Chapter 477 – Why did you have to change? (2)
Zhu Yurun looked at Pengxin and nodded. “There are many times when I have that same thought too, but Mister Ji said that if you want too many things in this world, you’ll only end up making yourself feel worse. It’s normal for men to have a harem. Not everyone will be like the current marquis, who wholeheartedly wants to spend his life with just one person. It’ll be worth it if you’re the most important person in his heart.”
Pengxin considered this advice for a long time before nodding.
But, she wasn’t even able to grasp that position in his heart. She wasn’t the most important person to him.
—
Normally, a servant girl would bring over tea after the meal was finished. However, after Pengxin took the offered cup of tea, she didn’t drink it today. Her mind was too occupied with thoughts of Ning Mingjie. To her surprise, he actually appeared in front of her after she had been thinking about him for a while.
“What are you thinking about?” Ning Mingjie raised his eyebrows as he looked at her. He took a seat next to her.
“You…” Pengxin looked at him. Soon after, she realized her answer wasn’t right. She pursed her lips and said, “We’ve been married for so long, so I was wondering why I still haven’t gotten pregnant. When I see Xing-er, I truly feel a bit envious.”
Ning Mingjie chuckled. “You were thinking about that issue for that long of a time?”
“En.” Pengxin blushed and nodded.
Ning Mingjie laughed in spite of himself. Sometimes, this Yuzhen Princess, who didn’t know propriety, was quite cute.
“You can’t get a child just by thinking about it,” he said.
When the bed curtain fell down, Pengxin’s eyes widened. As it turned, when a woman asked a man this question, it meant that she was asking for his favor? Did this mean that in the future she didn’t need to act coy to seduce him? She could just directly ask him for a child?
Princess Pengxin thought that she had discovered a great secret. She felt immeasurably satisfied with herself.
It seemed that her relationship with Ning Mingjie was gradually improving. She learned the skills that a woman from Great Song would have: embroidery and cooking. Even the thing that she hated the most before, poetry and songs, she patiently learned them because he liked them.
The formerly unruly princess that only knew how to play around with weapons now wished to become an able and virtuous wife.
—
Luoqi said, “The general is usually away on military campaigns for years on end. His body has many old injuries. This servant heard that one-hundred-year-old ginseng was recently discovered on Fu Mountain. It’s the type that can move around. Only a person with a sincere heart would be able to find it. It can cure a person’s old injuries and all illnesses. This servant wants to go and find this for the general.”
Pengxin was guarded against her. Ji-shi had said that she couldn’t believe Luoqi’s words, so Pengxin’s only response was nodding and saying, “Alright, you can go.”
Ning Mingjie had once received an injury on his leg. The wound had reached all the way to his bone. On rainy days, this injury would ache. She had heard from a doctor that his leg would hurt more as he aged.
—
Pengxin was slightly tempted and wanted to go to Fu Mountain to dig up that ginseng too. However, after she told Zhu Yurun about this, Zhu Yurun shook her head. “What ginseng? I haven’t heard anything about this. She’s definitely lying to you. Look, she definitely won’t be able to bring anything back. Don’t be fooled by her!”
“I’m such a smart person. I won’t be fooled!” Pengxin solemnly vowed.
—
Sure enough, Luoqi didn’t bring back any ginseng. She cried and said that she wasn’t able to find it. She also said things like the general must be feeling awful since the weather hadn’t been good lately.
Zhu Yurun said, “She looks like she wants to trick you into hunting for that ginseng. At worst, she has a trap set up to harm you.”
Pengxin scoffed, “Only a pig would get duped.”
However, a day later, a pig-headed person was walking on Fu Mountain’s paths.
It would soon be Ning Mingjie’s birthday. Although it wasn’t a milestone birthday, so there wouldn’t be a grand feast, she still thought that there was no harm in trying her luck. If she really was able to find it, it could be used as gift.
She wasn’t stupid, really. She knew that Luoqi didn’t have good intentions, so she told Ning Mingjie that she was going to Fu Mountain to pray for blessings and would return home in a few days. She had even brought along a dagger for self-protection. If someone dared to attack her, she would teach that person why the flowers were so red.
Because they’re stained by blood!
(T/N: This phrase/question is the title of a Chinese folk song. The answer is because the flowers are watered by the blood of youths.)
Baring her teeth to show a ferocious expression, Pengxin was full of confidence as she walked down the path.
Of course, there wasn’t any one-hundred-year old ginseng, but, she wasn’t willing to easily give up. She practically scoured the entire mountain and ended up wasting a lot of time.
However, during Pengxin’s three-day absence, Luoqi had acted as matckmaker for Ning Mingjie. Li Xianglan, the Minister of Revenue’s concubine-born daughter, had married into the household as a concubine.
Normally, this was something that required the main wife’s approval, but since the main wife was gone during this time, Luoqi had acted as the person in charge. Since Luoqi and Xianglan had a good relationship, they were naturally very close once Xianglan entered the household.
Moreover, Ning Mingjie hadn’t objected. To him, it was only adding another person to his estate. Since his birthday was approaching, he treated this woman as a gift from the Li Clan.
When Pengxin returned to the general’s estate in disappointment, she saw Ning Mingjie with a woman that she hadn’t seen before. They were heading towards the main courtyard.
Seeing Pengxin, Ning Mingjie stopped walking and said, “You’re back? You’ve been praying for blessing for three days. There must be a mountain’s worth of blessings on my body now. This is Xianglan. She recently entered the household.”
Seeing the smile on his face, Pengxin suddenly realized something. She realized that she had made things worse for herself after all. She had been telling herself not to want too much, but when she saw the current scene, her eyes still felt as if they were being stabbed.
“Your new mistress?” She asked.
Ning Mingjie’s smile dimmed. “Pengxin, think before you speak.”
Pengxin smiled. She waved her hand and strode away with a domineering presence.
What was she doing here? She had turned herself into a different person, but had only received a small portion of his heart in return.
Pengxin felt a bit tired. Her hands were full of bruises and so was her heart.
Why did you have to change yourself for the person that you love?
