Chapter 104: Precognitive Dream (Qin Lie)
◎。 ◎
Granny Zhao almost bumped into him outside the door. Seeing his ashen face and gloomy expression, she hurriedly came in and asked, "We just had a joyous celebration for the young master's 100-day celebration. He was fine yesterday. What's wrong with him today?"
Seeing the clothes on the table, she had a guess in her mind. She glared angrily at Pearl, "Didn't I tell you to hide this? How could you be so careless as to let the General see it?!"
Pearl murmured, "It was the princess who asked me to take it out for the general."
Granny Zhao looked at Lingyi in disbelief. "How could the princess be so foolish? We had you help Aunt Liu before because it was a last resort when we first entered the palace. Now that we've established ourselves, and the general dotes on you, we should be on guard! This isn't the time to show our virtue! Aunt Liu sending these things now is clearly malicious. Just listen to me, hide them. If the general asks later, just say you forgot. How could you be so naive as to take them out for him yourself?!"
Lingyi knew that she was thinking of her, so she remained silent.
As a princess, her husband was not allowed to have concubines.
Unfortunately, as a princess, she was born during the decline of the Great Han Dynasty and was destined not to enjoy such treatment.
Although she understood all this long ago, she still felt uncomfortable at the thought of sharing a husband with other women.
Therefore, when she received the things from Aunt Liu a few days ago, she listened to what Granny Zhao said.
However, Zhen's words reminded her that she couldn't get pregnant with another child so quickly for Huan'er's sake.
Besides herbal decoctions, there are other methods of contraception.
Before she got married, her aunt Liu Cui had taught her that there are a few days each month when a woman is most likely to conceive, and a few days when it is much more difficult to conceive.
Perhaps because he was a military officer and spent his days away from home, Qin Lie's desires were extremely strong once he returned to the palace, and he couldn't bear to miss a single day. If it were just her alone, this method would only be a thought. But if someone else shared the burden, it might not be impossible.
She didn't know when her menstrual blood would recover, so she dared not delay any longer.
Qin Lie was clearly in a good mood today, and she thought that a harmonious marriage and the blessing of having two wives were always what men dreamed of. So she tried to ask him about it by asking about the clothes that Aunt Liu had given her. She had been very careful, but she didn't know why she had angered him again.
Lingyi sighed softly. If you disregarded his status as the imperial son-in-law, Qin Lie was actually a pretty good husband.
He was a man of great military achievements and held a high position of power, which gave her the confidence to stand tall as his wife and not be looked down upon by others.
She was extremely protective of her own, even if it meant disobeying the princess, she would still protect her own wife, and she would hold such a grand 100-day celebration for Huan'er.
He always gave her face in front of outsiders, not to mention that Hanmoxuan was entirely her domain. No one held her back, and she had plenty of money. She no longer had to worry about pleasing anyone, making her even more comfortable and at ease than she used to be in Chonghua Palace.
Other things, such as setting up special kitchens and entrusting the old lady with taking care of things, he could think of them without her having to mention them, which shows how thoughtful and considerate he was.
Unfortunately, his unpredictable temperament was truly unfathomable and terrifying.
.
Qin Lie returned to the outer courtyard with a gloomy face. Upon seeing Qin Xiaoshan, he instructed him to prepare the horses, as he was going to the Buddhist temple to fetch Aunt Liu back.
Qin Xiaoshan carefully considered his words before speaking: "The temple is in the suburbs. General, you can send someone to fetch Aunt Liu. Why go there in person? If you are worried, I can go and greet Aunt Liu myself."
Qin Lie gritted his teeth, "No need for words! I will go pick them up myself!"
Qin Xiaoshan dared not say anything more and hurriedly went to prepare the horse.
The news of Qin Lie going to fetch Aunt Liu quickly spread throughout the backyard.
A general with a distinguished military record and unparalleled good looks, how could he not be considered a lover if he personally went to fetch a concubine?
After Qin Lie left, Zhao Mama would sigh every time she saw Lingyi, and the sighs grew longer and longer each day.
They had been eagerly awaiting Qin Lie's return, but he spent his days in the study and his nights at Aunt Liu's place, never once setting foot in the main courtyard of Hanmoxuan.
Looking at Lingyi, who was casually playing with the child, Zhao Mama was no longer satisfied with just sighing and spoke up directly: "Doesn't the princess feel anxious at all?"
Lingyi shook the rattle in her hand, making Huan'er giggle. When she looked up and saw that Granny Zhao was still looking at her with concern, she replied slowly, "Granny, you should relax. What's the use of being anxious if the general is such a decisive person?"
Granny Zhao was exasperated. "Sometimes this old servant really can't tell whether the princess is clever or dull-witted. She's even managed to find a way out of a dead end, so why did she have to stumble on a flat road?"
Five or six more days passed, and Lingyi began to get restless. She had thought that Qin Lie would at least give her the respect due to a wife, and would come to see Huan'er. Unexpectedly, he suddenly became so angry, ignoring her for so many days, and even ignoring Huan'er.
But she really couldn't think of any major mistake she had made!
There are few masters in the Prince's mansion, and the interpersonal relationships are simple. The steward, Madam Zhen, takes good care of her in every way, so now no one fawns over the powerful and bullies the weak.
Although life is good now, Huan'er will suffer in the long run.
She had no choice but to find a way to "reconcile" with Qin Lie, but she was struggling with how to do it.
Qin Lie now only has two places to go in the Prince's Mansion: one is the study in the outer courtyard, and the other is Aunt Liu's place.
Although there was no rule that women in the inner quarters could not go to the outer courtyard, even Lady Zhen rarely set foot in the outer courtyard, let alone Lady Lingyi.
As for Aunt Liu... Qin Lie had told her about his deep longing for Aunt Liu, so how could Lingyi dare to overestimate herself and challenge her?
After much deliberation, Lingyi spent several days making an outer garment and, with little hope, had it delivered to the study in the outer courtyard.
As for the outcome, all we can do is try our best and leave the rest to fate.
Unexpectedly, that afternoon, just as she woke up from her nap and was still groggy, he entered the room with a cold face and began to mock her, "If the princess doesn't want to do it, she doesn't need to put on such a pretentious act, and why be so perfunctory?"
Lingyi was puzzled. "What is the general saying? I really don't understand."
Qin Lie unfolded the outer garment he was carrying, and Ling Yi saw that the perfectly good outer garment was adorned with two short, narrow sleeves, resembling an eagle with chicken wings, which was indescribably comical.
No wonder she noticed the sleeves were uneven in size when she was sewing them, but because she was in a hurry, she didn't have time to look closely. She also thought that he probably wouldn't be able to coax her once or twice and wouldn't even glance at them, so she just finished them carelessly and sent them over.
She sighed inwardly. No wonder they say slow and steady wins the race; her mistake was truly absurd.
At this point, he could only go over guiltily, take the outer garment from his hand, and bow his head to admit his mistake, "I've been busy lately, and I was too careless."
Qin Lie snorted coldly: "Whether it's carelessness or lack of attention, the princess knows the answer in her heart."
Although the words were blunt, the person sat down at the table.
Lingyi smiled awkwardly and gently pushed the freshly made mung bean smoothie on the table to him, "It's hot outside, General, have something cool to cool off."
It wasn't the hottest time of the day yet, but Qin Lie was already intolerant of the heat. He left the manor before dawn and was busy outside non-stop. After returning home, he didn't even have a sip of tea before rushing over upon seeing the outer robe. He was covered in sweat and his mouth was already parched.
Under her hesitant gaze, he coldly finished the mung bean shaved ice in a few bites, and the heat and frustration in his chest immediately dissipated.
Seeing that he liked it, Lingyi had someone serve him another bowl. After he finished eating, he looked at her with deep eyes.
Lingyi is delicate and doesn't like to go out when it's cold or hot, so an ice basin was placed in her room early in the morning.
She hadn't expected him to come over. She was dressed lightly, in a light red corset dress with a moon-white gauze overlay that was so thin it was almost transparent. She was also holding a round fan, fanning herself idly. Her fair shoulders and arms were partially visible with her movements, making her even more alluring.
Qin Lie realized that the wrong outer garment must have been her doing, deliberately luring him here to seduce him.
But at this moment, he couldn't think of any of that. He only felt that the heat he had just suppressed was rising again, burning him even more intensely than before, and he needed her to cool him down.
Well, he thought, she was his wife after all, and he couldn't very well offend her, so he gave in to her wishes this time.
He pulled the person onto his lap, wrapped his arms around her, and lowered his head to kiss her.
She instinctively tried to pull away, but he didn't let go. He just stared at her intently, his face visibly darkening again.
Lingyi immediately snapped out of her daze and quickly tried to smooth things over in a soft voice, "General, you're covered in sweat..."
She was always very clean, and if he was sweaty after being outside, he would take a shower and wash himself before daring to get close to her.
Thinking of this, Qin Lie's expression relaxed again, and he left the person and went to the clean room.
The summer sun was shining brightly, and there was hot water outside the house. He washed quickly, but when he came out, Lingyi was no longer inside.
Hearing the commotion outside, he went out and saw a thick mat laid out under the shade of a tree. Lingyi, Zhao Mama, and the wet nurse were gathered around the mat, watching Huan'er lying on it, struggling to practice turning over. Every time he struggled to turn over a little bit, the group would smile with delight, wishing they could clap their hands in celebration.
Especially the princess; Qin Lie had never seen her smile so heartily before. Her eyebrows were curved, and the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, giving her a kind of pure and untainted spirit.
He stood there for a long time without realizing it, until the clever little maid brought him a reclining chair, and only then did he sit down, his eyes still fixed on that direction.
These past few days, he's been incredibly busy during the day and hasn't had a proper night's sleep in days.
The sun was setting in the west, and a cool breeze was blowing. He had just taken a bath and felt light and comfortable. As he watched, he soon drifted off to sleep.
.
That night, Qin Lie naturally rested in the princess's room.
Granny Zhao has gotten used to it now. Ever since the princess entered the palace, she and the general have had several falling outs for some reason, only to reconcile again in a muddle, and their animosity has only grown stronger than before.
On the fourth day of Qin Lie's stay, Aunt Liu came over early in the morning, saying she wanted to pay her respects to the madam.
Lingyi was still asleep, but there was no reason not to see her, so she reluctantly got up, dressed simply, and met her.
The two were clearly not familiar with each other and had little to say to each other, but Aunt Liu sat there chatting and rambling, reluctant to take her leave.
Granny Zhao kept grinning as she listened, and kept giving the princess meaningful glances. Lingyi ignored her and smiled as she stayed with her until Qin Lie returned.
After Qin Lie finished practicing martial arts, he went to the street and bought mutton soup, which Lingyi liked to drink. Thinking that he had been up a lot last night and that the princess would not wake up for a while, he asked someone to keep the mutton soup simmering as soon as he entered the courtyard, so that it would not get cold and smelly.
Before he could finish giving his instructions, Aunt Liu came out of the hall and called out "General" in a lingering, plaintive tone.
He didn't have time to respond; his heart skipped a beat, and he quickly looked behind her.
The princess sat in the hall, her eyes calm and serene, looking straight ahead at him as if she could see to the horizon.
After Qin Lie dismissed Aunt Liu, Lingyi had already returned to the inner room, undid her hair, and lay back on the bed.
To avoid the summer heat, the bed curtains were not drawn. She lay there on her side, looking as languid and alluring as a figure in a painting.
Qin Lie stood behind the screen for a moment, then hesitated to go forward.
Although he never had a penchant for enjoying time with his wives and concubines, he would not deliberately bring them together.
She had seen Hui Niang and Aunt Liu together before, but she had never felt any unease about it.
Why do I feel so guilty and afraid to face the princess when I see both the princess and Aunt Liu today?
But he still had to go. He sat down by the bed, silently picked up the round fan beside the pillow, and fanned her gently, one stroke at a time.
Lingyi, impatient with him there, deliberately turned over so that she was facing inwards.
Qin Lie seemed oblivious, fanning her for a while longer until she fell asleep again, before getting up and leaving.
General Liang, who guards the northwest during the day, secretly sent his four sons to Jizhou to discuss matters.
With the country currently divided and the imperial destiny uncertain, the Qin family naturally accepted General Liang's suggestion with pleasure.
However, the details depend on the strength of both sides.
Qin Lie was in charge of receiving General Liang today and took him on a tour of the recruit camp.
General Liang was also a commander. He didn't need to go to the military camp; he could get a glimpse of the Jizhou army's prowess just by watching the new recruits train.
At the banquet upon his return, General Liang, in his drunken state, remarked that he had a younger sister who was over eighteen years old. Although she was well-educated and reasonable, she was too proud and remained unmarried.
Qin Lie then said that his sixth brother, Qin Shen, was of good character, but he was playful and had not yet discussed marriage.
Both sides had long understood each other's intentions, otherwise there wouldn't have been this visit to the recruit camp. The reason for discussing marriage was that they highly recognized each other's strength. They smiled at each other, and Qin Lie immediately ordered someone to invite Qin Shen over. General Liang was even more satisfied with Qin Shen's dignified appearance.
Both sides were decisive in their military campaigns, and they settled the matter in just a few words before continuing to drink and chat, enjoying themselves immensely.
Qin Lie first went back to his study to wash away the smell of alcohol, and it was already 9 PM when he returned to the backyard.
Although it was late, the summer night was cool, and the princess was usually still awake at this time, but today she locked the courtyard gate early.
Qin Lie was naturally annoyed to be turned away in his own courtyard. He knocked on the door and found Huan'er in the room, with the princess playing with him. Feeling a bit like a loving father, he also teased her for a while until he became sleepy from the alcohol. Then he sat down at the table to wait.
As another half hour passed, he grew increasingly sleepy, while Huan'er remained remarkably energetic. The princess showed no intention of having the wet nurse take him away, and Qin Lie began to grow impatient.
He urged her on, and only then did Lingyi realize he was still there. She turned around and looked at him with a puzzled expression, asking, "General, are you going to stay here tonight?"
She had originally planned to sleep with Huan'er tonight.
"If I'm not staying here, where am I going?" Qin Lie asked.
Lingyi paused for a moment, then smiled faintly and said, "I was just asking casually."
Qin Lie was drunk today, and the two went to bed early, until they heard a commotion outside.
Qin Lie was sound asleep when he was woken up. His temples throbbed. After comforting Ling Yi, who was also awakened, he put on his outer robe and went out with a sullen face.
Although Lingyi was puzzled, the voice was clearly outside the courtyard. Since it wasn't Huan'er who was in trouble, then the matter must have nothing to do with her.
As soon as Qin Lie left, the noise immediately subsided, and she was too lazy to get up again, so she closed her eyes and tried to continue sleeping.
Before she could fall asleep, there was a knock at the door, followed by familiar, steady footsteps, but he didn't come to bed for a long time.
Lingyi couldn't help but feel suspicious. When she opened her eyes, she saw Qin Lie sitting at the table facing the bed. His silhouette was hidden in the shadows, but his dark eyes were staring at her intently, as deep and unfathomable as a cold pool.
Lingyi felt uneasy under his gaze, so she sat up and forced a smile. "What happened outside?"
Qin Lie answered irrelevantly, "You sent my light armor to Aunt Liu?"
Lingyi was taken aback by his question and hesitated before guessing, "Could it be that Consort Liu was outside just now...?"
Qin Lie tapped the table with his finger, interrupting her question, "Answer."
Although his voice was gentle, it carried a great sense of oppression, even containing a hint of ruthlessness and sinister intent, making Yi feel increasingly uneasy. She whispered, "Yes."
After returning to the manor with General Liang, he sent someone to deliver the light armor, saying they would need it the next day. Lingyi thought that since Aunt Liu had come over this morning, he would probably go to Aunt Liu's place tonight, so she ordered someone to clean it up and send it over. Unexpectedly, he came over suddenly, so she had no choice but to order someone to go and fetch the light armor again.
Qin Lie didn't say anything more, but just sat there quietly, staring at her intently, inch by inch, as if he were looking at a stranger.
Although Lingyi was confused, she broke out in a light sweat and wanted to break the almost suffocating silence, but she really didn't know where to begin.
Before the boundless silence could weigh him down, he finally stood up and walked out, leaving without a trace of lingering attachment, heading to Aunt Liu's residence.
[Author's Note]
It's almost done pulling.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com