Volume One, Chapter 34: This Concubine Pays Her Respects to Madam

The triumphant smile froze on Lady Li’s face.

"A concubine?"

Qiuyue was bewildered. Where could a concubine have possibly come from?

It was common knowledge that the Marquis of Chengen was henpecked. In all the years Lady Li had been married, he had never taken a single concubine. Having served in the manor for years, Qiuyue knew that while the Marquis only visited Lady Li’s courtyard on the first and fifteenth of each month, no maid in the house had ever dared to climb into his bed. To the outside world, this earned Lady Li the reputation of a jealous wife, but it also won the Marquis a reputation as a devoted husband.

Outside the door, a curvaceous woman lifted the hem of her skirt slightly and stepped over the threshold. With a waist like a serpent and a figure as lithe as a willow, her face—as alluring as peach blossoms—was cast downward in feigned shyness as she walked in with a respectful gait.

Watching her enter, Xie Shu sighed inwardly, "Such a beauty, wasted on the Marquis of Chengen. Truly a pity."

Lin Wan’er walked with a sway, her dark hair piled high, a few stray locks dancing against her forehead in the breeze. Without needing a prompt, she knelt directly before Lady Li the moment she reached her, placing her hands on the floor to bow. "Your servant, Lin Wan’er, pays respects to the Madam."

Xie Shu glanced down at Lin Wan’er. A clever woman, indeed.

Lin Wan’er had been nothing more than a plaything the Marquis kept outside. He would visit her when he had time to kill, but he never truly held her in his heart. Besides, there had been many women before her; once the novelty wore off, the Marquis either passed them to others or sent them away to his country estates. Men in this world were, for the most part, heartless.

Yet, as a former courtesan, Lin Wan’er wanted to carve a path for herself. When Xiao Anzi went to Daliu Lane and mentioned bringing her into the manor, she did not hesitate for a moment. She packed her jewelry and coin, grabbed a small bundle, and climbed straight into the carriage.

*Crash!*

Lady Li swung her arm, sweeping a set of teacups and porcelain to the floor. Qiuyue jumped in shock as the tea tray clattered down, leaving the room in a mess.

Xie Shu acted with lightning speed, pulling Lin Wan’er aside just in time to keep her face from being scratched. A shard had flown right in front of Lin Wan’er’s eyes; she was so terrified she dared not even breathe. If she lost that face, she would never have a good life in the Marquis’s manor. She looked at Xie Shu with profound gratitude, mouthing a silent, "Thank you."

Xie Shu pulled Lin Wan’er to the side and signaled for Green Willow to bring a cloth. She carefully dusted Lin Wan’er’s knees, worried that sharp debris might have clung to them—after all, she would have to kneel again soon.

"Mother-in-law, she is the Marquis's woman after all; how could you hurt her so casually?" Xie Shu held Lin Wan’er’s hand and patted her back gently, acting as if the two had been close for a long time.

"A cheap harlot who doesn't know her place dares to dream of entering my manor!" Lady Li had not expected Xie Shu to bring such a woman into the house. Seeing Lin Wan’er’s face, she lunged forward without thinking, her left hand raised high to strike.

Xie Shu’s eyes were sharp; she caught Lady Li’s wrist mid-air.

*Clang!* A piece of broken porcelain fell from Lady Li’s palm, hitting the floor with a crisp sound.

"Mother-in-law, why be so vicious? Must you ruin the concubine’s face?" Xie Shu applied pressure to her fingertips. While she had never studied martial arts, she was well-versed in acupuncture points; a slight squeeze made Lady Li’s face contort in agony.

Hearing this, Lin Wan’er immediately burst into tears. After a quick glance around, she found a clean spot to kneel again and wailed to Lady Li, "Madam, I know you dislike me! But I beg you, for the sake of the time I have served the Marquis, please let me enter the manor."

Lady Li was having none of it. Twitching from the pain, she hissed, "A whore who has been with a thousand men wants to enter my house? Keep dreaming!"

"Madam! When I first followed the Marquis, I was a woman of virtue! How can you... how can you slander me so?" Lin Wan’er wept like a pear blossom in the rain, dabbing at her eyes with her sleeve, yet not a single bit of her makeup was ruined.

Just as Lady Li prepared to unleash a torrent of abuse, a servant called out from outside, "Madam! Madam! The Marquis is back!"

"Oh, what perfect timing," Xie Shu said, releasing her grip.

As the force vanished, Lady Li lost her balance and stumbled backward. Fortunately, Qiuyue rushed forward to steady her. "Madam, be careful!"

"What is all this noise!" The Marquis of Chengen looked utterly impatient. He had knelt in the palace for an entire night, and the Emperor had refused to even see him. He had not dared to seek an audience with the Empress Dowager for fear of suspicion, so he had slunk back to the manor in his carriage. And now, the moment he arrived, he was dragged here.

Looking at the debris and hearing the shouting, the Marquis felt nothing but irritation and a splitting headache. However, his expression froze when he saw Lin Wan’er. "Why is she here?"

Xie Shu stepped beside Lin Wan’er and replied, "I invited her, father-in-law. The heir is marrying, and the Marquis is taking a concubine—it is a double celebration."

Xie Shu’s tone was so calm that it made the Marquis seem like the small-minded one.

"She is merely an outsider. Send her back." News of the Marquis beating his wife had just spread across the capital. If he took a concubine today, wouldn't he be branded even more heartless?

Xie Shu knew his concerns, but that was exactly what she had intended.

Kneeling on the ground, Lin Wan’er turned deathly pale. If she were sent back to Daliu Lane today, she would never be able to claim even the status of an outsider. Stiffening her resolve, she sobbed softly, clutching her lower abdomen, and pleaded with feigned submissiveness, "If the Marquis wants me to return, I shall go. I only ask that the Marquis come to see me and the child from time to time. Please, do not forget us."

"The child?" The Marquis only had one son, Ning Rongsheng, by his wife, Lady Li. Later, Lady Li had given birth to a daughter, Ning Rongyue, but it had left her with a chronic illness, and she could no longer conceive. This had always been a deep regret for the Marquis. He had sought out many women since, but none had ever become pregnant; he had assumed he was past the point of hope.

"Is it true?" After the initial shock, the Marquis was suspicious.

Lin Wan’er nodded and held up two fingers. "It has been over a month. If the Marquis does not believe me, you may call a physician to verify."

"You! How could you possibly be pregnant!" Hatred burned in Lady Li’s eyes. She didn't believe it! Her Sheng’er was supposed to be the only male heir of the Chengen Manor! Besides... she had clearly... she had clearly poisoned the Marquis to make him sterile!

If she couldn't bear children, the Marquis shouldn't be able to either! Otherwise, what would become of her Sheng’er and Yue’er?

She was truly the woman who had driven Lady Li to cough up blood in the previous life. But this child... it didn't seem like it had been conceived just now, did it?

Xie Shu studied Lin Wan’er. Keeping her around might prove very useful indeed.