Chapter 96 Ten concubines, a mere facade; ten courtyards, yet his heart belongs to only one beautiful maiden. ...
The most talked-about topic in the capital recently has been a strange tale about the young master of the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion. In an instant, the story spread throughout the nine streets and eighteen alleys, becoming the talk of the town among officials, nobles, and ordinary people.
The young marquis had become famous at a young age, with numerous military achievements. As a direct descendant of the first-rank Feng family, he was a highly sought-after son-in-law in the eyes of countless noble families in the capital. Countless families had flocked to the Zhenyuan Marquis's residence to arrange a marriage.
But who would have thought that overnight, everything changed drastically? This young marquis actually took ten beautiful concubines into his mansion, and each of them was a beauty with both looks and talent from brothels. As soon as the news came out, the whole capital was in an uproar, leaving everyone speechless.
Those noble families who used to eagerly await marrying their daughters into the Marquis's household now avoided him like the plague. They secretly thought that with this young Marquis so indulging in pleasure and dissolute behavior, wouldn't their pampered daughters suffer at the hands of concubines and be thrown into a pit of fire if they married him? As for those families who wanted to send beautiful concubines to please him, they gave up their ideas upon seeing this. The newly acquired concubines in the Marquis's household were all exceptionally talented, beautiful, and skilled, and their own chosen candidates paled in comparison, so they no longer dared to speak up.
Even the Emperor's previously vague intention to use a noblewoman to marry him and thus keep him in check was completely abandoned because of this incident. After all, if he were to betroth a noblewoman to him, it would be tantamount to pushing him into a pit of fire in the inner quarters of the palace. Not only would it fail to keep him in check, but it would also earn him a reputation for mistreating his daughters.
Today, Su Jinxiu hurriedly returned to Feng Mansion from Huayun Pavilion because Ye Lingbo sent someone to tell her that there was something urgent to discuss. As soon as she stepped into her courtyard, she saw Ye Lingbo looking anxious. She grabbed her hand and led her into the hall without saying a word.
After dismissing everyone and closing the hall door, and after the two of them were seated as host and guest, Ye Lingbo hesitated several times, her brows furrowed with anxiety and tenderness.
Seeing that her expression was not right, Su Jinxiu spoke first and asked, "Mother, why are you in such a hurry to call me back? You look very anxious."
Ye Lingbo sighed heavily, reached out and stroked her hair, her voice full of pity: "Jinxiu, you've been wronged. Erlang... could he have been possessed by an evil spirit? How could he do such a shocking and outrageous thing! Don't worry, don't cry in secret. Your father and I will seek justice for you. Since he dares to be such a heartless and unfaithful man, he should think twice about whether he can bear the consequences!"
Su Jinxiu was stunned for a moment before realizing that Ye Lingbo had heard the rumors in the capital. She quickly took her hand and explained carefully, "Mother, Erlang's actions were not absurd; they were actually a strategic move to eliminate any potential threats. With the mourning period still ongoing, there are always people in the court and among the people who want to send wives and concubines to his household, either for political alliances or to curry favor. It's impossible to guard against them all. By taking in ten beautiful concubines, he can effectively block any pretexts from others, cutting off the idea of marriage alliances between noble families and the possibility of an official marriage. This was all carefully planned beforehand, so you don't need to worry."
Ye Lingbo was taken aback upon hearing this, her brows furrowing slightly as she weighed the pros and cons from beginning to end. When she looked up again and saw Su Jinxiu's resolute expression, with no trace of resentment or fear in her eyes, her heart finally settled.
She gently patted Su Jinxiu's hand and sighed with a mixture of anger and helplessness, "You guys... well, it's shocking, but it's the most effective method right now."
Su Jinxiu had previously learned some tea-making skills at the Feng residence, and now she led Ye Lingbo to stroll through the tea room.
The clear spring water on the stove was boiling. She took the Dragon Ball Tea, which was as white as snow, ground it into powder, sifted it, and poured the hot water into it. As she stirred it gently with a teaspoon, milky white foam gradually rose up.
While focusing on making tea, she continued, "Mother, you may not know this, but the ten beautiful concubines that Erlang took in were originally the top courtesans of Zuichunfang who wanted to escape their lowly status. Bringing them into the mansion was just a smokescreen; they were released in the blink of an eye. Not only were they made to abandon their stage names and regain their real names, but they were also sent away from Bianjing to find a new place to live. Naturally, outsiders have no way of knowing this. Furthermore, each of them was given several times the wealth of an ordinary family, enough for them to live comfortably for several lifetimes."
Looking at the delicate foam in her cup and listening to the meticulous arrangements, Ye Lingbo couldn't help but sigh: "With your unity of purpose and your ability to consider things so thoroughly, you can surely overcome even the greatest difficulties. It's just that I'm worrying unnecessarily and adding to my anxieties."
“How could I be worrying unnecessarily?” Su Jinxiu held her teacup, looked up at Ye Lingbo with a smile, her eyes full of affection. “With my mother’s love and care, even if I encounter any problems in the future, I know she will be there to support and take care of me. I’m so happy. Right now, I just want to be more affectionate with my mother and let her love and spoil me more.”
Ye Lingbo felt soothed by her gentle words and raised her hand to lightly tap the tip of her nose.
The tea room was filled with the aroma of tea, and the two people's laughter created a warm and cozy atmosphere, making the room feel comfortable and pleasant.
After chatting with Ye Lingbo, Su Jinxiu set off to return to the Zhenyuan Marquis's residence. Following Mo Ci's directions, she learned that Wen Shiqin was in his study handling affairs, so she went straight there.
Before even reaching the door, she heard a man's wailing coming from inside, hoarse and shrill, unlike Wen Shiqin's voice. Su Jinxiu became suspicious and gently knocked on the door.
The door opened with a sound, and Wen Shiqin stood inside, dressed in a black, narrow-sleeved python robe with gold embroidery that outlined his tall and straight figure, but his face was cold and aloof.
Su Jinxiu looked past him into the room and saw a person crawling on the ground, throwing a tantrum and crying.
She immediately pushed aside Wen Shiqin's arm and stepped inside. There she saw the man on the ground crying his heart out, lying on his side with his hands tightly covering his face, refusing to reveal any of his features.
Su Jinxiu squatted down and looked at his figure more and more familiarly, so she simply stretched out her slender fingers and gently lifted his hand.
It turned out to be Xie Hongying.
Upon seeing her, Xie Hongying reacted as if she were a drowning person finding a piece of driftwood, grabbing her wrist tightly and crying out, "Qiao Niang! Qiao Niang, save me!"
Su Jinxiu was startled by his disheveled appearance. She turned to look at Wen Shiqin, who was standing by the door with a cold expression, and then looked back at Xie Hongying, whose eyes were filled with tears. She couldn't help but frown and ask, "What happened? How did you get into this state?"
She straightened up, about to ask why, when Xie Hongying suddenly pounced on her, hugging her leg tightly, crying and refusing to let go.
Upon seeing this, Wen Shiqin felt a surge of anger rising within him. He raised his eyebrows sharply and shouted coldly, "Let her go!"
"I won't let go! I'd rather die than let go!" Xie Hongying cried, tears streaming down his face, clinging tightly to her legs. "I don't want to join the army! Wen Shiqin, what have I done to you? Why are you sending my brother to the army? I finally escaped from Qingzhou, and all I want is to live a few good days. I don't want to be a soldier! Qiaoniang, please save me! I really don't want to go! Wen Shiqin, I hate you!"
Su Jinxiu was momentarily at a loss, but she knew that this was no joke. So she tried to pull Xie Hongying up, but he held her tightly and she couldn't bend her knees. She could only touch his cheek.
This scene, as seen by Wen Shiqin, was as if she were gently caressing and comforting Xie Hongying. He clenched his fist and, for the first time ever, called her by her name.
"Su Jinxiu!"
Su Jinxiu's heart skipped a beat. She quickly withdrew her hand, straightened up, chuckled dryly, and turned to the person on the ground: "Hongying, get up first. If you have something to say, let's discuss it at length. I'll handle things for you."
Xie Hongying then grabbed Su Jinxiu's skirt tightly with one hand, sobbing as she got up and hid behind her, avoiding hearing Shi Qin's words like a venomous snake.
Wen Shiqin put his hands on his hips and turned his face away for a while to calm down. Then he suppressed the anger surging in his heart and said slowly, "Xie Hongying, I have already scouted the way ahead for you to go on this training mission. This group of soldiers is only dealing with a small group of bandits. It is by no means a fierce battle with a life-or-death situation. You can rest assured that I have made proper arrangements and there is no danger to your life."
"Even if there is no danger, I do not wish to go!" Xie Hongying said stubbornly, her neck stiff.
Wen Shiqin raised an eyebrow: "This matter is not up to you. I have already submitted your military registration documents, and the imperial decree is just one step away. If you insist on refusing, it will be considered disobeying the imperial decree, and you won't be able to get away with it by simply not going."
Upon hearing this, Xie Hongying sighed deeply, and the sobs she had just suppressed burst forth again. She cried to Su Jinxiu, "Qiaoniang, look at him! He's become more and more lawless, and he even tries to control my path! Qiaoniang, I really don't want to go. How can someone like me, a mere commoner, stay in that military camp?" As she spoke, she lunged forward to hug Su Jinxiu's arm.
Unable to bear it any longer, Wen Shiqin stepped forward, grabbed his collar, and pulled him a good ten feet away from Su Jinxiu. Although the force was heavy, he earnestly said, "Trust your brother this time! This is not to harm you, but for your long-term benefit!"
Helpless, Su Jinxiu had no choice but to patiently and gently persuade Xie Hongying, promising him an explanation within three days, before finally getting rid of this troublesome person.
When she returned to the study, she saw Wen Shiqin holding a white porcelain teacup between his fingers. Several fine cracks had appeared on the cup. He sat quietly at the desk, his face so gloomy it seemed to drip water, his gaze fixed on her intently.
As soon as Su Jinxiu stepped forward, he suddenly grabbed her waist and pulled her close, then firmly placed her on his lap and embraced her from behind. Before she could react, he leaned down and bit her slender neck with a forceful venting of anger.
Su Jinxiu winced in pain, raised her hand and slapped him, frowning and scolding, "What's wrong with you? Why are you acting crazy for no reason? Xie Hongying is not cut out for the hardships of military life, why are you forcing him like this?"
Wen Shiqin nestled against her neck, his breathing heavy and hot, and asked in a muffled voice with unspeakable grievance, "Sister, do you also think that I'm unreasonable and that I pushed him into the fire for no reason, don't you?"
Su Jinxiu thought to herself, "Isn't that exactly it?"
Seeing his melancholy and somewhat stubborn expression, she knew he was holding back his anger. If she spoke directly, he might bite her a few more times. So she softened her tone: "Of course not. You've always acted with discretion. There must be a reason for this arrangement. Why don't you tell me?"
He had clearly investigated the matter thoroughly. The Xie family had amassed wealth through the Grand Canal transport, but lacked official protection. They had long been seen as easy prey by the Grand Canal Governor's faction, who secretly falsified accounts and falsely accused the Xie family of embezzling government funds. The coveted silver was originally the Xie family's working capital, but now it had become the root of their downfall. The only solution was to have the Xie family donate the money to the army under the guise of supporting military supplies, and then have Xie Hongying voluntarily join the army. This would not only give the silver a legitimate purpose and silence the accusers, but also protect the entire Xie family through military service.
Wen Shiqin lowered his head and bit her neck hard again.
“Sister,” he said in a hoarse voice, full of resentment and unwillingness, “do you feel sorry for him? Do you think I’m being unreasonable and forcing him to do things he doesn’t want to do?”
Wen Shiqin raised his hand, his fingertips gripping Su Jinxiu's chin tightly, forcing her to look up at him. His tone was both sour and bitter: "I've finally seen things clearly. You can comfort me with such gentle words, and you can also patiently coax others. I wonder how many good younger brothers you have to protect? I was so naive before, thinking that you treated me differently, but it turns out you treat me the same way, so considerate and thoughtful. I've been so fooled by you!"
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Su Jinxiu was both angry and amused, raising her hand to poke his forehead. "Where would I have so many good younger brothers? From beginning to end, it's just you, hasn't it?"
Wen Shiqin's eyes were red, he was almost crying with anger. He turned his head away from her hand, his tone full of grievance and stubbornness: "I saw it all clearly! You touched his face and patiently coaxed him. He hugged your leg and cried, and you didn't push him away! It turns out that the position of my younger brother was never mine alone. It was all just wishful thinking on my part!"
After Wen Shiqin finished speaking, he raised his hand to cover his face, his shoulders trembling slightly, as if he were secretly shedding tears.
Su Jinxiu sat on his lap, feeling both amused and exasperated. They were already deeply in love, had shared intimate moments and made vows of eternal love, and were only one step away from marriage. Yet he was still fixated on this trivial matter. She was momentarily at a loss for words, and could only softly call out to him, "Aqin..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Wen Shiqin abruptly lowered his hand, his eyes still glistening with tears, but he suddenly brought up old grievances, his tone both sour and harsh: "Oh, I just remembered! Before we even got together, didn't you want to marry Xie Hongying? You almost actually did! You even praised him in front of Madam Xie, saying he was the best man in the world!"
He trembled as he accused, "I heard every single word you said that day under the artificial hill at the Xie residence!"
Su Jinxiu opened her mouth, never expecting him to bring up this old, trivial matter. She stammered, "You...you were there back then?...That was all nonsense from so many years ago!"
"Nonsense?" Wen Shiqin raised his eyes, the tears still glistening, but his tone was sharp and sarcastic. "If I hadn't risked my temper and opened my heart to you that day, with your gentle nature, you probably wouldn't have been able to resist Madam Xie's repeated matchmaking efforts! Should I still be respectfully calling you Madam Xie today?"
Su Jinxiu was so impatient with his pestering that she suddenly stood up from his lap. But when she saw his reddened eyes, she couldn't bring herself to scold him.
"You, you, you...I..."
Wen Shiqin sat there in the chair, looking up at her with a forlorn and aggrieved expression: "What? You won't even let me hug you anymore when Xie Hongying is mentioned? I understand, I really understand..."
As he spoke, he slumped back in his chair, raised his hand to cover his eyes with his forearm, and trembled slightly, exuding an indescribable sense of dejection and disappointment.
Su Jinxiu was truly at a loss. He wouldn't listen to sweet talk, and she couldn't bear to be harsh with him. So she could only reach out her finger and gently poke his arm, coaxing him in a soft tone, "Wen Shiqin, can you stop making a fuss? I really didn't mean it that way! I know you always act with discretion, and you must have arranged it this way for his own good... Don't cry."
As she spoke, she tried to pull away his hand that was covering his eyes, but he didn't budge and instead tightened his grip on her arm.
"Alright!"
Su Jinxiu was at her wit's end by his antics, and with a sudden burst of strength, she pulled away the arm that was covering his eyes.
To everyone's surprise, he actually cried. His eyes were terribly red, and tears rolled down his handsome cheeks. It was clearly some unfounded entanglement, yet it moved him to tears so deeply.
"Is this little old story worth crying like this?" Su Jinxiu was both angry and heartbroken. She raised her hand to wipe his tears with a handkerchief and then leaned down to gently kiss his forehead.
"You have the title of husband, but you act like a jealous mistress," she couldn't help but scold.
Wen Shiqin sniffled, sobbing, but he grasped the key point in her words: "You still know that I am your husband?"
In truth, upon hearing the word "husband," his heart had already melted like spring water, and his body felt a tingling sensation, yet his face remained stubborn.
"Otherwise what?" Su Jinxiu raised an eyebrow. "If you're not, then who is?"
"You have to prove to me that I'm the only one in your heart." He held her hand tightly, tears still glistening in his eyes.
“Okay, how do I prove it?” Su Jinxiu blurted out.
Then I realized something was wrong.
As expected, Wen Shiqin immediately got up and pulled her to the innermost room of the study.
The window was closed and the curtains drawn in one smooth motion, completely shutting out the daylight.
He lay straight down on the soft couch, neatly tousling his clothes. The dark fabric slipped loosely, revealing his well-defined chest and smooth abdominal muscles, which gleamed with a honey-colored sheen in the dim light.
Upon seeing this, Su Jinxiu unconsciously swallowed, then quickly looked away to force herself to control herself.
This is broad daylight...
But Shi Qin wouldn't let her off the hook. He patted his waist and abdomen, his eyes burning with a burning light, and seduced her, "Sister, come on, didn't you promise to prove it?"
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