Chapter 116: Precognitive Dream (Qin Lie)
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The veins on Qin Lie's forehead throbbed.
She was having an affair and had no real feelings for him. I didn't hold it against her, but she still took it out on me!
First, he ignored me, and then he brought up old grievances for the sake of a few lackeys.
He always disliked trouble and hated arguing with people, let alone getting into a quarrel with a woman; he immediately wanted to walk away.
But if he left now, she would definitely not come looking for him. If things continued like this for another ten days or half a month, the thought alone was unbearable. Besides, she was still ill; how could he leave her without worry?
So he sat there stiffly, frowning and with a dark expression, like a plague god.
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; everyone could tell he was angry.
Lingyi, however, ignored him and even tried to get rid of him, asking, "Does Your Highness have anything else to discuss?"
Qin Lie always repays kindness with kindness and avenges wrongs. Even though he has carried the burden of deep-seated hatred, he never holds grudges.
But with her, you can't be too lenient or too harsh. When she's in a good mood, it's like springtime with flowers in full bloom and the sun shining brightly; when she's angry, it's like a frost falling overnight and the world turning white.
Fortunately, he was prepared and said firmly, "I have found your sixteenth sister's daughter."
Lingyi exclaimed "Ah!" and hurriedly asked, "Where is she?"
Qin Lie snorted coldly and did not answer.
She paused, then called out "Your Highness" again, the same two words, but different from before, soft and hesitant.
Such two contrasting attitudes are simply treating him like a fool.
Qin Lie was furious, his face still gloomy, but he had already started to act. First, he pulled her into his arms, afraid that she would catch a cold again, and then he pulled the quilt to wrap her shoulders tightly. After that, he hugged her and the quilt tightly in his arms.
Lingyi remained silent and let him do as he pleased. She had sweated quite a bit earlier, and now, pressed against his warm chest, the heat seeped through her clothes and warmed her back, making her feel warm as well.
With her in his arms, Qin Lie's tone softened. "I went out this time to bring her back, but I only rushed back after learning that you were sick. She will take about two or three days to get back to the capital by carriage."
He pressed his face against hers, and when he spoke, his unkempt stubble tickled and stung her cheek. Lingyi paused for a moment, then said softly, "Thank you for going to so much trouble for me."
He smiled faintly and asked deliberately, "Why don't you refer to yourself as 'your concubine' anymore?"
Lingyi lowered her head and remained silent.
He sighed: "I don't need your thanks, I just want you to like me. Even if you can't do it right away, it would be good if you wouldn't be angry with me."
She remained silent, and just when he thought she was going to run away from the past again, he heard her soft voice.
Why do you have to like it?
She turned her head and looked at him gently, "We're doing just fine, why bother with some vague and unrealistic 'like'?"
Qin Lie felt a surge of jealousy and couldn't help but mock, "You blush for Xie Yu, but when you gave him gifts, didn't you feel it was all so insincere?"
Lingyi thought about it carefully and replied, "That's because he liked me. At that time, I thought we could be together for life."
Qin Lie felt his temples throbbing. "Don't I like you? Can't we be together forever?!"
Lingyi shook her head, her voice soft, "It was different back then, I was a princess."
"So what if she's a princess?" Qin Lie pressed on impatiently, "What does this have to do with the princess?"
Lingyi smiled faintly, with a hint of sadness in her eyes. "I was so naive back then. I thought that a princess's husband couldn't divorce her or take a concubine. With this constraint, he would never betray me, and I would have a peaceful life."
Her gaze was clear and open, but Qin Lie felt a chill in her eyes, and even felt an urge to run away.
But she spoke again, “Qin Lie, you said you liked me, and I never doubted it. But a man’s affections are as fickle as fleeting clouds. My father loved my mother very much, yet he easily abandoned her. Xie Yu loved me, but he still married my sixteenth sister. But women are different. When a woman falls in love, it’s like a delicate flower blooming in her heart. Without the nourishment of affection, it will wither and die. If my mother hadn’t loved my father so much, she would at least have been a princess and wouldn’t have passed away so early. If my sixteenth sister hadn’t loved Xie Yu, at least she wouldn’t have died in despair, leaving her daughter all alone.”
She murmured self-deprecatingly, "You are the Crown Prince now, and you will be the Emperor in the future. You are superior to me, and I am inferior to you. You still like me now, so you can ignore me for days because of a moment of displeasure. In the future, when there are three thousand beauties in the harem, you will have already fallen in love with someone else, leaving me with only a sincere heart, waiting hopelessly every day. How pitiful and pathetic that would be?"
Qin Lie didn't understand. "Why do you always think of me in the worst possible light and plan for the worst? Even if I become emperor, will I necessarily have a large harem? Why would I necessarily fall in love with someone else and not be devoted to you? You only think about your mother and your sixteenth sister. Why can't you see your second brother and sister-in-law? Aren't they a loving couple? Even that fool Qin Hong, knowing there's no future for him, is still deeply in love with your fifteenth sister."
“That’s because they were lucky.” Lingyi turned to face him, shook her head and chuckled lightly: “But you’re not Qin Hong, nor are you Second Brother.”
Qin Lie never imagined that one day he would be so jealous of his two brothers. While tucking her back in, he still couldn't hold back his words, "Of course I'm not like them. One of them is so stupid, he could have gotten the girl, but he just stood by and watched hopelessly. The other one has his sister-in-law and is having a child with another woman!"
Lingyi lowered her head and said, "They are imperfect, but emotionally, they have only ever loved one person from beginning to end. Qin Lie, you used to be devoted to Cheng Hui, and now you are devoted to me. You will be devoted to others in the future, so what does it matter whether I like you or not? Why do you keep harping on this?"
Qin Lie never imagined that she would see him this way.
His chest churned with resentment like molten lava, and he gave a chilling laugh: "So, from the very beginning, you had already sentenced me to death!"
He was full of enthusiasm, thinking he could reciprocate her sincerity, but it turned out that from the very beginning, she had seen him this way, eliminating any possibility of falling in love.
Over the years, she had only been hypocritical towards herself.
In her eyes, what difference was there between what I said and what I did and what I was a clown?
If anyone else had mocked him like this, Qin Lie would never have allowed him to live a moment longer.
But... staring at her trembling eyelashes, he remained silent for a long time, his face showing dejection, and slowly said, "I only have the affection of husband and wife for Huiniang, not romantic feelings. I originally did not intend to tell anyone this, and I was even unwilling to admit it. If I did admit it, it would be too disrespectful to her, and it would only increase my guilt. But I am only devoted to you, even though I know it is wrong, I have tried my best to resist, and even deliberately avoided it, but in the end I still cannot resist the words 'involuntarily'."
“I know that this unpredictability has hurt you, but I have also suffered a lot because of it.”
“I have always been clear about my likes and dislikes. I will not let others down if they do not wrong me. I only ask to have a clear conscience. But even now, every time I enter the ancestral hall, I still dare not look up at the memorial tablets of my third uncle, eldest brother and Hui Niang.”
Not to mention the ridicule and mockery of those people in the past, when had he ever fallen into such a shameful situation?
Qin Lie's eyes reddened, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Liu Lingyi, it's not that I think my life is too good. If I could fall in love with someone else, I wouldn't have had to wait until today!"
His tone was somber, tinged with barely suppressed anger, and his dark eyes burned with a raging inferno capable of incinerating everything.
She instinctively wanted to look away, but for some reason, she just stared at him blankly, unable to look away.
She didn't know how long she had been watching him until his rough hand gently stroked her cheek. He said with a mixture of regret and urgency, "Don't cry. It's my fault for being too hasty and saying a lot of nonsense that scared you. I promise I won't do it again."
Lingyi then realized that she had shed tears without realizing it, but there were only a few drops. Why did he have to coax her with such gentle words?
He was so disappointed and angry just now, and he had such a violent temper. He should have slammed the door and left, and never seen her again. Why compromise for a few tears, suppressing his anger and putting on a gentle act?
He did it on purpose, deliberately doing it to evoke a mix of emotions in her, bringing out endless bitterness in her heart.
Her tears flowed more and more. "You...you mustn't force me."
He was always pressuring her, forcing her to accept and even get used to his presence and his affection.
These days, she actually knows what he wants to hear and what he wants.
She knew he was waiting for her, and that he would come over on his own as soon as she gave him a signal.
For her children's sake, and for her own, she always knew best what she should do.
But why did she keep delaying? And where did this illness come from?
"It's all my fault. I won't pressure you anymore."
Qin Lie had no idea how he had forced her, but since she had shed tears, he would accept whatever she said.
And so it happened again. Lingyi's tears flowed even more fiercely, and his face became increasingly blurry in her vision.
Not looking at him didn't make her any better. She sobbed, "You...you really don't need to waste so much affection on me. I can't possibly deserve your love."
As soon as she said those words, her tears strangely stopped. "That day you asked me, if there was only one poison, would you save me or my fifteenth sister? I pretended to be stupid then, but I knew in my heart that you were just trying to find out how important you were to me."
"Love between men and women is so fickle. How bold would one have to be to have expectations and even give one's all based solely on one's heart?"
“I know you like me, but I always have doubts. Perhaps I will only fully believe it when either you or I pass away and the dust settles. So I am destined not to be like Cheng Hui, willing to die for you.”
Her eyes welled up with tears again. "Over the past few years, I've thought more than once about what I would do if I were in Cheng Hui's situation. But each time, it only makes me realize that I would never be willing to die for you."
Qin Lie was her husband, and over the years he had been devoted to her without any reservations.
Someone as sensitive and cautious as her could not be unaware of the difference in his attitude towards her, and this gave her a lot of confidence.
Otherwise, how could she, being so cautious, dare to raise his children so harshly, and even try to save Aunt Liu's life?
But the more this was the case, the more she wanted to pin a crime on him.
It's perfectly logical and makes me feel at ease, using the excuse that I can't like him to cover up my helplessness.
Ultimately, it's just a matter of feeling guilty.
Her tears fell again. "Perhaps I was born this cold-hearted person. You treated me with all your heart, and you expect the same in return, but I am destined to let you down. You were treated so wholeheartedly by Cheng Hui, and you've always been a very inquisitive person. I know I can't hide it from you, but I still held onto a sliver of hope, thinking that maybe I could get by without really understanding. Actually, Xie Yu came here just to let you see what kind of person I am beforehand. Now, do you still like me?"
Qin Lie stood there, frozen.
She finally told him the truth, explaining to him word by word why she didn't like him.
If there's a misunderstanding, he can explain.
If there's a dispute, he can give in.
He would do his best to get her whatever she wanted.
He would do his best to help her accomplish whatever she wanted to do.
Even if she were an iceberg, he was confident he could melt her.
But she was precisely that kind of person; even if she gave her all, what he wanted was worlds apart from what he desired.
The rage that had been churning in his chest had long since subsided, replaced by a chilling sense of despair.
After a long silence, Lingyi wiped away her tears. "Qin Lie, even without those things, we are still husband and wife who share both honor and disgrace. I have no other intentions towards you, and besides, there are Huan'er and Jue'er. If you are willing, we can continue to live as before. If you find someone else in the future, just let me know, and I will gladly give up my title and never put you in a difficult position."
He seemed not to hear, remaining seated as stiff as a stone statue.
Lingyi's heart sank lower and lower. He was hot-tempered and had never been one to compromise. She was only giving it a try.
She didn't know how much time had passed, until her heart was about to sink, when he finally spoke in a deep voice, "Who do you think you are, trying to arrange for me to be reassigned to someone else with just a few words?"
Lingyi lowered her eyes: "I misspoke..."
Lingyi opened her eyes wide and stared at him blankly.
He suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace, gritting his teeth as he said, "Liu Lingyi, just stay by my side, we'll endure this slowly!"
Let's see if she can outlast him before he changes his mind, or until he dies!
.
On the anniversary of the Sixteenth Princess's death, Xie Yu committed suicide in the dungeon.
He left no words, but bit his fingertip and drew a picture on the wall.
Xie Jiayu, once renowned for his talent in the capital, was particularly skilled in painting, but he only painted landscapes. Even though people in the capital would spend a fortune to buy his paintings, he never painted portraits.
The last painting he left behind depicted a woman sitting leisurely on a veranda, holding a round fan, with a smile on her lips.
The only thing missing is a pair of eyes.
Lingyi looked at the rubbing of the painting, then looked at Tong'er, who was building a snowman with Huan'er and Jue'er in the courtyard.
In another ten years or so, those eyes will resemble her mother even more, making them perfect for that painting.
I only regret my past heartlessness. I rely on painting to recall my past, but my heart is too heavy to capture in a single stroke of the brush.
Thinking of the Sixteenth Princess, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, and her eyes flickered slightly.
Qin Lie, however, scoffed, "When someone is by your side, you don't know how to cherish them. But after they die, you put on this act of deep affection that doesn't last. No wonder such a clueless person would be useless even if you were to start over."
"Start over?" The question piqued Lingyi's curiosity. "Xie Yu told me back then that the way you treat me now is because of your memories from our past life. Could it be that you really did start over?"
Qin Lie said lazily, "Come closer, and I'll tell you."
As soon as Lingyi walked over, he pressed her onto his lap. She pushed him away, lowering her voice, "The children are still outside!"
Qin Lie said, "Then let them see that there are such loving couples in the world. So that they won't grow up to be like princesses, cold and heartless..."
Lingyi retorted angrily, "Say it again!"
She must have been bewitched that day to say those heartfelt things to him!
Seeing that she was really anxious, Qin Lie coaxed her again and again, "Okay, okay, I won't say it anymore, I won't say it anymore."
He pulled her into his arms and told her about his dream from a past life, earnestly embellishing it as he spoke: "...You couldn't bear to be apart from me for a moment. When you were old and gray, about to close your eyes, you held my hand and said with reluctance, 'Qin Lie, my good husband, this life is too short. I can't bear to leave you. I truly hope there is an afterlife, so I can be with you again.' Seeing your sincerity, I took pity on you and granted your request. And since I am a wise ruler throughout the ages, naturally revered by gods and ghosts alike, I allowed this to happen again after I had also closed my eyes." As he spoke, he began to bring up the old grievances, "But I never expected that this time, the princess would become so heartless..."
"You said that again!" Lingyi was so angry that she reached out and tried to cover his mouth.
He dodged while laughing, "Is the princess trying to murder her husband?"
Lingyi said, "I don't believe a single word of what you just said. If there really is a past life, you might have died at my hands."
Qin Lie, however, was even more smug. "With your personality, and having a child, if you really hated me to the point of wanting to kill me, and could still succeed smoothly, you would have to keep me in your heart day and night, carefully planning it. Wouldn't that mean thinking about me a thousand times a day?"
Since that day when he spoke out, Lingyi originally thought he would be disheartened and distance himself from her, but unexpectedly, he became even more clingy, and possessed an invincible thick skin, practically impervious to blades and spears. However, she didn't want to hear anything about killing or dying right now, so she frowned and said, "I misspoke just now. The end of the year is approaching, let's not say such unlucky things again."
There's a sense of unease and fear in the capital these days.
Not long after Qin Lie returned, several censors jointly submitted a memorial accusing the crown prince of embezzling funds and enriching himself.
In the past, Da Han often delayed paying his military wages. The Jizhou army relied on Qin Lie to fight and support the army, and thus conquered the country. However, he was accused of raising a private army, and the evidence was conclusive. He was to be punished for his treacherous intentions.
It goes without saying how sinister a crown prince could possibly be.
The emperor remained silent on this matter.
Even Lingyi could see clearly that if the emperor really didn't want to punish them, he should at least reprimand them, if not punish them.
Keeping the memorial hidden and not issuing it is like hanging a knife over Qin Lie's head, allowing him to do whatever he wants with it.
Qin Lie knew her concerns and reassured her, "Princess, rest assured, even if there is a raging flood outside, I can stop it."
Lingyi said, "I'm afraid you brought this flood upon yourself. Do you think I can't see through your plan to lure the snake out of its hole?"
Qin Lie raised an eyebrow in surprise, then kissed her cheek hard, beaming with pride, and said, "I never thought I would marry a female Zhuge Liang."
Lingyi pushed him away impatiently, "I don't care what you and your second brother are plotting, but Shuo'er and Can'er are both studying in the palace with the princes. Aren't you afraid of hurting the children!"
Qin Lie scoffed, "They only dare to act when the officials are under seal. At that time, there's no need for school, and the children are all at home." He paused, then said, "At that time, you just need to tell Yin Rong not to go out again, and you don't need to worry about anything else."
Lingyi complained, "Why doesn't Your Highness go and say it yourself? You always make me play the bad guy."
Qin Lie sighed helplessly, "Isn't it because she only listens to you?"
His paternal authority only ever worked in front of his son.
When it came to his daughter, he really didn't have many options.
Qin Yinrong outwardly complied but inwardly defied him; the servants couldn't keep an eye on her at all, and she often disappeared without a trace.
As for Jue'er, she has a face that resembles that of a princess, and every move she makes is like the princess in her childhood that he has never seen before. He softens at first sight and can't help but agree to any unreasonable request.
A few days ago, it snowed heavily. Qin Lie couldn't refuse her, so he took her on horseback and drove around half of the capital.
It was only afterward that they realized that this was probably not Huan'er's idea. Otherwise, how could Huan'er have happened to run into them just as they were about to leave and also rode out the door with them?
Snow fell all over their heads, but the two children were having a great time.
When he returned, the princess blamed him for spoiling the child too much and refused to give him a smile for several days in a row, not to mention turning his back on him at night.
Lingyi thought he spoiled Jue'er too much, but she was even more indulgent towards Yinrong and always spoke up for her. "Yinrong does all the right things outside and has earned you a lot of good reputation. She's just stubborn, but she listens to you very much."
Qin Lie frowned. An unmarried princess was not gentle and dignified at all. It was one thing for her to often mingle with commoners and merchants, but she also formed a poetry club with a few girlfriends. She didn't write many poems, but she often gathered together to run around and fight for justice. She was known for being generous and chivalrous. What kind of good reputation was that?
He knew he couldn't argue with the princess, so he let it go after informing her. Besides, although Yinrong was a bit mischievous, she didn't abuse her power or do anything wrong, so he let her be.
.
After the New Year, the winds outside grew stronger. On that day, someone from the palace summoned Qin Lie, and for the first time, he wore soft armor under his court robes.
Even though she knew that he and Qin Xu had made arrangements in advance, and that it was a matter of forcing the emperor to abdicate, how could Lingyi not be worried?
She personally draped the cloak over him, her brows furrowed with worry.
Qin Lie said, "If I had known you were so worried, I shouldn't have told you. Just think of it as me going to court or attending a social event; I'll be back soon and can have dinner with you and the children." He paused, then added, "If anything happens, you should take the children and go with Qin Xiaoshan. He will get you to safety..."
Lingyi interrupted him, "Don't talk nonsense! The child and I are waiting here. We're not going anywhere until you come back!"
Qin Lie was taken aback for a moment, then immediately picked her up and brought her face close until he could hear her breath. "Are you saying this for the child, or for me?"
His tone was teasing, but his gaze was extremely serious. Lingyi never expected that he would still be agonizing over those things at this moment.
She was so angry that she almost wanted to yell at him to wake him up, but in this situation, she paused, took his hand, and whispered, "Qin Lie, for my sake, you must come back unharmed."
He smiled and kissed her lips. "The princess has given her order, and I dare not disobey!"
This trap set by Qin Shiyan, the Feast at Hongmen, undoubtedly ended in victory for Qin Lie.
This was a loophole that he and Qin Xu deliberately left to lure out the snake from its hole, so that they could take the opportunity to wipe out the remaining forces in Qin Shiyan's court in one fell swoop.
The following day, Qin Shiyan abdicated the throne on the grounds of poor health and moved to a temporary palace.
The princes and members of the imperial clan who participated were demoted to commoners and placed under house arrest.
The officials involved were all imprisoned, beheaded, or exiled, among other things.
At the age of thirty-two, Qin Lie succeeded to the throne, becoming emperor and changing the era name to Tiansheng.
On the day of his ascension to the throne, he appointed Princess Yongjia of the previous dynasty, Liu Lingyi, as his empress and made her the crown princess, in charge of the imperial seal.
Apart from the Empress, there were no concubines in the imperial harem, and the Emperor had few children.
The ministers inevitably had their opinions on this, but Prince Qin Xu, the wise prince, remained silent, as did Prince Qin Hong, the martial prince.
Furthermore, there was Qin Xiaoshan, the emperor's confidant, who was so slippery that he remained silent no matter how others hinted at it openly or secretly.
Even the Empress Dowager showed no sign of urging them, so no one else dared to step forward.
In the fourth year of the Tiansheng era, the people lived in peace and prosperity, and the world was calm and tranquil.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, a banquet was held in the palace.
Apart from the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Dowager who were in the imperial palace, the Grand Empress Dowager, several princes, and princes and princesses were all present.
Not only were members of the royal family present, but also key ministers were also in attendance.
After several rounds of drinks, Qin Lie suddenly brought up the matter of establishing a crown prince, which surprised everyone except the Empress Dowager.
After all, the retired emperor was nearly fifty years old, and he was only forced by the court officials to reluctantly establish a crown prince.
Qin Lie is currently in the prime of his life, healthy and without illness, so there is really no need to establish the position of Crown Prince and wield power so early.
But how powerful is the current emperor? Now that he has spoken, no one will go against his will.
Qin Lie glanced at the princes and asked in a calm voice, "Today is a family banquet. As for the position of Crown Prince, please speak your mind. Even if you are wrong, I will forgive you."
Upon hearing the words "Crown Prince," Qin Xu's hand trembled and he spilled his wine. Now, he sat there blankly, his mind reeling.
Qin Can waited for a moment, and seeing that his elder brother had not made any move, he got up and knelt down in the hall. "Your Majesty, I know that I am of mediocre talent. In this life, I only wish to be like you when you were young, to guard the border and resist foreign enemies. I dare not dream of the position of Crown Prince!"
It's not that he doesn't strive for success; it's just that he made his choice when he was young.
But does that mean that if he abandoned his mother back then, he could now win the position of crown prince?
He glanced at his father on the throne, then at Qin Huan sitting upright in his seat, and his mind was perfectly clear.
Over the years, he has never lost contact with Jizhou. Aunt Liu has now remarried and given birth to another daughter.
He had seen the Empress interacting with her younger brother and sister, and each time he would think that if he were with his mother and sister, it would be a similarly warm and happy scene.
His only wish now is to go to Jizhou as soon as possible so that he can see his mother and sister. He really doesn't want any more trouble.
In recent years, the three brothers, though not particularly close, have gotten along well and are respectful to each other. They just hope that the eldest brother will not do anything foolish, and that he will think of those uncles who are imprisoned, so that after four years of peace, there will not be another unnecessary bloodshed.
After he finished speaking, Qin Lie's gaze fell on Qin Shuo again.
Qin Shuo's heart was pounding in his chest, but he managed to maintain a calm expression.
However, when another familiar gaze fell upon him, he was suddenly startled, and a chill ran through his mind.
That gaze came from his sister, Qin Yinrong.
[Author's Note]
The next chapter will be the end.
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