Chapter 65 Old Wounds.
“These are just my humble thoughts, but everyone else is being given white porridge, while we are being given coarse rice. I stay at home, but you are out and about and will inevitably be ridiculed. If you think it’s not feasible, then I won’t do it.”
Qin Lie knew she was compassionate and kind, but he didn't expect her to be so thoughtful. He felt honored and would never stop her.
"Do whatever you want," he said. "No one will dare to criticize me."
No one dared to speak ill of him to his face, but his reputation behind his back was truly awful.
Although distributing porridge is voluntary, everyone else was eating white rice, while Princess Duan's brown rice stood out from the crowd.
In the capital, Prince Duan's reputation was worse than ever before.
The war god who once led his army into Beijing without disturbing the people has become a miserly miser.
Qin Lie, who was in charge of the capital's security, could not possibly ignore the mocking remarks. He simply turned a deaf ear to them and instructed the princess not to hear a word of it.
Although the court was not like the common people, many people, when praising the Crown Princess's virtues, would always seemingly inadvertently mention the actions of the Princess Consort of Duan, using them to contrast with the Crown Princess's nobility.
Unexpectedly, while the Emperor praised the Crown Princess, he did not punish the Princess Consort of Duan. In fact, he gave her a reward just like the other ladies who participated in the porridge distribution, only slightly less than the Crown Princess.
Although they couldn't achieve a complete victory, the Crown Prince breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, they had been suffering from the cold wind and rain for several days.
Those involved in the Ministry of War were severely punished. Although the Emperor did not openly reprimand the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince requested to be confined to his quarters due to his lax management of his subordinates. This was a common scene; people often pleaded guilty in court, some even shedding tears. However, this time, the Emperor did not stop him, which meant he granted the request. It would have been better to punish him, since the confinement was without a time limit, and who knew when he would be released.
The Eastern Palace was thrown into turmoil. Some advisors analyzed that it was better to remain still than to act now. After all, the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress had always favored the Crown Prince. Even if they wanted to change their minds, there was no alternative. The other princes were neither legitimate nor eldest, and had not contributed anything to the state. Only Prince Duan was absolutely out of the question.
—If he is made crown prince, wouldn't it be necessary to make a princess from the previous dynasty the crown princess? She is not only a princess from the previous dynasty, but also a noble consort of the Southern Dynasty.
Back then, General Song announced to the world that Princess Yongjia had fled to Zhuozhou because she did not recognize the Daxian Emperor.
If she becomes the Crown Princess and later the Empress, she would see all these people in the court as either traitors or rebels, and she would probably settle scores with them one by one.
Therefore, the court officials not only did not support Prince Duan, but they would also be the first to object to his ascension to the throne.
Just then, rumors about the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden began to circulate, like someone offering a pillow when you're about to doze off.
The crown prince is the eldest son of the legitimate wife, quite capable, and has the support of his ministers. What he lacks is the support of the people. Once this is addressed, not only will the current predicament be resolved, but even if the emperor wants to establish a new crown prince, he will have to think it over again.
Having received the Emperor's praise, the Crown Princess valued it even more. Besides distributing porridge at the soup kitchen daily, she also provided the disaster victims with warm clothing and medicine. She hoped that one day the Emperor would be pleased and lift the Crown Prince's confinement. Therefore, she took the porridge distribution even more seriously, spending one or two hours there every day. The other noblewomen had no choice but to follow suit, secretly complaining while outwardly displaying a compassionate and merciful demeanor.
Lingyi thought to herself that she had been judging a gentleman by her own petty standards. The lady came over every day, but she didn't show herself. She would sit in the carriage and watch from a distance, hoping to find any oversights and fix them in time.
Looking at their two soup kitchens, the long lines were filled with elderly people, women and children, all of whom were ragged, emaciated disaster victims.
After feeling slightly relieved, Lingyi still couldn't help but sigh.
More than half a month passed, and on the fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, the Crown Princess surprisingly did not appear at the porridge stall.
She was nowhere to be seen for several days afterward.
Seeing this, the noble ladies who were originally there to flatter the Crown Prince gradually stopped coming over. The porridge stalls that had been open until the end of the day gradually closed down at the beginning of the night. The white porridge that used to be so thick that chopsticks could stand upright became increasingly scarce. In some cases, the porridge was so thin that you could see your reflection in it and count the grains of rice.
Lingyi continued to take a carriage to inspect the area every day, and her family's porridge stall remained unchanged, resulting in an ever-growing number of people queuing up.
She ordered four more soup kitchens to be set up so that all the disaster victims could receive soup, while the original two were still only for women, children, the elderly and weak.
The newly opened soup kitchen did not increase staff; it employed only the disaster victims who had previously helped maintain order. They worked without asking for anything in return, only that their families could have enough to eat.
With six soup kitchens opened at once, and grain prices soaring, Lingyi's funds were about to run out.
Just then, Prince Jing, who had been away from the capital for two months, returned to the capital and brought 150 shi of coarse rice, 50 shi of millet, and two cartloads of medicinal herbs. It was said that if these were added to the porridge, people could generate heat and warmth and resist the severe cold.
Although Lingyi had never met this Prince Jing, she had received many things from him.
He spent his days traveling and sightseeing, sometimes in Cangzhou, sometimes in Qingzhou. Wherever he went, he would have people send him local specialties, food, many ingenious folk crafts, and many homemade medicines.
These items were all intended for Qin Lie, but they all happened to be things she liked, so naturally they all ended up in her hands.
She might have been ungrateful before, but now this grain has truly solved her urgent problem.
Lingyi came specifically to thank Prince Jing.
Today, Qin Hong finally gets to meet the Seventeenth Princess after she lost her memory.
She was clearly doing very well, better than he had ever seen, with a rosy complexion and a smile on her lips.
The Fifteenth Princess will be delighted to know.
Looking at her third brother, even though he was right beside her, his eyes were still glued to the princess. His face no longer had the gloomy and sickly look of a few years ago; instead, it was full of pride, languid ease, a look she hadn't seen in a long time.
Qin Hong finally felt relieved.
.
After several days of snow, Lingyi couldn't go out, so she roasted oranges by the stove.
She roasted the tangerines, pierced them with bamboo skewers, lifted them and placed them on a small table beside her. Then she used a special wooden and bamboo tool to peel them to avoid burning herself. Her careful manner was like that of a squirrel hoarding grain outside Jizhou Pass. Qin Lie had long since looked away from his book, and the more he looked, the wider his smile became.
Finally, he put down his book, sat down next to her, and asked with a smile, "If you want to eat, just have the maids grill and peel it for you. Why bother doing it yourself?"
Lingyi said, "This is about artistic conception; you wouldn't understand."
Although she complained, she finally peeled off a piece, stuck it on a bamboo skewer, and offered it to his mouth.
He took a bite, and watched as she asked him with her eyes crinkling, "Is it sweet?"
"Sweet." He held her on his lap, feeling as if his bones were melting from the sweetness.
Qin Lie is off duty today, a rare day when he has nothing to do.
The two of them then shared the orange, taking turns eating it segment by segment.
Qin Lie never imagined that such a tranquil and joyful time existed in the world, where he felt at peace and comfortable even without saying a word.
But this tranquility was quickly shattered by him. Unable to resist any longer, the sweet orange juice mingled on their lips as she pushed against his chest, "In broad daylight..."
He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bedside, his eyes deep and intense. "I want it to be done in broad daylight!"
An incomplete refusal is like playing hard to get; the bed curtains are drawn, and the bed is plunged into darkness.
Her fair skin glowed, her black hair flowed freely, her red lips were moist, and her eyes looked at him with tender affection.
Qin Lie couldn't tell whether his chest or his body was hotter, so he began to undress.
As he moved, Lingyi's originally shy expression suddenly turned serious. She sat up and touched his chest, "How... how did you get so badly injured?"
Qin Lie didn't need to lower his head; he knew he had been too carried away today and had forgotten to conceal himself.
In the past, the two of them made love at night. Even with the lights on in the room and the bed curtains drawn, it was not clear what was going on. Only today did Lingyi see the long scar on his chest, which ran from his left shoulder to his right waist and across his entire upper body. Even though it has now healed, it is still hideous and terrifying. It must have been so deep that it was almost to the bone and his life was in danger.
Qin Lie grabbed his clothes to cover himself, but Ling Yi refused, pushing his clothes aside. "When I touched you then, you said that all men are like that... You were lying to me all along."
Qin Lie pulled the blanket up to cover the two of them, saying, "In war, injuries are inevitable, it's nothing."
Lingyi didn't believe it: "If it really wasn't anything serious, you would have told me about the other injuries. Why did you hide this one from me?"
Qin Lie sighed, "Isn't it because I was worried you'd be scared?"
"The person is right in front of me, and the wound has healed. What else could I be afraid of?" she said, her eyes already moist.
She was terrified, heartbroken, and furious that he hadn't told her.
He touched her gently, so lightly, as if even the slightest pressure would hurt. "When did you get injured? How could you be so badly injured? Doesn't that mean the whole army suffered a crushing defeat?"
He didn't want to say it, but her eyes were brimming with tears.
He said helplessly, "It happened a few years ago. I was secretly crossing the river to look for someone when I was ambushed. Almost all of my guards were killed in battle, and I was forced to jump into the river. But I was lucky. Although I was seriously injured and fell into the water, I did not die. I climbed ashore and was found by Qin Xiaoshan. After that, I returned to the capital."
He spoke so casually, as if he had forgotten the deep resentment he felt when he was hidden in the carriage and encountered her wedding procession. If he hadn't been so badly injured that he couldn't move, he would have rather died than watch her marry someone else.
Later, his injuries healed, but because he had been soaking in the water for too long, his lungs were damaged, and he developed a chronic night cough.
And with this comes endless nightmares.
Before this, even though she had run away for several months, he had always regarded her as his possession.
It wasn't until that moment that I understood what it meant to spill water and not be able to recover it.
But now, she was in his arms, warm and soft, sweet as a dream.
He couldn't help but suspect that this was the beginning of another nightmare, and that she would soon be leaving him again.
As I looked down, I met her gentle gaze. She asked, "Have you found the person?"
He pulled her close to his chest, his chin gently rubbing against the top of her head. "Found her."
But she fell silent.
After a long while, she finally asked in a muffled voice, "Was that person... a man or a woman?"
He paused for a moment, then burst into loud laughter, his chest heaving. Lingyi became increasingly uncomfortable, yet she couldn't break free from his embrace. He slowly replied, "To be valued so highly by me, naturally..."
She unconsciously held her breath, but he deliberately paused before saying, "Men."
"Really?" Lingyi asked doubtfully.
“Of course,” he replied without changing his expression. “He is a man in his early thirties, five feet tall, with a big belly and a full beard. He is happy every day without wine and meat, and he changes his clothes every month and his shoes and socks every season.”
Lingyi wouldn't be easily intimidated: "Why would you want to see someone like that?"
Qin Lie said, "Even though he has a thousand faults, he has a unique skill that no one else can match."
"What kind of craftsmanship?"
"Vinegar brewing." Qin Lie leaned close to her neck and took a deep sniff. "You brew excellent vinegar, both mellow and sour!"
Lingyi realized what was happening, feeling both embarrassed and angry. She clenched her fist and punched him, yelling, "You're talking nonsense again!"
He chuckled, pulled her hand down, and kissed her lips. "Let me taste just how sour it really is..."
The two got up around dinner time. Lingyi leaned softly against Qin Lie, letting him feed her porridge spoonful by spoonful.
Qin Xiaoshan reported from outside that Qin Lie's request for leave had been rejected by the Emperor.
Qin Lie had anticipated this. Without raising his eyebrows, he instructed, "Then please have the imperial physician come and treat my old injuries. I will take sick leave."
Lingyi immediately sat up straight. "An old injury?"
Qin Lie reassured him, "It's just an excuse. It's not advisable to attend court these days."
After Qin Xiaoshan left, Lingyi asked, "Why did you refuse to attend court? If you were determined not to attend, you could have simply asked for sick leave. Why go through all this trouble?"
Qin Lie was always scheming in his mind and taciturn. He mostly listened to his advisors and never said a word more than necessary.
Yet he particularly enjoyed talking to her, as if carving a beautiful piece of jade, or raising a daughter, guiding her step by step to understand his thoughts, and imprinting his own mark on her thinking and actions.
He asked, "Do you know why the Crown Princess hasn't been distributing porridge lately?"
Lingyi shook her head.
"Because a concubine in the Eastern Palace died." He paused, his voice flat and soft, "She was the mother of the Crown Prince's newborn child."
Lingyi, being from the palace, immediately understood, "...Was it the Crown Princess who did this?"
Qin Lie did not answer, but said: "The Crown Prince has only two sons, and now they have both lost their birth mother and are being raised under the Crown Princess's name."
Lingyi couldn't help but be surprised: "The child was not even six months old at the time, and both mother and child were safe... Isn't this a bit too obvious? Why was she in such a hurry?"
Qin Lie said, "She has no choice but to be anxious. The concubine in Jizhou was just from an ordinary scholarly family, but the concubine in the Eastern Palace is the daughter of an official. Although her father is only a fifth-rank official, he is the nephew of the Minister of Personnel. If she doesn't make a move soon, she may have to give this concubine a title by the New Year. She will definitely need to become a concubine."
Lingyi was horrified when she recalled the Crown Princess's compassionate and gentle face at the porridge stall, and how she could have secretly committed such a heinous act.
Qin Lie noticed the stiffness in the person in his arms and hugged her even tighter: "Don't be afraid, she will never harm you."
Lingyi didn't speak for a while before saying in a muffled voice, "If you ever take a fancy to someone else, you must tell me. I will step down and give way to a more worthy person, and I will never stand in your way."
Qin Lie choked, staring at her as he asked, word by word, "Is that how you see me?"
Lingyi lowered her eyes and whispered, "I'm just afraid of turning bad... If I saw you having children with another woman, I don't know if I would become like the Crown Princess..."
Qin Liexin immediately softened and helplessly rubbed her cheek, "I should have known better than to tell you, so you wouldn't worry about nothing."
Lingyi also felt she had spoiled the mood, and changed the subject, asking, "You don't want to attend court, is it because you're afraid the Emperor will send you to investigate a case? But..." She was surprised by her own thoughts, "Such a scandal has occurred in the Eastern Palace, and the Emperor actually wants to investigate it thoroughly?!"
She never disappointed him. Qin Lie said, "That concubine is only the daughter of a fifth-rank official. Even if her father and uncle are Ministers of Rites, they are just dying old men. They can ask for a title for their own grandniece, but they would never offend the Crown Prince for a dead man. However, there is another concubine in the Crown Prince's palace who is about to give birth. She is the illegitimate daughter of one of Father Emperor's old subordinates. How can we not be worried about her if she is gone? Even for his sake, Father Emperor has no choice but to investigate thoroughly."
Lingyi understood, "So your reluctance to attend court is partly genuine, and partly because you want the Emperor and the Crown Prince to know that you truly don't want to get involved in this mess, or rather, you don't want to make enemies with the Crown Prince."
Qin Lie said, "Since he is both the Crown Prince and my second brother, why should I get involved in this mess?"
Lingyi asked, "Does the Emperor and Empress really want to find out the truth and punish the wicked?"
Qin Lie hadn't expected her to be so perceptive. He said approvingly, "Of course they want to know the truth. As for punishing the wicked..." He chuckled lightly, "How could the Crown Princess of the current dynasty be a wicked person?"
Lingyi was silent for a moment, then said softly, "So... only that concubine truly lost her life, and the hundred-day-old child lost his birth mother."
Seeing the sadness in her eyes, Qin Lie advised, "Those are other people's business, they have nothing to do with us."
Lingyi said with a pang of sorrow, “There are so few women among the disaster victims outside the capital, less than half the number of men. They probably didn’t stay in their hometowns, but died on the road. Those are ordinary people, and it was a natural disaster. Perhaps they can’t blame others. But this concubine is the daughter of an official, yet she was sent to be a concubine for the sake of her family and was murdered. Everyone knows who the murderer is, but no one can get justice.”
Qin Lie, fearing she might be upset, smiled and comforted her, "It's my fault for bringing up so many things again. You've been staying in the manor for too long, that's why you're thinking so much. After these few days, when everyone is on holiday, I'll take you to the estate to soak in the hot springs. We'll stay there until the end of the year before we come back."
Although she nodded, she still looked dazed and unhappy.
Qin Lie said in a low voice, "It's not necessarily that there's no justice at all. The reason why the Crown Princess was so blatant was because she had the Empress's tacit approval, but this time, the Empress may not protect her as much as before."
Lingyi wanted to ask more, but he became evasive.
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