Hong'an Xiangzhuang - 12

Hong'an Xiangzhuang - 12

"I don't!!!"

Zhao Yunkang emphasized that he shook the empty wine bottle, opened the wine jar next to him, tilted his head back and poured the wine into his mouth, showing the boldness of a northern man.

The wine splashed, and Yun Yixia reached out to stop it, but looked away when she met those watery eyes.

A cow chewing on a peony!

Plum wine tastes good, smooth on the palate, and has a strong aftertaste.

He's drunk!

Zhao Yunkang rested his chin on his hand, the alcohol staining his face with a faint blush, softening his usually cold and hard facial features.

"Xia, why aren't you saying anything? Hmm?"

He leaned forward sharply, his voice was lower than usual, slightly hoarse from drinking, and his "hmm" sent shivers down one's spine.

Yun Yixia felt her heart race as she was overwhelmed by the smell of alcohol exhaled by Zhao Yunkang.

This was the first time she had seen him so closely. Her eyes were misty with tears, and the corners of her eyes were slightly red. Her gaze was no longer restrained; she looked directly at him, and only at him.

"Say something!"

Zhao Yunkang suddenly stood up, swayed three times before regaining his balance, and staggered to Yun Yixia's side, determined to get an answer.

Do you prefer men or women?

His lips glistened with a moist sheen, and they unconsciously pursed and then relaxed, exhaling the fragrance of plum wine.

I like men!

"nonsense!"

Zhao Yunkang raised his hand and tugged at his collar, his slightly red Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

"Then why don't you like me? Why don't you smile at me... your smile is so beautiful?"

"Your Highness..."

Yun Yixia pushed his shoulders to straighten up, opened her arms and gently hugged his narrow waist, resting her head lightly against his broad chest, listening to his heartbeat getting faster and faster.

"Look! I embrace you without feeling disgusted. Doesn't that prove I like men?"

"Um!"

Zhao Yunkang stretched out his long arm and locked her tightly in his arms, then rubbed her hair, which smelled of medicine, with satisfaction.

"I knew it, you like me!"

"Your Highness, you've misrepresented me!"

Yun Yixia tried to push him away, but she was no match for a man's strength.

"Don't move! I just want a hug!"

His palms were very hot, the heat spreading through her back and throughout her body; his sticky, nasal voice was irresistible.

Zhao Yunkang and Yun Yixia touched foreheads, their drunken eyes filled with a youthful stubbornness.

You like me!

"You just like me!"

"You are my wife!"

"It's only natural that you like me!"

...

The intoxication made Zhao Yunkang lose his usual composure, muttering "I like it" under his breath. Yun Yixia could see two tiny reflections of herself in his eyes.

Xia, I'm very unhappy today!

He whispered in her ear, his brows furrowed, his voice filled with grievance.

Zhao Yunkang held Yun Yixia's waist with one hand, while gently stroking her cheek with the other. His fingertips were warm, and the calluses on his skin made her skin slightly red.

"You smiled at Li Yun...you smiled so happily...it hurts here..."

He took her hand and placed it on his chest, rubbing it gently, his lips slightly pouting as he pleaded for comfort.

"Your Highness, Ah Yun and I..."

Yun Yixia paused, and Zhao Yunkang's head slid onto her shoulder, his warm breath brushing against her neck like a soft feather leaving a faint mark that then disappeared without a trace.

Rumors circulate that "King Kang had no heir," that he was "ruthless in his actions," and that he had a "fierce personality"...

He usually seems calm, dignified, and reserved, so why does he act like this when he's drunk?

"Mujin, help carry him to the bed!"

"promise!"

She gave her partner, who was trying not to laugh, a reproachful glare, and the two of them together put the drunkard into the canopy bed.

"Wife, should we let him sleep here?"

Mu Jin, like a picky mother-in-law, looked Zhao Yunkang up and down.

She's good-looking, has a good figure, and her family background... is a disadvantage for my wife. Anyway, they're married, so sleeping with her won't be a loss.

"Tsk~ I can't let him sleep in for nothing!"

Yun Yixia's eyes darted around, a plan forming in her mind. She beckoned to Mu Jin, and the two women's smiles grew increasingly mischievous.

Morning light seeped in through the carved window lattice, slowly moving through the air to reach the bed curtains.

Yun Yixia's curtains were extremely thin, made of soft, sky-blue gauze embroidered with lotus patterns.

The light, filtered through the warp and weft threads of the gauze, became even softer and gently fell upon the bed.

Zhao Yunkang lay on his side, the morning light falling directly on half of his face, tracing his smooth, clean contours downwards.

The light gradually brightened, turning from warm gold to scorching white, and the shadow of the lotus on the tent fell on his collarbone, rising and falling gently with his steady breathing.

He shifted from lying on his side to lying flat, and the quilt slipped down a bit, revealing most of his chest.

His skin had a warm, ivory color under the light, and his muscles were smooth and firm. His arms slipped out from under the brocade quilt and were casually draped at his sides.

The lower eyelids are slowly moving the eyeballs, the eyelashes are fluttering, the thick eyebrows are drawn together, forming two shallow vertical lines above the bridge of the nose.

Zhao Yunkang's eyelashes trembled more violently, and his eyelids slowly opened as he stared blankly at the unfamiliar Cheng Chen above him.

His eyes widened suddenly, he looked down at himself, grabbed the quilt and pulled it up...

"hiss!"

She gasped, almost sitting up abruptly, pressing her hands firmly against the brocade quilt.

Zhao Yunkang's movements were so sudden that they stirred up a gust of wind, causing the bed curtains to sway and the lotus shadows on the curtains to flicker in alarm on his face.

A blush rose on her long neck, and her gaze fell to the pillow where a few strands of long, black hair that didn't belong to Zhao Yunkang were intertwined with his, silently telling the unfinished secrets of the previous night.

He tried hard to recall exactly what had happened yesterday.

Plum wine… Yun Yixia’s fair and tender face was very close to mine… and then what?

What did he do to her?

Zhao Yunkang's breathing became rapid, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, with his clothes scattered all over the ground.

Some were his, and some were hers.

Thinking of the schemes he had been plotted against by the former princess, he felt nauseous and wanted to vomit when he woke up the next morning.

Will Yun Yixia hate him?

Zhao Yunkang dared not think too deeply. He lifted a corner of the brocade quilt, stretching out a strong and powerful long leg, his foot just slipping into his shoe...

Familiar footsteps came from outside the door!

"Your Highness, are you awake?"

The knock was very soft, but it startled Zhao Yunkang so much that his heart pounded, and he quickly pulled his leg back and shrank into the quilt.

"Your Highness, I've entered!"

"No!" Zhao Yunkang blurted out, "Don't come in!"

He raised his voice due to nervousness. The figure outside the door had not yet left. He swallowed a few times, but still could not calm the surging blood in his veins.

"Your Highness, the ironed clothes are at my door."

Yun Yixia spoke calmly, biting her back teeth to suppress a laugh, lest the man become angry.

"The small kitchen has prepared some hangover soup. Your Highness can use some after washing up... You were very drunk yesterday and vomited all over yourself. I'll have someone help you change out of your old clothes."

"Your Highness, shall I take the clothes in?"

Yun Yixia tentatively inquired, but was unsurprisingly rejected and asked to leave temporarily, with no one allowed to remain at the door.

"Phew~"

It turns out he was just drunk and lost control, vomiting on his clothes.

That's nothing!

Zhao Yunkang closed his eyes, feeling annoyed. He raised his hand to cover his face, his ears burning with shame.

Don't think he didn't hear her barely suppressed laughter!

He listened intently for a long time, making sure no one was outside, then put on his outer robe, opened the door a crack, grabbed the robe, and quickly closed the door.

After getting dressed, he pushed open the door and saw hot water for washing up by the door, and a bowl of steaming hangover soup on the other side.

Zhao Yunkang looked at himself in the mirror, wearing a moon-white cross-collar long robe, with an indigo blue double-breasted short-sleeved garment over it, a leather belt around his waist, and a mutton-fat jade pendant hanging from it.

Apart from a faint dark blue under her eyes, there was almost no difference from her usual appearance.

He raised his hand to straighten his collar, his fingertips unconsciously brushing against the side of his neck, his ears turning slightly red.

Yesterday they seemed to be embracing tightly, and her breath seemed to have lingered here?

The maids in Qinfang Garden quietly swept the courtyard. When they saw Zhao Yunkang, they curtsied and informed him that the princess was waiting for him in the front hall.

The front door was wide open, and breakfast was laid out on the table. Yun Yixia was watering the orchids by the window with her back to the door.

Today she changed into a pure white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with silver bamboo leaf patterns embroidered on the hem. Her hair was styled in a single bun and adorned with a plain silver hairpin.

"Your Highness, did you rest well?"

Yun Yixia put down the kettle and turned around. Zhao Yunkang stepped into the room and stopped in front of her.

"Thank you for taking care of me yesterday!"

"It's my duty!" She stepped aside to invite him to sit down. "Breakfast is ready, Your Highness, please enjoy!"

Plain congee and side dishes, two sets of bowls and chopsticks—simple yet exquisite.

Yun Yixia naturally picked up the porcelain spoon and first ladled a bowl of porridge in front of Zhao Yunkang.

The millet porridge was cooked just right, with the grains bursting open and a thin layer of rice oil floating on the surface.

The side dishes included pickled cucumbers, pickled bamboo shoots, braised tofu, and a small dish of soft tofu drizzled with sauce.

Zhao Yunkang sat down next to Yun Yixia, and the two ate breakfast in silence before speaking.

“I vaguely remember some things from yesterday…” Zhao Yunkang took a sip of tea. “Don’t worry! I will take responsibility for this!”

We are now husband and wife. From today onwards, I will return to Qinfang Garden to live permanently, so that outsiders will not laugh at us.

The time it takes to eat breakfast is enough for him to figure out the cause and effect.

The young lady's playful antics were nothing to worry about, but Prince Kang's jokes weren't exactly entertaining.

Zhao Yunkang was inwardly righteous, but his gaze drifted elsewhere, not daring to look into her watery almond eyes.

"What?" Yun Yixia's eyes widened. "Your Highness...this is inappropriate!"

It was just a joke, and besides, she didn't see anything!

"When you took over the palace banquet, how many people's interests were affected, and how many people were watching to find fault with you?"

"If my husband and I are closer, outsiders won't be able to take advantage of us, and it will also be beneficial for you to carry out your plans."

Zhao Yunkang gave his wife a few words of advice, and they started sleeping in separate rooms, which was no secret to those old hands.

Given her humble origins, it's not surprising that she didn't understand the intricacies of royalty and nobility.

"Just because I'm sleeping in the same room as you, does that mean they'll let go of the opportunity to line their own pockets?" Yun Yixia scoffed. "They won't!"

Today, the person in charge of purchasing went to talk to Ayun, but it's still unclear how much commission they want to squeeze out.

She arranged for Peony to go to Ayun and eavesdrop on the entire transaction.

If the commission is reasonable, why not give it? If the commission is exorbitant, she doesn't mind making the person in charge "unable" to negotiate and finding someone more compliant to work with.

"Should I have Liang Qiu accompany Li Yun?"

"No!" Yun Yixia shook her head in refusal. "You'd better not get involved!"

A general who holds military power should not be too wealthy.

It is not uncommon for brothers born of the same mother to turn against each other over interests, let alone the "throne".

"I want to stand up for you!" Zhao Yunkang's words were passionate and straightforward. "I admired 'Zhao Yun' even before I met you, and I tried to get to know him several times, but unfortunately I couldn't find a way."

After finding out who you are, I was both surprised and delighted... I'm smitten!

"Your Highness, do you love me or the power behind me?"

Yun Yixia was not moved by Zhao Yunkang's sincere confession. She calmly analyzed the truthfulness of his words and the deeper meaning behind them.

"I adore you, who has the power to control these forces!"

Zhao Yunkang was honest enough, and besides, there was no essential difference between the two.

Li is good at being a businessman, but he probably lacks the ability to control the entire Zhao family business.

"You... are far more greedy than the emperor."

The emperor wants money, but you want your life!