t know how” had thoroughly demonstrated the principle of “clumsy the first time, skilled the second.”

Chi Wan, wrapped in the robe, was about to walk out when Yu Jiuzhou reached out and pulled a silk ribbon by the bed. The ribbon tugged on a bell outside, and Chun Gui immediately pushed the door open and entered.

She froze for a moment upon seeing Chi Wan, then unnaturally lowered her head. “Fuma.”

Chi Wan looked down at herself, wearing only a sleeping robe. It must have been quite a shock for people of this era.

She cleared her throat. “I need to bathe.”

“The water is ready, Fuma, please.”

Chi Wan nodded and hurried off to wash.

As she passed the chaotic sand table, a few images flashed through her mind. She had to admit, the height of the sand table was just right, much better than the dressing table.

She forced herself to turn her head away and walked quickly towards the heated chamber.

Yu Jiuzhou also got dressed and went to another heated chamber to bathe.

They had not yet reached the stage of bathing together, so for now, they naturally had to bathe separately.

Yu Jiuzhou’s fingertips brushed over the back of her neck as she cursed inwardly: That dog, she bit so hard.

Chi Wan probably didn’t know that by marking her, she had bound her for life. Once marked by a scent, the only way out was to become half-crippled.

She closed her eyes and leaned back in the bathtub. She had to admit, Chi Wan learned quickly. Towards the end, she had been completely under her control.

As the dignified Grand Princess, it was the first time she had experienced what it felt like to be controlled.

Yu Jiuzhou thought for a moment, then turned her head and ordered, “Have the sand table removed. Replace the dressing table with a larger one.”

As for why she wanted a larger one, only she knew.

After washing up, Chi Wan returned to her room and changed into a pure white Daoist robe. The robe was comfortable, like swapping a suit worn for too long for a set of casual clothes.

With the Daoist robe on, she tied her hair into a high ponytail with a simple ribbon and fastened another ribbon around her neck.

Walking on the streets of Great Zhou, one would notice that both Qian Yuan and Kun Ze wore ribbons to cover their glands.

A Kun Ze’s ribbon was usually tied in a unique way, a knot that only they or their closest companions knew how to undo.

A Qian Yuan’s was simpler; it just needed to be tied on.

As Chi Wan was about to go to the main hall for a meal, she happened to see people carrying a new dressing table into the room. She asked, “What’s going on?”

Chun Gui immediately explained, “Her Highness ordered it to be replaced.”

Why? Was it because of their intimate moment at the dressing table?

That didn’t seem right. The new dressing table was larger and a little taller. Could it be…

Don’t think about it, don’t think about it. Chi Wan quickly stopped her strange thoughts. How could the Grand Princess be such a lustful person?

Whether Yu Jiuzhou was or not, she didn’t know, but the dressing table had indeed been replaced.

She went in to take a look. The sand table was gone too. What a pity. Such a handy thing, and she didn’t want it anymore.

The sand table had a thirty-centimeter-wide ledge around its perimeter, with the sand pit recessed inside.

The carvings on it were also beautiful. Most importantly, she and Yu Jiuzhou had accomplished something major on it.

The thought made Chi Wan’s ears burn.

At breakfast, she and Yu Jiuzhou sat together again. No matter how wild last night had been, seeing each other today was still very awkward.

Essentially, theirs was a marriage of convenience that was developing into love. It was still too early to say if they were in love, but now that they had done the most intimate things, it would be improper to say they weren’t.

Chi Wan silently drank her congee. She ate much less than usual today.

Yu Jiuzhou noticed at once. She was also embarrassed, especially since the maids all knew that she and Chi Wan had consummated their marriage.

If she were to become pregnant, wouldn’t the whole world know that she and the Fuma had consummated their marriage?

No, she was the Grand Princess. She would never fear such things.

Yu Jiuzhou placed a beef bun in Chi Wan’s bowl. “Eat.”

So concise and clear. She was clearly worried that Chi Wan wasn’t eating enough, but her words still came out cold and hard.

Chi Wan didn’t mind at all. She finished the small bun in a few bites, then suddenly remembered something and sat up straight. “Your Highness, the Rain and Dew Period is three days, right?”

“Mm,” Yu Jiuzhou replied coolly, not quite understanding the point of her question.

Chi Wan shook her head. “Then I’ll go apply medicine to my wrist.”

Hmm? Apply medicine to her wrist?

It took Yu Jiuzhou a moment to react, and then she also remembered something. She wished she could throw her chopsticks at Chi Wan. What was she talking about this for during a meal?

Besides, she hadn’t made her go that fast.

Chi Wan chuckled. She promised herself she would absolutely not tease Yu Jiuzhou again. She genuinely felt that to maintain good wrist health, one shouldn’t wait until tendinitis developed to fix it. One should take care of it in advance to prevent it from happening at all.

So her thinking was sound. Her wrist needed proper care.

However, she was very curious as to why the union of their scents gave her a feeling of ecstasy. It was truly magical.

Perhaps she should study it. If she could unlock the secrets of scents, she might be able to solve the problem of a Kun Ze being marked by only one Qian Yuan for life.

After all, she hoped every Kun Ze woman would have the right to choose, and the right to regret.

Once a Kun Ze was marked, no matter how they were treated, they had to follow that one Qian Yuan for life. Without shedding a layer of skin, there was no room for regret.

Chi Wan stood up and sat on the arhat bed. Xia Qu brought her medicine box over and helped her apply medicine to her wrist.

Watching this, Yu Jiuzhou helplessly turned her face away, having lost her appetite.

The sight of Chi Wan applying medicine to her wrist was enough to send her mind racing with wild thoughts.

“Your Highness, you should get some proper rest.”

Thinking of last night, Chi Wan reminded her with a blush. Yu Jiuzhou’s stamina was a bit poor. After the last ordeal, her physical strength was slightly worse than an average person’s and needed improvement.

So she thought it would be best for Yu Jiuzhou to rest today.

Once Yu Jiuzhou began practicing internal energy, she would slowly recover and rebuild her ruined foundation.

Hearing Chi Wan tell her to go rest, Yu Jiuzhou flushed from her cheeks to her neck. If she remembered correctly, she had been almost unconscious by the last time.

“Shut up.” Yu Jiuzhou felt that no matter what the other person said or did, her mind was filled with images from the night.

Her mind was almost completely occupied by those scenes, and she couldn’t shake them off.

She felt she might have been poisoned; otherwise, how could she not think of any proper business? She had even planned to write memorials today.

The Chi Wan of today was not the same one who feared being killed by Yu Jiuzhou at any moment. She had stood up for herself now. “Your Highness is so fierce~”

She had stood up, but that didn’t mean she should be confrontational with Yu Jiuzhou. The other woman was definitely more strong-willed than her. But Her Highness the Grand Princess responded to softness, not force. Being tough was out of the question; acting cute was the only way.

She, a woman with a will of steel, had somehow become soft and delicate after meeting Yu Jiuzhou.

However, that didn’t stop her from being the one to take the lead.

As the one taking the lead, one had to be soft when necessary and act cute when needed.

As expected, Yu Jiuzhou softened. “You are not to speak of it again.”

Others might not understand what she meant, but Chi Wan knew. She didn’t want her to say any more suggestive things.

Even though her suggestion was perfectly proper. They were proper people, after all.

Chi Wan shrugged and had Xia Qu tie the bandage on her wrist. She flexed her wrist and felt no issues, then smiled and set up the game board.

“Your Highness, care to play?”

“Gomoku?”

“Of course.”

In Gomoku, their chances were fifty-fifty. In Go, her odds of winning were thirty percent at best.

After all, she was an amateur expert, while Yu Jiuzhou was a professional-level master.

Yu Jiuzhou smiled and sat across from her, placing the first stone.

As she played, Chi Wan asked, “Will Your Highness be absent from the Grand Secretariat for three days?”

“You and I were too much in the spotlight at the court assembly. Many people are now trying to scheme for their own benefit. They are all watching us.”

After the uproar at court, if they suddenly secluded themselves in the Princess’s Residence, it would surely trigger endless speculation from the outside world.

There was another crucial point. Yu Jiuzhou placed a stone to block Chi Wan’s path. “His Majesty also needs time to make a decision.”

To make her the Regent Princess, the Emperor would inevitably face memorials from his ministers. The court wanted a Crown Prince, not a Regent Princess. The Emperor would certainly have to consider whether he could bear that pressure.

After all, in her past life, he had only made up his mind to make Yu Jiuzhou the Regent Princess when he was on the verge of death.

For it to happen so much earlier in this life, the Emperor would definitely have to think it over carefully.

“We… have to force His Majesty’s hand a little.”

Yu Jiuzhou raised an eyebrow at the stone Chi Wan placed, blocking her again. This woman’s offensive was as fierce as ever.

Chi Wan smiled. “When does Your Highness think His Majesty will issue the edict?”

The title of Regent Princess was different. With this title, no matter when Emperor Shengyuan died, Yu Jiuzhou would become the Regent Grand Princess.

Being regent meant that no policy in Great Zhou could be issued without the Grand Princess’s approval, not even by the Emperor himself.

A regent was not the emperor but held the emperor’s power.

A regent was not the crown prince but held the crown prince’s power—no, to be precise, the power of a half-emperor. Historically, only a few crown princes had ever wielded such authority.

Yu Jiuzhou studied the board intently, looking for a winning position. After a long moment, she placed her stone and said, “His Majesty is holding on by a thread. Now that you and I have consummated our marriage, news will reach him. It won’t be long before the edict comes down. And he will summon you to the palace.”

Hearing this, Chi Wan’s eyes darkened. Although she knew their consummation was intertwined with political interests, hearing it stated so plainly still made her feel a little uncomfortable.

But she quickly composed herself. “Then I shall wait and see.”

She placed her final stone. “Your Highness, I win.”

Yu Jiuzhou paused to look, then smiled. “You win.”

Just as Yu Jiuzhou had predicted, around nine in the morning, Wang Hai arrived with an imperial edict.

“An imperial edict has arrived! The Grand Princess of Qin, Yu Jiuzhou, is to receive the edict.”

Yu Jiuzhou took a pacifying pill. It would suppress her Rain and Dew Period for three days, so she wouldn’t need Chi Wan to bite her again.

Seeing this, Chi Wan pouted with grievance. This woman took a pacifying pill as soon as she no longer needed her.

She huffed inwardly and followed Yu Jiuzhou outside.

Wang Hai said quickly, “Your Highness, please receive the edict.”

Everyone present knelt as Wang Hai began to read the decree.

“By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: We received the throne from Emperor Mingzong and have ruled over all under Heaven with diligence and care, putting the people first. We have toiled day and night, seeking only the eternal stability of the nation and the well-being of the populace. However…”

The self-praise at the beginning could be ignored; the real business came later.

“However, We have recently been feeling unwell and require quiet recuperation. But the state cannot be without a ruler for a single day, and its affairs are complex and cannot be without a leader. The Grand Princess of Qin of Great Zhou, Yu Jiuzhou, is benevolent, filial, intelligent, and possesses both virtue and talent. She serves the country and its people and is deeply versed in the art of governance. We have profound faith in her ability to rule. Therefore, We hereby appoint the Grand Princess of Qin, Yu Jiuzhou, as Regent, to handle all affairs of the court on Our behalf.”

The middle part was more of the same, until the end: “We hope the Grand Princess will not fail Our solemn trust… By Imperial Command.”

It was finally over. The edict must have been five or six hundred characters long.

One could only imagine the uproar its contents would cause once it spread.

Wang Hai walked quickly towards them and handed the edict to Yu Jiuzhou. “Congratulations, Your Highness.”

Regent Grand Princesses were not unheard of in history, but they were rare, far rarer than regent empress dowagers.

The moment Wang Hai approached them, he also passed on a message. “Cheng Jiao is dead.”

Yu Jiuzhou’s brow twitched. “Chun Gui.”

Chun Gui placed a silver banknote in Wang Hai’s hand. Wang Hai immediately beamed. “Many thanks for Your Highness’s reward.”

“Also, His Majesty wishes to see the Fuma.”

Truly, not a moment of leisure was given.

Chi Wan nodded. “Then let’s go.”

Wang Hai hesitated. “Will the Fuma not change her clothes?”

She looked down at the white Daoist robe she was wearing. “This will do.”

She then bid farewell to Yu Jiuzhou. “Your Highness, this subject will take her leave.”

Watching her departing figure, Yu Jiuzhou fell silent for a moment. “Is Chi Wan unhappy?”

Chun Gui shook her head. “I couldn’t tell.”

But Xia Qu said, “That’s right, the Fuma is unhappy.”

Dong Ying, who had been a silent presence, calmly added, “How can you tell?”

Xia Qu huffed. “First, the Fuma, who loves to smile, isn’t smiling. Second, the Fuma usually doesn’t want to see His Majesty, but this time she left so quickly. Third, the Fuma didn’t change her clothes.”

“How does not changing her clothes mean the Fuma is angry?” Chun Gui voiced the question on everyone’s mind.

Xia Qu looked as if they all failed to understand the Fuma. “The Fuma is a person who values propriety. No matter how casual she is at home, she always wears the appropriate attire for the occasion, without ever making a mistake. When going to see His Majesty, even if she doesn’t wear something magnificent, she should at least wear the uniform of the Commander of the Imperial City Division. But look, our Fuma is wearing a Daoist robe.”

Yu Jiuzhou said nothing, because she knew Xia Qu was only half right. In truth, Chi Wan was a free-spirited person. Her adherence to etiquette in public was only to prevent people from criticizing the Princess’s Residence.

If not for that, Chi Wan would never be so particular. The way of the Dao was all about being free-spirited and unrestrained.

However, many people wore Daoist robes outside, even the Emperor liked to wear them. It was just that wearing one to see the Emperor seemed a bit informal, though it wasn’t some bizarre outfit.

Yu Jiuzhou knew that Chi Wan hadn’t changed not because she was angry, but because she probably wanted to quickly change her environment to soothe the turmoil in her heart.

Yu Jiuzhou was right. Chi Wan’s heart was in turmoil. She had already accepted that their consummation was intertwined with political interests, but she was still unhappy about it.

So be it. The proper thing to do now was to go to the Emperor and secure the greatest possible “benefit” from this consummation. That was how she could help Yu Jiuzhou.

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