Rebirth of the Excellent Daughter of the Marquis Household (REDMH) - Chapter 162

Xia Ying could not bring herself to speak so all she could do was cry incessantly. To hell with her refined manners as a legitimate daughter, to hell with her dignity as a proper primary consort. Now that things had come to this, Xia Ying truly wished she could dig a hole and crawl into it. She was overwhelmed with regret. She never should have obeyed her mother’s instructions. She ought to have tied a rope around her neck back then, or simply broken off the engagement and gone to hide in the countryside for a while. Now, what dignity did she have left?

“Oh come on, cousin, if something’s wrong just say it,” Yun Yi said irritably, unable to bear Xia Ying’s weeping any longer. “This prince will stand up for you too!”

Xia Ying’s face turned pale as paper. She wished she could faint then and there. What sins had she committed to deserve this?

Yun Ke sneered silently. Stand up for her? The moment the truth came out, Yun Yi would be the first to wash his hands of the matter entirely.

Such lofty words.

“Forget it, don’t force her to say it,” Yun Ke said indifferently. “This kind of matter is probably too difficult for her to say aloud. Why not simply summon an imperial physician? A quick pulse reading will reveal everything.”

As soon as Yun Ke said this, not just Xia Ying, but nearly everyone in the room save for Gu Yu Qi turned pale.

The Virtuous Consort thought, could this wretched girl already have a secret lover?

Zhang Wan Yi froze, then was filled with scorn. Who was the adulterer?

Even Yun Yi sighed heavily. Cousin, oh cousin, you really have brought this upon yourself.

But how had Yun Ke found out about this in advance?

Even Xia Ying felt her heart lurch in panic when Yun Ke mentioned this. An imperial physician? Could a pulse reading really reveal her loss of virginity? No, wait, she suddenly remembered her period had not yet arrived this month. That thought alone nearly made her faint.

Her mother had clearly given her a contraceptive decoction afterwards! How could this be happening?! Could it be that her mother’s contraceptive soup failed?!

Only Gu Yu Qi quietly sighed. She had always known Yun Ke’s methods were ruthless and unforgiving. The only thing to blame is the Xia family for really irritating Yun Ke… Poor Xia Ying.

Seeing that everyone had already grasped the situation, Yun Ke saw no need to spell it out further. “Consort Mother, my Imperial Prince An’s palace cannot accommodate such a woman as its primary consort. The fact that this prince did not bring her directly before the Emperor today is already giving face to the Xia family and to Consort Mother. How Consort Mother wishes to deal with her is up to you. It would be better to think about how to explain this to Father the Emperor.”

At this point, the Virtuous Consort had no mind to trouble herself over Gu Yu Qi anymore. Her heart was already in complete disarray over Xia Ying’s predicament. Her usually clear mind now felt like a pot of boiling porridge.

What to do? What to do? Those three words echoed in her mind like a curse.

Yun Ke was ruthless enough to have even uncovered something so secretive as this.

“You may all go and rest for a while,” the Virtuous Consort said, feigning calm as she waved her hand at Yun Ke and Yun Yi. “Let this consort question things clearly.”

“Yes,” Yun Yi and Zhang Wan Yi rose and saluted. Together with Yun Ke and Gu Yu Qi, they left the bedchamber.

Zhang Wan Yi noticed how her husband’s gaze kept drifting towards Gu Yu Qi, and she was so furious her back teeth itched with hatred.

As they reached the small garden in front of the Virtuous Consort’s palace, Zhang Wan Yi quickened her steps and reached out to take Gu Yu Qi’s hand. “Younger Sister is truly blessed,” she said with a smile.

Gu Yu Qi blinked blankly at her. What was she up to now? In the bedchamber just now, everything she said was clearly meant to shift blame onto her, and now she was pretending to be a good person.

“Younger Sister must not be angry with Elder Sister,” Zhang Wan Yi continued, still smiling. “Just now, Elder Sister truly did not know what had happened to that Xia Ying and thought Younger Sister had disregarded the proper rites and etiquette. You know how Elder Sister is, I cannot abide those who don’t follow etiquette, and I have a straightforward temperament. Please do not take it to heart. I even thought to myself, Younger Sister is so beautiful and comes from a marquis’ household, how could she possibly show disrespect to the primary consort? Younger Sister, please don’t be angry with me. I am here to accompany you.”

Had Gu Yu Qi not known Zhang Wan Yi from her past life, she might have let it go.

Yet precisely because she knew her too well, no matter what Zhang Wan Yi said, to Gu Yu Qi it was nothing but poison sweetened with honey.

Every other word out of her mouth was about etiquette and the primary consort. Was she not just constantly reminding her of her identity as a secondary consort?

Even her apology was laced with condescension. Zhang Wan Yi, you make people just as speechless whether in this life or the last.

And yet she spoke with such heartfelt sincerity, wearing an expression of genuine remorse and gripping Gu Yu Qi’s hand tightly. If this were their first meeting, Gu Yu Qi might well have believed that this apology was real. Straightforward temperament? If Zhang Wan Yi had truly been so straightforward, how could Gu Yu Qi have been so thoroughly deceived in her past life?

What Zhang Wan Yi was best at was feigning that honest and upright facade, when in truth, her heart twisted and turned like a labyrinth. One could easily get lost trying to find the way through.

Gu Yu Qi slowly withdrew her hand, her gaze lowered. “Thank you for your reminder, Princess Jing. This concubine understands.” There was no forgiveness in her words.

Gu Yu Qi’s fingers were slightly cold.

If not for that final cup of poisoned wine Zhang Wan Yi had coaxed her into drinking, how would she have ended up so desperate that she had no choice but to burn herself alive in Shui Yue Pavilion?

Even in death, she had wanted to leave a deep and unforgettable mark in Yun Ke’s heart. That had been her one wish at that time.

How funny. When one was about to die, did it even matter whether anything was remembered or not?

Gu Yu Qi quietly rested her hand over her lower abdomen. There was a faint ache there, eerily similar to what she had felt after drinking that poisoned wine.

Yun Ke caught sight of Gu Yu Qi’s pale face and the hand on her belly, and a sense of dread surged in his heart. His eyes darkened as he shot Zhang Wan Yi a fierce glare before pulling Gu Yu Qi swiftly back to his side.

“I’ll help you sit over there,” Yun Ke said, his face visibly tense.

Gu Yu Qi must have remembered what had happened in the past.

Yun Ke felt a dryness in his throat. He had worked so hard just to coax a bit of warmth from Gu Yu Qi, and now, with Zhang Wan Yi’s mere presence, it had all been ruined.

He should have remembered that the relationship between Gu Yu Qi and Zhang Wan Yi had always been fire and water. In his previous life, he had wounded Gu Yu Qi time and again for Zhang Wan Yyi’s sake. And Zhang Wanyi had, time and again, deceived him.

Damn it. Yun Ke cursed inwardly, only wishing he could separate the two of them immediately.

“No need.” Gu Yu Qi gently pulled her arm away, shaking off Yun Ke’s hand. With both Yun Yi and Zhang Wan Yi present, Yun Ke could not reach out to her again without arousing suspicion.

“Your Highness need not worry. This concubine is merely a little dizzy,” Gu Yu Qi quickly added, aware her gesture had been improper. “This concubine will rest over there for a moment.”

“Look how loving Seventh Brother and his wife are.” Zhang Wan Yi was surprised at first by Gu Yu Qi’s sudden change in expression, but the jealousy quickly followed. See, as soon as Gu Yu Qi turned pale for a moment, Yun Ke was already at her side. As for her own husband? If she fainted right there, Yun Yi would probably just call someone to carry her off without even blinking.

Comparing yourself to others will really drive one mad. Zhang Wan Yi really wanted Yun Ke’s concern to be directed at her instead.

When she noticed Yun Yi staring at Gu Yu Qi again, she seethed. She stepped up to him and pinched his arm in silent rebuke.

“Your Highness. I wonder how Mother Consort and Cousin Xia are getting on inside,” she reminded him, voice sharp with restrained frustration.

That is your cousin, and she is in disgrace. Should you not at least be concerned about her? What are you doing standing here staring blankly at Gu Yu Qi? Will a flower bloom on her face if you look long enough?

Besides, the Xia family supports you! If they are dragged into this mess, what will you do then?

The longer Zhang Wan Yi watched Yun Yi gazing at Gu Yu Qi, the more infuriated she became. She had truly married the wrong person. She had taken her time choosing and still failed. How had she ended up with this guy instead of Yun Ke?

Yun Yi finally realised after Zhang Wan Yi reminded him that, yes, behind his cousin stood the Xia family.

The Xia family had always backed him.

“Seventh Brother, Seventh Sister-in-law, this prince will go in to check on Cousin Xia.” With a slight bow to Yun Ke, Yun Yi turned and strode into the bedchamber.

Inside, the Virtuous Consort sat rigidly on a wide armchair, her face ashen. Not even her finely applied makeup could conceal the lines of exhaustion and strain beginning to show on her face.

In just a short time, the Virtuous Consort looked as though she had aged several years.

“Mother Consort.” Yun Yi bowed respectfully, casting a glance at Xia Ying, who was slumped helplessly on the floor. “Cousin…”

The Virtuous Consort took a deep breath. Then, she recounted everything Xia Ying had just confessed. By the end, Yun Yi’s face had gone pale too.

This was deception against the Emperor! Already defiled, yet she failed to confess the truth. Had she come forward in time, there might still have been a way out. At that time, the Emperor would surely have taken pity on Xia Ying’s tragic experience and felt guilty towards the Xia family. Even if she could not become the Princess Consort, she would have been granted a respectable position. With Xia Ying’s ruin, the Emperor might have issued another decree to bestow one of the other Xia daughters upon Yun Ke. If Yun Ke refused then, it would be considered defiance of an imperial edict.

Now… It was all too late.

“Cousin! You’re so stupid!” Yun Yi stomped his foot.

Xia Ying was already deathly pale. What could she say now? It was her mother who had reassured her again and again, telling her not to worry, that she had a way to get her through the wedding night undetected.

Yet, no plan could account for Yun Ke refusing to touch her! Now she was even pregnant. It was exactly as Yun Ke had said. Heaven may forgive the sins of fate, but never those one brings upon oneself.

Suddenly, Xia Ying went mad, pounding her own stomach as though she wished to beat away the evil seed inside.

“Cousin!” Yun Yi panicked and immediately bent down to grasp Xia Ying’s hands to stop her.

“Let her be,” said the Virtuous Consort from her seat, raising her hand slowly and lowering her gaze. “She will not live.”

“Mother Consort!” Yun Yi and Xia Ying both looked up at the Virtuous Consort in shock. “She is your niece!”

The Virtuous Consort slowly cast a glance at Yun Yi and said lightly, “So what? Things have already come to this. Only her death can save the Xia family.”