Chapter Fifty: A Man Must Bear Responsibility

The next day.

It was already late morning when Wang Pu finally awoke from his deep slumber, feeling parched and dizzy. Chen Yuanyuan, who had been embroidering, quickly put aside her needlework and poured a cup of warm water, handing it gently to Wang Pu. Her voice was tender, “Husband, you’re awake. Have some water.”

Wang Pu rubbed his groggy head and asked, “Yuanyuan, where are we?”

Chen Yuanyuan covered her mouth, laughing softly, “Husband, this is your campaign tent.”

“Campaign tent?” Wang Pu frowned. “Wasn’t I drinking in the Forbidden City? When did I come back here?”

“Husband, you were drunk last night,” Chen Yuanyuan extended her slender, jade-like fingers and gently massaged Wang Pu’s temples, speaking softly as she did, “The two young marquises brought you back.”

“Drunk?” Wang Pu tilted his head, trying to recall, and finally nodded, “It seems I really was drunk. I can’t remember a thing from last night.”

“Wife, come, sit beside me.”

He patted the spot next to him. Chen Yuanyuan cast him a coquettish glance and obediently sat down by his side. Wang Pu wrapped his arm around her slender waist, his hand wandering mischievously along the curve of her hips.

Chen Yuanyuan neither resisted nor pushed him away, gazing at Wang Pu with tender affection, allowing him his liberties.

Wang Pu, emboldened, was just about to press Chen Yuanyuan onto the soft couch when suddenly Xiao Qi’s voice rang out from outside, “General, the two young marquises are looking for you.”

Wang Pu’s hands, having just slipped under her garments, froze. Reluctantly, he withdrew them and cursed under his breath, “Damn it, of all times to come, they pick now.”

Chen Yuanyuan sat up, her fair cheeks flushed with red. She leaned in and kissed Wang Pu on the cheek, her bright eyes both charming and alluring, leaving Wang Pu almost entranced. As he reached out again, she tossed him a seductive glance and slipped gracefully into the rear chamber.

Wang Pu sheepishly withdrew his hands and called out to the tent, “Let them in.”

At the tent’s entrance, Chang Yanling and Li Zushu entered together, their faces grim. Once inside, they stood on either side without uttering a word.

Wang Pu was taken aback, “What’s wrong with you two?”

Li Zushu spoke, “Big brother, do you really not know, or are you pretending?”

“What should I know?” Wang Pu was increasingly confused. “Pretending about what?”

Li Zushu pressed, “About last night—do you really not remember?”

“I was drunk out of my mind. How could I know anything?” Wang Pu replied, then asked, “Hey, what happened last night? You two look pretty worried.”

“Brother,” Chang Yanling stomped his foot, “You caused a major disaster last night.”

“Disaster?” Wang Pu shook his head, “Impossible. What disaster could I cause?”

Li Zushu explained, “Last night at the imperial banquet in Jianji Hall, His Majesty wanted to marry Princess Changping to you. But you, in front of all the officials, refused, leaving His Majesty utterly embarrassed. Tell me, isn’t that causing trouble?”

Chang Yanling added, “And a catastrophic one at that!”

“His Majesty bestows a marriage, and I refused?” Wang Pu pointed to his own nose, tilting his head to recall, “Did that really happen? Impossible. Why can’t I remember?”

“You were completely drunk at the time, naturally you don’t remember,” Li Zushu said urgently. “But you did refuse His Majesty’s marriage in front of everyone. How can I even comment on this? Even if you have feelings for your new wife, you shouldn’t have made things so absolute in front of all the officials. How do you think His Majesty feels?”

“It’s too late for explanations now,” Chang Yanling said irritably. “Brother, you’d better prepare for His Majesty’s punishment.”

“Is it really that serious?” Wang Pu frowned. “I was drunk—I didn’t know anything.”

“Telling us won’t help,” Li Zushu waved his hand. “You’d better think about how you’ll explain things to His Majesty.”

Just then, Xiao Qi entered again to report, “General, Minister Chen from the Ministry of War is here, waiting outside the camp for you.”

“Minister Chen?” Wang Pu said. “Invite him in at once.”

Xiao Qi replied bitterly, “I’ve invited him, but Minister Chen insists on waiting outside.”

“It seems this matter really has blown up,” Wang Pu slapped his forehead and said to Chang Yanling and Li Zushu, “Come on, let’s go see.”

Outside the camp gate, Chen Xinjia paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. As Wang Pu and his companions stepped through the gate, Chen Xinjia launched into a tirade, “Wang Pu, do you have any sense? I remember you weren’t like this before. His Majesty bestows a marriage, Princess Changping is to wed you—what an honor! How could you... Ah, what can I even say?”

Chang Yanling interjected, “Minister Chen, it’s too late to talk about it now. We’d better think of a way to fix things.”

“Enough, let’s not talk anymore,” Chen Xinjia waved his hand and said to Wang Pu, “The only thing you can do now is claim drunkenness. Insist you were drunk last night and don’t remember anything you said. As for everything else, I’ll handle it for you! But your woman from Jiangnan—the courtesan you brought—send her away, and do it soon.”

“What are you saying?” Wang Pu’s face darkened, clearly displeased. “What do you mean ‘bought’? I paid a bride price, hired a matchmaker, and married her properly! Yuanyuan was once a courtesan, yes, but she’s gentle and virtuous—a good woman. Why should I abandon her?”

Wang Pu was no fool. He understood the gravity of the situation. But to cast aside Chen Yuanyuan just to become Emperor Chongzhen’s favored son-in-law—he couldn’t do it! After all, Chen Yuanyuan had been willing to shield him with her own body. Where else could he find such a devoted and beautiful woman?

Besides, Wang Pu was no Chen Shimei.

A true man must be loyal and responsible. How could he go back on his word? If he acted like those hypocrites who abandoned their wives for their own advancement, would he still be a man? Could a man treat his woman like that?

“Hey, so you’re going to argue with me?” Chen Xinjia was furious, “Do you realize you’re facing death?”

“Don’t threaten me with death,” Wang Pu replied irritably. “I’m truly not afraid.”

He meant it. If he died again, he’d just cross over once more—what did it matter which dynasty he ended up in?

“Fine, you’re something else,” Chen Xinjia forced a smile. “I won’t argue with you. Think about what’s important, weigh it carefully, and come to me once you’ve decided.”

Then Chen Xinjia turned to Chang Yanling and Li Zushu, “You two should also persuade Commander Wang—don’t let him ruin himself for the sake of a woman’s beauty.”

“No need to think. I can tell you right now,” Wang Pu replied coldly. “If His Majesty wishes to bestow a marriage and Princess Changping is to wed me, I would welcome it with open arms. But if it means I must cast aside Yuanyuan first, I cannot do it! I will never sacrifice my brothers or my woman for wealth and glory.”

“What? You mean you won’t abandon the courtesan but still want to marry the princess? Are you out of your mind? Are you expecting Her Highness to be your concubine?” Chen Xinjia trembled with rage, regretting deeply, and after a long pause said, “You’d better think it over.”

“Minister Chen, how about this?” Chang Yanling glanced at Wang Pu, asking cautiously, “Could Yuanyuan become his concubine, while the princess is his wife?”

“That won’t work either. How can you take a concubine before marrying your wife?” Chen Xinjia replied coldly. “Besides, no Ming dynasty Imperial Son-in-law has ever taken a concubine first. Would His Majesty approve? Impossible. Absolutely not. Wang Pu, this is my final advice: cast aside that courtesan as soon as possible.”

With that, Chen Xinjia ignored the three men, boarded his sedan chair, and departed in a huff.