Chapter 94: Precognitive Dream (Qin Lie)

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Qin Lie's return to the front yard this time was not just to hide; he was genuinely busy.

He had previously spent three months attacking Hengzhou, and then spent time recuperating at the princess's residence after being whipped, leaving behind a lot of military affairs that urgently needed his attention.

He attacked Hengzhou earlier than in his previous life. Although he won a great victory, it was too hasty, and many problems need to be solved.

After a busy day, even with a lot of hard work, I've only finished less than half of it. If I hadn't remembered that I had left a message beforehand to go back for dinner, I would definitely have spent the night in the study again.

Because they got back quite late, they specially sent someone to the restaurant to buy a few of their signature dishes.

Upon returning to the backyard, Lingyi rose to greet him, her eyes still gentle and full of longing. She acted as usual, as if none of yesterday's quarrels had occurred. Qin Lie couldn't help but sneer inwardly. If this princess were born a man, her skill in feigning ignorance and playing dumb would surely allow her to thrive in the officialdom.

He didn't expose her; after all, she was his wife. Since she had offered him a way out, he magnanimously accepted it. Otherwise, what kind of life would it be if they were constantly at odds? Besides, the more she pretended, the more interesting it was to tease her. Thinking of this, Qin Lie was in a good mood. He finished off all the food she had left before strolling back to the bedroom.

Upon entering, one could see the princess, who had returned to her bedroom earlier, leaning against the couch, with Granny Zhao standing beside her, combing her hair.

Upon seeing this, Qin Lie scolded, "It's been raining coldly these past two nights, and the wind is strong by the window. Why are you still on the bed?"

Granny Zhao hurriedly explained, "Reporting to the General, the Princess is now quite far along in her pregnancy and is feeling unwell; she cannot sit for long periods..."

Before she could finish speaking, Qin Lie looked at Lingyi and asked, "Are you feeling unwell? Have you seen a doctor?"

Lingyi was used to pretending to be weak, but she rarely complained to others. Upon hearing this, she simply lowered her head and remained silent.

Granny Zhao chimed in, "The princess has been keeping quiet because she didn't want the general to worry. Actually, for the past month, the princess's calves and feet have been swollen, and in the last few days they've become so swollen that she can't even wear her old shoes anymore. Her pubic bone is also painful, so she can't sit up, and it hurts when she walks. She only feels comfortable when she leans against something."

After she finished speaking somewhat exaggeratedly, she glanced at Qin Lie and saw that his expression was unreadable, and he was only staring at the princess.

"Why did you never tell me?" This question was naturally asked of the princess as well.

Lingyi replied without hesitation, "There's nothing to say. It's not unbearable. Most women in labor are like this. They'll be fine after giving birth."

Qin Lie scoffed lightly: "You're getting all tough now."

Lingyi kept trying to struggle, but to no avail. She could only try to curl up her legs and hide under her clothes.

Qin Lie grabbed her foot, his voice icy, "What are you pretending for? What part of your body haven't I seen, touched, or..."

He swallowed the last few words back down his throat because she, in her haste, covered his mouth with one hand.

Her soft palm pressed against his lips, so close that Qin Lie first caught the fragrance emanating from her sleeve. He composed himself before looking at her face. Seeing her glaring at him angrily, he looked back innocently and blinked at her in confusion, as if he had no idea what he had done wrong.

Her anger flared even more, but he pulled her hand away and chuckled, "Wasn't the princess happy back then? How come you're turning your back on me now? And I worked so hard back then..."

Lingyi, both embarrassed and angry, interrupted him with a flushed face, "You! You have no shame!"

Seeing that she was so anxious that tears were welling up in her eyes, Qin Lie didn't dare to tease her anymore. Instead, he coaxed her, "Don't cry. Look carefully. There are only the two of us in this room."

He is a dignified general in public, but he is just a bit more playful around her. He would never be so reckless in front of others.

Lingyi stopped crying, looked around, and realized that Granny Zhao had already left and closed the door.

Qin Lie said coldly, "She left as soon as I carried you here. Your Liu family may not have any other skills, but they do know how to train servants."

Lingyi felt much more relaxed now that no one else had overheard her words. During their intimate moments, he had pestered and pressured her, saying countless embarrassing things, and she was somewhat numb by now. But he shouldn't have teased her like this; this wasn't the time for lovemaking. Thinking this, she glared at him and got up.

"Don't move." Qin Lie wouldn't let her go. He easily held her down, then pulled her calves onto his lap and began to knead them.

Realizing what he was doing, Lingyi froze for a moment before starting to struggle.

"Don't move." He repeated, shamelessly adding what he hadn't said before, "Why are you shy with me? What part of your body haven't I kissed?"

Lingyi was too shocked to be shy or angry at this moment, and even her words were stammering, "You, you... you should let Granny Zhao and the others do it."

Qin Lie said sternly, "Liu Lingyi, don't be ungrateful. I've only ever massaged my grandmother's shoulders and back. If it weren't for the child in your womb, do you think I would care about you?"

Lingyi's mind was a complete blank, and she was in a daze. She only caught half of what was being said before muttering, "I don't want a grandson like you..."

It wasn't until Qin Lie stopped what he was doing and looked at her with an unfriendly expression that Ling Yi belatedly realized what a blunt truth she had blurted out.

He squinted and slowly approached. Lingyi thought he was angry and instinctively covered her stomach, but he just coldly helped her sit up, placing a cushion behind her to make her more comfortable. Then, with a cold face, he instructed her, "Don't move..." He paused, then said through gritted teeth, "Little miss!"

After that, he stopped looking at her and began to focus on massaging her calves.

Lingyi used to live in places with bed curtains, silk brocade in winter and light gauze in summer. She liked to watch the candlelight or sunlight shine through the bed curtains, the different colors having different hues, some light and some beautiful, all as soft as a dream.

But Qin Lie's bed had no bed curtains. His room was as cold and hard as he was. Looking around, all you could see was the dark red of wood or pitch black, with nothing soft about it.

But at this moment, with his head down and his expression still as cold and stern as ever, Lingyi felt a sense of tenderness and warmth.

Lingyi was not happy about this; instead, she was worried and restless, her fingers almost digging holes in the bedsheet beneath her.

It was because it was too quiet, she thought. People are inevitably vulnerable and prone to overthinking when it's quiet, just like poets often think of their hometown in the dead of night.

So she broke the silence and told him about what had happened that day. "The Crown Princess came by this morning and said that she wasn't in the manor yesterday, so she was able to come over today. During our chat, she... she said..." Lingyi stole a glance at his expression, "The ancestral hall was robbed last night, and some offerings were missing. The ones you brought last night..." She stopped, pursing her lips, because she really couldn't bring herself to say what she was about to say.

Qin Lie readily admitted, "The pastries you ate last night were taken from the ancestral hall by me."

How dare he say "take"? He clearly stole!

Even though she had some suspicions beforehand, Lingyi still froze, staring at him without blinking, her eyes wide open, her face full of disbelief, which then turned into heartbreaking indignation that "you dragged me down with you."

Her expression was so sorrowful that Qin Lie had to comfort her, saying, "When I was little, my father often punished me by not letting me eat. When I was really hungry, I would go to the ancestral hall to get something to eat. After all, these offerings are changed every day, so they can't be fresher. Second sister-in-law deliberately mentioned it in front of you as a joke, but you just didn't know it. Don't worry, everyone in the mansion knows it was me, so no one will really 'catch the thief'."

Lingyi was on the verge of tears. Her worries went far beyond that; she had actually eaten the offerings that the Qin family had made to their ancestors. What a blasphemy this was!

Qin Lie, however, did not take it to heart and even argued, "How can you be so old-fashioned at such a young age? As long as you achieve great things and bring glory to your family, your ancestors in the afterlife will naturally be honored. If you are a spoiled brat who ruins the family business, even if you kneel before the spirit tablet every day, you are still an unworthy descendant. I am so promising, and if they have spirits in heaven, they will certainly not want us to go hungry."

Lingyi stared at the bed curtains above her head, remaining silent for a long while. Only when she remembered that she had something to ask him did she speak again: "When the young master and second sister-in-law came over, they brought some bird's nest and matsutake mushrooms. Should I return the favor tomorrow?"

She shouldn't have asked him these questions, but she was alone and helpless in the Prince's mansion, and even in Jizhou. Her only connection to the outside world, Qiu Min, had long since switched allegiance to him. She was like a caged bird, oblivious to the harsh realities of the outside world. Furthermore, having lost her princess status, she didn't understand the personalities of the people in the mansion, nor the customs of Jizhou. She feared she might inadvertently make a mistake. If she didn't ask him, was she supposed to ask the other maids in the courtyard?

Lingyi hadn't expected him to say so much, and she listened intently. At first, she nodded in agreement, but as she listened, her brows furrowed. After pondering for a while, she hesitantly asked him, "...How can we do this without leaving a trace?" She paused, then lowered her voice even more awkwardly, "I don't have any valuable medicinal herbs on hand..."

For some reason, Qin Lie would develop a wicked sense of humor whenever he encountered a princess. The more embarrassed she was, the more amused he found her. Moreover, the fact that she was so cautiously blushing as she asked him for help was an even more rare treat.

Tsk tsk, as expected, the little princess raised in the deep palace can't live without him.

Thinking of this, he sighed at the trouble, but couldn't help feeling overjoyed. He smiled and said, "Isn't that simple? You just need to tell her to say a few good words for you to the Princess, and your second sister-in-law will accept it without feeling guilty. As for the medicine, you don't need to worry about it; I'll have someone prepare it tomorrow. From now on, whatever you want, just ask..." He paused. After dealing with Chunying, he immediately went on a campaign, and now there wasn't a head maid in charge of the courtyard. After a moment's thought, he said, "Later, I'll have Qin Xiaoshan give the storeroom key to your nanny; it'll be easier for you to get whatever you need then."

Giving it to the nanny beside him was essentially handing over his private treasury to her.

Lingyi was even more surprised, and felt flattered. "I...I'm afraid I can't bear this responsibility."

"You are my wife, what is there that you can't bear?" Qin Lie was somewhat displeased. His wife, if not all of them were worldly-wise, should at least not be so timid and cowardly. Qin Lie was displeased, but seeing her tense face and serious expression, he spoke again, his tone unconsciously softening a bit, "Don't be afraid, the storeroom in the inner courtyard only contains things used in the inner quarters and backyard. Even if you ruin them all, it won't matter, it's nothing serious."

The inner courtyard was just the inner courtyard, his own private treasury, which he often used to buy grain and distribute military pay. How could it be handed over to a woman?

Lingyi nodded, but after a moment, she couldn't help but ask, "Will my second sister-in-law speak up for me? Will her words be of any use?"

The innocent and carefree little princess, even though she has experienced some unsatisfactory things and is prepared to accept the worst outcome, still longs for acceptance and affection from others whenever the opportunity arises, her still-childish face full of expectation.

Qin Lie felt a pang of pity. As her son, he naturally knew the princess's temper. The princess would never like her. Even now, she only barely tolerated her entering the palace and still refused to accept her as her daughter-in-law. Even her three children were kept at arm's length and refused to come before the princess.

When he suggested that this action was unreasonable, the princess pointed her finger at his nose and scolded him, "It's one thing if you're bewitched, but the Liu family has already harmed one of her sons and one of her grandsons. I will never allow the princess to harm any other members of the Qin family!"

He was always taciturn and never lied unless it was something important, but at this moment he said against his will: "My mother is straightforward and has a bad temper. Over the years, only my second sister-in-law has been able to talk to her. It just takes time, so don't be impatient."

Lingyi's eyes lit up, and she smiled as she agreed.

As he spoke, he massaged one of her legs and then moved on to the other.

She lay there, watching quietly, seemingly no longer shocked or surprised, but in reality, her emotions were becoming increasingly turbulent and unsettling.

Both Qin Lie's actions and responses tonight confirmed her previous suspicions.

His wife is naturally someone he will do everything in his power to protect.

Therefore, she must live up to this identity and not disappoint him.

She pursed her lips and said softly, "Aunt Sun also came today."

He paused what he was doing, then quickly resumed, casually asking, "What's she doing here?"

Lingyi said, "She came to serve me tea."

"You drank it?" he asked in a deep voice.

While others might not have figured it out, Zhao Mama did make a point of understanding this Aunt Sun.

She was a first-class maid assigned to Qin Lie by the princess, serving him closely for several years. Half a year after marrying Cheng Hui, he made her his concubine. She had a son. Before she came, she was the only mistress of Hanmoxuan.

She had dressed up carefully for this trip, but she still couldn't compare to the princess's casual appearance and demeanor.

She came without being summoned and immediately offered tea. Not to mention a princess, even an ordinary mistress would not easily tolerate such overstepping her bounds and presumptions.

Lingyi still remembers how worried Zhao Mama looked at her at that time.

She knew that Granny Zhao was afraid that she would get angry and punish Aunt Sun.

Lingyi did not, nor dared she.

Aunt Sun dared to overstep her bounds because she possessed something that I lacked, which was her greatest advantage in coming without being summoned.

That was the bond between him and Qin Lie.

Having learned her lesson from Cheng Hui yesterday, she would never repeat the same mistake with Aunt Sun.

Therefore, she nodded and said, "I'll drink it." To show her magnanimity as a lady, she added, "Aunt Sun brews excellent tea; no wonder the General likes it."

Qin Lie remained silent for a moment, then asked her, "What else did you say?"

Lingyi lowered her eyes. Aunt Sun rambled on and on, reminiscing or boasting about the good times she had with Qin Lie. The rest was nothing more than pleading or warning Lingyi not to cling to Qin Lie.

"The late Madam was kind-hearted. When she was alive, if the General entered the inner palace each month, it would be roughly the same amount, six parts for her and four parts for me. It was because of the late Madam's generosity that the General still remembered her after her death, and no new concubines entered the palace for many years." Aunt Sun raised an eyebrow. "What kind of men are they? You've seen the harem and know better than I do. You're young and beautiful, so I naturally wouldn't dare compare to you. But you're heavily pregnant now, which is inconvenient. You know, if a man isn't well-fed at home, he'll go out and find food elsewhere. Rather than knowing which little hussy will benefit from you in the future, and having to compete with new concubines, it's better to let me have my way. Don't you think so?"

This was the first time Lingyi had heard such blunt words. She tried hard to suppress the urge to turn around and leave, and after a long while, she smiled and agreed to Aunt Sun's "request".

After Aunt Sun left, Granny Zhao supported her and asked worriedly, "Princess...?"

Lingyi knew what she wanted to say, and smiled, "Actually, this is fine too."

With Cheng Huizhu's example as a precedent, she only needed to follow suit.

What difference does Cheng Hui have with Aunt Sun? She can only do better than Cheng Hui.

"It was just something women said, nothing more, except..."

She gave Qin Lie a dignified and generous smile and said softly, "Aunt Sun hasn't seen the General for a long time, and I can tell she misses him terribly. Since it's inconvenient for me to serve him in bed, why don't you...?"

Before she could finish speaking, he grabbed her chin with one hand.

He knelt on the bed, looking down at her. The candlelight was behind him, so she couldn't see his expression, but she could feel the sharp, cold aura emanating from him, as if it were a physical thing, piercing through her clothes and making the hairs on her body stand on end.

"You're kicking me out?" he asked in a voice as soft as a whisper.

Lingyi trembled involuntarily, and opened her mouth but could not utter a sound.

Qin Lie was initially filled with rage, wishing he could strangle her with one hand, but seeing the fear on her face, he lost interest.

Looking back, the smugness and joy that welled up in my chest just now seem like a clumsy joke.

It's boring, utterly boring.

He got out of bed with a cold face, and walked out while pulling on his shoes.

The door opened and closed, then opened again a moment later. Granny Zhao hurried to the bedside and asked, "My dear princess, what's wrong this time? Why did you anger the general so late at night?" She thought the princess was just being temperamental and was quite disappointed in her. "Didn't we agree? Even among ordinary people, any man with a bit of ambition would have three wives and four concubines. Especially someone like the general, it's bound to happen sooner or later. Why can't you accept that?"

Lingyi rarely spoke up to defend herself, looking bewildered and aggrieved. "Granny Zhao, I've told him everything you taught me, but he's still angry, even angrier. What can I do?"

Upon hearing this, Granny Zhao remained silent for a long while before letting out a soft sigh.

The princess is flawless in every way, so why was she betrothed to the unpredictable general?

Is it truly true that beautiful women are destined for misfortune? That's why they encounter such a tragic fate.