Extra 3-2: Spring Night (Bridal Chamber)

Tao Sheng always knew Ji Yanming had lived a rough life in his past. After entering the court, he rarely had a peaceful day, which shaped his almost paranoid and harsh personality.

Tao Sheng thought she would never see that side of Ji Yanming again in this life.

But as he leaned over the headboard repeatedly, Tao Sheng realized how wrong she was.

Even though both of them were in official positions, their roles were completely different.

After Tao Sheng entered the officialdom, she followed a technical path. Her promotion from the eighth to the fourth rank was impressive, but still limited to the Taiyue Bureau. Ji Yanming, on the other hand, had risen through the ranks from the Hanlin Academy to the Ministry of Justice, then to the Censorate and Cabinet, a path of true political power.

At such a young age, Ji Yanming could silence a banquet with a simple frown, leaving everyone fearful of offending him. A casual remark from him could keep local officials up all night, poring over his words for hidden meanings.

This kind of influence couldn’t be achieved just by wielding power. Many officials would rather offend the King of Chu, the top candidate for the throne, than cross Lord Ji. It wasn’t because Lord Ji was kind-hearted and able to move mountains; it was due to his strength and authority.

Only he knew how much hardship he endured to reach his current status.

After realizing this, Tao Sheng understood why she used to think Ji Yanming was different from the man described in the original story. It was because, before their marriage, he had been holding himself back a bit around her.

But now, as a newlywed, it was clear he wasn’t holding back at all. After their shared moments, Tao Sheng felt completely drained, her energy spent, unable to even move a finger.

Afterward, Ji Yanming was more talkative than usual. His normally cold voice was now a bit hoarse with emotion. As he gently stroked her hair, he asked, “Shengsheng, why didn’t you ask me for help if you were so upset?”

Tao Sheng was at a rare moment of weakness. She had reached her limit, and although she gazed at him with watery eyes, she stubbornly refused to ask for mercy.

It made him feel both sympathy and a stronger urge to lose control.

Tao Sheng, drowsy, mumbled, “I’ll take a shower later… let me sleep for a while…”

When Tao Sheng woke up, Ji Yanming was already awake, leaning against the headboard and playing with a pearl flower she had taken out of her hair the night before.

Tao Sheng gently rubbed her sore eyes and asked Ji Yanming, “Is this my pearl flower?”

She remembered clearly that she had placed it on the dressing table last night, so how did it end up in his hands now?

“When I went to Jinzhou with the Ministry of Justice to investigate a case, a local squire involved in the case gave us each a box of pearls as a thank-you gift. When I opened the box, it reminded me of the time when you played the zither for me in my dream and took off the pearl flower hairpin.”

Tao Sheng leaned into his arms and listened quietly. She didn’t really understand the main point. Then she heard his voice again: “I was dreaming.”

With the context and the closeness, it was clear that Ji Yanming wasn’t referring to an ordinary dream.

Tao Sheng’s face turned red instantly. She glanced at the candle still burning by the bed and said softly, “It turns out this dragon and phoenix candle really can burn all night.”

Seeing Tao Sheng’s face turn red, Ji Yanming decided not to tease her further: “Are you tired? Would you like me to carry you to take a bath?”

“Yes,” Tao Sheng replied.

After Tao Sheng came out of the shower, she noticed Ji Yanming had brought the zither over.

She was a little puzzled and asked, “Do you want to play the zither for me?”

Ji Yanming explained briefly about Mr. Wei’s test yesterday. “He made me promise to teach you Shu Xin^[1]refer to a traditional musical style. every day and play your favorite song for you. That’s why I’m doing this.”

It seemed Ji Yanming was ready to keep his promise, but Tao Sheng hurriedly interrupted: “As the saying goes, there’s no first in literature, and no second in martial arts. The same applies to our music world. I like many songs, and if I say this is my favorite, it may seem biased. Mr. Wei probably bet with someone and brought back a few music books, asking me which I liked best. After reading them, I could tell one was his style, so I chose that. I didn’t mean for him to misunderstand so much.”

“So…” Tao Sheng took Ji Yanming’s hand and shook it gently. “You can rest. Let’s eat early, and you don’t need to play anymore.”

After saying this, Tao Sheng noticed Ji Yanming’s smile seemed a little helpless.

Curious, Tao Sheng asked, “What are you laughing at, cousin?”

“You were probably just a little girl under ten back then, and you were so good at making people happy.” He took her fingers and kissed them gently. “I guess I still need to be careful when we’re together.”

_ 

In the days after their marriage, Tao Sheng and Ji Yanming were mostly together. Ji Yanming wasn’t used to being served, and Tao Sheng didn’t want to be served either, so they rarely had anyone around to give them orders.

This created opportunities for others to have fun in their absence.

As the honeymoon came to an end and they were preparing to go back to work, the two of them decided to handle the piled-up documents together in the study. But as Tao Sheng moved closer to watch Ji Yanming write, she ended up being held in his lap and had her neck kissed.

During these few days of getting along, Ji Yanming noticed that Tao Sheng was able to focus on her work mostly when she was in bed. Once they left the bedroom, she seemed indifferent to her family.

This wasn’t a good habit and should be fixed.

His kiss moved down her neck: “Shengsheng, now that we’re married, you don’t have to be so… stiff and old-fashioned.”

Tao Sheng had been an official for many years and believed her mindset had become calm and peaceful. However, after hearing these words, her competitive spirit, which had been dormant for a long time, was triggered.

After all, she was a modern person with advanced education. How could she tolerate being called old-fashioned by an ancient man who had studied the Four Books and Five Classics!

Tao Sheng quickly fought back, wrapping her arms around his neck, prying open his mouth, and taking the lead.

In the following time, he pressed her against the partition and responded to her initiative.

The feeling this time was different from before. Without a place to support her hands, she could only hold him tightly.

The partition was surprisingly sturdy, considering it didn’t break even after an hour.

After the two incidents, Tao Sheng touched the bruise on his back and felt deeply regretful. Why did she let her anger get the better of her and act in ways that were bad for both of them?

If this happened again, she might lose her life.

From this point of view, being a little old-fashioned might not be so bad after all.