Chapter 71 Qiu Min,
A few days later, he found an opportunity to send San Niang back to the Xie residence. Xie Yu immediately sent a secret letter of apology, saying that although San Niang was a spy for the Xie family, she had never returned to the Xie family or contacted him since she took the child away. He was indeed unaware of her plans and arrangements with the Princess.
Qin Lie knew that Xie Yu's words were true; Third Sister was skilled in disguise, and if she deliberately hid, she would indeed be difficult to find.
This time, Qin Lie was also lying in wait, waiting for the child to come to him. It's unclear what their agreement was, but even though the palace guards had searched the Sixteenth Princess, Xie San Niang still received the news and re-established contact with her. Once she left a trace, they followed the clues and finally found out where the child was.
This matter was indeed kept from Xie Yu, but Qin Lie would find it hard to believe that he knew nothing about it.
After burning the secret letter, Qin Lie went to the backyard, where the princess was reading a book by lamplight on her bed.
Qin Lie advised, "History books are difficult to understand. If you want to read, why don't you find some romance novels about talented scholars and beautiful women? Although the stories are not mainstream, they are written in a popular and easy-to-understand way, which is perfect for passing the time."
Lingyi retorted sarcastically, "Does Your Highness think I'm only fit to read mindless books to pass the time?"
Since her last return, she has been extremely rude to him.
He threatened Song Lin's life; how could she not feel resentful?
Qin Lie didn't take it to heart; on the contrary, he felt more at ease than when she had tried to whitewash the situation.
He said helplessly, "What are you thinking about now? I'm just worried that you're tiring yourself out by reading this and it might hurt your heart."
Lingyi was slightly taken aback, and when she spoke again, her tone softened unconsciously, "I'm not made of tofu, how could I be so easily hurt?"
Qin Lie then took off his outer robe and lay down beside her. "Is there anything you don't understand? I'll explain it to you."
Lingyi showed him the pages with folded corners, "These."
Qin Lie embraced her and began to explain to her.
The dignified Prince Duan was addicted to being a tutor. After studying, he would also be a tutor in bed, and even more rigorously than when studying.
He was very generous; not only did he not accept any tuition fees, but he also gave away a lot of them, making a mess of the bedding. The two of them had to change their sleeping spots in the middle of the night.
Having learned from his previous experience in Jizhou, he made the small couch by the window bigger, just big enough for him to hold someone and sleep.
Although the bedding was a bit cold, their bodies were still burning hot, and they warmed up quickly.
Lingyi lazily lay on him, letting him brush away the wet hair clinging to her cheeks, and asked about the recent situation of the people in the Jizhou Princess's residence.
Qin Lie answered one by one, explaining that Pearl had recognized Granny Zhao as her godmother and had been living in the princess's residence ever since.
He consistently provided them with monthly allowances, and even the princess's annual salary of six hundred taels was never interrupted, enough for them to live comfortably.
Li De, though ten years younger than Granny Zhao, had fallen seriously ill a few winters ago, perhaps due to excessive drinking, and never recovered. His two godson sons, however, were filial, wearing mourning clothes for him and carrying mourning banners and bowls.
Unlike Granny Zhao and Pearl, they had no relatives left. They had become eunuchs because their families had too many boys and could no longer support them. After Li De's death, they each received a considerable amount of silver and returned home; Qin Lie naturally didn't care about their current situation.
After saying this, Qin Lie asked, "Should we bring them over? That way we can talk to them more."
Lingyi said, "No need. Everyone has their own destiny. I will only travel with them for a part of the journey."
Qin Lie replied, "There is no such thing as fate in this world. It's all up to human effort. If you can do it, it's all predestined. If you can't, you'll just say it's fate that you're not meant to be." He paused, then put his arm around her shoulder and said proudly, "My relationship with the princess is naturally preordained. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been betrothed. Emperor Chengtai is a foolish and tyrannical ruler, but he did an excellent job in this matter, which can be considered a meritorious deed."
Lingyi ignored him, found a comfortable position on his arm to lie down, closed her eyes for a while, and then suddenly asked softly, "Where is Jian? Where is he now?"
Ji'an is located in the suburbs of Beijing, so Qin Lie naturally wouldn't feel comfortable sending someone too far away.
He was well taken care of; his cheeks were rosy, he had gained a lot of weight, and he had also grown taller. At first glance, Lingyi almost didn't recognize him. But it wasn't just because of his appearance; it was because when they met, he was chasing lambs with disheveled hair.
When the maidservant saw Prince Duan approaching, she tried to pull him away, but he refused to let go, making his fine clothes dirty and wrinkled.
Fearing Qin Lie's wrath, the servants knelt down to beg for forgiveness. The leader explained, "Your Highness, the young master's clothes are changed three times a day, and his hair is always neatly combed in the morning. We have all done our utmost..."
Qin Lie looked at Ling Yi, who said, "He is mentally challenged, how can he be like a normal person? We came here rashly, and he still has a clean face and no strange smell. It is already thanks to your good care."
Nevertheless, she was still unhappy when she returned.
Qin Lie asked, "Do you still feel sorry for him?"
Lingyi shook her head. She had long since lost all hope in Ji'an, so why would she feel sorry for him? Besides, Ji'an's current state was a kind of relief for her.
But after all, it was an obsession that lasted for several years, so how could I remain completely unmoved?
Qin Lie added, "If you are fixated on the bloodline of the late Crown Prince, I can arrange for him to marry some women once he comes of age to ensure the continuation of the Crown Prince's bloodline."
Lingyi looked at him in surprise. Given his status, not killing Ji'an was already a huge risk.
If there are other descendants of the former crown prince, it will create many more hidden dangers out of thin air.
"Don't look at me like that." He took her hand, placed it to his lips, and gently kissed it. "I just want you to be comfortable."
Lingyi was deeply moved and stared at him for a long while before saying, "No need. My mistake in life was being too demanding. I have a clear conscience towards my brother, the Crown Prince. Why drag other women into this abyss? To be bound for life, never free."
Qin Lie breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. "I was worried that you were too fixated on this and that seeing Chengtai would upset you. You should think like this. The kindness of the late Crown Prince is not worth repaying with your whole life. You have me..." He paused, then added reluctantly, "And Huan'er. We are the most important people to you."
Lingyi softly hummed in agreement, nestled into his arms, and the carriage rumbled home under the moonlight.
After a long while, she spoke again: "I... want to see someone else."
"Who?" Qin Lie thought it was the child and was prepared to refuse, but she said instead, "General Qiu, Qiu Min, who escorted me to Jizhou back then."
.
Lingyi never expected that she would see Qiu Min again in prison.
She wanted to see him because she kept thinking back on the path she had taken; in fact, ever since the arranged marriage, it had been a one-way street.
The feud with his elder brother and the hatred for his first wife were already established facts.
The decline of Dahan was beyond her control.
Fate is fickle, and given her personality, it seems she was destined to end up like this.
Upon closer examination, however, there was actually another possibility at some forks in the road.
That is, when she first escaped, if she had boarded a ship and gone to Zhuozhou, she would not have experienced the pain of being separated from her son, and she would have been directly protected by Xie Yu. Then she would not have encountered Song Pingkou, would not have been made a princess and appeared in public, would not have been forced by Geng Qing, and would not have risked everything to sacrifice everything for Ji'an and her son.
It was because Qiu Min betrayed her that Qin Lie caught up with her and she became pregnant.
Because of Huan'er, she has been able to get to where she is today.
I can neither hate nor resent; I cannot live happily, nor can I die in peace.
She wanted to see Qiu Min, but only to ask one question: she believed she had treated him well, and the princess's residence was considered wealthy and secure in Jizhou.
But why did he side with Qin Lie from the very beginning and betray her several times?
Seeing Qiu Min weeping and begging for mercy in the prison, she no longer needed to ask any more questions.
She just wanted to see him, but Qin Lie misunderstood her meaning, thinking that she harbored resentment towards Qiu Min. So, even though Qiu Min had already risen to the rank of fourth grade, he still found a pretext to easily imprison him, just to let her vent her long-standing anger.
It was power that made Qiu Min abandon her, a useless princess who had been married off to a distant land, to become the emperor's eyes and ears.
It was also power that allowed him to change his already altered fate again with just a few words.
Therefore, it has always been about power.
Xie Yu abandoned her for power; Qin Lie had no choice but to marry her for power; she married Song Pingkou to borrow his power; and Qin Lie's repeated coercion and threats were all because he held power that she could not match.
Amidst Qiu Min's kowtows and cries, she remained silent and slowly walked out of the prison.
Marquis Qin Lie was outside and immediately came to greet her, holding an umbrella to shield her from the light spring rain.
He lightly rebuked, "A person like that should just be killed. Is it really worth you coming to a place like this to see him in person?"
Lingyi lowered her head and said softly, "We must make peace with the past before we can live a good life in the future."
He smiled, took her hand, and walked forward.
.
In the scorching heat of July, Lingyi suffered through the sweltering summer and usually began staying indoors as early as the end of June.
In recent days, even the invitation from the Grand Secretary's wife has been declined several times, but today she went out under the scorching sun and came to the Xiaoyao Marquis's residence.
—When the old general Song declared himself emperor, he demoted Emperor Chengtai to the title of Marquis of Xiaoyao.
Now that he has been granted the title of Marquis of Xiaoyao by Qin Shiyan, isn't this a mockery and ridicule from the cycle of fate?
Marquis Xiaoyao was never carefree, but Qin Shiyan still cared a lot about this old general who used to guard the region. It was thought that General Song, who had been away from his hometown for more than half a year, actually lasted for so long and finally reached his deathbed.
Before he died, he had only one wish: to see the current Princess Duan, formerly the Princess Yongjia.
Originally, the Xiaoyao Marquis's mansion was inconspicuous, but with the help of the Crown Prince's faction, it suddenly became a raging fire.
Princess Duan was Princess Yongjia, the imperial concubine of Song Pingkou. This matter was originally an open secret in the court, but now it has spread to the streets and alleys of the common people.
Such love and hate among royalty and nobility is most popular with the common people, and within a few days it spread like wildfire, even reaching the ears of Lingyi.
Qin Lie arrested dozens of people and imprisoned them in a few days. Ling Yi advised, "It is easier to stop people from talking than to stop a river. If you ignore them, they will disperse after a while. But if you do this, it will be like pouring oil on boiling water, which will only give them more to talk about."
Qin Lie naturally understood this principle, but he couldn't remain calm when it came to the princess. Those teahouse, tavern, and actor performers were simply too unbearable to listen to. The fact that he didn't cut off their heads on the spot was already a great act of restraint.
He said, "This matter is clearly aimed at me; I've dragged you into this."
Now that he enjoys the Emperor's favor, the Crown Prince's Palace is using this opportunity to tarnish his reputation and remind the court and the palace of the true identity of the Princess Consort he married.
Lingyi looked at him and said, "Since you know you've dragged me down, you should think about how to make amends, instead of just saying nice things."
Qin Lie naturally knew that she wanted to see Huan'er, but the Empress Dowager really couldn't be without Huan'er, so he could only let Huan'er come for one or two days a month. Once the interval was longer, she would become somewhat depressed.
Qin Lie knew that in her heart, he was naturally not comparable to Huan'er.
But the deeper her affection for Huan'er and his mother, the less likely she was to leave.
Therefore, the more he sipped his vinegar, the more at ease he felt; the feeling was complex and hard to describe.
Even with Huan'er by his side, he still had dreams that night.
I dreamt that in Zhuozhou I was hiding in the inner compartment of a carriage, watching the princess sit in a bridal sedan chair.
However, Song Pingkou was still in the bridal sedan chair, and the princess was holding their child in her arms.
The family of three was enjoying a happy time together, and the princess looked at Song Pingkou with affectionate eyes, chatting and laughing with him.
He was finally able to move, and with his sword in hand, he rushed to the bridal sedan chair, intending to kill Song Pingkou and his son.
But the next moment, a dagger pierced his heart, and when he looked down, he saw the hilt of the dagger in the princess's hand.
She coldly demanded of him, "Why did you kill my husband and child?!"
He was awakened by Lingyi amidst excruciating chest pain.
He wiped the fine sweat from his brow and said apologetically, "I disturbed your sleep."
Lingyi, her eyes still half-closed, complained, "Where can I go now? And yet you're still so anxious and insecure."
This wasn't the first time he'd had a nightmare recently; in fact, he'd been having nightmares from time to time ever since she regained her memories.
She said, "Where else can I go?" instead of "I'm not leaving."
As a result, Qin Lie had another nightmare after falling asleep.
The two times were too close together, and Lingyi couldn't fall asleep again. When she woke him up again, she deliberately called him "husband" in a sweet and coquettish voice.
The princess usually called him Qin Lie, and only when she was angry or teasing him would she call him Prince or Husband.
Upon hearing this form of address and seeing her teasing expression, Qin Lie knew she was doing it on purpose—deliberately bringing up how he had outwardly hated her, yet then used the excuse of mistaking her for someone else in a dream to get close to her. Remembering his own stubborn and awkward self from before, he felt both helpless and amused. But looking into her bright, teasing eyes, he deliberately hardened his face, "You dare laugh at me?!"
He lowered his head and kissed her lips, pressing her slender, soft waist against himself with one hand.
He swallowed her resistance, and after that, everything was out of her control. Before long, only panting and moaning could be heard on the bed.
When the commotion finally subsided, she leaned weakly against him, still breathing heavily, and suddenly said, "I want to go to the Xiaoyao Marquis's mansion. After all, he took me in and treated me with great courtesy. Moreover... I killed his only son, so I owe him an apology."
Qin Lie remained silent, and Lingyi knew he was unhappy and didn't want her to have anything to do with the Song family. Yet she still said, "If I don't go, I will be filled with resentment. This matter started because of me, so it should have a proper ending."
He remained silent for a long time, only to suddenly roll over and kiss her urgently. Occasionally, when he stood up and looked at her intently, his eyes held not only a thick, unyielding passion, but also a hidden hatred and anger. She knew that he was powerless against her; this was a helpless acquiescence.
Lingyi seemed to be inexplicably touched, and her eyes welled up with tears. He gently stroked her cheek and said, "Don't cry. With me by your side, you can do whatever you want. As long as you're not heartbroken, I'll do anything for you."
She clung to his neck, offering her lips to him, and as they suckled and kissed, tears streamed down her face.
This lovemaking was like a spring thunderstorm, unlike the gentle and tender moments he had become accustomed to in recent years. Instead, his movements were deeper and more intense than before. By the end, she was like a fish out of water, and her voice had become hoarse.
He carried her to the clean room and, while bathing her, said, "I will go with you tomorrow."
Lingyi said, "No need. You still have to attend the morning court session. I'll go early in the morning before the heat subsides. It'll only take a few words. I'll be back soon."
Qin Lie pursed his lips and remained silent. Ling Yi knew he was still unhappy, so she didn't say much either. She simply picked up a few strands of her hair, put them together with his, and tied the ends of their hair into a knot with her fingers.
Qin Lie didn't understand at first, but he finally understood when she looked at him with a blushing face.
We became husband and wife, and our love for each other is unwavering.
He should have been happy, but what welled up in his heart was a wave of bitterness, leaving him frozen in place, staring blankly at his hair, unable to move.
Until she spoke softly, "Qin Lie, you have to believe me."
He naturally had to believe her. If he didn't believe her, and couldn't let her go, how would he live his life in the future?
—In just these few days, he has almost driven himself crazy.
Finally snapping out of his daze, he lifted her from the bathtub and kissed her lips fiercely.
It wasn't until Lingyi pushed him, saying that if he continued making a fuss, he wouldn't have to go to court anymore, that he finally calmed down, put her back in the bathtub, washed her hair, carried her out and sat her on the couch to gently wipe her down. He had so much he wanted to say to her, but he hadn't said it before because she didn't remember, and later because he was afraid she wouldn't care.
He can finally tell her now.
He recounted the initial awe he felt upon first seeing her; his anxiety upon returning to Ji Province, worried that she might side with Qin Hong and prevent him from making amends; his anger when she didn't seek him out in Ji Province; his secret joy upon learning of her financial difficulties; his eagerness to return home after each departure from Ji Province; his fury upon discovering Xie San Niang's true identity; his heartache watching her run towards Xie Yu without hesitation; the taste of blood in his mouth as he broke the arrowhead...
He was too proud and blinded by hatred, so he dared not think carefully and was unwilling to admit that he cared about her.
But from beginning to end, what he never considered was letting her leave his side.
He felt she wasn't good enough to be his wife, but he never considered finding someone else.
He kept her outside, and he lived outside too. Although they didn't have a formal title, she was the only one for him. Who else would make her suffer?
Later, he made his biggest mistake by taking the child away from her, which led to the three-year separation.
Otherwise, he is Huan'er's father, and they will have more children in the future. Even if she considers him family, she will gradually accept it. Even if they cannot have a deep love as husband and wife, she will still be at peace and stay with him for the rest of her life.
Unfortunately, he destroyed this possibility with his own hands, which is why Song Pingkou and that child stand between them.
He wanted to tell her how, over the past three years, he had used the pretense of hating her to mentally recreate her image countless times; how he had repeatedly recalled their past, trying to find even the slightest evidence that she loved him; how his heart pounded like a drum at their reunion, yet he mistook it for the exhilarating feeling of finally avenging his great grudge; how he had sworn to make her suffer a fate worse than death, yet could only pretend to apologize before daring to hold her hand...
He was afraid she would get hurt, afraid she would cry, and even more afraid she would die.
I'd rather she become an idiot than not keep her here.
People see him as having a high position and great power, and as having outstanding military achievements, but who would have thought that he was such a despicable and weak person?
He hadn't wanted anyone to know, but now he wanted to tell her everything.
I beg for even a little forgiveness and compassion from her.
But she was already exhausted and had fallen asleep. He dried her long hair, put her back on the bed, and then changed into his court robes before leaving.
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