Ch 143 – Sincerity
Cheng Yujin was sitting in the inner hall, quietly listening to a palace maid's report. This particular maid was tasked to wait in the front hall and happened to overhear the ongoing discussion between the Crown Prince and his staff when she went in to deliver fresh tea. Surprised to find that His Highness was going to take a side consort, she hurried back to report to the Crown Princess.
Cheng Yujin was silent throughout the maid's report. It was Du Ruo and Lian Qiao, who were also listening from the side, who had their expressions changed. "Your Highness..." they turned to their mistress, anxious and worried.
There was no change in Cheng Yujin's expression. She just sat there in silence for a while. Finally, she waved her hand lightly, ordering: "I see. You can go now."
The maid did not dare to say another word and quickly retreated. After she left, Du Ruo and Lian Qiao both looked at Cheng Yujin, "Your Highness, there might be a misunderstanding here. Could it be that she had heard it wrong?"
"Even the person's surname and her father's official position were clear. What doubts there be here?" Cheng Yujin sat in place, looking unmoved, but suddenly lost interest in the things in front of her, "The only daughter of the Fifth Batallion's Commanding General. Elegant and virtuous, and also with such an extraordinary family background. She is naturally worthy of His Highness."
When Cheng Yujin mentioned the name of the supposed side-consort-to-be, Lian Qiao looked as disgusted as having swallowed a fly, "This person... if she truly is moved by Crown Prince and Crown Princess' love, then she should watch from a distance and give her blessing. But what did she do? She instead wants to marry into the Eastern Palace as a concubine... getting herself a virtuous reputation for not intervening between the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, as if she were a holy mother. Bah! She is just jealous of Her Highness and thinks that she could do it better, but insists on using such a sickening excuse to look pure and innocent."
Lian Qiao was furious, but Du Ruo was more aware of the current situation and felt helpless. She looked at Cheng Yujin and said in despair, "In normal times, this kind of trick is nothing to fear, but His Highness is at a critical juncture and urgently needs manpower at this moment... Your Highness, what should we do?"
"What should we do?" Cheng Yujin let out a very soft chuckle, stood up, and walked in the direction of the inner chamber, "Who can stop if His Highness made up his mind? General Dong wants to take the opportunity to join the Crown Prince's faction by marrying his precious daughter, and it just happened that this Miss Dong is also willing. His Highness can obtain half of the Fifth Batallion in one swoop. This is clearly a good deal that greatly benefits all three related parties. As for me, what does it have to do with me? What does my opinion matter?"
"Your Highness..."
Cheng Yujin obviously did not want to talk about it anymore. She asked, "Where are Mingyue and Mingqian?"
"They are still sleeping. The wetnurses and Mama are watching over them."
"I see," Cheng Yujin nodded and said, "Tell the wetnurses to pay more attention. There are a lot of mosquitoes these days. Mingyue and Mingqian's skin is still tender; don't let them get bitten."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Cheng Yujin walked into the study. All the while, her voice remained calm and composed, and there was no particular emotion in her slightly cold face. Still, Lian Qiao and Du Ruo exchanged glances and remained silent, too afraid to continue bringing up the topic.
The Crown Princess was clearly in a bad mood, and even her personal servant girls who had served her since her maiden days did not dare to make a sound, let alone others. As a result, the entire Ciqing Palace was shrouded in a quiet and depressing aura.
...
When Li Chengjing saw that a palace maid suddenly left the front hall and went directly to the inner hall where Cheng Yujin was, his heart immediately sank. It was clear that the maid was going to report to Cheng Yujin, which was Li Chengjing's negligence. After the meeting ended, he immediately rushed back to their living quarters.
After Li Chengjing entered the inner hall, he found the atmosphere very gloomy. Seeing that his guess was confirmed, he hurriedly asked a nearby palace maid for Cheng Yujin's whereabouts and walked straight to the study.
When Li Chengjing opened the door and entered, he saw Cheng Yujin was in the middle of painting. He walked in, brought the plate containing red cinnabar to her hand, and said, "Are you painting the Mid-Autumn Festival design for Mingyue and Mingqian's new clothes?"
Li Chengjing put the paint Cheng Yujin was going to use next by her side and was about to stand next to her to watch her painting, but Cheng Yujin suddenly put down her brush and scrolled away to the opposite side, saying: "This consort doesn't dare to let Your Highness do the chore. Please leave this consort alone."
Feeling his empty hand, Li Chengjing's brows furrowed a bit, and he slowly turned to look at Cheng Yujin.
Cheng Yujin kept her head low and began to return the plates of paint back into the box as if she didn't notice Li Chengjing standing by her side. Li Chengjing retracted his hands and folded them behind him as he spoke slowly, "Has someone told you?"
Cheng Yujin continued packing the painting tools one after another, then she turned around, ready to leave, "This consort doesn't understand what Your Highness is talking about."
Li Chengjing suddenly reached out and grabbed Cheng Yujin's wrist, using such a strong force that he directly restrained her in his arms. Cheng Yujin pulled hard and tried to break free, but failed. Li Chengjing turned her around and forced her to look into his eyes, "Why don't you ask me?"
Cheng Yujin was still struggling hard, but when she heard Li Chengjing's words, she raised her brows slightly, as if she had just heard a bad joke, "Right after the maid came reporting, Your Highness immediately returned. Do I still need to ask?"
Li Chengjing held back his anger and tried to be as calm as possible: "That maid leaked secret information without authorization and spread false news. She should be punished. Where is she?"
"Stop it." Cheng Yujin finally couldn't bear it anymore. She broke free from Li Chengjing's hold, took a step back, raised her head, and stared into his eyes, "What does Your Highness want to do? If the maid is punished, who else would dare to pass any news to me after today?"
Li Chengjing was holding back his anger, "Her behavior is against the palace rules. Not only she leaked secret information, but she also provoked our relationship. If she is not punished severely, the discipline in the palace will crumble down."
"Is her behavior against the rules of the palace, or is it against your rules?" Cheng Yujin suddenly raised her voice accusingly. She stared at Li Chengjing sharply; her eyes frosty, "In the past, the palace servants always told me about Your Highness's itinerary, but you never said a word about it. Now that she secretly passed your intention of accepting a side consort to me, you finally broke in anger. What does Your Highness mean by this?"
Li Chengjing took a deep breath, stepped forward to hold her shoulders, and said, "I never have this kind of intention. When we first got engaged, you thought I had taken fancy to your beauty and wanted to take you as my concubine. Not long after we got married, in order to appease the Empress, you once had the intention of accepting women for me. And now, with only a few words from a servant, you suspect that I want to take a side consort? In your heart, you never trust me, don't you?"
Cheng Yujin's eyes suddenly glistened with tears. She turned her head sharply and shook Li Chengjing's hand with all her strength, but she couldn't break free no matter what. After struggling to no avail, she turned around and glared fiercely: "Let me go."
Li Chengjing ignored Cheng Yujin's plea and still stared straight into her eyes, as if wanting to pry open her heart, "Why don't you answer my question? After two years of marriage, have you ever trusted me? Have you ever been moved?"
They had been married for two full years, during which they had never quarreled, not even having a cold war or disagreement. Others passed this an enviable story, praising the Crown Prince and Crown Princess for their gentleness, rationality, and love, having never quarreled with one another. However, when the fairy tale was finally shattered, this turned out to be their first and only quarrel since they married.
Cheng Yujin and Li Chengjing were both cautious and rational, and it was not in their nature to make loud noises over disagreements. But it didn't mean there was no dissatisfaction between them, only that they both kept suppressing and repressing it, and once it broke out, the result was fatal.
Cheng Yujin was cold-hearted by nature, and self-interest always came first to her. At the beginning of their marriage, Li Chengjing thought it didn't matter. He felt that it was enough as long as she was by his side. But it turned out that he, like another human, was selfish and greedy. His feelings for Cheng Yujin couldn't be more clear, and in response, Cheng Yujin always gave him her utmost support and meticulous, gentle care. As a wife, Cheng Yujin was so perfect that Li Chengjing couldn't help but wonder if she would still be such a perfect wife if her husband were not him. If the one she married was someone else, would she also treat the other man with the same gentleness and meticulous care as she did to him?
Li Chengjing tried to dismiss this thought, but once the idea formed, there was no way to make it never exist. It was very rare for him to be this confused. Li Chengjing kept telling himself to be content, that his current life was already very happy. He had Cheng Yujin and their children by his side, and his was such a harmonious and loving family that was the envy of everyone. This was perfect enough, so what more did he expect?
However, Cheng Yujin's passive acceptance of side consort today finally ignited the suspicion Li Chengjing had long been suppressing deep within his heart. Cheng Yujin heard that he was about to take the daughter of General Dong as a side consort, yet she didn't raise a single protest. For her, what exactly was he? They had been getting along day and night for two years, but had she ever put him in her heart?
The issue of side consort was just a small spark that ignited the fuse. The root of the dispute lay in their doubt about each other's feelings. This was an extremely dangerous hidden danger, yet none of them ever brought this topic to light and instead continued getting along harmoniously with each other. In the past, there seemed to be no contradiction between them, until everything finally blew up today.
Hearing Li Chengjing's accusation, tears welled up in Cheng Yujin's eyes, "What do you mean? Why are you blaming me now?"
Seeing Cheng Yujin crying, Li Chengjing was startled and subconsciously loosened the strength in his hands. But Cheng Yujin didn't notice it. She tried her best to endure, but tears still fell from her eyes, "What right do you have to accuse me? Does it make a difference? Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince also thinks that I should keep both my body and mind clean for you, only having you in my heart, and love you with all my being, all while you are surrounding yourself with countless consorts and concubines? Li Chengjing, even my father, looked down as a good-for-nothing prodigal as he is, has never made such a demand from her wife and concubines."
Indescribable emotions surged within Li Chengjing's heart, and he said helplessly, "You are comparing me to Cheng Yuanxian again?"
"Your Highness is an astute nobleman with a deep mind and tactic. Of course my father is not worthy of being compared with you." Cheng Yujin's eyes were still wet with tears, but her tone was aggressive, "Your Highness is now framed by a villain and has been restricted in the Eastern Palace as a result. Naturally, the court officials are worried and feel injustice for you. At this moment, Your Highness should stand in line with the wish of the people to set things right, get rid of traitorous villains, and restore peace and order. Your next step is extremely critical, so of course you need as much reliable help as you can get. It's best if you can obtain a powerful ally, and a perfect one just happens to deliver themselves to your door. Your Highness has been planning carefully for so long, so how can you hesitate at the last moment? By accepting General Dong's beloved daughter as your side consort, you will obtain both a powerful general and a beautiful girl who is deeply infatuated with you. This will benefit both the Eastern Palace and the Dong father and daughter, so there is no need for Your Highness to hesitate, no? As for me, I already have Mingyue and Mingqian, so Your Highness no longer has to worry about the lineage issue of your eldest son. As the Crown Princess, I should take the overall situation into account and support Your Highness's cause unconditionally. Rest assured, I will never be your hindrance."
"I never have the intention of taking a concubine." Li Chengjing finally realized that Cheng Yujin was angry and trying to avoid the topic. "Calm down first, okay? Taking a side consort is just a suggestion from an aide, and I have already rejected it. That palace maid only listened to the first half of the conversation and hastily passed you the wrong information."
"If you never express such an intent to your staff, would they dare make such a suggestion?" Cheng Yujin dismissed Li Chengjing's explanation as a mere excuse. The accusation in her angry eyes was so sharp, as if she wanted to cut him into pieces, "So it turns out that you secretly have this intention? What else do you want? Marrying another woman, but still want me to be devoted to you? Worried that I would disagree, you took the chance to accuse me of not caring about you and have never trusted you. Your behavior is even worse than Cheng Yuanxian's!"
Li Chengjing found that he couldn't communicate with Cheng Yujin in her current state, so he sighed and simply said, "I don't want to argue with you. Let's talk about it later after you calm down."
"Reasonable is reasonable, and unreasonable is unreasonable. What does Your Highness mean by do not want to argue with me? Do you think I am making a fuss over nothing?"
Li Chengjing was stifled so thoroughly that he completely lost his words. He used to watch as Huo Changyuan was scolded by Cheng Yujin, but never expected that the day would come when he stood by the receiving end of her scolding.
Li Chengjing finally realized the feelings of Ruan-shi, Huo Xue-shi, Huo Changyuan and others when they faced Cheng Yujin's tongue. This girl was too superb with her words and had the ability to render her opponents truly speechless. Anything he said would come back biting at him, but staying silent was not an option either. Li Chengjing completely gave up reasoning. Instead, he reached out and pulled Cheng Yujin into his embrace as he spoke to her softly, "Alright, whatever you say is correct. I cannot argue with you. But the matter of concubines is totally wronging me. Listen until I finish first before you scold me again, okay?"
"Let me go!" Cheng Yujin was in a fit of rage, and Li Chengjing's sudden hug poured oil into the burning flame. "Don't touch me, and don't you dare use sophistry to change the topic!"
Hearing this, Li Chengjing finally got really angry. He picked Cheng Yujin and put her on the desk, then clasped her chin and kissed her hard. Cheng Yujin was halfway speaking when her lips were suddenly blocked. She was shocked beyond words. Li Chengjing was always very gentle with her and had never forced her like this. Facing his strong pressure, Cheng Yujin couldn't do anything and was completely helpless. Air kept going out of her lungs, and as Cheng Yujin gradually found it hard to breathe, she started hitting Li Chengjing's shoulders with her hands.
After Li Chengjing finally let her go, both of them were breathing heavily. Only then did Cheng Yujin realize that she was lying flat on the desk. The study was totally messy now, with the scrolls and such that were originally on the desk having fallen to the floor at some point. Cheng Yujin touched the corner of her lips, which had been bitten during their intense struggle just now, and looked around as the absurdity of the situation slowly came to her. In a hurry to restore her demeanor, she was about to get off the desk, but was stopped by Li Chengjing. Li Chengjing put his arms on her sides, completely blocking her way out. Anxious, Cheng Yujin tried to push him away, "Get out of the way. What if someone comes in?"
"No one will enter." Li Chengjing did not budge an inch. The servants, upon hearing the noises in the study, had long since withdrawn. Although what actually happened was different from their thoughts, there should be no one in the hall at this moment. If Li Chengjing wanted to do something tangible now, he totally could.
As he blocked Cheng Yujin's way out, Li Chengjing said sternly to her, "Let's finish our conversation first, and don't make me force you, okay?"
Cheng Yujin pushed Li Chengjing's hands angrily, "It's still broad daylight outside. What do you think you are doing?"
"What if I want to?"
Cheng Yujin covered her neckline and moved her eyes around. Li Chengjing sighed and brushed a lock of Cheng Yujin's hair that had fallen out of its place when she struggled just now, "I will never force you to do things you don't want to. Do you have no trust in me?"
Cheng Yujin was silent. She was half lying on the large desk, with ink and scrolls scattered on the floor. Li Chengjing's wide sleeves fell upon her, overlapping with her dress. He said to her: "My principle is to never go back on my words. Back then, you still didn't believe me, so I made a declaration in front of the public to never take a concubine unless I was without a son at forty. Thanks to you, I am now a father, and with it goes there my reason to take a concubine. What else are you still worrying about?"
Cheng Yujin didn't say a word, but her eyes were clearly evaluating his. Li Chengjing sighed and said, "It was my fault just now. I was so anxious and made you cry. I never have the intention of inserting a third person between us, and for the matter of General Dong, I have also clearly rejected this proposal."
"Really?"
"Really." Li Chengjing couldn't help raising his eyebrows when he said this, "If it wasn't for that palace maid who listened to only half of the conversation and hastily came to report to you, you wouldn't have misunderstood me. This is my negligence. From now on, I will handle it properly so that the servants will never put you in such a situation again. Not now, and not in the future."
After her emotions subsided, Cheng Yujin now felt a little embarrassed, "Did I really misunderstand you?"
"Yes, I am really wronged."
Feeling guilty yet also funny, Cheng Yujin couldn't hold back her laughter. With a smile, she pushed Li Chengjing gently, "Okay, okay. I indeed blamed you wrongly. My mistake. I promise to trust you more in the future, alright? Now, get aside. The children are about to wake up."
"What's the hurry?" Li Chengjing still didn't move away and even propped himself with one hand, using his free hand to grab Cheng Yujin's chin as his face slowly approached hers, "I asked you a question just now, and you haven't answered it yet."
Facing Li Chengjing's persistence, Cheng Yujin reflexively tried to back off, accidentally pushing down a few remaining stuff on the desk in the process, "W-what?"
"You don't remember?"
"You said so much just now, how can I know which one you are talking about?"
"Fine." Li Chengjing nodded very gentlemanly and did not expose his wife's clumsy lie, "Then we can stay like this until you remember."
"Go away! The children are going to cry out soon. What if the servants came in and saw we like this? Where is your decorum!"
"With all the loud noises we made earlier, you think they are still ignorant? The notoriety has been gained, but I cannot get it for nothing, okay?"
Cheng Yujin blushed: "Shut up!"
"Tell me?"
Cheng Yujin bit her lips annoyedly as the red blush spread from her face to her neck. After holding back for a long time, she finally whispered in a low voice, "Yes."
When Li Chengjing finally got the answer he was waiting for, his eyebrows were raised in surprise: "I have been waiting for so long, and you merely answer me with a single word?"
"Not satisfied?" Cheng Yujin angrily slapped Li Chengjing's shoulder, "Too bad, but you have to take it. Don't you dare ask for a foot after I gave you an inch."
As the Crown Prince, it was Li Chengjing's first time to be told, "You have to take it." Feeling aggrieved, he let go of his hands, but immediately changed his mind again when Cheng Yujin was about to break free. Putting a palm around Cheng Yujin's waist, he demanded, "You have wronged me so much today; shouldn't you give me a compensation?"
Seeing Li Chengjing make a gesture with his lips, Cheng Yujin gave him an even angrier glare in response. Li Chengjing saw that the kiss was hopeless, so he lowered his head and simply pressed his lips against Cheng Yujin's: "Cannot be helped then. I will take the compensation by myself."
Cheng Yujin tried to hold back, but finally couldn't help but burst out in laughter. She still tried to glare at Li Chengjing, but the scene of a shy beauty glaring with moist eyes only added fuel to the fire.
Li Chengjing chuckled. He stopped making it difficult for Cheng Yujin and finally let her go.
After Cheng Yujin slipped away like a fleeing rabbit, Li Chengjing looked at the messy study with a satisfied smile on his lips. Despite everything, Cheng Yujin finally gave him a clear answer to his previous question.
—After two years of marriage, have you ever been moved?
Although she just gave a small "Yes" in an almost inaudible voice, it was enough. With Cheng Yujin's character, she wouldn't have admitted it unless she was truly convinced.
In fact, he should have understood it from the beginning. When Cheng Yujin's heard that he was about to accept a side consort, her first reaction was to get extremely angry. If she, as he initially believed, really had no feelings for him, she would have analyzed the Dong family's forces rationally and objectively instead of getting angry at him.
Unfortunately, the two of them were too emotional at the time, so they both missed this obvious fact. Fortunately, however, today's incident exposed the doubts buried in their hearts, allowing the seeds of suspicion to be confronted instead of festering over time and becoming a crack that slowly eroded their relationship.
Now that the couple had spoken, they both understood each other's feelings better, which was a pleasant surprise.
...
As if fleeing, Cheng Yujin immediately ran to the side chambers to see her two children. Fortunately, the two babes were still sleeping soundly without signs of waking up.
Cheng Yujin was too embarrassed to call people in, so she personally shook the cradle gently as her mind drifted away slowly. For some reason, she felt like her face was still extremely hot.
Cheng Yujin's mind wandered — without her even noticing it, had she actually been moved by Li Chengjing? She didn't know how to define love, but she at least knew that this deep feeling and a strong desire to monopolize were different from friendship or familial love.
Cheng Yujin was engrossed in her thoughts and did not notice it when Lian Qiao and Du Ruo came in. The two servant girls did not know what conversation the Crown Prince and Crown Princess had in the study, but they were extremely relieved to see the two masters come out in a good mood. Naturally, the rest of the Eastern Palace servants also noticed the lightened mood and equally sighed in relief.
Mingqian started crying shortly after, staring at his legs as he howled. Cheng Yujin knew that he was wetting his bed again, and sure enough, after changing him into clean clothes and cool bedding, the baby fell asleep again.
After changing Li Mingqian, Cheng Yujin then wiped the hands and feet of her two children. Finished with her work, Cheng Yujin raised her head and noticed Li Chengjing's absence. She turned to the waiting servants and asked, "Where's His Highness?"
"Just now, a eunuch came delivering a letter, asking the Crown Prince to go to Qianqing Palace to meet the Emperor."
Cheng Yujin nodded, took a fan from the side, and gently fanned the two children. For some reason, she was feeling uneasy. A palace maid stepped forward and took the fan in Cheng Yujin's hand. After Cheng Yujin carefully gave instructions, she took her personal servant girls and left the children's room. She had just taken two steps out when she suddenly stopped in place, "No, why did the Emperor call him to the Qianqing Palace? Didn't His Majesty live in the Yinghua Palace these days?"