Be a concubine

Upon confirming that Princess Qiongying was the one who harmed his daughter, Jiangnan Yue was furious. However, having spent decades navigating the political landscape, he quickly calmed down after hearing his daughter and son's words of advice.

Now that the emperor is old, the struggle for the throne is becoming increasingly fierce. The court appears harmonious and peaceful on the surface, but undercurrents are surging. The princes are secretly trying to win over the court officials, and the officials are also choosing sides.

Although the Crown Prince seems to have a secure position in the Eastern Palace, in terms of talent and ability to govern the country, he is inferior to the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince. Moreover, as the son of the late Empress, he has no one to rely on in the inner palace.

In contrast, the fourth prince's mother is the current empress, providing him with strong support.

The third prince is both talented and virtuous, and is deeply respected by the court officials. Moreover, his mother is Consort Xue, the most favored concubine in the harem, making him the greatest threat to the crown prince.

Chairman Chen has served two emperors and is the current emperor's mentor. He is the head of all officials, and the princes flatter and win him over, protecting him at every turn.

If I openly make an enemy of Chairman Chen, not only will I not be able to seek justice, but I may also lose my official position.

Jiangnan Yue sighed deeply, feeling helpless because he lacked power and resenting the current court for its power grabs and deceitful practices.

Li Wan understood Jiang Nanyue's helplessness and resentment, so she poured him a cup of hot tea.

“Father, don’t worry. They say a gentleman takes his revenge even after ten years. When she’s no longer the daughter of the prime minister, or when my brother becomes successful and holds power, we’ll go and give her a good kick.”

Li Wan spoke in a lighthearted and humorous tone, causing Jiang Nanyue and Jiang Feiche to smile and their eyes to crinkle. The atmosphere in the study suddenly relaxed.

Jiang Nanyue looked at his daughter with relief, "Wanwan, don't worry. I'm not an impulsive person, but this matter can't be easily let go. Let's wait and see."

Li Wanmo agreed, indeed, even if the Jiang family didn't pursue the matter, Princess Qiongying might not let her off the hook.

Sigh, this is so difficult.

After leaving Jiangnan Yue Study, Jiang Feiche escorted Li Wan to Changfu Garden.

The two walked side by side in the dappled shadows of the courtyard.

Li Wan was surprised to find that Jiang Feiche, who was nearly two years younger than her, was actually more than half a head taller than her.

Although the fourteen-year-old boy had rather thin shoulders, he was tall and slender, and it was clear that he would grow up to be a gentle and handsome young man.

"What is your sister looking at?"

Jiang Feiche suddenly turned his head, his unusually bright eyes in the dim light meeting Li Wan's gaze.

Li Wan quickly looked away and said, "It's nothing."

Jiang Feiche remained silent for a few moments, then asked softly, "Sister, are you truly in love with Xie Qi and determined to marry no one but him?"

Li Wan was taken aback by his words, not expecting this young man to speak so directly, which made her blush.

But Jiang Feiche kept staring at her, as if he wouldn't give up until he got an answer.

Li Wan could only lower her head and mumble, "Yes, I want to marry Xie Qi."

...The night wind rustled the withered leaves.

Li Wan didn't hear Jiang Feiche's response, so she looked up at him, only to find that he had already looked away.

The two walked silently to Changfu Garden.

Before leaving, Jiang Feiche reminded her, "I'm afraid that Princess Qiongying might cause trouble again. Sister, please stay in the manor these next few days and don't go out."

Li Wan nodded, "Sister understands."

Jiang Feiche glanced at her, then turned and walked away.

At night, perhaps because she had slept too much during the day, Li Wan tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep.

The brutal battlefield of the past life, Xie Qi dying in a mask, the tyrannical fourth prince, arrows on the cliff...

Images flashed before her eyes, finally settling on her mother's surprised face as she woke her up.

Li Wan's heart trembled. It turned out that Li Wan from Niutian Village had been in a coma all along; her mind had simply transmigrated into Jiang Feiwan's body.

Moreover, she was able to return without having to travel thousands of miles to the border, or even leave the capital city; she could go back to Niutian Village.

Li Wan became happier and happier as she thought about it. Once she was by Xie Qi's side and helped him avoid defeat three years later, she could return to Niutian Village to find her father and mother without any worries.

Of course, we also need to find an opportunity to go back.

Yesterday, she seemed to have been knocked unconscious, and somehow went back home, but returned after only a short while.

What exactly happened?

Li Wan closed her eyes and fell asleep while thinking about it.

...

As winter deepened, the charcoal stoves in Changfu Garden burned extremely brightly.

Li Wan has been spending her days idly at home these past few days. Her father and younger brother are also busy with something, and she hasn't seen them since.

Xiuhe, worried that Liwan would be bored, took out needles, thread, and embroidery patterns and asked Liwan to embroider something to pass the time.

Looking at the lotus leaf and lotus pattern that she brought, Li Wan reluctantly declined, using the excuse that she was too tired.

She doesn't know how to embroider these delicate pieces; she only knows how to mend clothes with big needles and thick thread.

"Go and fetch the storybook that my brother brought," Li Wan instructed Xiuhe.

"Yes." Xiuhe had just lifted the curtain and stepped out of her boudoir when she bumped into Xiuzhu, who was rushing over.

"Miss, Miss," Xiuzhu said hastily before she could even catch her breath.

Xiuhe patted her back to soothe her: "Tell me slowly what's wrong."

Xiuzhu hurriedly said, "The Marquis of Ningyuan's mansion has sent a matchmaker to propose marriage."

"What?!" Li Wan sat up abruptly and asked, "Really?"

Xie Qi had said he wanted to see her last time, but then nothing more. She thought he was just trying to let it go, but she never expected him to actually come and propose marriage.

"Lord Xie did not come in person; it was a matchmaker and two stewards. Madam has already gone to the front hall to receive them and has also sent someone to the Ministry of Revenue to deliver a message to the master."

Li Wan got up and was about to walk towards the front hall when Xiuhe quickly stopped her.

"Please calm down, young lady. It is not appropriate for you to appear in person when the marriage proposal is made. Instead, let Xiuzhu quietly go to the front hall to listen in and report back as soon as she hears what is happening."

Upon hearing Xiuhe's words, Li Wan had no choice but to sit back on the couch, thinking to herself that wealthy families really do have a lot of rules.

"Don't worry, Miss. I will remember every word they said and make sure you feel like you were there."

After Xiuzhu finished speaking, she ran out again, panting.

Looking at the gloomy sky outside the window, Li Wan thought that as long as she could get to Xie Qi's side, the matter of proposing marriage was unimportant.

However, when she opened the storybook that Xiuhe had brought, she couldn't concentrate on reading it at all, and felt vaguely uneasy.

Half an hour later, Xiuhe still hadn't returned with a message, and Li Wan's bad premonition grew stronger.

Even the usually calm Xiuhe was fidgeting with her fingers and frequently glancing into the courtyard.

Fifteen minutes later, footsteps could be heard outside.

Xiuzhu walked into the house looking pale and almost burst into tears when she spoke.

"This is outrageous! The Marquis of Ningyuan's mansion is going too far."

Li Wan instinctively clenched her fingers. Could it be that Xie Qi had changed his mind and wasn't going to marry her?

Xiuhe tugged at Xiuzhu and said sternly, "Don't cry, explain yourself first."

Xiuzhu sobbed, "The matchmaker said that Lord Xie intends for you to become his concubine."

"I am your concubine!" Xiuhe couldn't help but raise her voice, her face full of disbelief.

Xiuzhu nodded firmly, "Yes, I heard it all clearly outside the hall. The matchmaker said that Lord Xie has no plans to marry for the time being. If you are willing, Miss, you can enter the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion as a concubine."

"Upon hearing this, the lady immediately lost her temper and was on the verge of cursing. However, the matchmaker was still arrogant and said that with the girl's current reputation, it was already a great honor for her to become Lord Xie's concubine."

Xiuhe gritted her teeth in anger, "Our young lady is the eldest daughter of the Minister of Revenue, and she ranks among the most prestigious young ladies in the capital. Even if Xie Qi were a prince, let alone a mere court official, our young lady would still be his principal wife. Why should she demean herself to become his concubine?"

Xiuzhu chimed in, "That's right, that's right."

The two men turned to look at the girl, expecting her to be sad or angry, but to their surprise, she remained calm.

Li Wan really didn't care about concubines or wives. Anyway, she wasn't really going to stay by Xie Qi's side for the rest of her life. After the Battle of Yugu Pass ended three years later, she wouldn't bother to look at Xie Qi again.

Therefore, it doesn't matter whether one is a wife or a concubine.

However… Li Wan still felt vaguely uneasy. She looked at the front courtyard and suddenly asked, “Have Father and Brother returned to the manor?”

Xiuzhu was taken aback and shook her head: "I don't know what's wrong with the person who sent the message. It's been so long and the master and young master haven't returned. If the master were here, he would definitely throw that matchmaker out."

Li Wan's heart skipped a beat. "Go and invite Mother over."

"Madam is in the front yard..."

"yes."

Xiuzhu was interrupted by Xiuhe, who asked no questions and quickly went to invite the madam.

Li Wan waited anxiously in the room, clutching a handkerchief.

The fact that Xie Qi could come to the mansion without any scruples to ask her to be his concubine shows that he is no longer afraid of breaking ties with his father. Back then, the reason he was able to tolerate Jiang Feiwan's letter and her in every way was largely because he felt that his father, the Minister of Revenue, was still useful to him.

However, even though he knew it was impossible to make the Minister of Revenue's eldest daughter a concubine, he still came.

In addition, the person who went to fetch my father has not returned yet.

Li Wan knew that something must have happened to her father or younger brother.

Zou arrived at Changfu Garden quickly. Presumably, Li Wan already knew about what happened in the front yard, so she took Li Wan's hand as soon as she entered.

"Don't worry, Wan'er. Your mother has already sent that rambling matchmaker away. When your father returns, he will go and demand an explanation from Xie Qi."

Li Wan didn't care about this matter and waved her hand, asking, "Has the person who went to fetch Father returned?"

Not yet.

Zou's eyes also revealed worry, "These past few days your father has been busy at the Ministry of Revenue, saying that he is assisting the court in investigating the case of embezzlement at the Hebei dikes, and he has not returned home for three days."

She sighed: "Your younger brother wasn't supposed to be the Sixth Prince's study companion today, but a message came from the palace this morning that he was sent into the palace again, and he hasn't returned yet."

Ms. Zou paced back and forth irritably, thinking, "Why does everything have to happen at once?"

Before Li Wan could speak, a servant's urgent report came from the courtyard.

Li Wan and Zou Shi went outside and saw the servant who had gone to fetch their father looking flustered and covered in sweat.

"Madam, something terrible has happened. The master has been accused by officials of being the mastermind behind the corruption case in Hebei. His Majesty is furious and has imprisoned the master. He has ordered the cabinet and the Dali Temple to conduct a thorough investigation. The young master has also been summoned to the Dali Temple for questioning."

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Ms. Zou turned pale and almost fainted.

Li Wan helped her sit down and said, "Mother, please take care of yourself. Let's think of a way to find out the details first."

Madam Zou wiped away her tears with a silk handkerchief. "Both men in the family have been arrested. We women are nowhere to find out anything. Master and Che'er are of noble birth. I don't know if they can withstand being in a place like prison."

She cried for a while, then suddenly thought of something, looked up at Li Wan, and tentatively said, "Wan'er, why don't you go to the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion and ask Lord Xie? Since he allowed you to enter the mansion, he must have some feelings for you."

Li Wan curled her lips. What affection was there? If there were affection, why would she do something like this, taking advantage of someone's misfortune?