The Way of Favors: Chapter 1

Next chapter: The Way of Favors Chapter 2

It was early autumn, and the mornings and nights were already very cold. Xu Jin worked busily in the camp and the sun was already setting as he rushed back to Prince Su Manor.

“Have Furong Courtyard prepare food.” Xu Jin said it coldly, then hurried to his study to discuss war topics with his assistants.

The Hu People had invaded, so Jia He Emperor had transferred Xu Jin and his younger brother Xu Hao to lead the soldiers. The first reason was that he had military exploits and the second reason was to give him more experience.

In the Furong Courtyard, Fu Rong was halfway through her dinner when she heard a maid say that the prince was coming. She was surprised and curious and hurriedly ordered the small kitchen to set up another table of food. She also hurriedly sat in front of the dressing table, thinking as she ordered the maids to dress her up.

Xu Jin had never eaten here when he stayed here for the night before, so why did the sun come out from the west today?

This person is truly strange.

Xu Jin didn’t have a princess consort, and she was the only concubine in the manor. As the saying goes, things are scarce and beneficial and seem precious and there are rumors about how Xu Jin spoils her, but only Fu Rong knew that Xu Jin couldn’t even look her in the eye and all they did was turn off the lights and sleep. Counting the days, it has been over a year since she first arrived at the prince manor, and the number of times Xu Jin had talked to her could be counted by her fingers and toes.

No matter how much distrust there was, she still had to welcome him.

It was almost seven at night when Xu Jin arrived, wearing a black robe embroidered with pythons. His skin was as white as jade and two extreme colors made his face more delicate and handsome, but his expression was too cold and his eyebrows too solemn. Fu Rong was courageous, but she did not dare look much at a high-ranking cold prince who didn’t think much of her.

“Sit down.” Xu Jin said solemnly when he saw that she was meaning to stand and wait upon him.

Some men like to be tactful and reserved while others like to be simple and neat. Xu Jin was the latter. Fu Rong didn’t dare to say anything polite as it may annoy him and after properly thanking him sat down at his right side, only looking forward.

“Eat now.”

This was the first time that the two of them were eating at the same table, but Xu Jin was distracted and didn’t move his chopsticks much while Fu Rong had already eaten, so they didn’t eat much. As the maids cleared the table, Fu Rong followed Xu Jin to the bedroom.

Xu Jin didn’t like to be served by a maid, so it was her job to undress him.

As she was undressing him, Fu Rong remembered something weird.

Xu Jin was five years older than her and was the fourth prince. He was twenty-four this year and still hadn’t had his main marriage yet, and she was his only concubine. Some people in the capital said that he couldn’t do it, while others said that he was as lucky as a dragon. Fu Rong listened with great interest, seeing it as a way to entertain herself. Later, by accident, she and Xu Jin ran into each other. Fu Rong thought that her life was over, but didn’t think on the night that she was carried inside that even though it was Xu Jin’s first time, his skill was extraordinary.

Since he is in good health, why doesn’t he marry?

If Xu Jin had been good to her, Fu Rong would have probably thought that Xu Jin was subdued by her beauty, picking her from thousands. But Xu Jin doesn’t take her seriously. He comes and goes. When he comes he goes directly to sleep, and when he doesn’t come, he doesn’t even bother to greet her. He also has forbidden her maids to inquire about his whereabouts, let alone give her gifts to coax her. She is just a concubine and has only the salary of a concubine.

“Prince should rest first. I’ll go remove my makeup.” Fu Rong said quietly as she put the man’s outer robe on the screen.

“Remove the facial ornament.” Xu Jin reminded abruptly.

Fu Rong, who had already turned away, bit her lip and responded by nodding her head.

The room used a sunrise mirror, which showed everything very clearly, and the smallest things on the face could be seen. Sitting in front of the mirror, Fu Rong plucked off the jewels and hairpins and analyzed her impeccable face. Her ex-husband Xu Yan had once said that she was the most beautiful. Fu Rong knew that they were just words of love, but also had the most beautiful self-confidence. But…

Fu Rong sighed helplessly as her index finger swept across the flower ornament in the middle of her forehead.

The white jade is slightly flawed.

When she was thirteen years old, she had gotten chickenpox once and moved into the mansion to recuperate. The nurse had repeatedly told her to not scratch it with her hands, it couldn’t be itched, and Fu Rong had tolerated it, but the scab in the middle of her forehead disappeared very slowly and there was still a part there, looking very shabby. The more Fu Rong looked the more uncomfortable she felt, so she picked at it in a rage, leaving a shallow pit there, which became the so-called pockmark. No scar removal cream could get rid of it, not even the best ones.

Fu Rong took great importance in beauty, so how could she face others with a pockmark on her forehead? Fortunately, the position of it was helpful, and in a matter of minutes, she would cover it up with a flower pattern every day. The patterns were big and small, and she would change the style every day. It was the icing on the cake for her beauty. Fu Rong really liked it, and would even keep it on when she goes to bed, but Xu Jin just has to be strange, insisting to have it removed, and she couldn’t pout childishly to him as she did with Xu Yan.

Pouting depended on the person. Xu Yan adored her, but Xu Jin……

Sigh, there is loss when there is win.

After cleansing her face and undoing her hair, Fu Rong walked towards the four-post bed.

Xu Jin sat crookedly on the bedside, and seeing her walking closer and closer, said as Fu Rong climbed onto the bed, “The Hu People have invaded, so I have to lead my troops out and will come back at roughly the start of summer.”

Fu Rong stopped moving, and all kinds of thoughts flashed in her mind.

Battle was full of arrows and swords, so what would she do if Xu Jin dies?

Other concubines might be able to remarry after becoming a widow, but could she, a concubine of an imperial prince, run away?

But, she has to first deal with this man.

Fu Rong suddenly frowned, showing a worried look, “Lord…”

Xu Jin had been staring at her beautiful eyes that glimmered in the light and wanted to look into her heart, but stopped himself before she said anything.

Xu Jin didn’t want to listen to any words of politeness.

This woman had always been acting with him.

He was well-known for not getting close to any woman, and the cover she put on last year was not to hook him, but it was a pity that Prince An was cunning and had deliberately pushed the embarrassed her to him. Xu Jin had once caught a strange illness when he was a child, and couldn’t go near women after he recovered, so even if she cleaned herself properly, he would be able to smell a scent if they were close, the so-called woman scent and would feel sick. This was only known by a few people and to prevent the already suspicious Prince An from suspecting anything, Xu Jin didn’t push her away and was surprised to find that he didn’t find any discomfort in holding her.

No one would be able to understand his surprise at the time.

He is a prince and needs offspring. He is a man and needs to be resolved, so he has to prove to everyone that he is normal.

Therefore, knowing that her intention was not to drink, Xu Jin took the person back to his manor as she looked at him with gratitude and shyness. Women have scheming plans, winning by their beauty, and he was kind of satisfied. He only learned on his way back, though, that she was the daughter of the second house of Jingyang Manor and had been married to Xu Yan, the son of the king of Jizhou Xindu, and they had divorced after three years of marriage.

With this kind of body, she was not qualified to be a concubine for him, but for the sake of her father and brother, Xu Jin rewarded her with some dignity.

So what if she’s not innocent, he wants her only to give. If he will be able to cure his weird diseases, he will naturally ignore her, but if the diseases can not be cured, he could only try to have her give him a son.

“Lord……be gentler”

In the darkness, his eyes showed a murderous flash, but Fu Rong didn’t see it and could only cling to the other party’s shoulder, begging softly.

It might be because they were going to be separated for a long time, for Xu Jin tossed and turned and Fu Rong’s voice became hoarse, soft, and without any energy. Xu Jin moved the sleeping person to the side as the maids came inside, holding lanterns, and only after they finished changing the bedding did he put her back.

He didn’t turn off the lights and just stared at her sleeping face quietly.

She was truly beautiful, even more beautiful than the favored and pampered Noble Consort Li in the emperor’s harem, but he just liked to see the little pit on her forehead. He liked to see herself dislike herself with annoyance, and that was probably the true temperature she reveals outside of ***.

Xu Jin bowed his head and kissed the little pit lightly.

Not long after lying down, the woman at his side leaned in, snuggling into his chest and holding him dependently.

Xu Jin looked at her, turned to the side, and pulled up the fallen cotton blanket, rubbing her smooth back in the process.

He was confident that he would receive praise and approval from his father when he returned from the expedition, but the crown prince would probably be unhappy.

Crown prince……

The crown prince was lustful, and had also been at the hunting event, so if she wanted to climb up the tree and get to a high branch, why did she choose the unconcerned seventh prince Prince An instead of the gentle and handsome crown prince? Because Princess An didn’t have a princess consort?

Xu Jin smiled coldly. It doesn’t matter if Prince An doesn’t like her and even if he did, he couldn’t possibly marry a concubine’s daughter who had been married before.

The woman in his embrace suddenly murmured dissatisfiedly, and Xu Jin realized he was squeezing too hard.

He slowly let go.

He then remembered that this woman was kind of smart. She knew that she could only rely on him this life, so she obediently stays at his side and doesn’t covet for more. But, if, if something happens to him at the battlegrounds, will she choose another branch?

With this thought, Xu Jin laughs at himself. How is he thinking wildly like a woman now?

It wasn’t day quite yet, and it was time for Xu Jin to set off.

Fu Rong got up to serve him with great energy, her eyelids sometimes fluttering down softly, lazy yet charming.

Xu Jing looked at her silently, thinking that he would not be in the capital for a long time for this expedition, so he ordered, “If something happens in the manor, you can write a letter to me.”

Fu Rong was in awe from receiving this kind of treatment, and said hurriedly, “I got it, Lord must be careful there, and do not get hurt,”

Xu Jin replied with “yes”, then turned and left.

Fu Rong accompanied him to the entrance of Furong Courtyard, watching Xu Jin walking farther and farther away in the darkness which the light from the lanterns could not overtake.

To be honest, Xu Jin treated her pretty well. She was the only woman in the manor, even if she was only a concubine, and there was also no main wife to pick on her, no other women being jealous and scheming. Although she didn’t know how long these kinds of days, where she could eat and drink without any worries could last, Fu Rong did not have a worrying personality, so she made the best of the present because she couldn’t change anything even if she didn’t enjoy this.

So she hoped that nothing would happen to Xu Jin. After he comes back, she would give him a son and a daughter, and with his prince power, she would have enough wealth this lifetime, and if she was really lucky, he would never marry another woman, and then would she be any different from the main wife?

But it’s a pity that Fu Rong’s life was not destined to be so good.

In the summer of the twenty-fifth year of Zhengde, there was a great victory at the border, but the two brothers Prince Su and Huai Prince were killed, with the cause of death unknown.

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