My wife is a concubine - Chapter 9

Chaoyang Palace.

The wolf-hair brush in his hand had paused for too long, and a drop of ink finally dripped down, staining the memorial.

Seeing this, Lao Jiu quickly took the brush from Du Yu’s hand, snatched up the memorial, and handed it to a servant to have it cleaned and replaced.

It was an unimportant report anyway no harm done.

“Your Highness?” Lao Jiu ventured carefully. Could it be that his master’s expression meant confusion? Regarding the matter of taking a concubine, he had assumed that Miss Bao would agree without hesitation.

After all, for a dignified prince, taking a concubine was as simple as raising a cat or a dog. Refusing such an honor  that would take a broken brain.

Apparently, the Bao family’s brains weren’t just broken  they were shattered.

“What did she say?”

Even without looking up, Du Yu’s voice was low and calm.

Lao Jiu sighed inwardly. “This Second Miss Bao is really ignorant. His Highness is granting her such an honor, yet she actually refused.”

“Speak human language.”

Those three simple words were enough to make Lao Jiu’s heart jump. His Highness was definitely unhappy. He didn’t dare to stall anymore.

“Miss Bao said her elder sister isn’t married yet, so there’s no reason for the younger one to marry first.”

So that was the reason  not rejection of him, but concern for her sister’s propriety. The knot in Du Yu’s chest loosened a little.

“Then find a husband for the elder Miss Bao and arrange the wedding as soon as possible.” His voice was calm, as if marrying off a woman was as simple as eating a pastry.

It sounded easy  but for Lao Jiu, it was backbreaking work.

Bao Zhengtao was a fourth-rank official  not high, but still a prefect. His daughter couldn’t just marry a commoner. Yet among His Highness’s courtiers, most were either too old or already had multiple wives. As for choosing from the guards  they were all rough, martial men. No refined young lady would want to marry someone who swung a blade for a living.

Alas, who would’ve thought that playing matchmaker could be such hard labor?

After much thought, Lao Jiu began collecting the birth dates, family details, and property records of every unmarried man among the civil and military officials under His Highness’s command. He then compiled them into a ledger and presented it to Du Yu for selection.

Because of this, he even went to complain to Aunt Xuan.

Aunt Xuan had met the Bao sisters before. Hearing Lao Jiu’s plan, she could only shake her head  the man was delusional. The elder Miss Bao was beautiful and elegant, with outstanding manners and temperament. How could she be married off hastily under Lao Jiu’s clumsy arrangements?

While Lao Jiu was buried in matchmaking, Bergman remained unaffected. During this time, she focused entirely on the dyeing workshop, visiting every few days. Under her guidance, the masters gradually learned her techniques  some even began innovating on their own.

Bergman not only encouraged this but also promised: any new color or pattern that sold well would earn its creator half the profit from the fabric’s price.

That kind of reward was a powerful motivation. The workshop buzzed with new energy, filled with passion and creativity.

When she arrived one day, she was surprised to find Du Yu there. Lao Jiu was missing, replaced by a young man who looked both refined and lively.

Du Yu didn’t seem inclined to introduce him.

The man stepped forward with an easy smile. “Miss, my name is Shen Jie — you can also call me Shen Changshi.”

“Young Master Shen,” Bergman greeted politely.

“May I ask the lady’s family name?”

Before she could reply, Du Yu cut in coldly, “Does her family name concern you?”

“Uh…” Shen Jie chuckled awkwardly. “I merely came with the prince to visit the dyeing workshop. Under Miss Bao’s leadership, it’s truly flourishing  business seems to be booming.”

His words were purely polite. Bergman smiled lightly. “This is only a small operation for now. In the future, I hope to connect everything  sericulture, weaving, dyeing, tailoring, embroidery, and trade  into one system. The goods can then be transported nationwide through unified routes. That’s how real profit is made.”

Her smile deepened. “Of course, this workshop belongs to His Highness, not me. I’m just a worker.”

Shen Jie whistled. “It’s rare to meet such an ambitious young lady.”

Unlike his usual serious demeanor, he seemed more relaxed now. Born into a wealthy family, Shen Jie had managed Du Yu’s business ventures with Wu Liang before the prince’s coronation. So he fully understood the importance of commerce.

Not only was she beautiful  her intelligence and wit were captivating. And if she had business sense on top of that, she was a true treasure.

Du Yu stepped forward, subtly blocking Shen Jie’s view. If Lao Jiu had been there, he would’ve noticed at once  His Highness was displeased.

“You can handle things as you wish,” Du Yu said. “You don’t have to worry about limitations.”

“Since the prince said so, I’ll do my best,” Bergman replied with a teasing tone. “But if the business collapses, I hope Your Highness won’t blame me.”

A little humility never hurt  even when she was confident. Leaving yourself an escape route was always wise.

“If it collapses,” Du Yu said flatly, “then it still belongs to me.”

Shen Jie’s eyes gleamed. He rubbed his chin with a grin, glancing between them. “Miss Bao is indeed worthy of being your side concubine.”

Side concubine?

Inwardly, Bergman rolled her eyes. You’re the side concubine! Your whole family are side concubines!

She hated being labeled like that.

“You talk too much,” Du Yu said sharply, his tone cutting.

“What did I say wrong?” Shen Jie muttered, realizing he’d overstayed his welcome. Tsk… if he didn’t want me here, why bring me at all?

Still, recognizing Du Yu’s mood, he sensibly took his leave.

Bergman couldn’t help but laugh. It was rare to see such a chatty man.

“Come with me,” Du Yu said, his gaze like a blade, leading her to the back of the dyeing workshop.

Behind the workshop lay a patch of uneven ground dusted with snow. At that moment, Du Yu almost regretted bringing her there  the cold wind cut through like knives.

Noticing her thin clothing, he hesitated briefly, then took off his cloak and draped it over her shoulders.

In truth, Bergman wasn’t cold. Though she looked delicate, she was healthy and strong  she’d been in Pianzhou for months, constantly on the move, and hadn’t fallen sick once.

But Du Yu’s gaze was too intense. She felt as if refusing him would leave holes burned through her skin. So she meekly accepted his “kindness.”

“Does the prince have something to say to me?” she asked gently.

Du Yu studied her in silence. The cloak looked surprisingly fitting on her, and that simple sight brought him an unfamiliar feeling  joy.

Pure, genuine joy  something he hadn’t felt in two lifetimes.

But he didn’t like seeing her smile at other men. That would have to change.

Her clear, focused gaze made even the quiet Du Yu want to speak. For the first time in his life, he struggled to start a conversation.

“You rejected me. You don’t want to be my concubine,” he said at last, meeting her eyes directly.

“Yes. I don’t want to,” she replied calmly, her lips pressed together but her gaze steady.

His sudden question gave her a headache. She had barely escaped the topic before, and now he brought it up again  hardly fitting for a prince.

She wasn’t breathtakingly beautiful nor delicately gentle; she simply lived by one rule  be kind, and don’t bother others unless they bother you.

“Why?” he asked quietly. “Because you fear me?”

Aside from Lao Jiu and a handful of people, no one dared approach him. He had little interest in the social banquets and endless talk that filled the lives of other nobles.

Still, countless women would have gladly accepted the title of Prince Gong’s concubine — it meant power and luxury without effort.

And yet, here she was, saying no.

“In truth, I don’t fear the prince,” she said softly. “You remind me of my sister cold and proper on the outside, but kind beneath. My sister is the best person in the world besides my mother.”

Du Yu felt something warm stir inside him. She said she didn’t hate him.

“I once told you,” Bergman continued, “that in my past life, I was a vain woman who wanted to reach heaven in one step. But what I wanted wasn’t something I could hold onto. Facing the past isn’t as hard as people think — only by opening old wounds and cleaning the rot beneath can you truly heal.”

Du Yu didn’t fully understand why she brought this up, but he listened quietly.

“Do you know how I died?” she asked, her voice faint, her eyes dim.

“It’s all over now,” he said gently.

“I wasn’t a good person,” she whispered.

Du Yu shook his head. “There’s no such thing as purely good or purely bad — only shades of gray.”

No matter how kind someone was, they carried darkness within. And even those born cruel had moments of goodness.

The world itself was gray and so was his life, colorless and dull.

But when he met her, it was like seeing light for the first time. A warmth he didn’t want to lose.

“It’s boring to live too long,” he said softly. “Stay with me.”

She blinked, startled. Did he realize what he was saying?

That was… a proposal. A direct one.

Bergman was stunned. Had her long speech failed to change his mind? Bitterness welled up inside her.

But when she looked up at his handsome, earnest face, her heart began to race.

For him, saying these words aloud  in broad daylight  must have taken immense courage.

And she… she had lived three lifetimes, but this was the first time a man had ever proposed to her.

Her face turned crimson, the warmth spreading to her ears.

Lowering her lashes, she noticed two long wooden boxes in his hands.

“These are greeting gifts I forgot to give you the last time you visited the palace,” he said quietly.

She opened them before him. Inside the first box was a pair of double-stranded gold and emerald hairpins shaped like squirrels  delicate, airy, and exquisitely crafted.

The second contained a platinum necklace inlaid with nearly twenty gemstones and crystals of various colors, each rose-cut diamond catching the light.

Du Yu looked slightly tense. “It’s a bit late  otherwise, I would’ve had it carved finer, with more red diamonds.”

Bergman was horrified and speechless. “This chain came from the prince’s hand?”

She had seen many pieces of jewelry and head ornaments in the box before, but none of them could compare to the necklace in Du Yu’s hand. Even in modern times, she had never seen such craftsmanship  it was the best of the best, something money couldn’t buy. And he even said that if he’d had more time, he could’ve carved it more finely… If he really went all out, the result would’ve been magical!

Besides, the jewelry of this era was mostly made of red gold and silver. Diamonds were imported and extremely rare  practically nonexistent on the entire continent. Yet this chain had more than twenty diamonds inlaid into it, with the largest as big as a thumb and the smallest about the size of a little fingernail. It was truly extraordinary.

Bergman looked into his usually cold eyes, but for some reason, a faint hope flickered in hers.

“Where did you get so many diamonds?” she asked. “Even with money, it’s not something you can just buy anywhere.”

“The lone king has trade routes  by sea. We travel to Goryeo, Dongying, and even across to a new continent. The people there have different skin and hair colors than ours. These diamonds were collected from those places.”

This man actually had maritime trade routes  which meant that if he wanted to sell goods to Europe or Japan in the future, it wouldn’t be a problem at all.

Bergman’s eyes sparkled; she could practically burst with excitement.

She had once boasted to him about wanting to open new business routes, but she never expected that this quiet prince had already taken the lead  using the advanced shipping network of the Yongding Dynasty.

That was one of the perks of being a prince  having access to the kingdom’s latest systems and strategies far ahead of others.

It was an advantage, one tied to status  an inborn edge that common people could never reach. And it was infuriating.

She couldn’t help feeling a bit choked up. People really couldn’t compare to people.

Just then, she heard Du Yu say softly,

“I heard you’re good at making tea. The next time you visit, make a pot of rose tea  a strong one. And prepare some melon-seed tea for this king to try.”

Bergman slowly came back to her senses. She had accepted such a precious gift, so it was only polite to return the favor. She decided to use the finest ingredients from her own collection.

“Whatever tea the prince wishes to drink, I’ll prepare it. But it’s getting late, I should go home before my family starts worrying.” She had a history of getting lost; even though she was still allowed to come and go freely, she needed to return on time  or that privilege would be gone next time. “And… thank you for the generous gift, Your Highness.”

Du Yu seemed unsatisfied and stepped closer. “Do you really plan to wait until Sister Ling marries before you consider marriage yourself?”

“I’m still young,” she said quickly. “It’s too soon to talk about marriage.” That wasn’t what she had been reborn for.

“The king promises you this  after entering my palace, if you don’t wish it, I will never touch you.”

“I’m just the daughter of a fourth-rank official,” she said softly. “I have nothing special  I don’t even know what you see in me.”

“Between people, it’s only the eyes that matter,” he said. “If those are wrong, nothing else matters.”

He remembered her face, her voice, her presence  and that was enough for him.

When she finally returned home, she crept quietly into bed, her body stiff and weak. Bergman collapsed and couldn’t move.

Ah Ru followed behind her carrying two wooden boxes, and when she saw the second young miss looking so listless, she quickly set the boxes down. “Second Miss, what’s wrong? You don’t look well after coming from the dyeing workshop. Are you feeling sick? Should I call a doctor?”

“I’m fine. Just put the things away and let me rest alone.”

Once Ah Ru left, Bergman threw her pillow on the floor, pulled the blanket over her head, and screamed into it.

Oh no, oh no — was she really destined to become someone’s concubine?!

But what could she do? She actually wanted to marry him. What should she do now?

After tossing and turning all night, she woke up with terrible dark circles under her eyes. No matter how many times Chenxiang rolled a boiled egg over them, the dark shadows wouldn’t fade. Too tired to face anyone, Bergman decided to play dead — she wouldn’t go out or see anyone today.

But life always had its surprises. She hadn’t expected Du Yu to act so fast.

He had shown her great kindness, and although she hadn’t said yes or no, she had accepted his gift  which, to him, meant agreement.

So early the next morning, Lao Jiu, Aunt Xuan, and the matchmaker from before arrived at the Bao household with several large carts of betrothal gifts.

When the maid reported the news, Bergman buried her face in the quilt and groaned.

Du Yu  did he have to move this fast?! Couldn’t he give her some breathing room? Did he want her to have a heart attack? This was a lifelong decision!

The only good thing was that as the bride-to-be, she didn’t have to go out and meet the guests herself.

Still, her parents were completely stunned.

Hadn’t their daughter just said she wanted to wait until her sister married before talking about her own marriage? Why had she suddenly agreed?

After entertaining the guests in the main hall, Bao Zhengtao slipped away to “interrogate” his daughter.

“Father,” she said weakly, pressing her face as if she didn’t want to be seen.

“What’s going on?” he demanded. “Tell me the truth.”

Bergman dropped her hands.

Bao Zhengtao took a deep breath. “Better to keep your face covered…”

Ah, had she stayed up all night worried that he wouldn’t approve? He sighed. Women  so easily swayed when their hearts are moved.

He completely misunderstood her expression.

“Someone from Prince Gong’s Mansion came today,” he said. “They said you agreed to marry the prince. Marriage is no child’s game  is that true?”

“What do you think, Father?” she said vaguely. She couldn’t exactly tell him she’d been won over by a necklace and an impulsive promise  it was too embarrassing.

Looking at her tired eyes and shy face, Bao Zhengtao understood. Women — they could say no a thousand times, but once their hearts softened, nothing could stop them.

“The prince doesn’t look very healthy,” he said carefully. “Did you think about that?”

“I did, Father,” she said quietly. He was clearly worried she’d soon be widowed. Even if it might seem disrespectful to the prince, he said it out of love  and Bergman was deeply moved.

Bao Zhengtao brushed off his robe and sighed. “Very well. I’ll tell the matchmaker your decision.”

He had hoped she’d stay home a few more years, but… a woman couldn’t be kept too long  staying only bred resentment.

When her sister Bao Si heard the news, she came storming into Bergman’s room. “How could you agree to marry into Prince Gong’s mansion? You’re still young — you have time! I’d rather be a poor man’s wife than a rich man’s concubine. Life in the palace isn’t what it looks like  everyone wears masks, and you can’t speak freely.”

“Sister, I know you mean well,” Bergman said sincerely, “but life has its ups and downs. There’s no such thing as a perfect marriage. I think he’s good now, so I’m willing to marry him.”

Bao Si glared. “What can I say to you? You’re impossible!” Marriage was for life — and this girl was walking straight into the fire pit.

Bergman took her sister’s hand gently. “Don’t be angry. Maybe one day I’ll regret it, but not today. And even after I marry, we’ll still be sisters. If I ever fall on hard times, I’ll count on you to help me, okay?”

“You really dare to talk big! If something happens, don’t come crying to me!” Bao Si scolded, but her anger melted under Bergman’s teasing.

“Then I’ll cry to my brother-in-law,” Bergman said mischievously.

“The marriage isn’t even official yet! What brother-in-law?” Bao Si tried to stay stern, but her expression softened into laughter.

“You’re just a little girl — aren’t you even a bit shy?”

Bergman caught her sister’s hand mid–face pinch. “You’re just jealous that I’ll be married before you.”

“I ought to tear that mouth of yours!” Bao Si pretended to scold, and soon the sisters were laughing together again.

After a while, Bao Si said softly, “Once you enter the palace gates, it’ll be hard to see you again.”

Bergman smiled. “Then I’ll come find you! Du Yu knows I’m not someone who can stay cooped up forever. I still have the dyeing workshop, weaving workshop, embroidery workshop, and sales shop to manage.”

Though she said it lightly, she knew she’d have to discuss it with Du Yu first.

If he agreed, everything would go well. If not  well, she’d know he was just like any other man who wanted to keep a woman in a gilded cage.

Over the next two years, the preparations were long and elaborate  the dowry, the betrothal gifts, and the traditional six ceremonies. The scale showed how grand and noble the marriage was.

Normally, concubine arrangements weren’t this formal. But royal customs were different.

Even a side concubine required a proper document  distinct from a wife’s marriage contract  and the rest of the wedding rituals followed accordingly.

Bao Zhengtao’s colleagues and fellow officials came to congratulate him. Even those from the prince’s circle sent lavish gifts  after all, it wasn’t wise to offend a royal.

Since she wasn’t a wife, Bergman couldn’t wear the phoenix crown and red veil. Instead, she wore a wedding gown she designed herself  red and elegant — and skipped the traditional head covering.

Now, sitting in her new chamber, with Ah Ru and Chenxiang by her side, six maids from the palace stood waiting.

She didn’t feel shy like a typical bride  just slightly uneasy in this unfamiliar place. Du Yu hadn’t arrived yet, so she tried to calm her racing heart by quietly taking in the room.

Everything was red  the wedding bed covered in thick red satin embroidered with dragons and phoenixes, the pillows and quilts rich and exquisite. Red drapes embroidered with double-happiness symbols hung by the bed, and even the walls shone with red lacquer and silver varnish.

It was so red it glowed  joy seemed to overflow from every corner.

Aunt Xuan soon entered with a small palace maid, bringing in six dishes  beautifully arranged and tempting.

“The prince ordered me to bring some snacks for the side concubine,” she said politely. “We didn’t know your tastes, so we chose a few of the chef’s best dishes. Please enjoy them slowly. The prince will come after he finishes greeting the guests.”

“Thank you, Aunt Xuan. You’ve worked hard,” Bergman replied.

“I wouldn’t dare,” Aunt Xuan said with a small smile. “Also, the prince has assigned twelve young palace maids to serve you here in Changle Courtyard.”

She waved her hand, and the maids moved gracefully, eyes lowered, retreating three steps apart  precise and disciplined. Clearly, they were well-trained.