WBSGVS Chapter 158 V1

All of the concubines Qingli had selected were in good health, including Xie Rongyun. There was nothing physically wrong with him either. The reason he and the original wife hadn’t had a child in three years wasn’t due to infertility—it was simply because he didn’t want a child to come from her womb.

Even though he harbored resentment toward Mu Lan’er because of Second Master Mu, deep down, that couldn’t outweigh his feelings for her. So, every time he slept with his official wife, he took precautions to avoid getting her pregnant.

But no method is foolproof. The original wife did get pregnant once.

Was that baby ever going to be born? Of course not. It would’ve only made things worse for him—after all, the woman he loved wasn’t Mu Qingli.

Although the original memories didn’t state it clearly, Qingli had deduced that she likely miscarried within a month, with some subtle manipulation from Xie Rongyun’s side.

But it didn’t matter anymore—he was no longer of use.

Qingli was skilled in medicine. As soon as three of the concubines became pregnant, she noticed it right away—within less than a month, even—and immediately sent a message to the Sixth Prince.

Three pregnancies were enough. She no longer wanted to see Xie Rongyun around, getting in the way.

Naturally, Xie Rongyun didn’t want to go. Suppressing bandits was dangerous work! He was a scholar—what business did he have doing something like that?

But the transfer had been personally approved by the Emperor, and the one who proposed it was the Sixth Prince. Even when he tried to beg the Fourth Prince for help, he was thrown out immediately.

The Fourth Prince was already furious. He stood at the entrance to his study, pointing at Xie’s nose and yelling, “Shameless scoundrel! You’re already in bed with the Sixth, and you still come crawling to me? No wonder everything’s been going wrong lately—it must be you stirring up trouble behind the scenes!”

If Xie Rongyun hadn’t already made a name for himself with the Emperor, the Fourth Prince probably would’ve killed him on the spot.

Xie Rongyun staggered out of the Fourth Prince’s residence in a daze, still unsure of what had just happened.

Having a civil official sent to deal with bandits? That was nothing short of a death sentence!

But there was no room to reverse the decision now. What he was more concerned about was Mu Lan’er.

She had been severely injured after being caned and was sent to recover for two days at a Mu family villa. Once her life was out of danger, she was renamed simply “Lan’er,” made into a maidservant, and brought back into the household, where she reappeared in front of Xie Rongyun.

After just two days, the once charming and flirtatious girl now looked like she was barely clinging to life.

The Mu family’s rules were strict. Second Master Mu himself had carried out the punishment. Fearing his daughter might drag him down with her, he hadn’t gone easy.

Twenty strikes with the board might not be as brutal as what the magistrate used, but it wasn’t much better either. She was practically crippled from the beating.

Looking at the woman wrapped in straw matting, more corpse than human, Xie Rongyun was overwhelmed with anguish. Any resentment he had previously felt toward her vanished. All that was left was a deep pain and boiling rage. His voice was cold and heavy: “The Mu family is heartless!”

Lan’er, seeing her beloved again, tried to lift a hand to touch him, but she was so weak she couldn’t even raise it.

Xie Rongyun quickly reached out and gently brought her hand to his cheek, holding it there, feeling the chill of her fingers, his hatred only growing deeper.

Qingli had just arrived and happened to catch that moment. She smiled faintly and said softly, “Husband, it hurts a lot, doesn’t it?”

Xie Rongyun looked at her with resentment in his eyes.

What was the point of pretending now? There had never been any real affection between them. And with Mu Lan’er in this state, he couldn’t even keep up the act.

Unfortunately, those attempts with the Sixth Prince had all failed. He still hadn’t been promoted and had no way to stand up to the Mu family.

Qingli’s smile deepened. “Do you know why she ended up like this?”

Xie Rongyun gritted his teeth. “What other reason could there be? You told the Mu family, didn’t you?!”

Qingli just shook her head slowly. Her tone turned quiet and eerie. “She told me herself. Otherwise, I really wouldn’t have bothered. A mistress with no title or status? Who would care? But she insisted on speaking. And if it weren’t for you, would she have ended up like this?”

“What does that have to do with me?” Xie Rongyun snapped without thinking.

Qingli’s voice was low and calm. “Because you couldn’t keep your pants on. The Mu family’s rules are what they are—strict and unforgiving. So really, if anyone’s to blame, it’s you. Hurts, doesn’t it? Shouldn’t you be thinking about killing yourself out of guilt?”

“Mu Qingli!” Xie Rongyun shouted, humiliated and enraged, cutting her off.

In his arms, the girl trembled faintly.

Xie Rongyun quickly looked down and saw Mu Lan’er staring up at him, trying her best to open her mouth. In a barely audible whisper, she managed: “I… I don’t… blame you…”

Xie Rongyun called out her name softly, “Lan’er…”

Qingli stood there watching the scene like it was a cheap play. She nearly gagged. With a massive eye roll, she turned and walked away. As she did, she ordered Qiyue, “Tell the concubines to stay in their courtyards until Xie Rongyun leaves. I don’t want any of them running into him.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Qiyue nodded.

This was the worst time for Xie Rongyun emotionally. The concubines needed to be protected.

Soon after, Qiyue delivered the message. All five concubines fully cooperated. After almost being sold off by Xie Rongyun last time, they now understood—if there was anyone in this household who would protect them, it was the Lady of the House.

As soon as Qiyue left, the doors to every courtyard were shut tight.

Sure enough, that very night, Xie Rongyun—already frustrated and having had too much to drink—headed toward the concubines’ quarters.

At first, he held back. Qingli had forced his hand, but he didn’t want anyone else—none of them were Mu Lan’er. But now that he had already touched them before, it felt easier. His mood was foul, and he needed an outlet.

When he arrived, he found every door shut tight.

“Open the door!” Xie Rongyun barked.

A maid answered timidly from inside, “Master, the concubine is already asleep.”

He scoffed, “At this hour? Who sleeps this early?”