Husband
The instant before hearing A-Gui's answer, Wei Qiao had already heard the answer in his heart. He had no romantic feelings for the princess; he had never liked her the way he liked Xi Chun.
The princess is very nice, but he just can't bring himself to like her.
It's not the princess's fault, it's his.
He once thought he wouldn't be troubled by romantic entanglements and could easily manage his relationships with his wives and concubines. Like other nobles, he imagined himself surrounded by virtuous wives and beautiful concubines, living a life of blissful ease. Now, however, he realized his heart wasn't so expansive; with Xichun by his side, there was no room for anyone else. No matter how wonderful the princess was, she could never truly occupy a place in his heart.
But how could he make amends for the princess's guilt? What could he do for a woman whose life he had ruined?
Wei Qiao fell asleep with a heavy heart, but couldn't sleep peacefully all night.
The following morning, an imperial edict summoned Wei Qiao to the palace. As the carriage of Prince Zhao's residence left the gate, Ming Chuqing, in Yunhe Hall, finally awoke, still throbbing from a hangover.
Ming Chuqing took the hangover soup that Cuiju brought her. After drinking the warm soup, her headache was relieved considerably. After washing up, she went to the small flower hall to check on her chrysanthemums.
The chrysanthemums were growing well, and her favorite Jade Pot Spring had bloomed a new flower overnight. She leaned closer to admire them, and her eyes caught sight of a carving of children playing with butterflies on the side of the flower stand. She reached out and touched the carved lines, a determined smile spreading across her face.
Yan Zhongxing knew Ling Shuang's position in Wei Qiao's heart and was worried that he would be too saddened by Ling Shuang's death and need to rest, so he said, "I think you don't need to go to Jiangnan anymore, Ren'er. I will entrust other ministers to continue the investigation."
Wei Qiao cupped his hands and said, "Now that I have taken over, I will see it through to the end. In a few days, after I have settled the affairs of my household, I will continue south. Your Majesty need not arrange any other ministers."
Yan Zhongxing offered a few more words of advice, but seeing Wei Qiao's resolute mind, he could only say, "Then you shall handle this matter. Just don't rush it, Ren'er, remember to get plenty of rest."
Wei Qiao rose and greeted the emperor: "Yes, nephew thanks Your Majesty for your consideration."
Wei Qiao was kept in the palace for lunch by the emperor and did not return to his residence until the afternoon. After dealing with the recent letters sent to Prince Zhao's residence in his study, he went to Chaoxia Courtyard to see Xichun before dinner.
While carrying water in the evening, Shui Xian accidentally scalded her index finger with hot water, causing a series of small blisters to form. Xi Chun was applying ointment to the burn. Only when she heard people in the courtyard greeting Wei Qiao did Xi Chun realize that he had arrived.
"Consort, this servant may leave now," said Shui Xian. She had burned her hand and would be unable to serve for the next two days, so the Consort had told her to rest in her room for a few days.
Xi Chun closed the cap on the ointment and handed it to her, saying, "Okay, you can go now. Remember to apply this ointment on time."
When Wei Qiao saw that the girl Shui Xian bowed to him and then hurriedly left, he laughed and said, "Am I going to eat people? Why did that girl leave as soon as she saw me?"
"Your Highness is joking. Shui Xian burned her hand, so I let her go and rest," Xi Chun said with a smile.
Seeing Xichun get up from the daybed, Wei Qiao hurriedly went over to help her up. Seeing her slightly protruding belly, Wei Qiao couldn't help but squat down and put his ear close to it.
"What is Your Highness doing?" Xi Chun asked, amused by his childish action.
"Shh, don't talk," Wei Qiao whispered. He listened intently to the sounds coming from inside Xi Chun's belly.
Xi Chun thought for a while before realizing that he wanted to hear the baby's voice. She reached out and touched his black hair, and smiled, "The baby is still young. I asked the physician, and it will be another month or so before we can hear the baby's movements."
Upon hearing this, Wei Qiao felt somewhat disappointed. He reached out and placed his palm on Xi Chun's lower abdomen, saying softly, "Father is going to Jiangnan soon. When Father returns, he will bring you some fun toys so that my son can play with them after he is born."
"How did Your Highness know that I was carrying a son? What if it was a girl?" Xichun asked him.
Wei Qiao stood up, put his arm around her waist, and laughed, "I like any girl I like. If only any girl were as beautiful as you, the boys who want to marry her would surely break down the gates of my Prince Zhao's mansion."
Xi Chun reached out and gently patted his hand, "The child hasn't even been born yet, and Your Highness is already thinking so far ahead."
Thinking back to what he had just said, she asked, "Does Your Highness still want to go to Jiangnan?" Xi Chun hadn't received any news, and she thought Wei Qiao wouldn't go anymore.
“Yes, the matter in Jiangnan is settled, and I don’t feel comfortable leaving it to someone else. I’ll go there in a few days,” Wei Qiao said.
After the two had dinner together, Wei Qiao pulled Xi Chun to sit on the daybed and listened to him recite the Book of Songs to the child.
"There was a beautiful woman, graceful and elegant. We met by chance, and vowed to stay together forever."①
Wei Qiao's voice was deep and pleasant to the ear. However, Xi Chun felt that the child probably wouldn't understand it this way. While he finished reciting the poem and drank water, Xi Chun asked, "The child is so young, how could he possibly understand?"
Wei Qiao put down his teacup, stepped forward and took her hand. "Although the child can't understand, she can hear her father's voice. She will be closer to me when she is born, and this method can also make the child smarter."
"Where did Your Highness hear this from?"
"At Yongning Academy in Hangzhou, the headmaster Chen is a former subordinate of the Imperial Uncle. I heard that he used this method when he was young, and now all three of his children are Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations)."
Xi Chun chuckled, "Does Your Highness want our child to pass the imperial examination in the future?"
Wei Qiao gently shook her hand and said seriously, "If it's a boy, it's naturally best to take the imperial examination. If it's a girl, she should also study and become a smart and sensible girl."
After a brief pause, Wei Qiao continued reading to the child, but Xi Chun's mind was preoccupied with his description of Jiangnan. If she could persuade Wei Qiao to take her with him to Jiangnan, he wouldn't be able to watch over her constantly, and she might find a chance to escape. Having made up her mind, Xi Chun began pestering Wei Qiao about the sights and scenery of Jiangnan before going to bed.
"Your Highness, you describe Jiangnan as so wonderful. I would also like to go and see it with you," Xichun said.
Wei Qiao stroked her hand and shook his head. "You are pregnant now, how can you withstand such a journey? If you want to go, wait until the child is born, and then I will accompany you."
Xi Chun turned her head and climbed onto Wei Qiao's neck, leaning down to kiss his lips. Xi Chun used all the techniques she had learned from Wei Qiao, prying open his teeth and grinding them against his lips until she could hardly breathe before she pulled away from his.
Because of Xichun's pregnancy, Wei Qiao hadn't been close to her for a long time, fearing he might lose control and do something to harm her and their child, just like last time. He even dared to only give her a fleeting, superficial kiss. This time, Xichun's initiative suddenly ignited a fire in Wei Qiao's heart.
He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her deeply, feeling a blissful sense of euphoria as their breaths mingled.
After a while, Wei Qiao released her. Xi Chun's chest was heaving violently, and her bright eyes were glistening with tears. He leaned down and gently kissed her forehead, saying, "I'm going to take a bath. You go to sleep first."
Xi Chun guessed why he wanted to take a bath, and she tugged at his sleeve, "Husband, I... will help you."
It was the first time Wei Qiao had heard Xi Chun call him "husband." Her sweet voice instantly softened his heart. For a moment, he forgot the heat in his body and felt as if his long-held, deepest longing had been fulfilled.
After the pleasure subsided, Wei Qiao held her close as they leaned against the headboard, recalling how she had called him "husband" earlier.
"Xichun, could you call me husband one more time?"
Xi Chun looked up at him, thinking of the things in Jiangnan. She said coquettishly, "Husband, husband, husband, please take me to Jiangnan, okay? I really want to go."
Wei Qiao longed to keep her by his side, but as an imperial envoy, he had to travel between various prefectures in Jiangnan. She was pregnant, and it had been a dangerous time for her in the past few months. He absolutely could not let her and the child take any risks.
“No.” Wei Qiao said sternly.
Realizing he had spoken too harshly, he added gently, "You stay here obediently, and I promise I'll be back soon after I've finished dealing with the affairs in Jiangnan."
Xichun knew there was no hope of going to Jiangnan with him. She was somewhat disappointed, and without saying anything more, she silently lay down and closed her eyes to prepare for sleep.
Seeing that her face was turned inward, Wei Qiao knew she must be a little unhappy. He turned to the side and hugged her, saying, "Do you want to know about Fuping County and Miao Wendao?"
Upon hearing this, Xichun immediately opened her eyes, but did not reply.
Wei Qiao kissed her hair and continued, "Li Gao from Fuping County, who caused you to leave your hometown, a few months ago forcibly took a flower girl home as a concubine. The flower girl's brother sought revenge, and he and his father were killed. He can no longer cause trouble in the village."
Evil deeds deserve evil consequences, and this is only to be expected. Remembering that he had just spoken ill of Brother Miao, Xichun pressed, "What about Brother Miao? How is he?"
Hearing her ask about Miao Wendao with such enthusiasm, Wei Qiao pursed his lips in displeasure. However, considering that Xi Chun was now his woman and had just called him "husband," and that Miao Wendao could no longer separate them, his jealousy lessened considerably.
"Miao Wendao repaired water conservancy projects in Lantai County, benefiting the people. However, he infringed upon the interests of his superiors and was impeached. During this time, he was even imprisoned in the prefectural jail. Although the court later cleared his name, he resigned from his position as magistrate of Lantai County last month."
Although Wei Qiao disliked Miao Wendao's competition with him for Xichun, he still acknowledged Miao Wendao's achievements as a local official. However, his excessive uprightness and lack of support in court led to repeated setbacks early in his career. The affairs of officialdom are always a complex mix of light and shadow, and his resignation might not necessarily be a bad thing.
"Brother Miao is a good official," Xichun said with emotion. Aunt Feng had mentioned that Brother Miao was demoted from the Ministry of Rites to Lantai County because of his outspoken remonstrances, and now he was imprisoned for offending his superiors. Although he was eventually exonerated, it must have greatly affected Brother Miao's original intention to enter officialdom.
As long as Brother Miao is happy, Xichun supports all his decisions. Although she has no face to appear in front of him again, she still hopes that he can live a free and happy life.
Wei Qiao spent the entire next day handling government affairs in Ming'an Hall. The following morning, another minister visited, and he didn't have time to rest until the afternoon.
When Ming Chuqing learned that Wei Qiao had a free moment, she brought a plate of osmanthus cake that she had asked the kitchen to prepare to Ming An Hall. Upon hearing Zhao Yu's announcement, Wei Qiao quickly let her in.
When Ming Chuqing was in the morning, Wei Qiao greeted him and said, "Your Highness, this is osmanthus cake that I made. Please have a taste."
"Your Highness, there's no need for such formalities." Wei Qiao quickly stepped forward to help her up. He felt guilty about what happened that day and hadn't figured out how to make it up to the princess. In the past two days, apart from having Zhao Yu deliver a luminous pearl, a gift from the Kingdom of Nanpu, which was a gift from the Emperor, to Yunhe Hall, he hadn't set foot in Yunhe Hall.
"I see that A-Gui is packing his things. Your Highness must be setting off in the next couple of days, right?" Ming Chuqing said with a smile.
Wei Qiao took a sip of tea and smiled, "Tomorrow morning, we'll head south to Jiangnan."
Ming Chuqing raised her hand to her temple, her expression forlorn, and said, "I don't know when Your Highness will return. Today the sky is high and the air is crisp. Would Your Highness accompany me for a stroll in the garden of this manor?"
Seeing that it was such a small matter, Wei Qiao immediately agreed. The hibiscus flowers in the garden were currently in full bloom, their alluring red and white blossoms adorning the branches. Ming Chuqing said she only wanted to be with him, so Wei Qiao dismissed the other servants, leaving only the two of them to stroll through the sea of hibiscus flowers. After a while, they sat down in the Qingfeng Pavilion in the courtyard.
After circling around with Wei Qiao for a while, Ming Chuqing felt a bit tired and it was time to make her intentions clear. She looked at Wei Qiao and said, "I came to see Your Highness today not just to stroll in the garden with you."
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