Chapter 55 The Nuptial Chamber

Chapter 55: The Wedding Night

Their touch was both tentative and reverent. Jiang Yanzhou was so nervous he could hardly breathe.

He unconsciously moved his lips, trying to adjust his breathing. Little did he know, this slight movement struck a chord in Xiao Yunlang. Without any prior knowledge, he instinctively opened his mouth and captured his lips.

This kiss gave the Crown Prince a taste of unimaginable sweetness. His arm around Jiang Yanzhou's waist tightened abruptly, abandoning his gentle demeanor as he began a fervent and passionate entanglement.

Jiang Yanzhou's fingers, which had gone lax in his daze, involuntarily clenched again.

All his breath was devoured. He felt seared, on the verge of melting from the heat of their lips and the surrounding temperature. His strength seemed completely drained, and he couldn't stop himself from sliding limply downward. Yet, Xiao Yunlang still held him firmly, cradling him, causing him to tilt his neck back, exposing a section of snow-white bandage at his throat.

The elegant curve beneath the bandage was faintly visible. Fortunately, his wound had healed enough that he didn't need to worry about it reopening.

But he felt on the brink of another kind of death. He was struggling to breathe, yet the sensation was so pleasurable it made him tremble, leaving him dazed and willingly ready to drown in it.

"Mmph! Ha..."

When they parted, fresh air rushed in abruptly. Jiang Yanzhou went limp against Xiao Yunlang's embrace, clutching the Crown Prince's lapel as he gasped for air. Xiao Yunlang's breathing was also heavy. Holding Jiang Yanzhou with both arms, he couldn't help but plant a kiss on his crown.

Tieguluo had once said his wife was the pearl of the grasslands. Xiao Yunlang thought, then his wife was the most pristine, luminous moon hanging high in the sky.

I see you as the moon in the heavens;

I draw the moon into my embrace.

Xiao Yunlang gently stroked Jiang Yanzhou's back, holding him and swaying with him contentedly.

He truly liked this person, liked him desperately.

Jiang Yanzhou pressed against Xiao Yunlang's chest, listening to his pounding heartbeat. When he looked up, his jade-like face was flushed, and the ripples in his eyes had all melted into spring water.

It made Xiao Yunlang feel hot all over.

Suddenly, a "knock knock" sounded at the door.

Xiao Yunlang instinctively buried Jiang Yanzhou's face against his chest, shielding him.

"Your Highness," Feng Yi said from outside, "the Prince of An is here himself."

Xiao Yunlang lowered his voice, "Understood. Wait a moment."

Jiang Yanzhou was still catching his breath. "I..."

"Shh... I'll handle it."

Xiao Yunlang gently cupped Jiang Yanzhou's face and brushed a fleeting kiss against the corner of his reddened eye. "You can't let others see you like this. Go rest. I'll handle things."

The kiss made Jiang Yanzhou close his eyes briefly. He whispered, "Your Highness, are you still sad?"

This question had clearly been answered just moments ago. But this time, Xiao Yunlang's tone was different. He chuckled softly, pressing his forehead against Jiang Yanzhou's. "Not sad. With you here, I'm overjoyed."

Jiang Yanzhou kept his eyes closed, feeling Xiao Yunlang nuzzle his nose before leaving.

He was tucked into bed. After the sound of the door closing, he still couldn't help but stare at the door.

Jiang Yanzhou had once wondered what kind of person Xiao Yunlang would like.

Now he knew.

It didn't require extraordinary talent or stunning brilliance. What Xiao Yunlang wanted was, after the storms of bloodshed and life-or-death struggles, a bit of peaceful tenderness.

So this was what it meant to like someone...

Jiang Yanzhou couldn't help but touch his own lips. The sensation from earlier seemed to surge back, and his fair face flushed red once more. He pulled the quilt over himself, burrowing deeper into the bedding.

No matter how bashful he felt, his eyes seemed to hold fallen stars, unable to conceal the newly awakened flutterings of his heart.

By the time Xiao Yunlang stood outside the door, he had already smoothed his robes. The crumpled marks left by Jiang Yanzhou's grip were no longer visible. Although the Prince of An had mustered the courage to come, he was clearly uneasy.

Tonight's assassins were all formidable and difficult to handle, and very familiar with the terrain. They were definitely not common martial artists. The Prince of An's guards, upon returning earlier, should have already passed the word.

This Prince of An was mindful of the earlier kindness, but ultimately realized the circumstances of the assassination might be unusual, which made him fearful again.

As a prince, the Prince of An wasn't particularly capable, but lacking malicious intent already put him ahead of many.

Xiao Yunlang said, "Thank you for your assistance today. The Eastern Palace is indebted."

The Prince of An hurriedly replied, "Not at all, not at all. I heard from my guards. I didn't really help much. Was anyone injured? I still have some medicine."

Several guards were injured and had already been taken to the accompanying physician. Ever since Jiang Yanzhou arrived at the residence, the Crown Prince's estate had never lacked medicinal supplies.

They didn't lack them when traveling either.

So Xiao Yunlang appreciated the sentiment but declined the offer.

He also knew what the Prince of An was worried about: "The assassins were all dead men, none left alive. They won't know the Prince of An's estate was involved. You can rest assured."

The Prince of An immediately breathed a sigh of relief, then felt somewhat awkward. "That's not what I meant..."

He fidgeted with his hands, struggling briefly before finally giving up on the excuse, hanging his head and mumbling, "To be honest, I'm truly afraid of these matters. I just want to guard my household and live a simple life."

"Who doesn't want a simple life?" Xiao Yunlang gazed at the temple's mottled wall, where dark tree shadows fell. "The tree may desire stillness, but the wind will not cease. Blame it on the evil winds causing trouble, refusing to let people live in peace."

The Prince of An broke out in a cold sweat, having no desire to know who the "evil winds" referred to. Thinking of Xiao Yunlang's experiences, he didn't know how to respond.

"It's late. Your Highness should return and check on your consort. I heard she's pregnant; she must not be frightened," Xiao Yunlang said. "I've already sent someone to inform the palace. Having encountered assassins, it's not suitable to stay the full seven days. We will head down the mountain tomorrow and have the masters pray on our behalf."

Xiao Yunlang's eyes held nothing but cold mockery. "His Majesty is benevolent; he will agree."

Outside the courtyard were others—people sent by the temple and the households of other princes, alarmed by the sounds of weapons. Xiao Yunlang showed himself to reassure them. When he returned to the room, Jiang Yanzhou was lying facing the wall, seemingly already asleep.

But Xiao Yunlang could tell from his breathing that he wasn't asleep yet.

A slight smile curled Xiao Yunlang's lips. Not bothering to return to his own room, he slipped under the covers, lay down, and reached out to pull Jiang Yanzhou close.

Little Young Master Jiang, whose skill at pretending to sleep was lacking, immediately stiffened.

Xiao Yunlang gave a low chuckle, holding him and patting his back. "This is a sacred Buddhist site. I wouldn't go so far as to do anything more excessive to you here. Sleep now."

Jiang Yanzhou: "!"

He hadn't even thought of that!

It was just because he woke up in the middle of the night, and after that kiss, his heart kept racing wildly, leaving him both dizzy and alert, making it hard to fall asleep now.

But with Xiao Yunlang saying that, he felt even less able to sleep.

Yet, strangely, even though the pounding in his ears continued, leaning against the familiar embrace and smelling the faint scent of cedar, Jiang Yanzhou's active mind gradually succumbed to drowsiness. As he closed his eyes in a daze, he thought, for him, His Highness was even more effective than any sedative...

While the Crown Prince and Crown Princess returned to their rest, there were those in the palace who lay awake all night, awaiting news.

Emperor Yonghe had his tea refreshed again and again, too agitated to calm down.

It wasn't until monks from Bailong Temple and bodyguards from the Crown Prince's residence arrived together outside the palace requesting an audience, bringing news of the assassination attempt on the Crown Princess.

Fortunately, the Crown Prince's guards battled fiercely and kept the Crown Princess from harm.

None of the assassins Emperor Yonghe had sent returned, which could only mean they had failed and were all dead.

Even with such skilled men and the prior arrangements at Bailong Temple, they still couldn't kill Jiang Yanzhou.

This meant that Xiao Yunlang must have been prepared long ago.

That rebellious son was indeed constantly trying to outguess him!

Emperor Yonghe slammed his palm on the table.

So late at night, he was still in the Minghui Hall. His health had already been poor recently, and now he was staying up late, made worse by his fury. Before his furious words could even leave his mouth, he suddenly felt as if an awl were churning in his head, the pain making stars flash before his eyes.

His breathing became unsteady, dizziness set in, and everything blurred before him.

Shuang Quan watched as Emperor Yonghe's face instantly flushed a purplish-red, his body twitching convulsively. Filled with horror, Shuang Quan immediately cried out loudly, "Fetch the imperial doctors, quickly fetch the imperial doctors! His Majesty has had a seizure, Your Majesty—!"

The next day, the nobles who had gone to Bailong Temple to burn incense prepared to return home early. The assassination attempt had thrown them into a panic, and Emperor Yonghe had taken ill.

Everyone was already accustomed to the emperor occasionally having minor ailments, but this time, Emperor Yonghe unprecedentedly called off court sessions.

This caused an uproar among the court officials in private.

On the surface, each one sent in memorials wishing him well, expressing concern for the emperor's well-being with such sincere emotion they seemed willing to suffer in his place—as if it were genuine.

But in reality, everyone was plotting their own schemes.

Every word and action of the emperor held significance. Even if his illness passed quickly this time, the fact that the emperor was aging was itself a signal for the entire court situation.

The princes participating in governance were not mere decorations. Once they entered the court, they became cogs in the machine; even if they wanted to withdraw, they might not be able to.

The court always needed a central pillar. Who should they choose—the emperor, the Crown Prince, or the Prince of Jin?

Some people's minds were already stirring with ambition.

Setting aside Emperor Yonghe for now, between the two princes, the Prince of Jin appeared to have the greatest advantage in support from civil officials.

After all, the Wei family had taken advantage of the vacancy after Jiang Linque had the Chief Grand Secretary executed to plant many of their own. The aristocratic families that had previously followed the Jiang faction were severely weakened, with some directly defecting to the Wei side.

There were also aristocratic families with grievances too deep against the Wei family to ever bow their heads. They supported no one, determined to become a nest of troublemakers in the court, happy to smear anyone they could.

Although the Jiang and Wei families had once been at each other's throats, it was also a form of balance. Now that the Wei family stood alone in power, everyone knew Emperor Yonghe had no love for the aristocratic families.

If Emperor Yonghe refused to change his stance, the Wei family would either advance like the Jiang family once did, shooting straight to the top, or... the current fate of the Jiang family would be theirs.

This was a dangerous gamble, a fight with their backs to the wall, with no retreat.

It was only a matter of time before this spark would be ignited.

After Jiang Yanzhou and Xiao Yunlang returned to the Crown Prince's residence, they received news that the emperor would hold court as usual the day after tomorrow, was not in serious condition, and instructed all ministers not to worry.

"I suspect he's planning to bring up the Jiang family's grain sales on the black market, then have the Prince of Jin investigate," Xiao Yunlang said.

Even if the Prince of Jin didn't want to leave the capital at this critical juncture, upon hearing what he was to do, he should be willing.

After all, with so much land in Ningzhou about to become ownerless fertile territory, how could the Wei family not be tempted?

Moreover, while the Prince of Jin was in Ningzhou, Emperor Yonghe certainly wouldn't move against Imperial Concubine Wei, so the palace would temporarily be no concern for the Wei family.

Xiao Yunlang also wanted the Prince of Jin to leave the capital, because he planned to give him a grand gift before his return.

However...

Xiao Yunlang looked at Jiang Yanzhou. "The emperor might also send me out of the capital."

Jiang Yanzhou nodded. "Probably, but not too far."

Because before Emperor Yonghe found the right moment to move against the Wei family, he wouldn't assign Xiao Yunlang any significant tasks again, nor would he make any major moves.

Most likely somewhere near the capital outskirts. Although outside the capital, it would be quick to return. Doing this was meant to waste Xiao Yunlang's time.

Although the current situation was already vastly different from the official history, the players remained the same, and human nature hadn't changed. Jiang Yanzhou could also analyze the likely course of events.

Emperor Yonghe and the Prince of Jin thought they still had room to maneuver, but... Xiao Yunlang's moment, and Daqi's moment, had arrived.

Jiang Yanzhou looked back at Xiao Yunlang, waiting for what would come next.

But for some reason, Xiao Yunlang paused, simply gazing at him quietly.

A flicker passed through Jiang Yanzhou's eyes—he already knew what Xiao Yunlang wanted to say.

After a moment, Xiao Yunlang slowly spoke, "If I leave the capital, the Crown Prince's residence will no longer be the safest place."

Even if only going to the capital outskirts, a large number of household guards would have to leave with him.

"The emperor failed once, but that doesn't mean he won't try a second time against me. Plus... what we plan to do afterward," Jiang Yanzhou said softly yet firmly with his still-recovering, intermittent voice, the pearl hanging before him gleaming with nurtured luster, "Both emotionally and logically, I need to temporarily stay by the emperor's side."

Only if something happened to Jiang Yanzhou outside could Emperor Yonghe plausibly shift blame onto Xiao Yunlang. But if the Crown Prince left the capital and Jiang Yanzhou entered the palace, any incident would implicate the emperor.

After all, on the surface, the palace was now under his complete control. Empress Jiang was gone. If something happened to Jiang Yanzhou in the palace again, the emperor couldn't shift blame onto the confined Imperial Concubine Wei.

Because if a confined Imperial Concubine Wei could still commit murder, first, it would show the emperor's incompetence; second, could the confined Empress Jiang have also killed someone back then? Was the Ninth Prince suspected to have been harmed by Imperial Concubine Wei, or by the empress?

Repeated incidents would leave the emperor unable to cleanly extricate himself. No other evidence would be needed; just being unable to clear himself would allow both Xiao Yunlang and the Wei family to counterattack.

The so-called hesitation to act for fear of harming something else—precisely because of this, the emperor would desperately protect Jiang Yanzhou once he entered the palace.

Moreover, in the palace, those protecting Jiang Yanzhou would inevitably be the Imperial Guards and Forbidden Army—and now, they were all Xiao Yunlang's men.

With the dual protection of emperor and crown prince, if Xiao Yunlang were sent out of the capital, the safest place for Jiang Yanzhou would ironically be by Emperor Yonghe's side.

Both of them had thought of this, but neither had rushed to say it initially.

Because saying it meant another brief separation.

They had just confessed their feelings; it was precisely when neither could bear to be apart.

Even a short while felt like three long autumns.

Unfortunately, whether for the sake of the realm or themselves, they still had things they must do.

Jiang Yanzhou thought for a moment, then got up and brought over the mask that had been resting by his pillow all along.

He held the mask with both hands and offered it back to Xiao Yunlang, but Xiao Yunlang was in no hurry to reach out and take it.

Jiang Yanzhou didn’t want his next words to come out broken and halting, so he softened his voice a little, allowing the words to flow more smoothly.

After all, it was just the two of them here—no matter how softly he spoke, the other would hear him.

Xiao Yunlang had once said that when he asked for the mask back, he would inspect it—to check whether the Crown Prince’s Tutor had been taking good care of himself.

“I will look after myself,” Jiang Yanzhou said. “I don’t need the mask anymore, because… you’re here.”

His ears flushed slightly red, and he lowered his dark lashes. His voice was very, very soft, yet exceptionally earnest.

“Your Highness, I’ll wait for you to bring me home.”

Xiao Yunlang suddenly stood up, pulling Jiang Yanzhou—mask and all—into his arms, and kissed him hard.

Unlike the reverent touch in the temple, a flame now burned without restraint, instantly searing through Jiang Yanzhou’s entire being.

Jiang Yanzhou was lifted into the air by Xiao Yunlang, abruptly weightless, and the young master flung his arms around Xiao Yunlang’s neck in surprise.

The mask clattered to the floor, but neither of them cared.

Nor could they.

As Xiao Yunlang laid him on the bed, Jiang Yanzhou’s eyes were slightly damp. He gazed up, dazed and a little bewildered, at Xiao Yunlang, who was looking down at him from above.

That look…

Jiang Yanzhou’s fingers curled slightly.

Even without any movement, that gaze alone seemed to devour him whole.

The bewilderment in Jiang Yanzhou’s eyes gradually faded. He understood what Xiao Yunlang wanted.

The Crown Prince would speak plainly to him, and his gaze was just as direct—impossible to misunderstand.

Jiang Yanzhou gave a faint shiver.

Xiao Yunlang gently tugged down the collar of his robe, as if to soothe him, or perhaps to ask permission, then leaned down and brushed his lips against the white bandage.

The healing wound occasionally itched, and with Xiao Yunlang’s touch through the gauze, Jiang Yanzhou bit his lip, turning his head aside with a stifled gasp.

But his trembling hands reached up and clung to Xiao Yunlang’s back.

It was a signal—a silent acceptance of Xiao Yunlang’s closeness. He was saying: I’m ready.

And so, Xiao Yunlang cast aside all restraint.

For the first time, body and soul, they came together without reservation.

Beyond the brocade silks and sheer gauze, Xiao Yunlang finally touched what it truly meant to be warm and smooth as jade.

He was gentle, yet fierce.

Jiang Yanzhou’s unsteady breath could only release low, muffled whimpers, tears forced from his eyes.

It was too hot. Jiang Yanzhou opened his mouth helplessly—how could it be this hot…

Through a haze of tears, he watched as Xiao Yunlang took the pearl nestled in his hair between his lips. Jiang Yanzhou felt as if he himself had become that smooth, round pearl, kneaded by Xiao Yunlang until it was entirely imbued with his warmth.

Pearls swayed within the canopy; spring night, beauty’s tears.

Jiang Yanzhou was slender—his waist could be easily held—yet holding him felt as though one embrace was not enough.

Jiang Yanzhou truly felt as if he were melting, like spring water or autumn streams. Xiao Yunlang’s reassuring chest encircled him, as if wishing to knead their very bones and blood together, to fuse them into one, never to be parted again.

Jiang Yanzhou’s whimpers softened into light murmurs, scratching at Xiao Yunlang’s heart, so he kissed him again, wanting to swallow even his voice.

Mine.

In the heat, Xiao Yunlang’s voice was hoarse: “Wait for me to come for you.”

The corners of Jiang Yanzhou’s eyes were tinged with rouge. He couldn’t speak; the pearls trembled wildly.

Skin as white as snow and a captivating flush—in Xiao Yunlang’s hands, Jiang Yanzhou became his most beloved shade of jade, like mutton-fat jade infused with a beautiful blush, delicate and stirring.

And this color was something he had brought forth himself—how could anyone not cherish it, not want to hold it and never let go?

A wedding lacking the consummation meant the marriage was in name only.

Now, they were truly husband and wife in every sense.

Tears clinging to his lashes, Jiang Yanzhou clung to those arms that could hold him steady, and received Xiao Yunlang’s blazing affection.