Chapter 16: Reconciliation.
After the two sat down, Pearl served hot tea. Qiu Min said, "The young man who saved us today is Qin Shen, the only son of the Third Uncle of the Imperial Son-in-Law. His father died on the battlefield when he was still young, so the Qin family spoils him quite a bit. People in Jizhou call him Little Sixth Master. But then again, even if it wasn't him, it would be anyone else in the Qin family, even relatives or family members. As long as they show their names in Jizhou, no one would dare to bully them. If we had gone to Dabeisi Temple today in our original identities, not only would our quarters have been robbed, but if we had just said we wanted to go, someone would have cleared the place out for us. Why should we suffer such humiliation?"
Her original identity? Was she a princess or a general's wife?
Lingyi put down her teacup. "General Qiu, please speak frankly if you have something to say."
Qiu Min rose and knelt down, "This humble general dares to be so bold as to beg the princess and her consort to reconcile!"
Lingyi closed her eyes briefly, then spoke again: "I stay in the mansion all day and do not concern myself with worldly affairs. I imagine the general has suffered a lot of grievances outside."
Qiu Min lowered his head even further: "Your Highness, although I have suffered some hardships outside, every word I have said today is for your sake, and I have absolutely no selfish motives!"
"The Prince Consort's anger that day had a cause. Qin Shen's father and the Prince Consort's elder brother died together on the battlefield. This was because officials in the capital were ordered to build the Tower of Babel, and in rushing the construction, they secretly diverted troops from the army that was supposed to be supporting the reinforcements to work on the tower. The reinforcements did not arrive for a long time, which led to the great defeat of the Jizhou army. Not only did the Prince Consort's third uncle and elder brother die on the battlefield, but the current heir was also seriously injured and will never fully recover. Therefore, when the princess mentioned those rebellious forced labors, she touched a nerve with the general, which is why he was so furious."
"And then there's the general's first wife, Cheng Huiniang. The Cheng family had produced a cabinet minister in the previous dynasty, making them a prominent family in Jizhou, and they were very strict in their upbringing. Cheng Huiniang was the eldest daughter, and she was known for her virtue even in her youth. She married a sixteen-year-old prince at the age of nineteen, and later gave birth to a son and a daughter. It is said that she is gentle, virtuous, and good at managing the household, and everyone in the Qin family, from the elders to the servants, praises her highly."
"Several years ago, she accompanied the only younger sister of the prince consort, Qin Ying, who was about to get married, to the mountain to pray for blessings. They encountered bandits. In order to protect Qin Ying, she lured away the bandits alone. In order to preserve her innocence, she jumped off the cliff and died."
"The young couple died in such a manner that the Prince Consort and the Qin family will inevitably feel grateful and guilty towards them. This precisely demonstrates that the Prince Consort is a man of great loyalty and affection, so the Princess should not worry about it too much."
Lingyi praised, "She is indeed a woman of strong character and loyalty."
She then laughed and said, "In that case, I should not tarnish the bond between the consort and her."
Qiu Min hadn't expected her reaction. He paused for a moment before saying, "How could a hero like the Prince Consort only have one wife in his life? The princess is so beautiful and gentle. No man could resist her. Once she gives birth to a son or daughter, why would she have to worry about not being accepted by the Prince's mansion?"
Lingyi had always respected Qiu Min, but at this moment she could not hide her disappointment: "If that's all the general wanted to say, then you may leave. I'm tired and need to rest."
After saying that, he got up and was about to leave.
"Princess!" Qiu Min exclaimed urgently, "Do you know that the Eleventh Princess has passed away!"
"Eleventh Sister? What?!" Lingyi exclaimed in shock. "Could it be a sudden illness?!"
Qiu Min said, "The rebels caused chaos and captured the county where the Eleventh Princess lived. They rushed into the princess's residence immediately, but the prince consort took his concubine and fled to the neighboring Prince Xiang, leaving the Eleventh Princess and her children to die in the residence. I heard that... the Eleventh Princess was disheveled when she died because the rebels tried to take advantage of her, and she could only bite her tongue and commit suicide."
Lingyi slumped into a chair. She was not familiar with the Eleventh Princess, but upon hearing of her death, she felt a deep sense of unease.
Qiu Min softened his tone: "I hope Your Highness will think carefully. If we hadn't encountered Qin Shen and his group today, or if Qin Shen and his group also harbored ulterior motives, what should we have done? Even if Jizhou were not in turmoil, Your Highness's beauty would be a curse. Does Your Highness intend to stay in the princess's residence for the rest of your life and never step out? If you were in the capital, I would never have said these things. But since you have married into Jizhou, without any support, you will only face difficulties in the future! I urge Your Highness to plan for the future and, while there is still time to salvage the situation, reconcile with your husband!"
Qiu Min felt that he had said everything that should and shouldn't have been said that day, but the princess still didn't take any action afterward. He could only sigh and feel helpless.
Until one day in March, Li De was carried back with a bruised and swollen face.
Li De had no other hobbies besides drinking. Jizhou was cold, and people were used to drinking to keep warm during the harsh winter. Every household brewed their own wine, and any leftovers would be sold. These strong liquors suited Li De's taste perfectly. When he wasn't on duty, he would often wander through the streets and alleys of the city, following the aroma of the liquor to buy some from small restaurants.
That day, he went looking for wine again, and happily drank alone in a small tavern. Just then, several soldiers were also there. Although Li De had covered his beard when he went out, he had been castrated for many years, and after drinking, some of his movements and postures were hard to conceal. The soldiers mocked him for being neither male nor female. Eunuchs are known for their sharp tongues, and unable to win their arguments, the soldiers beat him severely and threw him into the street.
The soldier acted without restraint, breaking three of his ribs.
Despite being completely innocent, Lingyi was beaten so badly that she rarely lost her temper.
Qiu Min was helpless: "Although they are just a few soldiers, they have returned to the military camp. How can we go to the military camp to ask them for them?"
Ling Yidao was truly enraged: "Take my princess token and go over there, let's see if they hand over the person!"
Qiu Min hesitated for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "...Actually, Li De had already identified himself at the time, and those soldiers said..."
"say what?"
"...They say that Jizhou only has the Prince of Dingbei, and has never had any princesses."
Lingyi remained silent. Qiu Min sighed inwardly, cupped his hands, and retreated, just as he passed by Pearl, who was beaming with joy.
No wonder Pearl was happy. The princess had no one to visit her all day long, and it was a rare treat to receive a letter from the capital. She must have been delighted.
Sure enough, the princess's face lit up with joy as she eagerly opened the letter and began to read it.
The letter was six pages long and filled with writing. The princess would smile as she read it, but then she would close her eyes again at the end.
Pearl asked curiously, "Princess, what's written in the letter?"
Lingyi said, "Sixteenth Sister is pregnant, and she's been pregnant for over four months now. You should gather up some toys for the children in Jizhou and send them to her when I reply."
Her tone was indifferent, but Pearl seemed to have her throat caught in her throat; after a moment of stunned silence, tears suddenly streamed down her face.
Mingzhu laughed at her: "It's not like our princess is pregnant, why are you crying tears of joy?"
Pearl just shook her head and didn't say anything.
Everyone says she's timid and naive, but there's a secret she's never told anyone.
At that time, she was still working as a lowly palace maid. She was timid and had no words, and was often bullied by other palace maids. When she was extremely depressed, she would go to the secluded rockery cave in the Imperial Garden to cry.
That day she went to cry again, cried herself to sleep, and when she woke up she wanted to go back but heard noises outside, so she went back inside.
Through the cracks in the cave, she could see a young man in brocade robes teaching a young woman in palace attire how to paint peach blossoms in the pavilion above.
She was originally a lowly palace maid and had not seen many noble people, but she recognized both of them: one was Xie Yulang, who was famous throughout the capital, and the other was the seventeenth princess, who was often mentioned by the palace servants.
At first, Xie Jiayulang taught diligently, but the Seventeenth Princess was indecisive, sometimes acting coquettishly and sometimes feigning fainting, just trying to get away with it. Xie Jiayulang couldn't do anything about it, so in the end he had to draw it himself, while the Seventeenth Princess ate peach blossom pastries on the side. Before Xie Jiayulang finished drawing the peach blossoms, the Seventeenth Princess had already finished eating the peach blossom pastries and was fast asleep on the table.
Everyone in the capital said that Xie Jiayu was exceptionally talented, aloof, and self-possessed. But on that day, Pearl clearly saw him struggle several times, but in the end, he couldn't help but secretly kiss the Seventeenth Princess's cheek. He gently touched her cheek and then pulled away. Afterward, he sat back down, waiting for the Seventeenth Princess to wake up with eyes full of doting affection.
So what exactly happened? The Sixteenth Princess could write six pages of joy and happiness about marrying into the Xie family, while the Seventeenth Princess was trapped in Jizhou, with a cold and heartless husband, and everyone could bully her.
.
Qiu Min was quite pleased. From the day Li De was carried back, the princess finally cheered up and would make things and send them to the Prince of Dingbei's mansion from time to time.
Therefore, even though he had previously thought Li De was too obsequious, he had come to find him rather handsome these days.
But the gifts he sent seemed to disappear without a trace, leaving no response. This made him start to doubt his understanding of men—could a princess as beautiful as her husband really be so heartless?
Zhao Mama went from being overjoyed to becoming increasingly disheartened. At first, she wished the princess would make four or five sachets a day.
Even now, seeing the princess busy, I still advise her to balance work and rest, and not to hurt her eyes.
Just as they were about to try to persuade him again, someone outside shouted, "The Prince Consort! The Prince Consort has arrived!"
She was startled and overjoyed. Before she could give any instructions to the palace servants, Qin Lie had already lifted the gauze curtain and walked in. He was wearing a cloak and looked travel-worn. He stood there, easily blocking out the afternoon sun. He was tall, imposing, handsome, and aloof.
The palace servants, like her, were all stunned. The princess was the first to react, running towards the man and landing in his arms like a light butterfly, where she was tightly embraced by her husband.
Although it was not yet dusk, the bed curtains were drawn, and the room was still dim.
Qin Lie was quite anxious; he rushed in before he had even taken off all his clothes.
After a while, he was sweating profusely. He stroked her tightly bitten lower lip with his thumb and coaxed in a hoarse voice, "Don't bite, just moan. I like to hear it."
Lingyi released her teeth but didn't make a sound. Instead, she got up, wrapped her arms around his neck, bit his Adam's apple, and twisted her waist at the same time.
Qin Lie hadn't had any relief for many days, and this long-lost soft and tender sensation, coupled with the tight wrapping and sucking, sent a tingling sensation through his lumbar spine straight to the top of his head, causing him to ejaculate immediately.
Ling Yi breathed a sigh of relief, while Qin Lie's eyes turned cold.
Before she could catch her breath, he pressed himself against her again, saying, "Continue."
The two missed dinner and only sent someone to bring in hot water when the sun was already dark.
After Qin Lie finished showering, Ling Yi was already lying on the clean bed with her back to him, seemingly exhausted and asleep.
He was now refreshed and not sleepy at all, but too lazy to eat anything. He hadn't come for a long time, and there was only one bedding on the canopy bed. Lingyi didn't have it, probably because she wanted to leave it for him.
It was late spring, and the nights were still a bit chilly. Qin Lie picked up a thin blanket to cover her, but she blinked rapidly, clearly pretending to be asleep.
Remembering their previous unpleasant parting, even though the matter was over, he couldn't leave it unresolved; he should at least give them a talking-to.
Qin Lie asked in a calm voice, "Do you know you were wrong?"
Lingyi nodded stiffly.
Qin Lie was dissatisfied: "Can't you speak properly?"
Lingyi then gave a muffled reply.
Qin Lie sensed something was wrong as soon as he heard the voice. He turned the person over and saw that her fair face was covered in tears, but she was biting her lip tightly and not making a sound.
This princess is truly made of water; she already bled so much just now, and she can still bled this much now.
Qin Lie couldn't utter another word of reprimand, and asked her, "Is that all the grievance you're feeling?"
This time, the little princess didn't even nod; all she did was cry.
Qin Lie said helplessly, "You're not very tall, but you have quite a temper. I underestimated you before."
The princess, who was "quite temperamental," immediately turned her back to him again.
When men are in a good mood, they are more tolerant and patient with women. Qin Lie was no exception. He turned her over and hugged her, changing his questioning tone to coaxing: "I know you've suffered a lot of grievances. Don't worry, I won't let any of those who bullied you get away with it."
The little princess was not satisfied at all; instead, she sobbed and said, "You...you bullied me too."
If she were off the bed, Qin Lie would naturally not be able to listen to her saying these things in a serious tone. But now that she was in his arms, her voice was delicate and weak as she accused him, which made her look rather spoiled and adorable.
Qin Lie asked with a smile, "Alright, alright, I'll bully you too, what do you say, Princess?"
Seeing his shamelessness, Lingyi was so angry that she bit his shoulder. He had practiced martial arts for many years, and Lingyi felt a soreness in her teeth when she bit him, so she pulled away and found another place to bite.
Qin Lie made a sound of "uh," it was hard to tell whether it was pain or pleasure, but suddenly he had a flash of inspiration and pulled the person down: "Come on, bite down there."
Lingyi was horrified and immediately rolled to the inside of the bed, ignoring him completely.
When Qin Lie returned this time, he felt that the princess had become more affectionate. Unlike before, when they were passionately entwined, the princess was always wary of him and rarely showed this playful and angry girlish side.
Perhaps this period of neglect made her understand the ways of the world, or perhaps she deliberately feigned affection in order to rely on herself.
Qin Lie didn't care. He only felt good and his body felt good. What use was there for those feelings to him?
When dinner was served, the moon was high in the sky. Qin Lie ate heartily, while Ling Yi, exhausted, drank a few mouthfuls of porridge and went to sleep.
When she woke up, Qin Lie was nowhere to be found. A palace maid brought in a box of jewelry, saying it was a gift from the prince consort to the princess. In addition, a doctor was kept in the mansion, said to be a famous physician from Tongzhou, whom the prince consort had specially invited to replace the original imperial physicians.
Several soldiers were bound hand and foot and had been whipped, but they were not left for the women to deal with.
Qin Lie said that these soldiers, as soldiers of the Jizhou Army, had insulted and beaten others without cause. According to military discipline, each of them should be given fifty lashes. They should be sent here to apologize to Li De, and after apologizing, they should return to their camp.
As for the bandits who robbed them along the way, Qiu Min only said that the prince consort had already dealt with them, and refused to go into details.
Without asking any questions, Lingyi selected a few pieces of jewelry from the box and gave them to the palace servants, especially Zhao Mama and Li De, who had been injured before. Everyone was very grateful.
When Qin Lie came that evening, Lingyi thanked him profusely. In the past, she would call him Prince Consort, but now she only called him General.
Qin Lie came prepared today, bringing silk to tie her hands to the bed. He then traced his path down her forehead, nose, and red lips, finally arriving at a place she had never imagined. She struggled at first, but eventually broke free of the loosely binding silk. However, she forgot to push him away. Instead, she ran her fingers into his hair, seemingly wanting to push him away but not quite, wanting to press him down but not quite.
The bed was soaked. He got up and kissed her on the lips. She felt strange and resisted fiercely, but he held her chin and kissed her firmly for a while. Finally, their lips parted, and she lay there in a daze, still unable to believe what had just happened. He pressed his forehead against hers and asked with displeasure, "Doesn't the princess understand the importance of reciprocity?"
This embarrassing skill was also taught to me by Aunt Liu Cui.
Lingyi had originally planned never to use it, but now, as he coaxed and forced her to press down, she realized why she had felt such throbbing pain before when she grasped it with trembling hands.
—The General Who Conquers the North is exceptionally brave, even more terrifying than the largest jade dildo that the old governess had shown her when she was taught.
Lingyi couldn't understand how she could tolerate him, and because she was distracted, he pressed the back of her head and pulled her closer.
Absurd and confusing, and not just for one night.
This "reunion" was a chaotic and absurd affair, as if the two had either torn off or put on some kind of disguise.
But his absurdity wouldn't last long. Less than half a month later, Qin Lie was leaving again to patrol the border. On his way back, he would have to go to Tongzhou, and it would take him at least a month to return.
On the night before he left, Qin Lie became even more passionate and entwined with Qin Lie.
Lingyi was weak all over but extremely thirsty, so Qin Lie fed her tea mouthfully, sip by sip.
After she finished drinking, Qin Lie put his arm around her and said, "Tomorrow I will have someone send a carriage over. When you go out again, ride in that carriage, and no one will dare to bully you."
Hearing Lingyi's obedient "Mmm," Qin Lie added, "As long as you behave yourself, no one will dare to make things difficult for you."
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