The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 196
by Little PandaEqual Marriage Rights
The damp, warm mist in the room rose and drifted away. Qu Sheng focused her gaze once more, letting it fall upon Lin Xizhao’s gently smiling face. The words her wife had just spoken made her feel tormented at this very moment.
Her body, warmed by the hot water, had left her cheeks slightly flushed. But only she herself knew that the redness there was mingled with a genuine heat.
Lin Xizhao slowly turned her sideways body in the water to face her. As their skin brushed through the water, the slick, smooth sensation was heightened all the more.
Lin Xizhao raised her dripping, slender arm. Moving slightly in the water, she rose half a head taller than Qu Sheng. Qu Sheng tilted her neck back, gazing up at her wife above her, and rested her arms on the rim of the bath barrel as Lin Xizhao drew closer.
When the kiss descended, most of Lin Xizhao’s body leaned over Qu Sheng. The lingering, soft kiss was enveloped in her rich, cool fragrance.
The rim of the bath barrel creaked as Qu Sheng gripped it, but the sound was far too faint, easily drowned out by the swaying of the water.
Lin Xizhao’s kisses were vastly different from Qu Sheng’s. Like her very nature, her kiss was gentle yet utterly impossible to refuse. Qu Sheng relaxed her tongue, letting Lin Xizhao plunder it, yet the feeling was even more intoxicating than when she kissed Lin Xizhao.
As that fragrant tongue slid across the delicate skin of her neck, Qu Sheng’s body could not help but shudder. Her grip on the edge of the bath barrel tightened further.
Detecting the subtle shift in Qu Sheng’s body, Lin Xizhao lifted her head to look at Qu Sheng’s trembling eyelashes. She kissed them softly before sliding back down to her thin lips. After a feather-light brush, her warm breath spilled over Qu Sheng’s cheeks. In a soft, delicate voice thick with desire, she murmured, “Come up.”
As if a spell had been cast upon her, Qu Sheng obediently rose, her dripping body slowly standing before she sat on the rim of the bath barrel.
Soon, a fine tickling sensation from her front began to slowly erode her inner resolve, and she willingly became Lin Xizhao’s ‘captive’.
Several ke1 later, the two of them emerged from the washroom. Qu Sheng kept her eyes lowered, not daring to look at Lin Xizhao. Lin Xizhao smiled and held her hand. When she looked at Qu Sheng, there was no mockery—only the love she had, as always, poured upon her.
In just a few short ke, Qu Sheng had come three times. She did not know what was wrong with her; she simply could not control her mind or her body. Especially when Lin Xizhao kissed her near her ear, she felt her mind go entirely blank. In that moment, her body and soul seemed completely surrendered to Lin Xizhao, following her instructions to let herself go completely.
They walked together toward the bedroom. Lin Xizhao seemed exceptionally happy today, though she remained reserved, not letting it show outwardly. She possessed the same quiet joy Qu Sheng usually felt after their intimacy, whereas Qu Sheng was now the one acting shy and subdued, just as Lin Xizhao used to.
“Is my lady satisfied?” Lin Xizhao held the hand of the slow-moving Qu Sheng, suddenly turning back with a rare touch of playfulness.
Hearing this, Qu Sheng dazed for a brief moment, hardly able to believe those words had come from Lin Xizhao’s mouth. But very quickly, her competitive spirit began to act up. She abruptly pulled Lin Xizhao—who had been about to continue walking forward—back into her arms, sweeping her up.
As Lin Xizhao let out a soft gasp of surprise, a fire sparked in Qu Sheng’s eyes. In a low, raspy voice, she murmured, “Whether I am satisfied or not will depend on my lady’s performance in a moment.”
As they traded these teasing, intimate words of the bridal chamber, Lin Xizhao immediately caught Qu Sheng’s underlying meaning. The smile remained on her face, but a fresh wave of shyness washed through her heart.
With a smirk playing on Qu Sheng’s lips, they made their way toward the bedroom. But as they drew close, they spotted two figures—one large, one small—standing right outside their door.
Zhimu and her wet nurse seemed to have been standing there for quite some time.
“Greetings, Eldest Miss, Miss,” the wet nurse said, hurriedly turning around and leading Zhimu forward as she saw the two of them return.
Hearing the greeting, Lin Xizhao turned her head from where it was nestled against Qu Sheng’s chest. She saw Zhimu wearing a thick cloak; the tiny girl was bundled up so roundly she looked incredibly adorable, but her little cheeks were already flushed bright red from the cold.
Seeing this, Lin Xizhao gave Qu Sheng a gentle nudge. Qu Sheng looked down, meeting Lin Xizhao’s eyes, and set her back down.
“Auntie!” Zhimu cried out eagerly. She had not seen Lin Xizhao just now, but seeing her step down, she hurriedly called out.
“Mu’er,” Lin Xizhao said, lifting Zhimu into her arms as soon as she was set down.
The wet nurse smiled and said, “Fourth Young Master is feeling unwell, and Fourth Young Madam is looking after him. Mu-jie’er refused to sleep with Third Old Madam and insisted on coming to find you. She has been waiting here for a long time.”
“All right, Mu’er shall stay with me tonight,” Lin Xizhao said. Holding Zhimu, she took her tiny hands and prepared to carry her inside; the little one’s hands were freezing cold.
But after taking a single step, she turned her head back. Qu Sheng watched her, expecting to be invited inside together, only to hear Lin Xizhao ask, “Have Mu’er’s things been brought over?”
The wet nurse smiled and replied, “This servant has prepared everything. The clothes she will wear tomorrow and her sleepwear are all in this basket, so I brought them along.” She raised the basket in her hand slightly as she spoke.
Lin Xizhao nodded, gesturing for the nurse to follow her inside with the basket. She quickly turned around again, carrying Zhimu into the room.
Qu Sheng’s half-raised step landed. She watched Lin Xizhao raise her hand to push open the door, lowered her eyes for a moment, and followed them inside.
Lin Xizhao held Zhimu near the hearth to warm her up. Seeing Qu Sheng enter and shut the door behind her, she said, “Pour yourself some water to drink.”
Qu Sheng gave an obedient murmur, walked over to the table, and poured a cup for herself, then poured another for Lin Xizhao.
“I will take care of Mu’er. You go back and rest first,” Lin Xizhao told the wet nurse.
The wet nurse curtsied and said, “Understood. This servant will return first thing tomorrow morning.”
Zhimu had grown up accustomed to Lin Xizhao and was very well-behaved at night. Now that she was older, she rarely woke in the middle of the night, so she was very easy to care for.
Lin Xizhao nodded and continued holding Zhimu, gently rubbing her small hands.
Seeing the wet nurse leave, Qu Sheng blew gently on the tea in her hand to cool it, then offered it to Lin Xizhao. “Drink some, my lady.”
Lin Xizhao looked up at her voice. Their eyes met, her face filled with a soft smile as she took the cup and drank.
Qu Sheng stood there waiting for Lin Xizhao to finish, then reached out to take back the empty cup.
Once the room was warm, Lin Xizhao began helping Zhimu out of her thick cloak and heavy outer layers. As the little girl warmed herself by the fire, she suddenly remembered how Little Aunt had addressed Lin Xizhao.
Her little head tilted this way and that, but she could not understand why Little Aunt called her Auntie ‘my lady’.
Lin Xizhao hung Zhimu’s clothing on the yi2 inside the room. Qu Sheng sat by the table, her gaze drifting toward Zhimu, who was staring right back at her.
The two of them, one big and one small, harbored their own silent thoughts. When Lin Xizhao returned, she immediately set to work taking off the cloak Qu Sheng still wore. “Why didn’t you even take it off?”
In the past, whenever they returned to their room, there was almost no need for Qu Sheng to lift a hand herself with Lin Xizhao around. From childhood to adulthood, she had always been cared for by Lin Xizhao, looked after in the exact same manner Lin Xizhao had just shown Zhimu.
Lin Xizhao unfastened Qu Sheng’s cloak, removed her heavy outer clothes, and went back into the inner room. At this, Zhimu’s gaze toward Qu Sheng shifted once again.
How was Little Aunt, a grown-up, still needing her Auntie to care for her? And why hadn’t she left yet?
“Little Aunt,” Zhimu called out in her childish voice.
Qu Sheng raised her eyes. “Hmm?” Her tone was not gentle in the slightest.
“Are you going to sleep with us tonight?”
“Otherwise? Do you want me to sleep outside?” Qu Sheng asked, her brow arching slightly.
“No, but did you ask Auntie?” Zhimu countered.
Qu Sheng snorted inwardly and said, “This is my room. Why would I need to say anything?”
Zhimu was thoroughly confused by Qu Sheng’s reply. She clearly remembered that this was her Auntie’s room, so how had it suddenly become Little Aunt’s?
While Zhimu was still puzzling over this, Lin Xizhao emerged from the inner room. She had faintly caught their conversation from inside and asked with a smile, “What are you two whispering about behind my back?”
“Nothing,” the two of them, big and small, replied in unison. Once they had spoken, they exchanged a glance.
Lin Xizhao’s eyes curved. “I’ve already made the bed. Let’s go.”
Zhimu hopped down from her stool and trotted toward Lin Xizhao. She naturally curled her tiny hand around Lin Xizhao’s fingers, turning around to lead the way into the inner room.
Allowing herself to be led forward, Lin Xizhao turned her head halfway to look back at Qu Sheng. “Sheng’er,” she called.
Qu Sheng set down the cup in her hand and followed them into the inner room.
Lin Xizhao settled Zhimu onto the bed, helped her slip off her shoes, and unfastened her clothes, changing her into a tiny set of pink sleepwear. The moment the little one was changed, she burrowed into the blankets, leaving only her round, big eyes exposed.
Qu Sheng stood to the side and began to unbutton her own clothes as well. Lin Xizhao walked over to assist her, but Qu Sheng reached out instead to undo Lin Xizhao’s robe. “Let Sheng’er help my lady.”
Seeing the less-than-innocent thoughts swirling in Qu Sheng’s eyes, Lin Xizhao cast her a playful, reproving look. “I will do it myself.”
Lin Xizhao stepped back to keep a safe distance, unfastening her own robe and draping it over the wooden rack before returning to help Qu Sheng.
Qu Sheng stood still, her eyes and mind completely filled with Lin Xizhao’s gentle, exquisite beauty. An itch rose in her heart, and her gaze quickly locked onto those soft lips.
Qu Sheng leaned down to kiss her, but Lin Xizhao quickly raised a hand to block her lips. “Mu’er is right here.”
Hearing the child’s name, Qu Sheng snapped back to her senses. Lin Xizhao hung Qu Sheng’s discarded clothes on the wooden rack, turned around, and climbed onto the bed.
“Auntie!” Zhimu cried, hugging her as soon as she lay down.
Lin Xizhao had laid out two separate quilts. The two of them squeezed together, the little one’s soft body snuggled over, and Lin Xizhao gathered her into a full embrace.
Qu Sheng stood there with a slightly long face, watching the two of them nestled together as a wave of mild jealousy washed over her. But she was an adult, after all, and knew she should not compete with a little girl. She could only lie down under her own quilt.
“Auntie, why is Little Aunt in the same room as you?” Zhimu asked, snuggled in Lin Xizhao’s arms, finally putting voice to the question she wanted to ask most.
Lin Xizhao thought for a moment before replying softly, “Because Little Aunt is Auntie’s partner.”
“Partner?” Zhimu blinked her little eyes and looked up at Qu Sheng, who was lying beside Lin Xizhao. At this, a small curve finally turned up the corners of Qu Sheng’s lips.
“What is a partner?” Thoroughly baffled, Zhimu knit her tiny brows and looked back at Lin Xizhao.
“A partner is like your mother and father. They are each other’s partners,” Lin Xizhao explained patiently.
Zhimu fell into deep thought, nodding her little head, and asked no more. She had doubts in her heart but did not know how to voice them. She felt something was not quite right, yet she could not pinpoint where the issue lay.
“Go to sleep now,” Lin Xizhao said, lightly patting her back upon seeing her lost in thought.
Thinking too much at night would make her unable to sleep.
Lying in Lin Xizhao’s arms, Zhimu stared up at her. Before long, her eyes grew heavy, and her eyelids drooped closed.
Lin Xizhao soon drifted off to sleep as well. Sleep is always contagious.
Meanwhile, lying flat on one side, Qu Sheng, who had been constantly waiting for Lin Xizhao to soothe her, kept her eyes wide open, still waiting…
Fifteen minutes later, hearing no movement whatsoever from Lin Xizhao’s side, Qu Sheng slightly propped herself up to take a look. Seeing both the adult and the child fast asleep, she could only let out a helpless, quiet laugh.
Another fifteen minutes passed. Lin Xizhao was roused from her slumber by a familiar sensation. At first, she simply leaned into it, but she quickly woke up fully. She reached down and pulled out Qu Sheng, who was ‘causing trouble’ beneath the covers.
Qu Sheng licked the corner of her lips, an improper smile playing on her lips. She whispered, “Does my lady like it?”
Hearing Qu Sheng’s words, Lin Xizhao subconsciously glanced at Qu Zhimu. Without realizing when it had happened, she had already emerged from Qu Zhimu’s quilt and was sharing a single quilt with Qu Sheng.
“Don’t make trouble, Mu’er is right here,” Lin Xizhao whispered, seemingly startled by Qu Sheng. Her sleepwear was currently halfway open; under Qu Sheng’s light pressure, she gathered the loose sleepwear back together.
Qu Sheng curved her lips into a smile. “Then if my lady kisses me, I will stop.”
Hearing this, Lin Xizhao thought for a few moments, then turned her head to look at Zhimu, checking if she was still fast asleep.
Seeing the little one sleeping so soundly, Lin Xizhao could not help but curve her lips, a sight that Qu Sheng captured in her eyes.
If they had a child of their own, how joyous Lin Xizhao would be.
But this was nothing more than a pipe dream.
Lin Xizhao turned her head back. Gazing at Qu Sheng’s face, where the smile had slightly faded, she propped herself up a little and kissed Qu Sheng on the lips.
“Can we rest properly now?” Lin Xizhao’s voice was gentle, as if coaxing a child.
Watching Lin Xizhao coax her like a child, a smile quickly returned to Qu Sheng’s eyes. “Not enough.”
Seeing Qu Sheng’s insatiable greed, Lin Xizhao had no choice but to lift herself up once more to press her warm lips against Qu Sheng’s again. But just as she tried to pull away, Qu Sheng’s lips followed. Pressing her down onto the bed, Qu Sheng began to kiss her with deep, lingering passion.
Lin Xizhao could feel Qu Sheng’s restraint, yet she still felt this was too reckless, leaving her no choice but to raise her hand and gently push her away.
Pushed back, Qu Sheng’s breath was shallow and rapid. She stared at Lin Xizhao, and just as Lin Xizhao was about to speak and tell her to rest quickly, Qu Sheng swept her up in her arms.
She then stepped off the bed.
Qu Sheng carried her out, blanket and all, gently nudged aside the tea set on the table, and set Lin Xizhao down upon it. She then turned back to softly close the door of the inner room. If Lin Xizhao still did not know what she intended after such actions, she would truly be obtuse.
“Sheng’er, let us… another day, all right?” Lin Xizhao said in a low voice, her tone bordering on a plea.
“No,” Qu Sheng replied. “Sheng’er wants my lady today.” How could there be another day for such a thing? She had wanted her the moment they returned earlier, but because of the little one’s sudden arrival, she had been forced to endure until now.
“Sheng—”
Lin Xizhao’s remaining words were swallowed by Qu Sheng’s lips and tongue. The half-undone sleepwear was quickly pulled open once more. Qu Sheng caressed her soft skin while kissing Lin Xizhao’s fragrant neck, but she failed to hear the sounds she yearned for.
After a long while, when Qu Sheng lifted her head, she saw Lin Xizhao’s enduring, fragile expression. She felt a pang of tenderness, yet she did not want to stop.
It was the same familiar routine as before, yet with a completely different state of mind, the sensation was naturally different.
“My love, you are so beautiful tonight,” Qu Sheng murmured, her lips pressed against Lin Xizhao’s ear, whispering the feelings evoked by what she saw before her.
Lin Xizhao had introduced her as her partner to Qu Sheng’s little niece earlier today, and Qu Sheng had taken those words deep into her heart.
Hearing this phrase in her daze, Lin Xizhao felt an ethereal sensation. As her eyes locked with Qu Sheng’s, her body quickly began to burn uncontrollably.
Soon, Lin Xizhao lost all her strength, her arms draped around Qu Sheng turning weak and limp.
Qu Sheng curved her lips. Waiting for Lin Xizhao to catch her breath, she pulled back slightly, staring at Lin Xizhao’s damp eyelashes, and asked in a low voice, “Is my lady ready?”
They had not even truly begun yet.
Seeing Lin Xizhao’s soft, yielding state, Qu Sheng gave her no further chance to refuse. She sought those tender lips and kissed her once more.
The temperature in the room rose once again. Under Lin Xizhao’s utmost restraint, this secret tryst finally drew to a close in the middle of the night. Throughout it all, Qu Sheng’s vengeful biting had not ceased for even a moment.
One month later, Qu Sheng renamed the newly renovated Shoulin Yamen to Zhengdu Palace, establishing it as the imperial palace within the capital city of Shoulin, from which she would rule the world. She founded her dynasty under the title of Quzhao.
The “Zheng” in the palace’s name was taken directly from the “Zhengyi” in Marquis Zhengyi’s title, but as for the dynasty’s name, many people did not understand where the word “Zhao” came from.
Upon her ascension to the throne, Qu Sheng immediately issued four imperial decrees.
The first was to erect monuments for the soldiers who had sacrificed their lives under her command while repelling foreign tribes and quelling internal rebellions.
The second was that the vassal kings and lords of the realm would retain their original titles, but these titles would no longer be hereditary in perpetuity3. Instead, they would descend in rank with each generation, their fiefdoms would no longer possess military authority, and their lands would be divided among their children upon reaching adulthood.
Third, she would no longer accept recommendations of talent from aristocratic families; all officials of the Quzhao Dynasty had to pass the imperial examinations, and she ordered the establishment of state academies.
As for the fourth matter, many officials were still constantly submitting memorials against it, some even threatening to take their own lives to force Qu Sheng to rescind it.
Qu Sheng’s fourth decree granted men with men, and women with women, the exact same rights to marry as heterosexual couples, allowing them to register their unions and sign marriage certificates with local magistrate offices.
“Your Majesty, this is a matter that will throw the imperial court into chaos! Your Majesty must not become an unprincipled monarch! We beg Your Majesty to withdraw this decree!”
Below her, a vast sea of officials knelt in unison. Wearing her bright yellow imperial robes, Qu Sheng sat calmly on her magnificent golden throne, entirely unmoved.
The author has something to say:
Qu Sheng: “Just setting the stage—I have to marry my wife, too.”
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