Tan Hua - Chapter 8

Why?

Song Liqing was at a loss for words.

“This is something that belongs to me, I just accidentally lost it. If you found it, please give it back to me.”

Hu Nu’er looked at him mockingly and shook his head gently.

“I heard that this is the token of affection between the Crown Prince and you?”

Song Liqing nodded, “Yes.”

A one-sided token of affection.

Song Liqing sadly felt that it couldn’t be considered as such, at most it was just his own wishful thinking, an obsession.

Hu Nu’er smiled, his eyes full of charm.

Then he took out something from his sleeve and twirled it in his hand, it was the jade pendant ornament that Song Liqing had lost.

“Are you talking about this little trinket?”

Hu Nu’er pretended to hand it back to him.

Song Liqing was anxious and reached out to take it.

But Hu Nu’er, teasing him like a dog, pulled it back twice before Song Liqing could grab it, then burst into laughter, covering his mouth.

“Hahaha…” Hu Nu’er’s laughter was shrill.

Song Liqing was anxious and said, “If you… if you want it, I can give you the jade pendant, just give me back the tassel pendant.”

“Hmm… let me think about it.” Hu Nu’er played with the jade pendant and said, “This is top-quality Hetian jade, it must be quite valuable in your Central Plains, right?”

“Yes.”

Song Liqing didn’t know what game he was playing.

Hu Nu’er suddenly fell silent for a moment, with a hint of sadness in his eyes. He sighed, suppressed the sorrow, and burst into anger.

“This was originally something from our country, but you bandits and robbers looted it, and shamelessly wore it on your body. You claim to read books about saints and gentlemen, or whatever nonsense, pretending to be noble and shameless villains!”

Song Liqing didn’t know the origin of this jade pendant. It was given by his father, who said it was a trophy from defeating the Western Regions’ Ili country.

“You’re from the Ili country?”

“Yes.” Hu Nu’er admitted frankly, “My lord said you’re the son, oh, the adopted son, of General Song, your good father, who led the Jingshi soldiers and defeated us. I remember when the city gate was broken, you were in the city burning, killing, and looting, really disgusting. Song Liqing, do you think you’re a talented young man, the son of a general, very noble? The blood flowing in your body is sinful.”

“In the face of national righteousness, there is no right or wrong, only different positions.” Song Liqing didn’t want to argue with him. “Moreover, I have never thought that people are superior or inferior.”

Hu Nu’er disagreed, “Don’t pretend. Do you really think my behavior is dirty and my character is despicable? But your little father is just a brothel owner, I heard he used to be…”

“Shut up! It’s okay to insult me, but you can’t insult my father.”

Song Liqing was already angry. All his efforts in this life were to uphold the reputation and dignity of his two fathers.

Seeing him angry, Hu Nu’er hit the nail on the head, and laughed.

“You’re angry because what I said is true, and it hurts your pride.” Hu Nu’er sneered, raising his chin arrogantly. “And I, I am the only prince of Ili. In terms of status and bloodline, I am nobler than you.”

“You’re the prince of Ili…”

Song Liqing was shocked.

No matter how he looked at it, Hu Nu’er didn’t seem like a prince.

“A heir to a country, how… how could…”

“How could I become a lowly favorite plaything, right? The country is destroyed, the family is ruined, I have no choice.”

Although Hu Nu’er said so, there was no sadness on his face, but rather a smiling face.

Song Liqing couldn’t help but shudder.

Hu Nu’er took a step forward, facing Song Liqing.

“Now, do you still think you are qualified to be the Crown Prince Consort?”

Song Liqing’s heart was heavily struck, and his deep-seated subconscious inferiority was brought out by Hu Nu’er, causing his complexion to darken.

“I… I’m not qualified,” Song Liqing said despondently.

Hu Nu’er chuckled lightly. “You sure do surrender easily.”

Song Liqing’s breathing became uneasy as he said softly, “I just want to retrieve my belongings.”

Hu Nu’er clicked his tongue. “Sure, as long as you exchange them for something else.”

“You said it.”

Song Liqing only wanted to retrieve the tassel and then get away.

Hu Nu’er leaned in closer and whispered in his ear.

“How about you lend me the Crown Prince for a few nights?”

“What?!” Song Liqing didn’t understand the implication.

Hu Nu’er replied, “Don’t hound the Crown Prince, let him accompany me for a few days. That’s the condition for the exchange. If you agree, I’ll give you back this broken thing.”

“No way!”

Song Liqing refused without hesitation.

“Why?” Hu Nu’er furrowed his brow. “It’s just for a few days. The Crown Princess wouldn’t be so petty, would she? Oh, I can’t live without a man.”

Song Liqing felt a surge of anger.

“Qiyu is my lover, my… husband. How can I hand him over to someone else?”

Hu Nu’er spoke cunningly, “In the Central Plains, men have multiple wives and concubines, and the emperor has three thousand in his harem. Can you guarantee that the Crown Prince won’t marry again?”

Song Liqing, still exhausted and in pain from the previous night, was momentarily dizzy and lightheaded again, stumbling for a moment, almost falling.

He couldn’t guarantee…

What could he use as a guarantee?

Could he rely on Qiyu’s love for him? That was just a fanciful hope.

“Qiyu has his own mind, how can he be controlled by others? Ridiculous. We just got married. If I agree to you, it would be a blasphemy to my own feelings. I won’t let anyone take away the person I love.”

“Blasphemy? Take away?” Hu Nu’er seemed to find it amusing, laughing even more exaggeratedly.

Song Liqing felt ridiculed by Hu Nu’er’s mischievous gaze.

Hu Nu’er laughed until tears came, finally managing to stop.

“You… you are truly naive. My Crown Prince, seeing your appearance, it seems you just experienced your first time last night, right? Judging by your limp look, he must have exerted quite a bit of effort on you.”

Song Liqing didn’t want to be near him, but Hu Nu’er insisted on getting closer.

“Come here, let me tell you a secret, well, it’s not really a secret, everyone in the army knows, even your father knows. The Crown Prince in the Western Regions, he’s always been under my care, haven’t you noticed how familiar he is with the roads here? Haha…”

Song Liqing’s face grew paler and paler, feeling dizzy.

No wonder things went so smoothly between Jun Qiyu and Hu Nu’er; they had long been husband and wife.

It felt like Song Liqing’s heart was being cut open, the pain nearly splitting him apart.

He had always hoped that his feelings were pure, so he remained chaste. He would only devote himself to his one true love.

But now he realized that what he thought was love was not pure at all.

Hu Nu’er’s mocking laughter sounded so harsh.

And he felt like a clown.

“Even if you marry the Crown Prince bestowed by the Emperor of Jingguo, you’re just taking advantage of me. Using a man I’ve been with, isn’t that dirty? You wouldn’t blame me for being quick to seize the opportunity, would you, Crown Princess?”