After Yin Zidu left, Bihuan and Lütao came in to help Shen Yuning wash and dress up. Lütao was grinning from ear to ear and kept letting out happy giggles from time to time.
Unable to bear it any longer, Bihuan gave her a reproachful look. "Stop laughing and hurry up. Don't waste time."
Lütao still had a big smile on her face and said cheerfully, "The prince dotes on our young lady. When I saw that it was getting late, I wanted to come in and serve you to get up. But that old woman stopped me yesterday and said that the prince had given orders that you should rest in peace and the servants were not allowed to disturb you."
Only then did Shen Yuning realize why she had slept so soundly and her two maidservants hadn't come to wake her up. It turned out that they had been stopped by Zidu's people.
Lütao added, "Moreover, when the servants asked if they should at least serve the princess to wash up, that old woman said that the prince didn't like to be served by others and that the servants could only come in after the prince gave the order."
Lütao giggled and continued with her head down, "I also asked what if the princess got up first and there was no one to serve her. That old woman looked at me as if I was crazy and said that the prince was inside, wasn't he?"
Shen Yuning's face flushed instantly. It seemed to imply that the prince could serve her.
The simple washing just now was also done with Zidu's help. She wanted to call the maidservants over, but Yin Zidu didn't agree. After she had tidied herself up and he had left, Bihuan and Lütao were allowed to come in.
At this moment, Bihuan also whispered, "Princess, the servants have inquired. Usually, only two eunuchs take care of the prince, and they were assigned by the emperor and couldn't be refused. In the past, the attendants around the prince could only follow him from afar and were not allowed to get close to him."
Why was she telling her this? Shen Yuning was rather puzzled.
Bihuan leaned close to Shen Yuning's ear and said, "Moreover, there has never been a woman around the prince."
Shen Yuning glared at her. "Are you also becoming as naughty as Lütao?"
Lütao quickly pleaded her innocence. The three of them had a good laugh. It was only when Shen Yuning realized that it was getting too late that she straightened her face and told them to hurry up and do her makeup.
While combing Shen Yuning's hair, Lütao said, "It's just that no woman has ever gotten close to him. The servants have inquired. There is a flower girl living in the northernmost courtyard of the prince's mansion."
Bihuan laughed. "Tsk tsk. Princess, look. Lütao thinks that there shouldn't even be a single flower girl in the prince's mansion."
Lütao quickly said, "Princess, that flower girl is just a guise. The northern courtyard is empty, and the flowers and plants she tends to are never taken out. It's obvious that the prince is just using this as an excuse to keep a woman there."
Hearing what she said, Bihuan quickly defended, "Princess, don't listen to Lütao's nonsense. The servants have inquired clearly. The prince only came to live in the mansion for a couple of days when it was first built. The rest of the time, he lived in the palace. Everything in the prince's mansion is managed by the Internal Affairs Office and has nothing to do with the prince. That flower girl should really be a flower girl."
Shen Yuning looked up. "That's enough. Stop arguing and hurry up with the dressing. What time is it? It will take some time to enter the palace. We mustn't keep the emperor and the empress waiting for so long."
It was indeed getting very late. Sitting in the carriage, Shen Yuning was a bit restless. She had had a rough night. Even though she had had a good rest later, she still felt sore all over her body as if she was falling apart when she got up this morning.
She glanced at the man sitting beside her. It was all his fault for making such a ruckus last night. But while she was exhausted, he still looked so energetic today.
Energetic?
Shen Yuning's face suddenly turned red.
She heard Yin Zidu's low laughter in her ear. "What are you thinking about, wife? You've even blushed."
Shen Yuning's face turned even redder. She didn't dare to look at him and quickly said, "I'm thinking that it's so late for us to have an audience with the emperor. The emperor and the empress will blame us later."
Yin Zidu took her hand in his and played with it. Her hands were not delicate. Due to all the housework she had to do, there was a thin layer of calluses on them. He stroked the calluses on her hands and felt that this was what was real.
What was the point of those delicate girls raised in mansions like porcelain vases?
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. He just couldn't get enough of it.
Shen Yuning struggled, but he just hugged her tightly. He let go of her hand but soon pressed his lips against hers.
She quickly pushed him away. "Don't be naughty. I've put on makeup today. If it gets smeared all over, how can I have an audience with the emperor?"
"We're newlyweds. Brother Emperor and Sister-in-law Empress should understand."
Although his words were rather inappropriate, Yin Zidu finally let go of her. He just hugged her and didn't do anything else.
"Yuning, don't worry. Sister-in-law Empress is very considerate. She has already said that we can enter the palace whenever we wake up today."
Shen Yuning felt a bit more at ease. It seemed that the empress was really easy to get along with.
But Yin Zidu just wouldn't let her feel at ease. He immediately whispered in her ear, "You're usually so fierce. I would be scared even if you called me Xuanzhi softly. But last night, I wasn't scared at all when you called me so loudly."
Shen Yuning felt as if the fire in her heart was burning from the inside out. If there was a crack in the carriage floor, she would have drilled through it.
This Yin Zidu, how could he say such nonsense?
Fortunately, the prince's mansion was not far from the palace. Before Yin Zidu could continue his nonsense, they arrived.
Shen Yuning found an excuse and quickly pushed him away. She straightened her clothes and tidied up her hair a bit before following Yin Zidu out of the carriage and walking towards the palace.
She had entered the palace many times since she was a child. But at that time, she had only met the former emperor. Now that there was a new emperor, although she had seen him many times in the court, she had never talked to him. This was the first time.
However, before she had walked a few steps, the aunt beside the empress walked over with a gentle smile. "Prince, Princess. The empress was afraid that you would be tired, so she has prepared sedan chairs for you."
Shen Yuning was a bit surprised. In the palace, only the emperor and the empress were allowed to take sedan chairs. Occasionally, when an elderly official entered the palace, the emperor would show mercy and grant him a sedan chair so that he wouldn't be too tired.
Today, they also had sedan chairs? Was this kind of favor too much?
But Yin Zidu just thanked her and then personally helped Shen Yuning onto the sedan chair before turning around to take the other one.
Seeing this, the aunt smiled even more amiably. "The prince and the princess are a harmonious couple. The emperor and the empress will surely be happy when they see you."
When they arrived in front of the hall, Shen Yuning was quite nervous. She had seen the emperor many times during the court sessions. The emperor was in poor health and often couldn't attend the court. Even when he came, he didn't say much. He would just cough a few times or give a perfunctory answer and then leave everything to Yin Zidu.
As for the empress, Shen Yuning had met her when she was a child and attended a palace banquet. At that time, the empress hadn't married into the Eastern Palace yet. She was sitting with the Princess of Zhuang. She was a beautiful young girl, but there was always a look of dullness and flattery on her face.
After her biological parents passed away, although the Duke of Zhu took good care of her and the Mansion of Zhuang treated her as their own, the feeling of living under someone else's roof was never good.
Moreover, she had come from the distant Wuyun to this strange city.
Shen Yuning remembered again that at that time, the princess of the Mansion of Zhuang was also sitting beside the Princess of Zhuang. The Princess of Zhuang looked very kind. When introducing her to others, she always praised her adopted daughter for being so gentle and obedient. But when she turned around, she would say that her own daughter was as naughty as a monkey and very annoying.
However, even when she was only six or seven years old, she could see the light in the Princess of Zhuang's eyes when she mentioned her own daughter.
Later, at another palace banquet, she was already the Crown Princess. A young and lively girl had married a half-dead crown prince. She didn't know how miserable that must have been.
Anyway, Shen Yuning didn't think she looked young. She was still dull and listless, sitting at the top. Even wearing the same color of palace dress as the Concubine Xian beside the emperor, if you didn't look at her face, at first glance, the glamorous Concubine Xian looked much younger than the Crown Princess.
It was as if she had never been young.
With mixed feelings, Shen Yuning got off the sedan chair. Yin Zidu quickly walked over, took her hand, and walked into the hall together.
An eunuch had already gone in to announce that the Regent and his princess had arrived.
When Shen Yuning entered the hall and looked up, she saw the emperor and the empress sitting on the throne.
She was a bit dazed. Was this the empress? Was this the former listless Crown Princess?
It seemed that after her status had changed, she had also changed completely. She was majestic, solemn, and meticulous, with a kind smile on her face.
Seeing Yin Zidu and Shen Yuning come in, the empress waved. "Zidu, Yuning, come here."
Shen Yuning was nervous and wanted to pull her hand away from Yin Zidu's, but he held it tightly and she couldn't break free.
The empress let out a soft laugh and said to the emperor, "They are really a well-matched and loving couple."
The emperor also laughed.
An eunuch came in and served tea. Yin Zidu and Shen Yuning knelt down together and offered tea to the emperor and the empress.
The emperor coughed. "Zidu, Yuning. Today I'm your elder brother, not the emperor, so you don't have to call me 'Your Majesty'."
Yin Zidu looked up. "Brother is also Your Majesty. Yuning, call him 'Your Majesty'."
Shen Yuning picked up the teacup and offered it to the emperor. "Your Majesty, please have some tea."
The eunuch took the teacup and served the emperor to drink. Then he bestowed a reward.
Shen Yuning picked up another teacup and offered it to the empress. "Sister-in-law Empress, please have some tea."
The empress smiled even more kindly. After drinking the tea, the eunuch beside her presented the gift that had been prepared for the new bride.
It was a pair of red corals.
The Great Zhou didn't border the sea, and corals were always tribute items. Red corals were rare, and such a big pair was a real rare treasure.
Shen Yuning instinctively looked up and wanted to decline, but this was her wedding, and the empress was giving her the gift out of love. Even though it was too precious and inappropriate, she didn't dare to decline.
Finally, it was the turn of the eldest prince, Yin Yunhan.
Yin Yunhan was only ten years old now, but he was very steady. After drinking the tea, he took out a jade pendant and said that he wanted to give it to his aunt. There was still a childish smile on his face. For a moment, he looked a bit like Xuanzhi when he was ten years old.
"Aunt is so beautiful. I like Aunt."
His words were rather childish.
Shen Yuning smiled and took the jade pendant, pretending to be happy. "Thank you, Your Highness the Eldest Prince."
However, as soon as she touched the jade pendant, Yin Zidu took it away from her.
Yin Yunhan was a bit unhappy. "Uncle, this is a gift from me to Aunt."
Yin Zidu raised his eyebrows and a smile appeared on his face. "Since it's a gift for your aunt, it's also a gift for me. I think this jade pendant matches my new clothes better."