ITVCFITB CHAPTER 26

 Chapter 26: Not Sour—Sweet

Li Mingjin truly didn’t remember there were still women living in a side courtyard, and his brows knit. “I don’t recall this.”

Luo Shuyu set his chopsticks down lightly. The back of Li Mingjin’s scalp tingled then he told the guards outside, “Call in Steward Sun.”

Before long, Steward Sun waddled in, sweat beading his round forehead. “Your Highness, they were sent over by the Eldest Prince two months ago. You gave no orders at the time, so this small one settled them in the side courtyard.”

Two months ago, the Emperor hadn’t yet decreed a marriage between Luo Shuyu and Li Mingjin. When the Eldest Prince stuffed people into his residence then, he hadn’t cared and afterward never thought of it again, so the matter lay dormant until today.

Li Mingjin said coldly, “How is it they didn’t show their faces to annoy me before, yet come now to disturb the prince-consort? Investigate. If you can’t get to the bottom of it, I’ll hold you alone responsible.”

“Yes, at once,” the steward answered.

Li Mingjin flicked a glance toward Luo Shuyu and waved. “Once you have it clear, not a single one stays. Send them out of the residence. Back where they came from.”

Steward Sun wiped his brow. “At once!”

He hurried out, had them whisked away, and they vanished from the Third Prince’s residence without a peep. They had likely imagined that paying respects to the prince-consort would secure them a place under the Third Prince’s roof. Who knew the Third Prince would shatter their plan on the spot.

When it was handled, Li Mingjin cleared his throat and offered an explanation to Luo Shuyu: “They were sent by Eldest Brother. I truly forgot, and never paid attention afterward.”

In his last life, Luo Shuyu had married Li Mingjin at the end of the twelfth month. He remembered there were no such women then likely because Li Mingjin had already sent them away. This time the wedding had been more rushed, so he’d forgotten. There wasn’t much to pursue.

In any case, he had no intention of holding it against Li Mingjin; if anything, it left him a shade more averse to the Eldest Prince, shoving people openly into another prince’s residence. Even a passerby could see that wolfish heart.

The small interlude over dinner didn’t spoil Luo Shuyu’s mood.

Li Mingjin, for his part, exhaled in relief, and the two finished their meal in peace.

There wasn’t much to do at night; darkness fell thick and fast, and one needed lanterns to walk anywhere.

Li Mingjin had intended to go to the study after the meal, but Luo Shuyu stopped him. “Your Highness, your foot’s unfit. Traipsing back and forth is a hassle. What if the injury gets worse?”

His voice wasn’t loud, but each word was clear and he was sitting close. The sound itched in Li Mingjin’s ears and damped down the restlessness in his chest. In the end he relented and didn’t go.

There was a study in the main courtyard, but in summer Li Mingjin moved to an office by the waterside pavilion. There was a lotus pond there and it was cooler, so the main-court study saw little use.

Since his leg was indeed inconvenient, he let it go.

Li Mingjin: “Very well. The important matters are already handled.”

It had been a tiring day. Luo Shuyu hadn’t napped and had been busy without pause.

Compared to other princes’ households, the Third Prince’s residence was simple. There were no other women or gers at Li Mingjin’s side, no tangled inner-court harem. Luo Shuyu now felt fortunate he had met Li Mingjin and not some other prince or a man with a head full of flowery schemes.

After a short rest, Luo Shuyu sent for water to wash up. He hadn’t washed his hair last night, so he washed it now and then sat in the courtyard, letting the breeze dry it.

While he was bathing, Li Mingjin had people tidy the study in the southwest corner of the main courtyard. From there one could see into the courtyard. There were potted plants in the way, and he had them moved for a clearer view and broad enough to watch Luo Shuyu cool himself in the evening air.

Luo Shuyu air-dried his hair, a go board beside his hand. Chin propped on one palm, he studied the stones.

The soft thock-thock sound of a cane approached. Li Mingjin came to sit beside him, handed the cane off, and personally took over from Qingwang to towel his hair.

Luo Shuyu’s hair wasn’t coarse, but not especially soft either. Freshly washed, it carried a light mint scent. Li Mingjin gathered it gently, patting and wiping strand by strand. The towel brushed Luo Shuyu’s thin ear. He stared at that ear and had to restrain the urge to lean in and bite.

Luo Shuyu, absorbed in his lines of play, didn’t notice the swap beside him until the towel tugged a little too hard at his scalp and he looked up. “Your Highness?”

Li Mingjin stopped both his hands and the thought that had leapt into his head, face taut. “Did I hurt you?”

Luo Shuyu shook his head. “No. Why are you toweling me, where’s Qingwang?” Turning, he saw Qingwang already standing well away.

He was simply… surprised.

In their last life, they’d said little after the wedding. Luo Shuyu had kept his distance; perhaps Li Mingjin had sensed his attitude and stopped approaching, no talk, let alone touch. Racking his memory, he recalled that right after the wedding, Li Mingjin had often shown up at his side. He just didn’t know when it had changed, when Li Mingjin had grown distant. Later, they could go ten days or half a month without meeting. Only at festivals did they go out together, putting on the look of harmony.

Li Mingjin: “It’s nearly dry. Turn in early tonight. The night breeze is cool so don’t catch a chill.”

It was indeed nearly dry. Mid-Autumn was near, and nights had grown chilly.

“Mm.” Early sleep would do; there was plenty to do tomorrow.

The bedchamber still glowed with red candles; the linens were all festive scarlet. Luo Shuyu shed his outer robe and climbed in wearing only a thin inner layer.

Li Mingjin followed. He didn’t dawdle in the bath room the way he had last night.

Fresh from his bath, Li Mingjin still carried a hint of steam. Luo Shuyu had fallen asleep early last night; waking to find himself in Li Mingjin’s arms, he’d been embarrassed to have missed their “bridal room.” But since Li Mingjin hadn’t mentioned it, he wouldn’t either. Such things, he truly couldn’t bring himself to say them aloud.

It was their first time lying like this, both not very sleepy.

Compared to Luo Shuyu’s nerves, Li Mingjin was even stiffer, lying ramrod straight. He’d only dared hold Luo Shuyu’s hand last night because he’d already fallen asleep.

A faint fragrance from Luo Shuyu’s hair drifted over as he rolled to face him. “Your Highness.”

Li Mingjin’s voice was low, desire tamped down. “Mm?” He felt Luo Shuyu’s hand rest on his arm; his heart thumped. “Can’t sleep?”

“Not exactly,” Luo Shuyu said. “I wanted to talk with you a bit.”

Li Mingjin turned his head. “About what?”

“I heard that before Father Emperor’s decree, you intended to take Shen Mingyun into your household.”

“…” Of all topics, he hadn’t expected that. Hadn’t he told Shadow Three to scrub that rumor from the streets? How did he still know?

Li Mingjin considered how best to answer. While he hesitated, Luo Shuyu’s voice, a touch forlorn, said softly, “You needn’t feel obliged to explain. I’m not here to press you, only to learn whether it was true.”

Hearing that thread of grievance, Li Mingjin took the hand on his arm. “It’s not that I can’t say it. I never planned to bring him in and I never had those sorts of thoughts about him. It should have been a misunderstanding.” He bitterly regretted any entanglement at all. “Let me explain.”

“Mm,” Luo Shuyu answered.

Weighing his tone, Li Mingjin spoke in his habitual baritone. “If you hadn’t brought it up, I’d nearly forgotten. I was drinking in a restaurant and in high spirits when there was a ruckus downstairs. I sent someone to see. They came back saying a ger was being shoved around by some drunks. I told our people to step in. Afterward, the person we’d helped insisted on coming up to thank me.”

Luo Shuyu slid down a little and as naturally as breathing, pillowed his head on Li Mingjin’s shoulder.

In their last life, when he felt poorly during pregnancy, he had liked to lean on him this way. Li Mingjin had allowed it then too.

“That person was Shen Mingyun?” Luo Shuyu asked.

“Mm. I’d met him once before. On a pleasure barge, I had laid a trap to catch an assassin who’d targeted me. During the interrogation, Shen Mingyun burst in and accused me of taking a life lightly, demanding I release him. He ruined the questioning. I didn’t want a scene and told him to mind his own business.”

Luo Shuyu thought: how is this different from the book? He asked again, “So you were interrogating an assassin?”

“Mm. The second time I ran into him, he recognized me first and started shouting in public that I was a demon who killed without blinking. He was noisy. I said offhand to have him tied up and brought back to my residence, but I never did.”

“At first I suspected he might be linked to the would-be assassins, because after his first appearance the captive I’d taken on the boat was murdered that very night. Later it proved unrelated to him. That second time, my careless remark was spread by those present as fact, and thus the rumor that I wanted him as a concubine. It wasn’t true.”

“Yuer, don’t mind it. They gossip because I usually keep both women and gers at arm’s length. Then a pretty ger suddenly came near and I didn’t throw him out, so they made a fuss of it.”

“So that’s how it was,” Luo Shuyu said. So that’s how it was. He thought again.

“Do you believe me?” Li Mingjin asked.

“Of course,” Luo Shuyu replied without thinking.

When he saved someone, instead of thanks he was suspected of ulterior motives. Even his father hadn’t believed he’d help. Luo Shuyu’s unquestioning trust filled him with a satisfaction he’d never known.

Feeling stirred, he wanted to do something. “Yuer, may I…”

Before he finished, Luo Shuyu leaned in and kissed him on the lips. “You may. Whatever you wish to do with me, you may.”

In other words: you don’t have to ask. If it’s you, you never have to ask. I’m willing.

Caught off guard by that soft, fragrant kiss, desire flared bright in Li Mingjin’s eyes. A dozen manuals couldn’t compare to simply doing it, but he hadn’t expected his consort to be the bolder one. His palm slid to the back of Luo Shuyu’s head and he kissed back hard.

Without martial training, Luo Shuyu’s breath didn’t last as long as Li Mingjin’s. After a while, he was panting, face flushed. His hand pressed against Li Mingjin’s chest. In a small voice, he said, “I want to sleep.”

Li Mingjin wrapped his hand around the one on his chest. “All right.”

Heat flushed not only his face but all the way down. He felt worked up enough to go douse himself in cold water, only the ache below was a little… trying. He told himself to endure. Once his foot healed, they could live a normal life as spouses.

Luo Shuyu truly was sleepy. Soon he drifted off at Li Mingjin’s side. Listening to his breathing even out, Li Mingjin succumbed as well and once asleep, he unconsciously drew his consort back into his arms.

They slept sweetly through the night.

The next morning.

Luo Shuyu woke naturally.

There was no outing planned today. No one disturbed him. He slept very well better than at any time since he’d been reborn.

No one lay beside him, presumably Li Mingjin was already up.

The autumn heat had peaked the last two days, but on rising today the air felt cooler.

Qingwang, standing watch, brought him a thicker robe. “Master, the weather’s turned. Best put on something warmer.”

Luo Shuyu nodded. After washing up, he asked, “Where’s His Highness?”

Smiling, Qingwang said, “His Highness just directed the servants to move things into the study in the main courtyard. It’ll be convenient for him to work there and still speak with you often.”

Luo Shuyu stepped outside. Sure enough, servants were hauling things, but he didn’t see Li Mingjin. “Has he eaten breakfast?”

Qingwang’s specialty was reading the room. “Not yet.”

“Then go fetch him to dine,” Luo Shuyu said.

A low voice sounded behind him. “Were you looking for me?”

“You startled me,” Luo Shuyu said, hand to his chest. “Come have breakfast.”

“Mm.”

Breakfast was light and prepared to Luo Shuyu’s taste. He ate with satisfaction.

Afterward, Li Mingjin went to the newly arranged study while Luo Shuyu continued unpacking trunks.

Near midday, Luo Shuyu carried a plate of freshly steamed millet cakes to find him.

Someone outside announced him and Li Mingjin had him shown straight in.

Two of the household advisers were seated inside.

One, Liang Jianxue, was a man in his early forties with two neat mustaches; the other, Chen Rong, was twenty-five or six, pale-faced.

Luo Shuyu had seen them in his previous life, but had hardly interacted. He remembered little of them, only that their temperaments differed: Liang brisk and impatient, Chen steady and careful, though sickly, forever on medicine, with a heavy medicinal scent, a typical walking apothecary jar.

Both rose to bow. “We greet the Third Prince Consort.”

“Please, don’t stand on ceremony,” Luo Shuyu said.

Seeing Luo Shuyu arrive, Li Mingjin dismissed the two gentlemen. After they left, Luo Shuyu asked, “This Mister Chen, what’s his background?”

Watching Chen Rong’s slow steps as he departed, a memory pricked. Later in the book, Shen Mingyun had made the acquaintance of a certain Mister Chen, hailed by some as a living Zhuge Liang. For unknown reasons he refused to take office. Shen Mingyun went to invite him three times and was turned away. Lacking patience, Shen Mingyun gave up. Two days later, the Fourth Prince told him that Mister Chen had died of illness in his rented rooms.

Luo Shuyu was suspicious. The man had declined Shen Mingyun for two days and suddenly died?

Noting Luo Shuyu’s silence, Li Mingjin wasn’t pleased. “He’s a sickly reed. Why take such interest in him?” Sickly or not, Chen Rong was handsome, the very type popular with boudoir ladies and gers alike.

Luo Shuyu narrowed his eyes, picked up a warm millet cake, and popped it into Li Mingjin’s mouth. “Does this cake taste a little sour?”

Li Mingjin: “…” Not sour. Sweet.

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Author’s Note:
Third Prince: I want to taste right here. I hear it’s especially sweet. Never tried it.
Luo Shuyu: …滚 (scram).

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