The most dissolute couple in the capital

The night was deep and quiet in the inner courtyard of the Liang Prince's Mansion, with only the candlelight in the main courtyard still flickering.

Cui Qingyi sat at her sandalwood desk, the purple-tipped brush in her hand hovering in mid-air, hesitant to drop it.

Several thick stacks of account books were piled on her desk, all of them inventory files transferred overnight from her several dowry estates and pharmacies. When news of the major epidemic caused by the floods in the south reached Chang'an, all the civil and military officials were busy passing the buck, but she had already secretly instructed the shopkeeper to take stock of the medicinal herbs for dispelling cold and dampness, preparing to donate them to the Prince of Yan in the name of the Prince of Liang's mansion to be taken to the south.

She sighed, put down her brush, and rubbed her aching wrist.

She turned her head and looked at the other side of the room.

Li Chengjing sat on the soft couch, holding a yellowed copy of "Qianjin Fang" in his hands, and had maintained the same posture for a full half hour.

This was an unprecedented spectacle for Chang'an's number one playboy, who usually felt dizzy even after reading for a quarter of an hour.

On the small table in front of him were several packets of medicinal herbs wrapped in kraft paper, which he had brought back from Elder Qi of the Imperial Medical Academy during the day.

Cui Qingyi picked up the warm tea beside her and said, "Your Highness, if the words on that page of the book could be exchanged for gold beans, you would probably have dug up two mountains of gold by now. It's late, you should rest early."

Li Chengjing didn't come over with his usual cheerful banter. He looked up at Cui Qingyi.

The flickering candlelight illuminated his incomparably handsome face, but his eyes were filled with confusion and fear.

"Qingyi." Li Chengjing walked to the desk and looked at her intently. "I was thinking... maybe I could go to the disaster area to help out."

Cui Qingyi had considered that he would contribute money and effort, but she never imagined that he would actually be thinking about whether or not to go in person.

She looked up in surprise, as if she had misheard: "What?"

Li Chengjing lowered his eyes, not daring to look her in the eye: "Old Qi is almost seventy years old, yet he still wants to go to the disaster area to do his part. Although the Imperial Hospital sent people, many of the young medical officers don't even know the properties of southern herbs. I've been studying medicine with Old Qi for the past few years, and I have some talent for pharmacology and herbal identification, as you know."

Cui Qingyi didn't know whether she was churning with anger or fear, but she couldn't help raising her voice: "What talent! My brother has sent many experienced imperial physicians, and you've only studied medicine for a few years. Even if you went, what help could you possibly provide!"

Li Chengjing paused for a moment: "But after all, I have the backing of the Liang Prince's Mansion, abundant medicinal herbs, and a noble status. With me here, the situation can be kept under control. Besides, as you know, I've been practicing medicine independently for several years now."

"This is not the same thing!" Cui Qingyi stared at him intently. "Your Highness, that wasn't a trip to enjoy the spring scenery. That was a disaster area after a great flood, with corpses everywhere and people even resorting to cannibalism! And the epidemic... it's not as simple as a cold or flu; it's terrifying!"

"I know it's dangerous there." Li Chengjing's voice began to tremble. He grabbed Cui Qingyi's wrist, his eyes slightly red. "Actually, I'm scared too. I'm afraid of dying, I'm afraid of that filthy mud, and I'm even more afraid of contracting the disease and not being able to come back."

"If you're afraid, then stay obediently in Chang'an!" Cui Qingyi grabbed his hand in return. "If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. There are plenty of officials in the court who receive salaries. Why should you, a leisurely prince, take this risk? Have you forgotten our promise when we got married? What will I do if something happens to you? What will happen to Mingjiao?"

When his daughter was mentioned, Lee Seung-kyung finally couldn't hold back his tears.

He dejectedly let go, took two steps back, and covered his face in anguish.

"I'm thinking, I'm really a useless person. My brother has protected me for half his life and let me do whatever I want; you married me, managed the palace for me, and protected my backyard; now, my niece is going to the front line of the flood to provide disaster relief, while the old imperial physician Qi, who could have enjoyed his old age in peace, has to volunteer to go to the disaster area to practice medicine."

Li Chengjing released his grip, took a step back, and his expression was more solemn and sorrowful than ever before: "Qingyi, I've been laughed at many times in my life, and I don't feel ashamed. But I am also a descendant of the Li family, and I have enjoyed the blood and sweat of the people for decades! I know medicine, I can distinguish between moldy herbs and genuine medicine, and I can help Elder Qi! I can't... I can't always stand behind everyone with a clear conscience, especially when I can play a role."

He walked up to Cui Qingyi, gently embraced her, and said softly, "Qingyi, I've read so many medical books, I really can save people. If I had pretended not to know this time and stayed safely in Chang'an, I would never have the face to see you and your daughter again. I can't let Mingjiao grow up and know that her father was a coward who watched his people die while he only cared about escaping."

Cui Qingyi stood frozen in place, not pushing him away.

The faint medicinal scent that he always carried lingered around her nose. This scent had once been her tool for making cosmetics to earn money, but now it had become a testament to the compassion in his heart.

Suddenly I saw the color of the willows on the street, regretting the husband-in-law looking for the title.

How could she have imagined that simply finding a hobby for Li Chengjing to pass the time would actually open a new door for him?

He was not just an ordinary playboy in the capital... he was also a living, breathing human being.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and forcibly suppressed the soreness welling up in her eyes.

Lee Seung-kyung stepped forward: "This time, I want to be a courageous person. I want to make a real contribution, even if it's just once."

Cui Qingyi's eyes stung, and she grasped Li Chengjing's hand in return. His palms, calloused from years of grinding spices and herbs, were now slightly sweaty with nervousness.

"What do you know about the Analects? Don't try to show off your knowledge in front of me." Cui Qingyi's voice choked with emotion, but she glared at him fiercely. "Do you know that if you leave and something happens to you, what will people think of us, a widow and an orphan, in Chang'an?"

"There won't be any 'what ifs'!" Li Chengjing interrupted her urgently. "I understand medicine, I know how to prevent the spread of disease. I promise, I will never rush into the most dangerous mud and water on the front lines. I will only help dispense medicine at the pharmacy in the rear. I will wear a mask, I will wash my hands with strong liquor, and I will change my clothes three times a day! Qingyi, I promise you, I will take good care of myself and come back to see you all safe and sound!"

She closed her eyes, a single tear sliding down her cheek, then opened them again, her gaze regaining its clarity and decisiveness.

She grabbed Li Chengjing's collar tightly with her other hand and pulled him closer to her.

"Fine, Li Chengjing, go." Cui Qingyi gritted her teeth and said, enunciating each word clearly, "You can go and save your country, save your people. But listen to me carefully—"

She took a deep breath, and with the most dignified demeanor, uttered the most ruthless words: "If you come back with even a single hair missing, or dare to contract any disease that burdens me, I will immediately take the keys to your storeroom, along with Jiaojiao and your vast fortune, to hire ten young and beautiful male concubines, so that you will never be able to close your eyes in peace in the afterlife!"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengjing was stunned for a moment, then forced back the tears welling up in his eyes and chuckled. He pulled Cui Qingyi into a tight embrace, resting his chin on her neck, his voice trembling with relief.

"You wish." He held her tightly, as if trying to meld her into his very bones. "That vast fortune was earned from making cosmetics, and it's all yours. As for male concubines... you can forget about it in this life and the next. You and Jiaojiao wait for me at home. I, Li Chengjing, swear I will return safely and continue to live off your money."

A night breeze swept through the hall, dispelling the stuffiness of the room. Cui Qingyi leaned against this chest, which, though not broad, felt as reliable as a mountain at this moment, and slowly closed her eyes.