Extra 3-3: Newlyweds

After the King of Chu finished teasing Xiao Feng, he walked around the Ji residence. He saw Tian Dong and Lian Chuan walking toward him and asked, “Where is Lord Ji?”

Tian Dong answered, “Your Highness, the young master is probably in the study.”

He had just delivered fruit and saw the young master and his new wife there. It seemed they were dealing with the documents piled up from the holiday, so it would take them at least two hours to come out.

Lian Chuan, however, suggested another theory: “The master may have gone back to the main courtyard.”

About a quarter of an hour ago, the adults had ordered water for bathing, and it was delivered to the main room at the back.

The King of Chu frowned.

For such a simple question, the two servants gave different answers, and neither was accurate. Their professionalism was lacking.

Lian Chuan noticed the King of Chu’s displeasure and asked, “Your Highness, are you here today to talk to the young master about something? He’s busy with his wedding now, so it might be better to wait until he returns to the government office in two days.”

With only two days left of vacation, it seemed strange that the King of Chu had come at this time.

The King of Chu didn’t pick up on Lian Chuan’s implication and replied, “It’s exactly because the vacation is ending that I came to talk to them.”

Once they return to work, it would be hard to gather all the materials.

The King of Chu looked at Lian Chuan with a puzzled expression and asked, “In which year did you start serving in the palace?”

“Your Highness, it was the forty-third year of Youde.”

The King of Chu chuckled and said proudly, “So, if you think about it, I’ve known your Master for longer, and I’ve even helped arrange your Master’s marriage…”

He then told them about his past deeds as a matchmaker.

Tian Dong and Lian Chuan had been following Ji Yanming on patrol for three years. Over time, they had perfected the skill of keeping their emotions hidden, becoming expressionless.

Though they were trying their best to cooperate with the King of Chu, their expressions were still cold in his eyes.

The King of Chu slapped his thigh. How could these two serve his Xiao Ji and Xiao Tao properly? He decided to replace them. Tomorrow, he would visit the Inner Court to pick a few people with better skills and send them over.

The King of Chu felt there was nothing more to say to these two. They were far less pleasing than Xiao Feng, who was quietly waiting nearby. He turned to talk to Xiao Feng instead.

_

When Tao Sheng returned to the main courtyard from the study, the bathwater was ready. She soon noticed Ji Yanming staring at the wall of the wooden barrel, which seemed sturdy.

The wooden barrel appeared more durable than the pear wood partition.

Tao Sheng shivered and stood in front of him, blocking his gaze. “I didn’t sleep well last night, so I’m a bit tired.”

Ji Yanming withdrew his gaze and gently kissed her forehead. “Got it.”

After Ji Yanming left, Tao Sheng took a hot bath and felt refreshed. When she came out, Qing Xing informed her that the King of Chu had arrived.

Tao Sheng went to the study and saw King Chu and Ji Yanming talking.

The King of Chu was asking why he hadn’t seen Su Jia Ji Yanming’s mother since he arrived.

Ji Yanming answered, “Mother went to the zither store early today.”

The King of Chu was surprised. “She went to the music store right after you got married? Why didn’t she stay home and chat with you?”

He paused, as though deciding whether to ask something, then couldn’t help himself: “Is your family low on money lately?”

Su Jia had gone to the zither store on the third day after their marriage.

The shopkeepers nearby were all surprised to see her. They praised her dedication, calling her a role model for their generation.

Su Jia smiled but said nothing.

Just last night, she had arranged for a dinner and invited the young couple.

The son at the dinner table looked content, having eaten well, while Tao Sheng, her face flushed, quietly drank her soup.

They ate distractedly. Su Jia, experienced in such matters, realized quickly and decided not to stay with them.

The most important thing for a young couple is not to be disturbed. Instead of staying at home, they should focus on their business at the zither store.

After hearing the King of Chu’s words, Ji Yanming simply smiled slightly, then lowered his head to sip his tea.

Those who can read the room know to leave space, while others might overstep and try to chat.

The King of Chu watched Tian Dong deliver a fruit plate and leave. Reflecting on his earlier conversation, he gave Ji Yanming a suggestion: “Although your servants have been with you for a while, they haven’t shown much progress. I’ll visit the Inner Court tomorrow, and I’ll bring a few good ones.”

“I appreciate your kindness, Your Highness,” Ji Yanming said. “But the servants in the Inner Court are limited. If you reward one or two to relatives, it’s fine. But if you give them to me, it might seem inappropriate.”

The King of Chu sighed, realizing Ji Yanming was cautious, but he found conversing with Ji Yanming interesting, unlike ordinary conversations which felt boring.

When Tao Sheng appeared at the door, the King of Chu’s eyes lit up. He waved and said, “Xiao Tao is here! Please sit down and try the tea I brought today.”

Tao Sheng sat down and tasted it. It was the newly arrived Longjing tea before the rain of imperial quality, and it tasted excellent.

Tao Sheng smiled. “Your Highness, are you here to serve tea?”

“No,” the King of Chu said cheerfully, “I’m here to invite people. We’ve only had beef and mutton hotpots before, but now the princess hired a new chef who can make seafood hotpot mixed with rice porridge and mountain delicacies. Why don’t we have a hotpot first, and then play cards with the princess and the others to relax? Doesn’t it sound nice?”

He looked at Tao Sheng expectantly, not even glancing at Ji Yanming.

Tao Sheng turned to Ji Yanming and asked for his opinion.

Since the morning incident, she felt her ears grow warm whenever she saw Ji Yanming.

If she were just an ordinary woman in ancient times, whose main goal was to get married and live happily, this would be possible. But Tao Sheng was the Grand Music Order of the Great Zhou and had responsibilities. As her vacation was ending, she needed to focus on her work.

Although she knew Ji Yanming wasn’t the kind of person to focus on pleasure, she had always respected him as an authoritative figure in the original text and never asked him to play cards.

So, Tao Sheng quickly made her decision: “I want to go.”

Although she said this to the King of Chu, her gaze was on Ji Yanming.

Ji Yanming wanted to stay with her longer but decided against it, remembering her anxious expression earlier.

They had a long life ahead, and Ji Yanming wasn’t seeking short-lived happiness, but a lasting one.

He nodded at Tao Sheng and said, “Okay, let’s go together.”

_

The Princess of Chu was very happy with the new chef hired by her mansion. Today, she invited Tao Sheng, Ji Yanming, Princesses He’en and He Xuan, and the Crown Prince’s wife from Prince Huan’s family to try the new food.

As the matchmaker, officially recognized to sit at the main seat at the wedding, the Princess of Chu was enthusiastic and attentive to the newlyweds. She wanted to ask Tao Sheng how she felt after getting married, but seeing how sweet the couple was, she felt it would be unnecessary and make her seem too talkative. So, she stopped asking and instead entertained them with food.

Having a seafood hotpot in this season was perfect. The base was made of scallops, ginseng, and shark fins, then cooked with fresh river and seafood delivered by express horse. It was served with the prepared sauce. Whether the fish, shrimp, and shellfish were added first, or the stewed vegetables and noodles later, everything was delicious.

Tao Sheng enjoyed the meal very much.

After eating, it was time for the card-playing session, which the Princess of Chu was most excited about.

The King of Chu had been the eldest prince since birth. Others had always given way to him, but he never did the same for others. So, even though there were more people than seats for playing cards today, he didn’t hold back and immediately took a seat.

Princess He’en and the others were the Princess of Chu’s usual card partners. Playing cards with them was no longer a novelty. Like Tao Sheng, they all wanted to watch Lord Ji play cards, so they moved aside to let the young couple play first.

When it came time to decide who would sit in the last spot, Princess He Xuan and the others worried Ji Yanming would be as ruthless in cards as he was in his duties. So, they chose to wait and see. Nobody was willing to take the last spot, and the Princess of Chu finally filled the vacancy.

Once all four corners were set, Tao Sheng drew the cards and started playing, with Princess He Xuan sitting behind her to watch the cards.

Ji Yanming played very aggressively, feeding cards to Tao Sheng, but he was merciless to the others.

After a few rounds, the King of Chu was the first to withdraw and pulled Princess He’en up.

After three more rounds of cards, the King of Chu, who was sitting aside drinking tea, received pleading looks from his wife and sister.

The purpose of playing cards is to understand human relationships. If the calculations are too complex, it becomes boring. The King of Chu had just seen Ji Yanming’s ruthless card playing, and he felt sorry for him. After the game was hastily ended, he said to Ji Yanming, “I got a new book a few days ago, which is perfect for you to read.”

He then pulled Ji Yanming off the card table, handed him a storybook, and motioned for him to sit down and read.

Ji Yanming did not argue, but sat quietly reading the storybook.

Tao Sheng played a few more rounds with Princess Chu and the others. After winning a big hand, she glanced over at Ji Yanming.

He had probably finished reading the book, and at some point had closed it and was now sitting quietly drinking tea. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a warm glow on his face, making his usual cold demeanor appear unexpectedly lonely.

Tao Sheng silently reflected on this.

They were newlyweds now, and it seemed a bit unkind for him to sit there alone, drinking tea while she was having fun with others.

Thinking this, Tao Sheng stood up, stretching her slightly stiff arms, then turned to Ji Yanming and said, “I want to eat some snow pear cups to moisten my throat. Cousin, come and help me.”

As soon as Tao Sheng finished speaking, Princess He’en stopped her hand that was about to draw a card: “I suddenly remembered something at home… How about we stop here today.”

“Yes, yes.” Princess He Xuan added, “I’ve been bothering elder brother for a long time. Lord Ji and Lord Luo, please stay for a while. We are leaving first.”

Watching the backs of the princesses and the Crown Prince’s wife hurry away, Tao Sheng had a strong feeling that, thanks to Ji Yanming, no one would ask them to play cards together anytime soon.

This time, Tao Sheng came to the King of Chu’s house to play cards and won quite a lot. In addition to the usual gold and silver ingots, she also won a batch of new summer clothing materials from the Princess of Chu.

The embroiderers around Luo Xin are very skilled. Tao Sheng’s clothes are made by the same two embroiderers her mother often uses. After several fittings, they already know her size, so there’s no need for new measurements.

Now that they were married, they were a closer family. Tao Sheng planned to send Ji Yanming’s clothes to the embroiderer, so she needed to take his measurements.

Just then, Tian Dong and Lian Chuan came in to deliver some court robes for the changing season, and Tao Sheng waved them over: “Wait a moment.”

The new lady had her own wet nurse and maidservants, and this was the first time she gave them a task.

Both of them stared at Tao Sheng attentively, waiting for her instructions.

Tao Sheng pointed at Ji Yanming, who was standing beside her with his hands behind his back, and said, “Measure your young master’s size. I will ask the embroiderer beside my mother to make two sets of clothes.”

Ji Yanming glanced over calmly, and Tian Dong and Lian Chuan stepped back quickly, saying, “We don’t know how.”

When Tao Sheng was still a little girl in Qin County, she would help Su Wan measure and cut clothes. Hearing what the two said, she was surprised and asked, “What’s so difficult about this?”

She took the ruler from Zhou’s mother and showed them how to do it.

But they kept shaking their heads, saying they didn’t understand. Though Tao Sheng explained well, they couldn’t learn it.

Tao Sheng was furious. These two had followed Ji Yanming for three years, and they couldn’t even do something as simple as personal service. She didn’t know how much her cousin had suffered over the years.

The King of Chu was right; these people needed to improve their skills.

Tao Sheng was about to continue teaching them, but Ji Yanming waved his hand, signaling the two to retreat.

Tao Sheng was still struggling with the size issue: “If you send them away, who will help you measure and tailor the clothes?”

“I think you’re very skilled at measuring,” Ji Yanming said. He was impressed by how well Tao Sheng had taught earlier. People who didn’t know her would think she was an expert. He pulled her closer. “Even if you teach for another ten days, they can’t match your skills. Just help me measure.”

Tao Sheng blushed at the compliment and quickly agreed. She took the ruler to measure his size.

Ji Yanming removed his outer shirt, leaving only a thin inner one, allowing her to measure him.

As Tao Sheng measured, she felt hotter, her throat dry and her cheeks warm. She hurriedly wrote the last number and went outside to get some juice.

But Ji Yanming grabbed her wrist. “Where are you going?”

“I’m too hot. I need some sherbet to cool off.”

“No need,” he said, holding her wrist and untying the silk ribbon around her waist. “You’ll feel cool soon.”