Ye Xunyang was momentarily taken aback by Lou Jin’s unexpected question, and subconsciously replied, “My dowry? Not yet… No, Your Highness, why are you asking about this?”
More than half of his one hundred and twenty dowry chests consisted of gold, silver, jade wares, antiques, and famous calligraphy and paintings, along with the farmland deeds and property titles his mother had tucked away at the very bottom, meant to give him some standing and backing within the Prince’s Manor.
Yet, as a grown man, what use did he have for such backing?
He had never intended to hold onto the position of the Prince’s Consort for long. Those items were left untouched inside his dowry chests, and he had never thought of moving them, figuring he would simply take them away when they eventually divorced, let alone having them registered in the manor’s official treasury.
Lou Jin wheeled his wheelchair forward slowly, his voice carrying no discernible emotion, “Since you have already entered the Prince’s Manor, your dowry should naturally be registered and cataloged together for unified management, so as to avoid any unnecessary trouble or gossip in the future.”
Walking beside him, Ye Xunyang was somewhat reluctant to agree, “Oh, this… Alright, I will have my people take inventory tomorrow and provide a list for the steward to keep on file.”
Fine, since they were nominally a family now, having clear accounts would be for the best to prevent any disputes when they divorced later on.
Lou Jin glanced at him sideways. Seeing him agree so readily, as if he truly did not care about that enormous fortune, a subtle shift crossed Lou Jin’s gaze, though he said nothing further.
The two arrived at the dining hall, and as expected, the dishes had been reheated, looking exquisite and appetizing.
Ye Xunyang was starving and threw etiquette to the wind. As soon as he sat down, he began to eat with gusto. His eating style was hearty without being crude, retaining the bold and straightforward manner characteristic of a military general’s family.
Lou Jin ate very little, spending most of the time leisurely sipping the soup in his bowl, his gaze occasionally falling on the ravenously eating Ye Xunyang across from him.
Watching him eat with such relish, Lou Jin felt his own appetite improve slightly, and he managed an extra half-bowl of rice.
After dinner, the maidservants served green tea.
Holding his teacup, Ye Xunyang felt it was time to bring up his plans once more.
He cleared his throat and was just about to speak when Lou Jin beat him to it, “You have worked hard today. Now that the treasury accounts have been sorted out, I will have the steward and the accountants handle the subsequent verification and cross-checking. You don’t need to do everything yourself anymore.”
Ye Xunyang blinked, “Your Highness means… I don’t have to manage the accounts anymore?”
His tenure in charge of the household domestic affairs had ended after just one single day?
Lou Jin put down his teacup and said calmly, “Not that you are not managing it, but rather that you do not need to expend so much energy on it. The Prince’s Manor has its own rules and people to carry out tasks. Since you are the master of the household, you only need to grasp the big picture and leave the trivial matters to the servants. If you had to handle everything personally, what use would they have?”
Ye Xunyang thought about it and decided it made sense.
Making him pore over account books every day gave him a headache anyway. Being able to be a hands-off boss who only listened to reports and made decisions would be much more relaxing.
“What Your Highness says is true.”
“Tomorrow, you must make the traditional return visit to your family and then enter the palace to express gratitude to the Emperor. Afterward, I will have all the estate managers in the manor come pay their respects to you. From then on, the daily affairs of the manor will be decided by you.”
“If you encounter any difficulties, you can come ask me or discuss it with the steward.” Lou Jin’s tone was calm, yet carried an unquestionable delegation of authority.
Ye Xunyang suddenly felt the burden on his shoulders grow a bit heavier.
Looking at Lou Jin’s pale yet serene profile, his doubts deepened even further: This Prince, was he trusting him—someone married in purely to chase away bad luck—far too quickly? Had he really gone muddle-headed from illness?
Or could it be that he was plotting something else?
Yet, what was there on him that could possibly be worth plotting? The Ye family’s influence?
Although his father was the Grand General Defending the Country, he had always remained neutral and never participated in the imperial princes’ struggles for power.
Himself? Aside from decent martial arts skills, he didn’t seem to have anything particularly special about him.
“Your Highness,” Ye Xunyang asked, holding his tea bowl and unable to hold back, “Do you trust me enough to hand over the Prince’s Manor just like that? We have only known each other for two days.”
Lou Jin raised his eyes, his deep gaze fixing on him. A faint curve touched the corner of his lips, lending a breathtaking beauty to his sickly visage.
“The imperial decree has been issued, and you and I are legitimate husband and wife. Our honor is shared, and our ruin is mutual. If I do not trust you, whom can I trust?”
This response was airtight, pulling out the Emperor as leverage while locking in their marital status. It left Ye Xunyang temporarily speechless, and even made him feel somewhat touched by the words.
Yet, he still felt that Lou Jin was hiding something else in his heart, making him impossible to read.
“As for the matter you raised yesterday…” Lou Jin shifted the topic, bringing up the issue Ye Xunyang cared about most.
Ye Xunyang immediately straightened up and pricked up his ears.
“The Grand Astrologer’s words cannot be disobeyed. The matter of chasing away bad luck concerns my life; it is better to believe it exists than to believe it does not.”
Lou Jin’s tone carried a hint of helplessness and solemnity.
“Until my illness is fully cured, the title of husband and wife must be maintained. This is an account we must give to you and me, as well as to the Emperor and the people of the world. However, should I pass away in the future, I will petition the Emperor to restore your freedom.”
The small flame of hope that had just ignited in Ye Xunyang’s heart was instantly extinguished.
He opened his mouth, wanting to argue a bit, but upon seeing Lou Jin’s expression when mentioning his illness and mortality, those words swallowed themselves back down.
Compared to a sick man’s life, his own minor grievances didn’t really seem to count for much.
Watching Ye Xunyang’s shoulders instantly slump, a trace of a smile flickered in the depths of Lou Jin’s eyes as he added,
“However,”
“How you and I interact is no business of outsiders. If the Consort feels bored, the training grounds and the library in the manor are entirely at your disposal. If you wish to spar in martial arts, there are also several guards in the manor with decent skills.”
Was this considered giving a sweet after the bitter?
Ye Xunyang’s eyes lit up once more. Being able to stretch his limbs was far better than being cooped up in the back courtyards all day. It seemed this Prince Jin was quite reasonable after all.
“Many thanks, Your Highness!” This time, Ye Xunyang’s expression of gratitude was genuinely heartfelt.
After sitting for a while longer, fatigue showed on Lou Jin’s face. Seeing this, Ye Xunyang proactively offered to send him back to rest.
This time, Lou Jin did not refuse.
After escorting Lou Jin back to the main courtyard and watching the guards help him onto the bed, Ye Xunyang stood at the doorway, hesitated for a moment, and still asked,
“Your Highness, tonight, do you still need me to sleep in the same bed?”
After asking, he felt his own face growing somewhat warm. Two grown men discussing sleeping in the same bed felt stranger the more he thought about it.
Lou Jin leaned against the headboard, his face carrying weariness under the candlelight. Hearing this, he raised his eyes to look at Ye Xunyang, remained silent for a few moments, and then slowly spoke.
“I am exhausted today, and no doubt the Consort is tired as well. Let us rest separately.”
A wave of relief washed over Ye Xunyang’s heart, and he quickly said, “Alright, alright! Your Highness, get some good rest! I definitely will not disturb you!”
With that, he practically bolted out of the main courtyard in an escape.
Watching Ye Xunyang’s retreating figure as he practically fled in a panic, Lou Jin coughed softly, and that trace of imperceptible amusement surfaced in his eyes once more.
Indeed, he had startled him after all.
However, there is a long way ahead.
He slowly lay down, feeling the dull ache inside his body though still present, it was noticeably much milder than before and closed his eyes.
Would his condition worsen tonight now that he was far away from him? Or would it remain just like this?
Meanwhile, Ye Xunyang, who had fled back to the bridal chamber, washed up and lay down on the wide, soft bed, only to find himself somewhat unable to sleep.