Chapter 95: Precognitive Dream (Qin Lie)
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Although the night ended badly, Qin Lie kept his promise and sent someone over early the next morning.
Granny Zhao carefully put away the storeroom register and keys, and after examining the precious medicinal herbs, she forgot yesterday's bitterness. She then spoke highly of Qin Lie to Lingyi, saying, "The general is just a bit short-tempered; he still cares about the princess. Otherwise, he wouldn't have entrusted the storeroom to us. And those medicinal herbs, in my opinion, are extremely valuable, yet he brought them out just to give the princess face. The general is a military man, and although he's a bit clumsy with words, he always thinks of the princess. The princess is clearly so intelligent; doesn't she understand that gentleness can overcome strength? How come she can't see through this after entering the palace and even gets angry with the general?"
Lingyi thought to herself that she had never dared to be angry with him before; he was clearly just looking for trouble for no reason. Moreover, his actions were not because he cared about her, but simply because he didn't want his shameful affairs to be exposed to others.
Whether in the imperial palace or other grand mansions, no matter how many disagreements or embarrassing situations there are, as long as they can be concealed, one must pretend nothing happened in broad daylight. These social niceties are something even Qin Lie is not exempt from; he too must "compromise and seek peace."
She got up late, well past breakfast time, but fortunately the kitchen in the courtyard was ready. Several cooks had arrived at the mansion yesterday, and by the time she finished dressing, warm walnut cheese was served. For lunch, she had her favorite morel mushroom and chicken soup, along with several imperial dishes, all very authentic and almost indistinguishable from what she ate in the palace. It was clear that quite a bit of effort had been put into getting them here. Granny Zhao took the opportunity to speak highly of Qin Lie. Lingyi, now pregnant, had less patience and her emotions were volatile. Unwilling to listen any longer, she made an excuse to leave Granny Zhao in the courtyard to check the storeroom, and then, with two maids, headed towards the courtyard of the Crown Princess Zhen.
Upon hearing the servant's report, Madam Zhen personally came out to greet her, saying, "Sister-in-law, you are unwell. If there is anything you need, you only need to inform me. There is no need for you to come in person."
Lingyi said apologetically, "I have lived in the palace for a long time and am not familiar with the rules. I should have come to pay my respects to my second sister-in-law first, but I have troubled her to visit me yesterday. I am so ignorant. I have come here today to apologize."
The maidservant tried to hand the medicinal herbs to the maidservant beside Zhen Shi, but Zhen Shi glanced at them and refused to accept them no matter what.
"We're all family, it's really too formal for you to say that, sister-in-law."
Lingyi said shyly, "Second sister-in-law, please don't refuse. I have a favor to ask of you, and I dare not ask if you don't accept it."
Naturally, Mrs. Zhen asked what it was.
Lingyi said, "Second sister-in-law knows that the Qin and Liu families had some grudges in the past, and the princess already has some resentment towards me. Moreover, I am young and ignorant, and I am afraid that I may offend the princess without realizing it. I hope that second sister-in-law can give me some guidance and put in a good word for me in front of the princess."
Madam Zhen said, "As the saying goes, harmony in the family brings prosperity in all things. Even if you hadn't said anything, this is what I should have done. Why bring such a generous gift?"
As you walk along, you'll notice something strange about this courtyard without even paying special attention.
Although the Prince's Mansion is not as elaborate as the Imperial Palace, it still features pavilions and towers in its courtyards. Even the Hanmo Pavilion is relatively simply furnished, which is due to Qin Lie's preferences. However simple it is, the winding cobblestone paths and the overlapping archways and artificial hills in the courtyard still reveal the ingenuity of the design.
The courtyard was so simple it was almost shabby. Apart from flowers and plants, there was only a simple stone path laid out horizontally and vertically. There were no other decorations to block people's shadows, not even low flower bushes. Everything was for the sake of stability.
But this sickly prince was once a spirited young general who guarded the country's borders. The two people present knew perfectly well who the culprit was.
Lingyi rose and bowed, saying solemnly, "I am deeply ashamed of what Father Emperor did in the past. Words are useless at this moment. I only have this small token of my appreciation. Please accept it, Second Sister-in-law!"
Even though the Great Han Dynasty was in turmoil, she was still a princess. Although it wasn't a grand ceremony, it wasn't something a mere heir's wife like Lady Zhen could afford. But Lady Zhen didn't immediately help her up. Instead, she paused for a moment before saying, "The late emperor is already dead, and you've already married my third brother. Let's not dwell on these past events."
Ling Yi said, "For the sake of 'harmony in the family brings prosperity in all things,' the Qin family may not mention it, but the Liu family cannot forget it."
After a moment of silence, Madam Zhen said to the princess with a teasing tone, "What are you saying? The baby is about to be born, and you still don't consider yourself a member of the Qin family?"
Lingyi realized her slip of the tongue, her face immediately flushed red, and she pleaded softly, "Second sister-in-law..."
Princess Tianjia was beautiful and gentle, yet easily angered. A mere tease would send her blushing, both shy and coquettish, and even a simple plea for mercy would melt her bones. No wonder her third brother was willing to be whipped to bring her in, Zhen thought to herself. How could she not resent the Liu family? But this princess was truly innocent. She hadn't shown any mercy on the road back to Ji, and now the Liu family's empire was fragmented, and the culprit was dead. Was she really going to hold a grudge and try to kill her, causing her third brother to become estranged from her husband and brothers?
Lady Zhen was always sensible and composed. She quickly suppressed the slight emotion she felt when the princess bowed and resumed her usual demeanor as a matriarch of the royal family. She was neither overly enthusiastic nor impolite in chatting with the princess. After inquiring about the baby's month of birth, she roughly calculated it and then smiled in realization: "No wonder my third brother asked Father for permission to go on the border patrol ahead of time today. It turns out he was afraid of not being able to make it in time for the baby's birth."
Lingyi was taken aback upon hearing this: "...Patrolling the border?"
Madam Zhen was surprised: "You didn't know, sister-in-law?"
The two exchanged a glance, both surprised.
Lingyi was already used to Qin Lie coming and going as he pleased, but she was surprised that Zhenshi already knew about the matter that Qin Lie had just discussed with the prince today.
Lady Zhen was surprised that Qin Lie had made military achievements, knelt in the ancestral hall, and received forty lashes from the prince before being brought to the palace. Why was he not informed in advance of such an important matter as going out to patrol the border?
Madam Zhen was often out socializing, so she quickly masked her surprise. "You're pregnant, and your third brother probably doesn't know how to bring it up. Our Qin family has been guarding the border for generations. Even when there's no war, we still patrol the border at least once a year. Especially at the end of the year, the patrols are not only to check for any deficiencies, but also to distribute rations and rewards to the soldiers. Father is getting old now, and the army relies entirely on your third brother. Only Qin Hong can share some of the burden, but Qin Hong is still young, and your third brother has to do many things himself. He inevitably has to go out, but ultimately it's all for the sake of the royal family. You need to be more understanding, sister-in-law."
Lingyi said, "Thank you for your reminder, Second Sister-in-law. I understand now."
Madam Zhen laughed and said, "I'm not giving you advice, I'm just being a chatterbox. I hope you don't find me annoying."
Lingyi quickly said she didn't know, and after a few more casual words, Lingyi politely took her leave.
Even after walking these two short distances and chatting for a while, Lingyi still felt tired.
She had been woken up by the cold last night, so she added an extra blanket and went back to sleep, but it wasn't as restful as a full night's sleep. After returning home, she lay on the couch and fell asleep almost immediately. When she woke up, the lights in the room were already on, and it was time for dinner.
As instructed by the doctor, her days now consist only of eating and sleeping. She needs to sleep well, but she can't eat too much, lest the baby become too big and make childbirth difficult. So even though dinner was her favorite dish, she only ate until she was 80% full, and after eating, she had to walk around to avoid indigestion at night.
From the time she had dinner until she went out for a walk to digest, Granny Zhao remained unusually silent and looked depressed.
Otherwise, just the stir-fried river shrimp, a dish rarely seen this season, at dinner would probably make her keep repeating "the general values the princess" until people are sick of hearing it.
Back in the room, Lingyi said, "Granny Zhao, now it's just the two of us in the room. If there's anything you need to say, just say it." There was no need for that hesitant, conflicted expression; it only made people worry and uneasy.
After a moment of internal struggle, Zhao Mama realized that this matter could not be kept secret, so she steeled herself and spoke up: "The General went to Concubine Sun's place today."
Lingyi was not surprised by Qin Lie's whereabouts, but was surprised by Zhao Mama's gloomy tone, "Didn't you ask me to persuade the general like this yesterday? Now that you have achieved your wish, why are you so grief-stricken?"
No, that's not how it is. Lingyi couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Although Granny Zhao had always told Pearl and the others not to think they were superior just because they came from the palace, she was actually the one who looked down on the people in the Prince's Mansion the most. She always felt that she had been in the palace for decades and had seen all kinds of intrigue and power struggles. Apart from fearing Qin Lie, she believed that no one else was her match.
But she never thought that if she were really that useful, why would Consort Guo have assigned her to be her dowry maid?
Lingyi understood this matter much more clearly than she did.
Qin Lie is a domineering and powerful man who never listens to reason. He can choose which courtyard to visit and whom to favor without having to consider anyone else's opinion. As long as I don't stop him, that's fine. But because of the bed-changing incident the day before, which touched on Cheng Hui, I wanted to show off my virtuousness and generosity yesterday and even thought about arranging his place. Naturally, this angered him.
It was because she had just entered the Prince's mansion and was too anxious about gains and losses that she lost her composure. In fact, what she should have done most was just like she did in the Princess's mansion: obey him and please him. The more she did anything else, the more mistakes she made.
Just like a bird, it's enough to learn a few auspicious phrases to amuse people. Does it mean that just because it was brought into the house, it can't possibly expect to guard the house? That's absurd. Overestimating herself was the biggest mistake she made when she entered the Prince's mansion. Now that she has seen through it, she will never make the same mistake again.
Lowering her eyes, her voice, though soft, carried an undeniable authority: "Granny Zhao, from now on you only need to take care of me and the child. You are not allowed to inquire about the General's whereabouts again. If there is a next time, pack your things and go back to the Princess's residence to keep Li De and the others company. I absolutely dare not keep you by my side."
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Granny Zhao had indeed been racking her brains to find out Qin Lie's whereabouts, but today she was completely wronged.
This time, Qin Lie himself told her whereabouts, and even in fear that she wouldn't know, he deliberately circled around outside twice, and only after seeing her sneaky figure did he leisurely walk to the side courtyard.
Someone came to inform him early in the morning that Aunt Sun had personally brewed Biluochun tea in advance, and she took it to Qin Lie as soon as he arrived. Qin Lie lowered his eyes to look at the teacup, sat down in the armchair at the table, and drank three cups in a row without saying a word. He seemed to have a cold and stern expression, but Aunt Sun could sense the anger he was suppressing. She hesitated and advised, "General, please don't drink anymore. After all, it's just tea. If you drink too much, I'm afraid you won't be able to sleep at night."
Qin Lie looked up at her, half-smiling, "Since I love your Biluochun tea the most, I can't stand anyone else's tea. It's a rare treat to have it, so I have to enjoy it to the fullest, right?"
These words sounded somewhat familiar. After realizing what they meant, Aunt Sun broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly explained, "General! What I said to the Madam was only to elevate myself; I dared not have any other intentions!"
Her words perfectly capture the essence of the proverb "there's no silver buried here."
Qin Lie's eyes turned cold. "So you knew she was the lady of this house, yet you still dared to humiliate her like this?!"
Aunt Sun was so frightened that she knelt on the ground. "General! General! I didn't, I wouldn't dare! But what did that princess say to you? She's framing me, slandering me! Please don't believe her, don't believe a single word she says! Young master! I've served you for so many years, don't you know what kind of person I am? You can't believe her one-sided story!"
She had served Qin Lie as a first-class maid for many years. Qin Lie was not a gentle or approachable master, but he was also never harsh or stern, never even giving a light reprimand. If anyone made a mistake, Qin Xiaoshan and the others would handle it; why would he lower himself to argue with a servant?
Later, she became his concubine. Although he wasn't exactly gentle, he was an excellent husband. With his power and status, she and Cheng Hui were the only two in the courtyard. While he forbade her from disobeying or talking back to Cheng Hui, he also wouldn't allow Cheng Hui to bully or suppress her. Although she didn't receive the same treatment as Cheng Hui as a wife, she never felt the lowliness of being a concubine. Qin Lie even took care of her father and brothers, allowing her mother and brothers to visit her every year, giving her a level of respect she had never dared to dream of.
Even without these things, his appearance and demeanor, along with his lavish spending, would still be remarkable.
Although he always had a cold face, he never treated those around him harshly. As long as people were loyal and did not make any serious mistakes, he would even protect them out of kindness for unintentional errors.
Not to mention the concubine, even the servants in his courtyard were eager to get in.
This was the first time she had seen him angry, how could she not be terrified?
This was also the first time Qin Lie had seen Aunt Sun in such a disheveled state.
As the first-class maid assigned to him by his mother, she was naturally clever and considerate. Having served him for several years, she was diligent, quick-witted, meticulous, and almost never made a mistake. Therefore, when his mother proposed making her a concubine six months after their marriage, he neither objected nor had any reason to.
He knew she was shallow, proud, and often scheming, but rather than looking for a new woman, he preferred someone like her who, despite her quirks, was still easy to control. With Hui Niang's abilities, Aunt Sun's petty tricks wouldn't be able to cause any trouble, thus ensuring the harmony among his wives and concubines and stability in the inner quarters that he desired.
But his current wife is a princess, he himself is weak and incompetent, and the people around him are all more useless than the last.
Before leaving, he had to take care of these trivial matters in the inner quarters for her, lest she be taken advantage of or bullied again.
Seeing Aunt Sun practically begging to kowtow in her defense, Qin Lie simply asked in a low voice, "If today's new wife weren't a princess, would you dare to act this way?"
Aunt Sun was immediately speechless, her mouth still open, but she could no longer utter a word of explanation.
Qin Lie sneered: "You're just doing this because you know about the feud between my family and Madam's family. You're relying on your background as someone from the Princess's household and your understanding of the Princess's temperament. You're just hoping to cause trouble so that the Princess will back you up and even kick Madam out of the manor, isn't that right?"
He had read Sun's mind, and knowing there was no turning back, her body went limp and she collapsed to the ground.
He is always so perceptive and insightful. He just doesn't usually care, but once he starts to care, everyone else becomes transparent to him.
But he didn't know that she hadn't dared to scheme like this at first. It was just that she hadn't seen Qin Lie for so long. Long ago, he had been spending all his time in his study and rarely entered the inner courtyard. Although he would still send many rewards to the side courtyard every time he returned from a campaign, she couldn't sleep at night and longed for him terribly because she couldn't see him.
At first, she thought Chunying was behind it all, but a few months ago Chunying was suddenly expelled from the manor. Then Qin Lie went on a three-month campaign, and upon returning home, he reported to the prince that the princess was pregnant and that he wanted to bring her into the manor. This enraged the prince, who opened the ancestral hall and had Qin Lie whipped forty times in front of everyone, leaving him with lacerated skin. When she heard the news, she was anxious and heartbroken. She eagerly brought him medicine to see him, only to be told that he had already been carried directly to the princess's manor.
Having been by Qin Lie's side for many years, she understands this third young master best. He may seem unruly, but he is actually very shrewd in his actions.
He wouldn't do it on a whim or on a whim; he decided to give the princess a title after careful consideration.
Actually, it's not even necessary to look at the fact that he wants to give the princess a title; the fact that he would get her pregnant is already unbelievable.
He was young then and not as good at hiding his emotions and thoughts as he is now.
She had seen his reddened eyes after he got drunk and heard his chilling vows in his sleep—the few times he had lost control in the past decade or so.
But this time, he was more than just out of control; he was completely bewitched!
That's why she dared to go see the princess so abruptly. She was simply curious, extremely curious, wanting to see what kind of woman could bewitch him. When she finally saw her, she realized that her heart, which she thought had been hardened by countless small hopes and slight disappointments, was actually so fragile.
Therefore, it is understandable that he wants to marry a princess. After all, a princess from the imperial family would be more graceful and dignified than Cheng Hui, more considerate in handling affairs, and more worthy of him.
She comforted herself with this thought until the princess appeared, shattering the illusion that had sustained her for so long.
How could she do this? How could he do this?!
Qin Lie correctly identified many of her schemes, but he overlooked one crucial point: her sincere heart. Even knowing he would notice and blame her, she still spoke those words to the princess without hesitation.
She was simply unwilling, so unwilling. She pleaded through sobs, "Young Master, please wake up! Think of the eldest young master who died unjustly! Think of the late Madam! Anyone can do it, but it can't be her, it can't be the princess. My heart is entirely for you, Young Master!"
Qin Lie was fed up with this incoherent rambling and was about to leave when Aunt Sun lay on the ground, clinging tightly to his clothes and refusing to let go.
He turned to look at her; her carefully made-up face was now covered in tears, leaving powdery tear stains. She always liked to wear many of her favorite hairpins and ornaments in her hair, but now they were hanging askew, and some of the tassels were knotted.
After all these years of friendship, and the fact that she was Can'er's mother, he couldn't bear to leave her. "Madam is about to give birth. With your temperament, it's not suitable for you to stay in the palace any longer. Go and stay at a Buddhist temple in the suburbs for a while. After the baby's 100-day celebration, I will send someone to bring you back."
Before stepping out of the room, he heard heartbreaking cries behind him, but he never turned back.
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