My husband, who abandoned his father and kept his son, actually wants me to be his concubine.

Chapter 48 Rong Yi is not worthy of my true feelings

Rong Yi held Zhang'er in one arm and gripped Lu Jinshi's arm with the other, saying, "How can you keep talking nonsense in front of Zhang'er?"

Lu Jinshi found it amusing and said, "Am I talking nonsense? Aren't I just going along with your wishes? Leaving is unbearable, so you have to tolerate and forgive your husband for keeping a mistress. Then my going to find male lovers is just to prove that you love me deeply."

Rong Yi said, "Have I been too indulgent with you? Do you still have any sense of responsibility as the Seventh Prince's consort?"

Lu Jinshi said, "I am simply aware that I am to be the Seventh Prince's consort. Isn't this in accordance with Your Highness's wishes and in obedience to you?"

Rong Yi took a deep breath. He knew that he could never win an argument with Lu Jinshi when it came to twisted logic. "I was wrong. True love cannot tolerate mistresses and male lovers."

Lu Jinshi then took Zhang'er back from Rong Yi's arms, not forgetting to glare at Rong Yi.

Rong Yi said, "We've moved almost everything. Let's go back to the other courtyard."

Lu Jinshi nodded slightly and went to Rong Yi's villa.

Upon entering the villa, one is immediately struck by its spaciousness. Within the villa lies a lotus pond, spanned by a small bridge. At this moment, the lotus leaves have not yet sprouted, and only small fish frolic in the water.

Zhang'er was quickly attracted by the koi in the lake and was unwilling to leave.

Rong Yi ordered a palace maid to bring fish food and put it in Zhang'er's hand. Zhang'er picked up the fish food and stuffed it into her mouth, but Lu Jinshi stopped her and taught her to throw the fish food into the lake.

Rong Yi chuckled and pinched Zhang'er's little cheek. He looked at Lu Jinshi with a smile and said, "Doesn't this lotus pond look like the one in the academy?"

“Yes,” Lu Jinshi said. “After being away from home for so long, I do miss it. I never thought that leaving the academy would mean never being able to go back. I originally thought that I could set off back to my hometown after the Empress Dowager’s birthday.”

Rong Yi said, "Chang'an is your hometown. Do you still remember what happened in Chang'an when you were a child?"

Lu Jinshi said, "How much memory can one have before the age of three? Most of it has already been forgotten. What one can remember are mostly the arguments between parents and the sadness and crying of mother day and night."

Rong Yi put his hand on Lu Jinshi's shoulder and comforted him, "Don't remember the unhappy things. Let's not quarrel in front of Zhang'er anymore."

Lu Jinshi looked at Rong Yi and said, "I never want to argue with you. Is it you who insists on making me angry?"

"Have you never made me angry?" Rong Yi asked.

Lu Jinshi looked at Zhang'er in his arms, "You just said that you wouldn't make noise in front of Zhang'er."

Rong Yi smiled faintly, "Mm."

After dinner, Lu Jinshi returned to the bedroom that Rong Yi had prepared for her. The layout of the bedroom clearly indicated that it was Rong Yi's usual residence.

Lu Jinshi didn't insist on avoiding suspicion anymore. The nights had been quite chilly these past few days, so he could warm himself up by being with Rong Yi.

Lu Jinshi entered the bed and sighed softly, recalling the words of the Consort Xian.

Rong Yi lay down next to Lu Jinshi and said, "Don't sigh before you go to sleep."

Lu Jinshi said, "The Consort Xian said that when she was young, her parents also pressured her to have a prince as soon as possible. Why is she now advising her only daughter, whom she cherishes, to compromise for the sake of having offspring?"

Rong Yi said, "Could it be that you're like Aunt Mingzhu, who fully supported you whether you left your father or your son?"

Lu Jinshi raised an eyebrow at Rong Yi and said, "You even dare to make up stories about my mother? Although my mother is the Empress Dowager's adopted daughter, she also has a godparent, who is your aunt."

Rong Yi said, "I have never made any rumors about Aunt Mingzhu. My elder sister has been married for six years without conceiving. If she really divorces her husband, she will find it difficult to meet another husband who is not forced by her status and is genuinely willing to marry her. There are almost no men in the world who are willing to accept a wife who cannot have children and thus live without their own bloodline."

Lu Jinshi said, "Who said there wasn't? When my mother married my stepfather, they both thought she couldn't have any more children. My stepfather also planned that I would be his only daughter. He had even thought it through: if I married far away, he would adopt a child from his apprentice or a nephew in the clan."

Rong Yi said, "How many men in the world can match the character and temperament of the great scholar Qin?"

Lu Jinshi looked at Rong Yi and said, "If, if I couldn't have children, would you still be willing to marry me as the Seventh Prince's consort?"

"There is no such assumption. After all, Zhang'er is almost eight months old, and he can already call me 'Daddy'."

Lu Jinshi asked, "What if there's such a possibility?" Rong Yi looked at Lu Jinshi and said, "Do you want to hear something nice or the truth?"

Lu Jinshi said, "That's the truth, of course."

Rong Yi slowly said, "My identity destined me to be the crown prince in the future. I said last time that I didn't really want to be the emperor, but now I have no choice but to be the crown prince. It's not just because my father insists that I be the emperor, but also because I have the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion, Changping Marquis's Mansion, Rongguo Duke's Mansion, Wu'an Marquis's Mansion behind me... I have no choice but to be the crown prince."

As the crown prince, I cannot be without an heir. If you are unable to bear children, I will marry you as the seventh prince's consort. However, I cannot promise you that I will never take a concubine; therefore, I will marry a secondary consort to bear my children.

After hearing Rong Yi's words, Lu Jinshi turned his back to Rong Yi.

Rong Yi leaned forward and said, "Are you angry? You should hear the truth yourself. If you really can't have children, even if I said I would marry you as the Seventh Prince's consort and never take a concubine, you still wouldn't believe me."

Lu Jinshi simply said, "I'm not angry, I'm just tired and should go to sleep."

Lu Jinshi silently reminded herself that from the beginning she had only been lusting after Rong Yi's good looks and wanted to have a beautiful child. She was just using someone else's sperm to have a child, and now that they had become husband and wife by chance, she had to guard her heart even more.

Rong Yi's honest words also show that his affection for her was only superficial.

Rong Yi doesn't deserve my sincere feelings.

Rong Yi said, "Going to bed so early?"

Lu Jinshi said, "It's not early at all; it's already dark."

Rong Yi's hands roamed restlessly over Lu Jinshi's body. Lu Jinshi grasped Rong Yi's hand and said, "My grandfather just passed away. I must observe the mourning period for at least a year. I cannot bear the reputation of being unfilial."

Rong Yi said, "Your grandfather just passed away, and you went to my elder sister's birthday banquet dressed in red and green. You don't care about your filial piety in public, but who will know that you are observing mourning in private?"

Lu Jinshi turned to Rong Yi and asked, "What if she's pregnant?"

When Rong Yi got close to Lu Jin, he whispered in her ear, "I'll be careful, and I've calculated your menstrual cycle. I'll just avoid those days when you're most fertile."

Under the lamplight outside the bed curtains, Lu Jinshi looked at Rong Yi's captivating beauty and said coldly, "Let's talk about it on our wedding night. It's only sixty days. Don't let these thoughts occupy your mind."

Rong Yi said, "If I didn't have these thoughts about you, would I have fallen for your trick of leaving the father behind and keeping the son?"

Lu Jinshi: "..."

Lu Jinshi turned his back to Rong Yi once again, ignoring him.

Seeing Lu Jinshi's resistance, Rong Yi had no choice but to give up and simply placed his hand on Lu Jinshi's waist.

The next morning, Lu Jinshi and Rong Yi got up early, just like when they were at Lanting. They washed up and went to the academy together.

To get to the academy from this house, Rong Yi has to pass by Lu Jinshi's former courtyard.

As the two passed by in their carriage, Lu Jinshi saw Princess Yongjia's carriage parked outside through the small window of the carriage.

Lu Jinshi called for the car to stop and said to Shuangxi outside the car, "Go to Lingxiao Academy and tell Senior Brother Mu that I will be going to the academy this afternoon."

"Yes, girl."

After Lu Jinshi finished speaking, he got off the carriage and happened to bump into Princess Yongjia, who was also getting off the carriage.

“Royal sister,” Rong Yi nodded to Princess Yongjia.

Princess Yongjia forced a smile as she saw the two who had come together and asked, "Seventh Brother, Jinshi, where are you two going so early in the morning?"

Lu Jinshi said, "We are going to the academy. Sister, are you... here to see Wan Niang?"

(End of this chapter)