Chapter 28

◎Is Jiang He's child◎

The hairpin Xue Lingyu wore was indeed a red jade and agate hairpin from Nandong County.

He was willing to pay a fortune for it, but Jiang He insisted that the Jiang family didn't have it. Now it's on Xue Lingyu's person, which proves that Jiang He deliberately didn't want to sell it to him.

He told him he didn't have any, and then turned around and gave it to Xue Lingyu.

He said that with the Jiang family's connections, how could they not find a hairpin? Jiang He's actions were a blatant slap in the face to a prince like him.

The Fifth Prince's expression changed drastically, and he almost lost his composure. He looked at Xue Lingyu with undisguised disgust.

Jiang He shielded Xue Lingyu behind her and stepped forward to the Fifth Prince, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. It's getting late, so it would be best if Your Highness returned to the palace as soon as possible to avoid causing His Majesty any worry."

Jiang He emphasized the last two words, and the Fifth Prince understood that she was using His Majesty to pressure him.

Jiang He doesn't care what rumors will spread if an unmarried prince repeatedly encounters the same woman outside the palace, but the Fifth Prince's reputation will be tarnished, making his marriage even more difficult.

The fifth prince was about to throw caution to the wind, but fortunately, the servant beside him pulled him back in time, bringing him back to his senses and preventing a major mistake.

The Fifth Prince steadied his breathing and a smile returned to his face. "Thank you for the reminder, Miss Jiang. I just happened to see Young Master Xue and wanted to catch up, since we used to have a good relationship."

The Fifth Prince deliberately looked at Xue Lingyu, covered his mouth and laughed, "Although the Xue family has declined now, Young Master Xue has climbed a high branch by becoming Miss Jiang's concubine."

Upon hearing this, Xue Lingyu's eyes suddenly darkened; the Fifth Prince's words had struck a nerve with him.

To expose his scars so openly in front of so many people, to humiliate him without any attempt at concealment.

The Fifth Prince felt a surge of pride. After all, he had been comparing himself to Xue Lingyu for so many years, so he knew that what Xue Lingyu cared about most was his reputation.

“I haven’t heard that the Fifth Prince and my beloved concubine used to have a good relationship, but since the Fifth Prince is so envious, why don’t you try to become his concubine as well?”

Jiang He's tone was full of disgust. Even after her warning, the Fifth Prince was still pestering her, which meant he really thought she couldn't do anything to him.

The Fifth Prince was rebuked by Jiang He, and his expression was unfriendly, but he directed all his hostility at Xue Lingyu.

Jiang He protected Xue Lingyu from beginning to end, refusing to let him suffer any harm, and even held his hand tightly.

The fifth prince couldn't understand where he had gone wrong.

Jiang He was too lazy to waste time on useless people. She turned around and said to Xue Lingyu in a very gentle tone, "Let's go back to the manor."

Xue Lingyu bit her lip and nodded.

The two men didn't even glance at the Fifth Prince before walking out.

The Fifth Prince tore at his handkerchief, his face contorted with rage, and sneered, "A mere concubine doesn't deserve to see a wedding dress. I'd like to see if Jiang He will continue to dote on you after she marries her husband."

Jiang He had already dismissed the Fifth Prince as a nuisance, but Xue Lingyu was clearly affected by his words. After returning to the mansion, she remained sullen and even lost her appetite.

Finally, just before it was time to rest, he tugged at Jiang He's sleeve and asked hesitantly:

"I heard that His Majesty intends to betroth the Fifth Prince to you as his principal husband. Won't His Majesty punish you for the way you treated him?"

The Fifth Prince looked at him like he wanted to devour him today. If he really marries into the Jiang family, he will definitely be the first one to be dealt with.

At that time, his life will be in danger, let alone his freedom.

Seeing that Xue Lingyu was thinking about this, Jiang He laughed out loud, "His Majesty has already changed his mind and will not arrange a marriage for me randomly. Besides, the Fifth Prince is no one to me. Am I supposed to cater to him?"

As Jiang He finished speaking, Xue Lingyu looked at her smile and felt a strange sense of trust.

He couldn't help but loosen his grip on Jiang He's sleeve a little, and then asked:

"And what about me? I'm just your concubine."

When he asked this question, his eyes were red, and even the tip of his nose was tinged with red.

He was just one of Jiang He's concubines. No matter how much Jiang He doted on him or how good she was to him, she would eventually marry her husband.

Given his current status, unless Jiang He has gone mad, there's no way he would support a concubine as his legal husband.

Xue Lingyu didn't know why he suddenly thought of Zhengfu. Perhaps it was because he saw the Fifth Prince's determined look in his eyes when he looked at Jiang He today that he suddenly felt a little scared.

My heart started to panic without me even realizing it.

“Yes, that’s why I’ll take care of you.” Jiang He reached out and wiped away the tears that were about to fall, and teased with a smile, “Why have you become so prone to crying now? I’ve never seen you cry before.”

Xue Lingyu still couldn't stop her tears.

“I’ll prepare an incense table for you, and you can burn three sticks of incense every day, without fail, all year round. How does that sound?” Jiang He said in a serious tone.

Xue Lingyu started crying and then laughed, "You really don't want to worship me like this?"

Seeing him smile through his tears, Jiang He breathed a sigh of relief and continued to coax him, "When have I ever told a lie?"

Xue Lingyu stopped crying but decided to leave. "I've stayed here for several days. If I stay any longer, there might be some rumors going around."

The implication was that they wanted to move back home.

Jiang He's eyes darkened, but she said nothing.

Xue Lingyu thought she had agreed, so she got up to pack her clothes, but she was caught off guard and pulled into her arms, unable to move.

Jiang He's voice was hoarse, her hot breath brushing against Xue Lingyu's cheek, carrying an air of dominance and urgency:

"I'll leave later, after you're pregnant... wait for me..."

The fire within her, dormant for so long, now burned ever brighter.

The next day, Yuange wanted to wake Jiang He up early, but when she saw clothes scattered all over the floor, she immediately retreated, silently reciting the proverb "Do not look at what is improper."

With Miss's adoration for Young Master Xue, it seems that Young Master Xue's pregnancy is just around the corner.

Jiang He tidied her clothes before coming out; her complexion was rosy and she looked to be in very good spirits.

Yuange seemed to have something to say.

Jiang He gestured for her to continue.

Yuange bowed her head and reported, "Miss, everything you asked us to do last time has been found out. Young Master Xue has not been in contact with any outsiders recently, and everyone in the courtyard has been purged."

The Jiang family is now as solid as a rock, not even a fly can get out, let alone anyone trying to infiltrate Xue Lingyu's territory.

“Miss, it seems that Young Master Xue likes you very much. Once he has your child, he will be even less likely to have any other thoughts.”

Jiang He remained silent, constantly rubbing her sleeves.

She always had a feeling that she might lose Xue Lingyu at any moment.

If he came to the Jiang family for some purpose, or was deliberately deceiving her, Jiang He hoped he could keep up the deception for as long as possible.

Because of the matter of keeping Xue Lingyu here these past few days, Jiang's father originally wanted to ask Jiang He to go to the main courtyard to persuade him properly. After all, Xue Lingyu was destined not to be the main husband, and his doting on the concubine made many people afraid to marry their sons into the family.

He was worried about the continuation of the Jiang family bloodline, and also troubled by his daughter's stubbornness, as she was still devoted to Xue Lingyu.

The following day, the Fifth Prince left the palace several times, and rumors of him harassing Jiang He spread.

Jiang Wanyi stirred things up in the palace, and the Emperor soon found out about it. He immediately summoned the Fifth Prince to the Imperial Study and gave him a good scolding.

The Emperor pointed at the Fifth Prince kneeling on the ground, furious, and said, "It seems you really didn't listen to me. I told you long ago that you could not marry into the Jiang family, and I will not let you marry into it."

The Fifth Prince straightened his back and asked stubbornly, "Why can His Majesty marry Jiang Wanyi, but I cannot marry Jiang He?"

These words intensified the Empress's anger. She said with exasperation, "If you had the ability to make Jiang He ask for your hand in marriage, I wouldn't say anything. But Jiang He has no feelings for you whatsoever. Can't you see that?"

For a prince to debase himself so blatantly, showing no regard for his reputation, has brought him a host of rumors and gossip. Even the Emperor is worried that no one in the capital will dare to marry him in the future.

The Fifth Prince knew perfectly well, and with red eyes, he cried, "I can see it, but... but..."

He cried so hard he could barely breathe, deeply moved.

After all, he was the closest of brothers, and that one word, "Little Fifth," gradually softened the Emperor's heart.

The arguing continued in the imperial study, and soon someone relayed the news to the inner palace.

Jiang Wanyi was reading by the window when she heard the palace servant finish speaking, and couldn't help but sneer.

The servant patted his back and advised, "The Fifth Prince is, after all, His Majesty's younger brother. His Majesty cannot refuse his plea. Besides, even if the Fifth Prince uses all his power, Miss will not take the initiative to ask him for marriage."

The Emperor surprisingly agreed to the Fifth Prince's request for marriage if Jiang He personally proposed.

However, if Jiang He does not propose marriage, the Fifth Prince will have to accept the arrangement to marry another young lady from a noble family.

In the evening, Emperor Wei came to visit Jiang Wanyi. Perhaps feeling guilty, he bestowed many good things upon her and said many flattering words, just hoping that Jiang Wanyi would smile at him.

Jiang Wanyi finally smiled in response to her teasing after a while, but it wasn't from the bottom of her heart.

"I will stay here with you tonight." The Emperor looked at his face, his eyes filled with infatuation and longing.

Jiang Wanyi didn't say anything, letting Wei Di pull him towards the inner room.

Emperor Wei also felt that it was impossible for the Fifth Prince to get Jiang He to take the initiative to propose marriage, which is why he agreed to it.

However, the Fifth Prince had his own plans.

He wept bitterly in the imperial study, having finally managed to move the emperor, so naturally he couldn't let go of this last chance.

In a dark room in the palace, a heavily pregnant man sat quietly. He was plump and about five or six months pregnant, but his face was very sallow.

The Fifth Prince looked down at him and asked, "You said the child in your belly is Jiang He's?"

Yangtao touched her belly and nodded.

Since being driven out of the mansion, he has lived a life of wandering, never having enough to wear or eat. His former lover has also abandoned him. If this continues, neither he nor the child in his womb will survive.

He had no choice but to swallow his pride and go back to beg the Jiang family for help, but the Jiang family was unwilling to help him. Ruiming said he would ask the lord for help, but he knew that he had made a huge mistake and the lord would never help him.

Just when he was on the verge of despair, he encountered the Fifth Prince's men.

After learning of his identity, the Fifth Prince's men brought him into the palace.

The Fifth Prince seemed to dislike the young lady's newly acquired concubine very much.

In order to save his life, he had no choice but to insist that the child in his belly was Jiang He's.

The Fifth Prince lifted Yang Tao's small face and smiled sinisterly: "In order to take Xue Lingyu as a concubine, Jiang He actually kicked out the maid who was pregnant with her child. I wonder if Xue Lingyu would still consider him a treasure that Jiang He cherishes if he knew of your existence?"

Yangtao couldn't help but tremble.

A note from the author:

Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 19:25:03 on January 11, 2022 and 19:47:06 on January 12, 2022!

Thank you to the little angels who threw landmines: Loves ice cream, giegie, you're so sexy, 50079455 (1 each);

Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Bald Tree (10 bottles); 36453955 (3 bottles); 57028157 (2 bottles);

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!

◎Latest Comments:

【Strengthen your claws∈】

Hurry up!

Wow, Jiang Wanyi and her partner seem to have great chemistry!

Fifth Prince: I'm about to do something bad!

[Yang Tao, your incompetent teammate, hurry up and catch up...]

[Pah, those two pieces of trash!]

【Ahhhhhhh】

【Here it comes! Here it comes! Here it comes!】

[This is so sweet! No heartbreak needed!]

[Absolutely]

[Xue, have confidence! Don't be fooled!]

[Go, Mrs. Jiang! I want to see Jiang Jiang continue to pamper Xiao Xue!]

[Fifth Prince, please log off already! I'm so annoyed! No wonder he can't compare to Xiao Xue, either before or now]

【claw】

Oh my god, is this really such a vicious man? I'm so scared, so scared!

Sister He, you must protect Yu Yu!

-over-