WBSGVS Chapter 18

Qingli slept until the sun was high in the sky again. The previous night, she had sneaked out to practice martial arts.

While having breakfast, Wanyue came rushing in with excitement and said, “Young Madam, Miss Su has gone to stay at the Temple of Buddha Dharma for a while. She won’t be coming back for some time.”

The Temple of Buddha Dharma?

Qingli was surprised and asked, “Why would she go there?”

Wanyue covered her mouth and chuckled, relishing the gossip. “I heard that Miss Su was slapped by you yesterday and went to the eldest young master’s study to cry. It seems that not only did the eldest young master not listen to her complaints, but he also advised her to behave herself. It seems Miss Su will be staying there for quite a while, and her carriage was even loaded with luggage when she left.”

The Temple of Buddha Dharma was on the outskirts of the capital and was renowned for its highly effective divinations, making it one of the most popular places for worship in the region.

Many pilgrims went there to seek omens and pay respects.

The temple was more than just a place of worship; it also had an inn nearby where people interested in Buddhist teachings could stay and engage in close discussions with the temple’s abbot, though the cost was somewhat high.

Qingli nodded, her tone casual as if it were the concern of a stranger. “I see. There’s no need to worry about it.”

Wanyue was a bit disappointed not to see her mistress cheer up, but she obediently kept quiet.

As Qingli ate her buns, she did some mental calculations and frowned.

It was quite a coincidence that the Emperor’s sixtieth birthday was on the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth month. According to the timing, Prince Yu would also be in the vicinity of the capital. The prince’s heir had heard about the event and came early to visit.

Qingli hadn’t expected her actions and behavior to differ so much from those of the original owner. She was surprised that Su Tingxue would choose to go to that place.

Would she also encounter Prince Yu’s heir and risk having her identity exposed?

Qingli quickly relaxed her frown.

To prevent Su Tingxue’s identity as the princess’s daughter from being exposed prematurely, she sent a secret letter to the princess consort as soon as she arrived.

In the plot, there was a minor character, the princess consort of Prince Yu, whom the Emperor wanted to use as an excuse to reduce the power of the fiefs. Naturally, the princess consort was invited to the capital with her family.

Qingli was among those who recognized Su Tingxue even before Prince Yu. She had almost captivated Prince Yu with her charm back then, and her resentment was deep. She remembered Su Tingxue vividly, and upon seeing her in her son’s courtyard, she immediately recognized her.

The princess consort had her maids take Su Tingxue away without showing any emotion, intending to remove her. However, she was stopped by her son, and the incident became known to Prince Yu, leading to the successful recognition of Su Tingxue.

If Qingli hadn’t sent someone to create trouble, and if Su Tingxue married as expected, the third prince wouldn’t deliberately created any issues.

Without the chance for a heroic rescue or Su Tingxue’s disillusionment, she wouldn’t be accompanying Prince Yu’s heir back, and the recognition process wouldn’t have gone so smoothly if the princess consort had known in advance.

Since Qingli’s plans had already succeeded, the recognition was no longer important. She was not too worried about the plot’s progression and was even curious about it.

To enjoy the show, Qingli had Ah Bin find someone to monitor Su Tingxue near the Temple of Buddha Dharma.

It wasn’t a thorough surveillance; she just needed to know if Su Tingxue had any close interactions with Prince Yu’s heir.

However, the news from Ah Bin was that there was no activity. Su Tingxue remained quietly at the temple, and Prince Yu’s heir descended the mountain the same day and did not return. It appeared that they had no interaction.

If Prince Yu’s heir didn’t come back, the early recognition in the plot was unlikely to happen.

Qingli felt a bit disappointed.

She wondered what expression Prince Yu would have if he discovered that the daughter he had long awaited had voluntarily become someone else’s concubine.

However, Qingli soon had no time to dwell on them.

The number of visitors who came to pay their respects was more than she had anticipated.

While the Zheng family was making a fuss over acquiring a valuable concubine, Qingli, as a member of the Ji family, was considered a miracle for her calm demeanor. Everyone was eager to know what she was contemplating.

With more than ten days remaining before the concubine selection, Qingli successfully hosted and bid farewell to several ladies and madams she was only vaguely familiar with, relying not on the original owner’s memories but on her keen observation.

Previously, when the Zheng family held a funeral, even if the deceased were believed to have come back to life, many prestigious families would still avoid sending their younger generation to such events to prevent bad luck.

Now that some time has passed, there’s no need to worry about such matters. Hearing about Zheng Yihan taking a concubine, some people came to comfort Qingli, fearing she might be upset.

Most of them were advising her to accept the situation.

In this world, despite its open-mindedness, most official families expect their wives to accept the presence of concubines, while concubinage is illegal among commoners.

For noble families, it is quite normal for husbands to have concubines.

A small number of people came to watch Qingli’s situation with a sense of schadenfreude. They had envied her for over five years, and now they took pleasure in her misfortune.

However, a few close friends secretly advised Qingli to consider divorce.

Ning Yitong was one such friend. Although she was younger than Qingli by several years, they got along well and shared similar temperaments, including a strong will.

Her father was a minister, her aunt was a noble consort in the palace, and she had a younger brother, the Seventh Prince, who, being younger than his older brothers, entered the court later and had been overshadowed but was well-regarded.

Ning Yitong could have married the Seventh Prince as his primary wife, strengthening the family ties, but she declined. This was because she admired the promise made by Qingli’s husband when Qingli was courted: never to take a concubine. Ning Yitong hoped her future husband would make a similar commitment.

However, the Ji family’s rule against concubinage was due to their domineering nature and disregard for rumors. Other families, especially those of civil officials, could not afford to be so unrestrained.

Ning Yitong’s father had not publicly made such a statement, but when she refused to marry the Seventh Prince, he agreed, even though they had not yet been formally engaged, to ensure she would have a reliable husband.

Ning Yitong, who had once envied Qingli, now felt disgusted by Zheng Yihan.

Taking advantage of the others leaving first, she pulled Qingli aside and said, “Sister Ji, they say it’s better to dismantle a temple than to break a marriage, but I think our situation is different. Those who cannot divorce usually face a hundred times more hardship after the separation because their families do not accept them and they cannot support themselves. But we are different!”

Her voice was crisp and sweet, and even though she was complaining, it didn’t sound harsh. “Even though you were childhood friends, now he disregards old feelings and has no children. Why should you stay here, watching him bring in new women and be happy while you have to be the gracious main wife managing his household? If you can endure this, you really won’t be the Qingli I know!”

“Tongtong!” Li Shuyue, another friend of theirs, frowned and reminded her, worried that her words might make Qingli even more upset.

Ning Yitong pouted but showed no sign of regret for what she had said.

Qingli chuckled and shook her head. “There’s no need for such concern. Who said I won’t be divorcing?”

Wanyue, who had long suspected this outcome but had never received a real answer, was surprised and grinned.

Ning Yitong turned around excitedly, grasping Qingli’s hand tightly and asking, “Are you planning to divorce? When?”

Li Shuyue also breathed a sigh of relief and spoke gently, “They were all saying you should endure it. I was afraid you might put up with it, which is why I let Tongtong speak her mind. Now that you’ve said this, it seems you’ve made up your mind?”

Qingli, not wanting to disappoint them, explained softly, “I’ve already made up my mind. When the Zheng family married me, in front of everyone—the onlookers, my parents, and my family—they promised multiple times that they would never take a concubine in this lifetime. Now that he is taking a concubine, if I quietly divorce him, wouldn’t that be giving him an easy way out?”

Ning Yitong nodded vigorously. “Exactly, we shouldn’t make it easy for him! Especially since Zhang’s woman has bullied you for over five years, and he has been silent about it. Isn’t it outrageous that he could so easily disregard those five years of a woman’s life?”

Li Shuyue expressed her concern. “Are you prepared? What if the Zheng family disagrees and the situation escalates?”

Qingli smiled confidently, her beautiful face showing determination. “If I want to leave, the Zheng family’s disagreement won’t stop me!”

“Sister Ji is amazing!” Ning Yitong was mesmerized and hadn’t seen Qingli look so resolute in a long time. She couldn’t help but clap like an admiring fan.

“Pfft!” Qingli laughed, amused by the enthusiasm.