The Daily Life Of Mei Furen Doting On Her Husband - Chapter 158

Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu walked at the back, with Mei Zhuyu watching as Wu Zhen bent down to whisper to a little monster under her feet. She instructed it to go to Yuzhu Music House and prepare a quiet place for the singing and dancing.

Mei Zhuyu asked, “You didn’t make an appointment beforehand?”

Wu Zhen replied, “Of course not. I planned to take you to see the lanterns all night. We can visit the music hall any day to watch their performances. How can it compare to watching the lanterns with my husband?”

As they arrived at Yuzhu Music House, Wu Zhen and the Emperor were the only ones watching the performance with the most enthusiasm, cheering and tossing rewards. Each time the performers came on the small stage, the two of them showered them with coins, often commenting on the singing and the dancing. Their synchronized reactions made it seem to onlookers that they were related by blood.

The Empress couldn’t bear to watch the two of them and turned her head away as if her eyes hurt.

During a break, Wu Zhen stepped outside, and Princess Yuanzhen soon followed.

“Aunt, I thought you didn’t notice my hints!” Li Yuanzhen exclaimed.

Wu Zhen rubbed her forehead. “Your eyes were practically cramping from all that blinking. How could I not see? Tell me, what happened? It can’t be about your little camellia again.”

“Of course not! He’s fine!” Li Yuanzhen snorted. “It’s just that my mother and the others are trying to find a Prince Consort for me!”

Wu Zhen asked, “Have they chosen someone?”

Li Yuanzhen nodded, saying, “Yes! He’s last year’s number one scholar, Pei Jingxuan!”

Wu Zhen recalled him; he seemed to be a talented young man from a common family. 

A young man from the Yang family, who had been her companion during a previous hunting trip, had placed third in the Imperial Examination. At that time, he had voiced his discontent over the first place winner, who, when he came to Chang’an, couldn’t even afford a house and stayed in a dilapidated temple.

“What do you want me to do? Let me make it clear: I won’t do anything extreme,” Wu Zhen joked.

Li Yuanzhen blinked innocently. “Who would kill anyone over this? Auntie, you’re joking again. Actually, I’ve already made an agreement with my father. He promised he wouldn’t marry me off.”

Wu Zhen raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “Although His Majesty is quite easygoing, how did you get him to agree?”

Li Yuanzhen giggled. “I told him, ‘I am the only princess of this dynasty, of noble status, so I should be matched with the most noble man in the world. But the most noble man in the world is my father, and the second most noble is my brother. No other man is worthy of me. Father, do you want your daughter to be with ordinary men?'”

The little Princess smiled secretively, touching the white camellia hairpin in her hair. “I don’t want an ordinary man; I already have the best!”

Wu Zhen could easily imagine that upon hearing his daughter’s words, the Emperor would certainly place his hands on his hips and exclaim heroically, “In that case, my daughter cannot be wronged! You are right; you are a Princess of noble status. How can you marry an ordinary man? We’ll open a Princess’s Mansion and choose carefully. When you take a fancy to someone, we can discuss it later.”

“Since you’ve already made an agreement with His Majesty, why are you calling me out?” Wu Zhen asked.

Li Yuanzhen’s smug expression faded, replaced by nervousness. “Aunt, you know my mother’s temper. She will definitely give me a good beating, so when the time comes, you have to help me plead for mercy!”

“Not a problem,” Wu Zhen agreed generously. When it came to dealing with the angry Empress, the only person in the world more capable than her was Imperial Concubine Mei. Thinking of her, she asked, “Besides me, have you talked to Imperial Concubine Mei? If she helps you persuade your mother, it will be twice as effective with half the effort.”

Li Yuanzhen pouted. “Concubine Mei always listens to my mother. Why would she persuade her for me? She’d rather persuade me for her.”

After the two returned, the Empress eyed them suspiciously. “What were you talking about outside?”

Wu Zhen settled beside the Empress with a smile and said, “Yuan Zhen was asking me when the baby will be born.”

The Empress looked at her belly with a gentle expression in her eyes. She suddenly sighed and patted her head. “Silly child, I don’t know if you can take good care of the baby after it is born. You are so big, yet you can’t even take care of yourself. If only our mother were still here, I wouldn’t have to worry about you all the time.”

After that, she asked Wu Zhen, “How was your New Year this year? There are many etiquettes in the palace, and you are pregnant. I didn’t summon you to the palace these days because I was afraid you would be tired. Did you eat and sleep well? Did the people transferred from Duke Yu’s Mansion take good care of you? You didn’t like to see the people I picked for…”

When the Empress saw her sister, she set aside her usual majesty and began to nag.

Wu Zhen’s head was buzzing, and she began to shift the blame to someone else. “I’m fine. By the way, my father also came back during the Chinese New Year, but he only stayed at home for one day, ate two meals, and then went back to the temple.”

When the Empress heard her talking about their father, she immediately redirected her anger. “Our father is the same. He left home to become a monk for no reason and abandoned you. If he had been watching over you, he wouldn’t have let you become like this. Even if he didn’t discipline you, he could have kept you company by staying at home, saving you both from being lonely.”

Seeing that she had stopped talking about herself, Wu Zhen heartlessly began to condemn their father alongside her sister.

Wu Zhen thought, Anyway, Dad is not here right now, so he won’t know what I’m saying.

After seeing the family off, Wu Zhen patted her legs and said to her husband, “Let’s go and continue to watch the lanterns.”

Mei Zhuyu disagreed. “It’s so late; we should go back and rest.”

Wu Zhen pulled him toward the street. “How can that be possible? We haven’t seen the most beautiful lights of the day yet.”

Mei Zhuyu said, “Let’s see the lanterns tomorrow. There will be lanterns tomorrow. It’s getting late, and it’s cold outside.”

Wu Zhen took him to the Jade Belt Pond without saying anything. It was late, and the wind was strong near the water. Unlike the streets, there were not many people there. Only the colorful lights hanging on the trees on both sides continued to emit a bright glow.

“Come, there is a boat here. Get on board.”

Wu Zhen came to the bridge as if she knew the route well. Sure enough, there was a small boat parked in the darkness. Inside the cabin was a couch, along with quite a few snacks, cooked food, and hot tea. The boat looked plain on the outside, but the furnishings inside the cabin were exquisite. One could tell at a glance that it was made by Wu Zhen.