Ch75 - Family Banquet

Mu Hanzhang wouldn’t let himself be fooled. He squinted and thought for a moment. “I know even if you don’t say it.” 

“What?” Jing Shao looked at Mu Hanzhang, who had a mischievous expression in his eyes, like a cat who had done something wrong, and his heart simply felt even itchier.

“You must have told your father that you can’t have intercourse, so if you took any more concubines, you would lose face,” Mu Hanzhang said softly in his ear.

“…” Jing Shao was stunned for a moment, before he narrowed his eyes dangerously. “Are you doubting me?”

“I was just guessing… ah…” Before Mu Hanzhang finished speaking, his clothes were pulled open roughly, and there was suddenly a warm pressure on his chest, along with a twinge of pain. This was followed by unspeakable pleasure which forced him to moan in a low voice. 

Jing Shao released the poor little thing from his mouth and pressed the hands of the person who was struggling under him above his head. “Whether or not Benwang is able to have intercourse, I shall now let you verify it personally.”

“Don’t make trouble. I’m going to see Brother Zhou this afternoon, wu…” Mu Hanzhang saw that Jing Shao was serious and couldn’t help but want to shrink back, but the person on top of him obviously didn’t intend to let him go.

Whether or not his Wang Fei could confirm his capabilities in intercourse, Jing Shao insisted on proving himself, and a good afternoon siesta was thus spent in torment.

“Wu… slow… slower… ah…” Mu Hanzhang gripped his pillow tightly, and was forced to throw his head back from the fierce thrusts of the man above him. With his two slender legs around Jing Shao’s waist, he trembled uncontrollably.

Jing Shao slowed down, then moved up a little to kiss Mu Hanzhang on his slightly parted lips. Letting the other man catch his breath, he then slowly pulled out so that only the tip was at Mu Hanzhang’s entrance, before he suddenly thrust in all the way.

Mu Hanzhang grabbed the bedsheets. Every time Jing Shao entered his body, he would twitch uncontrollably. The feeling was so intense that his cries became soundless. After repeating these long strokes a dozen or more times, Jing Shao resumed his rapid rhythm from before.

This switch between a fast and slow pace forced that pair of beautiful eyes to tear up. The man in his arms was still shuddering from an orgasm as Jing Shao kissed away the tears that escaped his eyes and caressed his hair gently over and over again. The two of them were immersed in the wonderful afterglow, and only returned to their senses after a long time.

“What do you think? Aren’t I very capable?” Jing Shao smiled and nibbled on Mu Hanzhang’s elegant collarbone. 

Mu Hanzhang glared at him and had no intention of answering. At this moment, no matter what he said, Jing Shao would use it as an excuse to do it again.

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“En…” Mu Hanzhang frowned and sighed. “What’s going on? Can you say it now?”

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Mu Hanzhang’s entire face flushed red. He grabbed that hand and threw it out of the quilt, turning away and ignoring Jing Shao.

Jing Shao drew close and hugged him from behind. Afraid that he had truly offended his Wang Fei and would have to sleep with Xiao Huang tonight, he earnestly stopped fooling around. “OK, I won’t tease you.” He buried his nose in the neck of the man in his arms, greedily sucking in his faint fragrance mixed with sweat, and roughly told the story of what had happened at court today.

“You’re saying they want to bestow a marquis title on me?” Mu Hanzhang said slowly, stunned for a moment.

“Yes. The official title hasn’t been decided yet; I’m letting elder brother choose one that suits your temperament, but it has to be more powerful than ‘North Marquis’!” Jing Shao said triumphantly. 

Being conferred the title of marquis meant that he would be qualified to enter court, that his talent had been recognized, and that he had the right to bring his mother into his residence to take care of her when his father was gone… Because he was married to Cheng Wang, he wasn’t able to take the imperial civil service exam, and he thought it would remain like that for all his life. Later, in the history books, he would only be mentioned as the “Cheng Wang Fei” – someone perpetually mentioned in relation to another person. He never expected things to take a different turn!

After confirming his feelings with Jing Shao, Mu Hanzhang was no longer strongly attached to the imperial exam, but as a man, who didn’t want to make contributions and leave a mark on history?

After talking for a long time, Jing Zhao found there was still no response from the person in his arms, so he peeked over his shoulder to see his expression. He then saw that his Wang Fei had buried half his face in the pillow, and was smiling secretly.

Looking at Jun Qing like this, Jing Shao couldn’t help but also start to smile. However, a burst of pain welled up in his heart. His Jun Qing had the talent to become a marquis or even a minister, but his wings had been broken several times. Originally, he wanted to tease him and do it one more time, but when this pain appeared, the desire he felt subsided, and he hugged Mu Hanzhang. “When the title is conferred, I’ll have someone switch the sign on the gates to say ‘Household of Cheng Wang and Marquis [blank].” 

“En,” Mu Hanzhang answered.

“Oh, also, the west courtyard has been torn down, and is being turned into a viewing garden. In the future, Xiao Huang will also have a hunting ground.” Jing Shao picked up the hand of the person next to him, playing with his slender fingers.

Mu Hanzhang raised his eyebrows. Shouldn’t the west courtyard be renovated into the courtyard for the marquis? If not, then at least a guest room. How could it be turned into a garden? But Jing Shao spoke happily about it, so Mu Hanzhang didn’t say anything.

Lantern Festival, fifteenth day of the first lunar month. 

On this day, there was no need to go to morning court. Jing Shao slept in with his Wang Fei until the sun was high in the sky, all the way until they were woken up by Xiao Huang who had snuck in.

“Wawu!” Xiao Huang flopped onto the floor next to the bed and cocked its head at the two people on the bed for a while, before it slowly dropped to the floor… and pounced!

Jumping onto the wide bed, the little tiger tilted its head and rubbed it against Mu Hanzhang’s cheek, then lay on Jing Shao’s chest.

“Truly not a peaceful moment with this guy.” Jing Shao sat up and pushed the tiger off of him. “My brother may go to Jiangnan next month. At that time, he might as well take this guy to the Wading Water Courtyard to be raised alongside Gu Huaiqing’s lion.” 

Mu Hanzhang also sat up and pinched the tiger’s round ears. Xiao Huang shook its head, then lay down on its back and mewled lightly at him. “But if it’s away from us for a year, it definitely won’t recognize me.” After the past half a year, he had grown used to the little tiger being by his side every day. It was difficult for him to think about sending him to the Huainan King.

“I was just saying it casually.” Seeing that his Wang Fei was sad, Jing Shao’s heart immediately melted and he quickly changed his tune.

The two freshened up as there would be an imperial palace banquet that evening, and they took advantage of the free time to go to Hui Wei Restaurant.

“There was a delay yesterday,” Jing Shao explained casually, “and we don’t have to go to court today. Assistant Minister Xiao didn’t come to help?” 

There was a Lantern Festival fair in the capital today, and the restaurant’s business was sure to be good. Right now, guests coming in for lunch had not yet begun to take their seats. Boss Zhou, wearing bright pink, was rolling tangyuan in the large dining hall. “It’s rare for him to have a day off. Let him sleep more at home.” Zhou Jin smiled and had a waiter give them a bowl of tangyuan.

“I heard that the Count of Yongchang broke a set of cups when he went home yesterday. His wife said that she would go to the empress to set things right,” Zhou Jin said with a smile and divulged the gossip he heard yesterday.

Mu Hanzhang swallowed a mouthful of the tangyuan. “She can’t enter the palace today. There will be a palace banquet tonight.” 

“Ha, the Count of Yongchang’s wife is famous for her persistence. After what Wang Ye did to the Count of Yongchang, you won’t hear the end of it for at least half a year.” Zhou Jin shook his head. If she couldn’t enter the palace today, she would go tomorrow, and then go every day after that.

Jing Shao wasn’t concerned and didn’t think that one old lady would be able to trigger many waves.

Mu Hanzhang noted down the matter but didn’t say much. He gave Zhou Jin a pair of carved jade pixiu figures which he had brought from the southeast to wish him good fortune daily. Both pixiu were the size of an egg, perfect for hanging at the waist, and were very beautiful with a deep color.

Mythical beast that brings luck and wards off evil! Usually depicted with a dragon’s head, lions’s body, w/ wings, hooves and a tail. 

Zhou Jin accepted them without a fuss and quickly gifted them a jug of salted duck eggs in return.

The evening palace banquet, on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, was a family banquet. It wasn’t as grand as the New Year banquet. Only direct relatives of the imperial family within two generations could attend.

The empress sat at the raised table. Her colorful phoenix robes were very grand. She looked coldly at the pair of husbands whose hands were intertwined. Originally, wives should sit on the right side of the table, but Mu Hanzhang was a man, so he sat with Jing Shao at the second table on the left. The Rui Wang, Jing Chen, was already seated at the first table.

With three men in magnificent attire sitting together, the corner immediately felt lively. Even though the three seldom spoke, it still sounded like the chatter of many people. On the other hand, Jing Yu, the Fourth Prince, who sat at the third table, didn’t speak, and looked feeble in standing and power. 

The empress’s willow-like eyebrows gradually wrinkled into one line. Originally, having the Cheng Wang marry a male wife was to make these two brothers turn against each other. Jing Shao, however, actually didn’t hate his brother, and he was conversely very fond of his Wang Fei. Now that the Wang Fei was to be titled a marquis, doing this was like supplying Jing Chen with two extra aides!

At the beginning of the palace banquet, Emperor Hong Zheng sat on his throne at the head of the table and drank. Taking in the whole scene at once and seeing the empress’s expression, he couldn’t help but sneer in his heart. After so many years, she was still too inferior to take out in public. He thought of the dignified and virtuous Empress Yuan who personally cooked a pot of tangyuan for the Lantern Festival banquet every year and had all the brothers sit at the same table and share the food together. Jing Shao was the most unruly; after eating one bowl, he still wanted more, but Empress Yuan wouldn’t make more for him, and Jing Chen would push his own bowl to his younger brother. Now, looking at the cold atmosphere of the palace banquet, he suddenly felt lonely, and the emperor couldn’t help but sigh.

The emperor would stay in the empress’s chambers as usual on the evening of the fifteenth day of the month. Emperor Hong Zheng drank two more cups, and when he entered Fengyi Palace, he just wanted to take a bath and sleep.

The empress personally attended to the emperor and helped him change his clothes. She hesitated again and again, but couldn’t help saying, “Your majesty, this consort knows she shouldn’t say too much about court affairs, but Jing Shao still has no heirs. If the Cheng Wang Fei is conferred a marquis title, Jing Shao can’t take concubines in the future. How can having no sons or daughters be proper?” 

Emperor Hong Zheng didn’t even have to look to know what the empress’s expression was like. He pushed away her manicured hand and untied the dragon clasp around his neck himself. “Jing Shao himself doesn’t like women. It’s useless for you to stuff his courtyard with concubines.” There had been many concubines in the Cheng Wang’s palace in the past, but he still hadn’t left even one son or daughter.

“He was still young then. Don’t you see that after Jing Yu, after he married his official wife, and it’s almost been half a year now, also hasn’t made any moves?” The empress deliberated on her wording. “What’s more, there has never been a Wang Fei conferred the title of marquis in this dynasty. If he wants to come to court in the future, isn’t it…”

“Enough!” Emperor Hong Zheng felt as if a fly was buzzing around his head, and he cut off the empress impatiently. “You don’t think Zhen has heard all of this? Zhen has my own opinions about court affairs; there is no need for you to explain all this to me.”

“Your Majesty, please forgive me!” The empress stepped forward to kneel. “Chenqie…” 

“Isn’t it that you just aren’t able to accept the Cheng Wang Fei being conferred the title of marquis?” Emperor Hong Zheng threw his robe onto the half-crouched empress’s face. “If it wasn’t for your beloved son blindly trying to mess things up, how would things have gotten to the point of conferring a title on the Wang Fei?!”