Chapter 62: Don’t Be So Harsh

Chapter 62: Don't Be So Fierce

"Rest a bit before washing. Washing up right after a meal isn't good for your health," Jiang Congyan said, pretending not to catch the hidden meaning in his words. She spoke seriously, then ignored him and gracefully headed to the study to pick up a book.

The man followed right behind, his large frame pinning her between the bookshelves. As she turned around, she found herself face-to-face with his chest, radiating heat.

"Are you really not just blowing me off?"

Tuo Baxiao stretched his arms out, completely encircling her. He deliberately leaned forward, almost pressing against her face.

The heat kept coming, and she felt her face flush.

Jiang Congyan, cornered and with no way out, couldn't hold back any longer. She rolled up the spine of the book and tapped his thick arm, lifting her chin to glare at him in annoyance. "As a princess, would I really need to make up lies to placate you?"

Tuo Baxiao looked down at the beauty in front of him. She was usually very amiable, never flaunting her status. This was the first time she had shown her royal demeanor in front of him, and he found it refreshing. Her slightly puffed, fair face, her delicate phoenix eyes wide open, and her pitch-black pupils gave her an air of unapproachable nobility, like a proud white peacock. Unfortunately, she was now facing a wolf who cared little for her fierceness or nobility, only wanting to devour her.

"Other times, maybe not, but now, who knows?" he said deliberately, his tone suggestive.

"..."

She really wanted to bite this dog of a man.

Jiang Congyan felt utterly cramped, especially with the man's intense, aggressive presence surrounding her. She pushed against his arm and said coldly, "Move aside, I want to read."

Hearing this, the man glanced down at her but said nothing, then suddenly scooped her up by the waist.

His movement was so abrupt that Jiang Congyan, caught off guard, was startled and nearly dropped the book.

His arms were so thick and strong that he could lift her with one hand, carrying her as easily as if she were a doll.

He carried her to the bamboo couch and sat her on his lap.

She tried to move, but he tightened his grip, not letting her go.

"Let me sit properly."

"Aren't you sitting just fine?"

Tuo Baxiao adjusted her posture. She was now sitting on his thighs, leaning back against him, essentially turning him into a living chair. Not only that, he thoughtfully moved the bronze sheep lamp on the nearby high-legged table closer to give her better light.

"Read now."

Jiang Congyan: "..."

Couldn't your thoughtfulness be used more appropriately?

"How can I read like this?" she pushed against him again.

She felt like she had fallen into a furnace. The night temperature at this time of year was usually just right—neither too hot nor too cold—but now she was starting to sweat. Not to mention the sensation beneath her, the thought of the man being in heat made her extremely uncomfortable.

"Not reading anymore? Then we..." the man began, his intentions clear.

"Stop!" Jiang Congyan quickly interrupted him.

She realized that she stood no chance against this man. In terms of shamelessness, he was leagues ahead of her, never showing any sign of embarrassment. As for strength, that went without saying.

Faced with the choice of being carried to bed by him to do *that* or enduring a bit of discomfort to read and pass the time, Jiang Congyan didn't hesitate and chose the latter.

Though being held by him like this wasn't exactly comfortable and was a bit awkward, at least it wouldn't leave her with a sore back and legs.

The man finally settled down, and Jiang Congyan tried her best to ignore his presence, focusing on her book.

Her thoughts had been scattered earlier, so she hadn’t carefully chosen a book and just grabbed one randomly. Now, upon closer inspection, she realized it was the Book of Songs.

Well, it’s the Book of Songs. Although she had already memorized its contents, reading it again wouldn’t hurt—it could help her relax.

Jiang Congyan flipped open a page and began reading attentively.

Tuo Baxiao looked down at the girl in his arms. Her profile was softly lit by the candlelight, with a delicate, snow-white neck that stood out, like a soft, white flower stem. And atop this stem bloomed the most beautiful flower in the world.

Further down, her slender fingers held a book.

Her book was unlike others—it was a pristine white paper book, smooth and neat, with crisp handwriting and a layout unlike anything he had seen before, punctuated with symbols.

Upon closer inspection, Tuo Baxiao noticed something peculiar about the characters. He couldn’t quite figure it out, but they seemed too uniform, with each character looking almost identical.

When ordinary people write, slight variations naturally occur unless they deliberately try to make them uniform. But the characters in her book didn’t look handwritten; they looked more like they had been printed.

The Xianbei people had little to no written language, but that didn’t mean Tuo Baxiao had never seen books before.

He knew most books were written on bamboo slips or wooden tablets, with only the most important letters or imperial edicts written on silk. Paper did exist, but the rough kind was prone to smudging and tearing, making it unusable. High-quality paper for calligraphy and painting was costly and not widely circulated among commoners.

Given her noble status, she certainly wasn’t short on money, but using the finest paper for an ordinary Book of Songs seemed a bit “over the top.”

Tuo Baxiao continued to look around. Along the wall stood a row of bookshelves filled with all kinds of books, ninety percent of which were paper books. Even with her considerable wealth, such a collection represented a significant expense.

Her spending habits were modest—neither lavish nor stingy, only spending on what she needed. This vast collection of paper books clearly wasn’t about flaunting her wealth.

“Do you like paper books?” he asked, his fingers still toying with a strand of hair by her ear.

Jiang Congyan endured his “harassment” and nodded. “Paper books are lightweight. A single book can hold far more than bamboo slips.”

“Your book is different from the ones I’ve seen. The characters look like they’ve been carved.”

Jiang Congyan was slightly surprised that Tuo Baxiao was so perceptive.

She didn’t hide it and directly told him, “They were carved. First, the characters were etched into wood, then inked and pressed onto paper.”

In fact, copper plates would work better, but crafting copper molds required advanced skills.

Tuo Baxiao’s eyes sparkled with admiration. “That’s quite ingenious. If you could mass-produce books this way, it’d be far easier than hand-copying.”

Jiang Congyan was taken aback. Tuo Baxiao had immediately grasped the potential of this technology.

Aside from being brave and skilled in battle, he also had foresight in other areas.

“Do you think this technology is worth promoting?” Jiang Congyan asked.

Tuo Baxiao didn’t answer her right away. Instead, he fell silent for a moment.

She was leaning against his chest, facing away from him, so she couldn’t see his expression, but she could sense that he seemed to be deep in thought.

After a while, he finally said, “In Liang State, you could make a lot of money with this. But in the royal court, no one would buy it.” His tone was almost comforting.

The Xianbei people didn’t know Chinese characters, didn’t speak Chinese, and certainly wouldn’t read Chinese books.

Hearing this, Jiang Congyan chuckled softly. “It’s sweet of you to worry about my finances.”

But she wasn’t solely focused on money. It was just that the right opportunity hadn’t presented itself yet.

Tuo Baxiao heard her teasing and gently pinched her cheek with his bent fingers.

Jiang Congyan swatted his hand away, honestly, he couldn't stay serious for long before starting to touch her again.

She continued reading, but the man wouldn't stay still. His chin lightly brushed against the top of her head, and his gaze fell on her book, occasionally pointing to something.

"How do you pronounce this character?"

"It's pronounced 'su,' like the sound of 'speed.'"

"What about this?"

"It's pronounced 'dai,' like the word for 'belt.'"

Jiang Congyan paused for a moment: "...Your Highness, your literacy level isn't very high, is it?"

Tuo Baxiao wasn't fazed at all and replied confidently, "I grew up on the grasslands, surrounded by Xianbei people. So, I don't know many Chinese characters."

"..." She was briefly speechless.

The characters he had just asked about were rather rare even in Chinese, so it was understandable that he didn't recognize them, given his background.

"So, how did you learn Chinese characters?" she asked, turning her head to look at him, curious.

Tuo Baxiao fell silent again, and the air grew still, the atmosphere suddenly tense. After a while, he said, "My mother was Han Chinese."

It was just a simple sentence, said calmly.

A few moments passed, and he didn't elaborate. Yet, Jiang Congyan sensed a deep undercurrent of emotion beneath his words, something heavy and not easily addressed. She decided not to press further and turned back, refocusing her gaze on the book.

"Tuo Baxiao," she suddenly called his name softly, "Let me read to you. If you listen a few times, you'll recognize the characters you don't know."

"Alright," Tuo Baxiao agreed.

Surprisingly, he stayed well-behaved, listening attentively as she read.

"This is the first poem from the 'Airs of Bei' section of the *Book of Songs*, titled 'The Cypress Boat.' It's a famous lyrical poem expressing a woman's sorrow..." Jiang Congyan gave him a brief explanation of the piece before reading it aloud.

"Floating that cypress boat, drifting with the current... When I went to voice my grievances, I met with his anger..."

When she reached the line, "My heart is not a stone, it cannot be moved," the man's emotions shifted slightly, though subtly, and she caught it.

"My heart is not a stone, it cannot be moved," he repeated, then asked, "What do you think this line means?"

Jiang Congyan found it strange. She felt he probably knew the meaning of the poem, yet he was asking her.

She explained it literally: "The meaning of this line is—my heart is not a stone, it cannot be swayed."

Then she added, "It's often used as a metaphor for enduring love and unwavering resolve."

After a pause, when he didn't respond, she continued reading.

Tuo Baxiao, who had been feeling restless earlier, began to relax as he listened to her clear, melodious voice.

The two of them rarely spent time together like this, without any tension, in a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere.

Jiang Congyan managed to ignore the warmth of the man behind her, focusing entirely on reading. She read and explained the meanings to him as she read.

Apart from that one line, Tuo Baxiao didn't interrupt her again, just listening quietly.

It's been half an hour.

Jiang Congyan was still puzzled until she heard his words.

No, she had genuinely thought he was different this time, that they might do something else together, but he was just keeping track of the time?

She had been too naive.

Tuo Baxiao didn’t give her a chance to refuse. He scooped her up again and strode toward the bedroom, then told her maid to prepare water.

"Put me down first," Jiang Congyan patted his shoulder, "It’s so embarrassing to be seen by the maid."

He was always picking her up and carrying her around so abruptly, without even asking first.

But Tuo Baxiao didn’t care at all. He even nuzzled his face against hers and said, 'We’re husband and wife. What’s wrong with being a little closer?'

She just felt a little uncomfortable.

In this era, many nobles didn’t treat servants as people but as tools, sometimes even having them serve while they were enjoying themselves.

When Jiang Congyan learned about such things, she felt a mix of emotions she couldn’t quite put into words.

Anyway, she believed that as long as someone was human, they had their own thoughts, and she absolutely didn’t want to expose such private matters in front of others. Fortunately, Tuo Baxiao didn't have such a habit, but he wasn't particularly discreet either, like some kissing and hugging, he could do it in front of the maid, while Jiang Congyan didn't have such thick skin.

A Fei had now become a seasoned maid. Upon hearing the summons, she didn’t glance sideways. She brought two young maids to carry in the hot water, poured it into the bathtub, and mixed it with cold water to reach a comfortable temperature. She also left a large cup of warm water on the nearby washstand for brushing teeth and washing the face.

Then she took out the lady’s nightgown from the wardrobe and placed it in the washroom. She also laid out the clothes for the next day on the stool at the foot of the bed. After checking everything thoroughly to ensure nothing was missing, she silently retreated.

After the maid left, Jiang Congyan wanted to walk over on her own, but the man picked her up again.

She brushed her teeth with green salt, washed her face, and finally tied up her long hair. Seeing the man standing there without any intention of moving, she looked up at him firmly.

"Get out!" she said sharply.

Tuo Baxiao: "It’s not like I haven’t seen you before. I’ve even helped you bathe."

She punched his hard chest, her eyes blazing. "Are you leaving or not?"

Tuo Baxiao didn’t understand her concern, but her attitude was firm, as if saying, 'If you don’t leave, I’ll stand here and confront you until you do.'

Tuo Baxiao calculated the time. They had already lost half an hour, and if they wasted more, it would still be his loss. Finally, he gave in and went to wait in the bedroom.

Jiang Congyan was still uneasy. After he left, she peeked through the curtain and saw him sitting on the couch. Only then did she untie her belt and remove her clothes.

The gentle sound of water came from next door. Just hearing it, Tuo Baxiao could picture her... lifting her fair, slender legs, slowly dipping her snow-white feet into the water...

His blood rushed at the thought, and his body felt like it was about to burst.

The current bathtub was too small. If only there were a warm pool, but building one in the royal court wasn’t easy, and even if they started, it wouldn’t be done overnight... There was a carpenter among the craftsmen, so making a larger bathtub shouldn’t be too hard.

Tuo Baxiao silently added the task of making a larger bathtub to his plans.

Jiang Congyan originally wanted to soak for a while longer, but remembering the man's previous behavior, she was afraid that if she stayed too long, he would barge in directly. After weighing the options, she got up after washing.

The clear sound of water echoed, and even though she had tried to be quiet, it was still noticeable in the silent night.

Beads of water formed one by one on her collarbone and back, leaving a faint mist in the room. Her snow-white skin turned pink from the steam, like a delicate morning dew camellia in the misty dawn, tender and enchanting.

She dried the water droplets from her body with a cotton towel, carefully put on the sleeping robe beside her, and then lifted the curtain to step out.

Tuo Baxiao's eyes immediately landed on her, first looking at her rosy cheeks, then at her neatly tied clothes, and he chuckled, "Tied so tightly, but it won't stay that way for long, will it?"

"Be quiet!" Jiang Congyan glared at him angrily.

Though his words were crude, the reasoning wasn't wrong, but this man's mouth was truly unrestrained.

Seeing that she was genuinely a bit angry, Tuo Baxiao decided to back off. If he really annoyed her and she refused tonight, he would be the one to lose out.

Without further delay, he entered the bathing chamber, not bothering to change the water. He quickly stripped off his clothes and used the water she had bathed in, scooping it up and pouring it over himself.

His movements were vigorous, and the water splashed loudly.

Hearing the sound of water, Jiang Congyan felt her face grow warm.

She had told him before to have the maid change the water, but he insisted it was fine as it was. She didn't understand his mindset—it was almost perverse.

She tried to ignore the man's movements and sat down at the dressing table. She opened the facial ointment, took a bit, and rubbed it onto her face, then let down her long hair.

Her hair was long and thick, making it hard to dry. Without a hairdryer, she usually washed it in the afternoon to avoid catching a cold. After washing, she would use a cotton towel to absorb the water and let it air dry for half an hour. In winter, it was even more complicated.

Her body was naturally cold, and the doctor had advised her to wash her hair less to prevent cold from entering her body. She followed most of his doctor's advice, but this one was hard for her to accept.

Her thoughts wandered for a moment, and it felt like only a blink before she heard the man's footsteps approaching.

She kept her back to him, not turning to look. She could imagine he wasn't wearing much.

Then, the man's broad chest enveloped her as he picked her up and carried her toward the bed. He set her down on the soft bedding, and he followed, pressing down on her.

She felt nervous, her body unconsciously tightening. Her palms lightly pressed against his shoulders as his handsome face moved in to kiss her.

Jiang Congyan stopped him for a moment, finally lifting her damp lashes to look at him. She whispered, negotiating, "Can you be gentler and slower tonight? Don't be so rough. I'll try to relax more, alright?"

The first two times had been so difficult, and she had suffered quite a bit. Since she couldn't avoid him, Jiang Congyan didn't want to torture herself and make things so hard every time. The physical difference between them was significant, but that wasn't the main reason. It was mostly because the man became so impatient once they were in bed, and she wasn't ready to accept him.

Tuo Baxiao thought for a moment, "Really?"

Jiang Congyan nodded, "As long as you're not so rough, I won't be as tense."

Tuo Baxiao had indeed felt her resistance before, her soft cries of refusal, but he couldn't help himself.

She was the wife he had traveled thousands of miles to marry properly. He had waited three months—three whole months—before they married, and he had only taken her a few times. Was that too much? Was it?

But tonight, she was willing to cooperate with him voluntarily. His emerald eyes lit up with anticipation.

Tuo Baxiao had no reason to refuse. He pecked her lips, "Alright."

As soon as he spoke, he began kissing her gently.

He was indeed gentler than before, not immediately diving into her mouth to stir her up. But soon, his strength unconsciously increased, and Jiang Congyan pinched his face.

The slight pain brought him back to his senses. He smiled at her and lightened his touch, nibbling on her earlobe.

With each nibble, she trembled.

Tuo Baxiao discovered that the skin from her earlobe to the back of her neck was particularly sensitive. Even the slightest breath could turn her delicate skin red.

Such reactions made Tuo Baxiao love her all the more. Rarely did he restrain himself, displaying unprecedented patience to tease her.

After gnawing on her soft earlobe for a while, he buried his face in her neck, his rough palm gently caressing her spine.

Jiang Congyan bit her lip, her brows slightly furrowed in discomfort.

Outside the tent, a slender crescent moon slowly rose from the east, hanging in the dark sky.

Occasionally, a night hawk swooped overhead, swiftly diving toward its prey.

Tuo Baxiao kissed her with patience for a long time until he could no longer hold back.

By this point, Jiang Congyan was still somewhat nervous, but the man's efforts were rewarded, as the dry land finally welcomed a hint of spring rain...

On a summer night, the man was sweating profusely. With one hand behind her neck, he pulled her close, pushed aside her long hair, and kissed her deeply.

Jiang Congyan was also overheated, her face flushed, a fine layer of sweat on the tip of her nose. Her long lashes were damp, her eyes hazy and tender like pools of water.

Seeing her like this, Tuo Baxiao nearly gave in again. It took great effort to calm down, and he could only keep kissing her...

A Fei lingered in the small tent outside the main tent. Based on previous experiences, the lady would likely be occupied for a while before calling for her service. So, she sat at the desk, sorting through the used supplies over the past few days. She was in charge of the lady's personal items, which, though not numerous, were rather diverse. However, she was very patient, meticulously recording what had been used or damaged, and checking the accounts every few days to ensure no one was pilfering.

It was only June, and the weather was still warm, but winter arrived early in the north. The lady's winter clothes had to be readied promptly. The imperial tents were not as warm as their houses, so it was even more important to have several thick garments ready.

She pondered how Ruo Lan and the others were doing...

As A Fei was lost in thought, she suddenly heard the clear sound of a bell, realizing she was being summoned.

She automatically checked the candle, which had only burned halfway—an hour, half the time of the previous night...

She quickly stood up, accompanied by two maids to deliver hot water inside.

The bed curtains were drawn, shielding the interior from view.

Tuo Baxiao had only had his way once and was still unsatisfied. Holding the person in his arms, he kept pleading with her, "One more time."

Jiang Congyan turned her head away, refusing.

The man persisted, saying, "You're not in as much pain now, are you?"

At that moment, A Fei's voice rang out, asking if she could enter.

Afraid that the man's indelicate remarks might be overheard by the maid, Jiang Congyan reached out with a soft hand to cover his mouth, whispering a low rebuke, "Shut up."

Though the pain had lessened, the extended exertion still became unbearable toward the end.

Moreover, she was exhausted. If he didn't sleep, she still needed to.

A Fei and the maids replaced the hot water, and Jiang Congyan spoke to her through the bed curtains, "You can go rest now."

Tuo Baxiao understood her meaning—after this wash, he wasn't allowed to continue. His arm around her waist tightened.

Jiang Congyan pinched him back, glaring at him in dissatisfaction.

"I need to wash up," she pushed him to let her go.

"Do you still have the strength?"

"..."

Without waiting for her to speak, Tuo Baxiao directly carried her over, naturally taking liberties along the way. Jiang Congyan let him have his way, as long as he didn't cross the line.

Once back on the bed, the man wanted to simply hold her and sleep, but Jiang Congyan firmly refused, slapping his hand away and mustering the strength to put on her sleepwear.

In the end, he pounced again, pulling her into his arms, facing her, "I wasn't too excessive today, shall we keep it like this tomorrow?"

Jiang Congyan: "..."

She pushed him hard, closed her eyes, and remained silent.