The Perilous Palace Dream - Chapter 115
Chapter 115
As the sea vessel sailed away, Nie Qinglin stood on the pier and gazed into the distance for a long time.
Nanny Shan said in a low voice, “Princess, please board the carriage quickly. The sea breeze here is too harsh; do not catch a chill.”
Nie Qinglin stepped into the carriage, and surrounded by the imperial guard escort, she began her return to the palace.
Since the pier was some distance from the capital, the journey would take a while.
However, the carriage had been moving for only a short moment when clouds of dust billowed in the distance.
Shortly after, a white horse snorted loudly as it trotted right up to the carriage.
Nie Qinglin lifted the curtain and looked up, surprised to see the Grand Tutor braving the elements, galloping toward her in a black sable cloak.
“Didn’t the Grand Tutor say he needed to discuss state affairs with the ministers? Why did you come in person?”
Riding a horse through the freezing wind had left a light dusting of frost on the Grand Tutor’s face, and his warm breath had condensed into fine icy particles on his long eyelashes.
Hearing the Princess’s question, his response was succinct: “I came out to meet you.”
With that, he dismounted, removed the sable cloak from his shoulders, and only then stepped into the carriage—to avoid bringing too much cold air inside.
Looking at his face, which was slightly red from the freezing wind, Nie Qinglin naturally understood his intentions.
Due to several mishaps in the past, the Grand Tutor now strictly restricted her travels; any long trips were avoided whenever possible.
If the Little Dragon Pearl hadn’t insisted on personally seeing Shen Hong’er off to sea, the Grand Tutor would never have agreed in a million years.
It just so happened that several senior frontier officials had arrived to report on their duties, a matter concerning the border situation that could not be delayed, so he had allowed Nie Qinglin to go ahead first.
Once he finished his official business, he had spurred his horse on to rush over.
Upon stepping into the carriage, the Grand Tutor suddenly pulled a paper parcel from his inner robe and handed it to Nie Qinglin.
Only when she took it did she realize the parcel was piping hot.
Opening it carefully, she saw that it was baked sweet potatoes.
It turned out that on his way here, the Grand Tutor had passed by a street stall selling baked sweet potatoes and suddenly recalled how the Little Dragon Pearl used to personally bake sweet potato slices for him.
On an impulse, he bought two and tucked them into his chest—first to serve as a hand-warmer, and second to give the Little Dragon Pearl as a little street snack to enjoy.
Sure enough, these two charred-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside morsels won the Princess’s favor instantly.
Her large eyes brightened in a flash.
Peeling back the skin of one, she took a gentle bite of the golden flesh, exhaling hot steam as she savored the purest, most authentic flavor of the food.
Seeing the Princess eating so intently that crumbs of sweet potato clung to her cheek, the Grand Tutor chuckled and lightly pecked her tender cheek a few times.
He casually slipped off her boots and pressed her small, delicate feet against his chest, which had been warmed by the sweet potatoes.
Although heavy cotton curtains hung inside the carriage and hand-warmers with glowing charcoal were present, a subtle chill remained inescapable.
Eating hot sweet potatoes while having her feet warmed like this was truly quite delightful.
After finishing one, the Princess stopped, licked her lips, and handed the remaining one to the Grand Tutor,”Does the Grand Tutor wish to eat?”
Seeing that this little foodie had only just remembered him, Wei Lenghou parted his thin lips slightly with a soft laugh,”A snack for children—this Marquis has no desire to eat it. I bought it for you in the first place. For such an ordinary thing to make you eat with such abandon… if only you ate your regular meals with this much relish, how wonderful that would be.”
Princess Yong’an blinked, but her feet tucked inside his robes were far from misbehaving, her toes gently brushing against the man’s solid chest stroke by stroke,”The Grand Tutor makes fun of me again.”
How could a noble man’s firm, powerful chest tolerate such audacity from a pair of jade feet? With a mischievous smile, the Grand Tutor pulled Guo’er straight into his embrace, casually reaching for an imported lamb-wool blanket to cover them both.
“The Princess’s jade feet were so icy; her whole body must be thoroughly chilled. Let this Marquis warm the Princess up… “
As he spoke, his large palm reached deep beneath her skirt.
Flustered and heart pounding from those ubiquitous, lingering fingers, Nie Qinglin wrapped her arms around the Grand Tutor’s neck in mild distress, leaning close to him as she panted in delicate, hushed gasps, “Grand Tutor, pull back quickly… do not fool around in this carriage.”
Wei Lenghou lowered his head and said, “This servant knows his limits. I only mean to get the Princess warm…”
As he spoke, he sealed that soft, panting mouth, his hand becoming increasingly unrestrained beneath her clothes.
How could the Princess withstand his myriad of methods? Before long, tears glistened in the corners of her eyes, and her entire body radiated heat.
Only then did the Grand Tutor stay his hand, wiping everything clean with a handkerchief.
He then held the Princess—whose breathing had yet to settle—to rest in the carriage for a while.
It wasn’t long before the Princess, exhausted from his antics, fell asleep in his arms.
Due to the teasing moments ago, the Grand Tutor found his own passions somewhat difficult to suppress.
Yet he knew that if he acted in the carriage, the force of his movements would inevitably cause the vehicle to sway violently.
With numerous guards outside, his little one would be so mortified she wouldn’t speak to him for days, so he forcibly reined in the restlessness below his waist.
As he steadily adjusted his breathing, he couldn’t help but look down at the sleeping face of Guo’er in his arms.
On her fair cheeks, the faint bluish circles beneath her eyes were noticeable; Nanny Shan had been telling the truth when she said the Princess hadn’t been sleeping well these past few days.
He had originally thought she was worried about Shen Hong’er’s future, which was why he had gone with the flow and reluctantly agreed to his younger brother’s marriage.
He hadn’t expected that even now, when the dust had settled, the Princess still seemed unable to sleep peacefully…leaving one to wonder what lingering distress she still carried in her heart.
Recalling the day she had misunderstood the situation between him and Empress Shen, the sight of Guo’er crying so heartbrokenly was not something he ever wished to see again.
Yet a woman’s intricate, winding mind was not something an ordinary man could easily fathom.
Now that the misunderstanding was cleared, why was Guo’er still filled with such anxious, sorrowful thoughts?
The Grand Tutor could master the shifting winds and clouds of the imperial court without the slightest effort, yet he found himself increasingly unable to grasp the thoughts of this delicate little woman.
“Little Guo’er… just what do you want this Marquis to do?”
The Grand Tutor let out a sigh, tightening his embrace around the soundly sleeping beauty.
In truth, the Grand Tutor also had a pressing matter on his mind.
Although he wished for his ascension to the throne and his grand wedding with the Princess to take place simultaneously, this idea met with fierce opposition from Qiu Mingyan and his core group of trusted advisors.
“Grand Tutor, if you marry the Princess now in your capacity as a subject, you will be receiving imperial favor, making your future ascension to the throne all the smoother. However, if you ascend the throne first and only then marry the Princess as your Empress, it will inevitably carry the taint of forced marriage, giving people grounds for criticism,” Qiu Mingyan and the other strategists had earnestly advised him.
According to the Grand Tutor’s wishes, having the Little Dragon Pearl enter the imperial palace as the Empress would be most to his liking.
However, when he brought it up with Nie Qinglin, she merely offered a slight smile, “Having already sat on the Dragon Throne, the position of Empress holds little novelty. The Grand Tutor may do whatever is most convenient for himself; there is no need to worry about this Princess.”
These were candid, honest words, yet they caused the Grand Tutor’s expression to turn somewhat displeased, calling to mind the bizarre trouble Old Senior Minister Wu had cooked up, “Could it be that the Princess still harbors some lingering reluctance toward that Dragon Throne?”
The underlying tone in those words carried a chilling pressure.
Princess Yong’an was currently lying back on a custom-made reclining chair, having her hair washed.
The chair was specially crafted so that the back leaned lower, perfectly accommodating her position to expose her hair while lying back.
Nanny Shan was using a jade ladle to gently scoop warm, clear water over the dense black tresses cascading downward.
Hearing the Grand Tutor’s words, however, she tilted her head up slightly, cast a glance at the Grand Tutor’s gloomy expression, and found it rather amusing.
She let out a soft laugh and said, “The chair in the main hall was a bit stiff; sitting on it was never quite comfortable. This Princess has always preferred comfort and leisure. I am more than happy to be free from morning court assemblies…why would I harbor any reluctance?”
The Grand Tutor naturally understood Nie Qinglin’s temperament—more than clever enough, yet devoid of political ambition.
Having spent so long fighting in the stormy arena of court politics, where men and women of all kinds altered their demeanor once entering the battlefield of fame and fortune as the clear light in their eyes was gradually replaced by a surging ambition for power, this delicate young woman at the very center of the power vortex had maintained her composure from start to finish, never losing her true self.
At times, after gazing into those clear eyes for a long while, even he would feel a faint sense of shame.
The Grand Tutor let out a soft cold snort as he met those smiling eyes looking back at him.
She had better not harbor even a shred of imperial ambition! Even if she were reluctant to part with it, he would find a way to sever her thoughts completely.
This young woman was exceptionally bold and knew nothing of the traditional virtues for women.
If she truly became a Female Emperor, there was no telling if she might set up three palaces and six courtyards of handsome suitors and gather a whole troupe of young, handsome men… So every time he thought of this, he wished he could roast that old rascal Wu Jinglin over a hot stove until he was thoroughly done.
After speaking, Nie Qinglin slowly lowered her head back down, allowing the warm water mixed with floral dew to slowly soak her scalp, washing her long, thick black hair.
Since Guo’er did not particularly care about these tedious formalities, everything would be much easier to manage.
Princess Yong’an, imperial princess of the Great Wei, was granted permission by the Emperor to marry the Marquis of Dingguo.
The imperial decree had already been promulgated, and preparations for the Princess’s grand wedding were being carried out with intense fervor.
The bedchambers in the palace had not yet finished being renovated, so there was no rush to use them.
The Grand Tutor had spent a large sum to purchase the residence of Lord Yongping.
He ordered the entire outer perimeter wall demolished and expanded, having the place completely overhauled and renovated into the Marquis Consort’s Manor.
The reason the Grand Tutor had purchased Lord Yongping’s residence was that the estate was an ancient relic left behind from the previous dynasty; its gardens had been refined over several generations into a considerable scale.
More importantly, before the Princess returned to the palace with him, she would not have to encounter the concubines originally residing in the Grand Tutor’s manor.
After the incident with Empress Shen, the Grand Tutor naturally knew what this jealous little woman would be like if her jealousy flared up, and he did not wish to make the Princess unhappy over the matter of concubines.
The Grand Tutor had been swamped with government affairs lately, to the point that he was rarely seen even in the palace.
The battle situation at the northern border had shifted; it was said that Xiu Tuhong had been ambushed by assassins and suffered severe injuries.
Hearing this news, Nie Qinglin could not help but feel a subtle worry for her Eighth Sister, wondering how Eighth Sister was currently faring among the Xiongnu.
On this day, Nanny Shan reported that the Marquis Consort’s Manor had been fully renovated and invited the Princess to step over and take a look whenever she had time.
Feeling somewhat bored in the palace over the past few days, Nie Qinglin readily stood up, thinking it would be nice to step outside the palace for some fresh air.
The Marquis Consort’s Manor was built on Huaqi Lane.
The lane was quite grand, and the new manor occupied the entire street by itself.
The manor was built with great grandeur, with solid blue-granite walls rising high to enclose the courtyard.
The main gates were extraordinarily wide, spacious enough for two carriages to pass through side by side.
Crafted from top-grade golden teakwood from the southern border and half a meter thick, they required two sturdy servants pushing with all their strength to open, yielding nothing to the defensive gates of the imperial palace.
It was said that Lord Yongping’s inherited estate could rival a royal palace, and today Nie Qinglin truly had her eyes opened to what it meant for an emperor to live among the populace!
Indeed, every pavilion, tower, and hall was exquisitely carved.
Free from the interference of imperial censors, spending silver naturally allowed for a much grander scale.
Even in the depths of winter, one could easily imagine how charming and moving this courtyard would be when spring bloomed.
After Nie Qinglin finished touring the Marquis Consort’s Manor, she saw several carriages parked not far away as she stepped into her carriage to leave.
A middle-aged man dressed in brocade stood to one side while several robust servants continuously carried items out from a neighboring residence and loaded them onto the carriages.
Looking closely, Nie Qinglin recognized him as the Marquis of Anbang.
This location was comparable to the prestigious Wuyi Lane of old, a gathering place for senior ministers of the former dynasty.
Thus, even empty in the Wei Dynasty, it still attracted nobility to reside here. Originally, there were three households: besides Lord Yongping, there were the Marquis of Anbang and the Marquis of Qingji.
Since the Grand Tutor was moving into the Marquis Consort’s Manor, under the subtle hints of certain courtiers adept at flattery, the Marquises of Anbang and Qingji weighed their options and decided to temporarily move out of the lane to seek residences elsewhere.
What Nie Qinglin was witnessing was precisely the Marquis of Anbang moving his household.
At this moment, the Marchioness of Anbang was also standing in the courtyard, watching the servants carry out her most beloved blue-and-white porcelain fish basin, looking with a pained expression at her beloved fish swaying unsteadily inside the basin.
Looking up, she happened to see Princess Yong’an emerging from the Marquis Consort’s Manor.
Instantly disregarding her beloved fish, she hurried over with the support of a maidservant to pay her respects to the Princess.
It was no wonder people said the Marquis of Anbang had a capable and wise wife.
Seeing that she had run into the Princess, she immediately adapted to the situation and said smoothly, “I was just thinking of Your Highness, and what a coincidence to meet you here! Originally, I kept a few golden-scaled dragonfish in my manor. Their appearance is quite charming and rare, kept in the courtyard to ward off evil and bring tranquility to the household. But now that we are moving, bumping along the road to change their quarters isn’t ideal. It would be better to offer them as a gift to Your Highness’s manor—firstly to partake in the joyful aura of Your Highness’s approaching grand occasion, and secondly as a token of my husband’s respects.”
Nie Qinglin looked at the few fish swimming in the basin and smiled slightly, thinking to herself that the Marchioness of Anbang was indeed generous.
These golden-scaled dragonfish were priceless and difficult to come by in the wild, highly prized due to their difficulty in breeding.
Because of their long lifespan and noble appearance, they were mostly owned by royal palaces.
However, since the Marchioness had spoken, it would be inappropriate to refuse.
Thus, she offered a faint smile, “Then this Princess thanks the Marchioness. It’s just that I am not skilled at raising fish or tending plants, so I wonder if I might fail to live up to your kind intentions.”
The Marchioness smiled gently, “That is no trouble at all. These fish are actually quite easy to raise and won’t burden Your Highness’s mind… My husband happens to have accompanied the Grand Tutor to welcome the Xiongnu princess, and he should be returning right about now. We happen to have just received some fresh Xueding Oolong tea; I wonder if Your Highness would care to step into our residence for a cup of clear tea?”
At this moment, Nie Qinglin slowly shifted her gaze back from the fish basin,”The Marchioness said… a Xiongnu princess?”
