12dz Chapter 39 If she dares to provoke you again, make her call you aunt.
Chapter 39 If she dares to provoke you again, make her call you aunt.
Qin Yizhen had a headache, but she still forced herself to refuse: "Royal sister, this is not appropriate."
"What's wrong?"
"My lady is free-spirited, but the Xie family has many rules, which may not be a good match for her. Perhaps she should choose someone else; there are plenty of good men in the world..."
"What do you mean by choosing someone else?" Princess Huizhen's face darkened when she saw that Princess Huizhen was not only not helping her but was also trying to persuade her. "I only like this one. I only find him interesting. Everyone else is boring. Do you even understand?"
At this point, Princess Huizhen remembered that Qin Yizhen had married Cheng Yan, and suddenly understood.
"But then again, you'll probably never know what it feels like to like a man in your entire life. What a pity..."
Princess Huizhen was extremely unhappy that her unwanted younger sister had become her aunt, and coupled with Cheng Yan's continued protection of Qin Yizhen, she disliked Qin Yizhen even more.
Now, thinking that Qin Yizhen never knew what it felt like to like a man, she suddenly felt a sense of balance.
"Alright, I'm too lazy to argue with you, lest my uncle say I'm bullying you again." Seeing that she wasn't going to help, Princess Huizhen immediately got up and left, returning to her seat opposite her, facing Yaoyao.
Qin Yizhen sat there in silence for a long time.
What does it feel like to like a man?
She didn't know that Cheng Yan was the most important person in her life, and she was willing to stay with him for life as long as he was willing.
"Your Majesty has arrived——"
It turned out that Emperor Jing'an and his officials had arrived.
Qin Yizhen snapped out of her daze and bowed along with everyone else.
Emperor Jing'an stepped onto the stairs and bowed to Empress Dowager Cheng, saying, "May Your Majesty be well."
The crowd paid homage to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, with a vast expanse of people kneeling below.
"Your Majesty has arrived. Please have a seat. We have been waiting for you."
Emperor Jing'an took his seat before allowing everyone to rise. He then spoke words of praise for the soldiers and prayers for peace and prosperity for the nation. He then ordered dancers to perform songs and dances and had fine wine and delicacies served to everyone.
The palace banquet officially began.
At this moment, figures moved about. Granny Jin glanced at Granny Gui and Lü Qiao, and the two understood. They went forward with her to tidy up the table.
Granny Gui and Lü Qiao accepted the fine wine and delicacies brought by the palace maids and eunuchs. Granny Jin pretended to wipe the table, and under the cover of the shadows, she used her wide sleeves to replace the cups that had just been touched on the table.
When Qin Yizhen sat back down, the two wine glasses on the table were exactly the same and in the exact same position, but they were no longer the same ones.
Qin Yizhen pinched the wine glass, which was already half-filled with rice wine, without saying a word.
A moment later, Cheng Yan strode over and sat down directly next to her. Even without turning around, Qin Yizhen could feel his presence enveloping her.
Just like the bed she slept on this morning, it was still covered in his scent.
It is like the blazing sun, arrogant and domineering, yet also like the lonely and desolate mountains.
That feeling makes you sometimes think he's calm and reliable, sometimes annoyed by his domineering and flamboyant nature, and sometimes even more heartbroken by his cold and lonely desolation.
Qin Yizhen lowered her eyes and picked at the cloud pattern on her cuff, not daring to turn around and look at him, and not knowing what to say to him.
However, she remained silent, but Cheng Yan did not indulge her. After washing his hands with a cloth, he picked up a walnut and put the kernel to her mouth.
"Have one."
Qin Yi's face turned red instantly.
This man is really getting more and more demanding. In the past, when she and he were at odds, he would remain silent, but now that she has softened her attitude, he wants to do everything he can to please her.
Seeing that many people had noticed them, and even Empress Dowager Cheng and Emperor Jing'an had turned their gazes towards them, she was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to eat or not, and her beautiful face flushed slightly.
Under the watchful eyes of so many people, she had no choice but to reach out and take the walnut he offered to her lips.
Cheng Yan, however, was unwilling to let go, as if he wanted to feed her.
Qin Yizhen's eyes reddened with anxiety: "I'll eat by myself."
Seeing that she was embarrassed, angry, and anxious, Cheng Yan laughed twice and didn't provoke her any further. He let go of her and gave her the walnut.
Qin Yizhen pinched it, but couldn't very well put it down without eating it, so she had no choice but to stuff it into her mouth, chew it a couple of times, and swallow it.
Emperor Jing'an watched intently and asked curiously, "Sister Yizhen, is it delicious?"
Qin Yizhen choked and coughed twice, causing those watching to burst out laughing.
Cheng Yan handed her the tea and told her to take a couple of sips to calm her down.
Emperor Jing'an asked again, "Sister Yizhen, is it delicious or not?"
Qin Yizhen's eyes were slightly red, and there was a bit of mist in them. Her fingertips holding the teacup trembled slightly. Hearing this, she could only nod and say, "Delicious."
Can it not be delicious?
If she dared to say it wasn't tasty, he might have to feed her everything on the table.
In front of so many people, she not only couldn't get angry, but she also had to save face for him. Just thinking about it made Qin Yizhen feel dizzy.
Now she was no longer embarrassed, and her gaze toward Cheng Yan was filled with deep resentment. Cheng Yan, on the other hand, sat upright and composed, as if he hadn't done anything wrong and didn't feel ashamed at all.
Empress Dowager Cheng smiled and said, "I am relieved that you two are so harmonious. Even if there are conflicts between husband and wife, they should talk things out properly and not keep it bottled up by one person."
"Yes," the two replied.
Empress Dowager Cheng said, "This time, Ayan has once again made great contributions, and all the generals and soldiers have also made great contributions. The peace and prosperity of the world is also due to your contributions. Your Majesty and I would like to raise a toast to you all here, wishing for peace and prosperity throughout the world."
Empress Dowager Cheng and Emperor Jing'an raised their glasses together, and the families of the officials rose and raised their glasses in return: "May the world be at peace, to the Empress Dowager, to Your Majesty."
Everyone present drank their drinks in one gulp and then took their seats.
Qin Yizhen drank a cup of tea, and after sitting down, she took a sip of tea to mask the taste of alcohol. Cheng Yan then leaned over and asked her, "How was your visit to the palace today? Did Huizhen bully you?"
Qin Yizhen shook her head: "My elder sister just came to my rescue."
Qin Yizhen had particularly complicated feelings for her elder sister, Princess Huizhen.
Sometimes I resent her, and sometimes I think she's pretty good. She really bullies Qin Yi, but if anyone else dares to bully her, she'll jump out to protect them, especially her own.
Cheng Yan said, "If she dares to bully you again, then tell me."
"What good would it do if I told you?" Qin Yizhen asked curiously. "Are you going to beat her up? She's your own niece, not someone like me who's not real."
"So what if I hit her?" Cheng Yan defended her as if it were perfectly reasonable. "She's my niece, and you're still my wife. If we're really going to talk about it, she should call you 'aunt.' It's only right to teach her a lesson for disrespecting her elders."
Qin Yizhen was so taken aback by the word "aunt" that her face turned completely red, and she was speechless for a moment.
Cheng Yan reached out and took her hand, instructing her, "If she dares to provoke you again, make her call you aunt and bow to you."