Chapter 63 After Marriage

When Lingyi came to her senses again, the sun had already set, and she was lying on the couch with barely any clothes on, her body sticky and sticky.

He only unbuttoned his pants; his upper body remained impeccably dressed.

Completely exhausted, she didn't want to move, but the situation was absurd. She gritted her teeth and sat up. He pressed against her from behind, his warm breath brushing against her ear. "I'll carry you to take a bath."

Lingyi ignored him, grabbed her own clothes from under him, wrapped them around herself, and was about to get down.

Before she could find her shoes, he scooped her up in his arms, her clothes falling apart, her skin covered in his marks.

The area was covered in bruises and marks, including teeth marks and handprints; it was truly shocking.

He clicked his tongue. "How come it's so tender?"

He knew better than anyone that he hadn't dared to use much force.

She glared at him angrily, then pulled her clothes up and wrapped them around herself again. They soon arrived at the clean room, which was connected to a hot spring and was always pleasant. When Qin Lie put her in, he tore off her tattered clothes, then took off his own clothes and stepped in.

There was only a small window open, and the place was dimly lit.

The bathtub wasn't small to begin with, but once he entered, it became very cramped, forcing them to be intimate. He had been abstaining for several years, eating only two meals, and hadn't dared to eat too much before immediately becoming aroused. Lingyi, embarrassed and annoyed, pushed him away: "Get out first!"

Qin Lie said, "Don't worry, I won't touch you, I'll just clean you up."

Lingyi was so weak and powerless that she turned around and leaned against the edge of the bathtub. "Then you can wash my hair."

She had a lot of hair, long and black, and washing it was a lot of work, even in the palace she didn't wash it every day.

From last night until now, she has been sweating profusely every time they make love, including her hair roots, which she finds unbearable.

His movements weren't exactly gentle, but he was obedient and did whatever she said, so he was barely usable.

After he finished washing her, he dried her off and carried her out, but Lingyi refused to go to the bed.

"Wet hair will wet the bed."

Qin Lie sat on the edge of the bed, held her on his lap, and gently dried her hair.

So much hair, smooth and cool, like black satin, cascading down, its black strands undulating and shimmering like waves when a person moves.

Qin Lie loved the way she sat on his lap, her long black hair cascading down her back.

But when you start wiping it, you realize how much effort it takes.

He remained calm and composed, without calling anyone in, and sighed as he twisted his hair, "Your black hair is truly a rare find."

Lingyi said, "It takes care of your hair. There are recipes in the palace, and my fifteenth sister improved them. Every time I wash my hair, Aunt Liucui will apply and massage it for me. There are also rules for twisting hair. It can't be too dry, otherwise it will become rough."

The empresses in the palace were naturally beautiful, but they still put in a lot of effort to maintain their beauty. The palace secret recipes passed down for many years were certainly very effective.

Qin Lie said, "In a few days, I will find someone from the palace to take care of you."

Lingyi loves to dress up, but she hadn't cared about that before. She immediately declared confidently, "We need to find the best nannies and aunts!"

Qin Lie laughed: "Your subject obeys!"

Normally, Lingyi would have scolded him, but this time her mind was elsewhere. "Fifteenth Sister and Aunt Liucui... is there still no news?"

She would ask this question every few days, and Qin Lie's answer was the same this time: "Still looking."

Lingyi paused for a moment, then asked, "Right now, wouldn't it be better if there were no news?"

Several years have passed; if the person is still alive, how could they have vanished without a trace? I fear that any news will be devastating.

Qin Lie said, "Even if they have met with misfortune, you still have me."

He gently combed her long hair and whispered, "I am enough for you."

Lingyi, unaware of the danger and stubbornness in his words, brought up his children again.

“As their legal mother, I should be closer to them. If I ignore them, people will say that I, the mistress of the royal palace, am mistreating them.”

Qin Lie laughed: "You're all brawn and no brains. Look at yourself, where do you look like a mistress?"

I've never seen a mistress so delicate and lazy, nestled in someone's arms, having her hair cut.

He had already made his plans. "They are my children, not yours. As long as I'm here, they will have to respect you, and no one will dare to offend you. You don't need to force yourself to take care of them. As for filial piety..." His hand slid to her soft waist, and he said in a low voice, "Our children will take care of you in the future. Do you really want to rely on them?"

Her face immediately turned bright red, and she struggled to get away.

Qin Lie easily restrained her with one hand, and lowered his head to kiss her forehead: "Just pretend that I am the only one in this mansion, just pretend that I am the only one in the world, and you don't need to care about or worry about anyone else."

His words were absurd. Even someone as isolated as her, who had lived in the deep palace for so long, knew that people, even concubines in the cold palace, had to interact with others. How could they be bound to just one person?

But he spoke with solemnity and seriousness, his eyes revealing a hint of stubbornness.

Lingyi was still thinking about the children and didn't notice anything amiss. She suggested, "How about this, we only have them pay their respects to me on the 5th, 15th and 25th of each month? This way, we won't be too close, but we can still maintain basic etiquette. If we really keep to ourselves, I'm afraid they will be criticized for being unfilial in the future."

And so the matter was settled.

.

After Xie Yu presented the imperial seal, the emperor was overjoyed, but did not grant him any official position.

If the former Xie family's young master appeared refined and modest, but was actually arrogant and unsophisticated, now that he has served three dynasties, he has truly cultivated a composure that is unperturbed by honor or disgrace.

He returned to the Xie residence without saying a word.

Fortunately, the former chief minister was incorruptible, which prevented the Xie family mansion from being looted and destroyed during the repeated upheavals in the capital.

Many people know that he is erudite and talented, and some even know that he orchestrated the surrender of the Song family.

With the intention of getting ahead of the curve, some people tried to recommend him by using the name of the former chief minister.

Xie Yu declined all offers and stayed at home all day, never leaving the house.

Several months later, the emperor finally remembered him and gave him a sinecure of the fifth rank in the Hanlin Academy, in charge of compiling bibliographies.

“Your talent is exceptional, but to only compile bibliographies is truly a waste of your abilities,” said the Vice Minister of Rites.

Xie Yu said, "Thunder and rain are both the Emperor's grace; Brother Chen, you should not speak recklessly."

The two had just finished court and were traveling through the bustling city in a carriage.

A fifth-rank official, barely enough to stand at the back of the court, the Vice Minister of Rites was a protégé of the former Grand Secretary, a frequent visitor to the Xie residence, having practically watched Xie Yu grow up. Now, however, he treated Xie Yu as an equal. This was because, although he was now considered a high-ranking official, every single one of these former officials in the capital feared for their future. Even if they survived, their wealth and status would be difficult to maintain—those meritorious officials and former subordinates who had served the Emperor were merely unfamiliar with court politics; once they became familiar, it would be time for them to be demoted and exiled.

This is why, even though Qin Lie did nothing, many people in the court wanted to curry favor with him.

Most of them were former officials of the previous dynasty.

The Crown Prince had been handling state affairs in Ji Province for several years, effectively establishing a small court within the Eastern Palace. These officials had no choice but to find a new place to go: the Prince Duan, who was primarily focused on military campaigns. He only had military generals by his side, lacking civil officials. Gaining his favor would be a timely help, and could even be a meritorious act of supporting the new emperor. How could those veteran officials of the previous dynasty not be tempted?

I never expected that this Prince Duan would be so utterly useless!

Minister Chen, confident in his ability to judge character, believed that Prince Duan was an exceptional individual of extraordinary stature. Therefore, determined to rise above his station, he rejected the Crown Prince's faction's advances, focusing solely on climbing the social ladder. However, Prince Duan insisted on marrying a princess from the previous dynasty, abruptly ending his hopes and offending the Crown Prince. Thinking of this, Minister Chen nearly vomited blood.

Just then, I saw Prince Duan's carriage, which had just finished court, parked on the street corner, and a guard was queuing up to buy sesame cakes, which were in short supply in the capital recently.

Prince Duan has never cared much for food or drink, so it is obvious who he is doing this for.

Minister Chen mocked, "They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but our cuckolded prince is still all lovey-dovey after all this time. Today they're having fun in the restaurant, tomorrow they're riding off together. I wonder if he hasn't seen a woman in ages, treating this withered, promiscuous woman like his own flesh and blood."

Xie Yu's smile faded. "Brother Chen, be careful with your words."

Minister Chen realized his mistake and said, "I almost forgot that Madam Xie and Princess Duan are sisters. Please forgive me for my slip of the tongue, my dear brother."

Although he said this, he showed no remorse, because everyone in the court knew that Prince Duan and Xie Yu were at odds.

It's not exactly a case of discord, after all, given Prince Duan's current status, why would he possibly take Xie Yu seriously?

It's simply that I don't like it.

I heard that Xie Yu had been unemployed at home for many days and had only been given a sinecure, all because of the interference of Prince Duan.

—With Prince Duan marrying his princess, the situation in the court was settled. The emperor then assigned him several tasks to various departments, and he went wherever the situation was urgent. He handled them very well, breaking the prejudice that Prince Duan was only good at leading troops and fighting battles. He was no less capable than the crown prince, and even more efficient.

This made Minister Chen and others even more saddened—such a person just couldn't understand the allure of beautiful women!

Minister Chen sighed, "I was just grumbling a bit. No matter how much he messes around, he's still a son of the dragon, destined for endless wealth and glory. Unlike us, we might not even have a tomorrow after today. We're nothing more than fish on someone's knife."

Xie Yu had no choice but to offer a few words of comfort and agreement. Finally, the two parted ways at the crossroads and went their separate ways home.

.

When Qin Lie returned to the mansion, Lingyi had not yet gotten up.

Qin Lietian had to go to court before dawn and would not return to her residence until three quarters past Chenshi. There were no elders in the residence to serve her, nor any juniors to come and pay their respects, so she could sleep as long as she wanted.

Qin Lie sat down by the bed. The mornings and evenings of late autumn were getting increasingly chilly. A section of her fragrant shoulder was exposed, bearing the teeth marks he had left on her the night before. She was sleeping soundly. He pulled the blanket up to cover her, and after sitting for a while, seeing that she still hadn't stirred, he had no choice but to wake her.

Lingyi, still half asleep, was quite unhappy about being woken up.

Qin Lie smiled and said, "I brought you some flatbread. Didn't you complain yesterday that it wasn't good when it got cold? If you don't get up soon, it will get cold again."

Only then did Lingyi get up.

After she finished dressing and getting ready, the flatbread was neither too hot nor too cold, just right to eat.

She could usually eat a whole cold pancake, but today she only ate half before putting it down. Qin Lie asked, "What's wrong? Are you tired of it or doesn't it suit your taste?"

Lingyi said with distress, "No, it's just that I've gained some weight recently, and I should try to control it."

Qin Lie said, "You were too thin before. Now you're just well-proportioned. You should eat more. The weather is getting colder. If you're still that thin, you'll probably collapse even if you wear several layers of clothes." He said so much but saw that she was unmoved. He thought for a moment and then said, "Besides, it looks better to be a little rounder. Being too thin makes you look emaciated."

These words finally struck a chord with Lingyi, and she ate half a sesame cake with a clear conscience before pushing the rest to him.

Qin Lie came over specifically to have breakfast with Lingyi, but in reality, he had official business to attend to and would have to leave again after breakfast. Before leaving, he saw that Lingyi looked unhappy, so he smiled and squeezed her hand, "You don't want to leave me? Don't worry, I'll be back early in the morning after I finish my work."

Lingyi gave an "oh" and remained depressed.

In the past, while she seemed to be doing nothing all day in the palace, she had to prepare things for the Crown Prince, learn medicine from the Fifteenth Princess, and spend time with the Sixteenth Princess, so she didn't find the days unbearable. But now, Qin Lie doesn't need her to please him, and there's no one else to talk to or amuse her, so the days seem long and boring.

Previously, she was reluctant to go out during the hot summer, so Qin Lie summoned theatrical troupes to his mansion, and even invited street performers to come.

It's all novel for a while; after watching it a few times, it becomes boring.

She said to Qin Lie, "I want to go out of the manor and wander around."

Qin Lie said, "Rouge, face powder, clothes, jewelry, whatever you like, have them bring them to you for you to choose from. Why do you have to go out yourself?"

Lingyi said listlessly, "But I'm bored all alone in the mansion."

Qin Lie thought for a moment and said, "I've heard that there's a rare breed of civet cat in the Western Regions, with one blue and one turquoise eye. There's also a parrot kept by an old eunuch in the palace, which is very good at saying auspicious words. I'll have them send some over, or would you like to raise one and train it yourself?" Seeing that she didn't answer, he continued, "I remember you liked the falcon you saw last time. I'll have someone tame one and send it to you."

Lingyi shook her head. "I don't want to. They're doing just fine outside. Why should they be trapped here and deprived of their freedom because of my own selfishness?"

Qin Lie's pupils contracted slightly as he stared at her and asked, "You also feel a lack of freedom?"

Lingyi didn't notice his nervousness, she just pouted and complained: "I just do nothing all day and feel like I'm wasting my time. What was I doing when you went out to fight in Jizhou?"

Qin Lie could not answer, so he only said cautiously, "How about this, I'll have your two palace maids come over and keep you company?"

Lingyi was still not satisfied.

Qin Lie pinched her puffed-up cheeks and laughed, "I wish I could stay in the manor with you all day, or even have you by my side all the time. But these are turbulent times, and things are too chaotic outside, so I have no choice but to keep you in the manor all day. Listen to me, once I'm done with this busy period, I'll take you to the estate for horseback riding and hunting."

Lingyi reluctantly agreed.

Qin Lie certainly didn't want Ling Yi to go out, but his words about "turbulent times" were not an exaggeration.

Geng Qing and his followers occupied Shu Prefecture and continued to expand outwards. The emperor had previously sent people to suppress them.

The commander was a veteran who had followed him for many years. He had thought the victory would be easy, but instead, he suffered a crushing defeat. When the emperor questioned him, the veteran said that while the defeat was undoubtedly due to his poor command, the weapons provided by the Ministry of War were mostly old and some were even rusty. The quality of the armor was inconsistent, and some were practically useless. This was bad enough, but out of 50,000 soldiers, less than 30,000 were equipped with weapons and armor; the rest had to borrow weapons from the local garrison to be even fit for battle.

However, the Ministry of War records clearly show that the old general was allocated 50,000 soldiers and weapons.

The two sides went back and forth, arguing endlessly.

The emperor ordered a thorough investigation, but this was a thankless and arduous task, and it ended up in Qin Lie's hands.

Upon investigation, it was discovered that the Ministry of War possessed a large amount of outdated equipment and had falsely reported a large amount of it in order to obtain maintenance funds from the imperial court.

The old general was sent to the campaign because his deputy had colluded with officials in the Ministry of War, believing victory was assured and that it wouldn't matter if they used inferior goods or lied about the quantity. Unexpectedly, they suffered a defeat. The old general sensed something was wrong and, upon investigation, his deception was exposed.

The Emperor was furious. The Great Constitution had only been established for a few years, and such a corruption scandal had already occurred, with the problem stemming from the very army upon which he had relied for the founding of the nation. Therefore, he couldn't help but feel fortunate that Qin Lie's army, due to their constant campaigns, had not promptly returned their equipment to the warehouse to avoid missing any opportunities; otherwise, the empire might already belong to the Song Dynasty.

What worried him most was that the Minister of War, being a man of the Crown Prince, had already extended his reach to his own old subordinates.

—Since Prince Duan married, the Crown Prince's family has become all-powerful. Given the chance, who wouldn't want to curry favor with the Crown Prince?

He discovered that there was someone else who was hiding in the shadows and had already pledged allegiance to the Crown Prince.

Is even the inner palace no longer safe?

The moment the thought crossed the emperor's mind, he felt more than just terrified; he felt as if he had thorns in his back.

From that time on, whenever someone praised the Crown Prince in his presence, he would suspect ulterior motives. He wouldn't retaliate then, but he would find an opportunity to punish them later. Although he wouldn't take their lives, he would certainly be demoted or stripped of his titles. In the palace, he was even more paranoid, treating eunuchs and palace maids with far less kindness than he showed to court officials. In just one month, dozens of innocent souls were lost in the Forbidden City.

For a time, the capital was filled with an atmosphere of panic and fear, and everyone was on edge.

Although Lingyi was unaware of political affairs, she could sense the winds of change and only hoped that this period would pass soon.

But things don't always go as planned, and disasters never come alone.

Before this incident had even subsided, the capital and several surrounding prefectures and counties were hit by blizzards and severe cold, as if the events of the fifteenth year of the Jiahe reign were repeating themselves.

There were internal traitors causing chaos, and natural disasters were falling from above. Rumors began to circulate among the people, saying that the current emperor was unworthy of his position and that the Qin family were usurpers. Heaven sent down punishments, which was called a divine edict.

As a result, the imperial court arrested countless people, and the prisons of the Prefect of the Capital and the Court of Judicial Review were almost overflowing. Rumors continued to circulate despite repeated crackdowns, and there were even signs of the White Lotus Rebellion resurfacing. To prevent the flames from spreading further, the Emperor appointed Prince Duan as the commander of the Imperial Guards, responsible for the security of the capital, ostensibly to conduct a thorough investigation, but in reality to suppress the rebellion.

Qin Lie was so busy that he barely had time to rest. Let alone riding horses and hunting, if Lingyi hadn't been at the Prince's Palace, he probably would have been living in the garrison.