Chapter 19. Herbal Remedies.
He put down his book and walked over. Seeing her staring blankly at him with her eyes open, his tone softened involuntarily: "You didn't rest much on the way, and you didn't eat much either. Plus, the weather was hot, so you fainted."
Lingyi slowly came to her senses, hurriedly got up, grabbed him, and asked, "Crown Prince, Crown Prince Brother..."
She had just woken up and was feeling a bit weak. Qin Lie sat by the bed and let her lean on him. "Don't worry, I've already written a memorial and sent it over by express courier. It's just that I can't get away, so I recommended another general."
Lingyi asked worriedly, "Then... will it work?"
Qin Lie said, "Don't worry." Seeing that she still looked worried, he added, "If you don't believe me, you can call Manager Chen over and ask him. That general is based in Jiangnan, familiar with the local situation, and has been through countless battles. He's the most reliable person there."
Lingyi was about to ask Manager Chen when Qin Lie said, "There's no rush. Before he comes to report, Princess, you should eat something first, then take a bath and change your clothes, so as not to..." He added tactfully, "disrespectfully, lest you lose your princess's composure."
Only after he mentioned it did Lingyi realize that her clothes had been soaked through several times during the bumpy journey. Looking at her wrinkled clothes, she shakily raised her sleeve and smelled it, only to find it had a sour odor...
She exclaimed "Ah!" and quickly shrank back onto the bed, covering her head with a thin towel until Qin Lie left before she came out.
After she had drunk some porridge and finished bathing and changing, Qin Lie ordered someone to bring Manager Chen over.
Manager Chen, having changed into clean clothes, praised Qin Lie's arrangements highly, saying that the general was brave and skilled in battle, and the Crown Prince had always wanted to recruit him; this was the perfect opportunity. With the memorial submitted, the Seventh Prince would lose his military power, and the Crown Prince would gain a great general, thus resolving the predicament and making the Seventh Prince no longer a threat.
Lingyi was overjoyed and laughed to herself for a while before asking, "Since you are a spy, could you deliver a letter to my brother, the Crown Prince? If it's inconvenient, that's fine too. Knowing that he is well will put my mind at ease."
Manager Chen glanced at Qin Lie before saying, "I'll take the blame."
Lingyi said, "Then I'll trouble you to stay here for another day. I'll give you the letter tomorrow."
That evening, Lingyi, unusually, wrote furiously, taking an hour to finish a letter.
Qin Lie picked up the pages she had written and read them. It described how the snow in Jizhou was as heavy as goose feathers and could fall all night long; how the peaches at Dabeisi Temple were large but not tasty; how the food of the Hu people smelled pungent but tasted delicious; how the people here rarely wore wide-sleeved robes, and how the women mostly rode horses with a heroic air; and how the Hu people's clothing was decorated with silver, making a jingling sound when they walked...
The lake at the princess's residence was so large; in winter, one could frolic on the ice, and in summer, one could go boating. Wild ducks, seemingly from nowhere, swam in it. Many trees were planted in the residence, but many were just saplings. A dozen or so froze to death when it snowed, which saddened her greatly. And she herself had grown taller; the skirts she brought from the palace were now too short…
It's all fragmented and rambling.
Seeing that she didn't know how long she would take to write, Qin Lie said, "There's no need to finish it all at once, it's not like we're only sending it this once."
Lingyi's eyes immediately lit up as she looked at him.
Qin Lie saw through her early on. "You dared to come to me on your own. Even if I don't allow it, you'll still go looking for Manager Chen from time to time once he leaves. I might as well have him come to the Princess's residence once a month to save you from worrying. By the way, I'll leave you a few sheets of paper with my seal on them. If anything similar happens again, you can reply in my name and you won't have to go through all that trouble."
Ling Yi was surprised. She had come prepared for Qin Lie to be furious and break up with her completely, all for the sake of having a clear conscience. She never expected it to go so smoothly, and she never thought that Qin Lie could do this.
The private seal is a highly confidential document. If she wanted to frame him, she could even use those two slips of paper to accuse him of treason.
He had no doubt that he was willing to give it to her, which made Lingyi feel incredibly flattered.
Her chest burned with a bittersweet feeling. She remained silent for a long time before finally wrapping her arms around Qin Lie's waist with affection, pressing her cheek against his chest. Though she didn't utter a word, her pure and gentle demeanor spoke volumes.
The two embraced quietly for a while, their intertwined figures visible through the moonlit window, a scene of tender tranquility and timeless beauty.
Only the silver wind chimes under the eaves were stirred by the wind, tinkling softly.
After the wind chimes had swayed countless times, Qin Lie lifted her chin, lowered his head, and covered her lips with his.
He was usually strong and domineering, but this time he was extremely gentle, like the green of the treetops in March, or the wind that brushed across the pond.
It even evoked a sense of mutual support and affection.
In the end, he carried her to the bed. Lingyi clutched his shirt, her face flushed, and stammered, "You...you be gentle..."
Qin Lie feigned innocence: "What nonsense are you thinking? You still need to rest. I just carried you here to rest."
He was clearly doing it on purpose. She turned away, partly because she didn't want to talk to him, and partly because if the two of them were to sit close together on this sweltering summer night, especially someone like him who was as hot as a furnace even on a winter night, it would only make things more unbearable.
He caught up with her, turned her around, and sighed out of the blue, "Why were you so foolish?"
Lingyi looked at him, puzzled.
He flicked the tip of her nose: "You're so bold, you dare to run into a knife, aren't you really afraid?"
Lingyi recalled the scene and felt a lingering fear. She nodded honestly.
Qin Lie sneered: "Knowing to be afraid means there's still hope for you. Don't you even think about who you can save with your little body?"
His words were tinged with disdain, but his eyes were full of gentle smiles.
Lingyi asked, "Who was that person? Why did he want to kill you?"
They were naturally followers of the White Lotus Sect, ordinary people from the surrounding area. Without needing to disguise themselves, they were difficult to guard against; Qin Lie had already encountered several groups. Knowing that telling her would only worry her, Qin Lie simply replied, "They're nothing more than people who're tired of living."
Seeing that she was about to ask more questions, he said, "The doctor told you to rest. Writing the letter just now has taken a lot of your energy. Talk less and go to sleep early. Once you've recovered, I'll teach you how to ride a horse."
Upon hearing that she could ride a horse, Lingyi quickly closed her eyes. Still weak, she soon fell into a deep sleep.
Qin Lie stared at her for a long time before closing his eyes and falling asleep.
They were staying in the former residence of the prefect, who had served for more than ten years, diligently exploiting the people from morning till night. Naturally, his mansion was very comfortable to live in, even more so than the newly built princess's mansion.
For example, the princess's residence didn't have an ice room as big as his. Lingyi arrived in a hurry and only brought Pearl with her. Zhao Mama wasn't there, so the two of them spent their days making food with ice. Lingyi was smart, and Pearl was skilled, so the two worked together seamlessly.
Every time Qin Lie returned home, he would drink a bowl of this, which was indeed cool and refreshing, so he returned home earlier and earlier.
In the past, whenever he came to or from Tongzhou, he would finish his important business and leave, leaving the trivial matters to his subordinates.
This time, he not only stayed a few more days, but also returned home without fail at the appointed time every day, which naturally led some people to speculate.
Sun Yuebin had a nose more sensitive than a dog's. Although those people kept quiet about what happened after Qin Lie left that day, he still caught a whiff of something sensual.
—If there were no women, who would make the general treat a temporary stopover as his home?
He sent a white jade Guanyin statue to the prefect's residence, saying it was for his wife.
Regardless of whether they are mistresses, concubines, or maids, no one is unhappy to hear this term.
The gifts were sent out and not returned, so Sun Yuebin knew that the general had tacitly approved them. The next day, he sent another set of chess pieces made of Hetian jade.
Lingyi was captivated by the items, not because they were particularly valuable, but because her dowry was rather lackluster and her private treasury was empty, leaving her feeling insecure.
She had previously worried that when the Sixteenth Princess's child was born, she wouldn't even be able to send a decent congratulatory gift.
You can't just give the child those pieces of jewelry Qin Lie gave her; they're aesthetically unappealing, just heavy, and reflect the taste of a nouveau riche from the countryside.
Although I was happy to accept these gifts, I was also uneasy. After much hesitation, I decided to return them.
Qin Lie asked, "You really don't like it?"
Lingyi honestly replied, "Of course I like it, but I can't accept something for nothing, and I always feel guilty taking it."
Her expression, clearly reluctant yet forcing herself to give up, was pitiful and aggrieved, like a puppy that couldn't get a bone.
Qin Lie wanted to laugh, but fearing she might be shy, he coughed lightly and said, "Then I'll accept it. I'll take full responsibility."
How to shoulder the responsibility?
"If he comes to you for help, I will naturally do what I can for him."
"What if it can't be done?"
"Then let's get the person done."
Lingyi was shocked. How could accepting a gift lead to someone's death? Then she saw Qin Lie's wide eyes and his barely suppressed laughter, and realized that he was teasing her on purpose again.
Before she could get angry, Qin Lie pulled her close, saying, "Those things of his were all leaked from my hands, so you can keep them. Don't say you feel guilty; I just feel they're not good enough for you."
With Sun Yuebin's example, more people started sending gifts to the mansion, and Lingyi had to prepare two wooden boxes to carry them back home.
Not long after Lingyi returned to the princess's residence, Manager Chen came to visit again, informing her that the court had approved the prince consort's petition and dispatched that general to lead troops to quell the rebellion. More than a month later, he brought news of the general's great victory, and also said that the crown prince had the wisdom to recognize and use people, and that all the civil and military officials admired him.
Lingyi was happy for the Crown Prince, and also pleased that she could help him.
After Manager Chen left, she suddenly remembered: "Why hasn't my brother, the Crown Prince, replied?"
Qin Lie said, "These spies all use carrier pigeons to send messages. Ordinary messages are sent from the ground, and it would take an unknown amount of time to travel back and forth."
Recalling the arduous journey back to Jizhou from the capital, Lingyi felt a pang of sorrow. She hoped the letter would reach its destination, as it contained a pair of jade rings for her nephew whom she had never met, and she hoped they wouldn't be stolen by thieves along the way.
Lingyi told him about her past with the Crown Prince.
Her birth mother, the only woman brought back from outside the palace by Emperor Jiahe, was once the most favored concubine. However, no matter how beautiful she was, she couldn't withstand the emergence of new beauties, and Emperor Jiahe gradually neglected her until he forgot her. A woman with no background and many enemies, forgotten by the emperor in the harem, was destined to die young. At that time, Lingyi was not even six years old.
An unfavored princess with no hope of turning her life around, her days in the palace were predictably miserable. She was driven out of the palace where she had lived before, with only Aunt Liu Cui by her side. Her allowance and expenses were cut off, and although she was not destitute, she was in a difficult situation with cold food and meager blankets.
Lingyi would never forget the year she was seven. Her aunt, Liucui, was bedridden and unconscious. She herself was burning with fever. They had spent all their money, but they had entrusted the wrong person and could not summon a royal physician. The two of them were about to die together. She was unwilling to accept this. Hearing from people in the palace that the Crown Prince was kind-hearted, she waited and waited outside the East Palace.
That year, the capital city was hit by an unusually heavy snowfall, which piled up to her knees. Finally, she heard the eunuch's voice announcing his arrival.
As the Crown Prince left the palace, she hurriedly ran out from her hiding place. She ran so fast that she became dizzy and slipped and fell in front of the Crown Prince.
"Assassin! There's an assassin!"
Then a group of people rushed over and surrounded her, guarding her with swords and knives.
She tried to get up to explain, but her head was spinning and she had no strength. In her dazed state, someone dismissed everyone around her, helped her up, frowned and looked at her carefully. He placed his hand on her forehead and turned to the Crown Prince, saying, "Your Highness, it's a child." He added, "A sick little girl."
In fact, Xie Yu was only a little over ten years old at that time, and he was a child himself.
Lingyi argued in a hoarse voice, "I...I'm not a little girl, I'm a princess...the seventeenth princess."
Qin Lie casually stroked her shoulder and said with a smile, "So, half of your life was saved by Xie Yu. No wonder he became your brother-in-law later. Fate is indeed predetermined."
This sounded strange, and Lingyi wanted to refute it, but she couldn't find anything wrong with it when she tried to explain it in detail, so she continued, "In short, it was my brother, the Crown Prince, who saved me and Aunt Liucui. The imperial physician said that if it had been any later, our lives would have been in danger. Later, he settled Aunt Liucui and me in Chaohua Palace, and he would visit me from time to time. He would also often bring me delicious food and fun things. With him backing us up, no one in the palace bullied us anymore!"
She said expectantly, "Princesses who are married off to distant lands are not allowed to enter the capital without an imperial edict. When my brother, the Crown Prince, ascends the throne, he will surely let me go back, since he loves me so much. Then I will be able to see my little nephew and let him see our child."
Qin Lie stopped what he was doing. "Our child?"
Lingyi accidentally blurted out her true feelings and covered her face with her hands in embarrassment.
It's not that she wanted to have children, but rather that it's a natural right for women to marry and have children; all women in the world are like that, and she shouldn't be an exception.
The medicine given to her by the Fifteenth Princess was finished more than two months ago, but the divine physician said that she was born with a cold uterus and would have difficulty conceiving, so she needed to take good care of herself.
Although Qin Lie spent little time in the prefecture, every time he returned he was greedy and plentiful, and every time their intimacy was so deep that Lingyi always felt that if it weren't for her cold uterus, she would probably get pregnant immediately after stopping the medication.
Even better now, she remembered Aunt Liu Cui's words: do not want to get pregnant before the age of seventeen, and after two more years of recuperation, the arrival of the child will be a natural outcome.
They had just been intimate, and now neither of them was dressed. She blushed with embarrassment, her whole body turning pink. Qin Lie pulled her hands away, revealing his face, which was both shy and reproachful, with captivating, watery eyes.
His desire was easily aroused. He held the person in his arms, rubbing and kissing him for a while, and then coaxed, "I will be riding a horse on the road tomorrow. This time you can be on top."
What kind of talk is that? It's as if she's begging him. Lingyi was intimidated by his shamelessness and it took her a long time to finally manage to utter the words "I won't."
Qin Lie laughed: "Didn't I teach you this back in Ningzhou? You've already forgotten it in such a short time?"
During those days in Ningzhou, memories of learning to ride horses by day and riding people by night flooded back to Lingyi, making her legs tremble and her desire to escape grow stronger.
In the end, she was coaxed and forced to sit on him, leaning forward with her arms supporting her on either side of his body.
Her long, flowing black hair enveloped them both. The most noble princess in the world pressed him down, yet both of them knew perfectly well that he had the princess completely under his control.
He could make her cry when he wanted her to cry, laugh when he wanted her to laugh, live when he wanted her to live, and die when he wanted her to die.
What could be more exciting for a man than conquering a princess?
At least at this moment, Qin Lie couldn't have imagined it.
His gaze fell on her face and body, growing increasingly dark and deep. As she moved, veins of suppressed anger gradually appeared on his forehead.
Finally, she was exhausted. He rolled over and pinned her down, laughing hoarsely as he called her "little waste" before starting a new round of his journey.
It's unclear when it started, but if he had to leave the prefecture the next day, Qin Lie would habitually leave the Prince's residence the night before, actually staying overnight at the Princess's residence before leaving the next day.
Lingyi, her hands and legs aching, yawned as she helped him put on the sash.
This was also a habit he had recently developed: to have her dress him herself before he left.
Made of leather straps, it was used to hang swords and other items, and was sewn with some copper buckles; it was quite heavy.
Lingyi wrapped her arms around his strong waist and then bent down to fasten the four leather buckles one by one.
After he left, she was going back to bed for a nap, so she was still wearing her nightgown and her hair was loose. A few strands of her long, silky hair brushed against the back of his hand as she moved. He picked up a strand and rubbed it in his hand; it was smooth and slightly cool.
Just then, Granny Zhao entered the room, carrying a bowl of dark, medicinal soup.
Ling Yi felt bitter inside, but this medicine was specially prepared for her by the divine physician at Qin Lie's request, and her coquettishness was useless.
She held her breath and drank it all in one gulp. Immediately, Granny Zhao handed her some candied fruit. Even the carefully pickled candied fruit couldn't mask the bitterness in her mouth, and her little face scrunched up in a grimace.
Qin Lie patted her back gently and comforted her, "You won't have to drink it anymore soon."
Granny Zhao beamed, "Yes, once the princess has recovered and is pregnant, she should start taking the medicine to prevent miscarriage!"
Although the general doted on the princess, he would return whenever he had a spare moment, sometimes even riding hundreds of miles back for a day or two, and showering her with jewels and ornaments.
But not having children always makes one feel uneasy.
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