Chapter 028

Chapter 028

Disappointed, of course, but Chu Yin also felt a bit of joy.

Lu Jingzhao usually wouldn’t concern himself with sister-in-law matters, but he remembered every word she said.

Hugging her in public last time and now holding her hand, both were not easy for him.

Chu Yin couldn't help but curl her lips into a slight smile.

Lu Jingchen, accompanied by his wife, came forward and bowed, then his gaze fell on Chu Yin, "In the past two years, sister-in-law was in Qingzhou. Now in the capital, our family is finally spending Mid-Autumn Festival together," then looking at his niece and nephew, "Zuan, Zhen, you've grown taller since I last saw you."

Having stayed in Wenshu Monastery for a while, the children remembered them and greeted in unison without any prompting from their parents, "Greetings to Uncle and Aunt!"

Their voices were sweet and adorable, no wonder his wife was so jealous.

Lu Jingchen was well aware of Tang Feiyan’s jealousy – otherwise, she wouldn’t have complained about the children being noisy. She was just sour-graping, obsessed with having a child of her own. Thankfully, after returning to the capital, her family sent a special prescription that finally calmed her down.

In front of everyone, Lu Jingzhao was still holding Chu Yin's hand.

Tang Feiyan was shocked once again.

Did the Crown Prince really like Chu Yin that much? Why hadn't she noticed it before?

She had been blind, using their own marital affection to provoke Chu Yin.

It was utterly embarrassing.

And then there was the matter of supervising agricultural affairs – she couldn't go.

Indeed, she needed to lay low, restrain herself, and wait until she had a child. Tang Feiyan smiled at Chu Yin, "Later, I'll join sister-in-law in moon worship."

Chu Yin certainly wouldn't refuse: "Okay."

There was no need to stand talking at the entrance. Lu Jingzhao said, "Let's go in and pay respects to the Empress Dowager," leading Chu Yin forward and instructing Xiao Dou and Qi Niang, "You carry the children."

His hand still hadn't loosened.

The grip remained firm, holding her securely.

Logically, since Tang Feiyan had seen them, it was time to stop, but why was he...

Chu Yin looked up, puzzled.

His face was still expressionless, inscrutable, leaving her clueless about his thoughts.

Did he think he hadn’t proved enough? That Tang Feiyan needed to see more?

She suddenly felt like laughing.

If that was the case, he was taking this matter too seriously.

Actually, Tang Feiyan wasn't that foolish. After seeing him embrace her last time, she had already abandoned that tactic. Lu Jingzhao, as a man, probably didn't fully understand these subtleties among women.

Yet he was still willing to do this.

Chu Yin couldn't help feeling a bit of warmth, her fingers subtly moving in his palm.

He naturally felt it and remembered the day she had taken the initiative to hold and tease him.

An indescribable emotion welled up in him, one he couldn’t quite put into words.

He just didn't want to let go of her hand.

Behind them, the two children were admiring the roadside lanterns, exclaiming, "So many, so bright!"

The courtyard was as bright as day.

Chu Yin glanced forward and suddenly said, "Your Highness, you mentioned earlier that celebrating Mid-Autumn here is like a family feast. But a family feast wouldn't have musicians, would it?"

Lu Jingzhao also noticed the colorfully dressed musicians, among whom some women had begun playing flutes.

Their melodious tunes filled the air, playing "Autumn Lake Moon."

"Indeed, in the past there weren’t any. It seems Father Emperor wants to make it livelier this year."

But in his memory, Mid-Autumn Festivals in the past life were always ordinary, without musicians. It seemed his father was in a good mood lately. However, next year during the Dragon Boat Festival, not only would there be a feast for the ministers in the palace, but also a young warriors' archery and polo competition.

Lost in thought, they had reached the entrance of the hall.

Lu Jingzhao finally let go of her hand.

Seeing the Crown Prince and Princess, the musicians knelt down to greet them.

Lu Jingrui came out to greet them, smiling and bowing, "Big brother, big sister-in-law, second brother, and sister-in-law all together!" He instructed the musicians, "Let’s change to 'Flowers in Full Bloom, Moon at its Roundest,' it’s perfect for this moment."

Symbolizing marital harmony and fulfillment, Lu Jingrui was indeed very astute. Chu Yin asked Xiao Dou and Qi Niang to put the children down, "Go greet your third uncle."

At this moment, Princess Baocheng and Jiang Yuyuan also arrived at the palace.

Jiang Yuyuan said in a low voice, "Every time you bring me along, I wonder if the Emperor, the Empress, and the three cousins might get tired of me..."

"You're overthinking again. Who would get tired of you? My brother knows I treat you like a daughter; otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed. As for the others, they don't mind an extra pair of chopsticks, and besides, you're so sweet, who would tire of you?" Princess Baocheng flicked her sleeve, "Last time, my sister-in-law was even willing to let you recuperate in Kun Ning Palace. What are you worried about? Let's go!"

She had originally wanted to bring her husband and son, but the banquet was set in the inner palace, which was inappropriate.

The reason she wanted to spend the festival with her brother was, of course, to maintain their sibling relationship, ensuring the continued prosperity of their Marquis's family.

Jiang Yuyuan’s worries weren’t unfounded; she had once interrupted Lu Jingzhao and feared he might be annoyed with her.

She still hadn't found a way to approach her uncle, which made her somewhat anxious.

The two soon arrived at Kun Ning Palace.

Everyone was gathered around Empress Jiang, who was feeding the children pine nut mooncakes, with laughter echoing around.

"Sister-in-law!" Princess Baocheng strode in.

Her husband had mentioned her coming, so Empress Jiang wasn't surprised.

Princess Baocheng, pulling Jiang Yuyuan along, bowed to Empress Jiang, "This girl was a bother to you for several days, feeling guilty about it. She was just saying she's afraid you might be tired of her, but I told her, you're kind-hearted, she's worrying needlessly."

She wasn't really a broad-minded person, otherwise she wouldn't have been so desperate in Qingzhou because of her husband.

But now she had resigned herself to her fate.

Empress Jiang said, "Don't worry about such trivial matters, come and sit down."

Of course, Jiang Yuyuan couldn't sit yet. She had to greet her three cousins, the Crown Princess, and the Princess of Jin first.

But when she met Lu Jingzhao's gaze, the usually sweetly uttered "Cousin" didn't come out as easily.

Jiang Yuyuan guessed correctly; Lu Jingzhao had seen through her intentions. His expression was exceptionally cold. Although he was the one who had been unfeeling first, injuring her hand, in the end, she hadn't actually done anything. Everything was still unspoken, yet Lu Jingzhao seemed to genuinely detest her now.

Deciding to retreat as a way to advance, Jiang Yuyuan subdued her approach to lessen Lu Jingzhao’s guard, casually calling him "Cousin" before turning to Chu Yin.

Chu Yin surely knew nothing.

With Lu Jingzhao's character, he would never tell his wife about this matter.

Jiang Yuyuan’s voice turned sweet again, "Crown Princess, how about we join the Princess of Jin later for moon worship? With two celestial beauties like you, wishes are bound to come true."

Chu Yin, already accustomed to her tactics, smiled lightly, "I don't mind, but you should ask my sister-in-law."

Tang Feiyan, being the legitimate daughter of a marquis and naturally arrogant, didn't have much regard for Jiang Yuyuan. If not for Princess Baocheng, she wouldn’t bother interacting, "With such praise from Miss Jiang, how could we refuse?" She laughed, "Actually, it should be three celestial beauties, right? With your looks, why haven’t you been betrothed yet? Surely many gentlemen are vying for your hand!"

Those families, like her, would give some consideration to Princess Baocheng’s feelings.

Jiang Yuyuan blushed, whispering, "There are no gentlemen seeking my hand... I'm not worthy of them."

Hearing this, Tang Feiyan chuckled, "Sister-in-law, look at this, such a modest young lady!"

"Indeed, don’t sell yourself short. I think there are few gentlemen in the capital who are worthy of you," Chu Yin thought, in Jiang Yuyuan’s eyes, probably only Lu Jingzhao was good enough for her.

Hearing Chu Yin actually praise Jiang Yuyuan, Lu Jingrui found it amusing. His sister-in-law was quite naive, not realizing that Jiang Yuyuan aspired to be his brother’s concubine.

How could she be so oblivious…

But then, she had always been in Qingzhou, unfamiliar with Jiang Yuyuan. It was normal not to notice, and when Jiang Yuyuan used heatstroke as an excuse to stay in the palace, she was out of the palace, unaware of Jiang Yuyuan's attempts to charm his brother.

Should he remind her? Considering she brought him water chestnuts?

It seemed somewhat inappropriate.

Anyway, Jiang Yuyuan was unlikely to succeed.

Lu Jingrui decided to watch the drama unfold from the sidelines.

Emperor Jianxing was the last to arrive.

Once everyone was present, Empress Jiang ordered the palace maids to serve the meal.

The palace hall was brightly lit with hanging lanterns, fragrant, surrounded by fresh flowers, and the dishes were exquisitely prepared.

The musicians sang and danced, playing bamboo instruments and plucking strings.

Emperor Jianxing was in high spirits, chatting and laughing with the children, occasionally toasting with wine.

The men drank strong liquor, while the women had osmanthus wine.

The osmanthus wine in the palace was quite unique, golden in color, sweet yet slightly tart, with a lingering fragrance. When Chu Yin first tasted it in her previous life, she found it easy to drink, somewhat like fruit wine infused with osmanthus.

She really liked it and hadn't had it for a long time.

After the banquet, when Emperor Jianxing led everyone out of the hall to admire the moon, Chu Yin felt a bit light on her feet.

Lu Jingzhao glanced at her cheeks, "Not drunk, are you?"

"Do I look drunk?" Chu Yin asked, knowing she wasn't, just slightly tipsy.

"I can't tell, but your face is red."

Chu Yin touched her cheek, feeling its warmth, and looked at Lu Jingzhao, "Your Highness's face isn’t red."

"I have a high tolerance for alcohol."

"You don't usually drink."

"Well, but drinking doesn't make me drunk." For some reason, he always remained sober.

In her memories, this was indeed the case. In her previous life, she rarely saw him drink. He only drank a little during festivals to accompany his father-in-law. After the father-in-law passed away, he never drank again, not even after her death, nor did he drown his sorrows in alcohol.

In those eight years, he never neglected his governmental duties, nor did he make any mistakes.

He just endured the pain alone at night.

Looking at his face, Chu Yin suddenly felt a sourness at the tip of her nose.

Seeing her staring at him, Lu Jingzhuo said, "What's the matter?"

"I suddenly really want..." Chu Yin blinked slowly, "I really miss Your Highness." She couldn't act coquettishly, but pretending to be drunk should be fine. He couldn't blame her, only the wine.

Lu Jingzhuo: "..."

"You don't know at all," she complained, "You know nothing." Only she knew about their two lifetimes together.

“……”

Was this being drunk?

Otherwise, how could she act coquettishly? She had stopped doing that a long time ago.

Lu Jingzhuo said, "Don't drink so much next time."

"I didn't drink much, am I really drunk?" Chu Yin played dumb, mumbling, "I just suddenly wanted to... tell you, I miss you."

He didn't know what to say for a moment.

He was right in front of her. What was she thinking?

Drunk people really do talk nonsense.

But he still responded, "I know."

"Did you understand?" she asked, grabbing his sleeve, "Really?"

"Mm."

Isn't it just missing him?

What's there not to understand...

Chu Yin smiled faintly, leaning her head on his shoulder: "I will wait for you."

Wait for him to fall in love with her.

“……”

He didn't understand this sentence.

"I'll just sleep for a bit. Your Highness, don't move. Let me lean on you for a while, and I'll sober up soon." Everyone was enjoying the moon in small groups; this wasn't out of place.

Shouldn't sobering up involve drinking sobering tea?

But Lu Jingzhuo didn't push her away.

She chuckled softly, coquettishly saying, "Your Highness is really nice."

That honey-like voice flowed into his ears, making him feel a wave of warmth.

It had been a long time since he felt this way.

Whenever she acted coquettishly, he couldn't resist.

Lu Jingzhuo looked down at her rosy cheeks and wrapped his arms around her waist.

The two of them cuddled closely, like paint to canvas. Jiang Yuyuan was burning with jealousy, almost biting her lip in frustration, but it wasn't appropriate to interrupt, so she said to Princess Baocheng, "Aunt, isn't it time to worship the moon? It's getting late." They still had to return to the Xuan Ning Marquis residence later.

Princess Baocheng hadn't noticed what was happening over there, as she was reminiscing about Mid-Autumn festivals of her childhood with her brother. Hearing her niece's reminder, she called out, "A-Yin, Feiyan, take Yuyuan to worship the moon quickly. It's late, and the Moon Goddess needs to rest."

Hearing this, Chu Yin raised her head and stood up straight.

Lu Jingzhuo asked, "Can you go?"

There's a time for coquetry, and one can't pretend to be drunk forever.

Chu Yin said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am clear-headed now."

Lu Jingzhuo: "..."