Chapter 16: The Princess’s Jealousy and the Prince Consort’s Torment
When Mo Shuihan woke the next morning, he opened his door only to flinch back at the scene before him. “What… are you all doing?”
Qiu Ju and Dong Mei, each holding a massive, spiked club, stood like sentinels blocking his path. “The Princess has ordered that the Prince Consort is not to leave the residence today.”
Mo Shuihan pressed a hand to his forehead. “I have to go to the Hanlin Academy.”
Qiu Ju snorted. “Who knows where you’re really going? In any case, without the Princess’s permission, you are not to leave!”
“This is ridiculous!” Mo Shuihan snapped.
“Who’s being ridiculous? It’s the Prince Consort who has been indecorous.” Princess Jiu arrived in a flurry, a retinue of servants trailing behind her.
Mo Shuihan’s brow furrowed. “Whatever it is, we can discuss it when I return. I need to get to my post now.”
Princess Jiu stepped directly in front of him, a sly grin playing on her lips. “I’ve already requested a leave of absence for you from Father Emperor. I told him the Prince Consort is unwell and requires quiet recuperation. He was quite concerned. Prince Consort, don’t you want to cure your ailment and reclaim your masculine pride?”
Mo Shuihan rolled his eyes and muttered, “Honestly, not in the slightest.”
The princess’s eyes widened. “What did you just say?”
“So, what is it you want?” he asked, resigned.
She beckoned with a finger. A servant stepped forward, holding a large bowl of a murky black liquid that reeked of something foul. “Prince Consort, please drink your medicine.”
Mo Shuihan covered his nose and mouth, taking a disgusted step back. “What is this?”
Princess Jiu explained with a smile, “Oh, this is to help with a man’s… condition. The physician said that if you drink this consistently for half a month, your vigor will be restored, and you’ll regain your manly confidence!”
“Thank you, but I find my current, confidence-free life to be perfectly fine,” Mo Shuihan said, shaking his head in polite refusal.
“How can that be?” Princess Jiu adopted a look of earnest persuasion. “Prince Consort, it’s not good to hide an illness for fear of treatment. Although your condition is difficult to cure, and I don’t hold it against you, you mustn’t give up on yourself! There is still room for effort. Please, don’t abandon hope!”
Mo Shuihan let out a short, cynical laugh. “Your expression might be more convincing if it weren’t so utterly fake.”
Princess Jiu immediately straightened her face. “What’s wrong with my expression? You were so desperate you had to go to a brothel for a cure. As your wife, I can’t very well stand by and do nothing, can I?”
Mo Shuihan rubbed his forehead. “I’ve told you countless times, I didn’t do anything.”
“I don’t believe you.” She planted her hands on her hips, her round eyes fixed on him.
Mo Shuihan had to meet with Jin Zeshan today and could not afford to be delayed. He pushed past her. “I truly have business to attend to. Stop this nonsense.”
The princess quickly spread her arms to block him again. “Who’s playing games? You are not leaving today, not until your ailment is cured.”
Defeated, Mo Shuihan looked down at her. “If I drink the medicine, will you let me leave?”
She shook her head. “That depends on the effects after you drink it.”
“Then why should I drink it?” he asked, his gaze drifting away with disinterest.
Princess Jiu stomped her foot in frustration. She was at a loss, but finally, she had to concede. “Fine. Drink the medicine, and I’ll let you go.”
Mo Shuihan gestured for the servant with the bowl to approach. Yu Guan and Yu Qi, who had been standing by silently, rushed to stop him. “Young Master, you can’t drink that!”
Mo Shuihan glanced at them with his dark, fathomless eyes. After a moment of hesitation, the two reluctantly released his arms but still stood in his way. “Young Master, you really can’t drink it.”
A sarcastic smile touched Mo Shuihan’s lips. Given the state of his body, what harm could this concoction possibly do?
Without another thought, he took the bowl and drained it in one go. He then turned the empty bowl towards Princess Jiu. “It’s finished. May I go now?”
The princess was taken aback, not expecting him to actually drink something so disgusting. Seeing that she was silent, Mo Shuihan started for the door, but she darted in front of him again. He raised a questioning eyebrow.
She lifted her chin and held out a hand. “Hand over all your assets.”
“On what grounds?”
“On the grounds that I am your wife,” she declared, full of self-righteousness. “Men go bad when they have money. From now on, I will be in charge of your finances.”
Mo Shuihan ground his teeth. “Yu Qi!”
Yu Qi stepped forward cautiously. “The assets,” Mo Shuihan ordered. “Give them to her!”
“What?” Yu Qi’s eyes widened in shock. “Young Master, this…”
Mo Shuihan shot him a look, and Yu Qi immediately nodded. “Yes.”
Yu Guan, however, stepped in front of him, unconvinced. “No, why should we give her the assets?”
Mo Shuihan glared at him. “Be quiet.” Then he looked down at the princess. “Can I go now?”
She lowered her arms and nodded in approval. “The Prince Consort is a sensible man. For your cooperation, I will let you go.”
Mo Shuihan sighed and shook his head. He hadn’t married a wife; he had brought home a matriarch.
Princess Jiu triumphantly took the wooden box from Yu Qi and sat on a stone bench to inspect its contents. She held up the bundle of property deeds in astonishment. “Yu Qi, is your master this wealthy? I thought I had married a poor scholar. I had no idea he was a mute gourd stuffed with gold!”
Yu Qi bowed his head respectfully. “As long as the Princess is satisfied.”
Yu Guan couldn’t help but retort from the side, “It is your good fortune to have married our Young Master, yet you force him to drink medicine. Where in the world is there a woman as cruel as you? You’re trying to harm your own husband!”
The princess shot him a sideways glance. “Who’s harming him? That medicine is a rare nourishing tonic, beneficial for a man’s health.”
“But my Young Master, he…”
“Yu Guan!” Yu Qi cut him off sharply. “How can you be so disrespectful to the Princess!”
Yu Guan quickly shut his mouth, shot the princess one last resentful glare, and stormed off.
Yu Qi immediately bowed in apology. “Princess, please forgive Yu Guan, he…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” the princess said, waving a dismissive hand as she continued to tally Mo Shuihan’s assets without looking up.
Seeing her preoccupied, Yu Qi cautiously asked, “If there is nothing else, Princess, may this subordinate take his leave?”
She gave a distracted “Mm,” and just as Yu Qi was about to leave, she called out, “Stop.”
He turned back. “Does the Princess have any other orders?”
“These are just the properties,” she said. “Where is your master’s gold, silver, and jewels?”
Yu Qi quickly put on a placating smile. “They are all stored in the treasury. I will bring you the key shortly.”
Only then did the princess nod in satisfaction and wave him away.
Nanny Shen approached and advised, “Princess, if you want to hold on to a man, managing his money isn’t enough. He’s an official at court; how difficult would it be for him to hide funds? The most important thing is to capture his heart.”
“Capture his heart? How do I do that?”
Nanny Shen leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Naturally, you must first make him interested in you.”
Princess Jiu’s eyes lit up. She propped her chin on her hand and nodded. “That makes sense.” With that, she dashed off, calling over her shoulder, “Nanny, help me put the Prince Consort’s assets away properly!”
Nanny Shen called after her, “Princess, where are you going?”
“To do what you just said!” Her voice drifted back on the wind as she disappeared.
It was already night when Mo Shuihan returned from his meeting with Jin Zeshan. He had spent the entire time contemplating their conversation. The Minister of Personnel was Consort Chen’s brother and was extremely close to Xiao Yushou’s faction. He also held the Emperor’s deep trust. Although he had now committed a crime, bringing him down would require making him lose the Emperor’s favor first. But how could he make the Emperor abandon him?
He ate dinner distractedly, only then realizing he hadn’t seen the Ninth Princess since his return. “Where is the Princess?”
Shi Yu and Shi Yue shook their heads. “We heard from Chunlan that the Princess was tired and went to bed early today.”
Mo Shuihan assumed she was still sulking and didn’t press the matter.
Preoccupied with his thoughts, he failed to notice the lump under the covers on the bed. After washing up, he sat on the edge of the bed, and just as he was about to take off his shoes, the Ninth Princess suddenly burst out from the quilt and threw her arms around his neck. “Prince Consort!”
Mo Shuihan leaped off the bed in fright. Staring at the bed in shock, he finally recognized the person who hadn’t shown her face all evening. He subtly lowered the arm he had raised in defense and patted his chest. “Princess, you… weren’t you resting?”
Undeterred, she jumped up again and wrapped her arms around his neck, cooing, “That’s right, I’m resting here with you tonight. Aren’t you happy?”
Mo Shuihan forced a stiff smile, trying to pry her hands from his neck. “What new game is this, Princess?”
“What game? We are husband and wife. Even if you want to sleep in the study, I will accompany you. Aren’t you touched?” Seeing her hands being removed, she immediately wrapped her arms around his waist.
Mo Shuihan’s body went rigid. He held his arms awkwardly in the air, unsure of what to do. “Princess, perhaps… you could sit properly first, and we can talk?”
Not only did she not sit properly, but she pushed him onto the bed, twisted around, and settled herself in his lap. Her hands came to rest on his neck again as she leaned in, her breath warm against his ear. “Prince Consort, don’t you like me like this?”
He swallowed nervously. “Princess, you… you need to calm down…”
He carefully removed her hands again and lifted her onto the bed. Just as he was about to stand, she tackled him, sprawling on top of him. Propping her chin in her hands, she looked at him curiously. “This isn’t right. That physician clearly said that after drinking the medicine, a man wouldn’t be able to resist. How come you’re not reacting at all?”
She leaned in closer to scrutinize him, even patting his cheek. “Prince Consort, are you trying to hold it in? You mustn’t! The physician said that holding it in for too long is bad for your health.”
Seeing that she was actually starting to unfasten his robes, Mo Shuihan finally lost his patience. He pushed her aside, scrambled to his feet, and straightened his clothes. “You…”
He pointed at her for a long moment, finally managing to get out, “Get dressed at once!”
The princess’s maids were all eavesdropping outside the study. They jumped in fright when Mo Shuihan suddenly stormed out. By the time his figure had vanished, they all rushed into the room to find the Ninth Princess pounding the bed in frustration. “What a quack! That medicine was a lie! It’s completely useless!”
The maids cautiously approached. “Princess…”
The Ninth Princess looked up at them. “Tell me, could it be that the Prince Consort already… took care of his needs with one of those women from the brothel?”
Before the maids could answer, she lowered her head and muttered to herself, “No, I have to go see for myself. To know yourself and your enemy is the only way to win a hundred battles… Yes, that’s what I’ll do!”
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