The prince is more stable

Chapter 701 Old Friends and Beauties
No exaggeration, I was so angry my liver hurt; it must have triggered an internal injury.

Zhao Xiaoqian never expected that he would be disliked one day. What happened to the protagonist's halo?

Just as a fine swallow has thirty-six pleats, a perfect protagonist should be loved by everyone and admired by all. Any woman who is as cold as ice should feel hot and restless upon seeing him, as if she has taken an aphrodisiac and cannot help but want to transform herself into his shape.

What's going on? I've actually been rejected by this Liao princess?

"I... was lecherously looking at her?" Zhao Xiaoqian's lips trembled with anger. "When did I lecherously look at her?"

Di Ying calmly said, "Why don't you go and ask her yourself, my lord?"

Zhao Xiaoqian took a deep breath and nodded: "I'll go ask her tomorrow. Damn it, the only thing I have in common with her is that when I was robbing her, I also took her dowry."

“Strictly speaking, she and I were robber and victim, and the most appropriate place for us to meet should have been in the courtroom of the government... With such an innocent relationship, how could she slander me.”

Di Ying reached out and pinched his cheek, a little too hard, and her tone was even more unfriendly: "My lord, you're so angry right now, it's hard for me to believe that you and she are innocent."

"...excessive internal heat due to unhealed serious injury."

"Alright, my lord, there's no need to explain. Time will tell." Di Ying smiled and said, "It's getting late. My lord, you and I will share a room tonight. Do you ladies have any objections?"

The women were as obedient as quails, and they all shook their heads obediently.

On the first night after returning home, it is only natural for the official to sleep with his wife. If the official were to have another woman, the household would be in chaos.

Just as Zhao Xiaoqian revealed a radiant smile, Di Ying gave him a cold glance and said, "My lord, please sleep well these days and don't think about any nonsense. We'll talk about everything after you've recovered from your injuries."

Zhao Xiaoqian's smile froze, and his face immediately turned distressed.

Jiang Miaoxian, who was standing next to him, nudged him quietly and gave him a charming and alluring smile.

Zhao Xiaoqian's heart fluttered, but Di Ying seemed to have eyes in the back of her head, and said without turning her head: "Jiang Miaoxian, don't force me to use family law. If you dare to seduce the master again, you will be punished by being a maid for a month."

Jiang Miaoxian immediately wilted, pouting her little mouth in a wronged manner as she agreed.

The couple went back to their room to sleep. That night, Zhao Xiaoqian tried every means possible, but Di Ying remained unmoved, just like a serene and enlightened monk.

Zhao Xiaoqian had been away fighting for months, during which time he remained chaste and had been holding back for too long. Now that he had finally returned home, he was surrounded by his beautiful wife, but he could do nothing with her.

Zhao Xiaoqian slept very poorly that night, like a bachelor who had been single for thirty years. He was in a particularly bad mood when he woke up in the morning and found everything unpleasant.

It was almost noon when Zhao Xiaoqian woke up, and Di Ying personally dressed and washed him.

After the meal, the mansion invited a doctor, who was said to be the most famous traditional Chinese medicine doctor in Zhengding City. He wasn't the kind of doctor advertised on telephone poles; he was a truly skilled doctor.

The old doctor closed his eyes to take the pulse, while his wives and concubines watched him nervously.

After a long while, the old doctor nodded and told Di Ying and the other women that His Highness the Prince's injuries were recovering. He then wrote out a prescription and instructed them to take the medicine on time.

Di Ying and the other women were finally relieved and ordered the accountant to bring them the silver, but the old doctor refused repeatedly.

Then the old doctor told her righteously and sternly that it was a blessing he had earned in his previous life to be able to take the pulse and treat the prince. The prince had been seriously injured for the sake of the Song Dynasty and its people, and all the people of the world had benefited from his kindness. He dared not accept a single penny.

Before Di Ying could insist, the old doctor took his leave.

Di Ying put her arm around Zhao Xiaoqian's waist and sighed with a smile, "My lord is already a hero of our Great Song Dynasty, and my sisters and I are also honored."

As she spoke, Di Ying summoned a servant and instructed him to secretly send the silver to the doctor's clinic.

“Your reputation is hard-earned, earned with your life. You must not ruin it for such a small gain. You must not pay a penny less than you owe. You have finally achieved a clean reputation over the years, and our whole family must cherish it.”

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at her with a smile, and once again felt deeply that marrying this woman as his legal wife was the most correct thing he had ever done in his life.

A virtuous wife brings good fortune to her husband.

That's roughly the idea.

At Di Ying's service, Zhao Xiaoqian drank the medicinal soup, had a piece of malt candy in his mouth, and then called Chen Shou to take the imperial guards out the door.

It's time to take a look at that Liao princess. While we're at it, let's pee in front of her and let her see for herself. Why do you say he was leering at her?
Although Yelü Nanxian was indeed stunningly beautiful, Zhao Xiaoqian was not an old bachelor who had never seen a beautiful woman before, so how could he possibly be lecherous towards her?

This is a gross insult to a man's dignity; we must get our revenge today.

Yelü Nanxian lived far from the Prince's Mansion, almost from the east to the west of the city.

This was probably Li Qingchen's idea; that guy's head is full of wisdom.

When Zhao Xiaoqian sent a message to Li Qingchen asking him to help settle Yelü Nanxian, it must be said that Li Qingchen did a good job. At least in terms of physical distance, he minimized the possibility of Yelü Nanxian and Di Ying running into each other.

Even though Zhao Xiaoqian and Yelü Nanxian had a completely innocent relationship, Li Qingchen's arrangement, which only served to cover it up, made Zhao Xiaoqian himself feel as if their relationship was indeed somewhat shameful. No wonder Di Ying's tone was so sour last night. You say your relationship with her is innocent, so why did Li Qingchen sneakily place her in the west of the city?
Isn't this keeping a mistress?
The distance between the Prince's Mansion and Yelü Nanxian's residence was quite far, so Zhao Xiaoqian had to take a carriage, as he was in no condition to walk.

Moreover, the news of Zhao Xiaoqian's return to the city yesterday is already known throughout the city. If he walks on the street, he may attract crowds of onlookers and cause quite a commotion.

The carriage swayed and rattled along the street for about half an hour before finally arriving at Yelü Nanxian's residence.

Zhao Xiaoqian was helped down from the carriage by Chen Shou and looked up at the gate of the mansion.

The gate of the mansion was not large, and it was a single door.

In ancient times, it was not an exaggeration to say that one could tell a family's social class simply by looking at the gate of their mansion.

Wealthy and powerful families typically had two doors, and the main door was usually kept closed. Guests would enter or leave through the side door. The main door would only be opened for extremely important events or people, such as receiving an imperial edict, a family member's wedding, or an elder's funeral.

The lower and middle classes, on the other hand, had fewer rules, and there was only one door.

The saying that marriage must be "matched in social status" is what we mean literally. It means that bamboo doors should be matched with bamboo doors, wooden doors with wooden doors, and two doors with two doors.

This is the true meaning of "marrying someone of equal social standing." After marriage, both the couple and their families can maintain a respectful and equal relationship.

When a single-family household marries into a family with two families, it is considered an unequal match. One party is said to be "marrying up," which not only has a bad reputation, but also inevitably leads to one party suffering mistreatment after marriage, forcing the entire family to swallow their anger.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at Yelü Nanxian's residence and, seeing that there was only one gate, nodded secretly.

Who would have thought that Princess Cheng'an of the Liao Kingdom actually lived in this rather shabby-looking mansion?

Zhao Xiaoqian could even guess that arranging this mansion was probably not Li Qingchen's idea, but Yelü Nanxian's request.

Clearly, she genuinely wanted to shed her identity as a princess and live a peaceful and quiet life in the Song Dynasty, hiding her true identity.

However, there is a logical problem involved that Zhao Xiaoqian still cannot understand.

Does living in anonymity necessarily mean living a life of poverty?
These days, without photos or videos, you can just change cities and names, who would know who you are? Would it kill you to live a little more comfortably?

Upon reaching the gate of the mansion, Chen Shou knocked on the door. After a moment, the gate opened, and a woman who appeared to be a maid looked at him curiously.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "Go tell your master that the person who took her away has arrived. Treat her to good food and drink."

The maid was newly bought and obviously didn't recognize him. Her expression immediately changed, and she hurriedly ran into the mansion.

Not long after, Yelü Nanxian walked in dressed in a plain white dress, her pretty face as cold as frost. When she saw Zhao Xiaoqian at the door, Yelü Nanxian's expression immediately turned complicated.

"You... pay your respects to His Highness the Prince." Yelü Nanxian curtsied.

Zhao Xiaoqian didn't speak, but simply observed her quietly.

I have to admit, this woman is truly ethereal, as if she's untouched by worldly affairs, and as delicate as someone who suffers excruciating menstrual cramps every month.

The image of the unrequited love of one's youth can be found entirely in her. Every frame featuring her seems to turn into black and white, like a first love that could not be obtained, or a memoir of a deceased wife.

After Yelü Nanxian bowed, she noticed that Zhao Xiaoqian remained silent, his unruly eyes scanning her up and down. Yelü Nanxian couldn't help but take a step back, looking at him warily.

"Doesn't your wife keep you in check?" Yelü Nanxian asked.

Zhao Xiaoqian snapped out of his daze: "What do you mean by controlling me?"

“Keep your eyes off me and don’t look at me like that.”

"What the hell...!"

The beautiful scene vanished instantly, and Zhao Xiaoqian returned to reality. Looking at Yelü Nanxian again, he felt that she was nothing special.

So what if it's beautiful?
Does a fairy's poop smell good?
"I came to see you today and also to mooch a meal at your place. Tell the cook to prepare something." After saying this, Zhao Xiaoqian pushed her aside and strode into the house.

Seeing Zhao Xiaoqian's rudeness, Yelü Nanxian bit her lower lip in resentment and whispered, "This is my home!"

“I paid for it,” Zhao Xiaoqian retorted with a single sentence.

The mention of money made the fairy feel breathless, so she sighed and resignedly followed Zhao Xiaoqian into the courtyard.

Upon entering the mansion, Zhao Xiaoqian once again surveyed the residence.

The house was indeed small and old in every way. It was just a very simple two-courtyard house. The east and west wing rooms in the front courtyard were where servants and maids lived, the back courtyard was Yelü Nanxian's residence, and the middle was the front hall, which was almost completely unfurnished, with only a few chairs inside.

"As expected of my humble abode, my arrival has truly brought honor to it," Zhao Xiaoqian murmured in appreciation.

(End of this chapter)