Chapter 36: Three Days as Husband and Wife

Qin Lang had arrived in a great hurry, not even bothering to open an umbrella in the torrential rain, only to be met head-on with Shen Ruojin’s request for a divorce.

He froze for a moment, forcing himself to remain calm, and asked, "What on earth has happened? You’re holding a sword—where are you going?"

"To Luoyue Pass."

Shen Ruojin did not hide it from him. It was she who had insisted on marrying Qin Lang, and it was she who had proposed a fake marriage to be annulled after a year. Now, it was she who suddenly wanted to end it early. Shen Ruojin could not help but feel a sense of guilt toward Qin Lang.

However, the letter she received today was sudden. If her grandfather was truly trapped at Luoyue Pass and war had broken out in the Western Frontier again, there was no telling if she would return alive. For the young Prince Qin, being divorced shortly after marriage was surely better than becoming a widower so soon. Furthermore, if she did not die and managed to return, things would only become more complicated.

Years ago, when the Emperor personally led an expedition and suffered a crushing defeat, resulting in the tragic deaths of a hundred thousand soldiers, he had refused to revisit the past, even exiling those who knew the truth. The remains of the Shen family, a line of heroes, had yet to be brought home. If Shen Ruojin were to bring them back, she would certainly invite the Emperor’s wrath. If she remained the young Princess of the Prince of Zhenbei’s estate, she would inevitably implicate the entire household. Therefore, she had to propose the divorce before leaving to sever ties between herself and the estate.

"If you want to go to Luoyue Pass, then go. Why must you divorce me?"

Qin Lang appeared composed on the surface, but inside, he was nearing his breaking point. The servants who had accompanied the young mistress back to her maiden home reported that she had received a mysterious letter, and shortly after, her maid Shijian had come out of the ancestral hall to prepare fast horses and rations—clearly intending to travel a long distance. And it was the kind of urgent, immediate departure that could not be delayed. Qin Lang hadn't even spared a word for the Marquis of Lin-yang before rushing to find Shen Ruojin.

"Did I ever say you couldn't go?" He did not wait for her answer, adding, "Married for only three days and you want a divorce? How dare you, Shen Ruojin?"

Seeing that Qin Lang had no idea what she was truly thinking, Shen Ruojin was about to explain everything and analyze the pros and cons, but the young Prince refused to listen. "Two days ago, you said it would be for a year. It’s only been a few days, and you’ve changed your mind... Was my performance not good enough?"

Shen Ruojin felt indescribable guilt. "...It’s not that."

"Then it must be last night... Did I leave you dissatisfied?"

Qin Lang seemed unable to fathom any other reason for her sudden request. The only possibility was that last night’s indulgence had exhausted her. "If you didn't like it, I won't do it again, won't that suffice?" he offered. He had originally thought last night was merely the beginning of their domestic bliss.

It never occurred to him that it would be the first and the last time. If he had known... he would never have stopped!

"It's not that, either." Shen Ruojin thought, *What is he even talking about?*

"Then was it because I stepped into your courtyard with my left foot first?" Qin Lang’s questions were becoming increasingly absurd.

"None of those things." Shen Ruojin gripped her "No-Regrets" sword tightly and said in a muffled voice, "Just consider that I owe you..."

"If you owe me, you must pay it back." The young Prince never took the conventional path. Even in such a moment, he would not yield an inch.

He continued, "Shen Ruojin, it was you who said on our wedding day that you wanted to make do with me. Now the whole capital knows we are husband and wife. Today, the one in the palace even pressed me about it. I already gave my word before the throne, claiming you fell in love with me at first sight and insisted on marrying me. If you divorce me now, I will inevitably be charged with deceiving the Emperor."

The events at the Li Garden yesterday had caused a stir throughout the city, and the Prince of Zhenbei had dragged him to the palace to see the Emperor before dawn. The Emperor, in recent years, had become obsessed with worldly pleasures and neglected state affairs, becoming increasingly suspicious and planting spies everywhere. He had even brought up the fact that Princess Baojia had drugged Qin Lang with "Mutual Joy" yesterday. The Emperor had asked Qin Lang why he had suddenly decided to marry Shen Ruojin instead. While it was easy to explain Mu Yunwei’s elopement with Pei Jing, Qin Lang was not a man who feared being a laughingstock; if he hadn't wanted to, no princess or noblewoman could have forced his hand. Though the Emperor had smiled while asking, he had already reached his own conclusions. Even if Qin Lang claimed he married Shen Ruojin because he liked her, the Emperor would not believe it.

Furthermore, Shen Ruojin didn't even know the truth, and he didn't want outsiders to know before she did. Thus... the excuse that "Shen Ruojin fell in love with me at first sight and insisted on marrying me"—a story more acceptable to the Emperor—was concocted by Qin Lang on the spot. What he hadn't expected was that this excuse would prove useful twice in one day: once to lie to the Emperor, and once to keep his wife in the rain.

Qin Lang could no longer remain calm, his true feelings spilling through. "Shen Ruojin, you aren't just asking for a divorce; you are asking for my life!"

"I..." Shen Ruojin was momentarily struck dumb. "I have no intention of harming you."

Qin Lang seized the opportunity. "Regardless, we cannot divorce now."

Shen Ruojin deliberated. "Then... we can divorce after I return. By then, you only need to make your stance clear, and I imagine the Emperor won't make things too difficult for you or the Prince of Zhenbei’s estate."

"Shen Ruojin!" Qin Lang could no longer endure it. "I cannot stand to hear the word 'divorce' right now."

The young Prince was nearly furious. His wife, whom he had fought so hard to marry, wanted to divorce him before he had even held her hand more than a few times.

Shen Ruojin stopped mentioning the word "divorce." Clutching her sword, she bowed to him. "Young Prince Qin, thank you for coming to the Marquis's estate today. Even if we are not husband and wife in the future, I will always remember your kindness today." If she were lucky enough to survive the Western Frontier, she would certainly repay this debt.

Qin Lang covered his ears. "Stop it, I cannot bear to hear 'not husband and wife,' either."

Shen Ruojin was silent for a moment before taking the jade pendant from her waist and holding it out. "This pendant is the token of the estate's management. Please, Young Prince, return it to the Princess." Since she had made up her mind to divorce upon her return from the West, there was no reason to keep the estate’s token.

Qin Lang refused to take it. "My mother gave it to you; why should I take it back for her?"

Shen Ruojin did not insist. "Then I will have Shijian send it back to the estate and hand it to the Princess."

Qin Lang said, "What is given to you is yours. Aren't you going to Luoyue Pass? It is over two thousand miles from the capital. No matter how good your horse is, it cannot withstand your constant riding. This token is more useful than you think."

He continued, "The Lin family shops are spread throughout the empire. With this token, you can exchange horses at local transport stations wherever you go, and in times of need, you can use it to mobilize grain and silver."

The Princess truly loved this daughter-in-law of hers. The pendant she had handed over was of such great utility. Shen Ruojin held the jade, her heart surging with complex emotions.

"Keep the token," Qin Lang said. "Use it when you need to; don't overthink it." He even addressed her inner concerns with tenderness. "They say it takes ten years of cultivation to share a boat and a hundred years to share a pillow. Since you have become my wife, it is only natural that you spend my money." Three days of being husband and wife was still being husband and wife.

Shen Ruojin nodded. "Thank you. I will accept your kindness, then." She would definitely find a way to repay him for this favor in the future.

"There's no need for thanks. After all, my life is in your hands." Qin Lang’s words were ambiguous. He suddenly changed the subject and asked her, "Shen Ruojin, do you want to take me with you?"