Arc 3: Chapter 17
This year, Jingling’s winter started late. The first heavy snow began falling in bingyue, and shrouded the entire capital in gray and snow. t/n bingyue literally translates to the ice month, between dec 22 - jan 21
On the 27th day of the month, the hazy clouds descended again and snow continued to blanket the streets.
Lin Yuan asked a servant to place the stove near the door. He nestled onto the couch and covered himself with a blanket made of fox fur.
Lü Yi and Hui Yue served at his side. One of them added coal to the stove, and the other cracked open walnuts onto a plate.
Lin Xia, who was standing silently aside, also came up to help maintain the fire.
Lin Yuan looked towards the outside and sighed.
He kept on looking for a while, and then sighed again, making Lü Yi and Hui Yue feel a little melancholy. They wondered in their hearts when Sir Jiang would return. Their little prince didn’t even have the heart to eat and drink… well, maybe not, their little prince could still eat three bowls of rice at every meal. Anyways, their little prince really did miss Sir Jiang a lot. They hoped Sir Jiang would come back soon.
Unfortunately, Sir Jiang did not hear Lü Yi and Hui Yue’s prayers. On the 27th, he didn’t come back. On the 28th, he didn’t come back either. They waited until the morning of Chinese New Year’s Eve, and there was still no shadow of him.
Lin Yuan was very unhappy. Very, very unhappy. The emperor exploited his husband too excessively. Even if his husband was very smart, he shouldn’t be overworked to this degree. It’s already the last day of the lunar year! The last day! How could there be no holiday?!!
For most of the year, Lin Yuan and Consort Chu ate separately in their respective courtyards. Only for Chinese New Year’s Eve would Lin Yuan go accompany Consort Chu for dinner.
This day, the chef invested their best effort to put together an extravagant dinner. They cooked eighteen hot dishes and eight cold dishes to cover the huge round table.
After the servants finished arranging the dishes, Lin Yuan respectfully waited until Consort Chu seated herself before sitting down. Lü Yi poured him a glass of wine. Lin Yuan held up the glass and stood up facing Consort Chu. He said: “This son pays respects to mother. I pray for my mother's health and happiness.”
Consort Chu also picked up the glass of wine in front of her and smiled lightly as a floating cloud: “Good.”
Lin Yuan raised his glass and drank it cleanly. He sat back down and was ready to move his chopsticks when Consort Chu spoke out: “No need to serve.”
The maid next to Consort Chu who was about to pick up food for her master stepped back.
En? What’s going on? Lin Yuan looked at Consort Chu in confusion.
Consort Chu looked at Lin Yuan and smiled more deeply: “Prince, where is Jiang liuyuan? How come the person is not here? Since he has entered the door of my Prince Chu’s mansion and my Lin family, isn’t it part of his job to serve me, his mother-in-law? Today is New Year’s Eve, Jiang Qian should be here to serve me food in order to abide by etiquette and filial piety.”
Lin Yuan listened numbly to her words. Ever since they came back from the palace, whenever Consort Chu saw him, she would scold him for not being filial, scold him for being with a man, and scold him for losing the face of the Lin family. Consort Chu also disdained Jiang Qian in front of him. Lin Yuan couldn’t retaliate against the original’s mother, so he just let her scold him. But he wouldn’t let Jiang Qian hear a word about it.
Lin Yuan did not expect that even on this auspicious day, Consort Chu would still bring up these matters.
Lin Yuan took a deep breath. He picked up food from the nearest dish and chewed slowly. He clearly didn’t want to pay attention to Consort Chu.
Consort Chu saw that there was no reaction, and she told the maid beside her: “Go to Lin courtyard and call that Jiang liuyuan over. Filial piety is the most important, no matter what he’s doing, he must come over and serve his mother-in-law.”
The maid was about to leave when they all heard the prince whisper: “Mother, today is New Year’s Eve. All of the other families in the capital are having dinner and celebrating happily. This son just wants to enjoy a New Year’s Eve’s dinner with you, do you have to be like this?
Consort Chu chuckled: “Prince, do you think that any mother is willing to watch her son be involved with another man. Which mother wants to see her son reject marrying a nice woman and refusing to have a child? Do you think your mother is in the mood to eat this New Year’s Eve’s dinner?”
Lin Yuan put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. He threw the handkerchief on the table and stood up: “Since mother is not in the mood and doesn’t want to have this dinner, then this son will not eat anymore. This son will take his leave.”
Consort Chu shouted sharply at his receding back: “Lin Yuan! Your wings have really grown hard! For Jiang Qian, an outsider, you go against the ancestor’s will. Will you also go against the mother who birthed you and raised you with painstaking efforts?”
Lin Yuan looked back at Consort Chu and said: “Then what does mother want me to do?”
Consort Chu’s eyes flashed with determination and said coldly: “Send Jiang Qian out of the mansion, marry a noble girl, have a child to inherit the position, and continue the lineage of the Lin family.”
“If you really can’t give up Jiang liuyuan, you can let him stay and serve you. But you must spend a few days each month with your wife, you can't leave her alone in an empty room. A man must hold up to his responsibilities.”
Lin Yuan casually went “oh.” He said: “Mother is right, a man must hold up to his responsibilities. Since I already promised to stay with Jiang Qian for the rest of my life, then I can’t go back on my words.”
Consort Chu was so angered by Lin Yuan’s attitude that she pointed at Lin Yuan and scolded fiercely: “Lin Yuan! You… You are really rebelling!”
Lin Yuan felt that he was actually very well-behaved and obedient. He let his husband do whatever he wanted to him, and even if he was bullied, he would not get angry for long.
But seeing Consort Chu tremble in anger, he did not dare to say this. He restated: “Mother, this son will say it again, Jiang Qian and I will not be separated. If you continue to act like this, then this son will not accompany you for meals in the future, so as to not waste food.”
“If you can’t accept Jiang Qian and me, I won’t make you. You can still live your life as before. But if you intrude on our relationship and do something that breaks our mother-son bond, then don’t blame this son for ignoring the feelings between us mother and son.”
After saying everything, Lin Yuan left. As he walked away, he asked 521 energetically: “521, 521, wasn’t I very handsome just now?”
521 gave two thumbs-up with its small wings: “Senior~ You were super duper handsome!”
Lin Yuan hummed happily: “Of course! It's so annoying how ancient people speak so politely. It’s okay when I talk to my husband, but when I talk to other people, I always feel uncomfortable.”
521 rubbed Lin Yuan’s cheek with its fluffy body: “You’ve worked hard, senior.”
Back in Lin courtyard, Lin Yuan asked the servants to prepare another dinner. While waiting for the food, Lin Yuan fiddled around with the new trinkets Jiang Qian had bought him. Although they couldn’t be compared to the modern era’s entertainment, they were still quite interesting to play with.
After finishing dinner, Lin Yuan went around happily setting off fireworks. Once he was done playing, he waited for the New Year. The main point was to wait for his husband to come back. He was sure that his husband would come back tonight.
Nearing midnight, the fireworks bloomed like flowers, painting the sky with colors and illuminating the darkness. Jiang Qian raised his horse whip and galloped towards Prince Chu’s mansion.
The air was faintly imbued with the smell of smoke, but Jiang Qian was not annoyed. He hoped that the smoke could cover the smell of blood on his body.
He dismounted at the front gate of Prince Chu’s mansion and rushed to the courtyard. The flash from the fireworks brightened his face in an instant, but when they disappeared, he sank back into the shadows.
The main room was still brightly lit. Jiang Qian lifted the curtain and walked inside.
He saw Lin Yuan playing around happily, while Lü Yi and Hui Yue laughed along with him as they watched him play. Lin Xia and Lin Qiu stood at the side and looked on peacefully.
The warmth of the room swept away the wind and frosty chill on Jiang Qian’s body. Everyone in the hall noticed the noise and looked towards the door at the same time.
Lin Yuan saw his husband and immediately put down the trinket in his hand and rushed over: “Jiang Qian~”
Jiang Qian caught Lin Yuan in his embrace and apologized in a low voice and indescribably tenderness: “I’m sorry, I came back late……”
Lin Yuan looped his arms around Jiang Qian’s neck and buried his face in Jiang Qian’s arms. He shook his head: “You’re not late, it’s good that you came back. Jiang Qian, I really missed you~”
Lin Qiu and the others had no eyes to see the two of them flirt and speedily left the room.
Jiang Qian lifted Lin Yuan and put him on the sandalwood table and kissed the other impatiently.
Lin Yuan was a bit stunned at the cold touch of Jiang Qian’s lips, but he quickly responded.
Lin Yuan felt that sitting on the table wasn’t stable enough, and he couldn’t help lifting his legs and clamping around Jiang Qian’s waist.
Jiang Qian moved one of his hands onto Lin Yuan’s thighs and stroked it neither lightly nor heavily.
Jiang Qian always kissed forcefully. But this time, he was more uncontrollable than usual. Lin Yuan was about to be kissed into a puddle. When they stopped, Lin Yuan felt that he had no strength left. He lay in Jiang Qian’s embrace and hit the other in protest.
“Can’t you be more gentle? Every time I kiss you, my mouth hurts!”
Jiang Qian kneaded the back of Lin Yuan’s neck and pecked the other’s cheek: “I’m afraid not. This slave loves the little prince and can’t bear to part.”
Lin Yuan grumbled and bit Jiang Qian’s shoulder to vent.
Jiang Qian stroked the other’s hair and his eyes fluctuated like a stormy sea: “Lin Yuan. I… I have something to show you.”
He let go of Lin Yuan, and took out a piece of paper from his clothes. He opened it and read it to Lin Yuan, word for word.
When Jiang Qian finished, his eyes were red and burning. His amber eyes shone under the candlelight, like the sun’s last rays of light: “Lin Yuan. I’m finally free. Now...I can give my whole self to you.”