Chapter 030

Chapter 030

Seeing no reaction from him, Chu Yin abruptly stopped, "Your Highness, are you listening?"

"Yes."

"Don’t you have any comments?" After all, she was Lu Jingzhuo's future mother-in-law.

Lu Jingzhuo replied indifferently, "Seeing is believing."

“……”

All her previous words seemed to have been in vain.

But given his rational nature, his response wasn’t surprising. Chu Yin lost interest in continuing the conversation and covered herself with the brocade quilt, "Riding horses tomorrow will be physically demanding. I'd like to rest early tonight." She had to be explicit about her desire to sleep early due to their frequent intimate encounters recently.

Lu Jingzhuo clearly understood.

She was forgoing their quest for a child in favor of learning horse riding.

Different beds, different couples.

Meanwhile, in Prince Jin's residence, Lu Jingchen was discussing the matchmaking matter with Tang Feiyan.

"I've thought it over; we can’t have your cousin directly involved. It would be too obvious and might displease our father."

He aspired for the Crown Prince’s position and strove to impress his father, but if Tang’s relative married Jiang Yuyuan, it would be too blatant, and his father wouldn’t approve of such a transparent move.

"We must find someone else, without involving you, me, or your family."

Tang Feiyan snuggled into his embrace, "I’ll follow your lead. I’m not impulsive anymore. See, I always discuss with you first."

"Good, you need to keep it up," Lu Jingchen encouraged her, stroking her hair, then sighed, "But resolving this matter won’t be easy. You heard it too, Miss Jiang isn’t keen on marrying. Even her aunt is troubled by it."

Tang Feiyan chuckled, "Husband, you always instruct me, but in this aspect, you’re far less astute than I am!"

"How so?"

"No girl truly doesn’t want to marry. I tell you, that day during the moon worship, she really knelt for a long time. I'm sure she only says she doesn't want to marry."

"Then why would she lie? Why not just let her aunt find her a suitable match?"

"It’s just to win her aunt’s favor, pretending not to want to marry while still showing filial piety. Wouldn’t her aunt love her even more? Besides, a few sweet words cost nothing. When she finds the right man, she can claim it was to fulfill her aunt’s wish."

Lu Jingchen nodded slowly, "You make a good point, but it’s still a thorny issue. Firstly, the match must be socially compatible, and secondly, Miss Jiang must like him. It’s not easy." He wondered if any suitable young men from the families he knew.

"What's Jiang Yuyuan’s family status? Any young man from the capital could match her. Seeing her aunt’s eagerness, as long as the young man wins Jiang Yuyuan’s heart, her aunt will surely agree," Tang Feiyan mused, "‘A persistent suitor wins the maiden.’ We need someone skilled and charming."

"If it works out, Princess Baocheng will be relieved and grateful to us. And once Jiang Yuyuan marries, she’ll follow her husband’s lead. We can then use her to influence Princess Baocheng to support us."

Lu Jingchen pondered, "To win her affection, the young man must at least be handsome."

"Exactly, he must possess a celestial charm like you, my husband!"

His wife was quite adorable when not causing trouble. Lu Jingchen smiled and pinched her cheek, "Flattery will get you everywhere. Today, I'll do whatever you ask." She was eagerly trying to conceive.

Indeed, a child was essential.

If they remained childless, his father would never waver in his decision regarding the heir.

Unfortunately, his elder brother already had a legitimate son. Even if he had a son, he couldn’t surpass his brother, only match him at best.

Ultimately, it all came down to one’s status.

Lu Jingchen sighed inwardly.

Dawn was breaking, a sliver of orange light seeping through the window, the sun just about to rise.

Chu Yin suddenly woke up.

Perhaps due to going to bed early last night and her eagerness to practice riding, she woke up much earlier than usual.

Yet, at this hour, Lu Jingzhuo was already not in the Eastern Palace.

Chu Yin casually draped a coat over her shoulders and walked to the window.

Since the onset of autumn, the corners of the courtyard would fill with fallen leaves every other night, piling up in layers. If not swept, her son would surely trample through them.

The crunching sound delighted him.

Her daughter, on the other hand, didn't like stepping on leaves; she was a little glutton.

Chu Yin raised her head to look at the pomegranate tree.

The pomegranates were finally ripe, hanging from the branches in a bright red hue.

They must be very sweet now.

She recalled her previous attempt to get Lu Jingzhuo to try a pomegranate, still feeling a bit regretful.

Firstly, they hadn't shared the “bitterness” together, and secondly, his expressions were so limited, she couldn't imagine what his face would look like tasting a sour pomegranate.

She might never see it in her lifetime.

Such curiosity, childish in nature, wouldn’t have existed in her previous life... perhaps it stemmed from the confidence that he would eventually love her, daring her to tease him.

Chu Yin turned away and called for her maids.

Lianqiao hurried in, "Why did you get up so quietly?"

"I slept enough," Chu Yin stretched out her arms for them to help her dress, "For breakfast, let them prepare crab meat noodles."

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, crabs became plumper by the day, making it the perfect time to savor them.

Lianqiao chuckled, "We should tell them early, as it takes time to prepare." She then rushed off.

Rendong teased, "Lianqiao is even considerate of the cooks, unaware that they all sneak bites, their faces glistening with grease." It was common for chefs to nibble on the food, feasting on the scraps.

Chu Yin smiled at the comment.

Speaking of sneaking, the palace was full of petty theft. Not just the cooks, but also those tending to the horses would steal from the feed, gardeners from the seedlings, and tailors from the fabrics.

After becoming a spirit, she had seen countless such incidents.

However, "where the water is too pure, there are no fish." With so many people in the palace, it was impossible for everything to be managed personally. Minor transgressions were often overlooked, but serious offenses, like stealing rice from the people, silver from the treasury, or the recent theft of treasures leading to the burning of the library, were intolerable.

Chu Yin picked up a mirror to examine her face, "Do a simple bun, I’m going horse riding today."

"Yes."

Once she was dressed and made up, the crab meat noodles were brought in.

Steaming hot, with an enticing aroma.

The noodles were laden with succulent white crab meat, topped with stir-fried crab roe, a taste of utter delicacy.

Chu Yin ate to her heart's content.

After resting a while, she planned to practice her qigong.

Horse riding was one thing, but she couldn’t neglect her qigong practice, determined to live a long life.

Just as she was about to change into exercise clothes, a letter from her family arrived, mentioning her brother’s growing affection for Miss Dou, and her mother had informed her father, waiting for his response. If he agreed, the marriage would be settled.

Chu Yin felt certain the match was as good as fixed.

If her father had approved the Wang family in her previous life, why would he oppose the Dou family?

Chu Yin tucked the letter away and changed into her exercise attire.

Her two children always insisted on joining her in her qigong practice, often tumbling over.

But the kids were fearless, quickly getting up after each fall.

At noon, Chu Yin had Xiaodou climb a ladder to pick six pomegranates.

Lu Zhen was delighted, eagerly anticipating the treat.

The pomegranates were as sweet as expected, with bright red seeds.

After the mother and daughters ate two pomegranates, Chu Yin set aside a small bowl for Lu Jingzhuo.

After sending the children away, she instructed Rendong, "Ask the kitchen to prepare an extra dish of soft fragrant cake and a dish of snowflake crisp."

Rendong, puzzled, asked, "For lunch?"

"No, it's for taking to the racecourse."

Rendong: "..."

"Just having pastries might be a bit dry, let's also take a pot of mixed-flower tea."

Rendong, already filled with questions, responded, "Yes."

Chu Yin then selected an orange riding outfit embroidered with orchid patterns, planning to change into it later.

As Lu Jingzhuo entered the hall, she was just coming out of the inner room.

"These are freshly picked pomegranates, would you like to try one, Your Highness?"

Bad memories linger, and Lu Jingzhuo immediately recalled the sour taste, decisively refusing, "No, thank you."

“……”

Chu Yin felt slightly embarrassed, almost pouting.

Lu Jingzhuo turned to wash his hands.

Watching his tall figure, she pondered for a moment and then approached him, "They're ripe."

This time, she had no intention of teasing.

Lu Jingzhuo glanced at her.

She held a sky-blue glazed decagonal bowl, looking quite serious, "I just had some with Xuan'er and Zhen'er. They're very sweet."

The color of the pomegranate seeds in the bowl was indeed different from the pale pink ones previously, a deep red, but Lu Jingzhuo neither agreed to eat nor refused, just slowly drying his hands.

The jade-colored hand towel in his hand developed deep folds.

She was only half a foot away from him, and it would have been easy to place a seed in his mouth.

Could he be waiting for her to feed him?

Was that possible?

It seemed highly unlikely.

Chu Yin was indecisive.

After drying his hands, he looked up again, their gazes meeting like two splashes of water in a lake, creating ripples that soon returned to calm.

After a moment, he took the bowl from her hands.

Chu Yin looked up at him, unable to discern his earlier intention.

Was he, or was he not, expecting her to feed him?

He just wouldn't say!

"Is it sweet?" she asked.

"Mhm."

It was much sweeter than the last time.

She had indeed not deceived him.

The maids brought in the meal, and the two of them sat down to dine.

Although she had mentioned the horse riding to him last night, he hadn't asked about it again.

However, the arrival of two plates of pastries from the kitchen caught his attention.

Chu Yin clarified, "They're not for eating now."

He obviously knew.

She never had pastries at lunch, so it was somewhat unusual.

Chu Yin further explained, "I'm planning to offer them to Yu Sizhang later during my horse riding lesson."

Lu Jingzhuo: "..."

After the meal, Chu Yin began preparing for her trip to the racecourse.

Dressing in her riding outfit, putting on boots, and donning knee and hand guards.

As Lu Jingzhuo was leaving, he glanced at her, busy and cheerful, seemingly oblivious to his gaze.

The orange riding outfit she wore accentuated her figure, bright and eye-catching, making it hard to look away.

He watched her for a moment before heading out.

Seeing it was getting late, Chu Yin also got ready to leave.

The children, seeing their mother, exclaimed, "Mother, what kind of clothes are these?"

"These are riding outfits for horseback."

Lu Zhen called out, "Mom's going to ride a big horse? I want to ride too!"

Chu Yin patted his head, soothingly saying, "Wait until mother learns, then I’ll teach you. Be patient."

She hurried to the racecourse in her carriage.

Yu Sizhang was already waiting.

Dressed in a stone-blue riding outfit with her hair tied up, she looked spirited and dynamic.

Chu Yin suddenly realized why she hadn't recognized Yu Sizhang at first sight.

In her previous life, after becoming a spirit confined to the palace, she only met Yu Sizhang shortly before her daughter's wedding. The Madame of the Duke of Song in her memory lacked this martial aura, perhaps due to her attire and the fact that she shared a good relationship with the Duke, adding a touch of feminine gentleness to her demeanor.

"Yu Sizhang, thank you for your help today," Chu Yin said, stepping down from the carriage with Lianqiao’s assistance.

"You’re too polite, Crown Princess," Yu Sizhang approached and bowed, "You are very punctual."

Chu Yin had arrived exactly at the end of the wei hour, not a minute late.

"I didn’t want to keep you waiting, and one must keep their word," Chu Yin noticed Yu's lips were dry, perhaps from the wind in this open space, and instructed Lianqiao, "Pour a cup of flower tea for Yu Sizhang."

Lianqiao opened the food box and poured the tea.

Yu Sizhang noticed that the box contained not only tea but also pastries.

This made her wonder.

Chu Yin explained with a smile, "Yu Sizhang, I must confess I've never ridden a horse before. I'm afraid you'll have a hard time teaching me, so I brought some snacks. We can take a break midway and then continue the lesson."

Her approachable demeanor and thoughtful preparation surprised Yu Sizhang.

She hadn't expected the Crown Princess to be so down-to-earth.

Yu Sizhang smiled back, "I will do my utmost to teach you, Crown Princess, and will not disappoint you."

"Great, let’s start then."

……………………

Outside the window, the vast expanses of greenery were gradually turning yellow with the autumn days.

As more leaves fell, the shade of summer lessened, making the daylight brighter than usual.

Lu Jingzhuo glanced outside, but his gaze suddenly couldn’t return to the present.

His mind was filled with the image of her in the riding outfit.

What was she doing right now?

Riding a horse or eating pastries with Yu Sizhang?

She had praised Yu Sizhang's riding skills, but could her body really handle it? Perhaps she would struggle after a short ride?

Lu Jingzhuo had no doubt she would be sore all over by the evening.

Thinking this, he penned a line on a sheet of xuan paper and handed it to Dongling.

Dongling, seeing the name of an ointment, was quite surprised.

"Are you injured, Your Highness?"

Lu Jingzhuo shook his head, gesturing with his eyes for him to fetch it from the Imperial Medical Bureau.

But Dongling, concerned about neglecting his duties, questioned further, "If you're not injured, why do you need the ointment? Don’t hide it from me! Where are you hurt? When did it happen?"

Today's lesson was being conducted by the strict Master Tao. Lu Jingzhuo had already seemed distracted, and with this new development, Master Tao, quite displeased, raised his voice, "Your Highness, attentive learning requires both ears and heart. If the heart is not present, the ears do not listen carefully; without focus, one cannot remember, and what is remembered will not last. Of these, the heart is most crucial. Once the heart is engaged, will the ears not follow? But where have I erred? Please point it out, Your Highness!"

Lu Jingzhuo: "..."

After over three years of attending classes, this was the first time he had been reprimanded in the study hall!