Chapter 106

Chapter 106: Meeting the Male Consort Both lost in their own thoughts, they ended up sleeping back-to-back—one facing the inner side of the bed, the other facing outward. However, due to someone’s nighttime habits, they woke up the next morning tightly embraced, face-to-face. After the sky brightened, the courtyard bustled with activity. Manyue glanced at the sun’s position and reminded them of the time from outside. Inside the chamber, Gan Qiongying stirred, nuzzling against what she thought was the quilt. Realizing it was Lihua, she didn’t mind. When she looked up, she found Lihua also just waking up, bleary-eyed. Their gazes met. One remained calm, while the other flustered. Lihua was the first to look away, unable to forget the embarrassment and shame from the previous night, clearly recalling his own timidity and retreat. As for last night, Gan Qiongying had already moved on. She simply lifted her head, creating some distance, her eyes not fully open but her face beaming with a smile. “Husband,” Gan Qiongying’s voice was muffled, carrying a hint of coquettishness, “what would you like for breakfast?” Before Lihua could react, Gan Qiongying stretched lazily in his arms, and his lips accidentally brushed against the top of her head. Unaware, Gan Qiongying sat up immediately after stretching, ready to welcome a new day of delicious breakfast. Her movement pulled the quilt up slightly. Feeling the quilt slowly slip away, Lihua quickly grabbed it back, tucking it tightly to prevent it from being dragged off again. His expression remained unchanged, but he shifted from lying on his side to lying flat, bending the leg closest to Gan Qiongying slightly to conceal the inevitable morning reaction stirred by having the one he loved in his arms. The two got out of bed together to wash up. Today’s breakfast was surprisingly lavish, and Gan Qiongying ate to her heart’s content. However, halfway through the meal, San Jiu approached and whispered a few words to Lihua, who immediately set down his chopsticks. Yesterday’s fluster had made him forget today’s important matters. There was a pile of merchant guild affairs to attend to, and he also needed to meet with guild leaders from various regions to discuss the pricing of grains and goods for the upcoming autumn. “Princess,” Lihua stood up, “the merchant guild is quite busy today. I need to go there first to handle matters.” Seeing Lihua put down his bowl and chopsticks, Gan Qiongying stopped serving herself more dishes. “Husband, go ahead and attend to your work.” Making money was important! Gan Qiongying glanced back, and Manyue immediately brought over the ginseng soup that had been simmering in the kitchen since early morning. Gan Qiongying personally handed it to Lihua, saying gently, “You didn’t eat much breakfast. Drink this ginseng soup—it’s good for your health.” As the soup was offered to him, Lihua initially intended to take the bowl but paused mid-reach. Instead, he simply lowered his head and drank it all in one go from Gan Qiongying’s hand. Gan Qiongying raised an eyebrow but cooperated by feeding him. In the end, Gan Qiongying remained unfazed, but when Lihua lifted his head to wipe his mouth, his ears were already flushed bright red. To hide his embarrassment, Lihua turned to leave. Gan Qiongying immediately followed, naturally taking his hand. “And the injury on your hand…” Gan Qiongying frowned slightly here, unable to understand Lihua’s tendency to harm himself at the slightest provocation. It was only during breakfast this morning that Gan Qiongying noticed the nails on Lihua’s hands, which had just begun to heal, were bleeding again from his own doing. “Your wounds need to be redressed before you go out, understand?” Gan Qiongying felt she needed to find a specific time to talk with Lihua about his self-harm, so she didn’t say anything more this morning. Lihua naturally agreed without hesitation; he adored the way Gan Qiongying cared for him. Gan Qiongying watched as the mansion physician redressed Lihua’s wounds, only letting him leave once everything was properly done. Since she had nothing else to do and wanted to walk off her meal, she personally escorted Lihua to the gate. There was a lingering reluctance between the two, and even the servants could sense their deep affection. Feeling the gazes around him, Lihua gritted his teeth slightly. He squeezed Gan Qiongying’s hand gently, gathering his courage under the watchful eyes, and said softly, “Wait for me for dinner. I’ll bring you roast duck from Phoenix Tower on my way back.” “Alright, I’ll wait for my husband to return!” Hearing about the delicious food, Gan Qiongying nodded eagerly and naturally leaned into Lihua’s embrace. The two hugged, completely ignoring the gazes of the surrounding attendants. Gan Qiongying knew Lihua loved hugging; she felt him hold her tightly and quickly press something against the top of her head. She wasn’t sure if it was his chin or… his lips. Watching Lihua’s carriage disappear into the distance, Gan Qiongying turned back into the mansion. Hesitating on her way to her bedchamber, she turned to Manyue and said, “Manyue, gather everyone from the rear courtyard in the main hall.” Gan Qiongying drank two cups of tea before everyone from the rear courtyard finally arrived, a testament to Princess Duanrong’s indulgence and the sheer number of male consorts. The main hall couldn’t even hold them all—they spilled out into the corridor. Gan Qiongying felt as if she were watching a play, unable to fully immerse herself in the scene. Her ears buzzed with the hushed whispers of the crowd. These men were a dazzling sight: some were adorned in vibrant colors, their heavy perfume detectable from afar; others had resolute eyes, appearing upright and unyielding; and there were those with stark contrasts, like baby-faced men with muscular builds. The refined, elegant gentlemen seemed almost unremarkable in comparison. Gan Qiongying needed to screen each of them individually, which meant meeting them one by one. Today was bound to be a long and exhausting task. She didn’t ask them to introduce themselves. Instead, she planned to rely on the memories of Princess Duanrong that stirred in her mind to identify them. The first to step forward was a man dressed in bright colors and wearing heavy makeup. He was exceptionally handsome. Gan Qiongying observed him briefly and quickly recognized him as Feng Wu, the son of a dancer. He was well-read, but his background was often criticized. He had exhausted every means to escape his lowly status, yet his origins barred him from even taking the imperial examinations, driving him to the brink of madness multiple times. He was not someone Princess Duanrong valued. The second man, with resolute eyes and the appearance of a rough warrior, was also someone Gan Qiongying recognized. He was burly, but his name was quite elegant: Yan Qingliu. His story was a tragic one. His father had been an honest official who hoped his son would follow in his footsteps, but they were ultimately crushed by the darkness of the court. During the power struggles among the princes, they backed the wrong side and were framed and imprisoned. Incidentally, the Yan family had some connection to Gan Li’s maternal clan. If this man were to be used, he might be of some help, but not much. Gan Qiongying could already feel how utterly desperate Princess Duanrong had been, clinging to even the slightest connection—one so distant it barely counted—with Gan Li, ready to make use of it. The third person to step forward was a man with a baby face. His contrast wasn’t just in his physique; he also had a memorable name. Gan Qiongying nearly laughed out loud when she recalled it—he was called Ding Doudou. However, this boy was likely the youngest of them all. He was an illegal immigrant from a foreign tribe who had come to Nánzhào. His entire family had died, and he was picked up by an old woman when he was young. She gave him this name, believing it would help him survive. But the good times didn’t last—the old woman was run over by a high-ranking official’s carriage while out on the street. By the time he found out, it was already too late. He went alone to beat the drum and cry out for justice, but because he was a foreigner, his complaint was dismissed, and he was beaten half to death, nearly sold into a brothel. In Princess Duanrong’s memories, this Ding Doudou wandered everywhere and was extremely familiar with the terrain of various places, including the surrounding countries of Nánzhào and the border defenses. As long as he had been somewhere, even if he couldn’t read, he could draw it from memory. This person would be of great use in the future!