Chapter 17 Hot Spring,

A few days after Qin Lie left, Ling Yi led a group of people to Dabei Temple again.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, they were led directly into the temple from the back of the mountain. Unfortunately, the peach blossoms had already faded, and the peaches had not yet ripened. Nevertheless, Lingyi stayed there for two nights. Many ladies who came to worship Buddha wanted to pay their respects upon seeing the Prince's carriage, but Lingyi had them turned away. She knew that Qin Lie certainly did not want to be known, otherwise he would not have visited the Princess's residence almost exclusively at night.

To avoid being discovered, she had to clear the area. There was no other reason than the fact that it was for the carriage she was riding in, and the monks of Dabeisi Temple readily agreed.

The Buddha is merciful and saves people from suffering.

Lingyi looked up at the golden Buddha statue and thought to herself: Are you really saving all sentient beings?

As the Dabeisi Temple was being cleared out, someone laughed and sighed, "Even our dignified Sixth Master of the Qin family has to be kicked out? Which female member of the Qin family is in the temple? Isn't this a case of the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple? I was planning to go back, but now that it's being cleared out, I really don't plan to leave. Qin Shen, go to the temple and tell one of your aunts or sisters-in-law that we can spend the night here."

Qin Shen has been visiting Dabeisi Temple quite frequently these days, which is embarrassing to admit, but he always wants to see that lady again.

If he had known he wouldn't be able to find out, he shouldn't have hesitated to inquire about the other person's family because of their status.

So he hoped to wait for the man at Dabeisi Temple, but since the area was cleared today, the man wouldn't come back. Qin Shen said disappointedly, "Forget it, there's nothing to see here. Let's go to the recruit camp and pick a few bodyguards."

A group of teenagers, who had not yet entered the military camp, were clearly more interested in this and readily agreed. The group then rode off in a noisy commotion.

Granny Zhao prayed with utmost sincerity before the Buddha, wishing only that the princess would conceive soon.

The prince consort was capricious, and the once-grand princess's residence was now like a post station, with only the children as a source of hope.

Unexpectedly, the princess started menstruating a few days after returning from the temple. Before her marriage, the princess's period was always regular, but now it was either a few days early or a few days late. Granny Zhao asked that famous doctor to take her pulse.

The divine physician thought to himself that the health-preserving medicine he prescribed for her contained the effect of preventing childbirth, but he still had to stroke his beard and pretend to take her pulse carefully. Upon taking her pulse, he was indeed a little suspicious: "Has the princess taken any cold medicines?"

The prince consort said that, on the premise of not having children, he would try his best not to harm the princess's body, and the medicines he prescribed were all quite mild.

Although all medicines have some degree of toxicity, the prince consort only returns for a few days a month, so it should not harm his body and there should not be so much cold toxin accumulating in his body.

Every time Lingyi slept with Qin Lie, she would take the pills given to her by the Fifteenth Princess, and she couldn't help but feel guilty.

Before she could lie, Granny Zhao answered first: "The princess's daily meals are all handled by us. Apart from the tonics you prescribed, she has never taken any medicine."

The divine physician, thinking he had shot himself in the foot, hurriedly followed the words the prince consort had instructed him to say: "Perhaps it was something she was born with; such a body may not be able to conceive easily."

Granny Zhao asked anxiously, "Is it treatable?"

The divine physician said, "This matter should not be rushed. You need to calm your mind and rest. Once your body has recovered, everything will naturally fall into place."

One sentence made Granny Zhao frown. Lingyi withdrew her hand without showing any emotion and said to the doctor, "Thank you for your trouble."

The doctor, feeling guilty, replied, "I wouldn't dare."

After that, Granny Zhao became even more attentive, brewing medicine for her every day. Lingyi drank it for several days in a row, but eventually had to refuse it with a cold face. Only then did Granny Zhao switch to food therapy.

From that day on, red dates and ginseng became essential, and Lingyi was given them three times a day to replenish her qi and blood. Lingyi politely declined, but fortunately, Qin Lie sent a message asking Lingyi and Qin Xiaoshan to go to Lishan together, and that he would arrive in a few days.

Lingyi forbade Zhao Mama from going with her, and only took Mingzhu and Zhenzhu with her.

Compared to the suburbs where Daibeiji Temple is located, Kuriyama is a day's drive away. You set off before dawn and arrive at the mountain at dusk.

Lingyi never imagined there would be hot springs here. The royal family also had hot spring resorts, but she had never been there before. She had only heard the Sixteenth Princess talk about the scene when Consort Zhuang took her to soak in the hot springs, and she was filled with envy.

Looking at the misty water, Lingyi felt both delighted and regretful—she should have brought more people. This was originally the Prince's hot spring resort, and the Prince's people only came here in the cold winter.

In the vast estate, only she and Mingzhu and Zhenzhu lived. If Zhao Mama and the others were brought along, they could also enjoy a soak.

Mingzhu was overjoyed, feeling that she had gotten a great deal on this trip.

Unfortunately, the three of them, master and servants, were exhausted after a day's journey in a carriage, half of which was mountainous, and agreed to soak in the water the next day.

The next day, Lingyi wanted to help the two women undress, but the maidservant said that this was Qin Lie's courtyard and no one was allowed to enter the pool without his permission. Fortunately, the manor also had a hot spring pool for guests, so Lingyi let the two women go there.

Pearl objected: "If we all leave, who will serve the princess?"

Mingzhu was anxious. The prince consort hadn't arrived yet, and if he did, they might not have time to soak in the hot springs anymore. She quickly advised her, "This is the Prince's manor, the General's courtyard, and there are people to serve you. What could possibly happen to the princess? Besides, we'll be back soon."

Pearl was still unwilling, and only left with a pout after Lingyi ordered her to leave.

Lingyi didn't look at the hot springs in the other courtyards, but felt that Qin Lie's place was already excellent.

Although there is no roof to play with in the courtyard, the trees are lush and provide shade from the sun and the view. The villa is also located on high ground, so there is no fear of being looked down upon by others.

Nevertheless, she still felt embarrassed to go in wearing only her undergarments; otherwise, she wouldn't have wanted to bring Mingzhu and Zhenzhu along.

The maid said, "A naturally formed hot spring pool is of the highest quality, an artificially dug one is of the middle quality, and a pool with water diverted into it is of the lowest quality. The general's pool is the highest of the high quality. Apart from the slightly polished pool walls, everything else is natural. Only when the princess enters will she understand its wonders."

Lingyi suppressed her shyness and went into the water wearing her undergarments.

The hot spring water was indeed different; the feeling of skin sinking into it was incomparable to that of a regular bathtub.

She rarely felt so at ease. After having her maidservant attend to her outside, she half-reclined in the spring, only her head and shoulders showing. She kicked at the water, splashing it and creating ripples. Looking up, she could see the sun and sky through the shadows of the trees, and a gentle breeze occasionally blew by. Seasonal fruits and sake were placed by the pool. She was truly as happy as an immortal.

Until an uninvited guest barged in.

Lingyi blamed herself for being so careless that she didn't even hear the person coming, and by the time she saw them, it was too late to get out of the water and hide.

She hid underwater, only her wet head showing, and stammered, "You...you leave first!"

Although the two had met naked many times, it was always in a dimly lit bed. Now, in broad daylight, under the clear sky, he was staring at her while undressing. What kind of behavior was that!

Ignoring her bluster, Qin Lie feigned pitifulness: "This humble general has only just returned after a day and a night of riding at full speed. Is the princess so heartless that she won't even let this humble general rest?"

As he spoke, he had already stripped down to only his inner garment and strode into the spring. Lingyi screamed and tried to back away, but he caught her in a few steps and chuckled, "Does the princess know that one does not need to wear clothes to enter this pool?"

Before long, their clothes were tattered and floating on the water. Qin Lie pressed Lingyi against the spring wall, but before he could exert any force, she hissed and tears welled up in her eyes.

He stopped what he was doing and saw that the spring wall was not only rough but also had many protruding stones. He then sat on the stones in the shallow water, adjusted Lingyi to a position opposite him, and pressed down on her with his hands on her waist.

A delicate moan startled the birds, and Lingyi bowed, presenting him with two snow-white mounds.

When she opened her eyes, the sunlight was constantly swaying, and the sound of violently splashing water filled her ears. Lingyi bit her finger, unable to distinguish between the pool water and her tears.

Tension and tingling clashed, shame and pleasure clashed, snow-white skin flushed red in the blue pool, sounds were crushed between intertwined lips and teeth, and souls were on the verge of extinction in the intertwined limbs.

When Qin Lie finally carried her out of the spring, Lingyi was almost unconscious.

Hot springs are inherently disorienting, let alone after such a wild time. Lingyi slept until dusk, and when she woke up, she was still weak in her limbs. Qin Lie laughed at her for being useless, and held her in his arms to feed her porridge. She seemed to have no bones at all, letting him do as he pleased, unbelievably docile.

Her dark hair cascaded down her knees, and she gazed at him with tender, dark eyes. What man could resist such beauty?

Qin Lie became interested again, forcibly suppressing his desire, and gently pinched her cheek: "Don't tempt me, I'll take you hunting in the mountains tomorrow."

The two slept peacefully for a rare night and set off early the next morning.

Qin Lie hadn't expected that Lingyi couldn't ride a horse. After all, not only were all the noble ladies of Jizhou skilled in riding, but many were also adept at archery and horsemanship. Considering Emperor Jiahe's temperament, it wasn't surprising that the princesses were all raised in a free-range manner. This princess not only couldn't ride a horse, but she also showed no talent in music, chess, calligraphy, or painting.

Only her face is truly captivating, and her figure is stunning...

Upon seeing her in that riding outfit, Qin Lie almost canceled his plans for the day and took her back to his room to strip her naked.

Lingyi felt extremely uncomfortable. She was used to wearing loose robes and wide sleeves all day long. This was the first time she had worn riding clothes. Without an outer robe and having to tie her waist, she glanced down and felt ashamed—how come she's getting bigger and bigger!

—I always felt it was related to him, silently revealing their absurd deeds.

She quickly and discreetly turned to the side, not wanting Qin Lie to see her.

Qin Lie's gaze did linger on that for a moment, but then it fell on her slender waist, pert buttocks, and long legs.

The more I look at it, the more I feel that Emperor Jiahe is despicable. It's only because he met this princess that she was able to win people's hearts. If she were to marry someone else, wouldn't he be completely obedient to her?

He came up to Lingyi and took her under his wings. “You’ve grown quite a bit taller. I remember when we got married, you only reached my chest.”

If he had stood closer then, he could only see the top of her head when he looked down. Now, her head was up to his neck, and he could see her thick eyelashes, her straight nose, and the peach wrapped in fabric, not quite ripe yet, exuding an alluring fragrance.

Lingyi said with some disappointment, "Since the carriage can't go into the woods, I won't go."

She also wanted to go hunting, but there were only narrow paths in the mountains, and carriages couldn't pass through them, so she couldn't just run there.

The next moment, Qin Lie lifted her onto the horse, then Qin Lie mounted and held the reins, saying, "Sit tight!"

He gave a soft shout, and the black horse galloped off, the wind whistling past. At first, Yi was frightened, clinging tightly to his arm, her back pressed against his chest. But soon she became excited again, ignoring the mountain wind hitting her face, trying to hug the horse's neck. If it weren't for her status, she would have wanted to shout a few times.

When they arrived at their destination, Qin Lie lifted her down. He was taken aback to see her flushed cheeks, bright eyes, and excited expression. He then tossed her the sword he was carrying, saying, "Here you go."

It was Lingyi's first time hunting, and upon seeing this sharp blade, she belatedly began to feel nervous: "Are there any wild beasts lurking here?"

Qin Lie deliberately said, "There are bears and wolves. Remember, if we see them, we'll split up and run. At least one of us will survive."

Split up? One survives? What's the difference between that and sending her to her death?

So he became even more careful and followed Qin Lie closely, step by step.

She quickly relaxed. Qin Lie used only a bow and arrow, and never missed. In no time, he shot three pheasants, two rabbits, and a deer.

Since he couldn't go deep into the mountains with her, Qin Lie soon lost interest. If it weren't for the princess being very accommodating, jumping and hopping around after shooting an arrow, her face full of admiration and her eyes filled with respect, Qin Lie would have lost interest even sooner.

Qin Lie gestured for them to go back, but Ling Yi seemed reluctant to leave: "So early?"

Qin Lie said, "The prey we've hunted is enough for today's meal. What more do you want?"

Lingyi asked, "But you wouldn't let me collect the game just now, how am I supposed to bring it back?"

Qin Lie said, "Someone will come up and pick it up later, you just wait to eat."

Lingyi tugged at his sleeve and shook it, tilting her face up with a pleading expression: "Let's take two back ourselves, just two, okay?"

To be honest, the princess didn't have many tricks up her sleeve. She just tugged at the sleeves, added a coquettish tone, and smiled ingratiatingly. Whenever Qin Lie saw her and Granny Zhao doing this, they would almost always succeed, which he found disdainful.

But now that he had encountered this move, he felt that he wasn't going to let her succeed. Two pheasants were nothing, so he could just pick them up and let her go. Why should a grown man like himself bother with her?

They came at breakneck speed, but on the way back, a pheasant was hanging upside down on one side, swaying back and forth the whole way.

In the evening, braised rabbit and roasted pheasant were served one after another. Lingyi used to eat refined meals and was afraid of being impolite when eating. She had never seen such a whole dish served and had to tear it apart herself.

Seeing her troubled expression, Qin Lie tore off a chicken leg and handed it to her.

She hadn't originally planned to eat it, since there was still congee and side dishes, but the aroma was so tempting that Lingyi couldn't resist—she took it and ate it slowly and carefully.

Qin Lie finished a rabbit and half a chicken, while she only managed to eat half a chicken leg.

"Princess is such a hassle," Qin Lie thought, but he had to admit that even eating a chicken leg was a beautiful sight for such a troublesome princess.

The maid brought in a bowl, and Qin Lie waved her away.

Lingyi asked curiously, "What's in the bowl?"

Qin Lie said, "Deer blood."

Lingyi exclaimed in surprise: "Raw deer blood?"

Qin Lie countered, "Does it have to be made fully mature?"

Lingyi glanced at him with a look of disdain, as if she were looking at a savage, uncivilized man.

Qin Lie laughed angrily: "Deer blood is a good thing. Your father even raised male deer just to bleed them."

Lingyi asked with a hint of doubt, "If it's such a good thing, why don't you drink it?"

Qin Lie glanced at her: "You want me to drink?"

Lingyi found his glance very strange, and his question was even more inexplicable: "What does it matter to me whether you drink or not?"

That night, she learned why deer blood was such a good thing, and whether he drank it or not was none of her business.

The next day, she slept until the afternoon before getting up. On her way back from hunting, her efforts to get Qin Lie to teach her how to ride a horse were completely ruined.

Lying in bed, she pondered the events of the previous night. She felt that the deer blood might have played a part, but Qin Lie was clearly just using it as an excuse—deer blood only makes one more vigorous and energetic, what does it have to do with the position one is in?!

Unfortunately, at the time she only wanted him to finish quickly, so she did whatever he said. Now that she has sobered up, she realizes that Qin Lie left after lunch and has probably already gone down the mountain, leaving her with nowhere to vent her anger.