Chapter 189: The Prisoned Flower in the Cage, the Happiness of the Gilded Sparrow

Chen Xi, intending to first return home to comfort his wives and concubines, left Liu Bei and headed straight for his residence. After all, he had transported several billion coins back home, and he wondered where Fan Jian might have stashed all the money.

“Master, you’ve returned,” Old Chen, the head steward, greeted him with a smile as Chen Xi arrived. Chen Xi had finally shed his title of "young master," but the idea of an 18-year-old being called "master" still felt a bit odd.

“Old Chen, you should take more rest. Leave the gatekeeping to the guards; your job is to oversee the household, not to stand at the gate. In a few days, I’ll find you a lovely companion; you should focus on enjoying your golden years and maybe even having another son,” Chen Xi said with a cheerful tone. As a loyal servant who had stayed with the Chen family even through its decline, Old Chen deserved some peace and joy in his later years.

“How could I let these youngsters guard the gate? They might cause trouble, and that would reflect poorly on the household. Now that you’re a marquis, Master, it’s important that we maintain the proper decorum,” the old steward said, glancing back at the upright guards with a slight shake of his sleeve. Clearly, someone among them had slacked off in their duties at some point.

“Alright, alright. I’ll have a small pavilion built for you in the courtyard so you won’t have to stand at the gate anymore,” Chen Xi relented, acknowledging that Old Chen was indeed meticulous in his duties.

As soon as Chen Xi stepped into the inner courtyard, he was greeted by a chorus of delicate voices from a group of maids, all bowing respectfully.

Chen Xi couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Compared to the last time he returned, it seemed that the number of women in his household had increased by at least a dozen, and they were all strikingly beautiful. What was going on?

Feeling a bit exasperated, Chen Xi mused that Liu Bei had likely been bored and sent more women to his household. After all, there were only two men in the household: Old Chen, who also served as the steward and occasionally watched the gate, and himself. As for the guards, they didn’t count, making the gender imbalance in the household even more pronounced.

"I might as well make them all handmaidens…" Chen Xi thought wickedly, though he quickly dismissed the idea. With his physical condition, he might be able to visit a brothel once every few days, but indulging too frequently could lead to health issues. He was certainly not like Guo Jia, who treated debauchery as a daily routine.

“Jian’er, why are there so many new maids in the house?” Chen Xi asked as he entered the room, where Fan Jian was sitting on the bed, sewing. This time, she was using a thimble on her finger, likely to avoid pricking herself again. Chen Xi’s invention had become quite popular, indicating that in this era, almost every woman was skilled in needlework—unlike in later times.

“Hmph, how should I know?” Fan Jian pouted, clearly displeased. The first thing her husband asked upon returning wasn’t about her well-being, but about the new maids.

Chen Xi rolled his eyes. If Fan Jian hadn’t agreed to it, those maids would never have entered the household. However, he wasn’t in the mood to figure out Fan Jian’s thoughts. Though she was fairly straightforward, guessing her feelings would ruin the fun.

After some coaxing, Chen Xi finally got the full story from Fan Jian.

The newly arrived maids in the Chen household included eight sent by Liu Bei when he returned recently. Liu Bei’s gifts were always of high quality, although they were certainly not on the level of a talented woman like Cai Yan.

Another five were sent by Madam Zhang, along with various other gifts. The remaining maids had been sent by the madam of the brothel that Chen Xi had nearly swindled when he was short on money. They ranged in age from eleven to twenty-two, and they were all high-class courtesans—a rather significant gift.

Fan Jian also informed Chen Xi that the brothel, once located in a small, obscure alley, had now moved to the main street, occupying a prime location. Chen Xi could only shake his head in exasperation.

It wasn’t hard for Chen Xi to figure out what had happened. While Chen Xi and the others were off dealing with Yuan Shu, Lu Su had been working tirelessly, and when someone came to change locations using a voucher Chen Xi had written, Lu Su had probably granted them a prime spot on the main street without asking what kind of business they ran. After all, Chen Xi’s reputation carried weight, and thus, the brothel ended up on the main street.

As for the idea that the madam had always planned to upgrade to a better location, Chen Xi didn’t dwell on it. It wasn’t that he held Han dynasty merchants in high regard, but rather, what merchant would dare to scheme against a marquis with real power?

What a joke. He could crush them at any moment. Just as the aristocrats of this era conducted business without fear of being swindled, not because they trusted merchants’ ethics, but because they could easily destroy them. For example, the Mi family, without Liu Bei’s backing, wouldn’t stand a chance against the Zhen family in Jizhou, no matter how wealthy they were.

“Was that voucher really written by you, husband?” Fan Jian asked curiously, her hand gently resting on Chen Xi’s chest, though her posture suggested she was ready to take action.

“Haha, that was just to redeem someone for Tan Zhi. I didn’t have any money on me,” Chen Xi laughed awkwardly, but when he saw Fan Jian’s indifferent expression, he decided to answer honestly.

“Do you think I believe that?” Fan Jian asked, her eyes fixed on him.

“Probably not, but it doesn’t really matter,” Chen Xi said, dropping the pretense after her second question. There was no point in pretending to be scared.

Fan Jian was taken aback, her intended response lost as she sat on Chen Xi’s lap, staring at him in silence. After a long pause, she finally spoke in a quiet voice, “Husband, do you find me so unlikable?”

“It’s not about dislike or annoyance,” Chen Xi said with a complicated expression. He knew that the cold approach would work well here, even if it would hurt their relationship. But some things needed to be said clearly.

“Since you already know, there’s no need to ask. Just do what you’re supposed to do. I’m being honest with you—I don’t want to explain further. You’ve been here long enough to understand. There’s no need to ask me. Actually, Lan is very good; she never asks about these things. You should know that besides Lan, I haven’t touched anyone in the household. You should also know what things are like outside,” Chen Xi said calmly.

“It’s okay to be jealous, and it’s okay to be unhappy, but please focus on your duties. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do, and I expect you to do the same. Don’t worry—no one can take away your position as my legitimate wife,” Chen Xi added, understanding the pressure Fan Jian must have been under. The women sent by Zhang Shi were clearly well-trained and cultured, which must have made Fan Jian feel inadequate.

Fan Jian looked at Chen Xi with teary eyes, feeling wronged. Chen Xi sighed and pulled her into his arms, whispering gently in her ear, “Jian’er, you don’t need to feel that way. What I can give you is the position of the main wife, and no one can take that from you. I can’t say I love you, but I can promise you what you want. The Chen family will always have you as its matron.”

“Let’s move to my residence from now on,” Chen Xi said, sensing that this might be the simplest solution.

Fan Jian cried softly on Chen Xi’s shoulder, feeling a mix of emotions as she thought about the growing number of maids in the household and the long periods of time when she didn’t see her husband. The situation was both realistic and straightforward.

Chen Xi placed no restrictions on her, which made Fan Jian feel insecure. Moreover, Chen Xi had never promised her anything. From the moment she arrived in Taishan, each time Chen Xi returned, his status changed. What started as a down-and-out young master had now become a marquis, and with each return, the gap between them seemed to widen.

Chen Xi rarely stayed with Fan Jian, though he didn’t spend much time with Lan either. However, whenever he was in Fenggao, he would visit Lan every few days, while he rarely visited Fan Jian.

“Alright, stop crying. I’ll give you everything you want,” Chen Xi said, wiping away Fan Jian’s tears with his thumb. He looked at the girl before him, a sixteen-year-old in the prime of her youth. In his time, she would have been just a high school student. Yet, in this era, she had to worry about so many things.

Fan Jian’s tears fell in large droplets, as if she were trying to wash away all the grievances she had endured. Chen Xi quietly held her, saying nothing, just holding her close.

Chen Xi looked up at the intricate carvings and silently sighed. "A bird in a cage has its own happiness." If Fan Jian wanted that kind of happiness, he would give it to her. He couldn’t give her all of his love, but he could give her enough happiness. After all, she wasn’t asking for much. A girl’s dream shouldn’t be shattered by the hands of her husband.

"I can’t give you romance, but I can give you a wedding. I can’t give you a garden full of flowers, but I can show you the splendors of the world. I can’t grow old with you, but I can ensure you live a life of wealth and honor." Chen Xi thought to himself. A girl’s dreams and reality often diverge, but he could provide the latter.

Having shattered one girl’s dreams before, Chen Xi was much more cautious this time. Even though he offered Fan Jian reality, he still left her plenty of room for her dreams. While a caged flower may have chosen its own prison, dreams and reality are always different. Although Fan Jian may feel she doesn’t need her wings to fly, Chen Xi didn’t want to strip them away from her.

Chen Xi smiled wryly as he looked at Fan Jian, who had fallen asleep in his arms after crying herself to exhaustion. She was still so young, too young. He gently brushed aside a strand of hair from her face and leaned down to plant a soft kiss.

Chen Lan, watching quietly from the window, smiled softly. The excitement of her elevated status as a concubine had long passed. As someone who had gone from being a mere singer to a concubine of a marquis, Chen Lan had endured many hardships. She knew her place and performed her duties diligently. Having spent more time with Chen Xi, she understood his character well—distant and cold, yet loyal to those he acknowledged. As long as one didn’t overstep their bounds, Chen Xi would never forget them.