Chapter 18-1
Chapter Eighteen (Part 1)
Pei Jin understood the saying a day equals a year .
During the nights Pei Jin fisted his hands and during the early mornings his intuition warned him Bei Dou was omitting something from him .
‘Bei Dou is it today?’ Pei Jin asked .
Bei Dou silently cursed Pei Jin . Pei Jin woke him up too early in the mornings .
Pei Jin smiled, he never seen Bei Dou silently holding back words to that extent .
Bei Dou passed Pei Jin a small bottle .
‘What is this?’ Pei Jin asked .
‘Prevents pregnancy,’ Bei Dou said .
Suddenly the small bottle felt heavy in Pei Jin’s hand and his face darkened .
‘If you don’t care about the throne then you’re not impatient to have children,’ Bei Dou said .
They both knew Yan Shi Ning’s life would be endanger if she was pregnant with Pei Jin’s child . Pei Jin put the small bottle in a pouch .
‘I forgot to tell you the remedy will be harmful to the body if used over a long period,’ Bei Dou said .
‘You’ve been playing me!’ Pei Jin said .
Pei Jin realised it was safe for him to eat Yan Shi Ning long ago, but Bei Dou poured cold water on him by purposely making him wait a long time .
Bei Dou didn’t care about Pei Jin’s resentful eyes of daggers .
Pei Jin left the Bei Dou’s chamber in an angry state . When he returned to his and Yan Shi Ning’s chamber, he saw Yan Shi Ning rubbing her neck and his anger disappeared .
Pei Jin remembered he was too excited in the middle of night and suckled Yan Shi Ning’s neck .
‘Big brother, you dare smile!’ Yan Shi Ning said . ‘Tonight is the harvest festival banquet . What am I going to wear to hide this?’
Yan Shi Ning picked up a spoonful of chicken congee and ate it but she was too angry to taste anything .
‘Wear a dress with a high collar,’ Pei Jin said .
Pei Jin sat next to Yan Shi Ning at the table and he ate half of her bowl of chicken congee .
‘Big brother, that’s my bowl of chicken congee,’ Yan Shi Ning said .
Pei Jin licked his lips and smiled like a demon . ‘What can saliva do?’
Yan Shi Ning thought about Pei Jin kissing her each night and she blushed . What saliva? What prince? If Pei Jin was a prince, how could he shamelessly eat her half eaten bowl of congee?
‘Ninth prince, mistress, Lady Su’s messenger delivered a chest,’ a maid said from outside the chamber .
Pei Jin accepted the chest from the maid and showed it to Yan Shi Ning . Lady Su was the best dressmaker in the imperial city . He asked Lady Su to make a heavenly dress for Yan Shi Ning . He opened the chest and the dress inside satisfied his request .
‘Wife, come here and see if this dress fits,’ Pei Jin said .
‘Is this dress for me?’ Yan Shi Ning asked .
Pei Jin laughed . ‘Do you think it’s for me?’
Yan Shi Ning’s shaky hands picked up the light blue dress that shone like stars . She was overwhelmed by awe, she had never seen such a beautiful dress like it before .
‘This is the first dress from me,’ Pei Jin said . ‘In the future I’ll give you many dresses . ’
Yan Shi Ning raised her head and looked at Pei Jin suspiciously .
‘Quickly go change,’ Pei Jin said . ‘You’re wearing this dress to tonight’s harvest festival banquet . ’
Yan Shi Ning happily ran to the screen to change into the dress and warmth itched Pei Jin’s heart .
‘In the past didn’t I promise you one day I would give you the most beautiful dress in the world?’ Pei Jin asked .
The twelve-year-old Yan Shi Ning wasn’t the same as the six-year-old Yan Shi Ning who only knew how to eat, play and sleep . The twelve-year-old Yan Shi Ning slowly pass by the dressmaker’s shop in Xuan Qing and admired the beautiful dress fabrics . But her mother never accepted her father’s silver taels so all her dresses could only be ordinary .
At that time Pei Jin was only given a small monthly allowance from the palace, but it was used to build good connections . He didn’t have enough money to buy Yan Shi Ning beautiful dresses and he could only promise her, ‘one day I’ll give you the most beautiful dress in the world . ’
Of course Yan Shi Ning would deny she loved beautiful dresses, ‘who would want a beautiful dress?’
Yan Shi Ning couldn’t believe she finally wore a heavenly dress . She turned around and saw Pei Jin behind her .
‘Big brother, why are you standing here?’ Yan Shi Ning asked .
‘You don’t need to be shy,’ Pei Jin said . ‘I’ve seen and touched it before . ’
Goose bumps surfaced on Yan Shi Ning’s whole body . ‘Big brother, did you ask a dressmaker to make this dress for me?’
Pei Jin nodded his head .
‘Big brother, then how did you know my body measurements?’ Yan Shi Ning asked .
Pei Jin waved his hands . ‘I told you I’ve seen and touched it . Why wouldn’t I know your body measurements?’
‘Go to your grave!’ Yan Shi Ning said .
Pei Jin laughed shamelessly . Of course he would know Yan Shi Ning’s body measurements after measuring one of her dresses .
Yan Shi Ning calmed her temper, stepped in front of the screen and sat next to Pei Jin .
‘Big brother, why did you give me a dress?’ Yan Shi Ning asked .
‘I was scared you would throw away all your ugly dresses,’ Pei Jin said .
‘Big brother, you’re too generous,’ Yan Shi Ning mocked .
‘Of course, your husband is always generous,’ Pei Jin said .
‘But… this dress must be expensive,’ Yan Shi Ning said .
Yan Shi Ning knew Lady Su’s dresses were the most expensive dresses in the imperial city . At the banquet in the palace more than a month ago, Yan Shi Ting wore a dress made by Lady Su and it was almost expensive as half of the prime minister’s yearly allowance . She only needed to glance at the dress she wore to know that it was more expensive than the dress Yan Shi Ting wore that day .
‘Wife, are you sad for your husband’s lost silver taels?’ Pei Jin asked . ‘You don’t need to be sad . As long as you’re happy, your husband is willing to lose all his property . ’
Yan Shi Ning suspected Pei Jin was secretly rich . She shook her head . What property? Pei Jin had little property to lose .
***
End of Chapter Eighteen (Part 1)
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