Chapter 89 The truth behind her difficult childbirth and postpartum hemorrhage.
His words didn't sound like a joke.
Ji Wanyuan's heart tightened. "You...you want to lock me up?"
Seeing the shock on her face, Wen Qiyan answered irrelevantly, "Then will you abandon me?"
"The kind of abandonment where the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked, or the donkey is discarded after it has served its purpose." He pressed her, asking if she would agree.
"How could you think that?" What kind of person do you take her for? Well, that's what she thought at first, but now, with Wen Qiyan's entanglement and her father's trust in him, even if she wanted to abandon him, it's probably too late.
He has bound the Wen and Ji families together, making them a community of shared interests. She unilaterally says she wants to break off the relationship and abandon him. Can she do it?
If she really did that, her father would probably scold her.
After all, Wen Qiyan hasn't made any mistakes right now, and he's been doing things for her and for the Ji family. She has no reason to drive him away.
"Why are you avoiding answering?" he asked her, wanting a definite answer.
"You were all so friendly to me at first, weren't you just using me? You got close to me, pleased me, and wanted to get information about the court through me so you could pass it on to your father-in-law."
"Now that I've granted your wish, you shouldn't treat me unfairly either."
He already knew, and he even brought it up publicly. Ji Wanyuan pursed her lips and simply gave him a definite "No." She wanted to use this to bury the matter and prevent him from mentioning it again.
"Can't do what?" he was still dissatisfied.
"I will not abandon you." Was he satisfied?
He called her name, "Ji Wanyuan, you will be entangled with me for the rest of your life."
He seemed satisfied, his thin lips curving slightly. He leaned down, pressing his forehead against hers, their noses touching, rubbing against hers.
Feeling his closeness, she only thought he was clingy.
Where did his aloofness and restraint go? Did the dogs eat it all?
"You...you used to dislike me a lot, didn't you?" This surprised her.
"No," he denied.
"No?" she scoffed. "Nobody would believe that."
She wanted to bring up past grievances to fight him, but she had done too many stupid things in the past, so she decided to give up.
The past is too painful to recall. Enough is enough. There's no need to resort to such a self-destructive method that hurts the enemy a thousand while harming yourself eight hundred.
If it were brought up again, who knows who would be embarrassed?
He pinched her cheek and gently stroked it. "Ji Wanyuan, you must remember what you said today."
She slapped his hand away. "I'll remember."
After a moment of silence, he looked at her and said, "Besides that, there are two other things."
"What is it?" She was a little sleepy, nestled in his arms, and rubbed against him in a comfortable position, making him feel ticklish. He brushed her long hair and tucked it behind her ear.
"Tell me." She's about to fall asleep if I don't say anything soon.
I wonder what Wen Qiyan is trying to keep secret.
"My little sister had the same dream as you."
Ji Wanyuan's drowsiness was instantly dispelled, and her half-closed eyes snapped open. If it weren't for her physical discomfort, she would have already sat up by now.
"What did you say?!"
Wen Qiyan put his arm around her and said, "Be careful with your belly."
Ji Wanyuan, however, couldn't care less about her stomach at the moment. "Wen Qingling had the same dream as me?" she pressed.
"right."
How could Wen Qingling have the same dream as her?
In fact, Wen Qingling wasn't mentioned much in her dream. How could her sister-in-law have the same dream as her?
Seeing that she had instantly regained her senses, Wen Qiyan got up and went to the study to retrieve the two letters.
Ji Wanyuan looked at him, and he put his arm around her, making her sit up and gesturing for her to read the letter.
Ji Wanyuan took it, looked down at it, and after reading it, her expression became serious.
Wen Qingling actually dreamed about her difficult childbirth?! And on the day she gave birth, Lin Nianxi went to the Wen family!
And then there was the series of events that followed: the tragic death of her son, Lin Nianxi's marriage into the Wen family, all of which Wen Qingling knew about.
"Ji Wanyuan, your dream and my little sister's dream have actually overlapped." He didn't finish his sentence; his dream was still there.
If it were just Ji Wanyuan's imagination and nightmares, how could three people have dreamed of the same thing? And how could the course of events have overlapped?
This can no longer be described as merely bizarre.
Now he finally understood that Ji Wanyuan's reluctance to marry him, her attempts to find him a concubine, and her desire for a divorce were all because she wanted to change the course of the dream and prevent the events in the dream from happening again.
“Ji Wanyuan, perhaps what you dreamed about earlier was true.”
Regardless of how this dream actually happened, fortunately none of the events in the dream were verified.
Ji Wanyuan's difficult childbirth and postpartum hemorrhage had not yet occurred, and neither she nor her child had died.
Noticing her trembling, Wen Qiyan took the letter away, hugged her, and rubbed her fluffy head. "Everything in the dream is just a bubble. I will never let such a thing happen."
"Trust me, Ji Wanyuan." His kiss landed on her face.
"I will protect you, and I will protect our child." This wasn't the first time he had said these words to her.
With all that time he'd spent with her, and all the things he'd done for her, she could truly trust him.
but……
"I'm afraid that man proposes, God disposes." Now that even Wen Qingling has dreamed about it, who will be the next person to dream about it?
He put his arm around her and said, "Do you know that man can conquer nature?"
He cupped her face in his hands, making her look at him, and said, "Trust me."
"I told you, if anything happens to you, I'll give you my life."
Ji Wanyuan was forced to look into the man's eyes.
The tenderness within him gradually enveloped her, and his embrace was so warm that it made her nose tingle slightly.
"You won't go back on your word, will you?"
"You little rascal." The man frowned and pinched her cheek hard. "How many times have I told you, trust me, and trust yourself."
"You've disbelieved me time and time again, what more do you want?" Does she expect him to cut out his heart and show it to her?
He wanted to do that, but unfortunately, he would die if he were to be dissected. He wanted to keep his life to protect Ji Wanyuan.
She was tempted, her face flushed slightly, and she said, against her will, that she was hurting the man's hand.
"If it didn't hurt, how would you remember?" He said this, but he didn't pinch her again.
"Who knows if what you're saying is true, hmph!" Ji Wanyuan turned her face away.
After they parted, she glanced at the man out of the corner of her eye and muttered a complaint under her breath, "After all, someone just tried to lock me up."
"Who knows if he'll bully me?"
These days, because she is about to give birth, Wen Qiyan has not made any advances towards her, and he has been very restrained in kissing her, rarely even a deep kiss.
The only deep kiss was last time, after he rescued her. He kept kissing her intermittently, as if he was insatiable, almost kissing her until she suffocated.
She had always worried that Wen Qiyan's affection for her was superficial, that he only liked her body. Even though he said no, she still didn't quite believe him.
But now... his restraint left her speechless.
"Ji Wanyuan, you did this on purpose, didn't you?" He narrowed his eyes.
"I didn't do that. Unlike you, you're threatening me even though I didn't do anything like that."
"Was that a threat?" I just wanted to distract her from her bizarre nightmare and prevent her from trembling with fear.
Who knew that this little rascal would turn around and immediately pin everything on him.
"Isn't that a threat?" She even withdrew her gaze from the corner of her eye.
Wen Qiyan, "..."
"If you think this is wrong, then just lock me up."
Ji Wanyuan was surprised to hear this.
"I'll lock you up?" Has she gone mad?
"Is it not allowed?"
Why should I lock you up?
"I want to never leave you for the rest of my life, and stay by your side forever."
Wait a minute, this sentence seems familiar. Ji Wanyuan thought for a moment, and realized that she had said it before!
At that time, she hadn't drugged Wen Qiyan yet, and this pretentious scoundrel didn't even need to look at her. She made a harsh statement to her cousin Qingru at the restaurant, saying that once she got him under her control, she would definitely take revenge and show him what she was capable of!
Cousin Qingru asked her how to deal with Wen Qiyan.
She said she would tie Wen Qiyan up and make him kneel in front of her, so she could look down on him and let him taste the bitterness of being bullied by him in the past.
Cousin Qingru then said, "Who is Wen Qiyan? How could she possibly control him?"
Ji Wanyuan frowned and pondered, "If we can't restrain him, then we should have someone build a secret room and lock him up. If we keep him locked up for a long time, he'll behave."
Unexpectedly, these words also reached Wen Qiyan's ears.
Of course, who is he? How could he not hear?
Furthermore, people in the capital city are most interested in the secrets and affairs of prominent families.
"How about it? I won't lock you up, you can lock me up instead." He even laughed, saying he would be very obedient.
Ji Wanyuan: "..."
"How could you be like this!" Even though we were talking about serious matters, he kept interrupting with jokes.
Wen Qiyan flicked her nose with his finger. "There's something else you want to know."
"It's because you've been unwilling to tell me." Every time I talk to Wen Qiyan, I almost get confused by his words.
"Tell me quickly." She remembered that Wen Qiyan had just mentioned two things.
"The Lin family's affairs."
Ji Wanyuan was stunned for a moment before she realized what it was: yes, it was the tranquilizer that Wen Qingling had sent over.
"Have you checked it? Is there anything wrong with that medicine?"
"I've already had someone check it, and the tranquilizer itself is fine."
"What do you mean the tranquilizer itself is not the problem?" If the tranquilizer is not the problem, then what is the problem? Is it the container that holds the medicine?
She couldn't think of any other possibility.
"It's a fusion drug."
Ji Wanyuan was stunned. "A fusion drug?"
"The tranquilizer is only one of the ingredients; to cause your heart failure, you need several other ingredients."
Lin Nianxi thought this trick was ingenious, but in reality, it was something he had already done before.
Compared to the complex cases handled by the Ministry of Justice, it's nothing at all.
"Where are the remaining herbs?" Ji Wanyuan sat up again, seeing that she was no longer going to sleep.
Wen Qiyan put his arm around her, but she complained that his abs were too hard and were bothering her back.
Upon hearing this, he patiently placed a soft quilt between her legs to make her more comfortable.
Once she felt comfortable, she immediately urged him to tell her quickly about Lin Nianxi's tricks and the remaining ingredients of the medicine.
"If I'm not mistaken, the remaining medicine is on your maid and on my mother."
He showed Ji Wanyuan the second letter that Wen's father had sent. After she finished reading it, he pointed to the amulet.
Ji Wanyuan's gaze froze, "..."
In the storybook, it could be considered her previous life. During her pregnancy, the people she had the most contact with were indeed Madam Wen and her maid.
But Mrs. Wen clearly wanted this child too, so how could this be?
Not to mention Madam Wen, the people who serve her are all people who have been with her since childhood, and some of them are her mother's confidants.
She had never mistreated these people, and she believed that they would never betray her!
Seeing her concerns, Wen Qiyan said, "Your mother and those around you are unaware of the truth and assume that it is just ordinary spices and medicine."
Who knew that it would have caused heart failure in conjunction with the tranquilizers she was taking?
The medicine gradually seeped in, eventually causing her to suffer a difficult childbirth and die from postpartum hemorrhage.
Lin Nianxi was indeed cautious. After Ji Wanyuan's death, she must have been afraid that things would be exposed, which is why she sent Madam Lin to the Wen family to bury Ji Wanyuan as soon as possible, so that all evidence would disappear.
"This woman is truly vicious!" Ji Wanyuan couldn't help but feel angry after realizing what had happened.
She had never offended her, but because she liked Wen Qiyan, she kept trying to kill her, not only killing her but also harming her child.
After much thought, Lin Nianxi, being far away in the capital, couldn't reach him, so she turned her gaze to the man in front of her.
"It's all your fault! You're the one who caused all this trouble!"
"Okay, okay, it's all my fault." Wen Qiyan accepted her blame. "It's all my fault."
He apologized to her and kept going along with her, afraid that her emotions would fluctuate too much and harm the baby.
The doctor said that when a woman is in her last month of life, she is like a porcelain doll, and she must be taken very good care of and must not suffer any harm.
"Now that the problem has been solved, you can rest assured."
"What about the Lin family?"
He held her as they lay down, saying, "Don't worry, I'll stand up for you."
"What are you planning to do?" Ji Wanyuan asked excitedly.
"I'll tell you then," he said, keeping everyone in suspense.
Ji Wanyuan pressed Wen Qiyan for answers, but he refused to answer and even closed his eyes, which annoyed Ji Wanyuan, who snorted in frustration.
Despite her anger, she obediently nestled in the man's arms and closed her eyes.
Now that she had figured out Lin Nianxi's little tricks, she finally felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders.
After the person in his arms began to breathe steadily, he opened his eyes and stared at her sleeping face for a long time without saying a word.
"..."
Upon receiving Wen Qiyan's reply, Wen's father informed his wife of the letter's contents.
Madam Wen was furious and said the same thing as Ji Wanyuan, "I never expected Lin Nianxi to be so vicious!"
She told the old woman to take out the sachet containing the amulet and burn it.
"That's disgusting." She had always thought Lin Nianxi was a well-educated, reasonable, and well-behaved girl.
Unexpectedly, he was so ruthless in private, plotting to harm the Wen family's offspring and even using her!
Madam Wen used to be quite well-mannered, but now she couldn't help but utter many harsh words.
Wen's father told her to relax, "Have you forgotten how you got angry and your anger got to your head?"
"Take care of yourself," said Mr. Wen, adding that nothing had happened yet.
"Sigh..." Mother Wen asked again if Ji Wanyuan was alright.
"Didn't Qi Yan say in her letter that she was doing well?"
"May Heaven and the ancestors of the Wen family protect Ji Wanyuan and this child, and may they be safe and sound."
"The things that Madam sent to the Ji family have already been secretly delivered to Youzhou by the Ji family. They must have received them by now. With Qi Yan here, the children and daughter-in-law will surely be safe."
Despite saying that, Madam Wen still couldn't completely put her mind at ease. "Master, why don't you write a letter to Yun Qin as well, and ask him to take good care of your sister-in-law and brother?"
The letters sent to Wen Yunqin these past few days have gone unanswered. Wen's father frowned, guessing that something must have been holding him back. He decided it was best not to tell Madam Wen about this, lest she worry herself sick and lose her appetite.
To reassure her, Wen's father agreed, "I will send a message to Yun Qin and ask him to take good care of Qi Yan and Ji Wanyuan."
"By the way, Qi Yan said that the Emperor's days of lucidity have been getting shorter and shorter lately, and now Prime Minister Ji is in a predicament. He wants to rescue Madam Ji."
"Rescue Madam Ji?" Madam Wen asked. "How?"
Mr. Wen was slightly taken aback. "I thought Madam would think this trip was dangerous and wouldn't want Qi Yan to go to the rescue."
“That’s his mother-in-law, how can we not save her?” Madam Wen said irritably. “Sir, please don’t say such things.”
"Yes, yes, yes," Mr. Wen smiled.
"Our Wen family and the Ji family are now in the same boat, we can't get out of this predicament."
"Madam Ji's safety must be ensured." Madam Ji's continued control by the Empress was not conducive to the actions of either family.
"But wouldn't taking action alert the enemy?"
Lady Wen was very worried, saying that the Empress was keeping a close watch on Lady Ji.
If Madam Ji were to disappear, chaos would surely ensue within the palace, and the emperor would undoubtedly suspect the Wen family.
"Don't worry, Qi Yan has prepared a detailed rescue plan."
Mrs. Wen asked doubtfully, "Really?"
Mr. Wen hummed softly, leaned close to her ear, and whispered the entire plan.
After hearing this, Madam Wen said, "...Okay."
Three days later, in the evening, inside the palace, the emperor took the medicine and vomited again.
The Empress stood beside him, wiping away the filth that had come out of his mouth along with the medicine.
"Your Majesty, you...you must hold on!" The Empress was overjoyed to see that he had regained consciousness and quickly helped him up.
The emperor's face was sallow, his eye sockets were sunken, and there were dark circles under his eyes.
He leaned against the bright yellow soft pillow, looked at the Empress in front of him, patted the back of her hand to indicate that he was alright, but as soon as he did so, he started coughing violently.
The coughing was so severe that blood got onto the handkerchief, and my vision blurred in waves.
The Empress immediately sent someone to summon the imperial physician who was left behind.
It was at this moment that the eunuch who had gone out to deliver the message circled around the corner of the palace, quietly fell behind the others, and went in another direction.
He walked quickly and soon arrived at the entrance of the side hall. A young palace maid came out from behind the stone statue. The two nodded to each other and then walked towards the Empress's palace.
The Empress's palace was very large, and the place where Lady Ji was confined was in the inner palace behind the side palace.
The young eunuch led the maid through the crowd to the side palace gate. Instead of heading towards the main gate, the two climbed over the wall next to the lotus pond and entered.
Carefully avoiding the patrolling guards, they silently launched a hidden weapon from the roof beam, knocking unconscious the palace maid guarding the door.
Since being imprisoned, Madam Ji has not had a full night's sleep.
She was worried about Prime Minister Ji, but even more worried about her daughter who was far away in Youzhou.
She also knew that the Empress's actions were intended to take her hostage and threaten the Ji family.
Madam Ji was unwilling to become a constraint on Prime Minister Ji and her family, and had considered ending her life, but... things had not yet reached the point where she had to commit suicide, and she was still somewhat reluctant.
He wanted to see Prime Minister Ji and his daughter one more time.
Not long after lying down, Madam Ji heard a slight noise outside and immediately became alert. She wanted to get out of bed to check, but then felt that it would be too revealing.
So she shrank into a corner, grabbed some bedding and a soft pillow from the side, and listened anxiously as footsteps approached.
A moment later, footsteps stopped in front of the bed, and a hand tried to lift the curtain, but quickly withdrew.
A respectful, soft greeting came from outside, "Madam."
The other party stated their identity and purpose: "This servant was sent by the Grand Chancellor to rescue you."
The Grand Chancellor? Wen Qiyan?!
Fearing a trap, Madam Ji was on high alert, but the next moment, the curtain was opened, and she saw a token—Prime Minister Ji's personal jade pendant.
Seeing this, Madam Ji finally believed it.
She quickly dropped the soft pillow and blankets in her hands and stepped forward to grab Prime Minister Ji's jade pendant.
Upon seeing Madam Ji come down, the young palace maid said, "There is also a letter here; please take a look."
Madam Ji looked at the person in front of her, took the letter and opened it; it was a letter from Prime Minister Ji.
He informed Madam Ji that everything was fine at the Ji family's residence and asked her to move out of the palace.
"But what if the Empress finds out if I leave?"
"This servant will take your place and work around here to create a false impression."
Madam Ji asked in confusion, "How will you take over for me?"
The person before her revealed a face that bore a striking resemblance to hers, and Madam Ji was shocked.
But what she saw next made her eyes widen even more.
All that could be heard was a clicking sound, and the person in front of me suddenly straightened up. She was actually shrinking her body!
Before long, Madam Ji noticed that this person's figure had become seven or eight parts similar to hers.
Seeing Madam Ji's ghostly expression, and fearing she might frighten her master's mother-in-law, the maid quickly explained that it was her bone-shrinking technique.
"Time is running out. Please change your clothes and leave with the people outside."
Madam Ji composed herself and said, "Alright, thank you for your trouble."
"..."
The emperor's illness came on suddenly, and the imperial physicians worked through the night to administer acupuncture, which finally managed to stabilize his heart and lungs and his condition.
Upon investigation, it was discovered that someone had made a mistake with the emperor's medicine, and the empress severely punished the person who delivered and prepared the medicine.
But as soon as I calmed down, I felt that something was wrong. How could anyone dare to make a mistake with the medicine?
After much deliberation, the Empress suddenly opened her eyes.
"Someone come here!" she called out.
A palace maid rushed in with her young attendants. The Empress ordered, "Go see Lady Ji!"
"yes!"
While waiting, the Empress grew increasingly impatient. Without waiting for any news, she got up and walked towards the palace herself.
She wanted to see if this was just a coincidence!
-----------------------
Author's Note: There will be random lucky red envelopes dropping in this chapter! [rainbow fart]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
