The temperamental white moonlight is back, and the entire Marquis's family obediently calls him

"We're about to pass through the palace gates."

Inside the carriage, Lu Mingzhao sat up straight upon hearing Zhou Ningchuan's words.

Zhou Ningchuan couldn't help but laugh and said, "Don't be nervous. The emperor is no different from us. We all have two eyes and one mouth."

"That's what they say..." Lu Mingzhao muttered softly.

"You've been to the palace many times, but this is my first time. If I say something wrong or take the wrong path, even if the emperor doesn't punish me, I'll still embarrass you."

Zhou Ningchuan was somewhat stunned.

He hadn't expected his wife to worry about this.

My wife used to be a fearless person.

After both of their parents passed away, the village chief tried to take away Zhou Ningchuan's land under the pretext that "they are not from this village".

Zhou Ningchuan went to argue, but the village chief acted as if it were his due: "When your family came here, I only gave you a piece of land because I pitied you."

"Now that your parents are gone, it's only right that I take them back."

When Lu Mingzhao found out, he grabbed a hoe and rushed into the village chief's house, intending to dig up the village chief's well.

The village chief was so frightened that he quickly stopped her.

She shoved the village chief aside and said with equal righteous indignation, "Back when the village chief's family was digging a well, my father and Zhou Ningchuan's father both came to help."

"Now that both of our fathers have passed away, two pieces of this well should be dug up and buried with them."

"And yet, we've already let you off the hook for a few years."

The village chief was furious, but he was no match for Lu Mingzhao in strength, so he had no choice but to refuse to take the land.

Lu Mingzhao then gave up.

She seems to have nothing to fear except her family. She doesn't care about anyone's opinion or words.

She always lived such a carefree and joyful life.

Now that Lu Mingzhao has the title of Lady of Zhongjing Marquis, everyone thinks she got a great deal, living a good life without doing anything but relying on her husband's title.

But Zhou Ningchuan felt guilty towards his wife.

My wife is not nearly as happy as she used to be.

For the sake of her family, she was forced to learn things she didn't like.

Right now, she has to suppress her temper, put on this thick and heavy formal attire, and go to the palace to kneel and pay homage to him.

What he perceived as honor was more like a constraint for his wife.

"What are you thinking about?" Lu Mingzhao noticed that her husband hadn't spoken for a long time, so she tilted her head and leaned closer to look at him.

"It's nothing, it's just... I feel sorry for you."

Zhou Ningchuan gave a wry smile.

"Feeling wronged? I'm not feeling wronged at all. I have more clothes than I can wear, more things than I can use, such a big house, so many people serving me, how could I feel wronged?"

"Well... I do feel a little wronged that the children aren't close to me, but I believe it won't always be like this."

"I'm their mother, and sooner or later I'll make them call me 'Mother' obediently."

"Do you believe it or not?"

Their noses were almost touching, and Lu Mingzhao blinked.

Zhou Ningchuan's heart softened, and he couldn't help but cup his wife's cheeks and pinch them.

"letter."

My wife has been working out quite well lately; her face has gotten fuller, and she looks more and more like she did when she was younger.

He couldn't get enough of looking at his wife, and wished he could tie her to his body.

Zhou Ningchuan couldn't help but lower his head and kiss his wife's lips, but was immediately pushed away by Lu Mingzhao, who glared at him.

"Hey, I put on lip gloss, don't smudge it!"

"Zhao Xianglan said that one box costs twenty taels of silver! It's outrageously expensive..."

Before she could finish speaking, Zhou Ningchuan pressed down on her again, lifting her chin with one hand and gripping her waist with the other, preventing her from retreating.

Their lips intertwined for a long time before he finally let go.

Lu Mingzhao leaned back on the cushion, panting, her cheeks flushed, and glared at him fiercely: "You..."

"I'll compensate you."

Zhou Ningchuan smiled, his eyes crinkling, and took out a small bronze mirror from a box beside him. Holding it up, he asked his wife to touch up her makeup, "Is a hundred boxes of lip rouge enough to compensate Zhaozhao?"

"Who wants you to pay me back... You better behave yourself, or I'll make a scene in front of a lot of people later."

Lu Mingzhao couldn't stand his gaze, so she silently looked away.

Perhaps she had been holding back for many years. Ever since their reunion, whenever Zhou Ningchuan slept at her place, he would always pester her, coming and going several times a night.

He's even more impressive than when he was younger.

Lu Mingzhao always secretly rejoiced that he was a trained martial artist, otherwise his back would definitely not have been able to withstand such torment.

However, it's one thing to do it privately at home, but if someone sees him doing it, Lu Mingzhao will definitely not let him off easily.

Fortunately, Zhou Ningchuan behaved himself for the rest of the journey. After Lu Mingzhao finished applying her lipstick, he obediently held her hand and smiled foolishly at her.

Lu Mingzhao mentally complained about his silly appearance, but couldn't help but laugh along.

Not long after, the carriage stopped, and Lu Mingzhao got out of the carriage with her husband's help.

Palace servants were already waiting there, leading them to the banquet venue.

She didn't dare to look up during the journey, and only after entering the garden did she dare to slowly raise her head with her husband's prompting.

"How is it?" Zhou Ningchuan asked with a smile.

Lu Mingzhao didn't have time to answer him at all.

Since regaining control of her body, she has gained a lot of knowledge.

The Marquis's Mansion, the Duke's Mansion, Yunding Manor...

As she looked around, even when she saw the most expensive and luxurious items, she would only mutter to herself, "This is enough for a family in the countryside to eat for decades," or "That can be exchanged for so much rice," while maintaining a calm and composed demeanor.

Seeing this scene before her, she finally couldn't hold back anymore.

The Marquis of Zhongjing's mansion was considered one of the most prestigious residences in the capital. It was said to have been converted from the former residence of a prince of the previous dynasty, complete with pavilions and waterside terraces. She spent half a month exploring it before she could truly see it all.

I thought that was already going too far.

But compared to the palace gardens before them, it was utterly insignificant.

In the garden, royalty and nobles mingled and drank, while ladies and young women strolled in twos and threes, their hair adorned with fragrant flowers and elegant attire. Their laughter was carried far away by the gentle breeze, making it difficult to hear clearly.

It truly felt like a dream.

Lu Mingzhao looked down at himself again.

Hey, she's seen a lot in the world!

Zhou Ningchuan had been observing his wife beside him. He saw her giggle twice and start counting something with her fingers.

Zhou Ningchuan couldn't help but smile and ask, "What are you doing?"

Lu Mingzhao whispered, "Let me count how many people there are. Even the village's continuous feasts don't necessarily have this many people."

"Madam Lu," Princess Wenyu recognized her from afar and greeted her with a smile.

Princess Wenyu was somewhat surprised to see Lu Mingzhao.

Marquis Zhongjing had attended many palace banquets in the past, but it is said that he never brought his wife with him.

The emperor had asked him about it, but he always made excuses, saying that his wife was ill and it was inconvenient for him to meet with the emperor.

This is quite unusual today.

Lu Mingzhao rarely encountered acquaintances in such an occasion. Before she could even feel happy, she realized that Princess Wenyu had arrived, and Prince Wei was probably here as well.

What made Lu Mingzhao somewhat uneasy was that Prince Wei had not seen her since their last parting.

He used to beg Lu Mingzhao to teach him martial arts, but now he's suddenly not in a hurry anymore.

Could it be that he was scared by the horse stance I made him do last time?

That's a good thing.

The two spoke for a while, when they heard the eunuch announce loudly, "His Majesty has arrived."