Chapter 4, "I Don't Want to Marry Wen Qiyan Anymore!"...
Madam Wen was stunned, her pupils contracting for the second time, “…”
The fact that Wen Qiyan personally admitted that the child in Ji Wanyuan's belly was his was far more impactful than what Prime Minister Ji and Madam Ji had just said.
She was completely at a loss for words, standing there in a daze, her mind blank. It was only after her father came over and gently reminded her to come to her senses that she was persuaded to sit down. But she was still stunned and couldn't figure it out.
Prime Minister Ji looked at Wen Qiyan.
The other person walked in calmly, first paying his respects to Mr. and Mrs. Wen, and then greeting him, showing neither servility nor arrogance.
"I thought Young Master Wen would deny it," Prime Minister Ji said coldly.
Wen Qiyan's gaze was indifferent, and before he could speak, his father had already spoken up, "What are you saying, Prime Minister? Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, and Miss Ji is carrying our Wen family's heir, we should naturally acknowledge her."
“Recognize—” What do you mean by recognizing?
Madam Wen came to her senses, but still couldn't believe it. She knew her own son well; he had never been interested in women and loathed Ji Wanyuan. How could he possibly have had intimate relations with her, and... be more than a month pregnant?
Even though Wen Qiyan had personally agreed, she still felt it was inappropriate, so she subconsciously wanted to object, but before she could finish speaking, her father stopped her with a suggestive look.
"What, does your Wen family think you're superior? Does our Ji family think we can't even reach you?" Madam Ji retorted, understanding Madam Wen's meaning.
"Madam misunderstands, my wife did not mean that."
Madam Ji snorted coldly, "If that's not what you meant, then what is it?"
"My daughter is beautiful and clever, and she's an only child born of the legitimate wife. Isn't she good enough for your young master Wen?"
At this point, Madam Ji gave Wen Qiyan a cold look.
So what if she's born with an exceptionally beautiful appearance? Her personality is as cold as ice; she's clearly not the type to care for others.
Thinking back to the past when Ji Wanyuan came home and complained about the cold treatment she received from him, Madam Ji looked down on Wen Qiyan even more.
Even if he is the best in the capital, with the best character, appearance, family background, and skills, it's all meaningless if he doesn't treat her daughter well.
"Madam, please calm down and allow us to discuss this further," Father Wen said with a smile, trying to appease her.
The Wen family was not a small or insignificant family; they were a first-rate aristocratic clan. It was enough to show them some respect; they couldn't go too far. Prime Minister Ji stopped Madam Ji from continuing her attack.
He then asked Wen Qiyan, "How does Young Master Wen intend to handle this matter?"
Everyone fell silent, turning their gazes toward the quiet, handsome man.
After he sat down, he remained silent, his expression indifferent. He listened to the two families arguing without uttering a word, as if he were watching someone else's business from the sidelines.
At this moment, he faced Prime Minister Ji's questioning.
He calmly opened his mouth again and said, "I will marry Miss Ji."
"..."
Half an incense stick later, the Ji family left.
Madam Wen pressed him impatiently, "Qi Yan, what exactly are you thinking?"
He actually said he wanted to marry Ji Wanyuan?! Can he really marry that arrogant, domineering, and unrestrained Miss Ji?
These words slipped out of her mouth, and she continued, "What exactly is going on between you and that eldest daughter of the Ji family? Could it be that you really...?"
Did you really have sex with him?
"Or is there something you're having trouble saying? Say something, please?"
Mr. Wen continued, "The child will make his own decision on this matter, since..."
Father Wen glanced at Wen Qiyan and smiled as he coaxed Madam Wen, "The Ji family is quite prestigious, and Miss Ji is beautiful; she's a good match for our son."
With no outsiders present, Madam Wen could no longer contain her dissatisfaction and said, "What do you mean by 'matching'? Are you out of your mind, sir? Haven't you heard of the reputation of Miss Ji, the daughter of the Prime Minister? Besides, doesn't Qi Yan despise her?"
“These things are nothing, Madam, calm down and calm down.” He handed the tea that the servant had brought to Madam Wen with both hands.
Madam Wen took a sip but didn't drink it, then slammed it down. "Back then, Miss Ji was pestering Qi Yan. I didn't know she had a bad reputation. I asked you if this matter could be accomplished. What did the master say to me?"
"His Majesty is most wary of meritorious officials becoming too powerful. The Ji family holds a very high position. If our son were to marry that young lady, we'd likely be targeted."
"You're not bothered by it anymore now?"
Speaking of this, Madam Wen became even more anxious, and she glared at Wen Qiyan with annoyance.
Sensing her gaze, the other person stood up, saying, "I have important matters to attend to in my study, so I will not keep you company any longer."
"You—!" Madam Wen choked on her words.
Only after the person had walked away did he come to confront Wen's father, saying, "Look at your good son!"
With no one around, Lord Wen became even more obsequious and tried to appease Madam Wen.
After a short while, the man was finally settled down. Lord Wen left the main hall and went to Wen Qiyan's courtyard study to find him.
Before he could even speak, Wen Qiyan said that it was the Emperor's decree, ordering him to marry Ji Wanyuan and bring her to his residence.
Even though he was mentally prepared, Lord Wen still couldn't help but fall silent when he heard it from the ear.
He then asked, "Does His Majesty already know about your affair with Miss Ji?"
"It's Physician Fu," Wen Qiyan replied calmly.
He flipped through the books, looking at the topographical map of Youzhou and the list of people entering and leaving over the past three months.
"So it was Physician Fu."
It makes sense when you think about it. His Majesty has been keeping an eye on the Ji family. Prime Minister Ji sent the imperial physicians to examine Ji Wanyuan several times, but they couldn't find anything wrong. Later, he specifically asked Imperial Physician Fu to take a look.
The Ji family must have already silenced Physician Fu about the fact that the baby was pregnant.
No matter how many times it's sealed off, how can it possibly keep it from the emperor?
Your Majesty only needs to investigate to find out what happened.
"No wonder His Majesty summoned you to the palace this morning."
He would definitely have to ask Wen Qiyan in person whether his affair with Miss Ji was true.
Even with this clear understanding, Lord Wen still had to ask, "Are you sure she's carrying our Wen family's bloodline?"
It's really not good to speculate about young ladies from noble families in such a way, but that Miss Ji is no ordinary young lady; she has never done anything like needlework or traditional female training.
He spent his days in the public eye, even engaging in cockfighting and dog racing, and... frequented theaters and spoke to men without any restraint.
Lord Wen was also worried, so he had no choice but to ask for the truth.
Wen Qiyan's eyelashes fluttered slightly as he recalled the rare sight of Ji Wanyuan bleeding that day, her face contorted in pain, cold sweat pouring down her wrinkled cheeks...
He then said, "Mm."
"Okay." Having received this reply, Mr. Wen didn't ask any further questions.
"Since you have decided to propose marriage, then I will have your mother make serious preparations and go to the Ji family to propose."
This matter needs to be handled as soon as possible, lest Ji Wanyuan's pregnancy progresses and people notice something amiss.
Even knowing that the birth of the child would probably be impossible to hide, they would try to keep as much secret as possible.
The Ji family has also made a ruling.
The marriage was to be arranged not only for Ji Wanyuan's health and to fulfill her wishes, but also because it had implications for the court.
Prime Minister Ji said to Ji Lingyue, who rarely contradicted him but spoke out against it this time, "The Wen family has always prided themselves on being upright and has a powerful position in the Censorate. They are ordered by the Emperor to thoroughly investigate all officials. Our Ji family has always been under surveillance."
"Once this marriage is finalized, the two families will be entangled. Do you think the Wen family can extricate themselves cleanly?" Prime Minister Ji laughed.
Ji Lingyue frowned slightly. “I think… this matter is probably not so simple. This morning, an informant reported that Wen Qiyan entered the palace and said he wanted to marry his sister after returning. Forgive me for being bold, but I’m afraid there’s a scheme behind it.”
As he spoke, Prime Minister Ji's gaze fell upon him.
Ji Lingyue naturally noticed this and said, "Didn't Father already choose a suitable husband for Yuanmei a while ago and train him so that he could marry into the family in the future?"
"My son still thinks we shouldn't get involved in this mess, lest someone take advantage of the chaos."
"Anything else?" Prime Minister Ji urged him to finish speaking at once.
Ji Lingyue continued, "Wen Qiyan is unfathomable and quite cunning. My sister is simple-minded and straightforward, so she is probably no match for him and will suffer losses."
Prime Minister Ji tapped the table with his hand, "What you said is indeed reasonable."
“But Ling Yue,” Prime Minister Ji looked at him, “it is the will of Heaven. If we want to deceive the heavens, we have to go with the flow at times. You understand your father’s intention, right?”
Ji Lingyue: "Son...Son understands."
Ji Wanyuan was trapped for a whole day. She paced back and forth in the inner room, bored out of her mind. Finally, she rested her chin on her hand and twirled the bone and jade porcelain cup that was only offered as tribute on the table.
Because of her lack of skill, she frequently lost focus and dropped several cups. Finally, she got really angry, stomped her foot, and smashed all the precious jade cups on the table, yelling that she was going to leave.
The old woman who was assigned to guard the gate by Madam Ji simply ignored her and let her cry and make a fuss. In the end, Ji Wanyuan, with tears still on her face, was so exhausted that she fell into a deep sleep.
As soon as she closed her eyes, she began to dream. In her dream, there were still those terrifying scenes, but this time, there were even more scenes of Wen Qiyan "bullying" her.
He contorted her into a terrifying position, and she ejaculated almost immediately.
She cried and begged him for forgiveness, saying that she would never dare to drug him again, never dare to covet him again, and hoped that he would let her go and forgive her this time, that she really wouldn't dare to do it again.
She repeatedly said she would never dare again, her voice hoarse from crying, looking utterly pathetic. But the man wouldn't listen. He pinched the soft, fragrant flesh on her chest with his hand, looking down at her trembling expression of pain.
Even though his face was stained with waves of passion and desire, he was still frighteningly cold.
He leaned close to her ear and asked in a gloomy voice, "Isn't this what she wanted? Now that she has it, why is she acting all coy and crying?"
Ji Wanyuan was startled awake again.
Just then, the door opened, and she thought it was... She looked up in horror, but when she saw Madam Ji's face, she suddenly relaxed.
Madam Ji brought food to visit her.
Seeing Ji Wanyuan's wide-eyed stare and her heightened guard, and noticing her uneven breathing, he knew she was having another nightmare.
"Did the maid serve you the medicine to prevent miscarriage left by Physician Fu this afternoon?" Madam Ji hurriedly sat down beside her and wiped the cold sweat from her face.
Ji Wanyuan didn't want to hear any of that. She quickly asked Madam Ji what she had been doing at the Wen family's house today.
"What else can we do? Of course, we'll seek justice for you."
What justice are you asking for?!
She's the villain. Her mother and father went there without even understanding the situation. Were they just going to hand her over to the other side and let them do whatever they wanted with her?
"Mother..." Ji Wanyuan thought she would try to be cute and charming again, and then lie to her.
When Madam Ji opened the food box and fed the food to her, she deliberately coaxed her by saying, "Yuan'er, the eldest son of the Wen family is coming to marry you."
"Haven't you always wanted to marry him?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Wanyuan was initially confused.
Then, "!!!"
"I...I..." Looking at Madam Ji's smiling face, she was so frightened that she gasped for breath.
Things continued to progress smoothly; she became pregnant, and the Wen family came to propose marriage.
And then what? She was used by Wen Qiyan, leading to the downfall of the Ji family. She then died tragically from postpartum hemorrhage, and her children...
"What's wrong? Are you so happy you've gone crazy?" Madam Ji pinched her cheek.
"Let's have dinner first."
"Mother!" Ji Wanyuan tugged at Madam Ji's sleeve, tears streaming down her face, "I don't want to marry Wen Qiyan."
Mrs. Ji asked in confusion, "?"
"Are you talking nonsense? Haven't you always wanted to marry him? What's wrong now? You two already have a child, why don't you get married?"
“I…” Ji Wanyuan sniffed, her nose red, and clutched at Madam Ji’s sleeve with both hands, stammering “I…I…I” for a long time.
Should she say something?
Would her mother believe her if she told her? If not, then... no, no one would believe such a thing. Her mother has never believed in gods or Buddhas, so how could she possibly think what she said was true? Besides, she can't provide any evidence to prove that what she said is true.
Is she going to say she'll die next? But she already said it, and her mother doesn't believe her.
"I just don't want to get married," she cried, her nose still red.
"Why? You have to give your mother and father a reason, right?" Madam Ji looked at her pitiful appearance and thought she was being ridiculous.
Reason...reason...
Thinking of her dream, she bit her lip and stammered out a sentence.
"He...he was too rough on the bed, and my daughter couldn't take it, sob sob sob..."
A note from the author:
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[Rainbow farts] are here.
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