Chapter 26: Returning Home

As their eyes met, Xia Tong felt a chill run down her back from the intense gaze of the other person. However, she hadn’t said anything wrong. It was rare to find a wife as magnanimous as herself.

Shrinking her neck, she plunged her whole head underwater, the surface of the water shimmering with floating petals, while her long hair gradually submerged.

With his fingertip dampened, the man flicked it, his deep gaze fixated on the rippling water surface. Her pale skin appeared faintly beneath the water, and with a darkened expression, he silently turned and walked away.

Not hearing the sound of footsteps leaving, Xia Tong assumed he hadn’t departed yet. Unable to hold her breath any longer, she suddenly emerged from the water, splashing a lot of water everywhere. But when she looked around, there was no sign of anyone.

Once she confirmed he was gone, Xia Tong quickly climbed out of the bathtub.

Outside, everyone was listening closely to the sounds from inside. Everyone knew the prince hadn’t consummated the marriage with the princess the previous night, and they were uncertain if he would stay tonight. But when the door of the room suddenly opened from the inside and they saw the figure coming out, they immediately bowed their heads and saluted respectfully.

The night was pitch black, and the winding corridor was devoid of any light. The man walked with steady and slow footsteps, seemingly unfazed by the darkness.

“Master, do you want to sleep in the study tonight?” Xifeng, who was following behind, couldn’t help but ask.

Looking at the crescent moon faintly visible in the sky, Gu Qin replied nonchalantly, “Tomorrow, find a room and move her out.”

Xifeng: “…”

Looking at the lonely and cold figure in front of him, he lowered his head silently and stopped talking. In fact, he didn’t understand what his master thought of the princess now.

*

One advantage of being married is that you don’t have to get up early in the morning to pay your respects to the old lady. You can sleep until you wake up naturally. The first thing Xia Tong heard when she woke up was that she was asked to move out.

“This is the prince’s room after all. Today, Butler Lin has chosen a tranquil courtyard for you, not too far from the prince’s place. I just went to see it. I’m sure you will like it.” Fang Yu said respectfully as she helped her dress.

The maids who were tidying up the room couldn’t help but want to laugh secretly. The prince obviously hated the princess, so he asked her to move out. Otherwise, why didn’t he stay overnight last night?

Xia Tong did not miss the maids’ expressions, but nodded calmly, saying calmly, “I’ll go take a look later.”

After breakfast, she went to the courtyard Fang Yu mentioned. It was indeed not far and had a peaceful environment. In fact, this was the best. Since the villain was distancing himself from her, she didn’t have to worry about him having any other ideas.

When she finished moving her belongings, the butler followed her over and respectfully handed her a stack of account books. “These are the financial records from the past few months, along with some of the household expenses. If the princess has any questions, please feel free to ask me.”

As Xia Tong was pruning a new potted plant, her heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. She glanced at the stack of account books, wondering if she was mistaken.

“Does His Highness know about this?” she asked, feigning calmness.

The butler, still bowed respectfully, replied, “The prince is certainly aware.”

He had asked the prince about it, but the prince had remained silent. However, Xifeng had mentioned that the prince had agreed, so he was here to deliver the documents.

At this, Xia Tong immediately put down the scissors, suppressing her astonishment. She reached out and took the documents, casually flipping through them.

But the more she looked, the more she understood why he was so generous in letting her manage the accounts. It turned out this was just a surface-level accounting book, with income and expenses looking very clean. No wonder he dared to hand over such important documents to her! Still, even on the surface, the Regent’s household was extraordinarily wealthy.

Suppressing her rising excitement, she passed the stack to Qing’er while taking a handkerchief to wipe her hands. She glanced at the butler and said, “Thank you for your trouble. If I have any questions, I will certainly send someone to ask you.”

Seeing this, the butler nodded with a smile. “If there’s nothing else, I won’t disturb your rest any longer.”

Xia Tong looked at Fang Yu, who immediately handed a pouch to the butler. The butler was taken aback for a moment but politely accepted it.

The pouch was thin, and once outside the courtyard, the butler opened it to find a silver note of five hundred taels!

He wasn’t lacking in money but was surprised that the new princess was so generous. The butler couldn’t help but glance back at the courtyard, feeling a mix of emotions. The butler could not help but look back at the yard behind him. He felt a little complicated. It was really unpredictable. He still remembered that when the princess came to the residence with Lord Xia a few months ago, she almost drowned in the pool. He did not expect that she would become the Princess Regent now. However, he could see that the prince treated her differently, so he decided to keep an eye on the situation.

Once the butler left, Qing’er couldn’t contain her excitement. “Miss, look! The prince has entrusted the butler’s authority to you, which shows he trusts you immensely.”

Taking the stack of account books, Xia Tong leaned back on the soft couch and began to flip through them. The more she read, the more alarmed she became. It turned out the villain was so wealthy. He had opened taverns and teahouses in flourishing areas across the country. This was the difference that power made—he could allocate land as he wished, and perhaps he didn’t even have to pay for it.

The profits from these businesses were staggering, and they didn’t even account for hidden sources of income. Every level of government could profit immensely, especially for someone like the villain who had a hand in everything. Just look at the Grand Tutor Tang, he had taken a staggering 40% of the trade tax! This was far too outrageous. At this rate, the national treasury would eventually be drained.

But the villain opening so many taverns couldn’t just be for profit. The outside world was likely unaware of these dealings. As she looked at the records, she realized the Jinyue Teahouse in the capital was also the villain’s. No wonder she had been captured every time she appeared there. Such information was crucial. Did he really not fear that she might leak this?

“Sister Qing’er is right. No matter what, if the prince is willing to give this kind of thing to you, he must trust you.” Fang Yu also said seriously.

As Xia Tong slowly closed the account book, her small face was filled with a mix of complex emotions. She was starting to find it hard to understand this villain—what was he really trying to convey?

“I’m not a spy. At most I’ll just make some money secretly, but I won’t do anything treacherous.” Xia Tong curled her lips and took a sip of the hot tea beside her.

Qing’er chuckled softly, thinking that there was nothing wrong with Xia Tong marrying the Regent. Perhaps she would have a more comfortable life in the Eastern Palace.

However, Fang Yu glanced suspiciously at the maids outside who were sweeping up fallen leaves. Leaning closer to Xia Tong, she whispered, “You’ve just arrived at the palace, but the people below may not think the same way.”

Xia Tong understood her meaning well. She has seen many people who take advantage of others’ misfortunes. She will take action against those snobs when she returns home!

“I understand. I have to go back home tomorrow. We’ll talk about it when I get back.” She said softly.

Hearing this, Fang Yu stopped talking and went to brew another pot of hot tea for her.

To see whether a married woman is favored in her husband’s family, the first thing to see is whether her husband is willing to accompany her back home three days later. On the second day after the marriage , Lin Yi took Xia Ning to Shanxi to take up a post, so they did not return home. However, Xia Tong did not expect the villain to accompany her back, so as not to scare her mother.

Early that morning, she had prepared gifts for her mother and the old lady, but before she could leave, Xifeng told her to wait, saying that their master would return with her after the court session.

Xia Tong was a little flattered at first, thinking that this villain was sometimes quite reasonable, but she waited until the hour of Si^[1]In historical China, the “Hour of Si” (巳时) corresponds to one of the traditional two-hour time periods used in the ancient Chinese timekeeping system. The day was divided into 12 … Continue reading. without even seeing a shadow of him.

She began to suspect that he was deliberately toying with her. He usually left court early, yet today he had delayed so long, making her fear that her gossipy aunts would say it was inauspicious.

The weather was getting colder, and Xia Tong had waited at the door for quite a while. Finally, she saw the carriage slowly approaching, which perfectly captured her current state of impatience.

“There must be important matters in court today. That’s why the prince is delayed,” Xifeng on the side couldn’t help but explain a few words for his master.

Xia Tong said nothing. She watched the coachman lift the curtain to let her in. She was already late, so it was better than not going at all. She took a deep breath, gathered her cloak, and walked up on the step stool while lifting her skirt.

“This.” Xifeng hurriedly handed over a dark-colored gown with golden silk patterns. Even though he knew his master would never wear it, it was always good to have it ready.

Xia Tong frowned, accepting the cloak as she climbed into the carriage.

The interior of the carriage was spacious, lined with woolen blankets, and featured an enormous soft couch. There were also some tea and snacks, with a fragrant assortment of fruits filling the air.

The man was reclining against the side, casually holding a book with a plain black cover. He was not wearing court robes, which showed that he usually did not wear them when attending court.

Xia Tong sat down next to him, handing him the cloak, but she didn’t dare ask why he was late. Yes, she was such a coward.

The man glanced at the cloak in her hand with a cold expression.

Seeing that he didn’t take it, Xia Tong couldn’t help but frown, feeling that the villain was quite haughty, even needing assistance to wear a cloak.

When under someone else’s roof, one has to lower their head. She leaned in closer, draping the cloak over him and “thoughtfully” fastening it. “Thank you for everything today,” she said softly.

As she half-squatted in front of him, her delicate fingers tied the cloak around his neck, her fingertips cool against his skin. Her focus was intense, and her lovely face showed her concentration.

Noticing that she wore a thick, flower-patterned, moon-blue outer garment, he couldn’t help but think how frail women seemed in general.

“I believe in repaying evil with kindness. You just need to behave properly as my princess,” he replied, slightly frowning, as he casually pulled the cloak off again.

Xia Tong was at a loss for words.

The carriage had started moving, swaying gently. She remained crouched there for a while, eventually settling back beside him, smiling, and trying to be a good and obedient person.

Outside the carriage, the sounds of vendors calling out gradually filled the air, creating a cacophony. Xia Tong leaned back, idly playing with her handkerchief and feeling too shy to talk to anyone. Suddenly, the carriage jolted to a stop, and her body lurched forward, causing her forehead to bump painfully against the carriage wall, nearly bringing her to tears.

“Your Highness… please forgive me…”

The coachman trembled outside as he apologized, clearly fearing for his life.

Gu Qin glanced at her red-rimmed eyes and frowned, surprised at how sensitive she was.

At that moment, Xifeng spoke up from outside, “Master, the carriage in front belongs to the Crown Prince.”