Chapter 84. Traveling incognito.
Lingyi did not return to her seat, but went straight back to Chonghua Palace.
When Qin Lie arrived, she was already lying in bed. During the three-month mourning period, he had not touched a drop of alcohol or meat, nor had he been intimate with her.
Now that the mourning period is over, and having drunk some wine tonight, he was as eager as a young boy. He could tell from her breathing that she was still awake, so he turned her over and wanted to be intimate with her. Lingyi disliked his smell of alcohol and repeatedly refused. Even though Qin Lie was unbearably hot, he was unwilling to go against her wishes and quickly took a bath before returning.
He came up to her, his body damp with sweat, and Lingyi complained that his beard was prickly and uncomfortable.
It is unknown when or where men began to grow beards when they reached the age of thirty, especially those in official positions. Some even started growing beards at a young age to make themselves appear calm and capable.
He is now nearing forty, but because the princess disliked him, he had been shaving every day.
Sometimes, before making love, it's necessary to clean up again.
Now, due to the mourning period, he had to grow a beard. With his deep features and handsome face, he was naturally a handsome man with a beautiful beard.
Many ministers in the court even secretly imitated his style in grooming their beards.
But good looks are useless; now, just one kiss was enough for the princess to resist, and he had to stop.
If someone were to be sent to the Qianqing Palace to fetch shaving tools at this point, it goes without saying that everyone in the palace knew Sima Zhao's intentions, and by the time the princess was finished cleaning, she would probably already be asleep.
Qin Lie had no choice but to hold the princess and endure the night, planning to shave his beard and come back tomorrow.
Lingyi was still not satisfied and kept moving further into the bed.
Qin Lie followed her several times, squeezing her to the very back. Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer and pushed him away.
After this happened several times, Qin Lie was getting annoyed. "What's with this temper of yours? It's only natural for Prince Rui to start his own household at his age. Even if you're angry with me about this again, I can't stand it."
Lingyi didn't speak, but turned his head to brush aside his thick black hair, revealing the side of his neck where his chin had just been pressed.
Her once fair and delicate skin was now covered in red patches.
"How can it be so tender?" Qin Lie immediately felt guilty. He touched the smooth skin that was so irresistible, but couldn't help but pinch it. After pinching it, he didn't let go. He lingered on it for a while and then started to move downwards. He lingered on the high part of the breasts, which made Ling Yi so angry that she slapped his hand away.
Seeing her eyes wide open, glaring at him angrily, Qin Lie stared for a long time before finally bursting out laughing.
Since the passing of the Empress Dowager, he had been feeling melancholy and hadn't been this happy in a long time. He couldn't help but pull her into his arms and kiss her cheeks and forehead haphazardly.
Lingyi tried to push him away again, but he easily held her firmly in his arms, feeling both helpless and indulgent. "Don't worry, I won't touch you, but if the princess moves around again, I can't guarantee anything."
She had to quiet down, and he pulled her into his arms, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.
The next day, Huan'er came to say goodbye before leaving the palace. Qin Lie had already finished the morning court session and was also in Chonghua Palace.
Huan'er was used to his bearded appearance, so when she saw him shave, she was taken aback for a moment before bowing respectfully.
Qin Lie was never close to the princes, and he had almost nothing to say to Huan'er except for reprimands.
Fortunately, Lingyi came out quickly. Even though she had prepared herself, she was still reluctant to part with Huan'er as the separation was imminent. She held Huan'er's hand and gave her repeated instructions. Huan'er listened obediently with her head down.
Qin Lie was unwilling to see the prince act so childishly and was about to reprimand him, but when his gaze fell on the princess's reddened eyes, he could only sigh and say, "It's just living away from the palace, why is it worth being so sad? He will eventually marry and have children. Do you think you can stay with him forever?"
Lingyi blurted out, "If His Majesty permits..."
Before she could finish speaking, Huan'er knelt down. "Your subject is about to leave the palace, and there is something on my mind. I hope Your Majesty will grant me permission!"
Qin Lie asked, "What is it?"
Huan'er touched his forehead to the ground and said sadly, "Your son grew up under the care of the Empress Dowager since childhood. Although the mourning period has ended, your son is still grateful for the Empress Dowager's kindness in raising and educating him. He wishes to keep vigil for the Empress Dowager for three years to fulfill the Empress Dowager's deep affection for him!"
Qin Lie was slightly moved. "It's rare to see someone with such filial piety. The Empress Dowager has devoted her life to her children and grandchildren. I was busy with wars and politics, and rarely had the chance to spend time with my children. Your journey can help me fulfill my filial duty. However..." He glanced at Ling Yi. "Three years is too long. One year will suffice. You are a prince, and moreover, a prince of Daxian. You cannot dwell on grief for too long."
Qin Huan kowtowed: "Thank you, Father Emperor, for granting my request. Your son obeys!"
Qin Huan didn't even glance at the Prince Rui's residence; he went straight to the imperial mausoleum.
On the same day, Qin Lie issued an edict, in recognition of Cheng Zhen's service to the Empress Dowager, bestowing upon her the title of Princess and granting her two counties in Jizhou as her fiefdom, ordering her to leave the capital immediately.
After that, Lingyi never heard any news about her again.
The days in the palace passed by like flowing water, but Huan'er did not return as expected.
Since leaving the palace, he would send a letter every half month. When the year was almost up, he wrote in a letter that he had met his uncle, Prince Jing, who came to pay respects to the Empress Dowager on the anniversary of her death. He wanted to travel with Prince Jing and asked her if it was permissible.
Lingyi agreed. Qin Hong's so-called travels were nothing more than following the Fifteenth Princess around.
She feared she would never see her fifteenth sister again in this lifetime, so she wanted her fifteenth sister to see her child.
Huan'er was gone for another three years.
—After traveling with Qin Hong for half a year, the people of Daxian, having enjoyed years of recuperation and development, lived in peace and prosperity, with abundant food and a full treasury. Qin Lie ordered General Liang of the Northwest to bring his son to the capital for an audience. General Liang refused, citing the fact that his father, General Liang, had only been dead for six months and he still needed to observe mourning. Little did he know, Qin Lie wanted precisely this kind of defiance, and immediately ordered the mobilization of a large army to attack the Liang family.
How could he allow others to sleep peacefully beside his bed? The Qin family, relying on the Jizhou army, sat on the dragon throne. The Song family had no bloodline on the surface. The two remaining generals of the previous dynasty were thorns in his side. The fact that he could endure until the death of General Liang before taking action was already a rare display of patience from Qin Lie after he became emperor.
Qin Hong was ordered to lead the campaign, but Huan'er, without consulting Qin Hong first, also went along.
The war lasted for more than two years. When Huan'er returned, the child who was once only slightly taller than her had grown tall and slender, requiring her to look up at him. Despite being a young general whose eyes gleamed with iron and blood, he still greeted Lingyi with his usual cheerful smile, "Mother, don't be angry! I've returned safely, haven't I? Although I lived in anonymity, I've become a general through my military achievements. If Mother weren't an Imperial Noble Consort, I could have at least earned you a title this time!"
What he said was true. Qin Hong and the other generals all praised him highly, saying that he always led the charge and was full of brilliant strategies that never failed, showing some of the style of Qin Lie when he first joined the Jizhou army. This fourth-rank general title was also based on real military achievements, without any exaggeration. In fact, if it weren't for his status, and the fact that Qin Hong did keep him in check, he might have been promoted to the third rank.
Seeing his smugness, Lingyi angrily punched him a few times, but knowing he wasn't in pain, she still held him in her arms with heartache. The fear and longing of the past few years condensed into tears that slid down her cheeks.
Huan'er's smile faded, and he hugged her affectionately, saying, "Your subject was wrong. I shouldn't have acted first and informed Mother Consort later, causing her worry."
Once Lingyi had calmed down, he released her hand and looked at Lin'er beside him. "I clearly left you a letter before I left, asking you to come to the palace often to keep my mother company. I even specially sent you several famous horses from beyond the Great Wall for this purpose. How come you are so useless?"
While he was in the Northwest, his father urged him to return to the capital several times, undoubtedly at the behest of his mother. This caused him constant fear of being sent back. Fortunately, his uncle, Prince Jing, was magnanimous and burned every letter that came, preventing him from being sent back. Perhaps fearing that his uncle would be accused of disobeying the imperial decree, his father ultimately did not issue an order, allowing him to return in triumph with the army.
When Lin'er first met him, she felt unfamiliar with him and was even faintly afraid of the coldness of the blade that was a blend of iron and blood on his body.
But as soon as she heard his familiar reprimand, memories from several years ago immediately flooded back.
Is he still that cousin who loves to tease and mock him, yet always gives him good things and stands up for him in every way?
Lin'er immediately said, feeling wronged, "I often go to the palace to keep my aunt company! Even without your instructions, I would still come to keep her company!"
His thoughts were very simple: his aunt was good to him, and his mother said that his aunt was lonely in the palace, so he wanted to come and keep her company all the time.
He only felt a little guilty after he finished speaking, because his cousin had given him a foal before going to the imperial tombs, and his aunt, seeing how much he liked it, and knowing that the Xie family mansion was too small, had rewarded him with a large house and an estate with a horse farm in the suburbs. During that time, he lived on the estate and did not come to visit his aunt.
Fortunately, his cousin didn't seem to notice and smiled at him, saying, "At least you have some conscience. Don't you like horses? I brought back a few more this time. Go pick out a couple to take home later!"
Lin'er was overjoyed and, just like when she was a child, came over and wished she could massage Huan'er's shoulders and feet. "Thank you, cousin!"
When Qin Lie returned from the previous dynasty, Lin'er had already left the palace.
He looked at Huan'er, who was about the same height as him, and asked, "Although you are audacious, you have not tarnished the name of your ancestors. Tell me, what do you want? I will reward you as appropriate!"
When he spoke, Lingyi could see the praise in his eyes, and she could also discern the wariness in his gaze.
Her heart clenched, and she unconsciously clenched her fist.
Huan'er clasped his hands and knelt down. "Your Majesty," he said, "it is often said that while one's parents are alive, one should not travel far. Yet, knowing full well that Your Majesty and Mother are worried, I have acted willfully and recklessly for so long, which is truly inappropriate. If Your Majesty truly wishes to reward me, I have a request..." He glanced at Lingyi, "I have not seen Mother for several years and wish to invite her to stay at Prince Rui's residence for a few days..."
Before he could finish speaking, Qin Lie refused, "Your mother is an Imperial Noble Consort, how can she easily leave the palace to live? This is unreasonable. Is there anything else you want?"
Huan'er thought carefully for a moment and said, "I have heard that Uncle Prince Jing will soon be going on a journey again. I would also like to..."
Lingyi couldn't help but interrupt him: "You just got back, and you're leaving again?"
Huan'er's face showed a struggle, but in the end he still said, "Please grant my request, Father!"
Qin Lie sneered, "What he called traveling? You should stay in the palace and spend more time with your mother when you have time."
Although Huan'er was clearly disappointed, he still respectfully replied, "Your subject obeys!"
After he left, Qin Lie looked at the sullen Ling Yi and pulled her into his arms from behind. "His heart has long since wandered off, yet you think about him every day. Now you see, the only one who can be with you every day is me."
Seeing that she was still depressed, he continued to coax her, "After this battle is over, I'll be able to relax for a while. It's inevitable that you'll feel unhappy being cooped up in the palace all day. How about I take you out of the palace for a private visit in a few days?"
.
Even though traveling incognito doesn't require a grand display, it's still not an easy task.
The Emperor's departure from the capital is a major event, especially for a diligent monarch like Qin Lie. How could his sudden disappearance for several months be kept secret from the civil and military officials?
However, when the emperor traveled incognito, even if some officials guessed it, they could only pretend not to know.
All Qin Lie could do was to keep his whereabouts secret.
Nevertheless, he spent another two months preparing to ensure that unless an extremely urgent situation occurred, everything in the court would function normally even without him, and with the Crown Prince overseeing the country, he could leave with peace of mind.
Lingyi also took advantage of these two months to try her best to make up for the time she and Huan'er had missed in the past few years.
By the time Qin Lie waited for her to leave the capital and travel south by boat from Jinzhou, it was already late summer.
Lingyi had three long journeys: once after her wedding when she returned to Ji, once on her way to Zhuozhou, and once after she lost her memory and returned to the capital.
The first two times were filled with desolation, and the last time with a sense of utter desolation; neither could be described as pleasant or enjoyable.
This time, however, when the ship docked at the very spot where she and the Fifteenth Princess had disembarked during their escape, there were no ruins or broken homes, but rather a scene of great prosperity. Compared to the capital city, where high-ranking officials and nobles were everywhere, this place was teeming with wealthy merchants, and even the street vendors were beaming with pride.
He traveled incognito to observe the people's conditions, inquiring about both the poor and the rich.
They traveled along the way, investigating local conditions and people's livelihoods, enjoying the beautiful scenery and delicious food, a stark contrast to their previous two trips.
If they were an ordinary couple, they wouldn't have to worry about money, and apart from their children, their journey would be incredibly fulfilling.
In addition to these, there is another activity: visiting temples to worship Buddha.
—Since the passing of the Empress Dowager, Qin Lie has carried a string of Buddhist prayer beads with him every day.
Lingyi had previously thought that this was just to express her grief, since Qin Lie would often sit in the small Buddhist hall of Cining Palace and occasionally copy Buddhist scriptures by hand.
During this incognito visit, he visited every temple he encountered and bowed to every Buddha statue, appearing quite devout.
Lingyi couldn't help but feel puzzled.
Qin Lie's temperament is not that of someone who would lay down his butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot.
She had also had her doubts, and fears that he might suddenly become like the Jiahe Emperor of old, who, after ruling for a long time, began to seek immortality and cultivate for the next life.
However, Qin Lie neither built temples nor showed respect to monks, showing no signs of such behavior, so I said nothing and just let him be.
During this incognito visit, Qin Lie disguised himself as a tea merchant. This identity allowed him to visit tea farmers in the fields, contact merchants in the city, and occasionally deal with local officials, making it very convenient.
Upon arriving at the prefectural capital, he went all out, spending a fortune to charter a pleasure boat and host a banquet for several officials and wealthy merchants.
Before going, he specifically informed Lingyi that he would invite geisha to entertain the guests and also invite several popular courtesans from brothels to accompany him, in accordance with local customs. He repeatedly promised that all the girls he invited would be virgins, but this was only to gain the trust of others. He would never do anything immoral or scandalous at the banquet, and he himself would keep himself pure and upright.
Lingyi chased him out of the house with a mix of anger and resentment. Only after he left with a smile did she composed herself, change her clothes, and go out.
She also had her own school to visit, so she disguised herself and went to the local girls' school.
The teacher who received her had a kind face. After chatting for a while, she learned that she happened to be Xiao Tao, a friend of Qin Yinrong and one of the first students at the girls' school.
Xiao Tao started earning money early on, initially only a few dozen or a few hundred coins a month. But when Ruyi Tower opened and became a place for imperial offerings, business boomed, and Xiao Tao earned more and more. Her family never mentioned her becoming a child bride again, and everyone greeted her with smiles and great affection.
She was very happy. With her own hands, she built a tiled house, her brother got married, and she even hired maids and servants to take care of her.
When she finally found someone she loved and wanted to get married, her parents, brothers, and sisters-in-law began to obstruct her in every way, always finding one reason or another to disagree.
At first, she was naive and believed whatever her family said. But as she grew older, her sweetheart became disappointed and wanted to leave, and those around her couldn't stand it anymore and pointed it out, she slowly realized that her parents and brother and sister-in-law were treating her like a cash cow and had no intention of letting her get married.
She cried bitterly and demanded her parents return her savings from all these years.
At first, she needed to help support her family, build a house, and marry her sister-in-law. Later, her parents said they would help her save up for her dowry. No matter how much she earned, she would only keep a hundred or so coins for herself and give the rest to her parents.
When her parents heard that she wanted money, they initially made all sorts of excuses, but later they started to cover their chests and scold her for being unfilial—she was the one they gave birth to and raised, and it was only right that she would give them money she earned. How could she ask for their money for their funeral expenses?
Xiao Tao had never heard of anyone around her having so much money for a coffin.
She learned basic literacy and abacus skills at the girls' school, so she could manage the basics. Her parents had at least two hundred taels of silver, so was twenty taels a lot for her? Not at all.
But her parents wouldn't give it to her and even scolded her for being unfilial.
It wasn't that she wasn't angry, nor that she wasn't sad.
But what can she do when faced with her own parents who are threatening suicide?
Even though Qin Yinrong arranged for her to go to Jinzhou to be a teacher and not live at home, she still gave the family two taels of silver every month, not counting the gifts for festivals and holidays. In the past, the whole family only earned a little over five taels of silver a year.
She thought that this would satisfy her family, but she never expected that her greedy parents would find her in Jinzhou, sit in front of the school, slap their thighs and wail, saying that she was extremely unfilial for abandoning her parents at home and living a carefree life!
The girls' school was backed by the Imperial Noble Consort, and the girls' school in Jinzhou was established by Princess Yong'an. No one dared to cause trouble here. However, this couple were the teacher's parents. As the saying goes, even an upright official cannot settle family disputes. This teacher also had a close relationship with Princess Yong'an. For a time, no one dared to say anything.
They came to cause trouble time and time again, which not only made Xiao Tao lose face, but also caused her a lot of trouble for the girls' school.
Just then, the Imperial Noble Consort wanted to establish a girls' school in Jiangnan. One of the teachers at the school planned to go there and asked her if she wanted to go with him.
After pondering for more than half a month, Xiao Tao finally made up her mind before the Master set off.
She followed her teacher to Jiangnan. This time, she did not tell her parents, nor did she give them any more money.
The school is now thriving, and that teacher has become the headmaster. In addition to being a teacher, she is also responsible for receiving and guiding students.
The initial guilt of leaving home has long since vanished after these past few years, especially after having my own children.
After Xiaotao finished speaking, she said shyly, "I don't know why I've told you so much about my past. Maybe it's because you have eyes that are very similar to those of someone I admire. She may not remember me, but I will always remember her kindness. Without her, there would be no girls' school, and I wouldn't be who I am today."
The two had already walked halfway around the school while talking. Unlike the girls' schools in the capital, many girls here carried abacuses on their backs, one room was full of silk reeling machines, and another room had many tea trays. It seemed that, as Qin Yinrong had said, the curriculum for girls' schools varied from place to place. This place valued commerce, so many people learned bookkeeping, and being a silk and tea producing region, it was natural that related courses were offered.
Xiao Tao took her to the headmaster's office, as the headmaster also had to teach classes.
Xiao Tao told us that the headmaster not only taught poor women to read and write, but also taught noble ladies to paint.
At that moment, she had just finished painting and teaching, completing a landscape painting of Jiangnan. When she saw Xiao Tao, she asked the others to try painting it first, and then she walked over.
She had heard yesterday that a tea merchant's wife wanted to donate money to a girls' school.
This is not uncommon; there are always people who want to take shortcuts to curry favor with the Imperial Noble Consort and Princess Yong'an, attempting to establish a girls' school.
They naturally accepted all who came, which was also the Imperial Noble Consort's intention.
Who would complain about not having enough money? Especially since the silk reeling and tea making here are all learned by poor women, and the tea leaves and silk threads they use are quite valuable, yet the school has never charged them a single penny.
Today, I saw that although this tea merchant's wife had an ordinary face, her temperament was outstanding, and she was clearly a person who had been raised in luxury.
In other words, they are wealthy and have plenty of money to spare.
The headmaster smiled very kindly, but the lady looked surprised.
Lingyi never expected that the thirteenth princess, who used to look pale and seemingly hopeless, had not only become the head of the academy but was now looking at her with the eyes of a wolf seeing a sheep.
Taking advantage of Xiao Tao's inattention, she whispered to the Thirteenth Princess, "Thirteenth Sister, it's me, Little Seventeen."
The thirteenth princess, who had been exchanging polite words, stopped after saying a couple more before turning to stare blankly at her. Lingyi smiled and nodded at her. The thirteenth princess was both surprised and delighted, and couldn't speak for a long time. She just took her hand and walked forward, eventually starting to jog until they stopped outside a classroom.
There was a clear, melodious voice inside, like a spring flowing over rocks, explaining the uses and contraindications of astragalus to the students.
Upon hearing this, Lingyi's eyes welled up with tears.
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