After the Foolish Beauty Wore Women's Clothes and Married the Brutal General - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Her Highness the Princess Wouldn’t Happen to Be Ignorant of Marital Affairs, Would She?

“Why are you backing away?” Liang Qifeng reached out and gave Nan Jianxue a tug, laughing. “Am I really that terrifying?”

Nan Jianxue shot him a sidelong glance. “Do you know the meaning of ‘men and women should not touch while giving or receiving’?”

Liang Qifeng arched an eyebrow. “I don’t. I only know that it’s perfectly normal for a husband and wife to sleep in one bed.”

Nan Jianxue frowned.

Liang Qifeng tugged at him again with a smile. “I promise I won’t do anything reckless tonight.”

Nan Jianxue didn’t believe a word of it. He crossed his arms and refused. “That’s what you say now, but when you wake up tomorrow morning and find us holding each other, you’ll definitely claim you didn’t know. You might even blame it on me, saying I have no self-respect and seduced you!”

Liang Qifeng: ?

He froze, only processing the words after a few heartbeats. He gnashed his teeth. “Did you learn that from a storybook again?”

Nan Jianxue nodded. “The storybooks say a man’s words are never to be trusted.”

Liang Qifeng: “…”

Usually, this person didn’t seem particularly brilliant, so why was his vigilance so high when it came to things like this? After thinking it over, he could only blame the fact that Nan Jianxue read too many idle books.

“Tomorrow, I’m going to go smash every bookstall in the city,” Liang Qifeng said in a fit of pique. “They’re doing nothing but corrupting you.”

Nan Jianxue: ?

“You wouldn’t dare!” Nan Jianxue cried out in shock. “Smashing someone’s stall for no reason—once the Prefect reports it to Royal Brother, I’d like to see how you explain yourself!”

Liang Qifeng didn’t even blink. “I’ll just say they were selling banned literature.”

Nan Jianxue: ?

“How could you frame people like that!” Nan Jianxue frowned. “You are forbidden!”

Liang Qifeng looked at him with a complex expression. “Why do you think I would actually do it?”

Nan Jianxue’s eyes flickered away.

Liang Qifeng tilted his chin toward her. “It’s not okay for me to frame people, but it’s okay for you to frame me?”

“Well… you said those things yourself, how can that be called framing?” As Nan Jianxue spoke, he lowered his head in slight embarrassment. “The books say so.”

“Say what?”

“They say that for someone like you who has ‘eaten vegetarian’ (stayed celibate) for so long, you become terrifying when you want to ‘eat meat’ (consummate),” Nan Jianxue thought for a moment and picked a fitting description. “Like a wolf or a tiger, capable of doing anything.”

Liang Qifeng: “…”

“Next time I attend court, I’m definitely bringing this up. I’ll regulate these hack writers; look at what they’ve taught you.” Liang Qifeng paused, his gaze toward Nan Jianxue a mix of exasperation and amusement. “Besides, just lying together is called ‘eating meat’? You…” He paused again as a thought suddenly struck him. His eyebrows quirked, and his gaze turned teasing. “Her Highness the Princess wouldn’t happen to be ignorant of marital affairs, would she?”

Nan Jianxue: ?

“Who are you looking down on!” Nan Jianxue snapped. “That kind of thing is in the storybooks too! And… and…” His face flushed red as he glared at Liang Qifeng. “I don’t believe the palace didn’t send a governess to instruct you on these things before the wedding.”

Liang Qifeng fell silent. Thinking back, he truly didn’t remember such a thing. He had almost nothing to do with the pre-wedding arrangements; he either refused to see the people sent from the palace or simply brushed them off. He had no impression of it at all.

Seeing his expression, Nan Jianxue knew he had no such training. He gave a “Hmph.” “The governesses are supposed to teach you how to serve others. You didn’t even learn properly, yet you have the nerve to bring this up with me!”

Hearing this, Liang Qifeng looked at her. “Are you saying that if I learned, you’d agree to let me touch you?”

Nan Jianxue: ?

“Don’t twist my words! I was… I was just scolding you!” Nan Jianxue fumed. “You are never allowed to touch me, and you’re not allowed on my bed. Get down!”

Liang Qifeng sat there without moving.

Nan Jianxue said, “If you don’t get down, I… I’ll find people to carry you off.”

“If they can even lift me,” Liang Qifeng countered.

Nan Jianxue thought about Liang Qifeng’s martial skills. The mansion’s guards truly couldn’t do anything to him, and a struggle might even end up wrecking the bed. After a moment, Nan Jianxue said, “Then I’ll have the maids carry you out.”

Liang Qifeng: ?

Thinking of the delicate maids in the mansion, Liang Qifeng fell silent. Setting aside whether they could move him, he truly couldn’t bring himself to use force against them.

Liang Qifeng took a deep breath and looked at Nan Jianxue helplessly, softening his voice. “I really won’t do anything.”

Nan Jianxue wasn’t buying it. “It’s useless. I’m immune to both soft and hard tactics.”

Liang Qifeng arched an eyebrow. “I haven’t even used the hard ones yet.”

Nan Jianxue frowned. “Don’t tell me you’d actually hit me?”

Liang Qifeng gave a mental “Tsk.” “Nan Jianxue, what kind of image do you have of me in your heart that you’d even ask such a thing?”

Nan Jianxue froze and immediately shook his head. “I didn’t mean it that way, don’t misunderstand!” He felt his words lacked conviction, so he could only obediently apologize to Liang Qifeng.

He looked both obedient and pitiful.

Liang Qifeng couldn’t help but quirk an eyebrow. He claimed to be immune to soft and hard tactics, yet he was a sucker for this. It seemed that as long as Liang Qifeng got angry and made Nan Jianxue feel that his words had stung, he would soften. It wasn’t that difficult.

“I wasn’t talking about you,” Liang Qifeng said. “I was just asking… are you afraid of me?”

Nan Jianxue observed his expression. Seeing that he truly wasn’t unhappy, he nodded. “A little bit before. Even though Royal Brother is here and you couldn’t do anything, the rumors about you were indeed terrifying.”

Liang Qifeng laughed. “Then tomorrow I’ll have people spread new ones. I’ll strive to clear my reputation in three months… six months. In the future, when the capital mentions me, they’ll say the Princess married a great philanthropist.”

Nan Jianxue: ?

“That’s not necessary,” Nan Jianxue said. “You just need to get off my bed right now.”

Liang Qifeng said, “I like this bed.”

“Then I’ll have someone build you another one,” Nan Jianxue said. “Don’t worry, it’ll definitely be bigger than mine.”

Liang Qifeng said, “We’ll talk after it’s built.”

Nan Jianxue gave up. “Fine, then I’ll sleep on the daybed.”

He turned to leave, but he had barely taken half a step when he felt a tightening around his waist. Immediately after, he found himself sitting on Liang Qifeng’s lap.

Nan Jianxue stiffened instantly and hurriedly pushed Liang Qifeng away. “What are you doing?!”

“Holding you,” Liang Qifeng said. “It’s not like we haven’t done this before.”

“That’s different.” Nan Jianxue stood up and glared at him. “I’m wearing my sleeping robes right now.”

Liang Qifeng nodded. “I know. What’s the difference?”

Nan Jianxue thought to himself that the difference was massive. It didn’t matter when he was wearing many layers, but with fewer clothes, it was very easy for his secret to be exposed.

“The difference is that I don’t like it,” Nan Jianxue said. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he immediately softened his voice. “Brother Qifeng.”

Liang Qifeng stiffened.

Seeing that it worked, Nan Jianxue immediately took half a step forward, tugged at his clothes, and called him in an even softer, sweeter voice: “Brother Qifeng, I’m just not used to sleeping with someone else.”

Liang Qifeng didn’t move. The way he looked at him became somewhat complex. “Nan Jianxue, do you realize that doing this will only have the opposite effect?”

Nan Jianxue didn’t understand.

Liang Qifeng saw his blank stare and immediately averted his eyes. “When you call me that, it only makes me want to touch you more.”

Nan Jianxue immediately covered his mouth.

So silly.

Liang Qifeng laughed inwardly. He looked at him again and reached out to touch his hand hanging by his side. Seeing that Nan Jianxue didn’t object, he tried to hold it.

Nan Jianxue still didn’t object.

Liang Qifeng smiled. “I can leave, but on one condition.”

Nan Jianxue immediately broke into a smile. “Tell me!”

“Kiss me,” Liang Qifeng said.

Nan Jianxue was stunned. “K-kiss you?”

Liang Qifeng nodded. “Just once.”

Nan Jianxue hesitated. “Where?”

Now it was Liang Qifeng’s turn to be stunned. There’s a choice? He asked with a complex expression, “Anywhere is fine?”

Nan Jianxue nodded, then suddenly thinking of something, added another condition: “Not the strange places!”

Liang Qifeng arched an eyebrow. “What do you define as strange places?”

Nan Jianxue went silent.

Liang Qifeng laughed. “On the face, anywhere.”

The moment he finished speaking, Nan Jianxue leaned over and pecked him on the forehead. The speed was so fast that before Liang Qifeng could even react, he had already pulled away.

“There,” Nan Jianxue said. “Now go.”

His tone was very light, without a hint of romance. He truly didn’t care about the kiss.

Liang Qifeng frowned. “If… if another man made this request, would you agree too?”

Nan Jianxue also frowned. “Who else but you would have the audacity of a dog?!”

Despite the scolding, Liang Qifeng felt much better. “I said ‘if’.”

“There are no ‘ifs’,” Nan Jianxue said disdainfully. “If anyone dared say such a thing to me, I’d have Royal Brother castrate him.”

Liang Qifeng felt even better. In Nan Jianxue’s heart, he was indeed special.

He stood up. “Fine, I’ll sleep on the daybed.” After saying that, to Nan Jianxue’s surprise, he leaned down and dropped a kiss on his brow.

Unlike Nan Jianxue’s task-like peck-and-run, this kiss was slow and very gentle—so gentle that Nan Jianxue was still dazed even after he let go. It was only after Liang Qifeng had walked away that he snapped out of it, grabbed a doll from the bed, and threw it at his back. “You’re taking advantage of me again!”

Liang Qifeng walked away laughing.

Nan Jianxue had someone lower the curtains, completely cutting off their shared space, but he couldn’t block out the pebble Liang Qifeng had just cast into his heart.

Ripples spread. It took a long time for them to subside.

“Qingqian,” Nan Jianxue lay on the bed, suddenly reaching out to grab Qingqian, who was about to extinguish the lamp and leave. “Stay with me a bit longer.”

Qingqian studied his expression and knew he was likely moved by the kiss just now. After a thought, she climbed onto the bed.

Nan Jianxue shook his head and gestured for her to get down.

Qingqian whispered, “As long as the Princess doesn’t blame me for being presumptuous.”

Nan Jianxue understood the unspoken meaning. He hesitated but eventually nodded. He grabbed a quilt and wrapped himself up like a small rice dumpling, sitting there.

Qingqian smiled and was about to say something when Nan Jianxue made a “Shh” gesture and pointed outside. Liang Qifeng was just behind a few curtains. With his hearing being so good, he would definitely hear them if they spoke.

Nan Jianxue said, “I just want you to sit with me for a while.”

After saying that, he sat there in silence. He looked like he was thinking about something, but his mind was actually a total blank. He didn’t know what he should be thinking. Nothing seemed appropriate.

Qingqian sat with him for a while. Seeing him still in a daze, she went to fetch a brush and paper, writing on it to ask if he had any troubles.

Her handwriting was decent—neat and tidy. It wasn’t exceptionally beautiful, but it wasn’t bad either. It only looked poor when placed next to Nan Jianxue’s excellent hand. However, if one looked closely, one could see her handwriting was a bit like Nan Jianxue’s, because the person who originally taught her to write was, in fact, Nan Jianxue.

She looked at the words “It’s nothing” that Nan Jianxue had written. After a thought, she picked up the brush and continued writing slowly.

She wrote about things from her childhood. Her impressions of her family weren’t deep; she only vaguely remembered there were several people in the house. They managed to get by, but when a disaster year hit, life became unbearable.

She was only five when she was sold into the palace. She was too young, and the buyers originally didn’t want her, but her mother kept crying and pleading. The other party saw she was fair-skinned and said she could be sold to an eunuch in the palace.

At that time, she didn’t understand what that meant. She only knew that the man who bought her made her feel disgusted. He would touch her. She didn’t understand those things then; she was just purely afraid, so she resisted. But whenever she resisted, she was beaten.

After living with that old eunuch for six months, she was covered in injuries. She couldn’t take it and tried to run away, but she was discovered before she had gone far. The old eunuch said he was going to beat her to death. She was terrified, crying and screaming for help, but in the vast palace with so many people, no one paid her any mind.

It was Consort Jing who saved her. Consort Jing had wanted to pick a maid for the little Princess who had just started walking, and she happened upon this incident, so she took her back.

Consort Jing was very good to her. She gave her delicious food and beautiful clothes. She didn’t beat or scold her, nor did she do strange things to her.

Nan Jianxue sat beside her and read intently. These were things he hadn’t known.

“That eunuch…”

“He’s dead,” Qingqian said. “He was already old. Later, I heard he offended some noble and was beaten to death.”

Nan Jianxue frowned and didn’t speak.

Qingqian picked up the brush and continued writing: Later, I realized that Her Ladyship did it on purpose.

Nan Jianxue was stunned. “What do you mean?”

Qingqian wrote the words “Bestowing Favor,” then explained that if Her Ladyship wanted someone to serve the Princess, she only needed to give an order, and someone would naturally bring people for her to choose from. Although Consort Jing didn’t have the Emperor’s favor, she was still a mistress of the palace. The Emperor would occasionally visit the little Princess. No matter how much the palace staff neglected her, it wouldn’t have reached the point where she had to go pick someone herself.

She simply wanted to pick someone who was easy to control, so that even if the secret were exposed in the future, that person would continue to help hide it. She just didn’t expect to run into Qingqian’s situation. She saved Qingqian, so even if Nan Jianxue were exposed later, with the gratitude from that day, Qingqian wouldn’t expose her.

When Qingqian first learned of Nan Jianxue’s gender, she thought the same way. She thought that Her Ladyship had been kind to her and she must never harm the little Princess. But at the same time, she felt a hidden unease, worried that she would be dragged down if something happened in the future.

What truly made her decide to help Nan Jianxue hide the secret were things that happened later.

Until the moment she died, Consort Jing was still worried about Nan Jianxue’s secret. She didn’t reminisce about the past or say she was unwilling to leave. She just kept telling Nan Jianxue to live on. Over and over, until she took her last breath, her eyes remained open with lingering anxiety.

That wasn’t the first time Qingqian had seen a dead person. She had seen several people beaten to death at the old eunuch’s place. Every one of them was filled with pain and resentment; their unwilling eyes would haunt her in her dreams.

But Consort Jing’s lack of peace didn’t carry any resentment or hatred. She simply couldn’t let go of her child. Those eyes made her think of her own time at the old eunuch’s. At that time, she only wanted to live. She just didn’t know if she and the Princess would be able to survive in the future. If possible, she would definitely help the Princess hide it for a lifetime. Even if she were to die in the future, she could keep the Princess company.

She reminisced, her writing incomplete, only saying she always remembered Her Ladyship’s dying wish.

Nan Jianxue’s eyes turned red as he saw those words. He took the brush and wrote on the paper: “I will not wish for too much.”

Qingqian froze, then shook her head very slightly and wrote: The Princess is doing very well.

Nan Jianxue was worried about exposure, so he had been very careful and meticulous over the years, trying his best not to associate with others. Thus, even though he had a good appearance and a good temperament, he didn’t have many close associates. If it weren’t for Liang Qifeng’s special situation, he would likely have been excluded from his inner circle just like everyone else.

Qingqian wrote again: I can do it, and the General can too.

Nan Jianxue frowned. He said, “Royal Brother also loves me very much.”

But he didn’t dare let Royal Brother know even a hint of the truth, even if it might not matter if he were exposed. When he was young, his mother had always told him that this secret was his life—only by keeping it could he survive. So he had been very careful while in the Central Palace, fearing he would lose his head if the secret were revealed. Especially his Imperial Father; if he knew, he would definitely kill him and might even drag his mother down with him.

Later, his Imperial Father passed away, and the sword hanging over his head vanished, but he could no longer speak the truth. Precisely because his Imperial Mother, Royal Brother, and Royal Sisters were all good to him. He didn’t know how to tell them, “I have been lying to you all along.”

His secret was such an awkward existence. He couldn’t be close to people, lest they find out. And once he finally got close to someone, it became a lingering thorn.

Nan Jianxue wrote: I am Grand Princess Anle.

Qingqian’s heart full of words suddenly couldn’t find a way to persuade him. She stared at the words on the paper for a long time, until her eyes felt a bit sore. Then she picked up the brush again and asked: Does the Princess still remember if she is male or female?

Nan Jianxue didn’t write anything. He simply drew a circle around the word “Male.”

But that was all. He was completely ignorant of most things a young master of a noble family should learn. But he did exceptionally well in what noble ladies learned. He was proficient in the four arts (zither, go, calligraphy, and painting) and was a talented lady whom other young misses vied to imitate. His needlework was no inferior to the best embroiderers in the palace, and his management skills were taught personally by the Empress. Even his etiquette followed the female pattern.

If he were a man, people would likely mock him for being like a woman. Even Nan Jianxue himself sometimes couldn’t tell if he was male or female.

He held the brush and sat dazed for a long time until the ink bled into a blotch on the paper. Only then did he hurriedly put down the brush, crumple the paper into a ball, and say, “Go back now.”

Qingqian frowned and shook her head.

“I’m fine,” Nan Jianxue smiled. “I won’t think too much.”

Qingqian felt uncomfortable, but she was slow-tongued and didn’t know how to comfort Nan Jianxue. She simply wanted to say that things were different now compared to back then. At that time, Consort Jing could barely protect herself, and the late Emperor disliked the Princess, so the Princess had to be cautious in everything.

But now he was the beloved Grand Princess of the Emperor; it wouldn’t matter even if he had some small schemes. Even if they weren’t a real couple, he could at least give it a try. The General seemed quite good.

But after these words hovered on her lips for a long time, she finally didn’t say them. She just said sullenly, “Then this servant will take her leave.” After saying that, she carefully folded the pile of papers, tucked them into her robe, and left.

Liang Qifeng wasn’t asleep yet. Seeing her walk out, he asked, “Is the Princess resting?”

Qingqian froze for a moment and nodded.

Liang Qifeng lowered his voice. “Follow me.” After saying that, he got up and went out.

Qingqian immediately felt a bit nervous. Knowing Liang Qifeng had good hearing, she carefully recalled the few words she and Nan Jianxue had spoken and felt certain there was nothing important. Only then did she follow Liang Qifeng with trepidation.

She only felt relieved when she heard Liang Qifeng ask her if Nan Jianxue had any other beloved in the past.

“No,” Qingqian hesitated. “The Princess did not wish to marry, so she would avoid any young master who came slightly too close. Most of the men she associates with now are members of the imperial clan or brothers of the young misses she’s friends with.”

Liang Qifeng understood. “Then has she said what kind of man she likes?”

Qingqian still shook her head. If anyone else had asked these things, she would definitely have said something unpleasant to drive them away. But thinking of the papers in her robe, she knew her Princess might have developed a bit of interest. Although this interest might be too shallow as storybooks say, she had never experienced it before and suddenly encountered it, so her heart was touched.

But isn’t that how everyone starts? Just as the General searching for his beloved was merely a shallow feeling based on appearance. There always has to be a beginning.

After thinking it over, Qingqian said, “Although the Princess reads many storybooks, she doesn’t understand romantic affairs.” She couldn’t say too much, only speak vaguely. “As the General knows, the Princess and Consort Jing did not have a good life in the palace before. Although life with the Empress Dowager was good later, the childhood memories cannot be erased.”

Liang Qifeng nodded. His gaze swept over her robe as he asked, “Were you two talking about these things just now?”

Qingqian immediately covered the papers in her robe, pursed her lips, and stopped speaking.

Liang Qifeng shook his head. “I just heard her tone; she seemed unhappy.”

Qingqian breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. “This servant brought up things from the past, which touched upon the Princess’s sorrows.”

Liang Qifeng waved his hand. “Go back and rest.”

Qingqian felt relieved. She hurried back to her room, lit the stove, and burned the papers to ashes.

Liang Qifeng also went back. Lying on the daybed, he was still regretting his brashness from earlier. He saw that Nan Jianxue didn’t resist his closeness on ordinary days and thought she was just embarrassed. He thought he would take it slow, and once she got used to it, things might be better. But as soon as he left, Nan Jianxue’s mood changed, so it wasn’t just embarrassment.

If it was about things from the past… He began to wonder if he should ask Nan Zhanyuan or Princess Anping about Consort Jing, or perhaps… ask the Empress Dowager? After all, it happened in the palace; she should be clearer on the details. But if he went to investigate these things, would Nan Jianxue be angry? Thinking about it, perhaps it would be better to ask him directly?

When these thoughts surfaced, Liang Qifeng couldn’t help but smile. When had he become so indecisive?

It just so happened he was going to the palace tomorrow; there should be a chance to see the Empress Dowager. Or he could ask Nan Jianxue when he returned.

Amidst his inner conflict, he gradually drifted into a dream.

He dreamed of Nan Jianxue. He dreamed of their first meeting, but the Nan Jianxue in the dream was already grown up, looking as he did now. He was wearing a beautiful dress, frowning and scolding him, telling him not to scare A-Mo.

Liang Qifeng didn’t remember what happened after that. He only remembered the two of them in bed. He was kissing Nan Jianxue, and after removing his clothes, what he saw was the body of a man.

The image startled him awake instantly.

He looked toward the bed in terror, an unbelievable thought surfacing in his mind—

He couldn’t really be a ‘broken sleeve’ (homosexual), could he?!

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