Chapter 85

◎"So she became a discarded husband."◎

Yuan Ge didn't dare to say too much to Jiang He, for fear that she would be reminded of Xue Lingyu.

By carefully choosing his words, he said that Xue Lingyi was framed by a treacherous official and exiled. Now that he has been exonerated, he has been reinstated and his family has regained its former status. In addition, Xue Taifu has been cured by a folk healer, and the Xue family has also found a place in the palace.

Jiang He pondered for a moment, then commented briefly and forcefully: "This dramatic rise and fall is truly legendary."

She lazily closed her eyes. "Besides the lord, are there any other male relatives in the Xue family?"

Yuan Ge began to panic, and reluctantly replied, "There is a legitimate son..."

Jiang He nodded and didn't ask any further questions, instead deciding to take a short rest.

When the carriage slowly stopped in front of the Jiang residence, Yuange helped Jiang He out of the carriage. Sure enough, they saw Su Yawan with a dark face, as if she had been waiting for Jiang He to return.

Jiang He was caught red-handed and could only smile helplessly.

Su Yawan took a deep breath, suppressed her anger, and went forward to help Jiang He.

Upon seeing the blood seeping from her shoulder, Su Yawan ground her teeth and couldn't help but say, "When have you ever listened to me? You're as stubborn as a donkey."

Jiang He replied softly, "I'm fine, I just went to the shop to resolve a small issue."

Su Yawan couldn't bear to leave her behind, so he helped her to her room and went to fetch a doctor to bandage her wounds.

When the Imperial Physician Xue summoned the Xue family, Xue Lingyu was nearly six months pregnant. Upon learning of her pregnancy, the Imperial Physician Xue ordered the palace servants to prepare a sedan chair and carry her to the Jiaofang Palace to avoid disturbing the fetus by walking too far.

Xue Lingyu is the grand-nephew of Xue Taifu. He often entered the palace to keep Xue Taifu company and relieve his boredom since he was a child. It can be said that Xue Taifu watched him grow up, and their relationship was quite close.

After chatting with Xue's father for a few minutes, Xue Taifu dismissed the palace servants who were serving in the hall, clearly indicating that he wanted to say something to the Xue family members alone.

"Could the doctor have taken her pulse? It seems she will give birth in the summer." Doctor Xue looked at Xue Lingyu's swollen belly and softened his gaze. The Xue family was small, and now that a junior was about to be born, he was undoubtedly happy, especially since it was the child of his favorite.

Therefore, he felt a deep tenderness for this unborn child.

Although he had never given birth, he had spent many years in the late emperor's harem and had seen many concubines pregnant, so he naturally knew a thing or two.

Xue Lingyu replied in a low voice, "Doctor, the doctor has been checking the baby's pulse regularly. The baby is very healthy, just as the doctor predicted. The baby will be full term and ready for delivery in July."

Empress Xue smiled kindly: "I will have Physician Ji deliver your baby. You just need to relax and wait for the delivery."

Xue Lingyu was about to bow to Xue Taifu to express her gratitude when Xue Taifu stopped her. He looked Xue Lingyu over for a while and asked with concern, "You seem to have lost a lot of weight compared to before. Is something troubling you?"

Xue Lingyu's chin was a bit sharper than before, but he had gained a lot of weight in the early stages of his pregnancy. Now that he had slimmed down, he looked no different from before. It was only because Xue Taifu knew him so well that he could tell at a glance.

He looked extremely listless, with fatigue showing in the corners of his eyes, which was easily seen through by Xue Taifu.

Xue Lingyu quickly denied it: "I have no worries, it's just that my morning sickness has been a bit severe lately."

Xue Taifu glanced at Xue's father, who immediately understood that he wanted to speak with Xue Lingyu alone, so he tactfully made an excuse to leave.

Empress Xue asked Xue Lingyu to sit beside her, patted his hand, and said gently, "Good child, tell me, what exactly happened between you and that child from the Jiang family?"

"The Emperor has summoned Prince Feng to the capital with his eldest son. The Jiang family's child is to marry Prince Feng's eldest son as his principal husband. But you are pregnant with the Jiang family's child. Do you have any plans in mind?"

Xue Taifu was usually extremely aloof and indifferent, and rarely showed any concern for the emperor. Only when he was with Xue Lingyu did he show a bit more gentleness.

Seeing Xue Lingyu lower his head and remain silent, the Imperial Physician Xue assumed that he was regretting and grieving, so she tentatively said, "I have some connections with Prince Feng. If you agree, although it cannot change His Majesty's decree, it can allow you to marry into the Jiang family as a commoner, and sit on equal footing with Prince Feng's eldest son. Moreover, the child in your womb is the eldest grandson of the Jiang family. If it is a daughter, the position of the Duke's heir will be hers."

After all, a child cannot be without a mother. Even if the Xue family can support Xue Lingyu for a lifetime, once the child is born, he will face the situation of not having a mother, which is too unfair to the child.

Having lost his mother at a young age, Xue Taifu was able to personally understand such pain. He had also seen many children in the palace who had lost their loved ones and were not doing well. Even the late emperor, due to the lack of attention and love from the previous emperor, became stubborn and almost went astray in his youth.

Xue Lingyu understood Xue Taifu's good intentions. When he raised his head, the tip of his nose was already red. "But Taifu, I have no face to return to the Jiang family..."

Xue Taifu had also heard some rumors that Jiang He had been in a coma for many days and almost lost her life in order to save Xue Lingyi. This was enough to prove that she was a kind and righteous girl. In addition, the date of their wedding had already been set, but it ended so abruptly, which was indeed unfair to Jiang He.

Empress Xue sighed, "So be it. Perhaps we are truly not meant to be. If you wish to marry in the future, I will find you a good match."

His main purpose this time was to test Xue Lingyu's thoughts, and now that he roughly knows, he has a plan.

After talking with him for a while, the palace servants announced that the Emperor Wei had arrived. Only then did the Empress Dowager release Xue Lingyu's hand, reverting to her indifferent demeanor. She ordered the palace servants to escort Xue Lingyu and her father out of the palace before allowing the Emperor Wei to enter.

The Emperor knew that the Xue family had just left, and he could even see the smile on Xue Taifu's face as he looked at Xue Lingyu from outside the palace. But this was clearly her father, the Empress, who had never looked at her with such affection.

Emperor Wei greeted Xue Taifu, looking at him with a hint of expectation in his eyes.

Lady Xue lay on the couch and said calmly, "Get up."

The Emperor did not rise, but gritted his teeth and said, "Your daughter knows the Xue family's place in Your Majesty's heart. My past demotion of the Xue family was truly due to the circumstances. This time, I was wrong, and I am willing to do my utmost to make amends. I will now proceed according to Your Majesty's wishes..."

Empress Xue coldly interrupted her, "Alright, Your Majesty, I'm tired. You may leave now."

He had talked a lot today, and his mouth was dry. He didn't have the energy to argue with the Emperor anymore. If she had just come to pay her respects, that would have been fine, but she acted like a child who hadn't grown up, wanting to ask him for candy.

This is truly outrageous for a ruler of a country.

Emperor Wei paused for a moment, his eyes gradually filled with disappointment, and he said with a bitter smile, "Yes, Father."

After leaving the palace, Xue's father wanted to ask Xue Lingyu what he had said to Xue Taifu, but seeing that he was not very happy, he did not speak.

Upon returning to the Xue residence, Xue Lingyu locked herself in her room.

After leaving the Jiang family, everyone asked him about his future plans. Perhaps everyone felt that his actions were excessive and had broken Jiang He's heart. So when she saw the Xue family's carriage, she didn't even have the desire to compete, but instead gave way.

After he left the letter, Jiang He really didn't come looking for him.

"Then I'll just watch her marry that Prince Feng's legitimate son," Xue Lingyu thought defiantly.

After Manager Zhao was arrested and taken to the Jingzhao Yamen, she revealed some important things. Someone had deliberately instructed her to use the beauty cream to damage the Jiang family's reputation in the capital. She said that using the cream too much would ruin one's face, and if the victims attacked the Jiang family, the Jiang family would inevitably lose both their wealth and their reputation.

Although the Jiang family has deep roots, it will surely suffer a great loss of vitality after such an attack.

If someone were to take advantage of the situation and try to seize the Jiang family's shops, it would be incredibly easy.

Fortunately, Jiang He discovered this vicious scheme in time, thus averting a loss.

Jiang He couldn't remember how she started to think there was something wrong with the beauty cream, but that obviously didn't matter now.

She had already dismissed Manager Zhao and ordered that no more shops under the Jiang family's name should hire him. She planned to then slowly monitor Manager Zhao and try to find out who was behind him. However, her sudden coma interrupted her plans.

Manager Zhao has been stirring up trouble in the business lately, spreading rumors that the Jiang family business has been losing money for a long time and will soon be unable to survive.

After much thought, Jiang He decided, "I have to go to the He family. The Jiang and He families are closely connected in this matter, and we must join forces if necessary."

Seeing that she was so lively and energetic, and knowing that this matter also concerned the interests of the Jiang family, Su Yawan knew that she couldn't control her, so she simply didn't say anything and let her be.

Jiang He traveled to the He family by carriage. Time was of the essence, and she didn't have time to send a visiting card beforehand. Moreover, merchants don't usually have many formalities. However, when she arrived at the He family, the servants told her that He Sui had gone out to inspect the shops and was not currently at home.

The He family only had one son and no daughters. They couldn't just hand over their vast fortune to someone else, so they entrusted the business to He Sui to manage. They planned to find a son-in-law to live with them and have a daughter to inherit the family property, thus preserving their legacy.

Since the person was not there, Jiang He left a message for the He family gatekeeper and then left.

Halfway through the journey, Jiang He suddenly ordered the driver to turn around. She was thinking of going to the He family's southern quarters to see if she could run into He Sui if she was lucky.

Besides, the He family's Nanfang is renowned far and wide, so she could go there to learn from their experience.

Nanfang indeed has many novelties, among which jewelry is the most popular among the young masters of noble families.

Jiang He glanced around casually and couldn't help but show a look of disappointment. Unfortunately, the jewelry in the south was all rather delicate and elegant. She still preferred those pieces made of red jade or agate, which looked dignified and noble.

Xue Lingyu deliberately avoided the two wards of the Jiang family and came to the South Ward to relax. Unexpectedly, as soon as he turned around, he saw Jiang He looking down at the stall picking out hairpins.

He couldn't help but jump up and down; this was the first time he had seen Jiang He in many days.

She looked noticeably thinner from behind; I wonder if her injuries have healed...

Just as he was lost in thought, Jiang He actually walked in his direction. Xue Lingyu couldn't help but gasp, thinking that Jiang He had come looking for him.

He couldn't help but whisper her name.

"Jiang He..."

But Jiang He seemed not to recognize him, brushing past him with a look that made him feel a strong sense of unfamiliarity.

Xue Lingyu stood there, stunned, unable to believe it.

Is Jiang He planning to become a stranger to him?

A voice suddenly came from behind.

"Young master, you've dropped your hairpin."

Jiang He noticed a hairpin on the ground and guessed that it must have been dropped by this distinguished young man, so she gently reminded him.

Unexpectedly, the young master seemed not to hear her, so she bent down to pick up the hairpin, which immediately caught her eye. The hairpin was made of red jade agate from Nandong County, and it was priceless outside.

Not to mention the ingenious design of the hairpin; even the seemingly randomly inlaid gemstones are all treasures.

Jiang He patiently asked again, "Is this the young master's hairpin?"

When the person turned to face her, Jiang He was slightly surprised. The person in front of her was as beautiful as a flower in spring, especially her dark eyes, which seemed to hold brimming autumn water. Her skin was fair, and her eyes were bright and her teeth were white, just like freshly picked cherries, a feast for the eyes.

Unfortunately, she got married. Jiang He's gaze fell on Xue Lingyu's protruding belly.

Everyone loves beauty, but she would never have designs on a married man.

Xue Lingyu bit her thin lips, her conflicted expression evident on her face, and finally said in a muffled voice, "It's mine."

Jiang He was asking a question she already knew the answer to; this was a gift she had given herself.

Or is she simply unwilling to admit it now?

Jiang He then handed the hairpin to him, her expression frank, "Then I'll return it to you, young master."

Xue Lingyu took the hairpin back, clutching it tightly. Looking at Jiang Heming's bright eyes, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness and said, "Are you choosing jewelry for your future husband?"

Jiang He didn't expect him to ask that, so she chuckled and said, "I'm just looking around. However, the jewelry here is not as good as the one you have. If you're willing to sell it to me, you can name your price."

Upon hearing this, Xue Lingyu immediately hid the hairpin behind her back and said hastily, "I'm not selling it."

Jiang He paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Of course I wouldn't take away what you love, young master."

Jiang He glanced at the sky and kindly advised, "It's getting late, young master. You should go home as soon as possible so that your wife won't worry."

She searched for a long time but couldn't find He Sui, so she gave up on the idea and decided to return to the Jiang residence.

She nodded slightly to Xue Lingyu and walked past him, as if they were strangers meeting by chance, without the slightest lingering affection.

Thinking about what she had just said—that she was going to marry—Xue Lingyu wondered if he was going to get married too. She touched her belly and smiled bitterly. He was carrying her child; who else could he marry?

He watched Jiang He's departing figure and, as if possessed, followed her.

Jiang He was a martial artist, and her five senses were more acute than those of ordinary people. At the first turn, she noticed that someone was following her, so she deliberately went into a dead end to see who it was.

Unexpectedly, the person who entered the circle was the young master she had just met in Nanfang. When Jiang He saw his face, she couldn't help but narrow her eyes.

Xue Lingyu thought he had lost Jiang He and felt a pang of melancholy. But then again, the two of them had nothing to do with each other now, and if word got out that he had done something like this, he would surely be laughed at.

Just as he was about to leave, he felt a hand grab his waist. When he came to his senses, he was pinned against the wall, his hands were tightly restrained, and he was forced to look up at the person who had come.

Jiang He smiled and looked at Xue Lingyu with a leisurely air, asking, "Why were you following me?"

Knowing that he was pregnant, Jiang He was extra careful not to touch his stomach.

Her question almost brought Xue Lingyu to tears, so he simply gave up and said, "I do want to, so what can you do about it?"

Xue Lingyu turned his head to the side, revealing his snow-white neck, and closed his eyes resignedly. He was just that pathetic. If Jiang He wanted to mock him, then let her mock him mercilessly. He deserved it.

The servant who finally caught up saw Xue Lingyu being pinned against the wall by a strange woman and shouted, "My young master is the legitimate son of Prime Minister Xue, don't you dare do anything reckless!"

The servants in the Xue household were all newly purchased and naturally did not recognize Jiang He, assuming she was some kind of lecher.

Xue Lingyu's eyelashes trembled, and his breathing became heavy. He was waiting for Jiang He to mock him, but Jiang He just stared at him. After hearing the servant's words, she said with a hint of amusement, "So you are Prime Minister Xue's eldest son. You're running around like this with such a big belly. Doesn't your wife care?"

This is the truth, but also a test.

Xue Lingyu opened her eyes, pursed her lips, and said, "I have no wife."

"So you've become a discarded husband." Jiang He's tone was indeed quite harsh, just like her behavior when she was a playboy. In the end, she still let go of him.

Xue Lingyu felt extremely sore in her arm, and even a red mark appeared on her wrist, showing that Jiang He had not held back at all.

He was in so much pain that tears were welling up in his eyes. He rubbed his wrist and looked at Jiang He, saying, "Don't go too far."

Seeing that his wrist was indeed red, Jiang He's eyes darkened and she said, "You were the one who followed me first. If word gets out, people won't just be talking about me."

The servant quickly came forward to support Xue Lingyu, saying fearfully, "Young master, let's go quickly."

Xue Lingyu nodded.

Jiang He eventually let him go, and did not deliberately humiliate him. Afterwards, there were no reports of him following her.

But Xue Lingyu's heart could no longer find peace.

After returning home, Jiang He wrote a visiting card and sent it to the He family. Then she began to look through the business's ledgers. When she had a spare moment, she picked up her teacup, took a sip of Da Hong Pao tea, and suddenly asked Yuan Ge with interest, "Yuan Ge, has the eldest son of the Xue family gotten married?"

Yuange paused, and her voice sounded unnatural. "No."

She got pregnant without being married?

It seems her guess was right. She must have been having an affair in private, and after being tricked into getting pregnant, the other party suddenly disappeared. The Xue family suppressed this scandal, so outsiders had no idea.

Jiang He let out a laugh from her throat.

Yuange couldn't help but ask, "Why is Miss suddenly so curious about the eldest son of the Xue family?"

Jiang He downed the Da Hong Pao tea in one gulp, a bitter taste slowly spreading across her tongue. She said casually, "I wasn't curious, I was just asking offhand."

After receiving the visiting card, He Sui stayed at home the next day to wait for Jiang He to come to his door.

He invited Jiang He to the main hall and smiled apologetically, "Something happened in Lu Fang yesterday, so I rushed there from Nan Fang to deal with it. I'm really sorry that Miss Jiang was disappointed."

He Sui ordered his servants to serve Jiang He the finest Da Hong Pao (a type of traditional Chinese robe).

Jiang He took a sip and then swirled the tea around the edge. "It's nothing. I'm sure Young Master He already knows why I've come here today."

"To be honest, Lu Fang's losses started long before the Jiang family's, but it was never publicized. I thought it was well-hidden, but I didn't expect Miss Jiang to find out anyway." He Sui had a gentle demeanor and spoke very slowly and deliberately.

Jiang He put down her tea and asked, "How's Young Master He's 'boiling the frog in lukewarm water' going?"

He Sui lowered his brows gently, "It's been somewhat effective."

"The business district in the capital has always been divided between the Jiang and He families, and they have lived in peace for a long time. Now someone wants to take a share of the pie. I know that Young Master He has a good temper, but I do not. If you want to take something from me, you'll have to wait until the day I die. I'm sure the He family doesn't want some petty people to take away the foundation that our ancestors worked so hard to build. Business is business. I wonder if Young Master He is willing to cooperate with me?"

Jiang He's eyebrows and eyes were flamboyant, making no attempt to hide her vengeful nature. She had the means and the confidence to solidify the Jiang family's position.

He Sui sat upright in the main seat, and was deeply moved upon hearing this. "I have always hoped to cooperate with Miss Jiang, and now that I have the opportunity, I am naturally willing."

He Sui had always admired Jiang He. She had an exceptional talent for business, with a keen eye, superb skills, and a remarkable ability to win people's hearts.

He had already heard about Jiang He's dealing with Manager Zhao; such courage was truly rare and admirable.

The cooperation with the He family was thus finalized.

Although He Sui appeared very gentle, he was not one to always back down and tolerate in business matters. After finalizing the list of troublemakers in Lu Fang, he immediately sent people to arrest them.

Among them were people related to the He family. When they saw him suddenly change his attitude, they all cursed him as an ingrate, saying that a man like him was not fit to be a businessman and that he was petty and that the He family would be ruined by him sooner or later.

He Sui laughed it off and didn't take it to heart.

Especially as a member of the He family clan, it is even more unforgivable that he would collude with outsiders to acquire the He family's assets. Even when facing the managers of the business, He Sui's attitude remained unchanged. The He family would not keep such black sheep.

Emerging from the shop, He Sui couldn't help but show signs of exhaustion. A servant helped him into the carriage and sighed, "Young Master's methods of handling matters are becoming increasingly mature. The head of the family and the lord will be pleased to know this."

"I only hope to support the business as a man, without having to find a son-in-law to live with me and waste other people's time."

The servant couldn't help but raise his voice, "How can marrying the young master be considered a waste? The young master has such a good temperament, he will definitely be the most gentle and virtuous husband."

He Sui rubbed his temples, smiled, and didn't reply.

“Young master, I’ve finally met you again.” Wen Huai was about to leave the city when he saw a carriage that looked very familiar. When he got closer, he realized that it was the young master who had helped him that day, and he was overjoyed.

He Sui was about to get into the carriage when he heard Wen Huai call him, so he stopped and slowly smiled, "So it's you, young lady. Is there another master giving a lecture at the school?"

He stood up again and spoke to Wen Huai face to face. This was his habit—to place the other person on the same level as himself as a sign of respect.

"Yes, I had already finished listening to the lecture and was on my way back. I didn't expect to meet you here, young master." Wen Huai was still a young girl and hadn't fully grown up yet. She was much shorter than He Sui, and she had to look up to see him.

"I am a countryman living on the outskirts of the capital. This should be the last time I come to the city. The next time I will come is to participate in the provincial examination."

Wen Huai had only ever buried herself in studying poetry and had no experience interacting with men. For a moment, she didn't know what to say to He Sui, but she wanted to talk to him.

"Young master probably doesn't know my name yet. My name is Wenhuai, Zhuang Wenhuai."

As if afraid that He Sui would forget, Wen Huai repeated it several more times.

He Sui bent slightly at the waist as he spoke to her, his eyes filled with a smile.

"I wish Miss Wenhuai all the best in her studies."

Such a blessing made Wen Huai nod happily, as if he had eaten a candied fruit.

A note from the author:

Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2022-03-04 22:29:28 and 2022-03-05 20:18:53!

Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: Su Chan (1);

Thank you to the little angels who watered with nutrient solution: Xiyuan (6 bottles); 33795064 (4 bottles);

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

◎Latest Comments:

[Can you please stop writing such idiotic nonsense?]

Objectively speaking, I personally think that faking the death and running away while pregnant would have been the optimal solution. The plot and character development wouldn't have collapsed too much, and it would have perfectly timed the story to the point where readers are eager for more. However, while many people enjoy the escape trope, it's best to use it only once in a story. Overuse can feel contrived, leading to reader fatigue or even resistance. But having read this far, the flaws don't detract from the overall quality; I think the story is still very enjoyable. I support the author; I'm so happy to have discovered another gem of a writer, and I look forward to her new projects!

[It's so heartbreaking to watch! Even as someone who's a fan of male leads, I feel uncomfortable. The male lead seems a bit hypocritical and unlikable. I feel so sorry for the female lead. Author, could you please redeem the male lead properly so it doesn't feel so awkward to watch? I love the amnesiac male lead!]

[The male lead is seducing the female lead again. He'll get her and then dump her. It's always the same cat-and-mouse game. I don't understand it.]

To be honest, I feel like the author really messed up the writing towards the end. It was exhausting to read. I thought it was pretty sweet until Xiao Xue lost her memory, but I really don't know what they were writing after that. I felt like Xue's amnesia was the best opportunity for her to run away with the baby, and now they've added Jiang's amnesia, and then they made the male lead such a drag on the plot. I don't know if it was for the sake of the plot or what, I really don't understand. I can only say it was too tiring to read.

-over-