"Wife, I want to eat meat” 《娘子，我要吃肉》Chapter 73

This wasn’t the first time Xia Fen has entered the palace, compared to the other children of influential families, the palace was almost his second home.

The emperor led a banquet at the Qifu palace with the officials and other influential family’s son, while the empress watched singing and dancing in the rear palace with the imperial concubines, princesses and the mothers and wives of officials. The banquet had just begun, after the emperor and the crown prince saw the court councillors, they saw Xia Fen behind Wang Yun Feng.

The emperor beckoned Xia Fen forward, good-naturedly asking him about his studies. Xia Fen had already long ago experienced the stringent rules of the imperial palace, he exceedingly understood this emperor was not as harmless as he appeared on the surface. 

On the contrary, when the emperor smile and spoke even more gently and softly, maybe in his mind at that exact moment was sharpening a knife, preparing to stab you once at any time. Before Xia Fen entered the palace he had been warned repeated by his parents numerous times, pursing his lips, his heart had long before tensed. He honestly and sincerely replied about all his performance records in literary and martial arts, the emperor laughed heartily: “My fond Wang, you as a literary official actually cannot teach your son well, this is a serious mistake ah.”

Wang Yun Feng kowtowed, only saying: “To feed without teaching is the father's fault, the emperor is correct.”

The emperor rubbed the top of the crown prince’s head: “I hear you stil haven’t given your first son a formal personal name?”

“Yes.”

The emperor grunted, pondering a while: “Then we will give him a name on your behalf. Surname Wang, name Zi Feng. Crown prince, tell me what you think?”

The crown prince bowed respectfully: “Father emperor bestowing a name, is Wang Zi Feng’s good fortune. I your son thank you on behalf of Zi Feng for your grace.” He stopped talking, then he kowtowed.

Wang Yun Feng immediately pulled on Xia Fen, that is the now Wang Zi Feng kowtow to thank the emperor for his favour.

The emperor put on such a show, everyone also knew this was to make clear of Wang Zi 

Feng’s identity. With the crown prince taking the lead in the thanks, some day in the future this Wang Zi Feng will be a member of the crown prince’s inner ministerial circle, common people would not dare to make an issue of his status.

Every time to celebrate new year, the emperor would grant general pardons, at the same time bestow rewards on hundreds of officials. After his son was conferred a name, Wang Yun Feng, from fifth rank was promoted to forth rank imperial censor supervisor, even though he wasn’t promoted back to his previous third rank, it pacified a lot of people.

After an hour Xia Ling Mei, at the empress’s dwelling heard the palace eunuch read the imperial decree, felt sad temporarily. The females in the Xia family were all tranquil and natural, clearly again expecting this outcome. Amongst the influential families that Wang Yun Feng had offended before, some people found it difficult to avoid showing a trace of obscured hatred, however, everyone were females of wealthy families who had seen the matters of the world, their mood promptly passed with a turn, not long after talking and laughing again in the middle of the songs and dance celebrations. Out of the corner of her eye Xia Ling Mei looked at the empress in a high position, the other person did not give her a little attention. Up until before she left the palace, then did she see the empress trusted palace maid, the other person quietly delivered a short sentence: “The position of imperial censor is exceedingly right, please may Lord Wang remain clean-living and honest.”

Xia Ling Mei hand tensed, turning around, she bowed in the direction of the Feng Xian Palace.

Leaving the palace, the curtain of darkness had just been drawn.

Inside the carriage, Wang Yun Feng was just unable to tolerate from being vexed at the stubbornness to Wang Zi Feng’s own correct name: “Remember, from now on if someone calls you `Xia Fen` again, you must strictly remind the other person, you’re now called Wang Zi Feng.”

Wang Zi Feng puffed out his cheeks: “Xia Fen is better.”

Wang Yun Feng frowned: “You want to be punished?”

“No.”

“Then listen to your dad.”

“Humph!”

Xia Ling Mei got in the carriage, laughing she said: “Being called a name for nearly seven years, it can’t just be changed right away. Why not in the future in front of outsiders, no matter who they are we will call you Zi Feng, in private, you parents will call you `Fen Er`, all right?”

Wang Zi Feng thew himself in to his mother’s arms, using his head to rub against her belly: “In the future younger brother or sister will also call me older brother Fen.”

Wang Yun Feng was somewhat annoyed, and yet somewhat love to spoil him, pulling his son away from Xia Ling Mei’s body: “Then your nickname will be `Fen Er`.” After all, he had asked the emperor for this favour before he had left Beiding city for the disaster relief, simply to avoid the older generation of the Wang family from inciting trouble. His son, naturally must be surnamed Wang. He won’t say, this also stops the rumours inside the Imperial city about Xia Ling Mei being chronically ill and unable to give birth, even though this rumour had now already been broken, however he did not want Xia Ling Mei to again be wronged even a little bit. As for himself, those mocking and ridicules he had suffered before, were in the past, he won’t say, she also will not know.

On new year’s eve, the whole family offered sacrifice to the ancestors, ate a new year family dinner, and handed red envelopes to the family servants, it was rare for it to be so lively.

The old housekeeper’s spirit was all the higher than before. When he was busy every day, he would walk and sway his hips at the same time. He had originally wanted to invite a theatrical troupe to perform in the residence on the night of new year’s eve. It was important to know in the previous years amongst all the official residences in Beiding city, the Wang residence was the most cheerless, not only was its master closed off completely, even the servants did not dare to relax and smile in front of him, at that time the old housekeeper would invite a theatrical troupe, singing from the afternoon through to the evening, right until the sound of the new year bell rang, then would be announce his phony liveliness can stop.

But this year the mistress was here, there was the young master, there were two more masters, Master Wang had a rare relaxed and satisfied expression. Xia Ling Mei without thinking just cancelled the troupe, getting someone to buy quite a lot of fireworks.

Waiting until the fireworks from over at the palace exploded and echoed in the sky, Wang Zi Feng also grabbed hold of a thick and solid large incense stick, sliding along he lit ten fireworks, `pop, pop, pop` he almost dyed the darkness into a colourful satin. There weren’t these things in the barracks, Wang Zi Feng seized all the fireworks by himself, he speedily spread them over the entire open space, laughing loudly along with the exploding fireworks, he didn’t even care about the fallen ash covering his head.

Layers of thick ash piled up on the ground, Xiu Yu at long last could no longer carry on watching, with Ying Shi they grabbed him together to throw him into a bath.

Bai Yan and Juan Shu also returned home, after Xiao Bai and Xiao Hei arranged the defences, gathered on a spot on the roof, watching the occasional firework which rushed out of the courtyard while drinking wine, exchanging a few blows. Wu Sheng pulled out Nu Ju from a small house, going to the kitchen to steal several hundred grams of beef as well as the pastries the mistress personally made, then Kong Xian grabbed Bai Shu to go into the wine cellar to carry out several jugs of good wine, together huddled in a secluded little courtyard, starting to teach these two children how to be men. With regards to being a man, celebrating the new year you should not hide in secret and covertly envy others, they should be with their brothers, drink large mouthfuls of wine and big bites of meat, then…in the middle of the night go to pleasure houses to freely and happily spend the second half of the night, and not live in vain.

After midnight, after the bustle the Imperial city at last quietened down. Wang Zi Feng carried a book on the art of war given to him by Wang Yun Feng, a flexible sword hung down from his waist which Xia Ling Mei had gotten someone to specially forge, beside him on the bed was also piled up a small brocade box of the Four Treasures of the Study which he had kicked away, a heavy longevity gold necklace wrapped around his neck, with a flushed complexion he fell asleep.

Xia Ling Mei wiped dry his sweat with a handkerchief, taking off his outer garments for him, after covering him with a quilt then did she complain to Wang Yun Feng: “At the barracks he’s never drank such potent wine, you know he can’t drink much yet you still encourage him to drink a large cup, allowing him to suffer tonight.”

Wang Yun Feng was separated by a screen, sitting on the outside section on the warm couch pouring and drinking himself, having heard what was said he smiled: “He says he wants to be a great general in the future, how can he not handle his wine.”

Xia Ling Mei walked over: “He’s still not yet seven years old.”

Wang Yun Feng got up to help her sit down, Xia Ling Mei swatted away his wolf claws: “I’m still not that weak.”

Wang Yun Feng sniffed at her neck, the wine fragrance exhaled was warm, the warmth was also lazy, he lightly laughed: “I want to do this, and there are no outsiders to see.”

Xia Ling Mei felt that this so called father was also drunk, moving away the wine cup in his hand a little bit: “Don’t drink anymore. To see the new year you have to observe it through the entire night.”

Wang Yun Feng stretched his legs, coming close to her he muttered: “What to do to stay up late?”

Xia Ling Mei thought about it: “Before at my parents’ home a large group of sisters got together to chat and laugh, en, do you want to play mah-jong, I’ll get someone to call the old housekeeper over, or maybe Bai Zi and Hei Zi. The old housekeeper work hard all year round, let him enjoy comfortably at his own home tonight.”

Wang Yun Feng reached out to hold her waist, he couldn’t help use that shaggy head of his to lightly rub against her slightly extended belly. There was underfloor heating in the house, Xia Ling Mei only wore a short-sleeved dress, a sleeveless jacket covering her, she also drank a bit of wine, right now her body was a little bit warm, it may be assumed it was the wine flaring up.

Having spoken, yet Wang Yun Feng did not reply, Xia Ling Mei considered it carefully for a little bit the all of a sudden she knew he didn’t want to be with other people, and dropped the subject.

The two people quietly sat together side by side, not saying anything, once in a while Wang Yun Feng would take a mouthful of warm wine, and not drink it himself but extend his neck and pour it into Xia Ling Mei’s mouth. If it was the past, the serious and cold imperial censor Wang would definitely not act in such a manner, Xia Ling Mei was determined he was already very intoxicated. It was impossible to speak clearly to a drunk, only drink along with him, he poured mouthful by mouthful, Xia Ling Mei drank mouthful by mouthful. Until finally, Xia Ling Mei sleeveless jacket was also taken off, her pinned hair was a mess, misty eyed from intoxication, the scarlet which appeared to not exist on her white cheeks looked quite enchanting.

It was extremely quiet outside the room, faintly from inside the room sound of water puddling together could be heard. Wang Yun Feng from time to time kissed her from different angles, carefully caressing her belly, occasionally muttered some inaudible rubbish. Xia Ling Mei was so intoxicated her head wasn’t clear, only feeling him hold her hand very 

tightly, his breathes touching her cheeks. In the haze, her skirt moved as if it was being lifted up, her body burned from head to toe, making her unable to tell if she was in a dream or somewhere else.

Apparently she still heard Wang Yun Feng ask her: “Stay with me from now on okay?”

She laughed, not replying.

That person pinched her waist, since she had gotten pregnant, her waist was always very ticklish, Xia Ling Mei struggled for a little while, she could only say: “Fine.”

Wang Yun Feng again said: “In the future you must not leave me, okay?”

Xia Ling Mei thought about it, that person’s actions was a bit rougher, she gasped, nodding she said: “Fine.”

Wang Yun Feng felt it was still not enough, continuing to entice in her ear: “Say `Xia Ling Mei is Wang Yun Feng’s wife`.”

She’s always been his wife ah, is there a point to have to say it

Wang Yun Feng’s wolf claws also pressed down at her back, she felt herself burn up, with a slight sobbing tone she said: “I’m your wife.”

The person on her was satisfied, sighing with a kiss on her temple, sucking in her tears.

Xia Ling Mei felt very tired, asking him in a daze: “What time is it?”

“It’s still early.” He said, “It’s still early in our lifetime, very early.”

Xia Ling Mei beat on his back: “You’re too heavy, get off.”

Wang Yun Feng again laughed, turning to lie down on her side, picking up the bedding to cover the two of them well.

At the side of the bed, that pot of strong alcoholic drink was already on its side, not a single drop of wine leaked out, it was not certain who had actually finished it.

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T/N: Late update but only because so I can get 3 chapters completed! 

Also please be reminded that at the time the story was set alcohol might not have been necessarily considered a bad thing to drink when pregnant. We now know of a thing called Foetal Alcohol Syndrome.