Chapter 87 Calling Out to My Husband
“I’m waiting for news from the Southwest,” Lou Jin continued. “If it’s just remnants of the Shadow Serpent, it’ll be much easier to handle. But if it’s foreign forces that have infiltrated, then it will be tricky.”
Ye Xunyang nodded, indicating that he understood. Lou Jin grasped his hand, "But now is not the time to take action. All we can do now is wait."
They boarded the carriage leaving the palace and remained silent the entire way.
As they approached the Prince Jin's residence, Ye Xunyang tried to ease the tension, saying, "Your Highness, now that this matter is over, things should finally be much calmer in the capital."
Lou Jin smiled upon hearing this. Of the four adult princes, two were out of luck, and another had just returned to the capital from guarding the border. Lou Jin, the only one left, was probably going to be even busier.
"Things might calm down in the capital, but they won't be in our Prince's Mansion."
Lou Jin looked at Ye Xunyang's speechless expression and comforted him, "It's alright, at worst we can just push it to my brother. He's been enjoying himself on the border for so many years, it's time for him to pay back some of his debts."
As they spoke, they arrived at the Prince's Mansion. The two alighted from the carriage one after the other. The newly appointed steward, Liu An, greeted them at the entrance. Ye Xunyang and Lou Jin walked side by side toward the study.
For some reason, Ye Xunyang thought of how those people ended up, and suddenly felt compelled to speak.
"Actually, Lou Qin deserved it for being greedy, but Consort Xian was also a pitiful person. If Wang Quan really wanted to save her back then, he could have gone to her house to propose marriage directly, or paid money to settle the matter, or even the two of them could have eloped."
"But he was timid and afraid of trouble. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to take her with him, and he was also afraid of getting into trouble."
"But in fact, Wang Quan's foolishness and soft heart also helped the prince a lot. If Lou Yi had known that you had recovered, wouldn't it have been even more difficult for us to go to the Northwest?"
Looking at the many things in the courtyard that Wang Quan had arranged beforehand, Ye Xunyang suddenly felt that Wang Quan's occasional foolishness had actually made things convenient for the prince.
"On the other hand, although Wang Quan accompanied Consort Xian into the palace, he had no power or influence there. His actions were entirely driven by his own emotions, and it was inevitable that Consort Xian would take this path."
"But..." Ye Xunyang thought of something and stopped talking in time.
The two stepped into the study, and Lou Jin casually sorted through the testimonies that had been sent over the past few days.
“I know what you want to say. Father Emperor was indeed too casual about the affairs of the harem. He forced Mother Empress to abandon her maternal family, turned a blind eye to Consort Gui’s arrogance, and did not treat Consort Xian as a human being. In the end, everyone ended up like this. He is indeed to blame.”
After hearing so many secrets about the imperial harem, Ye Xunyang suddenly felt that he knew things he shouldn't have known.
"Your Highness, I didn't say that. If anyone hears this and blames me, it has nothing to do with me."
Lou Jin stopped what he was doing, looked up at him as he tried his best to deny it, and raised an eyebrow slightly.
"oh?"
"Is my beloved concubine going to abandon me?"
"Your Highness, I am just a lowly general who has only recently been recognized by the Emperor as a princess. It's understandable that I'm afraid to suddenly hear so many things I shouldn't know, but..."
"I certainly won't abandon the prince; I still need the prince to pay my salary."
As she spoke, she leaned against Lou Jin and naturally wrapped her arms around Lou Jin's neck.
"Speaking of which, shouldn't you get a promotion in the military?"
"You were just a lowly sixth-rank general before, how about I promote you to the third rank?"
Lou Jin's words carried a hint of mockery, yet also revealed a serious consideration.
Ye Xunyang leaned against him, looked up at him, his eyes gleaming: "A third-rank official? Your Highness has quite the grand gesture. Aren't you afraid the court officials will say you're practicing nepotism and spoiling your relatives too much?"
"Spoiling?" Lou Jin chuckled softly, his fingers gently stroking the back of Ye Xunyang's neck, with a hint of soothing.
“My queen, you have earned your position through your true abilities. On the battlefield, you led the light cavalry to cover the rear, always at the forefront. In this campaign to eliminate traitors in the capital, you protected the emperor, stormed the palace, and captured the wanted criminals. Every single one of these was a great achievement. Your promotion to the third rank is entirely justified. Anyone who dares to say anything, let him come and argue with me.”
Ye Xunyang felt a warm glow in his heart, but he still deliberately said, "The salary must be paid on time and cannot be withheld."
"Of course." Lou Jin chuckled and tightened his arms around his waist. "I'm still counting on General Ye to continue protecting me in the future."
After a few laughs and jokes, the atmosphere in the study became much more relaxed.
The next day, as dawn broke, the number of carriages and horses outside the gates of the King Jin's mansion gradually increased.
Many officials who had gotten wind of the situation, hearing that His Highness Prince Jin was purging treacherous officials and enjoying great favor, brought gifts to his door, wanting to pay their respects and curry favor.
The newly appointed steward, Liu An, received Lou Jin's strict orders and stood guard at the gate of the mansion early in the morning, speaking to every visiting guest with the same respectful yet uncompromising words.
"Gentlemen, you are very kind. However, His Highness has been working hard and his old injuries have indeed flared up. The imperial physician has advised him to rest and recuperate, so it is really inconvenient for him to receive guests. His Highness said that he appreciates your kindness and will speak with you all when he is better."
Although the crowd was somewhat disappointed, they cited the imperial physician's advice, and no one dared to insist. After all, this man was now extremely powerful and had just made a great contribution; no one dared to offend him at this critical juncture.
So, they left their name cards and gifts, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then dispersed one by one.
When the news reached the inner courtyard, Lou Jin was leaning against the soft couch by the window, idly flipping through a military book. Ye Xunyang was sitting beside him, peeling an apple, practicing his wrist movements, the peel hanging down in a continuous stream, his technique skillful.
After listening to Liu An's report on the situation outside the door, Ye Xunyang cut the peeled apple into small pieces, placed them on a white jade plate, pushed it in front of Lou Jin, and smiled: "Your Highness's injury will probably take some time to heal."
Lou Jin picked up a piece of apple and put it in his mouth; it was sweet and crisp.
He looked at Ye Xunyang with a lazy smile in his eyes: "Yes, the injury is to the core, so it needs to be slowly recuperated, especially... it needs the Princess's personal care. It is not advisable to overwork or receive guests."
He spoke the last few words slowly and deliberately, with a hidden meaning.
After having breakfast, Lou Jin did not go to the study to handle official business. He instructed that unless it was an urgent military matter, all other matters should be handled by Prince Yan.
They called it following the doctor's advice and taking a good rest.
Thus, for the entire day, the inner courtyard of the King Jin's mansion became a world that belonged only to the two of them.
In the morning, the two played chess in the warm pavilion next to the study.
Ye Xunyang's chess skills are not as good as Lou Jin's, but he is tenacious and never gives up.
Lou Jin was not in a hurry. He slowly placed his pieces, occasionally offering a few pointers, but mostly he admired Ye Xunyang's serious expression as he frowned in thought.
Sunlight streamed through the window and fell on Ye Xunyang, casting a soft halo around him. Lou Jin watched, feeling his heart overflow with joy.
After the game ended, Ye Xunyang lost again, and somewhat unwillingly picked up his pieces: "I'll definitely beat you next time."
"Alright, I'll be waiting." Lou Jin smiled, reaching out to straighten his slightly disheveled collar. "But what's the stake?"
Ye Xunyang looked up at him, meeting those deep, smiling eyes. His heart skipped a beat, but he forced himself to remain calm: "What kind of bet does Your Highness want?"
Lou Jin leaned over and whispered something in his ear.
Ye Xunyang's face flushed red instantly, and he grabbed a chess piece as if to hit him: "...You're being indecent!"
Ye Xunyang's cheeks flushed slightly, and he was about to retort when Lou Jin changed the subject, his tone becoming persuasive: "However, if you don't agree to this, then I have another matter, which should be simple for you."
"What?" Ye Xunyang looked at Lou Jin, who was keeping him in suspense, and forgot to struggle because of his curiosity.
Lou Jin lifted Ye Xunyang's chin with one hand, his fingertips gently caressing his smooth skin, and said slowly, "From now on, don't call me Your Highness in private anymore."
Ye Xunyang was taken aback.
Lou Jin gazed into his eyes, his voice low and gentle: "Call me Lou Jin, or... anything else is fine."
"The others?" Ye Xunyang repeated subconsciously, his heart beating faster for no apparent reason.
Lou Jin leaned closer, almost touching his lips, their breaths mingling, a hint of teasing mixed with boundless tenderness: "For example... my husband?"
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