Chapter 64 The Princess Consort

Chapter 64: The Princess Consort

With porcelain skin flushed with pink, Jiang Wanrou knelt on the pristine white wool carpet, her tearful eyes damp and filled with confusion.

Lu Feng remained silent. He removed the sabre from his waist and approached Jiang Wanrou with measured steps, reaching out his hand.

Jiang Wanrou timidly peeked up at his expression and placed her hand in his palm. In the next moment, her body leaned forward, and in her panic, she wrapped her arms around his neck, her cheek pressed against his cold chest.

She nervously asked, "Husband, why have you returned at this hour?"

Lu Feng steadied her and countered, "Am I not allowed to return?"

"Of course you are. It's just that your return was so sudden, and I wasn't ready to greet you. I fell short in my duties as a wife."

Jiang Wanrou bowed her head, her gaze lowered, and gently squeezed Lu Feng's cold hand.

She said softly, "Your hand is so cold, husband. Let me brew you a pot of tea to warm you up."

She hadn't expected Lu Feng to suddenly enter. Dancing was considered lowly, and since her marriage, she had been cautious and meticulous, striving to be the perfect daughter-in-law of the Duke's residence. It was only after giving birth to Huai Ling and Mingzhu, her two children, that she felt secure enough in her position to secretly practice dancing when no one was around.

The Hu Xuan dance, a foreign dance requiring rapid waist movements, was as light as autumn leaves or winter snowflakes. A single performance could leave one breathless, demanding both strength and flexibility. Jiang Wanrou practiced it purely for the sake of fitness, and every time the imperial physician checked her pulse, he praised her good complexion and robust health.

Apart from being unsuitable for formal occasions, Jiang Wanrou saw no harm in it. In the past, she had watched Aunt Li dance gracefully in the small courtyard, and even the dilapidated yard seemed to brighten. However, dancers were scorned, and Lu Feng was a man of strict principles. He even forbade her from reading plays. Now that he had caught her practicing such an "improper" dance, she wondered what punishment he might mete out.

Jiang Wanrou's expression darkened, and she suddenly felt a sense of camaraderie with Huai Yi.

She cleaned the tea set, took the tea leaves, poured them in, washed them, and skimmed off the foam. Rolling up her sleeves, her snow-white fingers with long nails painted in vibrant henna held the celadon-glazed porcelain, creating a scene straight out of a painting.

She delicately offered the tea, her eyes lowered, not daring to look at Lu Feng's expression.

"Husband, please have some tea."

Lu Feng sat grandly on the Pearwood Daybed by the window, took a sip, and set the cup down.

"It's too hot."

Jiang Wanrou, without suspicion, eagerly brewed another cup, blowing on it gently before presenting it with both hands.

Lu Feng took a small sip and said indifferently, "The temperature is off. It's too light."

Jiang Wanrou was puzzled. She had been brewing tea for five years, and though Lu Feng had a fearsome reputation and had led troops in battle, she, like others, had assumed he preferred wine.

In reality, Lu Feng could drink, but unlike Jiang Wanrou, who got drunk after a few cups, he favored the strongest and most robust wines at banquets. However, when alone in his study or the Jin Guang courtyard, he preferred tea, especially strong varieties like Da Hong Pao. Jiang Wanrou couldn't discern the differences, but since Lu Feng enjoyed it, she had replaced all the tea in their rooms with his preferred types.

Her tea-brewing skills had also been honed over time. Initially, when Lu Feng tasted her tea, he would take a sip and set it down. When she asked how it was, he would reply, "Passable."

Then he would add, "Let the servants handle it. You don't need to do this."

She knew then that her tea didn't meet the standards of the esteemed Lu Feng. From the tea cakes to the water temperature, she continuously improved, and he eventually grew accustomed to it. Though he rarely brewed tea himself, she prided herself on maintaining her skill.

...

Jiang Wanrou hesitated for a moment before meticulously brewing a third cup of tea. This time, Lu Feng didn't even take a sip. He merely glanced at it and said, "It's too strong."

"With just a fingernail's worth of tea leaves, how could it be too strong?"

After five or six years of living as a pampered lady, Jiang Wanrou's temper had grown. She slammed the teacup onto the table and glared at Lu Feng. "This tea—"

Meeting his teasing gaze, she finally realized it wasn't about the tea's strength at all. He was simply toying with her!

Lu Feng slightly raised his sword-like eyebrows and said, "The tea could still use some improvement."

He paused for a moment, then added in a calm voice, "The dance was decent."

Jiang Wanrou: "..."

She quietly moved closer, hooking her fingers onto his sleeve. Seeing no reaction, she became bolder and reached for his hand, leaning against Lu Feng as if boneless.

She said in a sweet, high-pitched voice, "Oh, I don’t really know any dances. I just ate too much for lunch and twisted around a bit to help digestion."

Lu Feng chuckled and mercilessly exposed her, "You’re shameless too."

Jiang Wanrou: "..."

She glared at him, her beautiful eyes filled with defiance, and said in resignation, "I *am* skilled in dancing, so what? That was the Hu Xuan dance just now, a traditional style. Besides that, I also know 'Jing Hong,' 'Lü Yao,' 'Ni Shang'—classical dances... I know many dances."

After all, Lu Feng saw her as a "barely literate," "uncultured," and "vulgar lady" who only loved reading plays and novels. Adding her "unpresentable" dancing skills, it was a complete picture.

She had never been a refined lady, and he had always known that.

Jiang Wanrou sulked quietly for a while, until she heard Lu Feng's muffled laughter beside her ear.

Tall and strong, he easily wrapped her in his arms and said helplessly, "You’re small, but your temper isn’t."

Jiang Wanrou looked at him, her dark eyes filled with accusation. Just as Lu Feng thought she might cause some trouble, she suddenly straightened her chest and said slowly, "I... am *not* small."

After a moment of silence, Lu Feng burst into laughter. His chest vibrating, making Jiang Wanrou's heart race along.

When Lu Feng finally stopped laughing, Jiang Wanrou thought the matter was over, but he suddenly said, "Dancing is, after all, a lowly pursuit."

Jiang Wanrou's heart tightened.

"But—"

Lu Feng reached out, his thumb gently wiping away the glistening sweat on the tip of her nose.

"—it can still be good for your health. If you enjoy it, you can practice at home, but never in public."

Jiang Wanrou looked at Lu Feng in surprise and asked, "That’s all?"

Lu Feng valued rules, and she had expected that, given his temperament, even if he didn’t punish her, he would at least scold her. She knew why Lu Feng liked her—because she was steady, sensible, and could be the "perfect mistress of the house" he desired.

She had never heard of a mistress who practiced dancing in secret.

Lu Feng replied, "What else?"

Could he really catch her and punish her? She was delicate, crying out at the slightest touch; if he so much as frowned, she would complain about him being harsh, growing more and more spoiled.

Jiang Wanrou said frankly, "I thought you’d look down on me."

Aunt Li came from a questionable background. She didn’t know the Four Books and Five Classics, nor was she skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, or painting. She only knew some tricks to please others, and even she practiced in secret, not daring to let others see.

Lu Feng smiled and praised, "Very beautiful."

In another context, he would never have allowed Jiang Wanrou to practice dancing in secret. Dancers were mere entertainers for others' amusement—how could his wife lower herself to such a thing?

But unexpectedly, before he could even think it through, he had first seen Jiang Wanrou dancing gracefully. The woman, dressed in a white undergarment, her hair loosely tied, leaped lightly, her every movement exuding elegance and charm. Her back was straight, her chin held high, and the light shone on her snow-white profile. In that moment, Lu Feng was captivated.

The dancing girl was of low status, yet she was exceptionally beautiful.

The admiration in Lu Feng's eyes was unmistakable, causing Jiang Wanrou to feel slightly shy. She said, "I didn't give my husband enough credit."

It wasn't entirely her fault, after all, Lu Feng would always remind her to read "serious books" before he left the house. She didn't expect him to be so lenient about this matter.

Lu Feng looked helpless and said, "I told you to read them, but did you?"

He had prepared historical texts and classical literature for her, but she probably hadn't even flipped through them. Did he say anything or punish her as he did with Lu Huaiyi?

In the past, his requirements for a wife were to be a "virtuous and nurturing wife," to manage the household well, respect her husband, be filial to elders, and bear children. In return, he would give her the honor of being his wife.

Now, Lu Feng's standards had been lowered repeatedly. She had always managed the household well. Even if one day she decided to let go, he could simply assign a housekeeper. As long as he was around, the household wouldn't fall into chaos.

The elders had servants attending to them, so she didn't need to personally attend to them. Now that they had both a son and a daughter, she didn't need to bear more children. Lu Feng thought about it and realized that now he only had one bottom line for Jiang Wanrou:

To maintain her wifely duties.

As for the rest, as long as it wasn't excessive, he could turn a blind eye and not bother to argue with her.

***

Lu Feng's boots, stained with mud and snow, left dirty marks on the new woolen carpet Jiang Wanrou had laid out. She sat on his sturdy thigh, hooked his sleeve, and complained, "Such a fine carpet, the only one in the entire mansion, it's a shame."

This was a gift from the emperor when she gave birth to Huai Ling and Mingzhu. Lu Feng had told her to keep it, so she unceremoniously treated it as her personal savings.

Lu Feng pinched her cheek and said lightly, "Quite the achievement."

He glanced at her loosely tied hair, secured only by a peony hairpin, and asked, "Why aren't you wearing the phoenix hairpins?"

After a quick glance at the list, he noted the emperor's generosity and how well the phoenix hairpins would suit her.

Jiang Wanrou pouted, "You say that, but without a good reason, the emperor gave so many lavish gifts. I was so frightened, I locked them all in the storeroom and didn't dare touch them."

"By the way, I need to ask you, what exactly is going on? You've been away for so many days, and everyone outside says you're arresting members of the Chen Faction. Did you catch any?"

"Let me check if you're injured."

Jiang Wanrou fussed over his chest, poking and prodding, even trying to take off his robe to check, but Lu Feng, unable to bear it any longer, seized her restless hands and pinned them behind her back.

His voice was calm, as if discussing something ordinary, "Let's move to a different residence."

Jiang Wanrou was puzzled and asked, "Why? The Duke's mansion is spacious and well-situated according to feng shui. Why move around? The elders are still here, and the family is large, with old and young. It's not easy to move."

Lu Feng looked at Jiang Wanrou, "No one else, just you, me, and our children."

Jiang Wanrou thought for a long time, then suddenly widened her eyes. Lu Feng held her down to prevent her from jumping up.

She exclaimed, "You mean—"

Given Lu Feng's domineering nature, splitting the family was out of the question. Connecting the dots with the emperor's extravagant gifts and Lu Feng's background, she understood everything.

Her husband was of royal lineage—a prince!

The shock was too much. Jiang Wanrou had just woken up from her nap and couldn't help but pinch the flesh on the back of her hand.

It hurt; it wasn't a dream.

But this... how could it be so unbelievable? She had just taken a nap, and Lu Feng suddenly returned, transformed into a royal descendant. Did that mean she was now a royal consort? And what about Huai Yi, Huai Ling, and Mingzhu? Were they now princes and princesses?

Jiang Wanrou pinched herself again. It still hurt.

Back then, marrying into the Duke's household by a twist of fate was already a rare opportunity, never expecting to climb even higher.

Jiang Wanrou's eyes sparkled as she tugged at Lu Feng's sleeve, excitedly asking, "Husband, what title can I have? Can I be a princess consort? Since the Emperor has acknowledged you, surely he won't be stingy, right?"

Jiang Wanxue was a "princess consort," and all these years, she had held the title of a powerful minister's wife, appearing infinitely glorious, yet she still had to bow and curtsy in the presence of the royal family.

Was she also destined to become a lofty imperial consort?

Lu Feng chuckled softly. He had been away for several days, capturing Chen Fu alive. According to his agreement with the Emperor, it was time to acknowledge his ancestry.

Last time, the Emperor had seemingly inadvertently let slip in court, along with those excessive gifts, all paving the way for this. The Emperor was eager to recognize his son, but Lu Feng had no desire to be a prince.

The moment he regained his identity was also the moment he lost his authority in the Forbidden Dragon Bureau.

Throughout history, the path to power has always been strewn with bones and soaked in blood. Fathers and sons, brothers fighting each other, apart from royal honor, what follows are countless hidden daggers and open arrows.

Lu Feng tucked the stray hair behind Jiang Wanrou's ear, looking at her delighted expression, he said, "Princess consort."

"I will grant you the title of princess consort."

That was his battlefield; she need not concern herself with it.