Chapter 57, Admonitions for Women
She was already heartbroken, and this pressure made her unable to hold on any longer. Tears welled up again as soon as she opened her mouth, and she sobbed, "You...you kept saying we were husband and wife, but I don't remember anything! You treated me so disrespectfully, and I...I even shamelessly stuck out my tongue in response. How shameless! How utterly lewd! I...I...I've lost my innocence! I'm defiled!"
Even though her face was streaked with tears, he could only laugh. He barely managed to hold it in, cupped her face, and wiped away her tears. "If the princess is not innocent, then I am not innocent either. If the princess is defiled, then I am not much cleaner. It was both of us who did it. The princess has slept with me so many times, and now she says such things? Does she want to deny everything?"
Lingyi had never heard such fallacies and heresies before. She stopped crying and stared at him blankly.
Qin Lie never imagined that he could be so...shameless and spout such wild words.
But the more they talked, the more comfortable they became, even adopting a demanding expression, "What? Is the princess planning to start something and then abandon it?"
Lingyi instinctively retorted, "I didn't!"
Qin Lie's face remained tense. "I don't believe it, unless the princess..."
Lingyi was completely led by him. "How is it?"
He leaned closer and said in a hoarse voice, "Give me another kiss..."
Lingyi finally realized his ill intentions and reached out to push him away, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her back into his arms.
He used a combination of coaxing and deception, even resorting to shamelessness, and she was powerless to resist.
The firelight cast their shadows onto the mountainside, where they overlapped for a long time, separated briefly, and then overlapped again, repeating this several times.
Outside the cave, insects chirped; inside, only the sounds of lips mingling, wet water, and heavy breathing could be heard.
When Lingyi fell asleep, exhausted, the fire had already gone out, and the cave, damp and cool, immediately filled the air.
The two people on the stone bed did not feel hot; in fact, they even broke out in a thin layer of sweat from kissing.
Qin Lie rarely felt tired, and he was able to fall asleep without taking any medicine.
But not now.
—If a nightmare occurs, it will scare her.
He carefully put the person in his arms down, tucked her in, and got up to go to the fire.
No one added firewood, and the fire went out. He rekindled the fire, and sat there watching Lingyi sleeping soundly on the bed until dawn.
.
When Lingyi woke up, it was already broad daylight. Qin Lie had already boiled water and picked some fruit.
There was a small stove in the cave. Qin Lie broke the dry food into pieces, mixed it with water, and cooked it into porridge. It tasted surprisingly soft and sticky.
Like a peacock spreading its tail feathers, he made a point of explaining to her that it was a superior military ration he and the Shen family had jointly prepared, which was quite popular with the soldiers. In fact, Lingyi didn't ask at all. From the moment she got up, let alone speak to him, she wouldn't even glance at him unless absolutely necessary.
Lingyi felt regretful, especially when she was drinking porridge, her mouth would hurt from time to time, which made her feel even more frustrated.
Last night, she was in a daze and only realized what had happened after waking up early. Even as husband and wife, he had been too reckless last night, and she had let him do as he pleased!
Yes, she doesn't know how couples should behave.
But she had seen concubines who had served the emperor before, and she had never seen any of them have a numb tongue and swollen lips the day afterward!
After she finished eating in small bites, she put down her chopsticks and put on her cloak.
Qin Lie, with ill intentions, suggested, "Daytime is the best time for hunting. Let's stay here for another day, and I will definitely teach you how to draw a bow and shoot arrows today."
Lingyi was determined not to spend another night with him here, especially since...
She asked, "Didn't you say that the villagers down the mountain don't allow outsiders to come in during the day to hunt, so we came over at night?"
The stone Qin Lie lifted yesterday has fallen on his own foot today, leaving him speechless.
After packing their things, Qin Lie burned all the bedding that Ling Yi had used the day before, and the two left the cave.
Qin Lie gave a whistle, and a horse neighed. Soon after, his precious horse came galloping over.
The two rode down the mountain, and at the foot of the mountain, a carriage was waiting for them.
Yesterday was for the sake of traveling, so today it's naturally more comfortable to take a horse-drawn carriage.
Moreover, riding in a carriage would mean not having to ride with Qin Lie, which Ling Yi naturally desired.
Unexpectedly, he followed her as soon as she sat down in the carriage.
This was a prince's carriage, and she couldn't very well kick him off.
He moved aside to make room for him, and Lingyi turned her head to look out the window, still not looking at him.
Despite the spacious carriage, he shamelessly insisted on sitting next to her. Every time she moved, he moved too, until she was pressed against the carriage wall and couldn't move any further. Finally, she got angry and glared at him, ordering, "You're not allowed to come any closer!"
Her soft, gentle voice, even when angry, sounded like she was being coquettish. In the dimly lit carriage, her fair, delicate face was both beautiful and charming.
His gaze finally settled on her lips, which were chafed and swollen, pitifully red.
His Adam's apple bobbed several times before he apologized in a hoarse voice, "It's my fault, please don't be angry."
Lingyi felt even more embarrassed and wanted to ignore him even more.
He brought his face close and asked, "How about I bite it back for you?"
Lingyi's face flushed red, never expecting him to be so shameless. She was so angry that she clenched her fist and punched him.
He let her hit him a few times, which didn't really hurt, then chuckled and took her hand, quickly putting his arm around her shoulder and pulling her into his embrace.
She struggled gently for a few moments to no avail, then gave up and softly leaned against his chest.
Although she didn't say a word, it was more moving than countless sweet words. Qin Lie's chest swelled, and he wished he could crush her into his body, but he was also very careful when he gently stroked her hair.
.
Ten days passed in the blink of an eye, and Qin Lie had no choice but to attend court, standing below the Crown Prince.
When he first appeared in court, the ministers were somewhat unaccustomed to it and would unconsciously glance at this prince with his distinguished military achievements before speaking.
Especially those old officials from the previous dynasty, how many of them could forget the days when they were trapped in the capital, living in constant fear and anxiety?
The one who led the troops surrounding them at that time was this Prince Duan.
The surrender document they presented when they left the city was also handed over to this Prince Duan.
Therefore, even though he relinquished his military power and only held the title of Prince Duan without any real authority, no one dared to look down on him.
Not to mention, there were many military officers in the court who had once been his subordinates, and these people made no secret of their obedience to him.
This Prince Duan was very taciturn and rarely spoke unless asked by the Emperor.
Even when he did speak, the most he would say was "Your subject will respectfully follow Your Majesty's teachings" or "I humbly request Your Majesty to make a decision."
After court, he would not chat or befriend ministers, and he would never attend banquets or gatherings, citing an old injury that prevented him from drinking alcohol.
Even when ministers and subordinates came to visit Prince Duan's residence, he treated them all the same, using the excuse of recuperating from his injuries to refuse visitors.
Such actions have greatly disappointed those who were expecting a fierce battle between the two tigers.
Some people think he is cunning and keeps a low profile, while others think he is only good at military campaigns and knows nothing about politics.
Some people think he didn't want to antagonize the Crown Prince, some think he's clever, and some think he's weak.
Regardless of what others said, Qin Lie rarely had any free time. Apart from attending court, he stayed at home.
The need to recuperate is not just an excuse; years of fighting have left him with many chronic illnesses and he truly needs to rest.
He also took this opportunity to test Qin Shuo and Qin Can's studies.
When they arrived in the capital, Qin Lie hired several renowned teachers for them, and even the Cheng family's children came here to study, drawn by the reputation of the place.
Since the Cheng family children were also present, Qin Lie decided to take the teaching exam together.
After a series of tests, the Qin brothers, Qin Shuo and Qin Can, proved to be far superior to the others in martial arts, archery, horsemanship, and academic studies, and a hint of pride unconsciously appeared on their faces.
Qin Lie reprimanded them, saying, “The younger generation of poor families, as young as fourteen or fifteen, or at the latest seventeen or eighteen, must be able to support their families. You have no other worries now, and you only have studying and practicing martial arts to do all day long. You are already complacent and self-satisfied with the little you have achieved. It is clear that your character is not firm and your knowledge is insufficient.”
"This year, our dynasty is holding its first special imperial examination. I will arrange for you all to take part in it. You must try your hand in both civil and military examinations to see what it means to be outmatched."
The two brothers responded, and Qin Lie waved his hand, signaling them to step back.
After leaving the study, Cheng's cousin said to Qin Shuo, "There are less than half a year left until the imperial examination. Just a few days ago, I saw several officials from the Hanlin Academy come to visit my father. I heard that those who can enter the Hanlin Academy are all top scholars from the previous dynasty. I'll go back and ask my father to make arrangements so that they can impart their experience to us."
"That's wonderful." Qin Shuo was overjoyed and turned to Qin Can, saying, "Second brother, let's go together then."
Qin Can said gratefully, "Thank you so much, brother!"
The group parted ways at the crossroads. The Cheng brothers naturally went to Qin Shuo's courtyard, while Qin Can went back to his own courtyard.
The moment he entered, his expression changed, and he kicked over the table. "A nobody from the borderlands dares to flaunt his wealth in front of me! I am the son of the King, of royal blood. Am I not more noble than them?!"
His wet nurse knew without asking that the Cheng brothers had upset him again, so she smiled apologetically and said, "Of course, you are a prince, and the patriarch of the Cheng family is only a marquis. How can they be compared to you?! The prince only promoted them because of the late princess. Otherwise, even if they lived eight lifetimes, they would never be able to get close to the capital!"
Tears welled up in Qin Can's eyes. "But Father favors them, and those ignorant officials from the Hanlin Academy associate with them! I don't get that. Why is my mother just a maid? And why did Father leave her in Jizhou when he went to the capital?!"
The wet nurse thought to herself, which man doesn't get tired of the old and crave the new? He loves young and pretty women. The prince is high-ranking and powerful. What kind of woman can't he have? Why would he remember Aunt Sun, who is three years older than him?
She continued to persuade him, saying, "The prince is away fighting battles all day long, and his heart is not here. Although Consort Sun has not come, no other women have entered the mansion, have they? Besides, Consort Sun lives in Jizhou, where she has no elders or mistress, and her life is more comfortable than here."
That's true. Previously, Consort Sun was somewhat resentful, but in the last two years, judging from her letters, aside from missing her son, she's been living a very comfortable life. A maidservant with a life-long contract, and not particularly striking in appearance, rose to the position of concubine after serving her mistress for several years, gave birth to a son, and encountered a kind and generous mistress who never mistreated her. Her mistress has had a great stroke of luck; although she wasn't taken to the capital, she's now the only mistress in the former Prince Ding's mansion, making her even more comfortable and at ease.
The wet nurse said enviously, "Auntie is a very lucky person. The prince won't stay unmarried forever. The princess who enters the family in the future will surely be a noble lady. I wonder what kind of person she will be. Rather than going back to the capital and having to be subservient to others, it's better to be the only one in Jizhou and live a happy life."
Qin Can only think of himself, blaming his aunt for not being favored by his father, but never thought about how his aunt was doing.
But... a strange smile appeared on his face. "You're right, Father won't stay unmarried forever. When that happens, it won't be me who suffers!"
Seeing that he actually hoped the prince would marry, the wet nurse couldn't help but advise, "The prince is still young. Once he marries a new princess, he will inevitably have a legitimate son... It's better to be like this now, the young master is kind and generous, and you've all grown up together..."
Qin Can interrupted her with a cold laugh: "He's generous and magnanimous? Yes, he doesn't fight or snatch, but what he wants, others will fight for him and get for him! He only gets a good reputation! Besides, do you think I don't hope that my father won't marry a new princess? Apart from that one who can't be seen in public, they are all legitimate sons and daughters, the most precious of all, while I am the only one who is ignored and can only rely on myself at all times!"
Qin Lie was unaware that his second son was gossiping about his backyard. He had just arrived at the princess's courtyard.
Despite the scorching heat of July and the shady path, he still broke out in a light sweat. The room had been draped with light pink curtains, and an ice basin sat inside. The princess, dressed in a light red outer robe, peeked out from behind the window, and Qin Lie couldn't help but smile when he saw her from afar.
Stepping inside, he stopped the maid from bowing and quietly approached Lingyi from behind. Looking down, he could only see a section of her snow-white neck beneath her dark, cloud-like hair and two crystal-clear ears.
She was diligently doing the homework assigned by her governess, completely unaware that someone was approaching.
The governess was specially assigned to teach the princess before her marriage. She had Qin Lie find her specifically to fill in the gaps in her memory and to teach her what she should and shouldn't do.
People can forget their past, but their nature is hard to change easily.
She still had the same mindset as when she got married, and she learned these useless rules meticulously, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.
Lingyi only woke up when she was embraced in someone's arms.
The scent was so familiar that she felt no fear, only helplessness.
He was always like this; whenever he saw her, he couldn't wait for them to stick together.
Now, whenever the servants see him coming, they lower their heads and leave, so as not to get in his way.
Lingyi gently nudged him, saying, "I'm busy right now."
"What are you busy with?" He didn't let go, resting his chin on her shoulder.
"My nanny made me copy books, once every three days, for a full half month."
Qin Lie knew without even looking that this was something he had specifically asked the nanny to add.
At this point, he pretended to ask, "What book are you copying?"
Lingyi put down her pen and complained softly, "The Admonitions for Women are over two thousand words long. I really don't know what the point of copying all this is."
Qin Lie slowly said, "I probably want you to remember the Three Obediences and Four Virtues and to remain faithful to one husband until the end." He then added, to cover up his mistake, "All married women should learn this, not just you."
Lingyi leaned against him and casually said, "But if I don't copy these, does that mean I won't abide by the three obediences and four virtues? That I won't be faithful to you until the end?"
She felt him stiffen as soon as she finished speaking, and she couldn't help but turn around to look at him.
His expression became strange, and his gaze towards her became even deeper and darker, as if it contained a dark flame.
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