The second princess approached me and smiled, “It seems little Huang quite likes your dog.” I was stunned. Could this be considered liking?
These two princesses do not seem alike from our brief encounter. Her cheekbones were slightly prominent, with full and naturally upturned lips. She might not be considered beautiful, but she had a unique charm. When not smiling, she seemed aloof, but when she smiled, she became much more approachable.
I smiled at her and bowed. The parrot named Xiao Huang stared at me with its green bean-like eyes, making me feel uncomfortable.
The second princess looked me over and asked, “May I ask which family you are related to?”
Just as I was about to answer, the new Emperor of Xiliang brought Yuan Xiang to my side and said, “Thirteen, take Yuan Xiang back first. I’ll come find you later.”
His tone was gentle, but I sensed something was off.
The Second Princess’s gaze became ambiguous, and the Cavalry General remained stern, only glancing our way briefly.
I frowned and said, “Your Majesty, I thought I made it clear that we should not meet unless absolutely necessary. As for Yuan Xiang—” I glared at it, indicating we would settle this later. “I will have someone bring it to see Your Majesty.”
“Thirteen…” His expression was slightly sad.
“A Yao!” My husband An Jin, arrived by my side, looking anxious. “How are you here? You had me worried.”
Before I could explain, he looked at the Emperor of Xiliang and smiled, bowing, “My wife has troubled Your Majesty. I am truly ashamed.”
The Emperor lowered his eyes. “Not at all. An Daren works hard, and it is only right for this ruler to look after your wife.”
An Jin’s smile grew, but his eyes were cold.
“Your Majesty has many affairs, so my wife will not trouble you further.”
Two men, one gentle and courteous, the other humble yet tense.
An Jin put his arm around my shoulder and patted Yuan Xiang’s head. “Let’s go home.”
Yuan Xiang looked reluctantly at its original owner but followed us with its tail tucked.
What a realistic and bullying dog.
Chapter Thirty: Ming Xi Embroidery House
Because Yuan Xiang made a fundamental error, under the leadership of our household head An Jin, it gnawed on corn steamed buns for three days—no bones, meat, or oil. After this period, Yuan Xiang’s eyes were bright green, and when I walked it, neighbors fled in terror, thinking I was walking a wolf.
I realized that in my husband’s eyes, Yuan Xiang and I were treated the same: after a mistake, the punishment was either house arrest or food deprivation. Perhaps with an added clause of being dealt with in a way too miserable to describe.
I thought I had performed commendably in front of the new Emperor of Xiliang, showing no behavior that could provoke my husband’s jealousy. However, An Jin returned home, silently throwing me onto the bed. This hurt my self-esteem, leading me to angrily declare that if he touched me again, it would be beast-like behavior!
He sneered and indeed did not touch me that night—truly less than a beast.
I hugged the blanket, feeling sad, and fell asleep. When I woke up in the morning, I found myself lying in his arms, tightly wrapped around him. He raised his hands, claiming this was entirely my voluntary action.
I kicked him in anger.
He caught my foot, his fingers sliding upward.
It was a beautiful morning, perfect for exercise. His lips moved from the bottom to the top and back again, thoroughly touching me. Dazed and feverish, he whispered in my ear: “Don’t see him again.”
“Who?”
“Yan Huo.”
I looked at him suspiciously. “Who is Yan Huo?”
He was stunned, then laughed like a cat that had stolen cream, showering me with kisses and leaving red marks on my neck.
I knew the Emperor of Xiliang, Yan Huo, was the “merchant” Zheng Huo who had once sparked a small flame with me. Playing dumb was effective; even my clever husband was fooled.
Clearly, my husband knew of my past with Yan Huo, and while I maintained a calm exterior, I was delighted: after his failed proposal, he must have been paying attention to my every move.
The Three Kingdoms competition was about to begin. To prevent favoritism, all qualifiers would compete anonymously, only receiving their position markers on the day of the event. My elder brother had qualified, and An Jin also entered the horse hunting event.
He had originally wanted to enter cuju, but after I mentioned how muddy it could be compared to the glamour of horse hunting, he changed his mind, likely wanting to avoid losing face in front of his imagined rival, Yan Huo.
The competition judges were from the Eastern Palace of Qi Kingdom, the Second Princess of Nan Rui, and the Emperor of Xiliang. Despite claims of fairness and justice, I felt something was amiss, especially after hearing that Song Daren’s playboy son and the superficial scholar Feng Yuxi had also qualified. I suspected they were passed through hidden rules by the Eastern Palace.
In the long-standing Three Kingdoms competition, there is a custom where family members embroider a red silk scarf for participants, symbolizing blessings and expectations. Miaoyin secretly embroidered one and asked me to give it to my elder brother, with both their names on it.
My elder brother kept the scarf close to his heart and stayed up late for several consecutive days, appearing radiant and showing no signs of fatigue. An Jin watched silently, likely envious.
However, I had never been good at needlework since childhood, and if I attempted embroidery, I would surely be laughed at. So I hesitated for a long time. My mother was about to help me embroider again, but I wanted An Jin to wear a scarf made by my own hands.
My mother’s eyes lit up as she took me to Mingxi Embroidery House, owned by the wife of Su Qin’s son, Su Xi. The establishment was quite famous in Yanfeng City. Madam Su, who was acquainted with my mother, greeted us warmly and guided me in needlework. She was elegant, with a delicate face and a gentle smile, her left hand resting on her slightly protruding belly.
Mother often praised Madam Su as an example of a woman who married well. The stories of Madam Su and Su Xi’s harmonious marriage had become familiar to my sister and me. Madam Su married Su Xi at sixteen, and now, not yet five years later, she had a son and a daughter and was four months pregnant with her third child.
Mother looked at Madam Su with envy and then turned her gaze to my belly with resignation. I was about the same age as Madam Su and had been married to An Jin for over two years, yet my belly remained flat, raising worries for Mother about my future with An Jin.
Although I understood her concerns, I couldn’t bring myself to explain the reason, so I let her continue her wild thoughts.
Under Mother’s persistent request, Madam Su shyly shared tips for bearing children. Mother treated this information like a treasure, instructing me to take notes and promising to follow them at home. She then asked Madam Su for a personal handkerchief, saying it would help me conceive.
I felt utterly helpless. Madam Su maintained excellent composure and patience despite Mother’s questioning. The embroidery ladies and female guests occasionally glanced our way and whispered, their ambiguous looks scanning me, making me uncomfortable. Only after I hinted did Mother realize we had come to learn embroidery.
She apologized to Madam Su, saying, “Please don’t take offense, I’m just anxious about my uncooperative daughter.”
I felt frustrated. Discussing private family matters in public was undeniably awkward.
Fortunately, Madam Su was understanding and smiled, saying, “Madam An and Master An are a perfect match. I’m sure they’ll have a lovely child soon. There’s no need to worry.”
