SWHCBB 11

Chapter 11: The Husband Who Loves to Act Pitiful

When the emperor’s rewards were delivered to the General’s Manor, Jiang Chuang had only just managed to clean himself up and dry Wen Jue’s hair. He was ready to hold his beloved and have some real fun…

But just as the mood reached its peak, they were suddenly interrupted. He accepted the rewards unwillingly.

Wen Jue didn’t look particularly upset. Instead, he gently patted Jiang Chuang’s shoulder to soothe him. “Once we finish giving thanks for the grace, we can continue. Let’s not draw gossip over something like this.”

“Fine, whatever you say!” Jiang Chuang, having gotten a taste of sweetness, was full of energy. He got up at once, hastily threw on an outer robe, tied his belt carelessly, and immediately crouched to help Wen Jue put on his shoes.

Wen Jue paused but didn’t pull his foot back. He waited until Jiang Chuang had finished, then rested a hand on his shoulder and smoothed down his hair, confirmed the position of his forehead, and leaned down to kiss him lightly.

“Thank you, husband.”

Jiang Chuang touched his forehead and couldn’t hold back a wide grin. “Now that’s a reward I like! Zhiyu is the best!”

Wen Jue stood up and took Jiang Chuang’s hand. Seeing that he still hadn’t moved, he smiled helplessly. “Yunchuan, we should go. Let’s not keep the eunuch waiting.”

If they angered the eunuch, he might complain before the emperor back at the palace, it’d be trouble.

Knowing exactly what Wen Jue was worried about, Jiang Chuang squeezed his palm and reassured him, “It’s fine. You’re the Fifth Prince. Let him wait. What’s there to be afraid of?”

Then he led Wen Jue out the room. It wasn’t until they nearly reached the outer courtyard that he let go. Wen Jue leaned on Changning’s support once more, and the two of them resumed their act of disharmony.

The eunuch squinted at them, observing their seemingly strained relationship. His Highness the Fifth Prince appeared as mild and timid as ever, but General Jiang couldn’t hide his impatience and annoyance in the slightest.

The eunuch raised an eyebrow, yet voiced no dissatisfaction despite having waited. After bowing, he began to read the imperial edict.

Changning carefully supported Wen Jue as he slowly knelt down. Jiang Chuang quickly glanced over to make sure Wen Jue didn’t hurt himself before kneeling as well.

As they knelt to receive the decree and give thanks, Jiang Chuang barely restrained the urge to roll his eyes. The rewards for the wedding and the title of Prince Jin combined only amounted to eight trunks. That stingy old emperor, couldn’t he be any more tightfisted?

When the Third Prince was titled Prince Yi, the fanfare was extravagant, he’d received over ten trunks of rewards.

As the eunuch finished reading, he concluded with: “May General Jiang and His Highness the Fifth Prince enjoy a lifetime of harmony.”

Jiang Chuang suddenly looked up, eyes sharp and focused on the eunuch. He stood up abruptly. “What did you just say? Fifth Prince? Not Prince Jin?”

Standing tall like an immovable rock, Jiang Chuang exuded a chilling aura from years of battlefield command. The eunuch shrank under his gaze and bowed. “The decree has been read, the rewards delivered. This servant will now return to report back to the palace!”

“You—” Jiang Chuang wanted to pursue the matter, but Wen Jue tugged his hand. Looking back, he saw Wen Jue shaking his head.

Wen Jue whispered, “Father Emperor never intended to give me that title. Pressing further will only make him resent it more.”

Indeed, in his past life, Wen Jue had never been granted the title of Prince Jin. If he had lived a little longer, perhaps he would’ve received it.

Unfortunately, Jiang Chuang had expected the dog emperor to save face for this imperial marriage. Prince Jin wasn’t even that significant, he could’ve just granted it.

Furious, Jiang Chuang didn’t even bother seeing the eunuchs out. He glanced at the servants nearby, most of them young palace maids Wen Jue had brought from the palace. They claimed to serve him, but their real purpose was obvious, to both Wen Jue and himself.

So he barked impatiently, “Get out!”

The maids exchanged uneasy glances and curtsied. “Yes, sir.”

Even if word of today’s attitude reached the emperor, Jiang Chuang didn’t care. In the emperor’s eyes, he was already overly ambitious, on the verge of rebellion!

So what? The old emperor didn’t dare strip him of his command. As long as the borders were unstable, he had to keep Jiang Chuang. And he didn’t have many years left to live anyway.

But Zhiyu was different. He couldn’t publicly show affection for Zhiyu in front of the emperor’s spies.

Otherwise, the emperor might suspect Wen Jue of orchestrating the marriage, suspect hidden motives, then grow enraged and come up with something worse. Not to mention, there was a scheming empress at his side constantly whispering poison in his ear.

Jiang Chuang pulled Wen Jue back into the inner courtyard, then lifted him up into his arms. He kept a tight, silent expression the whole way. Wen Jue couldn’t see his face, but even from his breathing, he could tell he was angry.

Wen Jue’s mind ran in circles along the way, full of calculations, until Jiang Chuang picked him up and disrupted his train of thought.

Jiang Chuang helped both of them remove their outer robes. Seeing Wen Jue obediently stand still for him, his heart softened, and much of his anger melted away.

Then came the ache. “Zhiyu is so sensible, steady, and so good-looking. That dog emperor must be blind to treat you like this!”

Wen Jue’s heart skipped when he heard Jiang Chuang curse the emperor again. He furrowed his brow. “Yunchuan, don’t be rude! Walls have ears!”

Jiang Chuang clicked his tongue in feigned repentance and swept Wen Jue into his arms.

He loved holding Wen Jue like this. No matter what happened, he could protect him and keep him safe.

“Don’t worry. If he won’t give you the title, I’ll stake my military merit to force him to grant it!”

Wen Jue fell silent in his embrace. He felt like there was nowhere to run, and slowly, he no longer wanted to.

Marrying Jiang Chuang had been part of his plan, but in executing it, he’d wagered his entire self. He didn’t know if it was worth it, but for the sake of helping his imperial sister, he’d do anything.

Wen Jue tentatively said, “But if you force him like that, won’t he realize you don’t actually treat me badly?”

Jiang Chuang was silent for a long time. As a military man, he’d never been good at scheming. Otherwise, in their past life, he wouldn’t have been played so badly by Wen Jue.

But he’d learned. In this life, he was steadier.

“Then I’ll think of another way. Or…Zhiyu, you teach me.”

Wen Jue was puzzled. “Truthfully, I don’t care whether I get the title or not. Why do you insist?”

Before he could finish, Jiang Chuang cut in, “How could I not?!”

He kissed Wen Jue’s hand gently. “What’s yours must be yours. No one can take it away. What should be given must be given!”

Wen Jue’s fingers trembled. The place he kissed burned hot. He curled his palm and lowered his eyes. “Father Emperor loved me the most right after I went blind. He felt guilty and treated me very well, not the best, but on par with the Third Prince.”

“But then he found out the truth behind my blindness. He thought I deliberately poisoned myself to frame the empress, but overdosed and blinded myself instead. He flew into a rage, took back all the affection he’d briefly shown me… and discarded me like trash.”

Jiang Chuang had never known this part of the story. Hearing it now, his mind conjured an image of young Zhiyu, newly blind, abandoned by his father, sitting helplessly in a desolate palace, eating cold leftovers, bullied by the servants.

“Damn it!” Jiang Chuang’s voice trembled. Wen Jue noticed something was wrong.

“You think I did it?” Wen Jue asked.

“Of course not! How old were you?”

Wen Jue gripped his sleeve. “But what if… it really was me bringing it on myself?”

Jiang Chuang pulled him into a tight hug. Wen Jue couldn’t see his reddening eyes.

“Even if it was, the fault’s still his. How could he treat you like that? I only ache for how hard it must’ve been. What kind of despair drives a child to poison himself?”

Wen Jue loosened his grip, sniffled slightly, and thought quietly: Could some of Jiang Chuang’s sweet words be genuine?

Jiang Chuang then asked, “And your imperial sister? She didn’t protect you?”

“She did. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have survived safely in the palace all these years.”

“But why is she, the Grand Princess, so favored and high-standing, while His Majesty treats you like this?”

Wen Jue replied calmly, “She was born when our parents’ love was strongest. She grew up showered in Father Emperor’s affection.

“But I… I was born when their relationship had turned sour. I don’t know what happened between them, but Mother began to resent Father. She didn’t want to bear me. I was the reason she couldn’t leave the palace.”

“Enough,” Jiang Chuang couldn’t bear to hear more. He cupped Wen Jue’s face, gently brushing away the redness from the corners of his eyes. “Enough… That’s all in the past. No matter what happens now, I’ll be with you. We’re married, by imperial decree. No one can tear us apart!”

Wen Jue nodded, smiling faintly as he leaned against Jiang Chuang’s shoulder.

Jiang Chuang didn’t see the flash of calculation in his eyes.