Chapter 496 - 274: Squandering a Good Hand

Chapter 496: Chapter 274: Squandering a Good Hand

"So what if we don’t have children? Does that mean we don’t deserve to live? At worst, when we’re on our deathbeds, we can just adopt a child from the clan to inherit the family estate. We can live a happy life, and when we’re old, we’ll kick the bucket, close our eyes, and who cares what happens after we’re gone?"

Song Yexi was speechless.

’I never realized Linlang was this kind of woman. I’m impressed!’

"Besides, do you think those ladies with children live happy and carefree lives? Their husbands philander, the concubines are a nuisance, the illegitimate children all have their own schemes, and what if your own child is a disappointment... A huge family with a thousand different plots, it’s exhausting just thinking about it. I’d be better off."

Song Yexi found herself feeling envious!

’No, I can’t think like that. My husband and I are harmonious and deeply in love. I won’t have to live such a wretched life.’

"Are you really sure about this?"

"I’m sure. All my life, I’ve wanted to marry into a prominent family. With my background, even becoming a concubine would involve being carefully scrutinized. If Young Master Ji hadn’t been injured, would an opportunity like this ever have come my way? The line of girls waiting to marry him would have been endless. But now, everyone else has run off, so he’s all mine."

Song Yexi felt a bit dazed. It was true. Before, let alone marrying Ji Yunting, Madam Ji wouldn’t have even considered Linlang worthy of being his concubine.

"Besides, didn’t they say it might be treatable? Maybe he can be cured. When that time comes, everyone who looks back will be dying of envy and sick with regret."

Song Yexi was speechless again.

"Are you really marrying him just for the position of Young Madam Ji?"

Xie Linlang hesitated. That wasn’t the entire reason.

When Ji Yunting had jumped down to save her, he wouldn’t have struck his leg against the rocks and broken it if he hadn’t been shielding her. Thinking back on it, she realized that impact must have been what injured him... down there.

"Ye Xi, that day, Ji Yunting sent me a letter asking if I was willing to marry him. I wrote back saying I was. That’s what led to him later insisting that he would marry no one but me."

"You..."

Xie Linlang looked at Song Yexi, her eyes crinkling into a wide smile. "Ji Yunting told me not to tell anyone, but I don’t want my family to misunderstand him because of this. So I’m telling you. Please pass the message on to the Marchioness and Yun Zhao for me, so they can rest easy."

"You haven’t told your own parents either?"

"I’ll tell them when I go back," Xie Linlang said with a smile. "They arrived in such a hurry, I haven’t had time to tell them yet."

For once, Song Yexi was silent. She stared at Xie Linlang with a serious expression for a long moment before saying, "Linlang, you have to be absolutely sure. If he really can’t be cured, your life ahead might not be easy."

Most people wouldn’t be able to bear the gossip alone.

"I know. I’ll push him to climb the ranks. As long as he achieves a high position in the future, people might gossip, but they won’t dare say it to my face."

Song Yexi was convinced. She really didn’t know how to persuade her anymore, nor could she.

Xie Linlang just smiled and said no more. ’If you want to gain something, you always have to give something up.’

’I just want power and influence so I’ll never be looked down on again, and my family won’t have to worry about being bullied. I’m about to get what I want, so it’s only right that I pay a price for it.’

The next day, Yun Zhao received the letter from Song Yexi. After reading it, she was speechless for a long time.

She knew that Xie Linlang had always been a woman with a mind of her own. Since she had already made her decision, all Yun Zhao could do was wish her well.

The only surprise was that Ji Yunting had actually gotten Linlang’s consent before announcing he would marry no one else. With that, the biggest source of her anger about this marriage was extinguished.

One dared to ask, the other dared to accept. The two of them were truly a match made in heaven. No wonder they still ended up together after all the twists and turns.

Song Yunzhao was no longer conflicted. ’So be it,’ she thought. ’Everyone has their own destiny; it’s all up to fate.’

Since Linlang had agreed willingly, a weight was lifted from Song Yunzhao’s mind. Now it was just a matter of seeing how Ji Yunting would persuade Madam Ji. He was thoughtful enough to ask Linlang first, so he surely had another move planned. She would just wait and see.

Wang Xuanfan was thrown into the Ministry of Revenue’s prison. Mrs. Wang begged the Ji Family for help, but Madam Ji, who deeply resented Wang Yunhua for rejecting the marriage, refused her outright.

Her son had suffered enough. The Wang Family had been the ones to initiate the engagement in the first place, yet they were the ones to turn around and scorn her son. How could a proud woman like Madam Ji endure that? Now, she couldn’t stand the sight of not just Wang Yunhua, but Mrs. Wang as well. When Mrs. Wang came to beg for help, she wasn’t even allowed through the gate.

The two families had become bitter enemies.

At first, Wang Yunhua wasn’t worried. It was only when she learned that her sister in the palace couldn’t persuade the Emperor to save their father that she realized how serious the situation was.

Song Yunzhao sipped her tea and cracked melon seeds, listening to the gossip about the argument between Consort Zhuang and her sister. Life felt wonderfully refreshing.

"You should have seen it, Your Highness. The shouting was so loud that everyone outside the hall could hear it clearly. I spent a little silver to bribe a palace attendant from the traveling palace and found out everything," Shizhu said proudly.

Even Song Yunzhao was surprised. She hadn’t expected someone as cautious as Consort Zhuang to get so angry with her sister that she’d lose the presence of mind to even dismiss her palace attendants before they started arguing.

"What did they argue about? Tell me everything," Song Yunzhao asked eagerly.

"Consort Zhuang called Miss Wang selfish and said she wasn’t thinking of the family. Miss Wang accused Consort Zhuang of putting on an act, saying she was too afraid to help Lord Wang because she didn’t want to lose her position as a concubine."

Song Yunzhao thought, ’As expected of blood sisters. Every jab hits its mark.’

"Miss Wang also asked Consort Zhuang to pull some strings, saying she’s now willing to marry into the Ji Family."

Song Yunzhao sneered. "Does she think the Ji Family is a vegetable patch for the Wangs, something she can just pick from whenever she pleases?"

"Exactly as you say, Your Highness. Consort Zhuang also said she wasn’t shameless enough to do such a thing, and even if she did, Madam Ji’s personality is such that she would never agree. She told Miss Wang that if she was sincere, she should go and beg in person. Miss Wang then burst into tears on the spot, saying that her own sister, Consort Zhuang, was forcing her to her death."

Song Yunzhao thought that Consort Zhuang’s idea wasn’t bad. If Wang Yunhua could swallow her pride, genuinely go to Madam Ji to atone, and sincerely show her resolve, there might still be a chance to turn things around.

Unfortunately, Wang Yunhua was too concerned with her own pride and refused to humble herself.

But by the time the Wang Family’s great mansion truly came crashing down, it would be too late for Wang Yunhua to do anything.

’I always thought Wang Yunhua was a clever person. I never expected her to be so foolish at such a critical moment.’

’To be dealt such a good hand and then play it so terribly... she’s truly a rare talent.’

Not to mention, the Marquis Yongjia Mansion was watching like a hawk. To vent his anger for his daughter, Marquis Yongjia had dared to rip away the Ministry of Revenue’s fig leaf last time. This time, the Ministry had brought trouble on itself, getting caught red-handed with its corruption. She had sent a message to Marchioness Yongjia last time; the Marquis Yongjia Mansion would certainly not miss this chance to kick them while they were down.

’Does Wang Yunhua really think her own past deeds were completely flawless?’

Spooking a horse can easily be fatal. The fact that Huang Mingxiu only broke an arm this time meant she was incredibly lucky.

Song Yunzhao’s prediction was correct. Marquis Yongjia made his move again, and even the Left Minister, who had been about to lend Wang Xuanfan a hand, immediately pulled back.