Red candles, dusky gauze curtains.
"Husband, why have you entrusted me with the important task of selecting palace maidens? I would not dare make decisions on such a major matter by myself."
Under the candlelight, Zhen Mi's delicate face looked even more flushed, her beauty peerless.
Now that Bai Xiaowen was the Prince of Yan, propriety dictated that Zhen Mi address him as "Your Highness." But Bai Xiaowen found it awkward to hear, so he insisted that she continue calling him "husband." Every time he heard it, his bones seemed to melt.
Likewise, before Zhen Mi, Bai Xiaowen did not refer to himself as "the lone one" or "the solitary ruler," nor did he put on airs.
Bai Xiaowen smiled. "It's only a small matter. What does it matter?"
Zhen Mi lightly chided him, "Husband, you are joking. Who knows how many aristocratic clans are watching this matter? If I preside over it, first, I fear the women selected will not suit your wishes; second, I fear mishandling it and causing you to offend those great clans. How could this be a small matter?"
Bai Xiaowen laughed heartily. "My Yuan Clan is the greatest aristocratic clan of all. Why should I fear offending a few others? As for selecting palace women, it is merely because Mother ordered it and the ministers petitioned for it, so I had no choice but to comply. I am hardly some lecherous man. Consort, just go ahead and do it. I will handle everything."
Zhen Mi lowered her graceful neck somewhat shyly and said softly, "Husband, it is already late at night."
Such a hint was already considered quite explicit for women of ancient China.
Bai Xiaowen coughed. "Mm. You should sleep first. I need to cultivate a Daoist art. For the coming month, I