My Scumbag Husband, the Prince Consort - Chapter 11

Sometimes I think I understand Liu Qi well—a proud son of a noble clan, arrogant and dismissive, easy to fluster with just a few biting words.

Other times, I feel like I don’t understand him at all. When I go out of my way to humiliate or offend him, he never takes it to heart. He simply storms off in a huff, and by the next time we meet, he comes clinging to me again like a wild boar that refuses to be scalded by boiling water.

I don’t get it. I’m just a princess without much power. I don’t have the emperor’s authority or the empress’s central palace position. Why would Liu Qi put up with so much indignity just to flatter me?

We’ve only been living together for just over half a month, and he’s been away from the residence for much of that time. There’s no deep affection to speak of.

If this is all about Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju giving him a sense of urgency, that makes no sense either.

He knows what they’re worth. He knows his own worth. He can’t possibly be jealous of those four.

Unable to make sense of it, I played it safe, half-pushing, half-placating:

“You’re mistaken, Prince Consort. Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju are nothing more than mere pretty faces. You, however, are the dignified husband who rode in on a fine horse into my gates. How could I ever disregard you?”

Suddenly, Liu Qi pushed me down. His handsome face leaned in so close I could feel his breath brushing my nose.

He reached out and lifted a lock of my hair, trailing it past my earlobe. A wave of tingling heat spread through me, and I let out a trembling gasp.

“Your Highness says such things, yet I don’t believe them,” Liu Qi murmured, idly toying with the delicate jeweled hairpin atop my head. “They say three heads are better than one—and you have four.”

“Even a pair of fists can’t fend off four hands. I must be on guard.”

I swallowed hard, mustered my courage, and lifted his sharply defined chin.

“If you want to prove your loyalty, Prince Consort, wait for a summons to the bedchamber.”

“Just not tonight.”

“Why not?”

“Well, um…”

My eyes darted frantically as I searched for an excuse. I couldn’t think of a single decent one.

Suddenly, I spotted a Bodhisattva statue on a gilded wooden table and quickly said, “I must visit the temple tomorrow for prayer. Tonight, I must cleanse myself and abstain from intimacy.”

Liu Qi paused. A flicker of doubt crossed his eyes.

Seizing the moment, I slipped out of his grip and edged away.

“To do otherwise would be deeply disrespectful to the Buddha,” I added hurriedly.

“I offer my devotion with a sincere heart. I hope my husband will understand.”

In the north, tribes are scattered and constantly at war. Many turn to Buddhism to seek salvation and redemption for bloodshed. In Great Wei, worship is as commonplace as eating or drinking: chanting sutras, meditating, reciting mantras, offering clean water—none of it can be neglected.

Liu Qi couldn’t possibly doubt me.

He let go of my hands, sat up, and thought for a moment.

“Then I shall wait for Your Highness’s summons.”

“Yes, yes,” I nodded quickly, pushing him toward the door. “Go back to your quarter and wait. When the time comes, I’ll send someone for you.”

As soon as he stepped over the threshold, I slammed the door shut and bolted it for good measure.

I scratched my head and began pacing the room like a trapped animal.

What was wrong with Liu Qi? Had he lost his mind?

Why was he so obsessed with sharing my bed?

On my third trip nearly colliding with a wooden beam, realization struck me like lightning. I clapped my hands together.

Liu Qi doesn’t hate me enough.

In other words, I haven’t been awful enough to him. He still harbors hope that we can live peacefully together.

I grinned viciously. I would never let that happen.

________________________________________

The next morning, just as the sky began to pale, I stood groggily at the gate of Yaoguang Temple, listening to the deep chimes of the morning bell.

Mountain springs murmured. Clouds curled gently around the peaks.

Chants echoed softly. Fragrant smoke curled in the air.

Golden sunlight spilled from the heavens onto the temple eaves. The nine-tiered golden wheel glowed in the dawn, radiating divine light.

Yaoguang Temple was built exclusively for the royal family’s worship. Palace concubines and noble ladies often studied and prayed here.

I had left early not for any auspicious timing or spiritual enlightenment. I simply couldn’t think of a better excuse to avoid Liu Qi.

I knelt in the Grand Hall before the majestic statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. Guardians of the Dharma gleamed brightly on either side. The Eighteen Arhats stood nearby, glowing with a soft purple light.

Hands clasped, eyes closed, I offered my prayers amid the ringing of bells and chimes.

I never used to believe in Buddhism or spirits. But after my brush with death, I realized nothing escapes the cycle of samsara.

In my first life, I lived for pleasure, never caring about right or wrong.

In this second life, I strive to transcend karma, guided only by my own will.

I know now: only by feeling no resentment or attachment can I get what I truly want.

To cultivate Buddha is to cultivate oneself.

Enlightened, my mind suddenly felt clear.

Just then, I heard faint sobbing echoing from the back of the hall.

I turned. Chun, Xia, Qiu, and Dong stood outside the hall. Zhi Xia and Mu Qiu were adding incense to the burner.

I beckoned to Shi Chun, who stepped in quickly.

“Your Highness?”

I put a finger to my lips. “Shh. Do you hear someone crying?”

“Crying?”

She frowned, listening intently.

The sound was faint and ethereal, seemingly coming from behind the Buddha statue.

“Yes, it sounds like a woman.”

“Come with me.”

I lifted my skirts and crept around the back of the stone platform, glancing over my shoulder to make sure Shi Chun was close.

Behind the statue was a large rosewood altar covered in copper burners, clean water, and fresh flowers.

A red silk cloth draped the front of the altar. The sobbing seemed to come from beneath it.

It was broad daylight, and Shi Chun was right behind me, so I wasn’t too nervous.

I pulled back the cloth—and immediately fell back in fright.

A woman was indeed curled up under the altar.

She wore a crimson robe. Her delicate makeup had been ruined by tears, white streaks cutting across her cheeks, making her look more like a demon on a temple wall than a living person.

I’ve always been timid. I wouldn’t have died the first time if Shi Chun hadn’t scared me half to death.

Trembling, I asked, “Who are you? Why are you crying here?”

She looked up at me, eyes red and swollen, her face filled with sorrow.

She wiped her tears and whimpered, “Yuling…”

Before I could respond, Shi Chun dropped to her knees and bowed.

“This maidservant greets Princess Hualing.”

Hualing… another princess?

Even without Shi Chun’s introduction, the title alone told me enough.

“I didn’t recognize you at first in the dim light. So it’s Sister Hualing.”

I helped her up. “Why are you hiding here so early in the day? What’s troubling you?”

She stood, still wiping tears, her skirt bunched awkwardly.

“You don’t know, but I didn’t come here by choice… It’s just…”

She couldn’t finish and began sobbing again.

“Just what?”

“I have no home to return to. I fear I’ll be forced to become a nun.”

I laughed nervously. “Surely you jest. Can’t you return to your princess’s residence or the palace?”

She dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. The tears wouldn’t stop.

“You don’t understand. Ever since I married into the Feng family, I’ve lost all control. I can’t go home, and the palace has no place for me either. I’m truly at the end of my rope.”

I turned and whispered to Shi Chun, “Which Feng family?”

“The Chang Le Feng clan. Her consort is Feng Zhao, son of the Grand Preceptor Feng Si.”

A Grand Preceptor’s son and a prince consort? He couldn’t be completely useless.

I nodded, turned back, and grasped her hand solemnly.

“You’re a princess of Great Wei. Even if married life is hard, visiting your family should be no trouble.”

“The princess’s residence is yours, granted by the emperor. How can it not be your home?”

“If your husband angers you, kick him out.”

“So what if he’s the Grand Preceptor’s son? He draws a salary from the court. That makes him a servant of the Yuan family. Am I right?”

Hualing laughed through her tears. “You always say the most outrageous things.”

“They’re true,” I said. “Don’t suffer in silence. If you’re upset, let it out. If that doesn’t help, I’ll have Feng Zhao tied up and brought to you to deal with as you see fit.”

She looked around nervously and pulled me back under the altar.

“Is that what you do to the Prince of Danyang too?”

“You mean Liu Qi?”

She nodded eagerly.

I patted my chest proudly. “Of course. Men must be kept in line. Otherwise, they’ll be running wild, chasing skirts all day.”

“He chases skirts too?”

“No,” I said smugly. “He might have the desire, but not the guts.”

“Why not? His father is a top general with great military power.”

“So what? He still answers to the court. Without an imperial decree, he wouldn’t dare act out.”

She squeezed my hand, eyes shining.

“Dearest sister, tell me your secrets. How do you keep your consort so obedient?”

“I heard you even brought in a few new favorites recently. How did he react?”

I scratched my chin.

“Oh, he reacted all right. He used to be cold and distant, but lately, he’s been obsessed with sharing my bed.”