The Royal's Cute Little Wife

Chapter One (Part 1)

The carriage had traveled for a whole month, before it finally reached Qingzhou’s border.

It was midsummer. The cicadas were chirping lively on the trees, making people grow drowsy at the sound.

Just as they crossed the moat, a sweet and tender voice came from within the carriage, “Mom, are we living here from now on?”

The dark window curtains embroidered in gold got raised a little, revealing a smooth and delicate chin, but were quickly pulled down again. The curtains tightly blocked the view inside the carriage. The snowy skin that had appeared for a split second was like a Dutchman’s pipe blossom.

A woman’s voice said, “Little lamb1, don’t flail about. You can open the curtains once we arrive home.”

The carriage quieted down as the coachman drove through the city gates and onto the main street.

Qingzhou wasn’t as bustling as the capital. After all, the territory was small and the street wasn’t too wide either. If two vehicles traveled side by side, it would already be a bit crowded. The driver smoothly navigated around the turns, finally taking the less crowded south road. It was where many officials and nobles resided, so the common people didn’t dare rashly wander there.

Willow trees grew on either side, creating shades. A light breeze gently blew through and provided some respite in the dry and hot weather.

Inside the carriage, besides one beautiful married woman, there was a maid and three children. Since it was spacious, there was enough room for all of them.

All of the children were Madam Leng’s; a son and two daughters. The one who had spoken just now was the older daughter Xie Zhen. She was five years old.

Xie Zhen had inherited her mother’s good looks. At her small age she was already unreasonably pretty. With her pink cheeks and snowy white skin, she resembled the young jade girl standing by the lotus seat of the Bodhisattva Guanyin2. Her hair was up in a bun secured with a silk flower pin. She was dressed in a cherry colored jacket with embroidered lotus designs, below it a muslin skirt with butterfly patterns. A five color enamel locket hung around her neck. She appeared innocent and artless, delicate and adorable.

Holding up a green feather fan, she seemed to imitate Madam Leng’s style decently well. “Mom, when will we arrive?”

When Madam Leng glanced at her meaningfully, she stuck out her tongue and put the fan back to its place.

“A quarter of an hour more,” Madam Leng said as she patted her head.

They had come from the capital in order to reunite with the second master of Duke Ding’s household, Xie Liqing. Xie Liqing had been placed as a prefectural magistrate in Qingzhou. He had set out one month earlier than them, so he could arrange everything. Now, he was only waiting for them to arrive.

Hearing that only a quarter hour remained, Xie Zhen’s limpid eyes bent into crescents3, as she shook her arms cheering, “I’ll meet daddy soon!”

She turned to the side, looking at Xie Rong. “Big brother, are you happy?”

Xie Rong peacefully replied, “Mhm, happy.”

Xie Rong was five years older than her, so he was much more mature and composed than her. He wasn’t the type to chatter continuously the way she did, like a little sparrow. While on the road, he had been taking care of his two younger sisters. There was a saying that an older brother was like a father, and he already understood that principle.

When the carriage went down a bridge, it jolted and happened to awaken the youngest daughter Xie Xun.

With the three children together, the conversations livened up. Before they realized, they were already at the gate of the Xie residence.

Some people were already waiting at the gate to receive them, headed by Xie Liqing’s tall and thin figure dressed in a green robe. He was beaming with happiness as he gazed in their direction. A dozen servants followed behind him with respectfully lowered heads as they welcomed the masters. A few of them curiously peeked at the people in the carriage, wishing to see what the magistrate’s wife looked like.

As the cloth curtain was raised, the first to come out was a ten year old boy with a slim physique and handsome features. He gave off an honest and noble impression.

After him, Madam Leng came down the carriage with Xie Xun in her arms. Everyone who saw them sighed with emotion. The whole family’s looks were superb.

Madam Leng was 25. She always took good care of herself and didn’t rely on cosmetics too much. Her skin was soft and smooth just like a teenage girl’s. She wore a light plum red skirt topped with a high collared muslin jacket. A three year old child lay in her bosom. The child was delicate, with red lips and white teeth. Her pair of sparkling big black eyes swept over the gate, making everyone delighted at her appearance.

Believing that was the end, they didn’t anticipate there was another person behind.

Calling out in  soft and tender voice, “Mom, wait for me,” a small form followed the maid down the carriage. Everyone’s eyes turned to her, seeing Xie Zhen jumping from the foothold, making her dress bounce. She reached Madam Leng’s side in a few steps, then looked up at Xie Liqing and smiled sweetly. “Daddy.”

She was clearly only 5-6 years old, yet she had such an outstandingly beautiful face.

There wasn’t a single flaw in her features. She had a cute little nose, clever eyes, and snowy white skin. When she smiled, her eyes bent into crescents, stealing people’s hearts and souls. The young girl’s beauty was this striking at first glance, like an evildoer. No one knew for sure whether it was a good or a bad thing.

The Xie husband and wife didn’t really put much thought into that. Seeing his daughter, Xie Liqing got even happier, asking as he stroked her head, “Little lamb, did you miss daddy? Did you listen to mom and behave while on the road?”

Little lamb was Xie Zhen’s pet name. Her health wasn’t good when she was born, often getting sick. Just like a helpless lamb, it made people want to treasure her.

Xie Zhen giggled, cheekily replying, “I missed daddy, I was very well-behaved, and I listened to mom!”

With the family reunited, Xie Liqing hugged his three children closely and grinned from ear to ear.

He looked at his wife and held out his hand for her, “This journey has been hard on you.”

The two of them had been married for many years, but their feelings hadn’t weakened at all. Instead, because of going through various difficulties together, they had grown more and more intimate. Not seeing his lovely wife for a month, Xie Liqing naturally missed her very much. But since there were too many people at the scene, he held himself.