Chapter 189: "This Is Going Too Far!
Cui Lingyao had just left the mansion.
The next moment, the news reached Xie Jinbai’s ears.
He had just come from the palace and hadn’t returned to his mansion. Instead, he went to the Hanxuan Tea Garden to discuss matters with a few of his subordinates.
Among them, conspicuously, was Zhao Shijie.
His critically ill wife, who had been at death’s door, had made a full recovery and was vibrant once again. As the saying goes, a happy occasion lifts the spirits, and Eldest Prince Zhao’s vitality was visibly restored, though his face still held a trace of haggardness.
Now, upon hearing that Cui Lingyao had gone to his home again, the lips of this once-famous noble scion of the Capital City trembled. He couldn’t help but complain, “Your Highness, if you don’t rein her in, my perfectly fine home is going to be torn apart by all this trouble.”
‘Rein her in…’
Xie Jinbai’s expression was calm as he said coolly, “I can’t.”
After speaking, he shot Zhao Shijie a look. “You, on the other hand, should rein in your wife. Tell her to watch her mouth and, more importantly, forbid her from fanning the flames in front of Yaoyao. I’d rather not have my own peace disturbed.”
Zhao Shijie: “…”
The two men’s eyes met.
Each saw the look in the other’s eyes.
Xie Jinbai looked away in disdain. “Useless man! Can’t even control a single woman.”
Zhao Shijie: ‘…’ ‘You’re no different, Your Highness.’
“What are you waiting for?” Xie Jinbai stood up. “I’m going to go get her.”
If those two women were left together, none of them would have any peace.
Their homes might just fall apart that much faster.
…
「Past noon, at the Duke Zhao Mansion.」
Having not seen each other for many days, Chen Minrou personally greeted her friend at the entrance, took her by the hand, and led her back to her own courtyard.
The sun was pleasant, and a tea stove and a few plates of tea cakes were set up in the courtyard.
Chen Minrou took out a newly acquired tea set and began to brew tea, asking about the Emperor’s summons as she worked.
Cui Lingyao told her everything, from beginning to end.
Hearing how domineering Xie Jinbai had been, ignoring even the old Emperor’s summons and shielding her so completely, Chen Minrou was somewhat astonished. “Now I finally understand how you could forgive what happened three years ago so quickly.”
A fiery woman is no match for a persistent suitor.
Especially a persistent suitor who is powerful, high-ranking, and utterly mad.
Not forgiving him would simply be asking for trouble.
And Xie Jinbai wouldn’t allow her to back down anyway.
Either she lets go of all past grievances, they patch things up, and continue to be a harmonious and happy couple.
Or, she remains stubborn and refuses to forgive him, in which case Xie Jinbai would most likely keep her by his side by force, even if they were to become a resentful pair.
In short, he doesn’t understand the meaning of “letting go.”
He can ignore a verbal edict from the old Emperor. Who under heaven could possibly stop him?
Chen Minrou made a sound of surprise, feeling an inexplicable chill. “It’s a good thing you two are in love. Otherwise, there’s no telling how crazy he might become.”
“…” Cui Lingyao fell silent.
She suddenly thought of the six painted scrolls from the study.
After Li Yong had left that morning, she had opened and looked at them one by one.
Without exception, all six depicted outstandingly beautiful young women. Like a garden of vibrant flowers, some were full-figured and others slender, each with her own unique charm.
And all of them came from families of officials.
Their fathers and brothers served under Xie Jinbai and were exceptionally capable.
For women of such standing, entering the Prince Mansion as concubines was a slight grievance.
But once Xie Jinbai ascended the throne, with their seniority from having served in the Prince Mansion, they would at the very least earn the rank of concubine, and there was also the allure of becoming the mother of a Prince.
Especially since…
Xie Jinbai himself was young, powerful, and high-ranking. With his tall, straight posture, handsome face, and an awe-inspiring aura forged on the battlefield, he was breathtaking.
He was a great, shining hero in the eyes of countless young ladies in the Capital.
A truly prime catch for a husband.
Investing in him was a sure bet with no risk of loss.
Cui Lingyao sighed faintly. “I’m going to take in concubines for him.”
Chen Minrou’s hand, holding her teacup, froze. She looked at her friend in disbelief. “You’re saying you’re going to take in concubines for Xie Jinbai?”
“…Mhm.”
Cui Lingyao propped her chin on her hand, her expression listless. “He chose them himself. Six of them in total. He wants me to pick an auspicious day to welcome them in.”
“He’s gone too far!”
Chen Minrou slammed her teacup down with a CLANG, utterly disappointed in her friend. “You pushover! You just agreed to it?”
Labeled a pushover, Cui Lingyao fell silent for a moment before explaining, “It’s not his fault. I was the one who insisted on it.”
‘Heh…’
As if Chen Minrou would believe that.
She scoffed repeatedly. “He must have hinted at it, making you be sensible and bring it up yourself! You’re just too agreeable. If it were me, I’d have flipped the table. No one would be getting off easy!”
“Come on! Let’s go find him and ask him what on earth he’s thinking! Is it that he can’t stand to see you happy? You’ve only been awake for such a short time, and already he…”
With that, she actually stood up, ready to go and give Xie Jinbai a piece of her mind.
How could Cui Lingyao dare to go with her? She grabbed her friend’s hand and pushed her back down into the chair.
“Don’t be rash. Let me finish first.”
She explained, “I really was the one who brought up taking concubines. He wasn’t even willing. If I were to go back on my word now, the matter could be dropped. You really can’t blame him.”
Hearing that if she went back on her word now, the matter could be dropped, Chen Minrou finally believed that Xie Jinbai hadn’t been willing. Her fury turned into astonishment. “Why would you do that?”
Her confusion was so great that her voice carried, unrestrained, straight out of the courtyard.
The two men, who were just about to enter, both stopped in their tracks.
Xie Jinbai’s martial prowess was immense. And while Zhao Shijie had entered officialdom through the imperial examinations, he was also skilled in horsemanship and archery, and his hearing was just as sharp.
‘Why would you do that…’
Cui Lingyao lowered her eyes. “He needs an heir, and I can’t have children.”
“Just because of that?”
Chen Minrou’s brows knitted slightly.
The two had been friends since childhood and knew each other’s temperaments well. How had she never realized her friend could be so magnanimous?
But then she thought of Xie Jinbai’s status…
All the words Chen Minrou wanted to say got stuck in her throat.
She, too, had suffered the pressure regarding heirs in the years after giving birth to her eldest daughter, when an Imperial Physician diagnosed her with fertility issues.
Zhao Shijie was merely the Heir of the Duke Mansion, and even with a daughter already, she had been so crushed by the pressure that she couldn’t breathe and had become deeply melancholic.
So what about Xie Jinbai, whose path to the throne was almost completely paved?
For him to be without a son was indeed unjustifiable.
Even if he himself were willing to accept it, the entire imperial court, and indeed all the people under heaven, would not.
Taking concubines was only a matter of time.
Bringing it up herself would even earn her a reputation for being virtuous and wise.
In the future, when she became the mistress of the central palace, having a virtuous reputation would only make her position more secure.
Any wise woman would have taken this step proactively.
As Chen Minrou thought it all through, she came to agree with the decision, but she still felt sad for her friend.
She sighed softly. “Although I was annoyed that you forgave him so easily, I never doubted the feelings between you two. I thought that after everything you’ve been through, now that you’ve found happiness again, you would cherish each other even more. How did it…”
No one could have watched Xie Jinbai from the sidelines for three years without being moved.
How did a loving couple end up in this situation…
“Have you seen a doctor about it?” Chen Minrou was truly baffled. “You’ve always been so healthy since you were a child. How can you be having such a hard time with conceiving?”
Cui Lingyao gave a bitter smile. “A doctor can’t fix this.”