With Multiple Babies, Who Still Wants to Be the Marquess’s Wife? - Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Absurd Dreams

After Yu Junshu dragged Zhao Yan’er out of the room, Zhao Yan’er began crying, “Jun-ge, did I do something wrong? Are you going to abandon me?”

Yu Junshu felt deeply conflicted as he looked at her. Compared to Lan Qingxi, she seemed both foolish and petty.

For the first time, he questioned whether it was truly appropriate for her to become his main wife.

Could someone like her really manage the affairs of the Marquis’s household?

He consoled himself: her limited perspective was due to the environment she grew up in. With time, she should be able to shoulder her responsibilities.

Not to mention, she had Prince Chen supporting her.

So he said, “You didn’t do anything wrong, and I’m not abandoning you. I just want to give you the best.”

He sighed and added, “But when I married Qingxi, I spent too much silver. Now the household finances are tight.”

“I asked Qingxi to lend me some money, but she refused, and that’s why things escalated to this point. I’m sorry you had to suffer because of it.”

Hearing this, Zhao Yan’er felt somewhat reassured, but also a little aggrieved.

Clearly, Lan Qingxi had written the concubine agreement for her, but she wouldn’t even spare some silver to let her have a dignified wedding.

A woman only marries once in her life—what was wrong with wanting a little dignity?

Besides, Lan Qingxi had so much silver. Would it really hurt to spare a little for her?

Zhao Yan’er softly said, “Jun-ge, you’re so good to me.”

Yu Junshu gently embraced her and said, “We’ve been together for so long, you know how I feel about you.”

“This time, you’ve been wronged. I’ll make it up to you when I have the chance.”

Zhao Yan’er nodded slightly. “As long as I can be with you, I can endure any grievance.”

Yu Junshu stroked her head and said warmly, “Good.”

Zhao Yan’er truly believed that he cared deeply for her.

Initially, she had felt some gratitude toward Lan Qingxi for writing the concubine agreement.

But after this incident, she found Lan Qingxi to be petty and started harboring resentment.

Everyone thought the matter had ended there, but the next day, the Marquis himself went to Madam Zheng to ask for money.

He had a perfectly “reasonable” argument: A woman must honor her husband, and the money for taking in Concubine Qin had not yet been provided by Madam Zheng.

When Madam Zheng asked Lan Qingxi for money, she felt completely justified in doing so.

But when the Marquis asked Madam Zheng for money, it felt like cutting her own flesh.

However, since she was the one who had made that argument, the Marquis turned it back on her. Unlike Yu Junshu, the Marquis didn’t care about saving face.

While Yu Junshu would feel humiliated if asked to write an IOU, the Marquis had no such qualms.

When Madam Zheng asked him to write an IOU, he cheerfully complied. As for when he’d pay it back, that was a mystery.

Madam Zhengi knew the Marquis’s personality too well—he wouldn’t stop until he got his money.

Disgusted but cornered, she eventually gave him 500 taels of silver.

This amount was even more than what the Marquis had expected, leaving him quite satisfied.

However, his expression remained sour as he remarked, “My son spends 4,000 taels to take a concubine, and I only get 500 taels.

“As a father, am I worth less than my own son?”

“A peasant woman costs so much—are you all insane?”

With that, he walked off with the silver, leaving Madam Zheng’s blood pressure skyrocketing. Just as she was about to lose her temper, she forced herself to calm down.

This time, she hadn’t managed to get a single tael from Lan Qingxi but instead had to give away 500 taels. The thought of it made her feel utterly stifled.

She cursed loudly, “I’ve never seen a daughter-in-law as impossible as Lan Qingxi!”

Given her personality, Madam Zheng genuinely wanted Yu Junshu to divorce Lan Qingxi. However, because of Song Linyuan’s influence, it was impossible to cast Lan Qingxi aside.

Frustrated, she ordered Nanny Zhang to summon Lan Qingxi for a lesson on proper conduct.

But this time, when Nanny Zhang went to fetch her, Lan Qingxi didn’t come.

Madam Zheng frowned. “Where’s Lan Qingxi?”

Nanny Zhang replied, “The second lady is unwell. When I went to call her, she had already retired to rest.”

Madam Zheng’s displeasure grew. “At this hour? She’s already resting? Could she be pretending to be ill?”

Nanny Zhang responded, “It doesn’t seem like she’s pretending. Her complexion looked unwell—she was pale.”

Hearing this, Madam Zheng, though unhappy, had no choice but to let the matter drop.

This time, Lan Qingxi wasn’t feigning illness; she genuinely felt unwell.

Her monthly cycle had arrived.

This was her first period since her rebirth, and perhaps due to the rebirth itself, this time it was particularly painful.

That night, she had a strange dream.

In the dream, after her death, her body had been discarded by Yu Junshu in a mass grave. Her remains had been scattered, unrecognizable.

She saw Song Linyuan leading a group of guards to recover her remains.

She heard him ask, “How did she end up like this?”

A guard replied, “Mass graves are often frequented by wild dogs and crows. Yu Junshu had her body thrown here without burial—this was inevitable.”

Song Linyuan’s eyes were filled with a menacing rage as he coldly ordered, “Kill every dog and crow within ten miles.”

The guards obeyed, leaving him alone to guard her shattered remains.

With a trace of bitter irony, he murmured, “You were truly foolish, allowing yourself to be manipulated into such a state.”

Then, choking back sobs, he held her disfigured remains and said, “In the end, I came too late.”

He slowly raised his head and declared, “Yu Junshu will pay for this with his blood!”

In that moment, from her dream-like perspective, Lan Qingxi saw the crimson in his eyes and the pain etched into his face.

She watched him painstakingly gather each piece of her broken bones and bury them in a serene and beautiful location.

She saw Song Linyuan lead an army to annihilate Yu Junshu’s entire household—once a powerful noble family—and execute his nine clans, turning the capital into a river of blood.

She saw Song Linyuan visit a monastery and ask the abbot, “Is there any way I can see her again?”

The abbot sighed, “When she was alive, you ignored her. Why cling to her after her death?”

Song Linyuan replied, “I was wrong. I thought my life’s vengeance would bring endless danger to her if she stayed with me.”

“And also…”

His eyes turned bloodshot. “She loved Yu Junshu. She plotted and schemed endlessly for him but avoided me like the plague.”

“I thought she was living well, so I let her be.”

“Who would’ve thought Yu Junshu would treat her this way…”

He clenched his fists as he spoke. “If I had known, I should’ve ignored her wishes and taken her away by force back then. Even if she hated me for it, at least…”

“At least she wouldn’t have died so tragically!”

The abbot sighed again. “Your attachment runs too deep—it will only bring you endless suffering.”

“If you wish to see her, there is a way. But you must pay a great price.”