Chapter 130 World 6 (Part 2)
It was spring, the garden ablaze with pink peach blossoms, green willows, and a dazzling array of colors. Flowers of all colors were in full bloom, their slender branches and slender, flexible twigs adorned with a profusion of blossoms.
This spectacle was no match for the beauties thronging the garden, their gorgeous clothes stained with fragrant breezes that gently swept over branches nearly bent by petals. The scent of cosmetics and flowers blended together, making it hard to tell which was from the people and which from the flowers.
Han Wenxin deliberately kept her presence to herself, avoiding the other girls. Turning slightly, she spotted two people facing each other by the water's edge. The woman, elegantly dressed, looked even more graceful in this vibrant garden.
There was no trace of makeup on the woman's face, but under the sunlight, her cheeks looked even more radiant and smooth like jade.
Han Wenxin frowned as he recognized the woman: the Qin family's concubine, Baoshan. A puzzlement welled up in Han Wenxin's mind: Why had the Qin family's daughter, invited to the Spring Banquet, not socialized with the other girls, but instead secretly met with a man from outside the family?
The man looked anxious, his thick brows furrowed as he spoke of his predicament: "Baoshan, I was the one who betrayed you first. Now that the engagement has been made, I absolutely cannot break it."
Xie Guan raised his head, his dark eyes full of light, as if he had thought of a good idea. Even his tone was filled with urgency: "If you are willing..."
Baoshan could see clearly what Xie Guan was thinking.
As a concubine of the Qin family, she lived a difficult life in the mansion. She could only rely on pleasing her elder sister to have a stable life.
But she has reached the age to get married, the Qin family will not make any plans for her, and her elder sister naturally will not care about these trivial matters.
Although Baoshan appears weak and vulnerable, pure and noble, she is extremely greedy for fame and wealth.
Baoshan wanted to enjoy a high bed with soft pillows, wear silk and satin, and even maintain her delicate fingers with fresh milk and pearl powder.
However, if Baoshan places all her hopes for marriage on the Qin family, all her hopes will be shattered.
Baoshan could only think about herself. Every time she accompanied her elder sister to a banquet, she would always lower her eyes and act docile.
But her pair of watery eyes were always secretly looking at the man at the banquet.
Xie Guan is the ideal husband chosen by Baoshan after repeated consideration.
Among the many young men, Xie Guan was handsome, came from a wealthy family, and was still unmarried.
Xie Guan was not the richest among all the gentlemen, nor was he the most pleasing to others.
Baoshan chose him because Xie Guan was simple-minded and easily manipulated by others.
Xie Guan fell in love with the precious fan at first sight and fell in love with it again.
Xie Guan still remembered the first time he had met Bao Shan. She had lost her embroidered shoes, and her delicate, porcelain-white face was filled with panic. Her long, floor-length skirt completely concealed her feet. Shyness washed over her face, and she pleaded with Xie Guan in a soft voice for help.
For a moment, Xie Guan's heart was filled with lofty ambitions, and he bent over to look around for his lost embroidered shoes.
In the bushes, Xie Guan found the embroidered shoe. He held the embroidered shoe made of soft cloth in his palm and brought it to the treasure fan.
Xie Guan originally wanted to throw away the embroidered shoes and let Baoshan put them on herself.
But when he saw her with those misty eyes, Xie Guan's heart warmed up. He bent down as if possessed by a ghost and put the soft feet into the embroidered shoes.
The embroidered shoes were a bit too big, and the fabric had faded, making it look dull. Xie Guan was puzzled by the ill-fitting shoes. Bao Shan timidly withdrew her foot, her face filled with a heartbreaking look of embarrassment.
Baoshan thanked him softly, and then left in a hurry without even leaving his name.
But if you want to know the woman's name, you can always find out even if it is difficult.
When Xie Guan learned that Bao Shan was a concubine of the Qin family, he immediately understood the expression on Bao Shan's face at that time, which was embarrassment.
He secretly suspected that Baoshan's life at the Qin residence must have been difficult, otherwise even her embroidered shoes wouldn't have fit her feet. Affection for a woman often stems from pity. From then on, Xie Guan was absent-minded at every banquet, his eyes darting around for Baoshan's figure.
Only when he found that delicate figure did Xie Guan feel slightly relieved. The seats for the ladies and gentlemen were quite far apart. But when Bao Shan raised her head slightly and smiled softly, Xie Guan knew it was directed at him.
The hidden affection is like a tender seed, buried in the soil, gradually taking root and sprouting.
When they grow up, I realize that their love is endless and has become an unstoppable trend.
Xie Guan is not a person who knows how to restrain himself and observe etiquette, but Baoshan is.
Therefore, Xie Guan could only treat Bao Shan with respect, but his heart became more and more passionate, and he secretly thought about how to marry Bao Shan into the family.
Looking at the handsome young man in front of her and listening to his anxious words, Bao Shan thought to herself: She originally thought that Xie Guan was a henpecked man, but she never thought that this soft ear was not only directed at her, but also at the Xie family as a whole.
Today, Xie Guan was engaged due to pressure from his family, and now he came to her again.
Although his words were vague, his thoughts were clear. He simply wanted to have his cake and eat it too. He didn't want to break off the engagement, but he also wanted to take her as a concubine.
Baoshan's thick and slender eyelashes drooped gently, and she thought to herself: Are all men in the world so greedy?
Xie Guan’s face flushed: “Be mine…”
Bao Shan did not let Xie Guan continue. If Xie Guan told her everything about taking a concubine, Bao Shan's position would become extremely passive.
If she agreed, Xie Guan would take her to the Xie Mansion in a pink sedan chair.
After that, she would continue to live a life of dependence on others.
However, she had previously courted her eldest sister, while from now on, she would be courting Xie Guan and Madam Xie. So why would she go to such lengths to lure Xie Guan into the scheme? If she refused, Xie Guan would undoubtedly be disappointed. No matter how deeply affectionate and understanding a man might be, if he were rejected by a woman, he wouldn't consider whether his request was too difficult; he would simply feel humiliated and perhaps even resentful.
Then, Baoshan's eyelashes trembled slightly, and crystal tears hung on her slender eyelashes, like dewdrops on the grass in the early morning.
Xie Guan suddenly became flustered. In his eyes, although Bao Shan was frail, she rarely shed tears. She once said to Xie Guan, "My aunt said that tears are limited and should be saved for the man you love."
Xie Guan, who was deeply in love, could not bear to see Baoshan cry.
But at this moment, Baoshan's eyes turned red because of his breach of contract. Xie Guan couldn't help but blame himself in his heart, wondering why he didn't be tougher at the beginning.
Bao Shan said in a weak voice, "If I can be with you, it doesn't matter even if life is a little difficult.
But everyone says that being a concubine is even lower than being a slave, and that the mistress can sell her off at will. If the mistress is a bit cruel, she will be sold to a brothel..."
Baoshan's face turned pale and her expression was full of fear, as if she was afraid that she would become a concubine and become a fish on someone else's chopping board, to be slaughtered at will.
Xie Guan's face was also pale, and his heart was full of fear. He did want to take Bao Shan as a concubine, but he had never thought about the consequences.
Baoshan is such a weak character, if she stays in the back house, she will definitely be bullied by the mistress.
Xie Guan had witnessed the jealousy between the mistress and the concubine of the Xie family, so he naturally knew that the mistress would want to sell off the favored and cherished concubine, and he did not want Baoshan to suffer like that.
Looking at the beautiful woman in front of him shedding tears, Xie Guan felt more and more guilty. He almost caused Bao Shan to suffer great injustice because of his own selfishness.
Xie Guan apologized dejectedly, his eyes trembling slightly as he spoke softly, "I understand your feelings, but I blame..."
Who can I blame? Baoshan was hesitant to speak.
However, Xie Guan's eyes were wandering, and he began to complain about his incompetence, the pressure from his elders, and his wife whom he had never met.
Only after Bao Shan and Xie Guan left did Han Wenxin emerge from the bushes, his heart filled with shock.
She vaguely remembered that she had heard the name of Baoshan in her previous life, and that Baoshan was actually related to her.
In her previous life, Han Wenxin dressed charmingly and gorgeously, which aroused the jealousy of others.
While looking out from the pavilion, she was pushed into the river by someone. It was because of falling into the river that she was rescued by Lu Wenhe, and has been attached to Lu Wenhe ever since.
It was not until after getting married that Han Wenxin discovered that her husband was not some handsome man in the world, but a hypocrite in the guise of a good person.
He is paranoid, extremely difficult to please, and has a strong desire to control his things.
Han Wenxin closed his eyelids tightly, not daring to think about the torture he had suffered.
Han Wenxin remembered that there was also a concubine's daughter who fell into the water with her.
Now that I think about it, that elegant outfit must be a precious fan.
The precious fan fell into the water. Because of her status as a concubine's daughter, the young men were quite hesitant. Saving someone who fell into the water would inevitably require physical intimacy, and it would not be good if they were entangled by this little concubine's daughter.
But Xie Guan, who had just made an engagement, was anxious when he heard that Baoshan had fallen into the water. He rescued Baoshan despite the dissuasion of his followers.
When Han Wenxin was rescued, he was conscious, but Baoshan, perhaps because of his weak body, did not wake up for a long time.
Xie Guan held her tightly in his arms, trying to pass his warmth to Bao Shan. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Bao Shan lost her innocence.
Han Wenxin's entire attention was on Lu Wenhe at the time, and she had only heard the ending of the treasure fan in her boudoir.
I heard that this little concubine looked pitiful, but she had captured Xie Guan's soul.
Bao Shan lost her innocence and could only marry Xie Guan, but she could not be his wife, only his concubine.
Concubines are also divided into different levels of nobility. Xie Guan's mother originally wanted to give Baoshan an identity at will, preferably one that she could easily control, so that Baoshan would be afraid of her own identity and would not cause any trouble.
But Xie Guan, who had always been obedient, refused to give in no matter what, and finally gave Baoshan the status of a concubine.
A concubine is registered in the household register and, unlike a slave, cannot be bought or sold at will by the mistress.
The turmoil in the Xie family never subsided.
While Han Wenxin was trying hard to please Lu Wenhe, she heard that on the wedding night, Xie Guan left the bride in the room and made love with his concubine Baoshan, staying awake all night.
When Han Wenxin was locked in a high building, he heard the attendants who delivered food whispering that Xie Guan favored his concubine and killed his wife, and was criticized by everyone.
Xie Guan's concubine wore a necklace around her neck that looked plain and simple, but was actually priceless, rarely seen even in the imperial palace. Yet, she casually wore a precious fan.
Unfortunately, Xie Guan’s beloved concubine Baoshan died before she was twenty years old, turning into a wisp of soul and floating away.
Xie Guan wanted to divorce his wife immediately, but his wife initially refused to admit that she was the one who had done the cruel thing.
But Xie Guan's personality changed drastically and his methods became vicious. Mrs. Xie finally admitted it, her tone full of resentment.
"She's truly scheming and resourceful. No wonder she wasn't afraid when I sent her to her death. She just thought you'd always miss her and hate me."
She was calculating until her death.
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