Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I panicked.

An Yuanqi was actually An Cheng, Great General Pingxi, personally appointed by the current emperor.

Even those of us all the way in Anyang had heard of this general’s reputation.

It was said that in the fifth year of Tianqi, there was a young man in bright clothes on a spirited horse who killed countless enemies in the northwest army camp, climbing step by step from an unknown foot soldier to a commandant.

At that time, the new emperor had been on the throne for five years. He had only just settled the factional strife at court, while beyond the borders, Prince Han’s power in the north had grown unchecked, and nomadic barbarians harassed the frontier from time to time.

The emperor personally led the campaign. The battlefield was perilous, and he was saved several times by that young commandant.

After that, the commandant became one of the emperor’s trusted men and was repeatedly given important posts.

In the fourteenth year of Tianqi, Prince Han was executed, and the nomadic tribes were driven back.

The general who had rendered such outstanding service was named An Cheng, a name bestowed by the emperor himself.

“Cheng” was taken from the jade tablet used by emperors.

After the war was settled, the emperor wished to arrange a marriage for General Pingxi. Unexpectedly, An Cheng stated frankly that there had once been an old betrothal in his family, decided by his parents, and it would not be proper to go back on it.

And so there was the trip to Anyang.

His cousin, Zhao Yuning, was no ordinary person either. He was the son of the Vice Minister of Works.

That man loved nothing more than stirring up chaos. After going along to Anyang to propose the marriage, he learned that the Li Family had asked people to inquire about An Yuanqi. Acting on his own initiative, he planted a butcher’s identity for him.

In his words, “With Cousin’s current status, who knows how many princesses and noble ladies are waiting to marry him? Wouldn’t it be too easy on the Li Family if he just married their young lady outright? Since they want to ask around, let’s see whether they’d still be willing to marry off their daughter if you were a butcher.”

An Yuanqi neither agreed nor objected to this test.

In truth, he and Li Xiuyan had only met once as children. They were complete strangers, so of course he had also harbored longing and expectations toward his betrothed wife.

What comforted him was that the Li Family had withstood the test, and Li Xiuyan had withstood the test as well.

He was comforted, but I was scared half to death.

The Pingxi General’s Manor was imposing and renowned, with vermilion-lacquered gates and a high-hung plaque of golden nanmu wood. My legs went weak at once.

An Yuanqi steadied me, touched my face, and said with a smile, “Forgive me, Madam. I did not mean to hide it from you. When we returned, I had already apologized to Father-in-law and Mother-in-law and informed them of my identity.”

No wonder. When we left the Li Family for the capital, Master and Madam had come to the gate to see us off, their faces deathly pale.

At the time, I had even wondered how they could act out their reluctance at parting so convincingly.

Thinking about it carefully, An Yuanqi had an extraordinary bearing and a graceful, dashing figure. In what way did he look like a butcher?

And I had stupidly assumed that all the finery he had specially prepared was because he cared about face and wanted to leave a good impression on his in-laws.

Now this was a serious problem.

If he were a butcher, I could have muddled through somehow. I was confident I could keep it from him for the rest of my life.

But he was a general valued by the emperor. The consequences of deceiving him would be severe, and I was not confident I could hide the truth.

After spending several days on tenterhooks, I secretly sent a letter to the Li Family, asking how we might remedy the situation.

My idea was to bring Miss Xiuyan to the capital and say that she had fallen gravely ill a few months ago. She had been kept in her chambers, weak and unconscious, which was why a maid had married in her place.

After spending these days with An Yuanqi, I believed he was kind by nature. Even if he had doubts, he would not say much. Besides, Miss Xiuyan was as beautiful as a flower, gentle and charming. He should like her.

As for me, I would step down and become his concubine. I imagined he would not refuse that either.

Master and Madam, however, had other plans. A long time passed before they finally wrote back.

There were only a few lines in the letter:

“My child Xiuyan, do not worry about home. I hope all goes smoothly for you in the capital. Help your husband share his burdens, manage the household, and take charge of its affairs. Remember, in all things, proceed step by step and plan slowly.”

Remember, in all things, proceed step by step and plan slowly.

I was riddled with unease. I kept feeling that matters ought to be resolved as early as possible, that the longer they dragged on, the more troublesome they would become.

But Master and Madam had their own plans, so for the time being, all I could do was play the role of Young Miss properly and take things one step at a time.

Only, when facing An Yuanqi, the burden on my conscience was especially heavy.

To be fair, my life in the General’s Manor was exceedingly comfortable.

I had a whole crowd of servants waiting on me. I slept on a soft couch, kept ever-burning lamps lit, wore fine clothes, and ate delicacies. It was all terribly carefree.

The household itself was simple. There were only two masters: me and An Yuanqi.

Most of the servants were men, with a scattered handful of maids. Their looks all fit the General’s Manor’s style perfectly: tall, sturdy, and hard to tell whether they were male or female.

Only one named Ah Zi was an exception. She was lovely and graceful, with delicate, pleasing features.

Ah Zi had originally been a musician, skilled in music and rhythm, and belonged to the palace music bureau.

Because of her beauty, the emperor took notice of her and bestowed her upon An Cheng.

Though she had been granted to him by the emperor, he did not seem to like her. He had never taken her to his bed. After entering the manor, she had only served as an ordinary maid.

An Yuanqi said I was the only woman he had ever touched.

Given his status, that was quite rare.

Newly married as we were, with the pleasures of the bedchamber fresh to him, he had gotten a taste for it and was always tireless, full of energy.

When my body was not up to it, I said, “Why doesn’t my lord take a few concubines? You could pick some pretty ones.”

He looked at me with leisurely amusement. “They say women are prone to jealousy. How is my wife so generous?”

“In the capital, it is perfectly normal for wealthy households to have three wives and four concubines. With my lord’s status, if you only have me, people will laugh.” I mumbled the words.

He smiled. “Laugh at what?”

“At the General’s Manor for having a Rouge Tiger…”

My voice was extremely soft, but he burst into hearty laughter. Then, with no courtesy at all, he cupped my face and gave me a loud kiss.

“My wife need not worry. I do not care about such things. If you truly were a Rouge Tiger, no one else would dare say much about it anyway.”

After saying that, he leaned in close again, nuzzling against me, and chuckled low by my ear. “That sort of thing is only enjoyable when I do it with my wife. I do not need any other women.”

…

My face flushed scarlet, and I deliberately refused to look at him. But he was an exceedingly direct man. He insisted on turning my face back toward him, drawing close until our eyes met, his gaze dark and deep.

“Blushing? What is there to be embarrassed about? We are husband and wife. There is nothing intimate between us that we cannot do. My wife need not be shy.”

“Oh, my lord, stop saying that.”

“I insist on saying it.”

“…”

“Lianlian, we are husband and wife, bound by our hair, our love without doubt. I hope to grow old with you. For the rest of my life, I will not betray you. You must not betray me either.”

Beneath the lamplight, his eyes were resolute and profound, enough to make one’s heart tremble.

I truly was moved, but I was truly frightened as well.

I was someone accustomed to leaving myself a path of retreat. I had originally thought to have him take concubines, to add more women to the General’s Manor and muddy the waters. Only then would small fish and shrimp like us be able to return to our proper places.

The more wholeheartedly he devoted himself to me, the harder it would be for him to accept, in the future, the deception of the person sharing his pillow.

Such was the human heart. The more one cared, the harder it was to let go.

My nose stung. Why did An Yuanqi have to be a general? If only he really were a butcher instead.