My Scumbag Husband, the Prince Consort - Chapter 5

He leaned in, pressing forward step by step, forcing me to retreat until my heel hit the edge of the bed. I had nowhere left to go.

“Liu—Liu Qi, calm down.”

Liu Qi braced my lower back with one hand and leaned in even closer, his bright eyes unwavering as they locked with mine. “Your Highness jests. For this humble servant to attend you at bedtime is only natural and proper.”

With that, he reached up and removed the jade hairpin from his crown. His ink-black hair spilled down before my eyes like a veil stirred by the wind.

With a crash, I collapsed backward onto the bed. My limbs felt rusted into place, unable to move. I wanted to shout for help—but feared someone might actually come. Just thinking about how humiliating I must look now made my face burn.

The white canopy above the bed swayed with the wind, and in the flickering candlelight, Liu Qi’s features appeared even more refined, even more captivating.

I swallowed hard, heart thudding like a war drum. In desperation, I squeezed my eyes shut and kicked toward his chest.

“Thud—”

A dull thump echoed through the room like something heavy hitting the floor.

I opened my eyes again to find Liu Qi lying on the ground, hand to his chest, long hair cascading like a waterfall around him. His inner robe had slipped open, revealing a muscular chest.

I hastily wiped the drool from the corner of my mouth and kept my gaze fixed—unwaveringly—on that unexpected glimpse of masculinity.

That muscle, those lines—sculpted, tight. No doubt the result of rigorous training.

His father was the Grand Commandant of Cavalry, a formidable general who commanded armies across the empire. How could Liu Qi, born of such a household, be some frail scholar with no strength?

But if he were trained in martial arts, how could a mere woman like me knock him flat with one kick?

Liu Qi coughed lightly, still holding his chest. He didn’t even bother pulling his robe together. He lifted his brows and looked at me.

“Your Highness said we were even. That you wouldn’t pursue my wrongdoing further. So why, then, the kick?”

“You were being insolent!”

“Insolent? How so?”

Liu Qi stood up in a few swift motions, not a flicker of pain on his face. His eyes locked on me like a prairie wolf sizing up its prey, making my scalp prickle.

“Wasn’t it’s Your Highness who summoned me to your chambers? I merely came to fulfill my duties. What fault lies in that?”

He spoke with force and conviction, not the slightest hint of complaint—each word sounding more like an interrogation than a defense.

“Though born of a military family, I possess no martial skills. I’ve been frail since childhood, nearly died several times.”

“Your Highness knows well the weakness of my body. And yet, though we’ve only met twice since the wedding, you’ve slapped me once, and now kicked me. Is it that you regret not letting me die in prison—and now you’re hell-bent on finishing the job?”

“……”

I was speechless for a moment. Who would’ve thought a full-grown man could twist logic like this?

And that chest of his—thick enough to require a basket to carry—how could he possibly be ‘frail’? If he’s going to lie, at least make it believable.

“If Your Highness finds me so disagreeable, you could simply request the Emperor’s decree and dismiss me.”

“That way, I’d be spared this humiliation. A separation might be for the best.”

“I—”

How could he say that with a straight face?

So blunt! Wasn’t he just suggesting… divorce? If this continues, better to split sooner than later.

Well, well. Liu Qi clearly has his tactics—gripping my weak spot tight.

He’s banking on the fact that I want to leave but can’t, that I can’t die until my twenty-sixth year. So now he’s flipping the script, trying to seize the upper hand in this marriage.

We are both ruler and subject, and husband and wife.

But tradition says: a subject takes the ruler as heaven, and a wife takes her husband as heaven.

Liu Qi’s position in this marriage is riddled with contradiction.

As my subject, he must obey me.

As my husband, he cannot cross his own moral line.

Seeing through this little ploy of his, I no longer felt conflicted. I simply grabbed the brocade quilt from the bed and tossed it onto the floor.

“You can sleep on the couch.”

He said nothing, silently picked up the quilt and walked toward the divan. His shadow moved behind the white bed-curtains.

Before long, all the candles in the room were snuffed out.

Only the rustling bamboo outside the window remained.

________________________________________

The next morning, I awoke to the fragrance of fresh flowers.

Through the carved zitan screen, I hazily glimpsed someone placing a fresh magnolia branch into a peach-patterned vase.

She turned just as I sat up and dropped to her knees. “Your Highness, this servant deserves death for disturbing your slumber.”

She looked unfamiliar. I asked, “Who are you?”

“Your Highness, this servant is Zhi Xia.”

“Zhi Xia?”

I rubbed the back of my head. The name rang no bells. “Where is Shi Chun?”

“Elder Sister Shi Chun is in the front courtyard instructing the new servants. Most of them used to work in Prince Danyang’s estate. Now that the Princess is wed, they arrived with His Highness.”

I nodded. Who would’ve thought little Shi Chun would already be head maid?

I instinctively glanced toward the divan. Empty. The quilt was folded neatly, as if untouched.

Zhi Xia peered up from the floor, hesitantly. “Your Highness truly doesn’t remember this servant?”

I shook my head. “I truly don’t.”

Tears brimmed in her eyes. “I’ve served Your Highness since I was young. I never imagined…”

“If you’ve served me all these years, then even if I don’t remember, our bond remains. You can rest easy.”

Unlike Shi Chun, who bows so aggressively it shakes the beams, Zhi Xia was gentler. She smiled readily and never made me lose face. She was more like a sister than a servant.

“Go bring water. I need to wash.”

I rose and drew open the bed-curtain, only for Zhi Xia to vanish like the wind.

I heard her yelling as she ran, “Your Highness, wait! I’ll fetch Mu Qiu and Lian Dong as well!”

I pressed a hand to my forehead. Good heavens—how many people does it take just to wash one face?

The three of them boiled water, warmed towels, prepared mouth rinse and face wash—just that took a whole incense stick’s time.

There were osmanthus blossoms floating in the rinse water, and peonies drifting in the basin. Even after half a month, I still hadn’t gotten used to this.

Back in my previous life, I had to squeeze every drop out of a toothpaste tube and use toothbrushes until the bristles split. Strangely, I missed those days.

But then again, maybe I’m just hopeless. Raised in poverty so long I feel guilty for living well.

Still, humans are petty things. Guilt or not, I had no desire to return to the days of scraping by.

To preserve this life of luxury, I had to drive Liu Qi away. Only if he hated me—truly loathed me—could I be sure he’d kill me when I turned twenty-six.

After breakfast, bored out of my mind, I decided to go provoke him.

“Where’s the prince consort?”

Mu Qiu curtsied. “The gate guards said he left early this morning.”

“He left?” I stamped my foot in frustration. “Newlyweds, and he’s not even staying home with me—where could he have gone?”

The three exchanged nervous glances.

Zhi Xia stepped forward. “The little servant with His Highness is named Nan Shui. I’ve seen him before.”

“Then go ask around. Find out where His Highness went.”

“Remember—be subtle. Don’t let on it’s me asking.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Zhi Xia replied.

Just as I sipped my tea, Shi Chun announced from outside, “Your Highness, a woman has come. She says she must speak with you personally.”

“What kind of woman?”

“She… serves the prince consort closely.”

“His servant?”

I didn’t think much of it. Probably just another maid like the rest.

“Let her in.”

At my word, in walked a slender, graceful young woman. Petite and delicate, with gentle features and soft curves—a southern beauty, like an exquisite piece of Su embroidery.

“You serve by His Highness’s side?”

“This servant is Shu Wan. Greetings to Your Highness.”

“Shu Wan”—as in “graceful and serene.” A name with poetic weight, clearly chosen with care.

Yet she was a servant. Could such a fine name truly belong to one of her status?

“You’re from the Song region as well?”

“Yes.”

“How old are you?”

“Sixteen.”

“How long have you served the prince consort?”

“Back when we were still in Jiankang, this servant was already attending him.”

Muqiu poured me a cup of tea. I sipped while scrutinizing Shu Wan.

Her hair was done in twin-loop buns, her outfit the same as the other maids—but made from much finer silk.

Unlike the twin-spiral style worn by our maids, hers was a popular look among southern dancers.

When she lowered her head, I noticed the hair ornament between her buns—a pale jade flower pin carved in a swirling cloud design. Exquisite and delicate.

Most hairpins were gold or silver, shaped like peonies or lotuses, to symbolize prosperity and luck. But hers… it was something else.

It reminded me of the jade hairpin Liu Qi wore last night—identical in texture and hue.

“That pin is quite lovely. I’ve never seen one like it. Where did it come from?”

I popped a sour date into my mouth. The sharp tang made my jaw ache.

“This old thing? It’s not worth much. Likely out of fashion now, which is why Your Highness hasn’t seen one before.”

I grimaced at the sourness. “An old thing? Who gave it to you?”

She bowed. “A… someone from the past.”

I didn’t press further. Instead, I asked, “You said you served him in Jiankang—so you entered the prince’s household when his father was still the Prince of Yiyang?”

“Yes. I joined at age ten. It was the Lady herself who assigned me to serve the young master. When the family moved to Great Wei, they brought me along.”

Doing the math, Liu Qi is twenty—four years older than her. So he had her by his side since he was fourteen?

I breathed a sigh of relief. Just children. What could they have known?

But then again… being together from such a young age—wasn’t that what people called childhood sweethearts?

I clenched my teacup, forcing calm into my voice. “That jade hairpin—did Liu Qi give it to you?”