Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Qiao Jinniang was very shocked. What was Lu Chen’s identity? How could he make such a promise?
Lu Chen whispered into Qiao Jinniang’s ear. “Yes, I promise.”
With that, he bit Qiao Jinniang’s earlobe with his teeth…
Qiao Jinniang shivered, frowned slightly, and pushed Lu Chen away. “Did you say that just to do that to me? When I marry into the East Palace, what can I do even if you take a concubine? I’m not that stupid.”
Lu Chen said, “I can swear.”
Qiao Jinniang didn’t believe him. “I had a good friend, and her husband swore that he would never fail her and that if he did, he would be beheaded.
“But after she gave birth to five daughters in a row, he divorced her.
“And now that man is living happily. He sold his daughters and used the money to get a new wife. In February this year, he had a healthy son and happily held a celebration banquet.
“You know that woman too. She is Mrs. Qian of the Qian family.
“She’s only five years older than me, but she looks like in her forties, so oaths are useless.”
Lu Chen remembered that woman. He chuckled. “I remember that when she was three-month pregnant, you tried to persuade her to have an abortion and divorce her husband, and in the end, didn’t she beat you hard and drive you out?”
At that time, he and Qiao Jinniang hadn’t married yet. After Qiao Jinniang was beaten, her face was bruised, and she didn’t dare to let her parents see her face…
So she was secretly rubbing her bruised face with an egg in front of his room to subside the swelling, but he had to listen to her scolding that man for a long time.
At that time, Qiao Jinniang was only fifteen years old.
Qiao Jinniang said, “Why are you laughing? I didn’t do anything wrong, okay? She was pregnant only less than a month after the birth of her last daughter. The doctor said she was very likely to have a difficult birth…”
Lu Chen said, “Oaths are not useless. If that man really sold his daughter, I will order the new prefect of Lin’an to severely punish him to fulfill his oath. You see, oaths are not useless, right?”
Lu Chen lowered his head and asked softly, “Now, are you willing to marry me as my crown princess?”
Jinniang still shook her head.
Lu Chen’s face turned dark. When he was a child, he had seen how his uncle pacified his aunt and how his father pacified his mother, it seemed easy, especially his mother, who always easily forgave his father. But he had been trying to make up with Jinniang for half a year, and he even gave up his bottomline for her…
Qiao Jinniang said, “Give me a little more time. Last time I entered the imperial palace to thank His Majesty, I was forced to learn a lot of etiquette.
“If I become the crown princess, it will be exhausting to master all the etiquette…
“It is very pleasing to me when my hairpin clinks as I walk, but the women in the imperial palace can’t let even their hairpin make the slightest sound. If I have to obey so many rules, what is the difference from imprisonment?”
Lu Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it was not because of him that she didn’t want to be the crown princess.
Qiao Jinniang asked weakly, “Is it worthwhile to tolerate so much just for you?”
Lu Chen was almost lost for words. “Do you know what I have to pay for refusing to take any concubines? And you don’t even want to learn some etiquette just for me?”
Seeing the disappointment in his eyes, Qiao Jinniang clenched the handkerchief in her hands and said, “It’s not that I don’t want to, but I haven’t had a good time in Chang’an yet because I was in a bad mood.
“If I marry into the imperial palace, I am afraid I won’t have any chance to have fun outside. Can’t you wait for me to have enough fun?”
“Last time I saw His Majesty and Her Majesty went out to have fun, they only had time for one meal before they had to go back in a hurry. When I become the crown princess, it’ll be like being in a big cage of gold and silver, which only allows me to come out for some fresh air occasionally.”
Although women weren’t confined like before, how could women of the royal family come out easily?
“I haven’t learned to ride a horse yet. When I was a child, my foster parents dared not let me learn it. Sometimes I was really envious when I saw Fulu wearing a riding suit and riding a horse on the street.”
“I heard that there is a famous street in Chang’an called Chunfeng Street, but I haven’t been there. I haven’t experienced enough of the prosperity of Chang’an.”
Listening to her, Lu Chen actually felt that it made some sense.
His mother also always wanted to go out of the imperial palace to hunt, but hunting was at most held twice a year. After all, his father had so many state affairs to deal with. As for going out of the imperial palace to have fun, it was at most once every few months.
If they were recognized and this news was passed into the ears of the four imperial concubines, they would rat on her to the Empress Dowager.
Lu Chen said, “Okay, but you have to tell me how long you need. You can’t keep saying that you haven’t had enough fun, right?”
Qiao Jinniang thought about it for a while. “To this Lantern Festival,okay? I can start learning imperial etiquette from the Lantern Festival.”
Lu Chen frowned. “It’s too long. Chang’an is not that big. It won’t take you so long to travel all across Chang’an.”
Qiao Jinniang sighed. “Do you have the heart to stop me from spending a Spring Festival with my biological parents? I’ve never spent a Spring Festival with them.”
Lu Chen said, “There is a palace banquet on New Year’s Eve and the first day of the new year, and your parents will come, but in the Qiao family, you may not be able to see them.
“Besides, do you have the heart to see me sleep all lonely and cold these days?”
Lu Chen sounded very seductive when he said “sleep all lonely and cold”.
Qiao Jinniang understood what she was implying at once, and she was annoyed.
“Bah, why do you think about this all day long? The novels you sent me are all these bad things. As the Crown Prince, can’t you think about decent things?
“Are you pacifing me so humbly just for sex?
“Think about what you said to me, okay? It just serves you right to sleep lonely and cold for a full year.”
Lu Chen: “…”
Qiao Jinniang continued. “You haven’t fully recovered from your injuries. You should take a good rest and restore your kidney.”
Lu Chen: “What kind of stupid novels did you read??”
Qiao Jinniang snorted softly. “You sent those novels to me. Why are you saying they are stupid?”
“Don’t worry. Since you promised me not to take any concubines, I won’t despise you! Is it because you are afraid that other women will find out that you are impotent so you promised me that?”
Qiao Jinniang felt that she might have discovered the truth?
With a dark face, Lu Chen pushed Qiao Jinniang against the osmanthus tree, and the osmanthus flower fell on their heads with the wind.
Lu Chen gritted his teeth. “I’m impotent? If I were not afraid of hurting you, I could do it seven times a night. Would you like to try it?”
Qiao Jinniang hurriedly shook her head. “This is in the Duke Mansion, and it’s broad daylight. Let go of me. If someone comes in…
Lu Chen said, “They know I’m here. No one will come in.”
As he said that, his eyes fell on Qiao Jinniang’s red lips painted with lipstick, and just as he was about to kiss, the courtyard door was pushed open by Tuan’er…
Tuan’er walked in, holding Qiao Li’s hand, and said, “Mother, Little Uncle also wants a rabbit doll.”
Qiao Li looked at Qiao Jinniang shyly and timidly, not daring to speak to her.
Lu Chen glared at Tuan’er. It seemed that he also had to arrange for Tuan’er to copy the Historical Records…
