Chapter 367 The First Wife Given Away by Her Husband (Part 5)

Ning Yan took a deep breath. "Your Highness, men and women should not touch each other. Could you please stay away from me?"

The King of Yue felt an unbearable urge to vent his anger, his face flushed with frustration, and he felt a deep, agonizing ache in his heart.

"Your Majesty's decree will be issued soon. We are engaged, and you are my queen. I'm just sitting a little closer to you. Is there a problem?"

Ning Yan felt her face burning. She bit her lip and glared at the King of Yue before turning her head away from the unreasonable man.

But in the eyes of the King of Yue, this glance revealed a different kind of charm. She was coquettish yet reproachful, with seductive eyes, charming but not seductive. Although she was already thirty years old, she looked like a young girl of sixteen or seventeen, breathtakingly beautiful.

My heart is itching, my hands are itching, and my body is itching even more.

Finally, the King of Yue released the woman's hand, shifted his body, and sat down opposite Ning Yan.

Ning Yan looked across at him. Feeling the woman's gaze, the King of Yue coughed to cover his discomfort and shifted his legs uncomfortably. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He had been celibate for years and his body had always been well-behaved, but just one glare from her and his brother rebelled.

So embarrassing, so incredibly embarrassing...

The carriage fell silent. No one spoke until the carriage stopped outside the Jingzhao Prefecture and a guard stepped forward to report, "His Highness has arrived."

"Go and inform Ji Mu to release Mao Rui."

The guards obeyed and left. The Prince of Yue looked at Ning Yan and saw her looking nervously at the gate of the Jingzhao Prefecture. He couldn't help but reassure her, "Don't worry, with my word, the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture wouldn't dare refuse to release her."

Ning Yan gave a rare "hmm," but she didn't spare a single glance for the man opposite her.

The King of Yue pursed his lips, a hint of displeasure rising in his heart.

About fifteen minutes later, a guard led out a young man who was about fourteen years old. Even though he had been locked up in prison for half a month, he still had an arrogant look on his face.

His clothes were covered in dirt, and he had a scar on his face. The scab had fallen off, revealing tender, pinkish-white flesh.

Fortunately, the wound isn't deep, so it shouldn't leave a scar.

"Your Highness, could you please excuse us for a moment?"

King of Yue: "...I will marry you soon, and he will be my stepson. Is there anything I cannot listen to?"

Ning Yan's face turned pale instantly, and the King of Yue felt a pang of heartache upon seeing this.

Forget it, why should he argue with a little woman like her?

King Yue then stepped down from the chariot.

After he left, Ning Yan looked at Mao Rui, who had already approached.

"Mom, why are you the one who came to pick me up? Where is Dad?"

The mother and son were sitting inside the car and standing outside. Although they were very close, it seemed as if they were separated by thousands of miles.

“Rui’er, your father gave your mother a divorce agreement. Now, we are no longer husband and wife.”

Mao Rui's expression changed drastically. "What? Why does Father want to divorce Mother?"

Tears welled in Ning Yan's eyes, "Your father gave me to the Prince of Yue, otherwise..."

Mao Rui wasn't some clueless little kid; in ancient times, fourteen-year-old children were already being considered for marriage.

"Mother, are you saying that Father got me released by exchanging you for his own life?"

Ning Yan didn't say anything, but silence meant consent.

She would not hide her sacrifices for the child, nor would she give Mao Renyi the opportunity to ruin her reputation in front of the child.

There's no need to hide the truth; being straightforward will save a lot of trouble.

“Mother, come home with me. I did nothing wrong. Even if the Jingzhao Prefecture arrests me, they won’t dare to sentence me. You don’t need to divorce Father because of me.”

He just couldn't stand those spoiled brats bullying ordinary people. He got into a conflict with them while trying to stop them, but he didn't hurt anyone. So why did it come to the point where his father divorced his mother?

"Silly child, can't you see it?"

He's trading me for your safety only because I'm dispensable to him.

If he had respected me even a little, he wouldn't have started taking concubines so soon after he became an official.

Also, don't listen to those half-brothers' instigation anymore. They all wish for you to get into trouble so they can get a bigger share of the inheritance later.

Unfortunately, they don't know that your father has no wealth whatsoever; it's your mother who has the money.

Mao Rui clenched his fists, hating his concubines, maids, half-brothers and half-sisters to the core, and even harboring resentment towards his father.

Seeing that he did not refute her, Ning Yan took out two more silver notes from her body.

"Take these first, Mother has taken all the dowry out of the Mao family."

Your father is having a hard time these days, so keep the money for yourself and spend it secretly. Don't make yourself suffer.

If anything happens, you can ask Si'er to pass on a message to your mother. If you run out of money, just come to your mother.

Also, after you return home, do not disobey your father. Your mother is not by your side, so you must be careful in everything you do from now on.”

Mao Rui was not good at studying but preferred martial arts, so Mao Renyi did not like this legitimate son very much, but praised his illegitimate son who had passed the imperial examination at a young age.

When his mother was alive, things were alright, but now that she's gone, it's certain that Mao Rui will be treated coldly.

"Mother, is the prince good to you?"

"The prince just granted Mother the title of county princess and will marry her as his principal wife. As for whether it's good or not..." Ning Yan hesitated for a moment, "Probably."

Mao Rui felt he had asked a stupid question. No matter how beautiful his mother was, she was a woman who had been married twice. How long could the affection of a member of the royal family like the King of Yue last for his mother?

At this moment, a certain idea in Mao Rui's heart became more and more firm. His mother was willing to give herself to another for him. If he didn't do something, how could he live up to everything his mother had done for him?

"Mother, don't worry, I remember everything you said. Please, don't overthink it. I will come to you and we will be reunited as a family sooner or later."

Ning Yan: ...No, child, what are you talking about? I just don't want you to be deceived by your father, and I want you to have some ambition. Why did you bring me out for a family reunion?

We can't reunite, we can't reunite at all!

However, Mao Rui carefully hid the silver notes on his person, bowed to Ning Yan, and then left.

The King of Yue quickly returned to his carriage. "Haven't you seen enough? Don't worry, I've already sent men to escort him back."

"Did that kid upset you? Then I'll have someone teach him a lesson." *Sobbing* Why is she crying for another man?

Ning Yan quickly wiped away her tears: "Your Highness, no, he didn't make me angry. Please don't bully him."

The King of Yue was even more furious. Why hadn't he met her sooner? Mao Rui was his son, and this woman would have been his queen long ago.

But he didn't even consider that even if the two had known each other for over a decade, the original owner, a mere merchant's daughter, was simply not qualified to be the Princess Consort of Yue.

The reason why the Emperor and Empress are so accommodating now is because his former wife has lived a life of abstinence for more than ten years since her death. They are afraid that their younger brother will have no descendants, and now he is marrying a concubine, so they let him do whatever he wants.

Otherwise, haha, ten years ago, it would have been an immense favor for the Emperor and Empress to allow Ning Yan to enter the Yue Prince's residence and become his concubine.

"Now that I have released your son, shouldn't you fulfill your promise?"