Chapter 70 Lin'er.
The next day, we returned to the capital to celebrate the New Year, and it was another monotonous palace banquet.
From then until the seventh day, Qin Lie had the most social engagements. Although he did not associate with court officials, he had to meet with his subordinates who were returning to the capital to report on their duties. Lingyi was impatient with meeting those people, but Qin Lie let her be. He did not require her to make any preparations. He simply let her sit and receive gifts, and in her spare time, she would meet with the female relatives of the generals and listen to interesting stories about the customs and local conditions of various places.
Although Qin Shuo had just turned thirteen, after the New Year, he was already considered a fifteen-year-old boy by others.
Qin Lie brought Qin Shuo with him to several banquets and receptions. Although Qin Shuo was somewhat inexperienced, he was well-mannered and, as the heir of the Prince of Duan, naturally won praise from many.
Before they knew it, it was the Lantern Festival. Last year, the Emperor suddenly issued an edict ordering Qin Lie to lead troops into battle. He had promised to take the princess out to see the lanterns, but that didn't happen. This year, he was to accompany the Emperor to the Bright Moon Tower, and once again, the princess was left alone.
In previous years, during the Lantern Festival, the Emperor would ascend the Bright Moon Tower to enjoy the lanterns and celebrate with the people, always accompanied by the Crown Prince.
This year, the Prince of Duan has been replaced. Who in the court is not secretly speculating about this?
Little did the Emperor know that once suspicion arose, he viewed the Crown Prince as a thief stealing an axe from a neighbor, ready to punish him at the slightest provocation. Moreover, the Eastern Palace was not a monolithic entity; how could anything be done without flaws? As for their conduct… most of the Eastern Palace's officials had come to the capital from Jizhou, and would later become close advisors to the Emperor, each one arrogant and haughty. The Crown Prince was quite lenient with his officials, and in these past few years, few had managed to maintain their integrity.
Even if they are morally upright, how could they possibly stop their family members from suddenly becoming successful?
One of the advisors to the Crown Prince, who had followed him since his time in Ji Province, was indeed quite capable. The Crown Prince trusted him greatly, making him practically the head of all the advisors in the Eastern Palace. He was generally considered an upright person, but his in-laws—originally villagers from the mountains—had risen to prominence. If he didn't act arrogantly, what difference would there be between him and someone who had lived in the shadows? Thus, he began to act like a tyrant in the countryside, becoming arrogant and domineering. At first, it was just petty squabbles, and seeing that local officials dared not interfere with the family of a high-ranking official in the Eastern Palace, his audacity grew day by day. One day, over a few plots of land, a murder occurred.
Normally, such matters wouldn't reach the Emperor's attention, but the person they beat to death was a distant relative of one of the Emperor's old subordinates.
The Qin family has been operating in Jizhou for decades. Not to mention relatives and friends, just talking about subordinates and officials, who in the Jizhou prefecture doesn't have a relative who has made a name for himself?
Originally, this old subordinate dared not offend the Crown Prince, and the matter was a matter of right and wrong on both sides. It was just that he was unlucky enough to lose his life in a fight over land. So he only sent a letter to the person who killed his distant relative to apologize. Unexpectedly, the murderer was arrogant and domineering. How could the Crown Prince's advisor, a future important minister of the emperor, take a decrepit old third-rank general seriously? He mocked the messenger. The old subordinate had spent half his life on the battlefield and was already hot-tempered. This act made him lose face in his hometown of Jizhou. He could no longer tolerate it! That very day, he went to the palace to see the emperor, and tears streamed down his face.
The emperor was furious.
Why would he care about a mere human life?
The Emperor was enraged by the murderer's reliance on his power and influence. This mere advisor to the Crown Prince, holding no official rank and contributing nothing to the state, dared to disregard even a high-ranking official of the third rank, a former subordinate of the Emperor. This showed the Crown Prince's long-standing disloyalty!
Therefore, the person who ascended the Bright Moon Tower was temporarily changed from the Crown Prince to Prince Duan.
While others might feel immensely honored, Lingyi was far from satisfied with it.
Qin Lie coaxed her, "The Lantern Festival lasts for three days. Let's go see it together tomorrow."
Lingyi said, "The fire dragon dance will only take place tonight when His Majesty ascends the Bright Moon Tower. What's the point of watching it tomorrow?"
Qin Lie then said, "Then next year..."
Lingyi angrily interrupted him: "Next year after next, how many next years are there!"
Qin Lie laughed, "Even the silly poems are coming out." Seeing the princess glaring at him, he stopped laughing, raised his hand, and swore, "A gentleman's word is his bond. Next year, I will definitely take you to admire the lanterns and solve riddles. If I break this vow..."
Lingyi quickly grabbed his hand, and when she looked up, she saw Qin Lie looking at her.
The tenderness in his eyes was so intense that she couldn't look him in the eye.
Turning her face away, she said, "Since we've already booked a private room at the restaurant, why don't I go see the fire dragon dance today, and then you come with me to see the lanterns tomorrow?"
On the Lantern Festival, the streets were crowded with people from all walks of life. Qin Lie naturally didn't want her to go out alone.
Lingyi then wrapped her arms around his waist, looked up at him pitifully, and said, "I'm not going to walk around on the streets, I'm only going to restaurants. If you send more people to protect me, what danger could there be?"
Knowing she was feigning helplessness, Qin Lie couldn't bear to refuse outright. He could only sigh helplessly, "Do you really want to go?" He paused, then added, "I can't not go?"
Lingyi looked at him expectantly, her expression both delicate and aggrieved: "I just want to go..."
Qin Lie lowered his eyes, seemingly a little lonely, but when he looked up again, his expression was gentle. He instructed, "I'll have Qin Xiaoshan go with you. Remember, come back after you've watched the Fire Dragon Dance, and wait for me obediently at home."
Lingyi was overjoyed and immediately nodded vigorously.
Qin Lie was going to the palace first, then to Mingyue Tower with the Emperor, and would leave the mansion after lunch.
Lingyi waited until it was almost dark before leisurely setting off for the restaurant.
This is the best private room for watching the Fire Dragon Dance, and it's right next to the Bright Moon Pavilion.
Although it is called a tower, Mingyue Tower is actually a bamboo tower that is only built every year for the Lantern Festival. It is used by the emperor to watch the people’s grand events. After the fire dragon dance, the emperor goes downstairs and Mingyue Tower is lit up, becoming the largest and most beautiful lantern of the Lantern Festival.
Food had been prepared in the private room early in the morning. Lingyi had just eaten a few bites of jujube cake and drunk a few sips of tea when the Emperor arrived at Mingyue Tower.
Lingyi peeked through the window and saw the Emperor in a bright yellow dragon robe, with the Empress dressed in full regalia beside him.
Behind them stood a group of officials, and on both sides were hundreds of soldiers, all clad in armor, exuding an imposing aura.
Among so many people, she spotted Qin Lie at a glance. He was dressed in a python robe and stood at the head of all the officials. He was handsome and dignified, with an air of nobility that no one else could match.
He happened to be looking over there, meeting her gaze. Although he still had a cold expression, there was a hint of a smile in his eyes.
The Emperor and Empress ascended the tower, with Qin Lie following closely behind.
The Mingyue Tower has nine floors. By the time the Emperor and his entourage appeared on the observation deck at the top floor, Lingyi could no longer see their faces clearly.
Fortunately, there were only three people on the viewing platform. They could barely tell from the colors of their clothes that the yellow one was the Emperor, the vermilion one was the Empress, and the black one was Qin Lie.
Standing so high up, and with so many rooms in this restaurant, Qin Lie certainly couldn't find her anymore.
Once the emperor had taken his place, the burning fire dragon quickly entered the arena.
Hundreds of people, dressed in special costumes and carrying two lanterns, formed a long line. The leader held a large dragon head, from which bursts of fire spewed out from time to time, eliciting gasps of amazement from the onlookers.
Lingyi was so engrossed in watching that she unconsciously finished a bottle of wine.
The wine was very mellow and fragrant, and it didn't make you drunk. Lingyi didn't have any other hobbies, but brewing wine was one of them. She even called the shopkeeper over to ask, and the shopkeeper naturally told her everything truthfully.
After he finished speaking, Lingyi smiled and said, "Don't worry, I won't take your restaurant's signboard for nothing."
She instructed Qin Xiaoshan, who was standing nearby, to give the shopkeeper five thousand taels of silver.
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper immediately knelt down: "It is already an honor for my shop that the Princess has taken a liking to this method. Moreover, I trust that the Princess will never spread this information. How could I dare to accept the Princess's money?!"
Ling Yi said, "If you don't accept it, wouldn't that make me look like I'm bullying people?" As she spoke, she asked Qin Xiaoshan to take out the silver notes.
Qin Xiaoshan would never carry so many silver notes with him. He said respectfully, "I will note this down and have someone bring the silver notes to me when I return to my residence."
Lingyi disagreed: "The more you say that, the more it makes me seem like I'm just putting on an act!"
Qin Xiaoshan noticed that her eyes were already somewhat unfocused, and knew that although the wine was not easily intoxicating, it was no match for the princess's extremely low alcohol tolerance. But whether she was drunk or sober, he had to go along with her and dared not go against her wishes.
But seeing that she was about to take off the jade bracelet from her wrist and give it to the shopkeeper, which was a gift from the prince on her birthday, it was worth more than a fortune to be given out by a prince who was used to seeing treasures. Moreover, she was getting drunk and lost her balance when she took off the jade bracelet, which was about to fall to the ground.
Qin Xiaoshan instinctively reached out to answer it.
The jade bracelet landed in a rough hand and was handed back to the princess.
Qin Xiaoshan, however, collapsed to the ground with a thud, staring wide-eyed at the restaurant manager who had struck his acupoint.
The shopkeeper revealed a playful smile that seemed completely out of character for his appearance. "Excuse me, Steward Qin."
A moment later, the restaurant owner and "Qin Xiaoshan" left the private room together. Before going downstairs, the latter did not forget to order the guards who were standing by to "keep a close watch and do not allow anyone to enter or leave the room."
.
The area outside the restaurant was packed with people watching the fire dragon dance, and it took the princess and her third sister a lot of effort to squeeze through.
After passing through the bustling crowds on the street, the two arrived at a deserted alley.
Two horses were tied at the end of the alley. The two women mounted their horses, with San Niang in front and the princess behind, and headed towards the outskirts of the city.
Fortunately, it was the Lantern Festival, and the city gates were wide open. Three hours later, the two arrived at a village.
After hiding the horses in the woods outside the village, Third Sister led Lingyi to a courtyard inside. "The young master is inside."
After finishing her sentence, Third Sister turned around, pushed open the door, and stepped inside.
Originally anxious, Lingyi suddenly felt apprehensive about returning home and hesitated for a moment before not following immediately.
At that very moment, a soft cry was heard from inside, followed by the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground.
She felt a chill and was about to back away when Qin Lie, dressed in a black outfit, walked out from inside.
His expression was frosty. "To see the princess here truly saddens me."
Behind him, Qin Xiaoshan stood respectfully, looking straight at him.
The third sister lay prostrate on the ground, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth, indicating that she was seriously injured.
From the day the princess woke up, Qin Lie knew she had remembered everything.
Having been gazed upon by her with such genuine affection, he could see even more clearly the disgust and coldness in her eyes when she looked at him the moment she woke up, making it impossible for him to even pretend to be stupid.
No one knew how scared he was, but she didn't expose him, so he quietly watched her act, willingly immersing himself in the play with her.
Fortunately, there was Huan'er. He wanted to use Huan'er to keep him, and she seemed to be genuinely moved. When she saw Huan'er, her smile became more sincere.
He thought that this wasn't so bad; being able to deceive himself wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
If she hadn't come today, he would never have woken up on his own.
But she still came, stood there, looking at him in shock, before her gaze turned calm.
She asked, "Where is Lin'er?"
Qin Lie turned to look at the couple shivering inside the room, who were holding a sleeping child in their arms.
From receiving Qin Xiaoshan's signal, to finding an excuse to leave Mingyue Tower early, and then chasing after them, he only managed to catch up because his riding skills were slightly faster than theirs. He had just entered when he received news that the princess had arrived outside the village. He then turned off the lights and hid in disguise. He hadn't even had time to see this bastard child clearly yet.
Qin Lie had met Song Pingkou. When the two armies were facing each other across the river, General Liang acted as an intermediary, getting the two of them to sit down and talk.
At that time, everyone was drunk and beautiful women were swaying their bare waists to entertain them.
General Liang greeted them, "The beauties of the Western Regions are all beautiful with high eyebrows and deep eyes, and they can sing and dance. They are quite interesting. If you two nephews find any you like, don't be shy and take them!"
Upon hearing this, Song Pingkou burst into laughter, his provocative gaze fixed on Qin Lie without any attempt to conceal it. "The world's greatest treasures are already in my possession, so why would I care about these common beauties?!"
Qin Lie knew early on that Lingyi had given birth to a son for Song Pingkou.
Knowing and seeing are two different things.
Looking at the familiar face of the child in front of him, his expression turned extremely gloomy.
How could Lingyi mistake his murderous aura?
She stepped forward to block his path and said urgently, "I didn't want to run away today, I just wanted to see him one last time. Now that I know he's alive and well, my wish has been fulfilled. Let's go back now!"
He acted as if he hadn't heard her, pushed her aside, and continued walking towards Lin'er. Lingyi grabbed his hand, "Qin Lie, I'm tired... Will you come home with me?"
He looked down and saw her pleading, distressed eyes.
Home, what a beautiful word.
She told him to go home.
She actually dared to ask him to accompany her home.
How ridiculous! Whether it was the princess's residence, the village house in Huangzhou, or the current royal residence, which one was not ruthlessly abandoned by her?
Seeing that he remained unmoved, Lingyi knew that things would not end well today. She lowered her eyes and quickly reached for the long sword at his waist, but as soon as she made a move, he grabbed her wrist and twisted it in front of her.
How could Qin Lie not know her intentions?
He said in a deep voice, "Princess, you shouldn't try to threaten me with your life. You're right, I really can't bear to hurt you..."
He glared hatefully at the sleeping child, "But you should also know that I will never tolerate this bastard!"
Ling Yi coldly replied, "He is an illegitimate child, and what am I? Why are you taking your anger out on me? You and I both know perfectly well that the person you should kill is clearly me!"
Qin Lie replied, "Back then, you were all alone in Zhuozhou, forced by the likes of Geng Qing to submit to others, which is why this bastard was born. It was my fault for not protecting you properly; you can't be blamed for this. Now, the Song traitor has been poisoned by your own hands, and Geng Qing has been personally killed by me. Only this bastard remains. After he dies, no one will mention that past anymore. After that, you'll have me and Huan'er. Aren't you free and happy?"
Lingyi never imagined that Qin Lie could still deceive himself to this extent, as if he had forgotten the time he almost died in a foreign land when he tried to persuade her to turn back before their marriage, and only believed the reasons he wanted to believe.
Since regaining her senses, she has pondered Qin Lie's actions repeatedly and concluded that his feelings for her were nothing more than a desire to win and possess her—because he couldn't have her, he became even more persistent.
But at this moment, she was startled to realize that perhaps he really did have some feelings for her.
It's ridiculous. If he had even a shred of sincerity, how could he have humiliated and trampled on her like that?
Even after hurting her like that, he shamelessly offered his true feelings and expected her to reciprocate with the same sincerity.
But having genuine feelings is better than having none; at least we can get through this difficult time with those feelings.
She lowered her brows and said softly, "On the day the top scholar was paraded through the streets, I regained my memories, but I've kept it from you. Do you know why?"
Why?
“Because looking back on the road we’ve traveled, it’s all a mess. There are too many people and too many things between us, and neither of us can let go of them. So I thought, I can only pretend that I don’t remember anything, that I just married you, that there weren’t so many grudges and disputes, that we were meant to be like this, with hearts in harmony and no resentment. But Qin Lie…” She pleaded with him in a low voice, “Please don’t make me regret it.”
"Regret what?"
"I regret treating Song Pingkou that way."
He paused, then his tone turned icy cold, "You regret killing him?"
Lingyi slowly shook her head, "I've never regretted it before, it's just..."
Those two words made his heart leap into his throat, and he even caught his breath.
Tears streamed down her face. "If he were still alive, he would never have put my son and me in such a predicament."
No matter how much she feigned affection for Song Pingkou, her yearning for his protection at this moment was absolutely genuine and undisguised.
Qin Lie was struck dumb, his face turning deathly pale. He knew she was pressuring him—if he really killed the child, she would not only hate him, but she would also imagine a thousand times what it would be like if Song Pingkou were still alive…
Song Pingkou! Just those three words filled his vision with a bloody light, igniting a murderous intent within him. And this child—not only a descendant of the Song family, but also the product of her infidelity, proof of his shame!
How could he allow this bastard to live in this world?!
Moreover, in her heart, even if she and Huan'er were combined, they couldn't defeat this bastard!
He really wanted to ask her, "They're both her children, so how is Huan'er any worse than this bastard?"
Or is it that the problem isn't Huan'er, but him?
Even after all these years of entanglement with her, he still can't compare to that dead man, Song Pingkou?!
But after a long silence, his resentment vanished, and he said dejectedly, "It's not necessarily only Song Pingkou who can protect you and your child. Come back with me. As for the child... I will send him to a wealthy family. As long as you stay by my side as before, I will ensure his lifelong wealth and peace."
He spoke very slowly, word by word, showing how difficult it was to make this decision. Ling Yizong still had many worries, and now he could only stop while he was ahead. He nodded slightly, looked at San Niang on the ground, and then looked at Qin Lie expectantly again.
Qin Lie suppressed his anger but could only helplessly say, "Don't worry, I will send her to the Xie residence and will not harm her."
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