Ning Chen and the Ninth Princess went into the palace, first to bow to the ancestors of the imperial house, then to the emperor, and then on into the inner palace to pay their respects to Consort Zhen, the Ninth Princess's mother the Consort.

The Ninth Princess's fine brows stayed drawn tight the whole time, and her legs shook a little when she walked... but she bore it with everything she had.

It was fortunate that Ning Chen had the right to ride inside the palace.

Otherwise they would have been on foot, and Ning Chen would probably have had to carry the Ninth Princess the whole way.

They were supposed to pay their respects to the other consorts too, but Ning Chen excused them on the grounds that she was unwell, said they would call next time, and took the Ninth Princess home.

He had been very gentle last night, and had held himself well back.

But it was the Ninth Princess's first time after all, and it had been a tight fit. That she could go into the palace at all today was no small thing!

Back at the house, the Ninth Princess's small face was pale and her fine brows were still drawn tight.

Ning Chen was about to send the Ninth Princess to rest when Yudie and Zisu came to pay their respects.

The Ninth Princess was the principal wife.

So by the rules they had to pay their respects three times a day.

"Presenting ourselves to the princess!"

The Ninth Princess could only swallow how badly she felt and say, smiling, "No need to stand on ceremony. Rise, both of you elder sisters!"

"Thank you, Princess!"

When the two of them had risen, Yudie took out the ledger she had brought and handed it to the Ninth Princess.

Now that the Ninth Princess had married into the house, the purse strings of the household had to pass to the Ninth Princess.

"Princess, this is the account of the household's expenditures. Please look it over."

The Ninth Princess picked up the ledger, turned a few pages,…