Chapter 28: Pregnant with my brother's child, having a secret rendezvous with another man
Yun Zhaoxue retorted, "You were following me?"
“Who was following you? I saw it by accident. You shameless woman, pregnant with my third brother’s child, having an affair.”
On her way to the Duan family's house, she saw her own carriage following her for a while, knowing that she was going to the teahouse, which belonged to the Third Prince.
“He’s going to marry Yun Jiaoyue, and I have nothing to do with him anymore. I’m going to this meeting to make things clear with him.”
"Who knows what you two talked about? You can turn black into white. Every time he beckons with his finger, you still eagerly rush to him."
Yun Zhaoxue said, "You're not much better than me. The Duan family even came to break off the engagement, putting the Prince's Mansion's face on the ground, yet you still can't forget Duan Qingyun."
Xiao Xiuning retorted angrily, "Shut up, I didn't."
"You didn't? Dare you say what you went out to do this morning?"
Her eyes flashed, "I... I'm also going to the Duan family to clear things up."
Yun Zhaoxue saw through her lies but didn't expose them. "I don't agree with you using money to buy people's hearts. Not to mention whether it can save the Prince's Mansion, if someone finds a handle on you and reports it to the Emperor, you'll die even faster. It's best not to do anything and just avoid causing trouble or making things worse."
In the original book, Xiao Xuance did not sit idly by in prison. He maintained contact with his secret guards and personal guards, thwarted the plots of various forces to frame the Prince's Mansion, and saved himself, changing his execution to confiscation of his property and exile.
Xiao Xiuning said, "Sister-in-law, fifth brother, let's not waste our breath on her. We'll find a way to raise the money ourselves. We don't need her charity."
Xiao Xuanwu said, "Fourth Sister, I think Third Sister-in-law's words make sense too."
"Fifth brother, whose side are you on? Why are you speaking up for her?"
At that moment, a figure flew down from the roof.
It was Xiao Xuance's personal guard, Zhuiying, who said, "Fourth Miss, you mustn't do that. It will harm the young master and the royal family."
Xiao Xiuning's face flushed red with anger. "How could I harm the Prince's Mansion? I don't believe it. What kind of bewitching potion has this wicked woman given you?"
In her eyes, Yun Zhaoxue was good for nothing except for her noble status and good looks.
Yun Zhaoxue scoffed, "Xiao Xiuning, you've lost your mind because you hate me, and you only do stupid things without thinking. I won't give you any money."
Xiao Xiuning didn't think she was particularly smart, but she was much smarter than Yun Zhaoxue.
"You dare call me stupid? You're the stupid one, you got swindled out of all your money."
The old nanny beside Madam Yang hurried over and bowed to the ladies who had come to visit. She said to Xiao Xiuning, "Fourth Miss, General Duan, Madam Duan, and Young General Duan have arrived. The Princess Consort requests your presence."
Xiao Xiuning's expression changed from gloomy to sunny. "Brother Duan? Brother Duan must have come to marry me. Yun Zhaoxue, did you hear that? Brother Duan is here. He was only forced to come to break off the engagement because of Madam Duan. He still has feelings for me. He deserves it. I am different from you."
"Don't make any promises. If the Duan family wants to marry you, I'll give you everything I got from the Marquis's mansion as your dowry. You can do whatever you want with it, okay?"
Are you telling the truth?
"real."
The Duan family secretly allied themselves with the Third Prince. Their first visit was to annul the engagement, and their second visit was to take Xiao Xiuning as a concubine so that they could take over part of the Xiao family army and have the Third Prince serve them.
Lady Yang loved her daughter dearly, so how could she allow her only daughter to become someone's concubine? She would definitely refuse.
Zhuiying followed Yun Zhaoxue back to the outside of her courtyard.
"Does the Shadow Chaser want to see me?"
"Your Highness, I must inform you that people from the second and third branches of the family have been sent to loiter around your courtyard."
"They're after the money?"
"Most likely."
Zhuiying clasped his hands in a fist salute, bowed, and withdrew, saying, "This subordinate takes his
Over in the main hall.
The Duan family arrived with generous gifts.
General Duan first apologized to Yang for his wife and children's reckless behavior that day, and said that he was unaware of the situation and had already reprimanded the two of them.
"I have received General Duan's apology. Is there anything else besides the apology?"
"The marriage between my son and the fourth young lady was arranged by the Prince before his death. The Prince had been kind to me, and now that the Prince's mansion is in trouble, I, Duan, will absolutely not stand idly by. The marriage between the two families will not be called off."
"Not returning it?" Mrs. Yang was very surprised.
Xiao Xiuning, who was eavesdropping outside the door, was overjoyed.
She knew that Brother Duan had feelings for her.
However, Madam Duan's next words made her lose her smile. "Your Highness, last time I took it upon myself to cancel the engagement. My husband asked me to come and apologize to my sister. This time we have come to ask for the Fourth Miss to marry Qingyun as... a concubine."
Madam Yang frowned deeply. "A concubine? A wife is to be married, a concubine is to be taken in. My daughter, Xiao, will never become a concubine. Let's annul the engagement."
"Waaah..." Xiao Xiuning collapsed to the ground in tears.
Xie Wanyun comforted her, "Fourth sister, don't be sad. General Duan is not your true love. You are still young and you will meet a good man."
Xiao Xuanwu bit his lower lip, his cheeks puffed up with anger, his breathing heavy, his fists clenched, and he really wanted to punch someone.
But there were three of them, and he couldn't defeat them all, so he needed to find help.
By the way, Third Sister-in-law, Third Sister-in-law will definitely support him in beating that Duan to death.
He ordered his personal servant to find Yun Zhaoxue and then rushed into the main hall.
He punched Duan Qingyun in the face, "Bang!"
"Demote your wife to a concubine? How could your Duan family possibly do such a thing? Who are you trying to humiliate? Annul the engagement! The engagement must be annuled!"
"It was our Xiao family that broke off the engagement with the Duan family."
Xiao Xiuning casually wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, rushed over and grabbed her arm, "Xiao Wu, Xiao Wu, stop hitting her."
Xiao Xuanwu didn't stop, beating harder and harder, "Bang bang!!"
"Xiao Wu, that's enough!" Madam Yang scolded.
"Mother, the Duan family has gone too far." Xiao Xuanwu had only thrown one punch, but he was not satisfied and pounced on Duan Qingyun again.
Xiao Xiuning got angry. "Xiao Wu, can you please stop causing trouble?"
Xiao Xuanwu was even more furious at her lack of self-respect, and slowly lowered his fist. "Fourth Sister, I was standing up for you. You said I was causing trouble?"
Yun Zhaoxue stepped into the main hall. "Young Master Duan deserves to be beaten. He knows he's in the wrong. Let Xiao Wu punch him a few more times; it will make him feel better."
Madam Duan felt a chill run down her spine at the sight of her, and her lower back ached slightly. "Didn't we already have a beating last time?"
When Xiao Xiuning saw him approaching, she turned her face away, vigorously wiping away her tears with her sleeve until her face was red. "What are you doing here? Did you come to see me make a fool of myself?"
"no."
Xiao Xiuning looked at her with confusion and bewilderment. She wasn't here to laugh at her, so was she here to help her?
She doesn't seem so bad.
Yun Zhaoxue said, "I came to watch the play."
Xiao Xiuning, "..."
Madam Yang said sternly, “General Duan, Madam Duan, my Ning’er will never become a concubine. Today, the two families have exchanged tokens of annulment. Let’s annul the engagement.”
General Duan said, “Your Highness, you know the situation of the Prince’s Mansion. If that day really comes, the Fourth Miss will suffer. At least she will have a place to stay if she becomes a concubine in the Duan family.”
Duan Qingyun stood up with a bruised face. "Your Highness, I swear to you today that if Ning'er enters the manor as my concubine, I will treat her with the respect due to a principal wife and will never mistreat her."
After saying that, he looked at Xiao Xiuning with deep affection and asked, "Ning'er, will you marry me?"
Yun Zhaoxue spoke softly, "Yesterday you said you would treat her like a younger sister and insisted on breaking off the engagement. Today you're taking her as a concubine and treating her like a principal wife. Your change of heart is so swift. Is it genuine affection or pretense?"
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