Too high to reach

Chapter 195 After the Wedding
After lunch, Mo Yi took her afternoon nap as usual.

While I was sleeping soundly in the warm warmth, Li Jing returned.

He dismounted, gave a few instructions, and went straight back to the main courtyard. The maid wanted to go back, but he stopped her.

He stepped into the warm bedroom and realized he was shivering from the cold. Meanwhile, his wife was wrapped in a blanket, taking a nap… how luxurious!

On a whim, I quietly walked over and put my cold hand under her neck.

Mo Yi exclaimed, almost jumping up. "Your Highness, why are you back?!"

"What, did my return disturb your sleep?"

"No, no..." Mo Yi quickly got up. "Your hands are so cold!"

"Humph!"

Mo Yi quickly got out of bed, put on her long coat, and went outside to instruct Hongyan to brew hot tea. Then she followed behind Li Jing, helping him take off his clothes. "You must have caught a chill on the way here?"

"Thankfully, the snow wasn't too heavy, and the roads dried quickly after it melted. At least I didn't get covered in mud..."

"Are things going smoothly?"

"Everything went smoothly. It's almost Chinese New Year, so I gave them a little reassurance."

It was said so lightly, but Mo Yi knew that this appeasement would cost money again...

"Oh, they slaughtered a few donkeys over there and brought them back. I just had someone send some to the Mo family."

"Eat donkey?" Mo Yi's face scrunched up.

Seeing her like this, Li Jing, who was only wearing his undergarments, smiled, hugged her, and kissed her. His stubble was stiff, making Mo Yi frown and try to dodge...

“My dad definitely won’t eat it.”

"Where are Mo Fan and Mo Xiaobao..." Li Jing laughed even harder.

She followed him all the way to the washroom, and when she saw him start to take off his undergarments, Mo Yi blushed and ran out.

"Why are you running?" Li Jing laughed again.

Hot water was always available, so he quickly washed up and went back inside.

Mo Yi hadn't combed her hair yet; her long, black hair cascaded down her back as she dressed.

Li Jing, still damp and hot, grabbed her...

Mo Yi exclaimed in shock: "No..."

"Don't what? What do you think I'm going to do?"

"without me……"

"Heh, you guessed right..." After saying that, he put his arm around Mo Yi and walked towards the bed.

Mo Yi struggled and pleaded softly, "Your Highness, it really can't be..."

But with her small stature and weak strength, she was no match for Li Jing, and in no time, he pinned her down.

“Okay,” Li Jing said, looking at her.

This is what they mean by "absence makes the heart grow fonder"...

What have you been doing at home these past few days?

Afterwards, the two lay on the bed, and Li Jing asked in a nasal voice.

"I familiarized myself with the house and also went to the shop. Oh, I prepared some over-the-counter medicine for Granny Zhao's daughter and had Hongyan deliver it. Granny Zhao has been busy with her daughter's affairs these days, and I haven't seen her."

"Yes, you've thought it through very well." Li Jing kissed her again. "The place Wan Daoping is going to will be tough for the first two years, but things won't be difficult, and there will be more opportunities to rise in rank. He'll be entering officialdom ten years later than others, so he needs to catch up."

“Granny Zhao’s daughter is not in good health; she should stay in the capital.”

"According to Zhao Zuo's idle chatter, Yongle was not good-looking and had a weak body. She was able to marry Wan Daoping... She valued him very much and did not want to be separated from him."

“Your Highness…” Mo Yi hesitated, “It’s like this, Consort Feng gave me a set of household rules, which are for daily expenses… There are some things I don’t understand.”

Upon hearing Mo Yi's explanation, Li Jing understood the reason. "There was a certain background to setting this rule back then. And it did play a certain role. But now... if you want to change it, it would be better to wait until you take over the household affairs. Oh, the reason we haven't let you manage the household right now is that Feng Liniang has managed the household for many years without any major problems. You haven't done these things before, and it wouldn't be very convenient to take away her power as soon as you entered the family."

Mo Yi nodded, agreeing with these points.

"And another thing, you'll have a lot to deal with. For example, the social obligations in the palace. There are also small businesses you want to start outside. And... you'll still have to have my children..."

After saying that, he squeezed Mo Yi hard again.

"The responsibilities of this household will eventually be handed over to you. Until then, you should follow the rules of this household. I will give you some money; you can use it as you see fit."

"Your Highness, I didn't mean to ask you for money..." Mo Yi said, feeling embarrassed.

"I understand. However, it is a husband's duty to support his wife; there's no need to overthink it."

These words warmed Mo Yi's heart.

"Don't worry, I'm not one to squander money!"

“I’m not afraid…” Li Jing nuzzled Mo Yi with his head again, probably without realizing what these little gestures meant.

"The silver and items given by Old Madam Zhao last time are all in the storeroom. The silver alone is 100,000. How should we record this?"

"The old lady handed this to you in front of both of us. Well... it should be considered as something we, as husband and wife, share!"

Mo Yi blushed. "It's actually quite complicated!"

"You keep a separate ledger. Keep all the items for now, and give me a copy after you've tallied them up. I don't usually use them, but if I do, it could amount to a large sum..."

"Wouldn't it be a waste of my time to take it?" Mo Yi laughed.

"No, you can use it whenever you want. Just let me know."

"I and Consort Tian get along quite well. We even talked about doing something together sometime..."

Li Jing looked at her amusedly, "Let's open your shop first."

"And then there's Xiangxiang's matter... She said the other day that she wanted to go back to the Zhou family."

Li Jing frowned.

“Your Highness, Xiangxiang has gotten used to living in the Zhou family. Now that her stepmother has entered the family, it's inevitable that she, a young girl, will feel uneasy. These past few days, I've often asked her to feed the ducks with me, eat with me, and play with Qianqian.”

Sometimes I feel she fits in, but other times she's distant. I don't know what she's really thinking yet. I feel that being too far away or too close isn't good. If she's unwilling, I don't want to force her..."

"It's good that you have this kind of thinking."

"Qianqian is lively, and I hope she can be influenced by her. Also, when would be a convenient time for you to take me to the Zhou family? We should at least have a formal meeting. In addition, the Zhao sisters and my sisters would like to come to the mansion during the New Year. Please invite Miss Zhou Jiu to come as well."

"You handle these matters..."

The prince returned, and everyone gathered in the dining hall again that evening.

Everyone felt that the prince had changed quite a bit since his marriage: before, it was rare for them to eat at the same table with him.

Consort Feng suddenly understood, and her personality changed; she became more low-key and humble...

After the meal, Li Jing offered to escort Li Xiangling back to her courtyard.

"Xiangxiang, what do you think of your mother?"

"very good."

"Today your mother said that she would like your father to take her to your maternal family to get acquainted with them when he has time. This will make it easier for her to pick you up and drop you off whenever you miss your maternal grandmother. During the New Year, your mother's sisters, as well as your aunts Yunqing and Yunkai, will be visiting. Please also invite your ninth aunt to come."

This was probably the only time in Li Xiangling's life that she was alone with her father, and that her father spoke so much with her.

The little girl was a little excited, her voice choked with emotion, "Okay."

"Father was too busy before, there was nothing he could do. Now that he's back, he's still busy, but at least it's better than before. During the New Year, Father will take you all to set off fireworks..."