Mu Qingling was a little sleepy after drinking the medicine, but she had to wait for the maid she had sent out to come back. So, she asked the wet nurse to bring her a book to read. However, before she had read a couple of pages, she heard the sound of a woman crying and her maid scolding someone outside the door.
She was already ill, so when it was noisy outside, her beautiful brows couldnât help but tighten together. With a pale face, she asked, âWhoâs out there?â
The wet nurse looked at her young lady with distress and quickly stood up, âThis maid will go and see.â
Within a few moments, the person who had been making noises and arguing outside was brought to Mu Qinglingâs bedside.
The girl was dressed in coarse clothing. Even so, it didnât affect her beautiful appearance. As soon as she entered the room, she knelt on the ground. The sight of Mu Qingling, who was still leaning on the bed, was like a savior to her. She crawled on her knees to the bed while crying.
When she reached the bedside, she kowtowed over and over. While kowtowing, she begged, âPlease Your Highness, please save this commoner daughter. Please...â
Mu Qingling, disturbed by her cries, had a headache and couldnât help but massage her brow as she asked the maid who had followed the girl in, âWhatâs going on?â
The maid had a difficult look on her face. She hesitated for a few moments, but knelt on the ground and spoke in a faltering tone, âThis is the concubine of the... Prince."
âShe was originally staying in the West Courtyard, but when she heard that Your Highness had woken up today, she made a fuss about looking for the Princess Consort. The guards in the residence were afraid to stop her, which is why she disturbed you, Your Highness.â
âNo! Iâm not a concubine!!â
The girl, provoked by the words, lifted her bloodied head and pleaded, âThis commoner daughter is a native of Longxi. A few days ago, I came to the capital with my father and met the Prince on the road. He kidnapped this commoner daughter and brought me back to this mansion and said that... he wanted to take this commoner daughter as a concubine. I beg Princess Consort to show mercy! I have an engagement, so I canât serve the Prince!â
âThis commoner daughter wanted to die with dignity, but it turned out that the Prince hasnât touched me in the past few days due to the Princess Consortâs illness. Since Iâm still innocent, this commoner daughter is begging the Princess Consort for mercy...â
After saying that, she continued to kowtow to Mu Qingling without fear of pain. She kept muttering, begging over and over, âPlease have mercy, send this commoner daughter back. Please have mercy...â
Mu Qinglingâs eyes went black as she listened, and she almost fainted. Seeing that her face was pale white, her nanny stepped forward to help her and worriedly asked, âMiss?â
âIâm fine.â
Mu Qingling took a few breaths with her white lips and managed to calm down before exhaling a breath, âSend this girl out of the mansion, and give her 50 taels from my private treasury to calm her down. If the Prince asks about it, just tell him to come find me!"
The last sentence was full of anger.
She had thought that, although the husband she married wasnât a great hero and was a bit immature, he was at least far from being a villain and treated her with respect as a Princess Consort.
The result?! He had forcibly seized a girl! And at the foot of the Emperor!
(TNote: At the foot of the Emperor = in the imperial capital/under the Emperor's nose.)
There were no rules at all in this mansion. Leaving aside the matter of the girl, just the fact that she had come all the way to the Princessâs courtyard as a concubine showed how undisciplined the mansion was.
The guards couldnât stop it, nor could the maids!
To put it bluntly, what if it wasnât this poor girl who had barged in today, but a foreign man?
Mu Qingling had made up her mind to take care of the affairs of the household when she was a little better. And the Prince, even if it would anger him, she had to make it clear to him that it was okay for him to take in a concubine, but he should never force a girl who didnât want to. That was no different than a beast!
As soon as she thought about that, she heard the poor girl, who had been helped to her feet by her maid, let out a little shriek. Then, as if she had seen a fierce beast, she flew away from the maidâs hand and hid beside the bed with her head full of blood. Her eyes were full of despair.
âYour Highness... Your Highness save me..."
Mu Qingling propped himself up and saw her husband. Lin Shiheng, the Prince of Linjiang, opened the curtain and walked in.
Her feeble hands slightly clenched as she softened her voice and spoke to the poor girl, âDonât be afraid."
A girlâs greatest fear was to be a concubine and have her innocence tarnished. If she didnât do anything about it today, the poor girl wouldnât be able to escape with her life.
Even if she angered the Prince today, she had to protect this girl!
Lin Shiheng looked at Mu Qingling, who was staring at him with a pale face. She was only 16 years old, with a beautiful face, and looked very weak because of her serious illness. However, her almond eyes werenât as calm as water as the original owner remembered, but carried a bit of anger.
He frowned and looked up and down at the shivering girl hiding by the bed, âWho is this? Whatâs with all the blood on your forehead?"
As he spoke, he looked at Mu Qingling, who was weakly leaning on the bed, âIs she one of your people, Princess?â
Mu Qingling didnât relax, but asked, âYou donât remember her, Your Highness?â
âI see so many people every day. If I remember everyone I meet, wouldnât I be exhausted? â
Lin Shiheng didnât care about the coldness in her tone. When he had said that, he swaggered over and sat down on the edge of the bed, looking at the girl standing by it with a very disgusted gaze. When he saw that she was trembling with fear at the look in his eyes, the disgust in his eyes grew even heavier.
âYouâre an eyesore with all that blood. Why arenât you going away to clean it up? â After he said that with a disgusted expression on his face, he tilted his head to look at Mu Qingling. With a puzzled tone, he asked, âWhy is there such an ugly looking maid beside you? Sheâs got such a bloody face, isnât that disgusting? â
âUgly?â
Mu Qingling almost laughed at him, âIf you think sheâs ugly, why did you kidnap her and bring her home?"
âI kidnapped someone?â
Prince Linjiang, who was dressed in luxurious clothes, was stunned. A look of realization appeared in his eyes, âI had too much wine that day, so I grabbed a beauty and came back to enjoy her. But arenât you ill? Thatâs why I placed her in the West Courtyard for now.â
âNow that the Princess Consort is recovering, itâs time for me to enjoy the beauty.â
After he confidently said that, he took another look at the girl who was standing by the bed, holding the curtain of the bead with a death grip and constantly shivering. His eyebrows gradually furrowed, and he looked at her up and down once more, as if he was greatly confused.
âI... grabbed someone ugly, and brought her home? Looks like I drank too much wine, and couldnât judge correctly.â
Prince Linjiang, who had a high standard for beauty, simply forgot what he had just said about enjoying the beauty and directly ordered...
âSomeone, throw this... whomever, out of this Princeâs mansion, hurry! Donât let her stain my eyes anymore!â
The few maids looked at each other, not daring to move for a while. Lin Shiheng directly kicked the corner of the bed, âHurry up! Whatâs wrong with you all?!â
After Mu Qingling, who was weakly leaning against the bed, carefully observed his expression and found that he was indeed genuinely disgusted with the commoner girlâs ugliness, she nodded to some of her own maids even though she was puzzled, âSend her out of the mansion, give her 50 taels, and hire a doctor for her to look at her wounds.â
âYes...â
Several people bowed their heads and hastily withdrew from the room with the girl, who kept muttering, âThank you, Princess. Thank you, Your Highness.â
Lin Shiheng smiled at Mu Qingling, then disgustedly looked at the wet nurse standing by the bed with an Til protect my young ladyâ look on her face.
âStand down, this Prince has something to say to the Princess Consort.â
He was a Prince, the most important person in this mansion, so even if the wet nurse wasnât at ease, she could only bow and leave.
The husband and wife were the only ones left in the room for a while.
âPrincess, you donât have to worry. I had asked the doctor, he said it will only take 3 days for you to be completely cured. Once youâre well, Iâll accompany you to the marquisâs residence.â
Mu Qingling looked at Lin Shiheng, who looked normal in front of her, and wondered why he was suddenly so kind to her. Was he feeling guilty? But he didnât look like he felt any guilt when he kidnapped that girl.
She hesitated, then asked, âI wonder if Your Highness had ever kidnapped other women before?â
âNo, sheâs the only one. Empress mother fears that I would be addicted to women, so she told me to marry a Princess Consort before taking in any concubines. Didnât I just take the person back, I havenât even had time to enjoy it.â
His expression seemed like it was justified, as if he wasnât taking a girl by force. Mu Qingling wanted to get angry at him, but didnât know where to start. The stifling feeling made her face look even more pale.
Unfortunately, this was her husband, and she could only persuade him with a gentle tone.
âYour Highness, that girl was clearly unwilling. You wonât be able to enjoy it with her. Instead, you might force her to commit suicide. If you like beauty, you can find some women who are willing to serve you and give them a proper role, so you can enjoy them if you wish.â
Lin Shiheng: âBut I like the unwilling ones.â
Mu Qingling felt a knot in her heart. She took a few breaths, holding her temper. She saw that Lin Shiheng was properly listening to her, so she forced another smile out on her face...
âBut kidnapping a girl from a good family is against the law of the land. Even if you are a Prince, breaking the law is still breaking the law.â
Mu Qingling tried to recall the books she had read, intending to use a long speech to wrangle the illegal thoughts of a husband, who enjoyed grabbing women by force, into submission.
She was just starting but saw the handsome Prince in front of her, who was her age, nodded with a dazed look on his face.
âSo it is.â
âI wonât kidnap someone next time.â
Mu Qingling, who had prepared a bellyful of words to advise her husband, paused.
She was a little confused and at a loss.
He actually agreed to it so easily.
Is it that... easy?