Ye Hui gave him a reproachful look: “Qin Yu Hang has been taking contraceptive pills for most of the year. We’ve been married for less than ten days. Do you think you’re a fairy who can conceive a child by blowing magical air into my belly?”
“What a pity!” Huang Fuze Duan didn’t understand much about women’s reproductive cycles and thought he should ask an experienced elder in the sect about what to pay attention to if his wife were to become pregnant.
He held her on his lap and fed her food with chopsticks, one bite at a time.
Ye Hui finished her meal, read for a while, and soon fell asleep.
When Qin Yu Hang returned, it was already very late. Seeing her sleeping face, his eyes overflowed with tenderness, and he felt self-reproach for his indifference during their early marriage.
“Second junior brother, tomorrow I’ll take my wife to Pingzhou for three to five days. You and fourth junior sister can manage the sect matters.”
Qin Yu Hang nodded: “Third junior brother has been gone for several years with no news. I wonder when he’ll return.”
“Let’s not worry about him now. Mo Qi hasn’t slept with my wife yet. Should we take him to Pingzhou?” Huang Fuze Duan only wanted to spend a few days alone with his wife, knowing this thought was selfish, but the idea of bringing Mo Qi made him reluctant. He complained, “How did you think of letting that boy serve my wife?”
“Mo Qi is not an ordinary servant. He was picked up by my mother-in-law from the street years ago and raised almost like a half-son. Their relationship is different from other servants. My mother-in-law originally wanted to make Mo Qi a side husband for her daughter, but gave up because his low birth would seem unfair to her daughter.” Qin Yu Hang said leisurely, “My wife will be the future empress of Yingtang Kingdom, managing the etiquette of the world. She can’t be without a personal servant. It’s better to use someone trustworthy than to let outsiders cause trouble.”
When Ye Hui becomes empress, court officials will likely eagerly send their sons to the Shu Ning Palace.
The empress of Yingtang Kingdom governed the world’s behavior, controlling improper men. Men’s misconduct could result in exile or even death penalty.
Even the emperor or former emperor had to abide by the law. While they might not be punished, their reputation would be ruined, casting a shadow of a foolish ruler in historical records.
Most accomplished men cherished their reputation, afraid of being associated with impropriety.
The next day, with good weather, Huang Fuze Duan went down the mountain with his wife, accompanied by several trusted disciples and Mo Qi, who served Ye Hui.
Entering Pingzhou City, Ye Hui thought her husband would book an ordinary inn, but was instead taken to a luxurious mansion. As soon as she entered the gate, she was stunned. She had visited grand places before, like the Great Hall of the People and the Louvre in her previous life.
But her second husband shouldn’t be this wealthy? Judging from the carved beams, painted rafters, and excessively luxurious decorations, this was beyond the reach of an ordinary wealthy family. Even the Qin family’s old residence in the capital was just a typical brick and tile building.
How rich was her second husband? Yesterday at the jade hot spring, her first husband said he was wealthy enough to rival a country – could this be true?
Huangfu Zeduan helped his wife sit down in a chair and called the servants to quickly come and pour tea.
“The more outstanding the scholar and craftsman, the higher the price. My lord seems not to care at all?” Ye Hui’s words were filled with doubt, trying to probe into his background.
“My dear wife, please rest assured. Although I may not be able to do everything, I still have some privileges in Pingzhou City. If my wife wants the moon from the sky, I might not be able to do that, but I can certainly divide half of the city’s land under your name.”
Ye Hui didn’t believe him: “Even if you’re rich, you can’t turn Pingzhou into your own territory. Do you think the Yingtang Kingdom is your family’s? Do you think the emperor’s throne belongs to the Huangfu clan?” As soon as she finished speaking, she was stunned. Wasn’t the current emperor indeed surnamed Huangfu? Could it be such a coincidence?
Huangfu Zeduan laughed heartily: “My dear wife, you’re truly amusing.”
Ye Hui stared at him for a while, then shook her head. She had already crossed through time, and now she might have encountered a prince willing to be a side husband? Abandoning that thought, she picked up the brewed fragrant tea and took a sip. The tea was bitter but carried a rich, sweet aroma. After crossing over for so long, this was the first time she had tasted such good tea, completely incomparable to the teas she had drunk before.
Huangfu Zeduan, seeing his wife’s enjoyment, happily explained: “This is a tribute from Nanzhao, picked from a tea tree over 700 years old. Only a few taels can be harvested each year, mostly used for tribute. My father… cough… the current emperor named it ‘Flowing Rhyme’. The tea is extremely precious, and even some court nobles don’t get to drink it.”
“A tribute tea that only the royal family is qualified to drink. So I’m benefiting from your status?” Ye Hui once again sized up this husband of hers, wondering about his true identity.
“Don’t talk about benefiting from my status. If my wife likes it, this entire mansion is yours. Any servant who disobeys will be beaten and sold as a slave,” Huangfu Zeduan sat down beside her, picked up another tea cup, and spoke while drinking.
Capitalist! Ye Hui sneered inwardly.
“Master, Madam, Housekeeper Lin is waiting to pay respects in the flower hall,” Zhou Xun’s voice came from the doorway.
“Let him come and pay respects to the new madam,” Huangfu Zeduan said casually.
Soon, a man in his fifties, fair-skinned and slightly plump, walked in. He first paid respects to Huangfu Zeduan, then slightly bowed to Ye Hui. The old man’s bright eyes scrutinized Ye Hui, speaking in a duck-like voice: “This old servant Lin Cheng greets the young master and young madam.”
Ye Hui disliked being examined like an animal. Weren’t servants in ancient times supposed to be well-behaved? Why did this man seem to be putting on airs?
Are the in-laws not in Pingzhou?” Ye Hui’s eyes flickered with doubt: “Did we get married with the consent of the elders?”
“My dear wife, don’t worry. My parents can’t wait for me to quickly marry a wife and give them a grandchild.”
Ever since he came of age, he had been proposed to many times by his imperial parents, but he had always refused. Later, he was framed by the crown prince. At that time, the crown prince was not yet the crown prince, and his imperial father thought he was dead, so he established his elder brother as the crown prince. But in fact, he had jumped into the moat and escaped, holding his breath underwater for a long time, swimming to Taohua Village, where he met Qin Yuhang, who was herding cattle and was saved by him. The young Qin Yuhang was naive and innocent. Along the way, he disguised himself, avoiding the scouts sent by the crown prince, and escorted him to Tianying Gate to find his master and treat the poison injuries left on his body.
As a reward, he asked his master to accept Qin Yuhang as a second disciple. When asked what compensation he wanted, that rascal said he wanted to marry a wife together. How could a royal nobleman possibly share a wife with a commoner? He had vaguely agreed at the time, not expecting the rascal to take it seriously. When his master came down the mountain after a few years, he really found a wife.
While they were talking, a group of handsome young men carrying trays walked in, servants of the household. Even in noble families, male servants were preferred and very cheap.
