Chapter 23

“It’s not that I’m bothering you, but…”

Yiling started to speak but suddenly paused, taking a sharp breath as she nervously glanced at Xie Hengzhi.

In the broad daylight, why did he give off such a cold, eerie vibe?

His tone also had an odd, mocking quality to it something wasn’t right.

Could something major have happened again?

“It’s only the afternoon; why are you back so soon?” 

Yiling wasn’t the only one feeling uneasy; the maid, Mama Cao, who had been waiting by her side, was also sweating with anxiety.

They had originally thought that the young little boy was just here to apologize, but they hadn’t expected him to act so frivolously.

Fortunately, Yiling had earlier arranged for seven or eight guards to stand watch here, or else it would have been awkward if Xie Hengzhi had seen the flamboyantly dressed young master Yi and his wife whispering in the front hall.

Luckily, Xie Hengzhi didn’t seem to mind Yiyun’s hasty escape.

He was much taller than Yiling, and as he lowered his gaze to glance at her, he said nothing. He simply walked past her and sat down in a chair. Picking up the hot tea that Yiling had barely touched, he leisurely sipped half a cup before speaking, “Do I need to report to anyone when I return to my own home?”

His words were rather unpleasant to hear.

However, Yiling could at least tell that nothing bad had happened—he was just bored.

So, she decided not to bother with him and lazily turned her back. Pointing to a chest of treasures sent by Yiyun, she told Mama Cao, “Take these to my room.”

Although she didn’t know what Yiyun was up to, there was no faking these jewels.

After dinner, she would carefully inspect what good things were inside.

Mama Cao secretly glanced at Yiling, a cold sweat running down her back.

Her lady seemed completely unconcerned with her husband’s mood didn’t she see that the servants beside them were practically burying their heads in their chests?

Of course, she didn’t dare say anything further and quickly instructed two young servants to move the chest.

As expected, things didn’t go as smoothly as Mama Cao had hoped.

“Leave it.”

Xie Hengzhi’s words were light as he spoke. The two servants, who had just raised the chest, immediately let go, setting it down with a “thud” and backing away quickly.

There were at least ten people standing in the front hall, yet it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The servants all held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

Only Yiling, a bit impatient, turned her head and asked him, “What now?”

Xie Hengzhi didn’t respond. Leaning his upper body into the backrest of the chair, he held his tea cup with three slender fingers, his gaze pointing toward the chest.

“Open it and show me.”

At his command, the two servants who had been carrying the chest, without waiting for Yiling’s instruction, immediately bent forward and lifted the lid.

Inside, jade-encrusted feathers and luminous Dongzhu (pearls) were stacked to the brim, their brilliance lighting up the entire front hall.

Xie Hengzhi’s gaze slowly swept over the items.

Finally, his eyes slowly moved to Yiling, and in a soft voice, he asked, “Is this all it takes to make you this happy?”

“Don’t look down on these things. Although the young master Yi may be incompetent, he’s knowledgeable. Ordinary trinkets wouldn’t catch his eye.”

Yiling was somewhat displeased with his choice of words. She raised her wrist, pointing at the chest, and said to Xie Hengzhi, “These lake Dongzhu (pearls) alone are rare treasures. And these jade ornaments, rare trinkets—each one is a fine rarity. And these small fans—”

Yiling’s lengthy explanation was abruptly cut off by Xie Hengzhi’s upward glance.

A smile tugged at his lips, but his eyes were as cold as an icy spring, staring at Yiling.

The front hall, not as warm as the bedroom, seemed to become even colder, the chill seeping deep into her bones.

Yiling stood still, her eyes glancing around, only to realize that the servants, she didn’t know when, had all shrunk their necks like quails.

The entire front hall was under a heavy atmosphere, clearly originating from Xie Hengzhi.

He slowly swirled his tea cup, his tone calm and casual.

“I thought Madam had no interest in such worldly things. Who knew you could name these trinkets like they were family heirlooms?”

As he spoke, his arm dropped, and the tea cup was set gently down onto the table. “You’re also well-versed in others’ temperaments.”

Although his tone was light, the meaning behind his words had an inexplicable edge.

“What is your relationship with that young master?”

Yiling’s heart suddenly raced. Her ears rang, and it felt as though a fire was burning under her feet.

Had he noticed something?

“Relationship? No relationship, my Lord, you flatter me.”

Yiling, feeling guilty, avoided his gaze and explained awkwardly, “These were all gifts from young master Yi, who carefully introduced them to me. Otherwise, how would I know these treasures?”

Seeing that Xie Hengzhi didn’t speak, Yiling continued, “He’s young and naive. Some time ago, he offended me, but today he specially brought these items to apologize. I naturally don’t hold grudges.”

To divert Xie Hengzhi’s attention, she deliberately asked, “He’s sent such a generous gift. I’m sure you wouldn’t make a fuss over it, would you?”

She was already subtly defending him.

Xie Hengzhi didn’t reply, but his hand, which had set the cup down, now rested on his head, and he turned to look at Yiling, his gaze probing.

Under his intense scrutiny, Yiling felt as though she was completely exposed, uncomfortable as though she were unclothed.

The best strategy was to retreat.

Yiling’s eyes darted, and she quickly stepped forward, pouring him another cup of tea.

“Since you’ve returned, my Lord, please rest well. I won’t disturb you.”

As she filled the cup, she set down the teapot and turned to leave.

But just as she took half a step, a warm hand clasped her wrist and pulled her back.

Xie Hengzhi’s grip wasn’t strong, but Yiling was unprepared, and just as she turned, she found herself… sitting on his lap.

Yiling: “…”

Luckily, it was winter, and she was dressed warmly, so there was no direct skin contact.

But it was enough to make Yiling’s blood rush to her face, her body stiffening.

“I—”

She was about to rise, but Xie Hengzhi’s hand on her arm pressed down, and her restless legs were forced back down.

She was left frozen in place, sitting on his lap, staring at his face in a daze.

Meanwhile, the servants who had been standing by, regardless of what they thought, subtly withdrew without a sound.

More than ten people managed to leave without making a single noise.

The front hall fell into a dead silence, and all Yiling could hear was her heart thumping wildly.

Xie Hengzhi, however, remained composed, like a mountain, his gaze fixed on her eyes.

Though the moment of eye contact was brief, Yiling felt as though her heart might jump out of her throat.

Sitting on Xie Hengzhi’s lap, with no cover, she felt as though he could see through all her lies in the next instant.

After what felt like an eternity, Xie Hengzhi showed no sign of letting her go.

While Yiling was squirming uncomfortably, he seemed completely unfazed by their overly intimate position. Instead, he reached out and gently brushed the hair that had fallen down her back.

His touch was soft, but the words he spoke sent a chill through Yiling.

“I’ve noticed that whenever the young master Yi is mentioned, you always seem especially nervous.”

He had indeed discovered something.

Yiling composed herself, not yet sure how to explain, when she heard him ask, “Are you that concerned about that young master?”

The close proximity, their warm breaths intertwining.

If this were any ordinary couple, it would clearly be a scene of mutual affection and love.

But the person in front of her was Xie Hengzhi. Yiling looked at his deep, piercing eyes, and a chill ran down her back.

Yet, Xie Hengzhi still didn’t give her a chance to be silent. His hand, which had been brushing her long hair, slid downward and pulled her waist towards him.

“Speak.”

“Don’t worry, husband!”

Yiling suddenly pressed closer to Xie Hengzhi, straightening her back as she blurted out, “Although Young Master Yi is handsome and more interesting than you…”

She blinked and looked at Xie Hengzhi seriously, raising three fingers. “But I absolutely have no ulterior motives.”

Xie Hengzhi: “…”

He pressed his lips together, the coldness in his eyes vanishing in an instant. He didn’t want to say another word.

Releasing the grip on Yiling’s waist, he stood up and turned to leave.

Yiling forced herself to stay calm as she quickly walked back to her room. The moment she entered, she collapsed in exhaustion and sat by the couch.

She took off her outer robe and half-lay down on the couch, trying to catch her breath. Suddenly, she noticed that her inner robe was damp with sweat.

Winter was almost here, and if she caught a cold, she would likely feel weak for some time. She quickly called for Mama Cao and Mallow to prepare clean clothes for her.

The maids worked quickly, and in no time, Yiling was changed into fresh garments, inside and out.

Mama Cao took the discarded clothes and, after checking them, furrowed her brows. She looked at Yiling’s worried face and, after a moment’s hesitation, left without saying a word.

A while later, Yiling gathered her thoughts and sighed deeply, propping her forehead with her hand, still filled with worry.

Today, she was lucky to escape danger, but it was only by chance.

If Xie Hengzhi, that old fox, ever took the time to reflect on everything, he would surely notice all the inconsistencies in her story.

Not to mention anything else, even a simple poem could expose her as an imposter.

What should she do then?

Yiling turned over and propped her chin on her hand, staring out the window, continuing to worry.

Suddenly, through the misty window lattice, she saw Li Chun, Xie Hengzhi’s attendant, walk in and whisper something to Mallow, who stood in the corridor.

Mallow nodded and entered, saying softly, “Madam, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has returned to the capital today. The Master will go to the Crown Prince’s residence to welcome him and will return later tonight. You can rest early and don’t need to wait for him.”

So, he had left the palace early for this.

Yiling absentmindedly responded with an “Oh,” thinking she didn’t care where he had gone.

The room gradually quieted down. No more sounds could be heard, except for the crackling fire in the charcoal brazier beside her.

Yiling was warmed by the fire, and although her heart was heavy with worry, her eyelids began to droop.

Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep, leaning against the desk.

However, this nap wasn’t peaceful. In her dazed state, she felt as though someone’s gaze was fixed on her.

Even though she was extremely tired, she struggled to open her eyes…

And then she saw Shen Shufang, the Crown Princess, looking at her with a solemn expression.

In a daze, Yiling wondered if Xie Hengzhi was really planning a rebellion. Why did it feel like every time Shen Shufang came to the Xie residence, she acted as though it were her own home?

Yiling stared at Shen Shufang for a long while, then hurriedly stood up, as if waking from a dream.

“Your humble servant greets Her Royal Highness, the Crown Princess. How is it?”

Shen Shufang reached out to steady her, softly saying, “How many times have I told you? There’s no need for such formalities between us.”

Once Yiling was steady, Shen Shufang sighed again. “I didn’t want to bother you at this time, but I’m anxious, and I couldn’t wait.”

Yiling looked up, a hint of tension in her eyes.

“What happened?”

It wasn’t exactly an urgent matter, but Shen Shufang was impatient. As soon as she heard the news, she rushed to the Xie residence.

“Today, I saw the queen summoned a few ladies from prominent families into the palace. It didn’t look like it was anything good, so I had someone inquire.”

She sat next to Yiling and lowered her voice. “A couple of years ago, she wanted to send women into your family. At that time, Lord Xie refused because he wasn’t married yet. But now, the situation has changed, and she’s starting to stir again.”

Although Yiling had never met the queen, thanks to Shen Shufang, she already had an image of a cunning and scheming woman in her mind.

She lowered her eyes for a moment, then asked, “So, you mean the queen wants to introduce a concubine to my husband?”

Shen Shufang nodded solemnly. “She’s had this idea for more than a day or two.”

She furrowed her brows, showing her anger. “That old hag has been sending beautiful concubines to others for years. If she loves matchmaking so much, she should become a matchmaker, not an queen.”

Contrary to Shen Shufang’s expectations, Yiling didn’t show any signs of being upset or worried upon hearing this news.

She merely responded indifferently, “Well, it’s really kind of the queen to be so concerned.”

Shen Shufang thought she had misjudged Yiling’s reaction and leaned closer, asking in a whisper, “Aren’t you angry?”

What’s there to be angry about?

Yiling thought to herself, Let them marry as many concubines as they want. It has nothing to do with her.

Moreover—

Yiling spoke slowly, “You know my husband well, Your Majesty. If he doesn’t want to take a concubine, I’m afraid even the Queen Mother couldn’t force him.”

“That’s true,” Shen Shufang replied, pressing down on Yiling’s hand. “But what if he does want one?”

Upon hearing Shen Shufang’s reminder, Yiling was suddenly struck by enlightenment, and she sat up straight.

She wasn’t worried about Xie Hengzhi’s occasional lack of interest, but if he really did bring a few concubines into the household, he would inevitably shower them with attention.

When that happened, Xie Hengzhi would likely spend entire nights with others, wouldn’t that be unbearable for her?!

The thought of such a possibility made Yiling’s skin crawl.

“So… what do you think we should do, Your Majesty?”

“Divorce him!” Shen Shufang slammed the table. “If anyone else takes a concubine, so be it, but you are the greatest woman in the world. How could you lower yourself to share a husband with anyone? If Xie Hengzhi dares to wrong you, simply write him a divorce letter and show him who’s boss!”

“…”
Yiling felt that with Shen Shufang’s tendency to urge divorce at every turn, if she ever became queen, half of the capital might end up with broken marriages.

“I’ll think about it… think about it some more…”

Seeing Yiling deep in thought, Shen Shufang knew that she would surely come up with a brilliant solution.

However, the key issue still lay with Xie Hengzhi himself.

Thinking of this, Shen Shufang raised her head to look around and asked, “I heard Xie Hengzhi return to the manor when I left the palace today. Why isn’t he here?”

“… Hm?” Yiling looked up, confused, and examined Shen Shufang.

“Didn’t you know? The Crown Prince returned to the capital today, and Xie Hengzhi went to greet him.”

Shen Shufang’s gaze suddenly darkened, and a look of shock froze on her face.

“The Crown Prince… returned to the capital today??”

Yiling: “…”

She hadn’t expected that, in the entire capital, there were couples who were even more superficial than her and Xie Hengzhi.

That night.

The Crown Prince had returned to the capital quietly, heading straight to his private residence outside the palace.

Although the queen was still at the state temple, she wasn’t idle. The rebellion led by Peng San was nearly quelled, and the Crown Prince no longer had to hide in Sichuan. He had returned today, handed over the matter of the Sichuan trail to the Ministry of Works, and had a drink with Xie Hengzhi.

As a result, Xie Hengzhi returned later than usual.

It wasn’t yet the coldest part of winter, but Xie Hengzhi was still wearing his autumn clothes. Walking under the palace lamps, he appeared tall and slender, but also somewhat chilly and thin.

Just before entering the house, a gust of cold wind blew.

He smelled the alcohol on his clothes and suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Through the misty window paper, he looked up and saw Yiling sitting on the couch. One hand was propping up her chin, while the other seemed to be fiddling with something.

“… Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.”

“Tsk tsk, such good Dongzhu (pearls); he sent ten all at once. Young Master Yi is really generous.”

Mama Cao laughed in agreement, “Indeed, I’ve never seen so many fine things.”

Yiling pointed to another area and said, “These Tuanluo fans seem to be from Shu embriodery. Keep them well.”

Mama Cao nodded and, turning to put them away, suddenly stopped.

She saw Xie Hengzhi entering with a cold expression, and a chill seemed to sweep over her as well.

“Lord, you’ve returned?”

Xie Hengzhi ignored her and went straight toward the inner chamber, raising a hand to indicate the direction of the bathing room, signaling for hot water to be prepared.

The servants immediately withdrew quietly to make the preparations.

Then, he removed his leather belt and hung it nearby before turning around to take off his outer robe.

He didn’t say a word, acting as if he hadn’t seen Yiling at all.

Yiling was already used to his silence, but today, with her mind occupied, she felt that something was off about Xie Hengzhi’s silence.

She watched his back for a moment, thought for a while, then spoke up: “My lord?”

Xie Hengzhi, still with his back to her, replied, “What is it?”

Yiling hadn’t figured out exactly how to ask, but today, the Crown Princess had spoken to her about taking concubines. Yiling racked her brain but couldn’t think of a good way to solve the problem, so she could only try to ease her worries by looking at the treasures Yiyun had sent.

Reflecting on the past few days, Yiling felt that Xie Hengzhi was probably not interested in other women.

Someone as cold-hearted as him probably saw women as nothing more than ants to be squashed at will.

If he wasn’t bewitched by lust, he didn’t seem like the type to fill his house with women.

Thus, Yiling thought perhaps there was no need for her to fret.

As long as Xie Hengzhi didn’t want to take a concubine, these troubles would be easily solved.

“I just wanted to ask.”

She stood up, walked behind Xie Hengzhi, and cautiously asked, “This Xie Mansion is so big, and there are so few people in the house. I wonder if you have… any plans to take a concubine?”

Xie Hengzhi’s movements paused for a moment.

Then he spoke, “I have no such intention.”

Hearing this answer, Yiling, who had been anxious all evening, finally felt at ease.

She knew it.

With such a beautiful and rightful wife in the house, Xie Hengzhi hadn’t shown any interest in other women, so how could he possibly have the energy to deal with other concubines?

Yiling quietly patted her chest, feeling a little tired after a long day.

She was about to go rest on the bed when she heard Xie Hengzhi say, “But if I were to meet someone who looks good and is also interesting…”

He turned around to look at Yiling, a smile tugging at his lips. “It might not be impossible.”