Chapter 11 Teaching My Wife

Lingyi only learned of Qin Lie's return two days later.

Granny Zhao scoffed, "Now that the Prince Consort has returned, he should have brought everyone from the Prince's Mansion to the Princess's Mansion to pay their respects to the Princess immediately. Instead, after not seeing her for several days, he didn't even come to pay his respects when our people encountered him on the street."

Lingyi asked awkwardly, "General Qiu, what exactly did he say?"

Qiu Min said awkwardly, "The Prince Consort said that he is busy with official duties recently and that we should meet another day."

The room fell silent for a moment. The prince consort only mentioned his small gathering with Qiu Min, without mentioning the princess at all, completely ignoring her.

Even ordinary couples don't usually show such coldness, let alone a princess from the imperial family.

Lingyi's face flushed red, and she wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Qiu Min pretended not to see it and continued, "This humble general has learned that the prince consort's son is having his third-day celebration today, and a banquet will be held at Huibinlou tonight. He should not be absent."

The soldiers of Jizhou loved to hold banquets at the Huibinlou. Firstly, they didn't have enough space at home to hold banquets, nor did they have any cooks. Secondly, the Huibinlou was cheap, with large portions and strong liquor. While other places drank by the cup, here they used bowls, allowing a group of brothers to drink to their hearts' content.

Qin Lie, a cold-faced general who was absolute in the military camp, couldn't escape being forced to drink here.

Today's banquet is hosted by an old general. Qin Lie started his career as a deputy commander when he joined the army, and he followed this old commander, so he drank a few extra bowls of wine.

Feeling dizzy, he said goodbye and left the table. He had only taken a few steps when someone bumped into him.

The man was wearing a white cloak, revealing only his fair face. He didn't apologize for bumping into the man, but instead stared at him with guilty eyes, trying to feign surprise, and stammered out the words, "Prince Consort, what a coincidence."

Qin Lie raised an eyebrow slightly, neither confirming nor denying.

His subordinates behind him shouted, "Who is it? Are they blind? How could they possibly bump into our general on such a wide road?!"

"Are you trying to scam us? You're blind to have picked the wrong person; you didn't even bother to find out who we are..."

The voice stopped abruptly when she turned around and saw her. Granny Zhao shouted, "How dare you! You don't kneel before the princess!"

The group finally came to their senses and knelt down, calling him "Your Majesty."

Qin Lie, unwilling to watch this farce any longer, grabbed Lingyi's arm and led her outside, looking her up and down: "Why isn't the princess wearing a veil today?"

Lingyi thought to herself, "Isn't it because I'm afraid you won't recognize me?" But she said aloud, "This is a restaurant. How can you eat while wearing a veil?"

Qin Lie released his hand: "Princess, please come inside for your meal. This humble general will take his leave now, lest I disturb your enjoyment."

"You!" Lingyi stomped her foot in anger, "Is this the etiquette of your husband?"

Qin Lie scoffed, "Is it some kind of etiquette for a princess to bump into a man?"

If she hadn't been at her wit's end, Lingyi wouldn't have come. Already filled with shame, she couldn't hold back any longer and turned to walk towards the carriage.

She hadn't taken more than a few steps when someone grabbed her from behind. Qin Lie turned her around, and sure enough, her face was covered in tears again.

Qin Lie didn't need to turn around to know that his subordinates were even more attentive than when they were gathering military intelligence, all of them sneakily hiding by the window, their ears sticking out.

Not wanting to be laughed at, he helped her into the carriage.

Although it wasn't a phoenix carriage, the carriage itself wasn't small. Normally, the empress would sit there, with a palace maid attending to her beside her, and a specially made low table could be placed in the middle.

But as soon as Qin Lie arrived, the space immediately became cramped.

Lingyi didn't look at him, but turned her face away and tears streamed down her face.

Even when drunk, one can still see a hint of beauty, let alone someone who is already beautiful. Qin Lie teased, "Why can't the princess hear a single truth?"

Knowing that a bunch of soldiers were drinking, why would anyone go up to the second floor? She just happened to appear there and bumped straight into him. Even a fool would know that something was unusual.

He reeked of alcohol and his eyes were unclear. Lingyi ignored him, her face tense, looking both aggrieved and stubborn.

Qin Lie pinched her chin, forcing her to turn around, his drunken eyes scrutinizing her. "So delicate and prone to crying, your father really chose the wrong person." He gently stroked her cheeks with his fingers, muttering to himself, "Why did he send you here? Did he think I'd be attracted to this beautiful face..." He reached into his cloak, kneading and pinching her. "Or did he think I'd be captivated by this alluring body..."

Qin Lie was usually cold and taciturn, even in bed he was mostly silent, only putting in effort.

Unexpectedly, he would say such reckless things while drunk. Lingyi was both ashamed and angry. She struggled several times but could not get away. She wanted to call someone to throw the drunkard off the carriage. As soon as she opened her mouth, Qin Lie leaned down and kissed her.

He wrapped one arm around her waist and pressed the other hand firmly behind her head, trapping Lingyi in front of him, swallowing the words she was saying.

The carriage traveled for about half an hour before arriving at the princess's residence. Granny Zhao waited outside for a while and called out twice before the curtain was lifted from the inside.

The princess, wrapped tightly in a cloak, was carried off the carriage by her husband and went straight into her bedroom.

The dark bed curtains of yesteryear had been replaced with light pink ones. Qin Lie loosened Lingyi's cloak and tossed it to the floor. The woman inside was already half-undressed, her rose-red bodice highlighting her fair skin, which seemed to glow in the candlelight. Her long, dark hair fell down, covering half of her pretty face with red lips and white teeth, and her eyes were misty. Qin Lie felt the alcohol intensifying. His initial thought of leaving after dropping her off was now completely forgotten outside the Huibinlou restaurant, never to be rekindled.

Lingyi was afraid of the cold, so the indoor heating was burning very brightly, but it was still the cold winter in the North, and she had to wear padded clothes even indoors.

At this moment, her shoulders were bare, and he was holding her, his hands around her waist, bouncing her up and down. Yet she didn't feel cold at all; instead, she was sweating profusely.

She was so sad, as if she were about to die, more sad than ever before.

If before it was merely endurance, this time it felt as if she had lost her soul, like an undercurrent of water finally breaking through the winter ice, and then unable to be contained any longer, gradually overflowing. Like spring birds returning to the forest, the surging tide finally broke through the ice and burst forth, causing Lingyi to suddenly lose all strength and fall into Qin Lie's arms.

After Qin Lie had someone put her down, Ling Yi was still trembling slightly.

Any man who brings such pleasure to a woman will feel proud, especially when the woman is a beautiful and charming princess.

Qin Lie was no exception; his past feelings were nothing compared to the mutual enjoyment he felt today.

He said with a hint of satisfaction, using a double entendre, "It's definitely better to grow up."

Lingyi was embarrassed and annoyed, but she knew he was drunk, so she just hoped he would forget everything that happened tonight when he sobered up.

But fate had other plans. The two fell asleep exhausted, and before she woke up the next day, he came again. He wouldn't let her cover her face with her hands, insisting on watching the flower go from bud to first blush, to full bloom, and finally to its withering.

Lingyi thought that he must remember last night.

Even if I didn't remember, I know now.

The bed was half-dirty last night, but luckily the canopy bed in the princess's residence is quite large, so I can switch sides to sleep on.

It was wet here today, and she was too embarrassed to let anyone come in to serve her. Qin Lie wrapped her in a quilt and carried her to the couch by the window. He rang the bell, and after the palace servants had finished cleaning up and left, he carried her back. Only then did she pull off the quilt and reveal her small face, which was flushed red.

Her dark eyes darted around, and when she saw Qin Lie looking her over, she immediately turned her head away, pretending not to know him.

Well, Qin Lie originally wanted to leave this morning, but seeing her shameless behavior of not recognizing people before even putting on a dress, he decided to stay a little longer.

Qin Lie went out to practice martial arts for a while. When he returned, Lingyi had already dressed up and was about to have breakfast.

Since what happened on the journey, the princess has become much more frugal with her meals, eating only four dishes each for lunch and dinner, and in smaller portions, just a little more than she herself could eat.

Mornings were even simpler. She had recently taken a liking to mutton soup, which she would then soak in a flatbread that had been brought in from beyond the Great Wall. The guards would buy it early in the morning, and half a bowl of soup and half a flatbread was enough to make her sweat profusely. Not only her, but Granny Zhao and the palace servants also enjoyed their meal immensely.

When Qin Lie returned, he was pleased to find the table laden with dishes and snacks. He sat down at the table with a flourish.

Granny Zhao had someone bring over a bowl of mutton soup and two flatbreads, which Qin Lie then began to eat.

The princess and the maids who served him watched as he finished two bowls of soup and five pieces of bread, still not satisfied. Zhao Mama said awkwardly, "This old servant will send someone to buy more right away."

"No need," Qin Lie said.

He has a large appetite, and last night he only drank a few bowls of wine, so he was already starving. He could easily finish two more bowls.

Anyone who has been on the battlefield knows that military situations are extremely urgent. If you don't eat your fill at this meal, you might have to wait until tomorrow for the next one. There is no such thing as eating until you are eight or nine tenths full. This is completely different from the aristocratic young masters in the capital who wish they could eat flowers and drink dew.

He reached out and grabbed two snacks from Lingyi's side, popped them into his mouth one after another, finding them more filling than soup or broth.

When Lingyi saw him, she was reminded of her unrestrained behavior last night, so she looked away when he came in and focused on eating her snacks in small bites.

He reached for the snacks, but she didn't even eat them and stood up to leave.

The more she acted this way, the more Qin Lie felt a desire to tease her. He deliberately moved closer to her and whispered in her ear, "What? Does the princess find this humble general uncouth? Don't forget, it was yesterday that this humble general used a lot of force on the princess, which is why she's like this today..."

This guy! Is he still drunk? How can he say such things in broad daylight!

Lingyi quickly covered her ears, glaring at him with shame and indignation. The once naive little princess now had a more charming look in her eyes, and even her glare was captivating.

Qin Lie's mouth went dry as he watched, but he slowly stopped laughing, his face darkened, and he returned to his usual cold and stern expression.

He sat back down at the table and asked calmly, "Princess, you have sent people to the palace to see me several times. Is there something you need?"

Upon hearing this, Lingyi's blush faded, replaced by unease. After a long while, she asked in a low voice, "Could you... lend me some money?"

Lingyi stammered and hesitated, but Qin Lie finally understood. It turned out that the princess had bought a lot of miscellaneous items along the way, and then added many more things after entering the princess's residence. It wasn't until the shopkeeper came to settle the bill that she found that her purse was empty.

That makes sense. The princess is as thin-skinned as a veil. If she hadn't been pushed to the limit, why would she have come to him?

Qin Lie asked, "How much silver did you bring with you?"

Lingyi thought for a moment and said, "About 1,500 taels."

Qin Lie frowned: "So you've spent all your money?"

The princess's residence was built by the royal family, and my second sister-in-law has put a lot of effort into its arrangement, so there will definitely be no shortage of anything.

Lingyi felt increasingly guilty: "I still owe more than two hundred taels."

Qin Lie asked, "Do you know that for an ordinary family of four, even without any land, five taels of silver a year is enough?"

Lingyi exclaimed in surprise, "So little?"

When she was in the palace, she received a monthly allowance of ten taels of silver. Although her food and clothing were provided by the Imperial Household Department, the palace was full of complicated matters. She had to take care of things when needed and reward the palace servants when there was nothing to do. Before the Crown Prince took a liking to her, she was quite strapped for cash. Later, when the Crown Prince took care of her, there were fewer things to take care of, but she still had to give some money to the palace servants every time they delivered a message. Over the years, she had only managed to save a little over a hundred taels for the Fifteenth Princess.

A family of four, with only five taels of silver for food, clothing, and daily necessities?

Qin Lie said, "With natural disasters happening constantly these days and grain prices rising, if we're lucky enough to avoid getting sick, a family of four can survive on five taels of silver, even if they're a little hungry. The salaries of the princess's palace servants and guards are all covered by Jizhou. It's truly admirable that they've spent such a huge amount of money in less than a month since arriving in Jizhou!"

Lingyi could hear the sarcasm in his words, but because she needed his help, she held back and said, "I'm just short of money right now. I'll return it to you when the dowry arrives."

Qin Lie became even more sarcastic: "Could there be some silver in the dowry?"

Of course not. Granny Zhao had already sifted through the dowry list. The dowry contained a lot of brocade and silk, but in reality, most of them were outdated old items from the palace. Just as the Crown Prince said, the dowry was all show and no substance. Even if she were to swallow her pride and sell them, she would only find someone who didn't know their value to accept them.

Her lie was exposed, but fortunately she still had confidence: "Next year, my annual salary of six hundred taels will arrive, and the shops and estates that my brother the Crown Prince gave me will also generate income, so I can repay you immediately."

Qin Lie returned to his courtyard through the side gate. His head maid, Chunying, saw that he was still wearing yesterday's clothes, which smelled strongly of alcohol. She asked in a soft voice, "Young Master didn't return yesterday. Why didn't you send someone to deliver a message? We could have brought you a change of clothes."

Qin Lie was rarely home, spending most of his time in the military camp. When he did return, he rarely went out unless absolutely necessary, much less spend the night out quietly. Last night, those who served him waited until the wee hours, fearing something might have happened. If Qin Lie hadn't returned now, Chunying and the others would have almost gone to report to the Princess Consort to search for him.

Qin Lie pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "Go and prepare some hot water. I want to take a bath."

After Qin Lie finished bathing and came out, Chunying went to the bathroom to pick up the clothes he had changed out of, intending to take them out to wash.

But suddenly, I smelled a woman's fragrance mixed with the aroma of the wine, subtle yet lingering, sweet but not cloying.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she looked down at her inner garment. Although it was made of dark fabric, upon closer inspection, she could clearly see red lipstick on the collar and hem. Looking at the shoulders, she could see the wrinkles that could only be formed by slender fingers tightly gripping the fabric.

Chunying stood frozen for a long time before a maid outside called her, bringing her back to her senses. She quickly crumpled her clothes into a ball, pretended nothing was wrong, and walked out with a smile.

When Qin Lie returned to his study, Qin Xiaoshan immediately asked him, "Where did the general go last night? Sister Chunying came to ask several times."

Qin Lie said, "From now on, if I go out without informing the manor, whoever comes will say that I stayed in the study."

Qin Xiaoshan agreed, and then Qin Lie said, "Bring me a thousand taels of silver notes..." He paused and then added, "Five hundred taels will do."

Holding the thin silver note in his hand, Qin Lie thought for a moment and then said, "From now on, I'll pay thirty taels every month... never mind, I'll send fifty taels of silver to the princess's residence."

Qin Xiaoshan asked, "When you withdraw money... is it through the government or your own private treasury?"

Qin Lie glanced at him casually, and Qin Xiaoshan immediately understood: "Private treasury!"

Despite claiming it was a smuggling warehouse, he didn't try to hide it from people. Even when he went from the restaurant to the princess's residence last night, he couldn't avoid being seen.

The old lady received the news that afternoon.

Holding her prayer beads, she instructed the nanny beside her, "Don't be fooled by the fact that Lie'er has been appointed General of the Northern Expedition and has the title of Imperial Son-in-Law. He's always fighting and has to subsidize the soldiers. How much money does he have for himself? She's just a princess. As long as she behaves herself, our palace won't mistreat her. Go to the front courtyard and inform Qin Fu to give her one hundred taels of silver from the public funds every month."

Compared to the old lady's nonchalant attitude, the princess was on high alert.

Lady Zhen comforted her mother-in-law, who was also her aunt from her maternal family, saying, "After all, she is a princess of noble birth, and she was married off to my third brother with proper ceremony and a grand wedding procession. We can't just watch as debt collectors flock to our door; it would be a disgrace to us. If word gets to the capital, it will be even more inappropriate. Although the princess is exceptionally beautiful, my third brother has been quite cold towards her on the way back, and he has never visited her since. You know his character best; he is not the kind of person who is lustful. You don't need to worry too much."

The princess gritted her teeth and said, "The third prince has been fighting in the army for so many years, and the spoils of war he has captured are countless. If it were up to his nature, he would be willing to spend a fortune to buy peace and quiet. Why would he be so stingy, giving away fifty taels at a time? The saying goes, 'Teach your son in the hall and teach your wife in bed.' I'm afraid he's afraid that the princess is too young and doesn't know any better, so he's teaching her to stand up little by little!"

Madam Zhen paused in surprise, then quickly took the princess's arm and said with a smile, "You're really overthinking it. You yourself said that the princess is young and doesn't know any better. Even if you spend all the money on her, she'll still come to your third brother. Besides, if it's up to your third brother's personality, he can just keep her in the palace if he really cares about her. Why would he need to teach her to be independent?"

Upon hearing this, the princess calmed down and patted Zhen's hand with relief. "Two daughters and three sons, I should be enjoying my golden years, but the vast palace couldn't contain the hearts of men. I knew this all along and never expected anything from them. But these three daughters-in-law... your eldest sister-in-law's heart is already withered, and seeing her only adds to her sorrow. Your third brother, on the other hand, married a princess. Although I know there's nothing I can do about it, just thinking about it makes me lose sleep and appetite. Only you can still say a few comforting words to me."

Madam Zhen was slightly moved. "Aunt, before Grandmother passed away, she told you not to suffer, that your health was the most important thing, and that you should try to think more positively."

The princess said sternly, "I also want to let go, but... how can I not hate?"

Helpless, Madam Zhen could only sigh.