Chapter 97: Precognitive Dream (Qin Lie)
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After Qin Lie left, Lingyi truly lived a comfortable and carefree life.
Although some people in the household disliked or even loathed her, she was about to give birth, so no one would deliberately make things difficult for her. They simply ignored her to avoid seeing her.
The Prince's mansion was quite large, and the Hanmoxuan alone was enough for her daily activities. Qin Lie went to patrol the border, and Aunt Sun went to the temple to pray for blessings. She was the only mistress in the entire courtyard. She no longer needed to be careful and fearful every day. Apart from her body getting heavier as her pregnancy progressed, she lived more freely than she had in the palace before her marriage.
But some things don't cease to exist just because you can't remember them; what's meant to come will come.
More than ten days after Qin Lie left, Zhen brought two letters.
In the past few days, only Madam Zhen has come to visit her frequently. At first, they were just being polite to each other, but gradually, as Madam Zhen came more and more often, they have actually started to look like harmonious sisters-in-law.
What Lingyi didn't know was that Zhen had initially come here to hide from someone.
They had intended to cut ties with this uncooperative company and find a more shrewd partner, but the general they were dealing with said that General Qin had only instructed them to work with that one merchant. The implication was clear: they could leave, but they couldn't be replaced, infuriating the Zhen father and son.
Because of this incident, Zhen's mother came to the Prince's mansion every few days, crying and complaining. One minute she wanted her to use her status as the Crown Prince's wife to pressure her sister-in-law's family, and the next she wanted her to persuade Qin Xu to talk to Qin Lie about changing business partners. In short, she wanted to make sure the Zhen family made a fortune from this money, no matter what method she used.
Although Zhen was filial, she knew she couldn't do either of those things. Furthermore, after Qin Xu learned of the situation and analyzed it with her, it was clear that Qin Lie had informed her beforehand and even warned her sister-in-law's family, so she couldn't interfere even more.
She had tried to persuade the Zhen family with earnest words, but if they had listened to her advice, they wouldn't be living like this now.
Her mother's words became increasingly harsh, scolding her for forgetting her roots after marrying into a wealthy family, and for having no children of her own and having to rely on her nephews for support in the future. She accused her of siding with outsiders now, and said that she would have plenty of time to cry later.
No one dared to mention having no children in front of her, but her mother insisted on bringing it up to hurt her feelings.
She tried to avoid her, but her mother would barge into her yard and sit there for an entire day.
She had no choice but to hide away, but given her status, she didn't have many social engagements that required her personal attendance every day. In desperation, she sought refuge with Lingyi.
If hiding in Hanmoxuan at first was purely out of desperation, after sitting there for a while, Zhen Shi realized that although she and the princess were not familiar with each other and had not even spoken much, there was never any awkward silence. It was a very comfortable and pleasant experience.
After this happened a few times, Lady Zhen truly grew to like being with the princess.
She usually managed the trivial affairs of the Prince's mansion and also went out to socialize, speaking only polite words and hearing only flattering remarks.
When serving the princess, one must carefully tolerate her temper and often say things against one's will.
She should have confided her troubles to her family, but the Zhen family was just that kind of person.
Even though she and Qin Xu were deeply in love, there were some things that were not appropriate to say to him. Moreover, knowing that he was busy all day long, how could she bear to disturb his rare time of rest with those trivial matters?
Although she had a sister-in-law, her elder brother had passed away early, and her sister-in-law looked like she was on her deathbed, spending her days in melancholy and looking at everyone as if they owed her something. Although Madam Zhen outwardly respected her, she actually avoided her like the plague.
It wasn't until he met the princess that, despite the age difference of more than ten years, they felt a sense of regret for not having met sooner.
Although the princess was young and didn't talk much, she was extremely sensible but not at all worldly or slick. She was somewhat naive and completely ignorant of some customs, but at times she was very insightful in her observations of people and things, which even benefited her greatly.
Lingyi also enjoyed spending time with Zhen Shi. Since leaving Jizhou, she hadn't had any normal interactions with anyone, so she naturally cherished this time. Besides, she also wanted to hear Zhen Shi talk about old stories from the Prince's Mansion and the interesting things she encountered while socializing. Through these stories, she gradually pieced together the relationships and profiles between the Prince's Mansion and the people of Jizhou, no longer feeling completely clueless like before.
Now, Madam Zhen was quite casual when she came to Hanmoxuan. She sat down on the couch and asked for credit with a smile, "You must be missing your third brother terribly after he left these past few days. That's why I brought the letter for you to read and think of him. Hurry up and thank me."
Mentioning Qin Lie made Lingyi feel somewhat heavy-hearted, but not wanting to offend her, she could only take the letter and read it carefully.
There were two letters in total, both written by Qin Lie himself.
One letter was Qin Lie's letter to the Prince's residence to let them know he was safe. It only briefly mentioned that he had arrived at the border, where a once-in-a-decade heavy snowfall had collapsed several military camps, injuring many men and horses. Apart from a brief greeting to a few elders at the end, the rest of the letter resembled a report to the emperor rather than a personal letter.
Normally, such a family letter would only require sending someone to inform her, but because the two were on good terms, Madam Zhen specially brought this family letter to her to see as well.
The other letter was for her, without even a separate envelope, just a thin sheet of paper attached to the back of the family letter.
When Lingyi first saw it, she wondered how such a private conversation between husband and wife could be so intimate. But upon closer inspection, she realized there was no need to hide anything from the letter. It wasn't even half a page long; it was full of admonitions, telling her to take good care of her unborn child in the household and not to upset her elders.
Seeing Lingyi holding the letter with a dazed look on her face, Zhen thought she was disappointed and comforted her, "Third brother has always been sparing with words and has an introverted nature. Even when Huiniang was alive..." She realized she had misspoke and was about to cover it up when she saw Lingyi look up at her with bright eyes, as if she had seen a savior.
Lingyi was troubled when she heard her mention Cheng Hui. It was like someone bringing an umbrella in the rain. She quickly asked, "...Second Sister-in-law, when the General's late wife was alive, would she reply to the General in such a situation?"
Zhen was not speaking ill of people behind their backs, and it was even more difficult to maintain a proper balance when discussing Cheng Hui in front of the princess.
When the princess entered the palace, many people who knew about the feud between the Qin and Liu families thought that the princess relied on her beauty and used some underhanded seductive tricks to have Qin Lie under her control. However, after getting to know her, Zhen Shi felt that the princess was usually quite calm and composed, but when it came to Qin Lie, she became more nervous and uneasy than she was about to have him under her control.
Judging from the princess's expression, her question about Cheng Hui didn't seem like she was deliberately inquiring; it was more like she genuinely didn't know what to do.
Therefore, Madam Zhen answered truthfully: "Usually, unless there is something important, the Prince or your second brother would write a letter to let us know that we are safe. However..." She hesitated and said, "My third brother has never written a letter to Hui Niang alone before."
That was naturally because Cheng Hui was meticulous and thoughtful in everything she did, so Qin Lie didn't need to write a special letter to admonish her, Lingyi thought to herself.
However, Zhen's words also relieved her. Referring to Cheng Hui, she didn't need to rack her brains to reply to such a letter of peace, lest she inadvertently offend him with a word that was either too mild or too harsh. Besides, how could she reply to that letter? Was she supposed to reply with just "Yes, sir"?
Lingyi felt relieved and then started talking to Zhen about clothes and jewelry.
Although the Qin family held absolute power in Jizhou, practically ruling like local emperors, it was still a remote area. Although Zhen Shi managed the Qin family's affairs, the fine things she had seen were not as good as those of the unfavored princess in the deep palace. After all, not to mention her daily food, clothing, and daily necessities, Lingyi saw the most exquisite and rare things in the world every day she opened her eyes. Her taste was far superior to Zhen Shi's.
This was one of the reasons why Zhen often came to see her; what woman doesn't love to look pretty?
Although Lingyi's painting skills are not outstanding, she is still very good at drawing the styles of clothes and jewelry. Even old clothes and accessories can be transformed into something new and refreshing with her skillful touch.
Days passed by like flowing water. During this time, Qin Lie sent two more letters of reassurance, one every ten days, each containing a separate admonition to her.
Fortunately, as December arrived, Qin Lie stopped sending letters to let her know he was coming back. Zhao Mama guessed that he was returning, and Lingyi lost her appetite for lunch because of this. Actually, it wasn't entirely because of him. Her belly was getting heavier and heavier, and she felt uncomfortable standing, walking, lying down, or sitting. Naturally, she was in a bad mood and often threw tantrums.
Everyone else advised her to eat less, but Pearl just stood there grinning foolishly.
Granny Zhao couldn't stand it and asked her, "The princess is in a bad mood, what's there to be happy about?"
Pearl smiled and said, "I was just thinking that half a year ago, we were all on edge, and the princess was always frowning. Who would have thought that things would turn out like this? The more the princess acts up now, the happier I am."
Zhao Mama was stunned by her words, and Lingyi was also taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Alright, alright, I'll go eat. I'll eat more so you won't say behind my back that I'm being petty and getting harder to please."
Granny Zhao hurriedly advised, "Princess, you should eat less. The doctor instructed that at this stage, you can't not eat, but you also can't eat too much, lest the baby become too big and make delivery difficult! However, you can eat a few more bites of fish and meat, as those don't contribute much to weight gain. But you should eat as little rice as possible..."
If there was anything Lingyi feared during this time, it was Zhao Mama's nagging. Only Zhao Mama had witnessed childbirth and knew it was a perilous ordeal, so she was constantly anxious, fearing something might go wrong during the princess's delivery. Now, even before the princess's due date, she was already losing sleep at night, filled with worry.
Therefore, although Lingyi didn't want to listen, she still humbly accepted it, saying, "Okay, Granny, I understand."
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Because of the care provided for the injured from the heavy snow, Qin Lie returned later than initially expected, but a day earlier than the people in the Prince's Mansion had anticipated.
After all, the roads are covered in snow from his return from the border, and based on his return date, he won't be back until tomorrow morning at the earliest.
Qin Lie entered the Prince's mansion the afternoon before, dismounted, threw his riding whip to the gatekeeper, and strode into the mansion.
He returned too early, and Qin Xiaoshan was not waiting at the gate. Upon receiving the news, he rushed over to greet him. He was told by the people at the hanging flower gate that Qin Lie did not go to the study first after returning to the mansion as usual, but went straight to the inner courtyard.
Qin Lie was eager to return home and walked very fast all the way, but he slowed down when he was almost at Hanmoxuan. It wasn't until he finally stopped in the courtyard that he belatedly began to think about why he had rushed back so anxiously.
For the sake of the child? It's not even the day Huan'er is born yet.
For the princess? What a joke! He wrote to her several times, but she never replied to a single word. How could he possibly care about her?
Hesitating and wavering, knowing full well he should return to the study in the outer courtyard, yet his feet seemed rooted to the spot, unable to move an inch.
Then a voice rang out, "General?"
Qin Lie turned around and saw Pearl standing hesitantly at the courtyard gate, holding a gilded hand warmer in her hand.
He recognized the hand warmer as the princess's favorite item; it not only warmed her hands but also held incense. The princess always carried it with her when she went out in winter. But Pearl had just entered the room. His heart sank, and he demanded sharply, "Where is Madam?!"
Pearl was startled and quickly knelt down. "Reporting to the general, the princess's shoes and socks were wet when she returned. This servant has come to get the princess new shoes and socks."
Qin Lie's brows relaxed for a moment, then furrowed even more. "You are her personal maid. If you come back like this, won't you be leaving her all alone?"
Pearl explained tremblingly, "The princess lost a hairpin at the Crown Princess's place and sent a maid to retrieve it. The princess was resting at the bend in the artificial hill ahead, so that's why I dared to come back. I'll go back immediately after getting my shoes and socks."
These loyal fools! The princess is clearly using this as an excuse to get rid of them!
Why send them away? Is she trying to escape again?!
The moment this thought crossed his mind, Qin Lie's face turned ashen. He strode toward the artificial hill, but before he could see anyone, he heard the princess's voice, clear and melodious. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
But when he walked past the artificial hill, he saw Qin Shenzheng half-embracing her. The two were standing by the pond, very close, almost breathing each other.
[Author's Note]
I'm curious how new readers found me. I didn't even apply for a ranking this time, but my collection is still increasing. [laughing and crying emoji]
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