WBSGVS Chapter 26 V2

His chest heaved with rage, his hands clenched tightly at his sides, knuckles white with effort.

Qingli showed no fear. After delivering her words, she turned away, mockingly saying, “Even if I were to support the poor, I wouldn’t help a despicable man like you, who takes advantage and then acts innocent!”

“Ji Qingli!” A furious voice came from behind him, and he could no longer contain himself, wanting to strike.

Qingli had already stepped onto her boat, using her toes to push off and reach her vessel.

Wei Pingyuan followed closely with a smile, then untied the rope, and the two boats drifted apart.

Zheng Yihan lagged, watching as they sailed away, his frustration boiling over. He wanted to vent, but those who had bullied him were now beyond reach, and everyone on that boat was of a higher status than him. He let out a suppressed roar, “Ah—”

Qingli was about to enter the cabin but called out, “Wai Daren, do you know what impotent rage is?”

Wei Pingyuan replied loudly, “Just learned!”

Zheng Yihan’s growl abruptly stopped, and silence descended.

He turned to his friend, the Third Prince, seeking solace.

But he found Jiang Cunrui with a dark expression, coldly watching him.

Zheng Yihan’s face changed. The fury in his mind was doused by a cold wave of realization, and he quickly knelt, pleading, “Your Highness, I apologize for my disrespect.”

Jiang Cunrui stared at him for a long moment, snorted coldly, and swept into the cabin without a word. Zheng Yihan was no longer worthy of conversation.

Song Shi quickly followed, saying, “Your Highness, this…”

Jiang Cunrui replied disdainfully, “Throw him overboard!”

“Your Highness!” Song Shi was taken aback. “It’s only March!”

Jiang Cunrui replied indifferently, “That’s the price of his betrayal.”

Did he think Jiang Cunrui didn’t know that Zheng Yihan had the evidence against the Prince of Yu?

The evidence in the hands of the eighth prince was leaked by him, whether intentionally or not, didn’t matter.

He hadn’t acted immediately before because he thought Zheng Yihan still had some use. If he could win over Ji Qingli, it would be a means of atonement. But now, given Qingli’s attitude, he had become entirely useless.

Song Shi dared not disobey and nodded obediently to have it done.

Then they heard a “splash” as someone hit the water.

Qingli, still not far from her boat, witnessed this scene—Zheng Yihan struggling in the water, and she silently watched. If he had appeared this way in the eyes of the original owner, she certainly wouldn’t have endured so many years for him.

Yet they had been childhood sweethearts, and Zheng Yihan had given the original owner countless beautiful memories. Even when he disregarded her suffering and violated their vows to take a concubine, she clung to the fond memories and couldn’t bear to blame him.

Wei Pingyuan draped a cloak over her shoulders and smiled, saying, “The wind has picked up; it’s getting chilly. Would you like to go into the cabin?”

“Sure,” Qingli replied with a smile and turned to enter.

At the end of March, news came from the eighth prince that the Prince of Yu was raising troops and plotting rebellion, with solid evidence against him. He was reorganizing his territory but faced opposition and needed support.

At this moment, Ji Heng was returning to court, still on the road. Upon receiving the news, he diverted his route, moving swiftly and securing first-class merit, returning to the capital alongside the eighth prince.

Since Qingli had crossed over and settled matters with the Ji family, Ji Heng, and others couldn’t participate due to being stationed at the borders. Thankfully, his daughter hadn’t been like those foolish girls brainwashed into compromising. Ji Heng was very pleased and had no intention of wiping out the Zheng family. When Zheng Yihan’s father requested an exile, he intervened.

Ji Heng said frankly, “Let them stay in the capital and watch my daughter be happy!”

They should have cherished her back then; now they can just watch!

Qingli wholeheartedly agreed.

Her plans were far from over, and she certainly didn’t want the Zheng family to leave so easily.

Ji Heng led the Ji family to victory, reaping substantial benefits, especially after he voluntarily returned the military command to Emperor Jiang, which significantly lowered the emperor’s guard. In recognition, Ji Heng was directly granted the title of Duke of Ding’an, and others like Ji Shuyuan received their titles.

Including Qingli, who was given the title of County Princess due to her family’s tarnished reputation. Although she was not of royal blood and did not receive land, she was granted an allowance.

By April, the capital had quieted down, and Wei Pingyuan came to propose.

Qingli’s demands had been clear. That day on the boat, the Third Prince had broken the ice between them. After spending some time together, they found each other agreeable. She wanted to marry quickly to avoid others thinking she was reluctant to let go of someone worthless.

Moreover…

She wanted a child. The original owner harbored only resentment towards the Zheng family and regrets about not being able to have children. Qingli had already taken good care of her health, chosen a suitable man, was single, good-looking, and had a gentle disposition. Why hesitate?

Ji Heng initially didn’t want his daughter to marry, but Qingli was insistent. They couldn’t change her mind and reluctantly agreed, only requesting that Wei Pingyuan and Qingli stay with the Ji family for six months so they could observe his character.

In the past, they had trusted Zheng Yihan too much, which nearly harmed their daughter. Now, they had to be cautious.

Wei Pingyuan gladly agreed. Even if others claimed he was living off a woman, he remained steadfast. He spent his days either at the Dali Temple or investigating cases, and when he stayed with the Ji family, his demeanor impressed many.

Qingli admired him for this. Having grown up in a different environment, she learned not to care about others’ opinions, but Wei Pingyuan, being local, maintained his composure.

He smiled and said, “Life is lived for oneself. I like you, and I want to be with you; that’s enough. Besides, marrying you brings me even more benefits. Even if they say I’m living off you, they wouldn’t dare say it to my face or offend me. When I work on cases at the Dali Temple, my superiors say it’s been much easier than before. The advantages are clear; why should I care about a few idle rumors?”

Qingli nodded in satisfaction, pleased that he thought this way, preventing any future awkwardness.

Half a year after their marriage, Qingli became pregnant, and the following year, she gave birth to a daughter.

This year marked the second anniversary of Zheng Yihan’s second marriage.

In April, the Ji family returned to the capital. The Zheng family sought to move away to avoid being watched, but after being refused, Zhang Shi didn’t want her son to remain single and aimed to find him a wife.

However, with the Zheng family’s tarnished reputation, their status gone, and having offended the rising Ji family, no family wanted to marry their daughters into the Zheng household.

In a desperate attempt, Zhang Shi leveraged connections to arrange for her son to marry a widow of a decent background who had children.

She hoped this woman could turn her son from a lonely bachelor into a family man.

However, three months after the marriage, there were still no signs of pregnancy from the daughter-in-law.

Six months later, still no news.

When they consulted a doctor, they found the daughter-in-law was in good health; she had even given birth to a son, confirming she wasn’t infertile. Zhang Shi’s hair turned white from anxiety, and she dared not suggest her son undergo a health check; that would be a great insult to a man.

Thus, Zhang Shi began arranging for a concubine for her son.

Three more months passed, and neither wife nor concubine was pregnant, when news came that Qingli was expecting!

Zhang Shi panicked. How could Qingli, who had been married to her son for five years without a child, now be pregnant so soon after marrying Wei Pingyuan?

In the capital, those aware of the feud between the two families began to speculate about who was truly infertile.

Zhang Shi subtly urged Zheng Yihan to get checked, but when that bore no fruit and she saw Qingli’s growing belly, eventually giving birth to a daughter, she became frantic.

She secretly brought a skilled doctor and forced her son to get checked.

It was then that Zhang Shi realized—her son was indeed infertile!

The revelation stunned her into silence; she collapsed to the ground, frothing at the mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Zhang Shi regretted it all!

From the moment her son first married, she had been worried because she heard the first daughter-in-law was unwell and could hinder childbirth.

After all the turmoil, the first daughter-in-law divorced and remarried only to have a daughter shortly after.

Meanwhile, her eldest son had married three times without any children. Only now did she discover he was the infertile one!

Zheng Yihan was also bewildered by this revelation. For a moment, he wanted to resent his mother for her meddling, which had caused him such embarrassment. Suddenly, he recalled how he had insisted on taking a concubine in front of Qingli, who had given him a pill at the time.

She had claimed it was a “child-terminating pill.”

He hadn’t taken it seriously then, thinking she was just trying to trap him, but now… could it be true?!

This realization filled Zheng Yihan with shock and anger, more intense than when Qingli had mocked him on the boat. He no longer cared about the still-unconscious Zhang Shi and rushed straight to the Ji residence, now the Duke of Ding’an’s manor.

Before last year, he had sought to meet Qingli but was always met with a curt “not available.”

This time, after the doorman reported, Qingli appeared, now a mother cradling a baby months old, supported by her husband Wei Pingyuan.

Zheng Yihan didn’t have high hopes, but upon seeing her, especially her demeanor as she walked out, he stared wide-eyed at the child in her arms, filled with jealousy and hatred. He demanded, “Was that ‘child-terminating pill’ real?!”

Qingli pretended to be surprised, covering her mouth with wide, innocent eyes. “Oh? You didn’t think that medicine was fake, did you?”

Zheng Yihan: “!!!”