A cool scent instantly enveloped them.
Her ears turned slightly red, aware of what would follow.
For Chu Yin, it had been twelve years since such intimacy, making the experience somewhat unfamiliar.
Yet, this was their long-awaited reunion. Although she didn't favor his usually direct, efficient, and unromantic approach, she still wrapped her arms around his neck, like a fragile sapling weathering a storm.
Fortunately, she knew Lu Jingzhao was always restrained, always stopping at the right point, never excessive.
However, this time she was mistaken...
The next morning, Chu Yin woke up puzzled, wondering why he had been so insistent twice.
It was uncharacteristic of him.
Rubbing her sore waist and looking at the marks on her legs, she was perplexed.
Lian Qiao, carrying a dress, said, "Crown Princess, the Prince of Jin and his wife are here. They're at the Kun Ning Palace."
Her father-in-law, despite having many consorts, had few sons. His second son, Lu Jingchen, had already celebrated his coming-of-age and was named the Prince of Jin, living in the external Prince of Jin residence. He was his father's favorite and was not expected to leave for a fief.
The Prince of Jin's wife, Tang Feiyan, was the daughter of the Marquis of Wu'an and had married Lu Jingchen last year.
Chu Yin was puzzled, "Isn't my mother-in-law unwell? Why is she meeting them?"
Ren Dong scoffed, "Probably under the pretext of delivering some special remedy... But you know, it's not really to see the Empress Dowager. It's more about showing filial piety to the Emperor, and then they'll head to the Qianqing Palace."
She had forgotten about that.
Tang Feiyan's maternal family had a famous physician ancestor who left many prescriptions, which she often used to curry favor, though Chu Yin recalled few that were genuinely effective.
But this busy effort of the couple gained them nothing, and Chu Yin couldn't be bothered to deal with them.
After breakfast, she went to see her two children.
Mrs. Zhou looked anxious and cautious, evidently fearing she had done something wrong, sensing the Crown Princess's hostility.
"She's quite perceptive," Chu Yin thought. "No wonder she hid her true nature so well at first. It's a pity she chose to harbor bad intentions; otherwise, if she had remained a sincere nanny, her family's days wouldn't have been so bleak."
But now, her departure from the palace was inevitable.
Chu Yin strolled around the courtyard with her children.
Given her weak constitution, she needed to be more active to avoid succumbing to illness again.
Unexpectedly, a visitor arrived.
Tang Feiyan, having visited her mother-in-law, came to see her, bringing gifts of bird's nest and lingzhi mushrooms for nourishment.
Chu Yin welcomed her with a smile, instructing the maids to serve their finest early spring tea, "There's no need for such expenses. Your visit is enough."
"How could I come empty-handed?" Tang Feiyan remarked as she observed the children, "Ah, Xu and Zhen have grown so much taller since the Dragon Boat Festival."
Chu Yin instructed the children to call her "Second Aunt" and commented, "They grow up so fast. You'll understand once you have children of your own." In half a year, Tang Feiyan would conceive and give birth to a healthy baby boy.
To Tang Feiyan's surprise, she took offense at these words, almost reacting impulsively.
Having been married to Lu Jingchen for half a year without any news of pregnancy, she was becoming anxious.
An unintentional remark can often strike a nerve, and she felt Chu Yin was deliberately provoking her.
"Having children is indeed wonderful, but it's also very tiring," Tang Feiyan sipped her tea, masking her irritation, "As someone who single-handedly raised children for two years in Qingzhou, no one knows better than you. I'd rather wait a while before having my own."
Chu Yin smiled.
Back then, the entire Lu family had gone to the capital, leaving her alone in Qingzhou. It might have seemed pitiful, but she did it willingly, urging Lu Jingzhao to prioritize the bigger picture.
What was a bit of hardship in exchange for the position of the Crown Princess and eventually the Empress?
Besides, it wasn't really hardship; she wasn't the one personally taking care of the children.
Chu Yin spoke softly, "You're right, it is indeed very tiring. It's kind of you to remember and care. I'll make sure to mention it next time in front of the Emperor and Empress Dowager. It truly is a hard task."
Tang Feiyan almost choked on her tea.
She glanced at Chu Yin with a bit of resentment.
Although they were sisters-in-law, one had only recently arrived from Qingzhou, and the other had only just married Lu Jingchen. They didn't know much about each other, and Tang Feiyan thought to herself that the Crown Princess was quite sharp-tongued.
Tang Feiyan felt she hadn't gained any advantage and was displeased, yet she had nothing to boast about in front of Chu Yin.
In terms of family background, Chu Yin was not inferior; in beauty, she was unparalleled. Moreover, her husband was the Crown Prince, and she had twins. Her life seemed perfect, except for her time in Qingzhou, which seemed like a period of abandonment.
But Chu Yin clearly didn't mind.
Tang Feiyan stood up, "My husband is still with the Emperor. I should see if they've finished talking. I'll visit you again next time, sister-in-law."
She managed to find a parting shot.
The Emperor indeed favored Lu Jingchen, but so what? Lu Jingzhao was still the Crown Prince, and before the Emperor's demise, he had no intention of replacing him with Lu Jingchen. Thus, Chu Yin felt no threat.
She politely saw Tang Feiyan off.
Having faced disappointment in the Eastern Palace, Tang Feiyan left feeling aggrieved and nearly broke into tears when she bumped into Lu Jingchen on her way out.
"What's the matter, did your sister-in-law bully you?" Lu Jingchen asked in surprise.
"Not exactly bullied, but she is quite irritating."
"How exactly did she annoy you?"
Tang Feiyan said, "She mocked me for not having children," repeating Chu Yin's words.
Lu Jingchen: "..."
It must be said, his wife really was a bit naive.
"If you had been married to me for three or four years without children, perhaps that would be a mockery. But it's only been half a year; who knows, maybe next year you'll have one. How is that mockery?" Lu Jingchen stroked her hair bun, "Don't overthink it, no rush... Remember, she's the crown prince's wife. You went to see her today, not to compete with her. Falling out with her does us no good."
Lu Jingchen was gentle in his methods and did not want to cause any conflict, and Tang Feiyan knew that this way, they would always have a way out.
"It was my fault for not holding back. I'll be more careful next time," Tang Feiyan reflected and then asked about their father and son, "What did the Emperor say to you? Did he ask you to help with state affairs?"
"With my elder brother there, how could he ask me to share the burden? But he did inquire about the situation in the royal mansion."
Tang Feiyan was disappointed: "Is that all he talked about for so long?"
"Yes."
Nothing serious, just trivial matters. Tang Feiyan cursed her father-in-law in her heart: "Did you see the Noble Consort?"
"No, she probably can't serve the Emperor lately."
The Noble Consort was Lu Jingchen's biological mother and had been with him since his father left for his fiefdom. Now aged and faded, she had little role besides helping the frail Empress manage the inner palace. But her father, despite his age, still took new consorts and was active daily. Tang Feiyan whispered, "Does the Emperor have some secret recipe, or is he secretly consuming some elixir?"
Lu Jingchen: "..."
Tang Feiyan asked, "Aren't you curious?"
"Not in the slightest." Who would think that way about their own father?
Tang Feiyan glanced at him and suddenly said, "I wonder if the Emperor's 'vitality' has been passed on to my elder brother."
"What do you mean by that?"
"If my elder brother inherits the Emperor's ways, he's bound to take concubines. Then, I wonder what my sister-in-law will do."
Lu Jingchen held his forehead: "Are you still upset about that remark?"
"You don't know how infuriating she is, that expression... you wouldn't understand. She simply disregards me. So, why can't I relish the thought of her misfortune? It's not my fault if my brother takes concubines."
Lu Jingchen, pulling her along, said, "Next time, don't visit your sister-in-law alone. Another visit might just infuriate you to death!"
Tang Feiyan: "..."
By the time their carriage left the palace gates and headed towards the Prince of Jin's mansion, it was already midday.
At this time, Chu Yin received a letter from her family home.
She knew what her mother had written in the letter.
It was about her brother's affairs.
The Chu family, though an esteemed lineage for centuries, was now in decline, with scant heirs and few talents. Among the few successful ones in the younger generation was her brother. Her father, the family pillar, faced his greatest political rival, prompting him four years ago to align with the then Prince Cheng's mansion, persuading her to marry Lu Jingzhao, which would aid the Prince's ascent to power.
As the sole daughter of the Chu family, she bore an inescapable responsibility. Fortunately, aside from a mismatch in temperament, Lu Jingzhao was faultless. She managed to gain the approval of Prince Cheng and his wife and married into the royal household.
Later, she attained everything she wanted: the title of Crown Princess, then Empress, her father's rise, and the Chu family's wealth.
Sadly, her life was short, and she lost much.
She couldn't be with her child, protect her family, or experience conjugal love.
She always thought Lu Jingzhao didn't like her enough, as theirs was a marriage of convenience and shared goals. She didn't ask for more until after her death when she realized it wasn't so.
In this life, she didn't want to have any regrets.
Chu Yin opened the letter.
As she remembered, her mother wanted to find a wife for her brother, eyeing the daughter of the Prefect of Shuntian.
Her brother, at twenty-four, was of age to marry, so her mother, in haste, didn't spend much time considering and inadvertently caused a tragedy, leading to his divorce two years later.
The prefect's daughter, already in love with another, was reluctant to marry her brother, but the prefect, eager to connect with the Chu family, coerced her by threatening her beloved's safety, forcing her to agree.
Reluctantly, the girl couldn't bring herself to love her brother, her thoughts always on her true love, and she fell ill. Upon learning the truth, her brother granted her a divorce to be with her love.
Since then, her brother lost the desire to marry, seemingly hurt by the experience.
She remembered that when the Chu family was imprisoned, her brother was still alone.
Chu Yin asked Lianqiao to grind ink as she began to write a reply, advising her mother not to rush, lest she ruin her brother's life, leading to irrevocable regret. She wrote many intimidating words on several sheets of paper.
After finishing, she instructed Lianqiao to send the letter out of the palace immediately.
Afterwards, she felt her wrist aching.
Perhaps it was from writing so vigorously.
Rubbing her wrist, she was filled with worry.
Too weak, her hand ached from just writing a letter, no wonder she died young.
This couldn't go on.
Suddenly, Chu Yin said, "Lianqiao, send a servant to fetch Liu Yipan from the Imperial Medical Bureau."
Lianqiao asked anxiously, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Chu Yin, finding it hard to explain, said, "Just go and do it."
When Lu Jingzhao returned to the Eastern Palace for lunch, he was surprised to find Liu Yipan there.
"Are you ill?" he asked.
"Not exactly, I feel a bit weak."
"Then you should be examined," he agreed, recalling her faint condition the previous night – drenched in sweat and gasping for air, yet her hands never left his body.
Either embracing his waist or clinging to his neck.
How to put it? Her desire for a child seemed strong, almost urgent...
So, to satisfy her, he had indeed put in extra effort.
But if the imperial physician confirms that she is indeed physically weak, she might have to pause her plans.
