Chapter 241: The Eve of the Sacrificial Offering

“As a subordinate, I feel that it must be because of what’s happening in the household. It is after all not easy for the princess to manage all the matter in the mansion.”

Long Tianyu usually did not get involved in the matters in the mansion, but Steward Deng knew that there were just too many things to handle in the huge prince’s mansion, given that more people had been added to it recently.

However, the princess had been extremely organized in handling the matters, so much so, Steward Deng, who was the head steward, was relieved of many miscellaneous matters.

“The princess is indeed very capable.”

Long Tianyu looked down and smiled slightly as he jotted down his comments on the documents with his brush pen. For some unknown reasons, the sound of her laughter created an inexpressible sensation in his heart.

“Your Highness, indeed it is about the time of your age to continue the family line by conceiving an heir.”

Steward Deng, an old subject to their family, had been very faithful. He was more anxious than anyone else regarding the matter of the prince continuing the family’s bloodline.

Long Tianyu chose to remain silent, although he knew that heirs in the royal family were looked upon highly.

The Emperor had eleven sons, some of whom had died prematurely at a young age.

For this reason, the Emperor was very strict with the princes who had come of age and had set very high expectations for them. He had great hopes for all the princes, expecting them to grow into excellent talents.

At this moment, however, the Crown Prince was ambitious and the Queen, dictatorial. The princes who had grown into adulthood had been bestowed the status of dukes. Even so, they barely break free from the Queen’s clutches.

The remaining princes who had not reached adulthood, or those little princes who were from sons of waning consorts, were under the Queen’s dominance.

If Long Tianyu were to conceive a son now, he would become a thorn in the Queen’s eyes, a thorn in her flesh.

He did not wish his family members or children to be exposed to such dangers.

“Health-wise, the princess is not in the top form now, so this is not the best time to conceive. We’ll have to wait for this matter.”

This was not the first time that his subordinates had tried to talk him into having children.

Some time back, a few people had suggested to him to take a vice Princess, or even just take in some concubines. However, Long Tianyu had either responded with silence or use other excuses to turn them down.

There were enough women in the mansion. He almost set the backyard on fire over Jiang Ruqing and Baishao.

Teacher was right after all. Women were troublesome beasts. It would be wise to keep a safe distance from them.

“Let’s stop talking about this anymore. I’ve my plans.”

Steward Deng stole a glance at Long Tianyu and sighed in his heart. The prince was still his old self, who loved to keep things in his heart.

As for Lin Mengya, she had settled all the necessary arrangements.

According to her plans, they would able to shine forth and be the spotlight at the banquet for prayer for blessings. However, she needed to make special arrangements if she wanted the Crown Prince and the Queen to get the worst of it and be unable to make any noise about it.

“Alright, I have delegated the tasks to all of you. If you succeed in your tasks, the prince will reward you handsomely.”

At this moment, Lin Mengya narrowed her eyes into crescent shapes. She had done Long Tianyu a great favor and supposed it would not be too much to ask for rewards.

Going through and signing the documents at this moment, Long Tianyu’s hands were trembling a little.

Following that, there was a bitter smile at the corners of his mouth.

This cheeky lass was eyeing on his private wealth again.

From that day on, Long Tianyu and Lin Mengya started their life of living together in a somewhat awkward manner.

When he went out to handle some administrative matters, she would be at home, training the singers how to dance.

At night, when he was going through the documents under the lamps, she would be chit-chatting with her maidservants in the room.

He would frequently find either chicken soup or ginseng tea sitting on his desk. They were a display of Lin Mengya’s loving intentions to him. However, they seemed to be avoiding each other. They had been treating each other politely while living under the same roof.

Three days just passed in the twinkling of an eye. Under the watchful supervision, Lin Mengya had organized everything orderly as the preparation proceeded as planned.

Lord Qin would come by the prince’s mansion every day to instruct them on the ceremonial requirement and manners of the prayer for blessings for four hours.

It was only during these times that Lin Mengya and Long Tianyu were not acting so reserved and polite towards each other. After all, they were supposed to be a loving couple in the eyes of the outsiders.

Lin Mengya had put on the loose ceremonial costumes at this moment. Cupping her hands, she meticulously went through the steps of offering the sacrifices under Old Mr. Qin’s guidance.

“Very good. Your movements are naturally flowing in a practiced manner. No one would believe that you’re unfamiliar with the movements. From what I can see, you have inherited the late Queen’s mannerisms.”

Strangely indeed, Lin Mengya found the actions and movements to be familiar. They were unforced and natural, like how a gentle and delicate lady would be. Her composure and dignified mannerism were not below that of the princesses in the palace.

Nodding, Lin Mengya tried to sound modest and declined Lord Qin’s implied praises.

She was perplexed too. Could it because she had a higher capacity of understanding and grasping certain things because she had transcended time from the modern world?

When Lord Qin saw that Lin Mengya had mastered what was required of her, without making any mistakes, he turned his attention to Long Tianyu.

As a member of the royal family, Long Tianyu was only second to the Crown Prince in terms of importance.

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Dressed in black, Long Tianyu, who was in the spacious hall, was seen taking in the instruction solemnly and paying scrupulous attention to everything that was said.

Lin Mengya would be participating in a small part of the Winter Solstice sacrifice, while Long Tianyu had to be fully involved from the beginning to the end of the ceremony. For this reason, Lord Qin was especially demanding on him. Not only was he expected to behave with composure and accuracy in all his actions, but it was also required of him to display the demeanor expected of the royals.

His handsome profile appeared tensed, but Lin Mengya always had the feeling that some people were like Long Tianyu. Although he was going through something so tedious and dry, he did not fail to give others the feeling of elegance and nobility.

Lin Mengya just could not get enough of him. As she sat there, her eyes were fixed on Long Tianyu, who was going through the bowing actions. Even she was unaware of how starry-eyed and infatuated she looked.

“My dear lass, your eyeballs would be stuck to his body if continue staring at him in this way.”

Lin Mengya turned at the sour-toned voice that spoke. As expected, it was Qinghu dressed in woman’s clothes.

There had been many outsiders in their house in the last few days which rendered him no other choices but reverted to his old practice of dressing up as a woman, given that Lin Mengya could not possibly stay in her courtyard all day.

However, Lin Mengya was beginning to suspect that this guy had a strange inclination towards transvestism.

A while ago, he was a flirty aunty, but these few days, he had turned into an innocent and pure pretty lady.

The accessories he was wearing including the hairpin and the coordination of style in his dressing were apparently carefully thought through.

At this moment, he was biting his lips as he tried to act coy, looking like an innocent adolescent girl.

“Can’t help it, I’m too good-looking, so naturally I have to dress prettily to compliment my good looks. I thought you’re training those dancers in the backyard, why are you here?”

Qinghu cast a look of disdain at Long Tianyu, but he had the privilege to go into Lin Mengya’s room every night to speak with her.

Although Long Tianyu never failed to glare at him every time he came out from Lin Mengya’s room, he was completely unfazed about Long Tianyu’s death glare, given his status.

Qinghu would usually walk back to his room, looking confident and even complacent.

“We are almost done with the training, but our main dancer, Yue Xiang was absent today. I’ve sent someone to find out if she hasn’t come because she was unwell last night.”

Lin Mengya frowned slightly at Qinghu’s words. Yue Xiang was the most well-known dancer in the whole of the capital city.

Not only did she have a beautiful and flexible body, but she was also quick at picking up new things. At this moment, every second spent practicing the dance was critical. Lin Mengya felt uneasy that Yue Xiang had fallen ill at this time.

“Can you make a trip personally to have a look. At least we will be able to handle this matter immediately if there really was an accident.”

Qinghu nodded and turned to leave.

In three days’ time, it would be the Winter Solstice celebration as well as the banquet for the prayer of blessings. There better not be any hiccups.

Three days packed with activities quickly passed. In the capital city, the long-awaited Winter Solstice celebration, as well as the banquet for the sacrificial offering had finally arrived.

This was a big day to be celebrated together with the people of the entire nation. Early in the morning, the route from the Imperial Ancestral Temple all the way to the palace was packed with the common people that the crowd was literally impenetrable.

Before sunrise, Lin Mengya had followed Long Tianyu and Concubine De into the palace.

She would be dressing up in the most splendid clothes there, and thereafter, she was to follow Long Tianyu to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to pray for blessings for the nation.

Being Princess Yu, as well as the daughter of the great army general, Marquis Zhennan, her identity was one of exceptional status.

The moment Lin Mengya put on the finely elaborate costume, she immediately turned into a breath-taking beauty.

Her waist was wrapped around by a waistband embroidered with patterns of the green phoenix and held together at the ends by the head of the phoenix made of white jade biting on to a white jade pearl.

To the right and left of the waistband hung purses containing spices as well as a unique jade token befitting for a princess.

On her feet were a pair of lady’s shoes embroidered with all kinds of pearls and precious stones. With their soles made from calf leather, the shoes felt soft and warm on her feet. However, they were only seen occasionally as they were covered by the hem of her long and wide dress most of the time.

There were altogether eight exquisite hairpins on her head, which coiled her silky, black hair into an elegant hairstyle in the shape of Chinese ingot. Together with the phoenix-patterned hairpins, she exuberating unstoppable charm.

Her almost perfect facial features, compared to half a year ago, was no longer girlish and juvenile. Neither did she resemble the consorts in the palace whose beauty was somewhat lifeless.

Looking around, Lin Mengya gave the impression that she was a quick-witted lady. Her bright red lips looked rather dignified and even a little domineering.

Lin Mengya looked at herself in the mirror, thinking that everything about her looked somewhat surreal.

The extremely beautiful lady in the mirror was carrying herself with such grace that she could hardly believe that it was indeed her.

“Your Highness the princess, the time has come for you to get going. The prince is waiting in the courtyard for you.”

The four maidservants were adorned in pastel-colored clothes meant for the palace. In reality, each of them was exuberating her beauty in her unique way compared to Lin Mengya’s magnificence and extravagance.

The second the mistress, together with her maidservants, making up the five of them, appeared at the courtyard, all the people’s eyes were attracted to them.

Standing amid the courtyard was Long Tianyu. He had fixed his eyes on his wife, who walked towards him, with a stunned look in his eyes.

The woman before his eyes was so stunningly beautiful. The bright red costume she was wearing was especially flattering to her snow-white complexion.

She was wearing a faint smile on her face and looking so gorgeous. Her eyes were crystal clear as if they were able to penetrate all things on earth.

With light steps, she also walked towards Long Tianyu and came to stand next to him. She was like a fairy who had descended from heaven.

Suddenly, the marriage scene between the two of them came to Long Tianyu’s mind.

He remembered that she was also wearing a big red dress. However, at that point in time, he was still totally clueless about the changes his princess was going to make in his life.

“Let’s get going, Your Highness,” Lin Mengya parted her lips and spoke with a tender voice.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Long Tianyu held on to her delicate hands and proceeded on their journey side by side.

Outside, the sedans for the both of them had been waiting.

Lin Mengya squeezed Long Tianyu’s hand and she gave him a supportive look in the eye.