WBSGVS Chapter 144 V1

When she woke up again, Qingli hadn’t even opened her eyes before she felt an overwhelming weakness in her body. A sharp, persistent pain gnawed at her lower abdomen, making her break out in a thin layer of sweat within moments.

A cool, damp cloth was placed on her forehead, soothing some of the heat.

Slowly, Qingli opened her eyes and saw a young maid with bright, expressive features watching her with concern. As soon as the maid noticed she was awake, she spoke softly, “Madam, you’re finally awake. The medicine has just been prepared—would you like to drink some?”

“Mhm,” Qingli responded faintly.

The maid immediately helped her sit up, placing a soft pillow behind her back for support. “Please wait a moment, Madam. I’ll bring the medicine right away.”

The maid disappeared behind the screen, then returned moments later, carrying a bowl of herbal medicine with a strong, bitter aroma that filled the air.

She didn’t even let Qingli lift a hand. Instead, she scooped up a spoonful of the medicine and brought it to Qingli’s lips.

Qingli sniffed the liquid. Something… felt off.

She glanced at the maid. The concern in the young girl’s eyes was genuine—perhaps she wasn’t aware that there was something wrong with the medicine.

Qingli opened her mouth and took a sip, but before she could swallow, she suddenly choked, turning her head to cough violently. The entire mouthful of medicine spilled onto the floor.

“Madam!” The maid quickly patted her back, her voice gentle with worry.

Qingli slowly straightened up. The sudden movement had intensified the pain in her stomach, draining the color from her face. She shook her head weakly. “Just leave the medicine there. I need to rest for a while.”

“Yes, of course.” The maid immediately helped her lie back down, carefully tucking the blankets around her.

Qingli closed her eyes, silently absorbing the memories of the body’s original owner.

The more she remembered, the more nauseous she felt.

This was a story about a concubine rising to power.

And the original owner? She was the legitimate wife, whose position the concubine was meant to take.

—

The original owner’s name was Mu Qingli, the legitimate daughter of a third-rank official. The Mu family was an influential clan with a history spanning over a hundred years. At sixteen, Qingli was proposed to by Xie Rongyun, the top scholar of the imperial exam. Two years had passed since then, and their marriage had been filled with love—everything was perfect except for one thing: they had no children.

Xie Rongyun himself was a remarkable figure, most notably because of his tragic past.

Over a decade ago, the Xie family was falsely accused of corruption and sentenced to execution. Only eight-year-old Xie Rongyun managed to escape, going into hiding under a false identity.

Five years ago, he orchestrated a grand scheme from the shadows, leveraging every resource available—including the Mu family—to bring the corrupt officials to justice and clear his family’s name.

He had used Mu Qingli’s love for him, persuading her father to intervene on his behalf. That was how he had achieved his current standing.

After securing first place in the imperial exam, his first order of business was to propose marriage to the Mu family. Qingli, in turn, married the man every woman in the capital dreamed of—a refined and elegant gentleman.

It was all because, back when the Xie family had been ruined, Qingli had saved his life. If not for her, he would have died long ago.

In their two years of marriage, Qingli had no in-laws to serve, no concubines to compete with, and a husband who cherished her deeply. The only flaw in her otherwise perfect life was that she had yet to bear a child.

A month ago, she finally conceived, only to lose the baby due to an accident.

From that moment on, Qingli had been bedridden, plagued by illness.

Meanwhile, her husband rose to power, becoming the Regent. Yet within their household, she had faded into irrelevance, while the new mistress of the residence was none other than her paternal cousin, Mu Lan’er.

The irony was bitter.

Initially, the Mu and Xie families had been close allies. The children grew up playing together, but the one Xie Rongyun had always doted on was Mu Lan’er.

Mu Lan’er was the illegitimate daughter of Qingli’s second uncle, two years younger than her.

Despite being a concubine’s daughter, she had captured Xie Rongyun’s special attention.

As the legitimate daughter of the Mu family, Qingli could do nothing but watch in envy, choosing to befriend Mu Lan’er just so she could spend more time around Xie Rongyun.

But everything changed when disaster struck the Xie family.

Mu Lan’er’s father, a man desperate for glory, led a group of men to the Xie estate, capturing Xie Rongyun’s older sister and selling her to a brothel.

Xie Rongyun barely escaped.

He couldn’t believe that the uncle who once smiled so warmly at him could be so ruthless. In his desperate flight, he nearly starved to death. When he finally woke again, he found that it was Mu Qingli’s maid who had brought him silver and told him to leave.

From that moment on, he never forgot Qingli’s kindness.

He swore to never love Mu Lan’er again.

Years later, he returned and married Mu Qingli.

That should have been the end of the story.

But Mu Lan’er’s father was an incompetent man, always seeking ways to climb the social ladder. Seeing that his daughter had grown into a beauty, he decided to offer her as a concubine to his superior.

Seventeen-year-old Mu Lan’er, terrified of her fate, overheard her parents’ conversation and fled to her cousin’s home, seeking help from Qingli.

Unfortunately, Qingli had just suffered a miscarriage and was too weak to intervene.

Xie Rongyun, claiming he didn’t want his sickly wife to be troubled, handled the matter himself.

He allowed his sister-in-law to stay in their home, took it upon himself to warn Mu Lan’er’s father, and soon, began caring for Mu Lan’er personally.

Meanwhile, Qingli remained bedridden. Caught between her fear of dying and her guilt over not giving the Xie family an heir, she eventually suggested that Xie Rongyun take a concubine.

And that was when people started mentioning Mu Lan’er’s name.

The original host had a simple and naive nature. With a bit of guidance, she came to believe that since her illegitimate younger sister and her husband had grown up together, and since her husband was steadily rising in status, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for her sister to marry him as a concubine—if she was willing. So, she summoned Mu Lan’er and asked her directly.