‘Why do I have to go to bed to change the bandage?’
Song Qingshu didn’t ask that question like an idiot, and he wanted to tease Zhao Min, so he nodded and agreed with a smile, “I will do as the Madame says.”
Zhao Min on the bed was praying in her heart that Song Qingshu would find a reason to refuse, but who would have thought that he would agree so easily, and she almost lost her temper.
But she also understood that now was not the time to be angry, if Madame Tang saw her on Song Qingshu’s bed, she wouldn’t be able to wash herself off even by jumping into the Yellow River!
Looking around, Zhao Min helplessly found that there was nowhere to hide. Feeling that the two people outside had already walked to the bed, Zhao Min gritted her teeth and quickly got under the quilt.
Opening the curtain and seeing the messy quilt, Madame Tang finally felt relieved. It turned out that, she couldn’t help feeling a bit suspicious, when Song Qingshu didn’t come to open the door even after she waited for so long. But, seeing that Song Qingshu’s quilt was in a mess, it was obvious that he was telling the truth— he had already gone to bed and delayed the time because he was getting dressed.
‘Really, I won’t eat you up. Why were you so concerned about wearing proper clothes?’ Madame Tang smiled silently in her heart.
Song Qingshu glanced at the bed, and guessed that Zhao Min was hiding in the bed beside him, so he smiled slightly, and didn’t say anything.
“Young Master must endure the pain, while I help you change your medicine.” Madame Tang took off her shoes, knelt down on the bed, and said in a gentle manner.
“Go ahead, Madame. I don’t dare compare myself to Guan Gong, who had to endure the pain of scraping his bone to get rid of the poison, but this amount of pain is bearable.” Song Qingshu then thought back to his encounter with Yang Miaozhen, and the moment when she stabbed him with a spear, ‘It was indeed not a good first meeting.’ (G: Guan Gong is also called, Guan Yu. He was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China.)
Madame Tang hummed, and gently helped him take off his coat.
As his body was gradually exposed to the slightly chilly air, Song Qingshu frowned, ‘I don’t know whether this woman is doing this intentionally or unintentionally, but she’s even making the action of changing the bandage seem so ambiguous. She sometimes behaves like a mysterious and alluring minx, and in the next moment, she acts chaste and faithful. I just can’t figure out which side is the real her.’
“Young Master, your skin is as smooth as that of your companion.” Madame Tang was amazed as she gently slid her fingertips over his shoulder.
Song Qingshu’s internal energy had now reached the peak, and it had a similar effect as washing the marrow and cleansing the bones. Therefore, the impurities in his body had gradually been discharged, and his skin had indeed become much better than ordinary people. But, as a man, he still found it difficult to accept such praise.
Hearing Madame Tang mention her, it was unknown whether it was for protest or what, but a small hand stretched out from under the quilt, and gently tried to pinch Song Qingshu.
“Ah!” Madame Tang exclaimed, and looked back at Song Qingshu. Then her pretty face quickly blushed red, as she lightly bit her lower lip and quietly said, “I thought Young Master Song was really an eminent monk who could endure. But… but, Young Master, you are so bad…”
It turned out that, as she was hiding under the covers, Zhao Min couldn’t see things clearly, so she could only judge the positions of the two people based on the direction of the sound. Who knew that Madame Tang just happened to change positions when she changed Song Qingshu’s bandages, so Zhao Min ended up pinching Madame Tang on the hips instead. Madame Tang didn’t know that there was another person on the bed, so she naturally thought that Song Qingshu was secretly taking advantage of her.
The situation in a radius of several feet was under Song Qingshu’s perception, so how could Zhao Min’s small actions stay hidden from him. When she saw Madame Tang looking at him with slight anger, Song Qingshu gave a wry smile, and could only become the willing scapegoat.
“Even if an eminent monk is really calm and peaceful, if he meets such a magnificent beauty like the Madame, he will probably have the idea of returning to vulgarity.” Song Qingshu gave a stiff smile, while stretching his hand under the quilt, and pinched Zhao Min back as revenge.
“Ah~” A low cry was heard from the bed, but fortunately Madame Tang’s attention was entirely on Song Qingshu, so Zhao Min’s presence wasn’t exposed.
He didn’t know what he pinched just now, but that part of her body felt very soft and supple, so Song Qingshu calmly withdrew his evil hand.
“Is something troubling you, Young Master?” Madame Tang calmed down and softly asked while continuing to reapply the medicine.
“Trouble?” Song Qingshu was taken aback. He had a lot of troubles, but he couldn’t tell most of them to the woman in front of him, let alone Princess Shaomin who was watching covetously under the quilt. So he just said, “It’s just some mundane things, I’m afraid it will pollute the Madame’s ears.”
“Young Master, you must be joking. You are a handsome young hero with world-class martial arts, what else in the world can trouble you?” Madame Tang passed the bandage under his ribs, and tied the last knot for him with a serious expression.
Zhao Min quietly peeked her head out from under the quilt, silently mouthing to Song Qingshu, “Get to the main point…”
Song Qingshu smiled, then stretched out his foot and pushed Zhao Min’s head back into the quilt.
‘Bah, bah, bah!’ Zhao Min retched under the blanket, and felt annoyed in her heart, ‘I will torture you someday, you bas*tard!’
“I have a lot of troubles…” At the moment, Madame Tang’s cheek was very close to his chest, so close that Song Qingshu couldn’t help but feel faint ripples in his heart, and he quickly reached out to support her back so she wouldn’t fall, “For example, what troubles me at the moment is, that I still don’t know the Madame’s name even after so long.”
Even though she was done changing the bandage, Madame Tang didn’t show any sign that she would get up. She just lay in Song Qingshu’s arms, and quietly looked at him, “According to the customs of your Han people, apart from the parents knowing the woman’s name, she can only tell it to her future husband.”
Stared at by those long and charming peach blossom eyes, Song Qingshu’s heart skipped a beat, and he lightly said, “But Madame is a Jurchen (Manchu), not a Han. As far as I know, you Jurchens don’t have this rule, right?”
“I really can’t win against you. This Concubine’s real name is Tangkuo Dingge, isn’t it ugly?” Madame Tang looked at Song Qingshu anxiously, for fear that he would show disgust. (G: Historically, she first married Wan Yanliang’s friend Wanyan Wudai, the military governor of the Chongyi Army, then became the noble Concubine of Wan Yanliang, Prince of Hailing.)
“I think it’s a pretty name.” Song Qingshu said with a smile, “It’s much nicer compared to the name Minmin of the most beautiful Mongolian Princess Shaomin.” As soon as the words fell, Zhao Min felt so angry that she kicked through the quilt with her feet in protest. Madame Tang was half lying in Song Qingshu’s arms, her sight was blocked by his body, so she couldn’t see it all.
“Really?” Madame Tang exclaimed in surprise, “I was worried that you, as a Han, wouldn’t like my name.”
Song Qingshu was stunned for a moment, and said, “Even the guard general of Kaifeng is respectful to the Madame, so presumably Madame has a high status in the court of the Jin Empire, why should you care about what I, a Han, think?”
It was unknown what she thought in her heart, but Madame Tang suddenly let out soft sigh, “That’s just superficial, you don’t know the misery in my body and mind.”
“If the Madame doesn’t dislike it, this Song can be a devout listener.” Song Qingshu didn’t understand why Madame Tang’s mood suddenly fluctuated, but he didn’t want to miss this opportunity. He wanted find out her secret.
“Can I…can I trust you?” Madame Tang’s eyes sparkled, abd she just stared at Song Qingshu intently.
Song Qingshu was startled, and quickly stretched out his hand to make an oath, “If Madame said something to this Song today, and Song tells that others, then the Heavens may strike…”
“Hey!” Madame Tang hastily stretched out her fingers to press his lips, “Young Master, don’t make such a vicious oath! The Concubine naturally believes in you!”
Originally, Song Qingshu thought that since Zhao Min herself was listening it from the sidelines, it wouldn’t be considered as breaking his oath. So it didn’t matter how vicious an oath her made, but seeing Madame Tang’s trust, he suddenly felt a deep sense of guilt.
“Young Master, do you know why the city guard general of Kaifeng is so polite to this Concubine?” Madame Tang didn’t notice his abnormality, and she became lost in her thoughts, her voice turned extremely faint.
“Could it be because of the relationship between Madame and the Empress?” Thinking of what she had said just before, Song Qingshu asked to confirm the information.
“My relationship with the Empress?” Madame Tang sneered, then fell silent.
Zhao Min waited anxiously, and kept kicking Song Qingshu’s back through the quilt to signal him to continue asking, but Song Qingshu remained unmoved and didn’t want to disturb Madame Tang at the moment.
Fortunately, Madame Tang didn’t keep Zhao Min waiting long, and continued, “It wouldn’t be wrong to say that we are related. To be precise, we both slept with the same man.”
Although Madame Tang’s voice was calm, Song Qingshu was taken aback, and asked hesitantly, “Madame was harmed by the Emperor of Jin…”
His first reaction was to rule out the possibility that the Empress had slept with Madame Tang’s husband. As a mere general, he was far from qualified to have skin-to-skin relationship with the Empress.
“No.” Madame Tang lightly shook her head, but that information was enough to make both Song Qingshu and Zhao Min feel like a heavy bomb had exploded in their hearts. If she shook her head, didn’t that mean that the Empress of Jin Empire actually gave the current Emperor a green hat? A massive green hat! (G: Green hat, meaning she cheated on him.)
“There is a man who is not only distinguished and powerful, but also has a good reputation in the eyes of the populace. In addition to his handsome appearance, he is actually the most desirable husband in the hearts of many women. I also thought so, until one day, his wife invited me to be a guest at their mansion. I didn’t suspect anything at all, so I went to their mansion. Who knew that I fell unconscious not long after the dinner, and when I woke up, this person was lying on top of me doing beastly things…” While talking, Madame Tang began to sob, and even Zhao Min who was beside them felt stunned.
Song Qingshu said in a deep voice, “Who is this man?”
Madame Tang lightly shook her head, “He threatened the safety of my entire family, so I will not reveal his name.”
Song Qingshu frowned, and was about to say something, but Madame Tang continued, “Afterwards, I planned to expose his true face, but unfortunately, by chance, I found out that even the Empress was involved with him.”
“As I said before, the current Emperor is weak in character, and the power in the court is in the hands of the Empress. When even she is that person’s lover, I became helpless. Coupled with the fact that he threatened the safety of my family, I had no choice but to become his plaything.”
“Does your husband know about this?” Song Qingshu suddenly asked in a deep voice.
“There is no impenetrable wall in the world. Even the city guard general of Kaifeng has to flatter me. Do you think my husband doesn’t know?” Madame Tang showed a look of sadness on her face.
“And he just lets you be humiliated like this?” Song Qingshu said angrily.
Goblin: Sorry for the delay. Had something to do irl.
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