Chapter 5 Conflict.
She had her period a few days ago, which made it inconvenient for the princess. The head maid would inform the prince consort that they could not share a room, so Qin Lie had been staying elsewhere these past few days.
That's why she can leisurely read these third-rate novels.
Qin Lie glanced at her, who was feigning composure, then sat down on the edge of the bed and asked gently, "Is the princess feeling any better?"
Lingyi was immediately startled, suspecting that he knew she had been cleansed yesterday but had kept it from Zhao Mama. However, she had a few days of peace and quiet, but Qin Lie had returned to sleep.
Actually, she didn't dislike being close to Qin Lie. Her governess had taught her that only through marital relations could a couple produce offspring, and it didn't matter who she married. Although Qin Lie was a martial artist, he was quite clean. Although the palace servants said he was drenched in sweat every morning when he practiced martial arts, he was always neatly dressed and clean when he saw her.
If it only goes as far as kissing and hugging, Lingyi, though unwilling to admit it, actually likes it too.
Ever since their last "tongue fight," Qin Lie would seek her lips the moment the bed curtains fell during their intimate moments. Each kiss left her dizzy and weak, like a puddle of water she couldn't lift. But afterwards, his seemingly inexhaustible strength became too much for Lingyi to handle. She tried most of the techniques Aunt Liu Cui had taught her, which initially had some effect, but later seemed to only arouse him, making him even more unable to stop. But if she didn't use them, he would find other ways to torment her, coaxing and forcing her to continue in a hoarse voice.
Upon hearing Qin Lie's question, Ling Yi reacted as if facing a formidable enemy, her eyes widening as she quickly replied, "Not yet!"
Fang Jue felt uncomfortable after answering. How could he be so shameless? It was still daytime, and he actually asked her directly. He was truly shameless. And she had actually answered him. Wasn't she just as lustful and greedy as him?
Before she could even get serious and explain herself, he spoke again: "I have never left Jizhou since I was a child. Thanks to the princess, I have come to the capital and become a guest of honor among all the dignitaries. I have heard and seen many new and interesting things. I wonder if the princess has encountered any strange things these past few days?"
The strangest thing was that the usually taciturn prince consort actually chatted with her about everyday matters, Lingyi thought to herself.
Without thinking, she said, "Didn't I tell you? It's pretty much the same, nothing new."
Qin Lie stared at her for a moment, and seeing that she not only showed no sign of changing her mind, but also no guilt on her face, he couldn't help but smile and said, "It seems that I am just ignorant."
He then took his leave and strode out of the courtyard. As soon as he was out of sight of the palace servants, his face darkened.
Although the others had left, Lingyi lost her interest in reading and couldn't help but think of what had happened a few days ago.
The garden in the Minister's mansion was modeled after the gardens of Jiangnan and was very elegant. She admired it for a while, but unexpectedly encountered a lecherous man.
Lingyi, seeing the strange man reeking of alcohol, realized she had mistakenly entered a men's banquet and was about to leave. Unexpectedly, the man's eyes lit up at the sight of her, and he blocked her path. Even after Pearl had revealed her identity as a princess, he still dared to pester her relentlessly.
Fortunately, Mingzhu, who had just picked the flowers for her, was quick-witted. When she returned and saw this scene, she pretended that the Minister's wife and her entourage were coming this way, which allowed Lingyi to escape.
As a princess, how could Lingyi suffer such injustice?
Just now, fearing that he would embarrass himself by getting involved with the lecherous man, he wanted to inform the host as soon as he returned safely to the female guest's quarters so that the man could be severely punished.
Before she could even speak, Mingzhu learned that this man was actually the consort of the Thirteenth Princess.
If this matter were to become public, not only would the Thirteenth Princess lose face, but the imperial family would also suffer a loss of face, as it would be a laughing stock of the brother-in-law harassing his sister-in-law.
Lingyi had no choice but to remain silent.
Lingyi originally thought that as long as she kept quiet, the Thirteenth Prince Consort would also keep his mouth shut, but she didn't expect that a commotion would break out in just a few days.
That was at General Shen's banquet. General Shen had spent his life guarding the Northwest and only retired to Beijing at the age of fifty. He was highly respected in the army.
The imperial court has long valued civil officials over military ones. Young, low-ranking military officers are always relegated to the lowest seats, and some don't even receive an invitation. However, they are highly regarded by General Shen, and many people attended that day.
The military officers, having drunk too much, inevitably wanted to spar a few moves. General Shen was happy to see this happen. The general's mansion was like a military camp, with the officers stripping down to their shirts and competing. Some even placed bets, making it a lively and bustling scene.
This time, at General Shen's mansion, the three sons-in-law, who had just gotten married not long ago, were all military officers except for Xie Yu. It was a rare occasion for the three sons-in-law to gather together.
While there is no inherent hierarchy in literature, there are certainly differences in martial arts, making comparisons inevitable. Liu Yunfei, the consort of Princess Yongyi and the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, had previously served under General Shen. It was General Shen's recommendation that led to his appointment as deputy commander of the Imperial Guard after arriving in the capital. Knowing his capabilities, everyone's attention turned to Geng Qing and Qin Lie.
Qin Lie humbly declined repeatedly, but Geng Qing was eager to try.
Born into poverty, he possessed superhuman strength, able to lift a bronze cauldron with one hand at the age of seven. His family sent him to a martial arts school, and by ten, he was invincible in his hometown. At fourteen, he served as a yamen runner in the county government for seven years, destined to remain a local bully for life. However, in recent years, natural disasters and rampant bandits harassed and plundered surrounding counties. He protected his hometown with his martial arts skills, capable of taking on a hundred men single-handedly, thus earning the appreciation of the local commander, who took him under his command.
In recent years, he has accumulated merits by suppressing rioters and eliminating bandits. He rose all the way to the rank of Third-Rank Guerrilla General. Geng Qing made great contributions and his status also rose accordingly. He rose from an unknown junior to the rank of Fifth-Rank Commander. Because of his marriage to a princess, Emperor Jiahe promoted him one rank further. Now he serves as the Protector of Shu Prefecture.
From an unknown country bumpkin to a prince consort, he was a guest of honor among the powerful and wealthy every day. He was in the prime of his youth, full of pride and arrogance. However, no matter where he went, people always seemed to overshadow him in conversations, especially Qin Lie, who had also just become a prince consort.
The two were about the same age, one a third-rank official and the other a fifth-rank official. Geng Qing was already resentful, but a few days ago he met Princess Yongjia and was so impressed that the memory was unforgettable.
I thought Princess Yongyi was already a beauty of unparalleled grace, but after seeing Princess Yongjia, I realized what true beauty was.
Seeing Qin Lie today only fueled his dissatisfaction.
Admittedly, Qin Lie was physically imposing and much stronger than this pretty boy from the capital, but as a military general, his skin was still too pale, and his handsome face suggested he had lived a life of luxury.
Geng Qing immediately concluded that Qin Lie was simply born into a good family, being reborn into the womb of the Princess of Dingbei. If he had been born in the countryside, he certainly would not have achieved what he has.
If I were surnamed Qin, I would definitely seize the position of heir apparent, and I would be more than just the General Who Conquers the North.
If that were the case, I would be the one to marry Princess Yongjia, so why would I be here envying others?
The moment the thought crossed his mind, Geng Qing's words became somewhat sarcastic and unsophisticated, and even the most clueless generals on the field could tell.
At first, Qin Lie just kept his head down and drank without saying a word, but after being repeatedly provoked, he finally got angry and left the scene.
Both harbored resentment towards each other, and their anger quickly escalated into a full-blown fight.
A furious shout rang out: "You country bumpkin, you have the audacity to covet the princess!"
A roar erupted: "Qin Lie of Jizhou is all talk and no action; he's no better than a three-year-old village boy!"
The two first sparred in hand-to-hand combat, then grabbed swords, spears, and halberds from the sidelines and used them with ruthless precision. A group of military officers tried to break up the fight but couldn't get a hand in. In the end, they practically destroyed the training ground in General Shen's mansion, and both men, bruised and battered, returned home dejectedly.
When Princess Lingyi found out, she was so angry that her face turned pale.
Admittedly, she also wanted to teach that scoundrel a lesson, but she could have done it quietly. Qin Lie, however, made a big fuss, as if he wanted everyone to know. Even if she hadn't done anything wrong, now everyone was probably laughing at her, and Lingyi was so angry that she wanted to beat him up again.
Normally, even if they cannot share a room, the prince consort would still come to her room once he returned home after socializing. Now, seeing that it was already dark and she was still nowhere to be seen, she wondered if the prince consort realized his mistake and was too ashamed to face her.
Yongyi felt a lump in her throat, but amidst this suffocation, the thought that Qin Lie was standing up for her made her worry about his injuries.
Princess Yongjia hesitated for a long time before finally deciding to condescend to visit her husband.
When Ling Yi arrived, Qin Hong was applying medicine to Qin Lie.
Although he knew that this play was for their early return to Jizhou, Qin Hong, who had never seen his third brother so disheveled since childhood, still couldn't help but laugh until his stomach hurt when he saw the bruises on Qin Lie's face.
After Qin Lie took off his shirt, Qin Hong immediately became serious: "Is this Geng Qing really that powerful?"
Even if it was an act, the injuries on Third Brother's body were real, and it's likely that Geng Qing's so-called innate superhuman strength wasn't an exaggeration.
Qin Lie said, "In a one-on-one fight, I am evenly matched with him. If we meet on the battlefield, I will surely kill him with my blade."
Just then, a servant announced the arrival of Princess Yongjia. The two fell silent. Qin Lie put on his clothes, and Qin Hong went out to greet the princess.
When Lingyi arrived, she had a lot to say to let the prince consort know how despicable his previous words and actions were. However, upon seeing the injury on Qin Lie's face, all her words were stuck in her throat, leaving only a trembling question: "...Does it hurt?"
Countless lives have been lost in the palace; the punishments inflicted there are beyond anything others can imagine.
But all of this had nothing to do with Princess Yongjia. She had never seen anyone so badly injured, especially since it was because of her.
Seeing that Qin Hong hadn't put the medicine away, Lingyi said in a low voice, "Let me apply the medicine for you."
The sensible palace servants had already silently left the study, leaving only the sound of their breathing in the quiet.
The large rosewood lampstand cast the kneeling princess's shadow on the ground, making her appear slender and delicate.
As Qin Lie examined her closely, he felt the princess's soft fingertips gently caressing his right shoulder blade.
If it were Qin Hong, he could probably apply the medicine to all those wounds in no time. But for the princess, with just a patch of bruises on her shoulder, it seemed like the medicine would take forever to apply. Not only was the application slow, but with each movement of her hand, her long, gauze sleeves would brush against his waist, just as the faint fragrance from her sleeves would linger in his nostrils.
Qin Lie felt as if he had waited until they were old and gray before the princess finally finished applying the medicine to her back and came to stand in front of him.
He was still kneeling, his fingers smeared with ointment, looking at the injuries on his face.
Lingyi was focused on her own thoughts, but when she looked up, she met his gaze. He was looking down at her, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
For some reason, Lingyi felt a pang of fear and hurriedly looked away.
A soft chuckle came from above, and Qin Lie asked, "How can I apply the medicine if you're not looking at me?"
Lingyi felt her momentum inexplicably diminish, and said in a huff, "You're not short of arms, so you go first!"
Even a beautiful woman can be pleasing to the eye when she's being spoiled. A figure flashed past the window, and Qin Lie reached out and pulled the princess, who was holding up her dress, into his arms.
Lingyi was about to struggle when she heard his low groan. She immediately stopped and asked worriedly, "Did you bump your wound? Does it hurt?"
"It hurts," Qin Lie answered truthfully, not from the wound, but from other places caused by her.
Lingyi sat up straight, not daring to move. She leaned back against his arm, and saw his cracked lip. She gently stroked it with her fingers and asked curiously, "Was that person really that powerful to beat you up like this?"
Isn't he a general? She thought generals were all very brave and fierce, so how come he couldn't beat a mere protector?
The question, similar to Qin Hong's, seemed to touch Qin Lie's sore spot when it came from her mouth. He raised an eyebrow and snorted coldly, "His injuries are no less than mine!"
Lingyi didn't understand what was the point of arguing about winning or losing. Did the other person's injury mean Qin Lie wasn't in pain?
She kindly advised, "You shouldn't have argued like this out of spite. Don't do it again, even if..." She lowered her head uncomfortably, her voice low, "Even for my sake, you shouldn't have done it."
The princess in his arms trembled slightly, her cheeks flushed.
Qin Lie was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed and said, "As long as the princess gives me some sweetness, this humble general will naturally do as I please."
Lingyi didn't understand: "What kind of benefits?"
"This." Qin Lie pinched the princess's chin with two fingers, forcing her to raise her head. He lowered his head and covered her rosy lips, swallowing her gasp and suppressing her resistance. Soon, the princess's body went limp, helplessly accepting his response.
Lingyi felt weak all over, as if she were melting between his lips and teeth, until she felt a coolness on her chest and realized that he had unbuttoned her clothes without her noticing, and that she was wrapped her arms around his neck. If it weren't for the chill of autumn, the two of them might have done such a thing in this study filled with the words of ancient sages. She immediately struggled to break free from Qin Lie's grasp, stood up, gathered her clothes, and fled in panic, ignoring her disheveled hairpins and jewelry.
Qin Lie sat behind his desk, his gaze sweeping over the figure by the window who had left almost simultaneously, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
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