Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Everyone froze.
No one could believe that I, the capital’s famously jealous wife, had actually taken the initiative to ask Qi Chong to take a concubine.
Just moments ago, at Prince Kang’s Mansion, it had been Prince Kang’s fortieth birthday banquet.
After three rounds of wine, Prince Kang narrowed his drunken eyes, clapped his hands, and declared that he had a little gift for all the assembled officials.
A group of lovely women swayed forward, graceful and delicate, then knelt before the officials at the feast.
Everyone at the banquet exchanged uneasy glances.
They didn’t dare accept the beauties, but they didn’t dare offend the ambitious Prince Kang either. First, they feared these women were spies meant to be planted in their inner households. Second, they feared being accused of forming factions for personal gain in the future.
One bold official from the Ministry of Rites dropped trembling to his knees and begged the prince for mercy.
“Your Highness honors me too greatly. I am unworthy of such favor.”
I glanced at him. I remembered that ten days later, after leaving court, he would be stabbed to death by drifters in a dark alley.
Someone else stammered that he was still in mourning for his father, not yet three years through, and feared His Majesty would punish him if he took a concubine.
Prince Kang wiped the carving knife he had used on the meat and smiled carelessly.
“What’s there to be afraid of? It’s not as if I’m telling you to bed her tonight.
“Have her serve your mother and complete your mourning. Would that little emperor really punish you?”
The officials accepted the women in trembling silence. The air had grown so still that a pin drop could have been heard.
Only my husband, Qi Chong, raised his cup and put on an exaggeratedly troubled expression.
“I truly do like the beauty Prince Kang is offering.
“I’m only afraid that if I bring her into the household, my wife will be upset and scratch up my face.”
As expected, the moment he said that, the atmosphere at the banquet immediately relaxed.
People began bringing up Qi Chong’s fear of his wife.
Even Prince Kang couldn’t help laughing. He waved a hand and let it pass.
“Who said she was for you? With Lady Qi’s fearsome reputation, how would I dare?”
In my previous life, Qi Chong had always used me this way, as a shield.
To turn down drinking parties, to refuse bribes from colleagues, to evade every ill-intentioned social engagement.
With a single line about fearing his wife, he could effortlessly turn impossible court dilemmas into mere marital squabbles.
Back then, because I believed husband and wife were one body, I even painted three rouge scratches across his face to make it look as if I’d clawed him, playing the role of a fierce, jealous woman.
I thought that as long as my husband stayed safe, a ruined reputation for me didn’t matter.
But later, as Qi Chong rose smoothly through the ranks, the very first charge listed in the letter divorcing me was jealousy.
When I was lying in the woodshed of the Qi family, sick and barely clinging to life,
my father was accused of failing to teach his daughter properly. Overcome with shame and fury, he died.
The Empress Dowager, remembering that Qi Chong feared his wife and assuming that meant he knew how to cherish women, bestowed her own niece on him in marriage.
No one thought Qi Chong ungrateful. They only thought he had suffered all these years and had finally emerged from hardship into happiness.
The Qi Chong before me shot me the same look he had in my previous life, signaling for me to put on my usual jealous act.
I looked at Qi Chong, pretending to be weak and put-upon, and felt nothing but disgust.
Without looking at him again, I helped the kneeling beauty to her feet. Then I turned back and smiled at him with perfect gentleness and generosity.
“Since my husband likes her, and I’ve already checked that your birth charts are compatible, why not bring her into the household today?”
Everyone stared at me in shock.
Qi Chong held his wine cup frozen in midair, his face full of astonishment.
But he recovered quickly enough and forced out an awkward laugh to smooth things over.
“M-my wife only heard me say I liked this beauty. She’s speaking in anger.”
I sighed and dabbed at the corner of my eye with my handkerchief.
“People outside all say I’m jealous and refuse to let Qi Chong take concubines, but of the people bought from outside, how many are truly clean and trouble-free?
“This beauty comes from Prince Kang’s household. Her background and looks are both excellent. What could I possibly have to worry about?”
Before Qi Chong could argue further,
Prince Kang slapped the table and burst into loud laughter, then swept out a grand wave of his hand.
“Who says Lady Qi is jealous? To my eyes, she’s plainly a thoughtful, virtuous, sensible woman.
“Vice Director Qi, take her home! If your wife gets jealous with you, I’ll back you up!”
As the carriage swayed along, Qi Chong forced down his fury and demanded of me,
“Ah Cuo, why didn’t you play along with me just now?
“Do you even know what kind of man Prince Kang is? And you still dared accept someone from his household?”
I lowered the carriage curtain and answered him gently,
“Just now at the banquet, all your colleagues accepted a beauty. You alone stayed apart.
“Husband, you’ve only been thinking about clearing yourself of any connection to Prince Kang, but did you consider whether your colleagues might isolate you for it?”
Qi Chong fell silent.
He thought it over carefully for quite a while, then took my hand and, just like before, drew me into his arms.
“Ah Cuo, it seems I was thinking too simply.
“You’ve truly suffered for me. You’re so quiet and intelligent, yet you still have to put on this act with me.”
He played the remorseful husband, and I was more than willing to play the jealous wife.
“Qi Chong, your honor and disgrace are mine, and mine yours. Husband and wife are one body, so there’s no need to speak of grievance.
“But you must promise me this: until Prince Kang falls, you cannot touch that beauty.”
Qi Chong clasped my hand in return and gave me his solemn promise.