The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 158
by Little PandaCan a Woman and a Woman Have a Child?
The cold arrow had pierced right through his chest. Though it had been removed, Qu Jinian still had not woken up. The military doctors in the camp were entirely out of options, which was why they had sent someone to secretly inform Qu Sheng.
Qu Jinian’s life or death would not only affect the war on the Northern Frontier but also the balance of power within the imperial court.
Having not seen Qu Sheng come over for quite some time, Lin Xizhao asked the servants in the courtyard and learned that Qu Sheng had left the residence.
An 800-li expedited1 dispatch from the border was certainly no trivial matter. Kneeling there, Lin Xizhao felt a surge of anxiety. Normally, if Qu Sheng had to leave, she would definitely inform her first. Since she hadn’t this time, something must have happened to the Qu family.
Because Lin Xizhao was in mourning, she could not leave the residence as she pleased. She summoned Feng Qi and had him go inquire after Qu Sheng.
Not long after, Feng Qi returned from the Qu Residence. Qu Sheng was currently having Liu Wuxiang identify the poison scraped from the arrow. She also had Feng Qi inform Lin Xizhao about Qu Jinian being shot.
Lin Xizhao felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles, but she didn’t let it show in the slightest. She didn’t even tell Lin Xirui.
Later in the day, Qu Sheng returned from the Qu Residence. Lin Xizhao had been looking outside for half the day, and finally, as the thin veil of night descended, she caught sight of Qu Sheng’s figure.
Lin Xizhao stood up, the thick outer coat draped over her shoulders slipping to the floor. Ignoring it, she hurriedly walked out.
Qu Sheng strode toward her. Seeing Lin Xizhao’s anxious expression, she quickly said, “Wife, I need to make a trip to the Northern Frontier.” As she spoke, she glanced toward Lin Jianhai’s mourning hall.
Lin Jianhai’s body would lie in state for seven days before burial, and Lin Xikuan was due to return at any moment. Qu Sheng desperately wanted to take Lin Xizhao with her, but she had already stolen Lin Xizhao away from Lin Jianhai’s side; how could she deprive Lin Xizhao of seeing him off on his final journey?
Hearing this, Lin Xizhao’s eyes shifted slightly. “Has another problem arisen?” she asked softly.
Qu Sheng nodded. “Third Uncle sent another urgent report. The Six Kingdoms intend to ally with the Bei’an Kingdom in the northwest to invade. The Six Kingdoms are increasing their troop numbers right now. I must wipe them out and block the mountain passes before Bei’an can mobilize its army over.”
The Bei’an Kingdom was located in the northwest, accessible only through a single narrow pass that traversed the Changhe Mountains. But if the Six Kingdoms were willing to let Bei’an’s army through, Bei’an would undoubtedly swallow the entirety of Tiansheng.
Compared to Tiansheng, Bei’an had a similarly sized territory, though its land was not as fertile. Qu Sheng worried that the Six Kingdoms’ decision to bring Bei’an into the fold was an act of mutual destruction. Inviting a wolf into the house—killing a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of one’s own2—was truly unwise. Most likely, the Six Kingdoms had grown terrified of the Tiansheng army’s counterattack and feared extermination.
Qu Sheng’s style of commanding an army was entirely different from Qu Jinian’s. She advocated for quick, decisive battles; unless she had a specific secondary objective, she never dragged out a campaign.
When Qu Jinian had gone to the frontier, he had adopted a conservative strategy, likely wanting to use it as leverage to exchange for Qu Ting’s life. This sudden increase in enemy troops meant the situation could not be delayed for even a moment. Looking at the urgency in Qu Sheng’s eyes, Lin Xizhao understood the severity of the matter.
“Is there anything you need me to do?” Lin Xizhao asked softly.
Qu Sheng looked down at Lin Xizhao, reluctance quickly filling her eyes. Her gaze traced Lin Xizhao’s face—a gentleness that had seeped into her very bones. After a moment, she said, “Wait for me to return.”
She didn’t need Lin Xizhao to do anything for her. She only needed her to wait for her, only needed her to belong to her.
“Alright.” This time, Lin Xizhao didn’t say she would follow.
Her father had not yet been laid to rest; she could not leave. Once Lin Jianhai was buried and everything was settled, she would follow Qu Sheng to the frontier.
“I’ll be entering the palace shortly, so I won’t come over tomorrow.” Qu Sheng gazed at Lin Xizhao, thousands of threads of reluctance in her eyes.
Tonight, she had to rally the troops and hand over court affairs. She couldn’t afford to manage things at the Lin Residence anymore, but she had already informed Zhao Jiayu and asked her to come keep Lin Xizhao company.
“En.” Lin Xizhao nodded. She felt something draining away from her heart, making her want to reach out and grasp it.
“Wife.” Unbeknownst to her, tears had welled up in Qu Sheng’s eyes.
During their last parting, it hadn’t been like this. This time, Qu Sheng didn’t know what was wrong with her; it felt as though some lingering grievance was swirling in her chest.
Hearing Qu Sheng call her ‘Wife,’ the sense of loss in Lin Xizhao’s heart became ever more pronounced. Caring little that they were right outside Lin Jianhai’s mourning hall, she lifted her chin on her own initiative and kissed the corner of Qu Sheng’s lips.
“You must stay safe.” The bitter taste of parting was always difficult to adapt to in the moment. Yet no matter how sad she was, Lin Xizhao would never stop Qu Sheng from rushing to the Northern Frontier.
In matters concerning the life and death of the nation and its people, she would not hinder Qu Sheng’s steps.
“En.” Qu Sheng nodded, then couldn’t resist leaning in to kiss Lin Xizhao again.
A parting kiss always bred greed. The two kissed in the courtyard for a long time. Lin Xizhao never pushed Qu Sheng away, only stopping when Qu Sheng was finally satisfied and voluntarily parted from her. By then, there were tears in both of their eyes.
Lin Xizhao pursed the moisture on her lips. Panting softly, she whispered, “I will go pack your luggage shortly and have Feng Qi deliver it to you.”
“En. This battle will likely last until after the New Year. Pack some winter clothing as well.”
Hearing that it would last until after the New Year, Lin Xizhao’s chest felt even more stifled. She nodded slightly, averting her gaze. After a long moment, she lifted her head, her voice trembling slightly as she replied, “Alright.”
Seeing the shimmering unshed tears in Lin Xizhao’s eyes, Qu Sheng could no longer restrain herself and pulled Lin Xizhao tightly into her embrace.
Qu Sheng entered the palace, summoned the ministers, went over the affairs of the south once more, and arranged the personnel to defend the city. Late that night, she went to the military camp, rallied her officers, and departed under the cover of darkness.
Lin Xizhao packed Qu Sheng’s clothes and had Feng Qi deliver them to the military camp. She even tucked the personal handkerchief she used every day into the bundle.
With no family there to see her off, Qu Sheng led her grand army on a forced march north.
Kneeling in the mourning hall, Lin Xizhao’s vision instantly blurred with tears the moment she heard Feng Qi report that Qu Sheng had broken camp and departed.
Seeing this, Lin Xirui walked to Lin Xizhao’s side and gently consoled her, “Ajie, you need not worry. Sheng-meimei is brave and skilled in battle. She will definitely return in triumph this time.”
Lin Xizhao gave a slight nod. When she lifted her head, she tried her best to hold back her tears so Lin Xirui wouldn’t worry as much.
Having just lost her father, then hearing that Qu Jinian had been injured, and now with Qu Sheng suddenly leaving, she felt a hollow echoing in her chest.
“Junzhu, Shizi3, Second Young Master has returned,” the steward came rushing in to report.
Just as the words fell, Lin Xikuan’s figure appeared. Seeing the coffin in the mourning hall before him, his eyes turned bloodshot. He wailed as he stumbled toward Lin Jianhai’s coffin. “Father, why didn’t you wait for this child to return!”
Lin Xikuan’s cries prompted Lin Xizhao and Lin Xirui to stand and hurriedly go to meet him. Lin Xikuan was crying like a man made of tears; the sheer grief on his face seemed to eclipse the combined sorrow in Lin Xizhao and Lin Xirui’s hearts.
Lin Xikuan beat his fists against Lin Jianhai’s coffin. Bean-sized tears hit the floor, prompting Lin Xizhao and Lin Xirui to start crying all over again.
“Second Brother, Father is already gone. Please don’t be too heartbroken. You still have us.” Lin Xirui gently tugged at Lin Xikuan with one hand while lifting the other to wipe the tears from his own eyes.
“I didn’t even get to see Father one last time. I’m unworthy of being his son…” Lin Xikuan mumbled between sobs. Even the servants in the room were moved by his weeping, their own eyes growing damp.
Two hours later.
From the moment he returned, Lin Xikuan cried for a full two hours. By the time he was tired and had cried his fill, the sky was already beginning to lighten.
The three siblings knelt in the mourning hall. Having weathered the brunt of their grief, they began to discuss the matters of Lin Jianhai’s burial.
“Since Father never officially elevated my concubine mother4 to primary wife, she will not be buried alongside him,” Lin Xikuan was the first to state.
Listening, Lin Xirui voiced no objections. Who would want to be buried alongside the man who murdered her?
“Let’s do as Second Brother says. We’ll only bury Mother and Father together,” Lin Xirui suggested.
Hearing this, Lin Xizhao lowered her eyes and pondered for a long time. Logically, Lady Liang ought to be buried together with Lin Jianhai. But after all these years, if Lady Liang knew of everything Lin Jianhai had done, she likely wouldn’t want to be buried with him either. Especially since Lin Jianhai had completely disregarded Lin Xizhao’s reputation, leading a man into her bedroom in the dead of night. If Lady Liang had known, no matter how gentle she was, she definitely would have fallen out with him, perhaps even cutting ties completely.
“Mother has been resting in peace for many years. When Sheng’er had people select the gravesite back then, the feng shui master she hired said it was best not to move her. I think we should leave Mother undisturbed,” Lin Xizhao said, intentionally finding an excuse to refuse.
Lin Xirui and Lin Xikuan instantly understood the underlying meaning in Lin Xizhao’s words. The two exchanged a glance before Lin Xirui said, “Since the master Sheng-meimei brought said she can’t be moved, then we won’t move her. Our Lin family graveyard is spacious enough anyway.”
“En, that works too. Mother has been buried for years; it really wouldn’t be right to disturb her again. We’ll do as Ajie says and let Father be buried alone,” Lin Xikuan agreed.
As the three children discussed Lin Jianhai’s final resting place, not a single one wanted him buried with their respective biological mothers.
With the burial matters settled, Lin Xikuan glanced around and asked, “Where is Sheng-meimei?”
As long as she had no official business, Qu Sheng was practically inseparable from Lin Xizhao. Now that Lin Jianhai had passed away, how could she bear to leave Lin Xizhao kneeling here alone without checking on her?
“Sheng’er went to the Northern Frontier. She just left tonight.” Speaking of Qu Sheng, Lin Xizhao’s heart ached once more.
In his rush to enter the city, Lin Xikuan hadn’t noticed the large army departing from the outskirts.
Hearing the news of Qu Sheng’s departure, Lin Xikuan’s chest tightened. He smacked his fist into his palm. “I came back too late.”
“What’s wrong?” Lin Xirui asked.
“A slight issue cropped up in Tongshui. I was hoping to use this return trip to discuss our next steps with Sheng-meimei. Now it looks like things are going to be a bit thorny.”
“When Sheng-meimei left, she handed those matters over to Lord Zhuo. If Second Brother runs into trouble, you can seek him out to discuss it,” Lin Xirui advised.
Hearing this, Lin Xikuan lifted his head, blinked, and nodded. “That’s all I can do, then.”
Since Lin Xikuan didn’t elaborate, Lin Xirui didn’t pry. One was in the Ministry of War, the other in the Ministry of Revenue; each had their own distinct duties.
A few days later, Lin Jianhai was buried. Many households in the city set up roadside offerings. Lin Xirui carried the spirit tablet, walking in tandem with Lin Xikuan, who was clad in mourning hemp. Lin Xizhao followed behind them. Logically, to the outside world, Lin Xizhao was still an unwed maiden and shouldn’t have been following Lin Jianhai’s coffin out the door. But she firmly believed she was married to Qu Sheng and had thus already left the family. Neither Lin Xirui nor Lin Xikuan raised any objections.
When King Wenze, Lin Jianhai, was laid to rest, half the city came to observe. The Crown Prince personally led the civil and military officials in paying their respects. This was what Qu Sheng had arranged before leaving. Even with her gone from the Capital City, no one dared to disobey.
At dusk, Qu Sheng’s grand army marched in strict formation along the road. Clad in red armor, Qu Sheng sat on horseback and glanced back. After several days of forced marching, it was time to rest. They would reach the Northern Frontier in another ten days.
She was anxious, but she couldn’t disregard her soldiers’ physical limits. If they exhausted themselves too much on the march, half their morale would be defeated before they even reached the Northern Frontier.
Qu Sheng hadn’t brought a massive force with her this time. She had left three hundred thousand men to defend the capital, assigning Liang Lianhui and a few other Shoulin generals to temporarily manage military affairs.
Qu Sheng had also sent a carrier pigeon to Shoulin, instructing Second Uncle Qu Jixian to head to the capital to hold the fort. If the capital lacked a Qu family member in charge for too long, unforeseen changes might occur.
“Notify the troops: make camp and rest in place,” Qu Sheng issued the order.
The further north they traveled, the colder the wind became. It whipped against their faces like a slicing blade.
The soldiers pitched their tents, and the smell of smoke and cooking rations soon wafted through the entire camp.
“General, here. Have some porridge to warm up first.”
Qu Sheng was sitting off to the side, gazing into the distance. Hearing the familiar female voice, she furrowed her brow.
Qu Sheng turned her head to look at Kou Huan, who was fully dressed in armor. “Who told you to tag along?”
“I snuck along on my own. Don’t worry, General. Without your orders, I won’t just casually enter your tent,” Kou Huan promised with a smile.
Qu Sheng’s brow furrowed deeply, but there was nothing she could do about her. She had indeed brought Kou Huan’s father along on this campaign, but she never expected Kou Huan to follow them yet again.
Kou He doted on his daughter, but he wouldn’t spoil her excessively. And ever since Lin Xizhao’s appearance, Kou Huan hadn’t done anything out of line again. Qu Sheng glanced down at the bowl of porridge in her hands. After lowering her eyes for a long moment, she accepted it.
Qu Sheng took a few sips of the porridge, then carried the bowl back into her tent.
A little while later, Kou Huan brought over more food and stood outside, asking if she could enter. Qu Sheng wasn’t a petty person; as long as Kou Huan behaved herself, she wouldn’t make things difficult. Her own conscience was clear, and she was absolutely determined never to do anything that would wrong Lin Xizhao.
“Come in.” Qu Sheng slipped the letter she had just finished writing into an envelope and set it aside.
Kou Huan carried the food inside. As she set it down, she caught a glimpse of the handwriting on the envelope sitting on Qu Sheng’s desk.
Kou Huan set out all the dishes. Qu Sheng picked up her chopsticks and began to eat. Standing off to the side, Kou Huan asked, “General, let me make your bed for you.”
“No need,” Qu Sheng refused without even turning her head.
Ever since Lin Xizhao had visited the military camp that one time, no one but Lin Xizhao was allowed to do these things for her. Otherwise, she did them herself.
“General, Xizhao-jiejie isn’t here, and you don’t have a servant to order around. It’s too inconvenient. Just let me do it,” Kou Huan pleaded again.
Hearing this, Qu Sheng frowned. She turned her head to look at Kou Huan, a surge of coldness in her eyes.
Just as Kou Huan opened her mouth to speak again, Qu Sheng coldly spat out two words, “Get out.”
Intimidated by Qu Sheng’s unyielding, authoritative expression, Kou Huan froze in shock for a second. Then she nodded. “Kou Huan will leave right now.”
After Kou Huan left, Qu Sheng lost her appetite. Staring at the food in front of her, she called for a soldier and had it distributed to the men outside.
She had barely touched the food, and it would be a shame to throw it away. On a military campaign, food was the most precious resource of all.
Qu Sheng lay down on her cot, closed her eyes, and rested for a while before sitting up to organize her luggage. Lin Xizhao had packed plenty of winter clothes for her, complete with seasonal accessories. During the march these past few days, she had just been pulling out whatever was on top to change into. Today, however, she felt compelled to open the bundle completely and inspect everything.
All the clothes inside were carefully matched. Lin Xizhao had even prepared the sashes to bind her waist, coordinating the colors perfectly. Just as Qu Sheng lifted a set of fresh clothes, something suddenly fluttered to the ground.
Qu Sheng lowered her head and saw a pristine, snow-white handkerchief.
Her expression blanked for a second before she quickly reached down to pick it up. As she unfolded it, she realized it was the very handkerchief Lin Xizhao had been using recently. It even seemed to carry the faint, cold fragrance that always lingered on Lin Xizhao’s skin.
Qu Sheng brought it to her nose and inhaled lightly. It was indeed Lin Xizhao’s scent. In that moment, the longing she had been suppressing surged forth once more. She hadn’t expected Lin Xizhao to leave her such a pleasant surprise on this desolate road.
Sleeping with the handkerchief clutched to her chest all night, Qu Sheng slept exceptionally well. When they broke camp at dawn, she rode with renewed vigor all the way.
A few days later, Qu Sheng and her army arrived at the Northern Frontier. The Assistant Commander who had escorted Liu Wuxiang ahead returned to report. He informed Qu Sheng that Liu Wuxiang had already neutralized Qu Jinian’s poison. However, his body was no longer young, and his wound was healing slowly in the bitter winter cold. Furthermore, because the poison had been in his system for too long, he was still unconscious.
Whether he could make a full recovery, Liu Wuxiang had not yet concluded.
Upon learning this, Qu Sheng ordered the army into a forced march. Half a day later, she rendezvoused with Qu Jiqin and finally laid eyes on her father.
Standing by Qu Jinian’s bed and looking at his pale face, Qu Sheng felt a wave of sorrow, coupled with a ruthless determination to wipe the Six Kingdoms off the map.
“Has Third Uncle seen Third Brother?” Qu Sheng turned around and asked Qu Jiqin softly.
Hearing this, Qu Jiqin shook his head. “No. They only released a rumor; we haven’t actually seen a trace of your Third Brother.”
“Where is Third Sister-in-law?” Qu Sheng had been inside for a while but hadn’t seen Qian Shuangying either.
“Your Third Sister-in-law is at the West Camp. I’ve already sent someone to fetch her. She should be here any moment.”
Just as Qu Jiqin finished speaking, Qian Shuangying walked into the tent, clad in a suit of silver-white armor. “Sheng-meimei.”
Seeing Qu Sheng, a smile instantly bloomed on Qian Shuangying’s face, though it seemed tinged with bitterness.
Looking at her, Qu Sheng was stunned by the drastic transformation. Astonishment filled her eyes, and she froze for a moment.
From a seemingly delicate daughter-in-law of the Qu family, she had become a general commanding tens of thousands of troops. Her skin was no longer as supple and fair as it used to be. Qian Shuangying had suffered far too many hardships over the past year.
“Third Sister-in-law.” Qu Sheng’s heart ached. She had previously sent orders for Qian Shuangying to return to the capital, but Qian Shuangying had refused to leave no matter what. She knew her heart was tied to Qu Ting, but whether Qu Ting was still alive was a complete mystery.
“Third Sister-in-law is so happy you could come to the camp. Is everyone at home doing well?” Qian Shuangying asked with a smile.
Qu Sheng nodded. “They’re all doing well.”
Indeed, everyone was doing very well. Aside from the pain of separation between her and Lin Xizhao, everything was fine.
After catching up for a bit, they didn’t linger so Qu Jinian could rest properly. Qu Sheng led Qu Jiqin and the others to the central command tent to discuss how to win this one-versus-six war.
Qu Jiqin outlined the enemy’s marching patterns and tactics. The Six Kingdoms had already occupied several of their cities. Their sudden surge in troop numbers had caught Qu Jiqin completely off guard.
With Qu Jinian currently unconscious, Qu Jiqin didn’t dare make sweeping decisions for the army as he used to. Now that Qu Sheng had arrived—and having heard that her suppression of the rebellion inland was a brilliant string of victories—he felt completely at ease handing command over to her.
Qu Sheng studied the topographic map. On the way here, she had hypothesized no fewer than a hundred different strategies. After hearing Qu Jiqin’s report, she decided to break them down one by one.
War didn’t always have to be fought with open blades and drawn spears. Any method that dismantled the enemy could be called war.
“I will take command of Father’s cavalry. Tonight, I will lead an army of a hundred thousand to reclaim Hejiang County, then flank them to sever the connection between these three cities and their left rear. Third Uncle, lead your troops east; you only need to make a show of force, no need to engage them in battle. Third Sister-in-law, you and Generals Li and Min will hold the fort here. If they attempt a sneak attack, play along with their scheme and set an ambush outside the perimeter.”
The moment Qu Sheng arrived, she worked non-stop to arrange the battle plans, all for the sake of catching the enemy entirely off guard.
“Aren’t you going to rest?” Qian Shuangying asked in confusion.
She had heard that Qu Sheng forced a two-day march right at the tail end of their journey to get here. The soldiers she brought were resting three li away, yet she was preparing to ride into battle herself. Could her body even handle that?
“It’s fine. It won’t be too late to rest after this battle is won.” Once this battle was won, Qu Sheng still had to execute the next steps of her plan, each ring interlocking with the next.
Night fell. Qu Sheng rallied her officers and led a hundred thousand cavalry to besiege the nearest city, Hejiang County. They breached it swiftly. But Qu Sheng ordered them to minimize casualties; instead, they trapped the enemy forces inside the city and captured them alive.
Within this city, the soldiers of the Six Kingdoms were grouped in mixed units. Qu Sheng won a total victory in this battle, taking thirty thousand prisoners of war, distributed unevenly among the six nations. Qu Sheng issued an order: the prisoners who did not belong to the Taoshan Kingdom were to be divided—some executed on the spot, the others humiliated and tortured.
Afterward, she secretly entertained the defeated generals of the Taoshan Kingdom. Then, she executed her flanking maneuver, cutting off the three occupied cities and establishing a fortified defensive line.
Having secured her position, Qu Sheng brought up reinforcements, ambushing archers in the forests above the mountain passes, completely severing all communication between those cities and their rear base.
After all that, Qu Sheng returned to camp and slept peacefully.
After days of constant travel, Qu Sheng was truly exhausted. She slept for a very long time, only waking after Qu Jiqin led his troops back.
Seeing the letter sitting on her desk, Qu Sheng hurriedly sat up and tore it open.
When Qian Shuangying walked in, she saw Qu Sheng sitting cross-legged, opening the letter. “It just arrived this morning,” she laughed.
It was a letter from Lin Xizhao.
Hearing this, Qu Sheng looked up at Qian Shuangying, a touch of shyness appearing on her face. She lowered her head and hurriedly went back to reading her letter.
Qian Shuangying helped tidy up Qu Sheng’s clothes. She pulled out the winter garments Lin Xizhao had prepared, ironed them smooth, and hung them on a makeshift bamboo clothes rack. When she turned back around, she caught sight of the adorably silly, almost childlike smile plastered across Qu Sheng’s face.
Qian Shuangying smiled and shook her head. When Qu Sheng finished the letter and was about to get out of bed to pen a reply, she asked, “You’ve slept for so long. Are you hungry?”
Wearing only her white inner robes, Qu Sheng tilted her head. “I’ll eat later. Third Sister-in-law, you don’t need to worry about me.”
“I didn’t want to worry about you, but the young lady waiting outside your tent has been standing there for quite a while,” Qian Shuangying said pointedly.
Hearing this, Qu Sheng’s brush paused in mid-air. She looked at Qian Shuangying, realizing her sister-in-law might have misunderstood. “Third Sister-in-law, I would never do anything to wrong my wife. Her name is Kou Huan; she’s Kou He’s daughter. If you can convince her, take her back to your camp. I would ask for nothing better.”
Hearing Qu Sheng’s explanation, Qian Shuangying was taken aback for a moment before laughing. “I know how you are, but you can’t just let the girl string herself along like this forever.”
Her underlying meaning was clear: she wanted Qu Sheng to explain things to Kou Huan plainly.
If Qian Shuangying could see the young girl’s feelings after just a few days, how could Qu Sheng not know?
“Failing to be ruthless with your rejections can also become a mistake in certain situations,” Qian Shuangying laid it out plainly for her.
Qu Sheng’s brow twitched as she listened. After a short pause, she said, “I will find an opportunity to make it clear to her.”
Kou Huan had never outright confessed to her, but Qu Sheng could no longer pretend not to notice.
Qian Shuangying left, and Qu Sheng resumed writing her letter to Lin Xizhao. Kou Huan brought the food inside, leaving without saying a single word.
Finished with her letter, Qu Sheng stared at the meal in front of her, her mind beginning to mull over the issue.
In the afternoon, Qu Sheng went to see Qu Jinian. Back at the capital, Qu Yu’s condition had already stabilized. Liu Wuxiang had left him medicine; as long as he had the firm will to live, there would be no major problems before he reached forty.
Qu Sheng watched as Liu Wuxiang administered acupuncture to Qu Jinian. She stood there quietly, lost in thought. After finishing the treatment, Liu Wuxiang noticed Qu Sheng looking at him as if she wanted to say something but was holding back. “Do you have a question for this old man?” he asked.
Qu Sheng hesitated for a moment before saying, “I want to know…” She paused mid-sentence, her gaze instinctively drifting toward Qu Jinian. “Could Doctor Liu perhaps come to my tent for a chat?”
Naturally, Liu Wuxiang wouldn’t refuse Qu Sheng. He followed her into her tent, where she had no fine wine or delicacies to offer him. Qu Sheng dismissed the guards stationed outside and approached Liu Wuxiang. Before he could even sit down, she asked bluntly, “I want to know—can a woman and a woman have a child?”
His buttocks hovering just above the seat, Liu Wuxiang was so utterly blindsided by Qu Sheng’s question that he suddenly didn’t dare to sit down.
The author has something to say:
Qu Sheng: “My head is full of thoughts of my wife every day; it’s impossible for me to be distracted by anyone else.”
Sorry for updating so late today! Leave a comment to get a red envelope (200 available). Mwah~
Footnotes
- An '800-li expedited' delivery was the highest level of urgency in the ancient Chinese imperial courier system, meaning the messenger rode day and night, changing horses at relay stations to cover roughly 400 kilometers in a single day.
- A common Chinese proverb (shā dí yī qiān, zì sǔn bābǎi) meaning to suffer heavy losses in order to inflict heavy damage on the enemy; a pyrrhic victory.
- A title (shìzǐ) given to the officially designated heir apparent of a noble house or vassal king.
- A deferential yet slightly diminutive term (xiǎoniáng) used historically by children to refer to their father's concubine, distinguishing her from the primary wife (who was referred to as 'Mother').
Lmao Qu Sheng is determined to get Lin Xizhao pregnant my gosh 😭😭