The Prince Consort Takes the Role of a Kept Man - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was no secret in Shangjing that Yan Chenshuang and I had a poor marriage.

After my imperial younger brother ascended the throne, quite a few people even started betting pools in secret.

They were betting on whether Yan Chenshuang, newly appointed Chancellor, would divorce me first, or whether I, having finished using him, would kick him aside first.

I looked at the divorce agreement I had just finished writing and sighed with regret.

What a pity Yan Chenshuang had explicitly forbidden me from entering places like gambling dens and brothels. Otherwise, wouldn’t I have made a fortune today?

Yan Chenshuang, blocking my path to riches. Grounds enough for divorce.

So I sat there, divorce agreement in hand, waiting for Chancellor Yan to return to the residence.

I waited and waited. The sky grew dark. The other officials had all left their posts. It was long past the time Yan Chenshuang usually came home.

And still, he had not returned.

I became mildly furious.

He had only just been promoted, and already he could not even be bothered to keep up the act?

I had clearly reminded him just last night that before the divorce, we needed to take inventory of our personal belongings, and that he should come home early today.

Damn it. Becoming Chancellor really did make him impressive. He even dared ignore a princess now!

With a distinctly unpleasant expression, I sat guard by the entrance, fully intending to give him a proper talking-to when he returned.

But what came back instead was a panicked attendant.

He said Yan Chenshuang had gotten drunk, ridden a horse recklessly, and fallen off.

And landed on the back of his head.

Although he had been carried back, he remained unconscious.

I stood there blankly for several seconds.

The divorce agreement in my hand was instantly crushed into a ball of scrap paper.

“Go summon the imperial physician! Bring the imperial physician here at once!”

Yan Chenshuang had always been unlucky but hard to kill, and this time was no different.

Although he had fallen from his horse, thankfully there had been no sharp stones on the road, so his life was not in danger.

After being unconscious for most of the night, he finally woke up.

When I saw him open his eyes, I at last breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, out of habit, I immediately stabbed him with my words.

“What, is separating from me such a joyous occasion that it could make the ever-disciplined and proper Lord Yan indulge himself to this degree?”

“But Lord Yan should still cherish his life a little. After all, I don’t want to…” gain a reputation for bringing death to my husbands.

I did not finish the sentence.

Because the newly awakened Yan Chenshuang suddenly sat up and wrapped his arms around my waist.

Me: “?”

He held on so tightly I nearly could not breathe.

“Are you trying to murder me-”

“Princess.” Yan Chenshuang, who had always been expressionless, now looked so miserable he seemed on the verge of death. “I beg you, please don’t separate from me. I don’t want to be apart from you.”

Me: “??”

In that instant, I almost thought Yan Chenshuang had designs on the throne.

Otherwise, there was no explaining why he would sacrifice himself to such an extent.

Seeing me stare at him with an indescribable look while saying nothing at all, Yan Chenshuang choked up, his eyes turning red.

“I know I am only a secret lover who cannot be brought into the light. Now that the other one is coming back, it is only natural that Princess would want to separate from me… But I am unwilling to leave you.”

“I swear I will not appear before that person and affect the relationship between you two. I beg you, Princess, please don’t grow tired of me. Just keep me by your side as a toy for your amusement.”

Me: “…Huh?”

The surrounding maids and servants: “…Oh.”

Under everyone’s uncertain, suspicious gazes-gazes that clearly said, So the princess and the Prince Consort play this wildly-I slowly clenched my back teeth together.

“Imperial physician,” I said, enunciating each word, “did he fall stupid?”

The imperial physician, who had likewise been stunned by Yan Chenshuang’s speech, finally came back to his senses. After carefully examining him and taking his pulse, he cupped his hands and said,

“Lord Yan’s injury has likely caused confusion in his memories. However, this may not necessarily be a bad thing.”

I pointed at Yan Chenshuang, who was clinging to me for dear life and refusing to let go. “Not… a bad thing?”

The imperial physician said that while Yan Chenshuang’s head injury had triggered the memory confusion, the true cause of the illness came from a knot in his heart.

“Now that my lord’s memories are confused, those obsessions and frustrations long suppressed within his heart may perhaps have a chance to be released.”

The imperial physician rambled on for quite a while, and I did not really understand much of it.

In any case, the general idea was that Yan Chenshuang’s confused memories reflected the thoughts and desires he had always carried in his heart.

Could his obsession really be becoming my secret lover?

Truly shocking.

Yan Chenshuang lifted his head to look at me. Seeing the strange look in my eyes, Lord Yan gave me a sweet smile.

Me: “…”

Tsk.

He was rather good-looking, though.