An hour later, Mo Lingwei took Shen Ningning to serve tea to the Emperor.

However, Shen Ningning found it uncomfortable to walk, so he had a soft sedan chair summoned for her.

On their way, they passed through the Imperial Garden, which was in full bloom. Mo Lingwei had the sedan chair stop, got out, and personally plucked a pink peony. When he returned, he carefully pinned it in his lovely wife’s jet-black hair.

Shen Ningning smelled the floral fragrance and reached up to touch its blooming petals.

She blinked her bright, lively eyes. “Is it pretty?”

“Beautiful.” After he spoke, Mo Lingwei leaned in and whispered something in her ear, causing Shen Ningning’s face to flush red.

Immediately, she swatted him on the chest. “If you dare tease me with words like that again, I’ll punish you by making you sleep in the study.”

Mo Lingwei chuckled and pleaded for mercy, but his slender eyes shone with unconcealed possessiveness and adoration.

From his angle, he could see Shen Ningning’s lovely profile. Her skin was plump and fair, with a delicate luster like a pearl, and he was especially drawn to her full, soft red lips.

Mo Lingwei knew just how seductive their taste was.

And so, unable to resist, he gently tapped Shen Ningning on the shoulder.

The moment she turned around, Mo Lingwei wrapped an arm around her waist, pulled her into his embrace, and kissed her to his heart’s content.

The two of them flirted and bantered like this for the rest of the journey.

By the time they arrived at the Emperor’s Qianyuan Hall, another incense stick’s worth of time had passed.

The Emperor had been in the Imperial Study Room handling state affairs. When he heard that the Crown Prince was bringing the Crown Princess Consort to serve tea, he immediately put down his brush and hurried back.

He saw Mo Lingwei and Shen Ningning dressed in matching, fiery-red robes, their faces radiating with happiness.

The Emperor grinned from ear to ear. “Why didn’t you two sleep in? You must be exhausted from the wedding.”

Shen Ningning blushed. “Thank you for your concern, Father-Emperor. We’re not tired at all.”

As she spoke, a palace maid brought over a tray. Shen Ningning took a cup of tea and knelt on a prayer cushion.

Together with Mo Lingwei, she raised the teacup high above her head.

“Please drink this tea, Father-Emperor.”

“Good child, good child!” The Emperor eagerly took the teacup from Shen Ningning’s hands and drank it all in one go.

Then, with a grand wave of his hand, he signaled the Chief Eunuch to present the wedding gift he had prepared for Shen Ningning.

The Chief Eunuch held a long scroll and unfurled it beside Shen Ningning.

“Sixteen stalks of Ancient Coral, thirty-two chests of East Sea Pearls, sixty-four chests of jewelry, seventy-seven chests of assorted jadeite rough stones, eighty-eight bolts of Heavenly Cloud Brocade, the tribute tax from six cities… and forty-one mansions and manors across the Nine Provinces. We present this for the Crown Princess Consort’s inspection.”

Shen Ningning’s eyes widened as she stared at the long gift list.

The Chief Eunuch had only read the names of the categories. On the scroll itself, each category was broken down into further detail, a dazzling array of names that made Shen Ningning’s head spin.

“This… Father-Emperor, why have you given me so much?”

“It’s not much at all. This is my portion, and I’ve also included a portion on behalf of your mother, the late Empress. She passed away long ago. If she were still with us, I’m afraid she would scold me for giving you too little.”

The Emperor smiled kindly. “Ningning, I feel I’ve wronged you in the past and I just want to make it up to you, so please don’t be so formal with me.”

“Besides, everything I have will be yours one day anyway, so just accept it.”

Shen Ningning was deeply moved. “Thank you, Father-Emperor.”

She had the palace maid behind her accept the gift list on her behalf.

When it was Mo Lingwei’s turn, the Emperor drank his tea and said only one thing: “You must treat Ningning well from now on. If I ever find out you’ve bullied her, don’t blame me for revoking your title as Crown Prince and exiling you to the Northern Desert!”

“I can’t even dote on her enough, how could I possibly bully her?” Mo Lingwei said, then frowned slightly. “Father-Emperor, where are my gifts?”

“What gifts?”

“You gave my wife so much, but there’s nothing for me?”

“Nothing! Marrying Ningning is a blessing you’re lucky to have. What more could you possibly want from me?”

With that, the Emperor turned to Shen Ningning with a beaming smile. “Ningning, why don’t you and Ling Wei go for a stroll in the garden? I must return to the Imperial Study Room. If you need anything at all, just order any of the Palace Attendants to see to it.”

Suddenly, the Emperor remembered something.

“Oh, right! Someone, bring the Phoenix Seal to the Crown Princess Consort.”

The one who controlled the Phoenix Seal could command the Six Palaces.

Previously, only the Empress had this authority. But now, the Phoenix Seal was being handed to Shen Ningning.

She was overwhelmed by the gesture. “Father-Emperor, you’re giving this to me so soon… I’m afraid I’m not up to the task.”

“Nonsense. Just take it. The imperial harem is simple. The few concubines and Princes are all honest, well-behaved people. Before you married into the family, the Internal Affairs Eunuch managed everything, but now that you’re here, this authority should rightfully be yours.”

She was the Crown Princess Consort now and would be the Empress in the future. It was a responsibility she would have to assume sooner or later.

This was a sign of the Emperor’s trust, and more importantly, a testament to his support for Shen Ningning.

In an ordinary family, this would be the equivalent of a father-in-law giving his new daughter-in-law his full backing, ensuring no one would dare bully her simply because she was new to the family.

Shen Ningning thanked him once again, and only then did the Emperor depart with a satisfied smile.

Mo Lingwei took her by the hand, and they walked along the palace path to the Imperial Garden.

The air in the garden was thick with fragrance. Mo Lingwei laughed. “You’re much more powerful than I am now. It seems I’ll have to rely on my wife for protection in the palace from now on.”

Shen Ningning blinked. “If that’s really the case, you’d better watch out. Don’t give me a chance to bully you.”

Mo Lingwei raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “I’ll lie perfectly still for you. You can bully me however you wish.”

Shen Ningning tossed a flower she had just picked into his arms, her face flushing with embarrassed indignation. “How can you always say such things? Be careful a Palace Attendant doesn’t overhear you.”

“It’s nothing. Everyone knows we’re newlyweds, and they all know I’ve wanted to marry you for a very, very long time.” Mo Lingwei’s slender eyes were dark and intense, like a swirling sea that could drown a person in their depths.

Over the next few days, he proceeded to physically demonstrate to Shen Ningning just how long he had truly coveted her.

On the first day, they didn’t open their door until the afternoon. On the second, they simply had all their meals brought to their room. On the third, the Imperial Physician was summoned.

Shen Ningning leaned against the headboard, her face crimson, not daring to look at the Imperial Physician’s expression as he took her pulse.

A female medical attendant had just examined her. The diagnosis: the two of them had been a bit too… rambunctious.

The Imperial Physician then said to Mo Lingwei, “Crown Prince, regardless of the circumstances, it would be best to exercise some restraint. The Crown Princess Consort has a delicate constitution. You cannot… er…”

‘The Imperial Physician really didn’t know how to put it more politely.’

‘For him to make the Crown Princess Consort so… unwell, the Crown Prince is being far too careless.’

Mo Lingwei frowned, his face etched with worry. “I understand. Go and prepare the medicine.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” The Imperial Physician picked up his medical kit and departed with the female attendant.

Mo Lingwei turned and sat on the edge of the bed. Shen Ningning’s eyes shot wide open, and she finally let her temper flare.

“Look what you’ve done! I told you ‘no, no,’ but you just kept coming back for more! Now look what’s happened! The Imperial Physician knows everything! I’ll be too embarrassed to show my face in this palace ever again!”

Mo Lingwei smiled adoringly. “It’s all my fault, I was wrong. I’ll be sure to pay attention. We’ll take it easy for the next few days. I won’t be so indulgent anymore.”

Shen Ningning huffed indignantly.

She spent the next few days recuperating. Finally, the Crown Prince’s month-long wedding holiday came to an end, and it was time for Shen Ningning to pay a visit to her family home.

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