Chapter 1: The Cannon Fodder Main Wife

“Second Young Master…”

“Keep your voice down; she’s right next to us…”

“What are you afraid of? I gave her a knockout drug. Even if the earth shakes and the mountains move, she won’t wake up…”

And then, as if on cue, the earth truly shook, and the mountains trembled.

The thunderous commotion jolted Xu Qingyi awake.

At thirty-five, she was a seasoned hotel manager who had seen her fair share of storms and chaos. But when she opened her eyes, she found herself lying on the floor, clad in a crimson wedding gown. Not far away, on an antique-style bed, an intense and fiery live performance was unfolding.

She was stunned!

What on earth was happening? Had she somehow been transported into a historical costume drama?

And to top it off, the physiques of the two “actors” weren’t half bad!

“Wait, Second Young Master… be careful of the baby…” 

The actress’s sugary-sweet voice exclaimed in alarm. 

Pfft… Xu Qingyi almost burst out laughing. 

What kind of heavy drama setup was this? 

It wasn’t just an affair happening in the bride’s wedding chamber—it was the groom fooling around with a pregnant woman! 

Wait a second. 

Why did this scenario feel so familiar? 

Xu Qingyi’s interest in the “live performance” vanished instantly as she sank deep into thought. 

The groom drugging the bride and sneaking off to have an affair with her pregnant maidservant… 

This plot was ‘exactly’ like the novel she had stayed up late reading last night—”The Charming Concubine’s Rise”. 

The story began with the male lead, Xie Huaian, marrying the second daughter of the Yong’an Marquis Estate, Xu Qingyi. 

Xu Qingyi: Wonderful. At least I know what role I’ve landed in now. 

But Xie Huaian didn’t care for his dull, uninteresting, and plain fiancée. He was infatuated with her maidservant, Jinyun. 

Jinyun, however, wasn’t just any ordinary maid. She was actually the cousin of the Yong’an Marquis Estate, with fair skin, striking beauty, and a graceful figure. She had long set her sights on her cousin’s handsome fiancé. 

So, she pulled every string she could to become her cousin’s dowry maid. 

In the original novel, the second Miss Xu was merely a stepping stone for the male lead and his concubine’s love story. Her sole purpose was to serve as an audience for their displays of affection. 

Like right now—what a stellar performance. 

If this were just a straightforward tale of a beloved concubine overshadowing the wife, Xu Qingyi wouldn’t care much. Living a cushy, laid-back life in the Marquis Estate as a salted fish sounded just fine. A life without a man? Perfect. 

After all, gynecological care in ancient times was unreliable, and having a useless husband sharing your bed was a constant source of anxiety. 

But it wasn’t that simple. 

As the foil to the pampered concubine in a romance novel, marrying the male lead only led to a life of misery and despair. 

Just like in the original story, where her stunning beauty became her downfall. Her husband sent her to another man’s bed, where she was defiled, forced to bear a bastard child, and ultimately died tragically during childbirth in a foreign land. 

Xu Qingyi thought of the tragic fate of the cannon fodder main wife in the original novel. Her hands and feet went cold, and a chill ran down her spine. 

There was no way she could continue this marriage with Xie Huaian. 

But how could she escape? 

The original Xu Qingyi had been a pitiful girl in her natal family—neglected by her father and unloved by her mother. Divorce was out of the question. That left only one option… 

The male lead, Xie Huaian, had an elder brother, Xie Yunzhi. The novel described Xie Yunzhi as a valiant warrior, clad in shining armor, galloping across the battlefield, and unmatched in strength. Unfortunately, Xie Yunzhi was merely a side character, and at the start of the story, he was already bedridden as a comatose invalid for six months. 

Marrying this once-glorious but now vegetative heir seemed like an ideal alternative. 

He even had three adopted sons, meaning she’d become a mother instantly without any of the associated pain. It was practically the perfect setup. 

Having made up her mind, Xu Qingyi seized the moment. While the two on the bed were still… preoccupied, she quietly got up and slipped out of the room. 

Outside the door stood Mama Chang, the maid assigned as Xu Qingyi’s dowry attendant. Unfortunately, she had already been bribed by Jinyun. When Mama Chang saw Xu Qingyi emerge, she widened her eyes in shock. “Second—” 

“Shut your mouth. Say a word, and I’ll sell you off.” Xu Qingyi’s sharp gaze was like a blade. 

Mama Chang had never seen the Second Miss so fierce before. Terrified, her face turned pale. 

Yes, Mama Chang’s deed of servitude was still in the Second Miss’s hands, giving her the power to ruin her life at any moment. 

“Latch the door from the outside and don’t alert the people inside. I’m only giving you this one chance,” Xu Qingyi ordered coldly. 

“Yes… this servant understands,” Mama Chang replied in a hushed voice, trembling. 

Xu Qingyi nodded in satisfaction and quickly headed toward the one person in the Pingyang Marquis Estate who could make decisions—the Old Madam. 

**Yi’an Courtyard.** 

At this hour, the Old Madam would normally have retired for the night. 

But today was Xie Huaian’s wedding, and the entire household was brimming with joy. 

After sending off the guests, the family gathered in the Old Madam’s courtyard for a chat. 

When the bride suddenly appeared, the room fell into stunned silence. What was the new bride doing here at this hour? 

Wasn’t she supposed to be in the bridal chamber? 

Could something have gone wrong? 

Xu Qingyi wasted no time. She knelt down, kowtowed, and spoke directly: “I beg the Old Madam to uphold justice for me! I was drugged and left unconscious in the bridal chamber. When I woke up, I saw Second Young Master Xie and my maidservant engaging in indecent acts on the bed!” 

What?! 

Her few words landed like a thunderclap, shaking everyone in the Pingyang Marquis Estate to their core. 

“I even overheard a couple of sentences,” Xu Qingyi added, her tone sharp. “That maid of mine is already pregnant! If you don’t believe me, come and see for yourselves!” 

“Unacceptable!” The white-haired Old Madam slammed her cane on the ground in fury. “Mingzong, go and see what’s going on!” 

Mingzong was the name of the Marquis of Pingyang. 

“That scoundrel Huaian! How could he commit such an atrocity?” The Marquis’s face turned ashen with rage as he stormed out. 

“That’s impossible! My Huaian would never do such a thing…” the Marchioness, Madam Qin, protested, refusing to believe it. She hurried after the Marquis, panic in her steps. 

The rest of the household followed suit, rushing toward the bridal chamber in a chaotic wave. For the moment, no one paid any attention to Xu Qingyi. 

At the bridal chamber door, Mama Chang was trapped in a storm of anxiety, feeling torn. Both sides were equally dangerous to offend. 

What would she do if the Second Young Master ordered her to open the door? Should she obey or not? 

Fortunately, the pair inside remained oblivious to the unusual situation until the commotion outside grew louder. It was only then that they sensed something was amiss. 

“Second Young Master, something’s wrong… Xu Qingyi… seems to be missing?” 

Du Jinyun inadvertently noticed the empty spot where Xu Qingyi had been lying. Startled, she almost rolled off the bed and hurriedly nudged the man on top of her. 

“What?” Xie Huaian turned his head and looked at the floor, only to discover that Xu Qingyi was indeed gone. 

His expression darkened. He hastily threw on his clothes and strode toward the door. “Mama Chang!” 

Where was Xu Qingyi?! 

To ensure his rendezvous with Du Jinyun went smoothly, he had dismissed all the other maids and attendants, leaving only the bribed Mama Chang behind. 

Mama Chang, seeing the situation, quickly unlocked the door. 

But the moment Xie Huaian opened it, he was greeted by the sight of his father, the Marquis, leading a large group of people straight toward him. 

At the very back of the group, dressed in her crimson wedding gown, was Xu Qingyi herself. 

His mind went blank. 

Then he gritted his teeth. Impossible! 

The dose he had given Xu Qingyi should have been enough to keep her unconscious until the next morning. 

How could she possibly have woken up so early? 

Xie Huaian’s eyes darkened, filled with rage and a murderous glint. 

“Huaian! The bride is still outside, yet you’ve already stripped down? Who’s in there with you?!” 

The Marquis of Pingyang, at first, struggled to believe it. While Xie Huaian wasn’t as accomplished as his elder brother, Xie Yunzhi, his character had always seemed decent. 

But now… 

Seeing it with his own eyes left no room for doubt. 

Xie Huaian hadn’t expected to be caught red-handed, but at this point, he had no choice but to confess. 

“Father, Jinyun and I are in love…” 

Slap! 

The sound of the Marquis’s palm striking Xie Huaian’s face echoed loudly. 

A sharp slap landed on Xie Huaian’s chiseled face. 

The Marquis of Pingyang was furious. “You disgraceful scoundrel! How could you do this to your wife? How do you expect to face Qingyi? How do you expect to face your in-laws?!” 

“Huaian…” The Marchioness, Madam Qin, looked at her son with heartache. She hadn’t believed it at first, but now that the truth was undeniable, she was at a loss for how to intervene. 

Inside the room, Du Jinyun had heard the commotion and realized things had gone terribly wrong. 

What should she do now? 

Her face went pale as she scrambled to get dressed. 

“You shameless wench! Get out here this instant!” 

The Marchioness, after mulling it over, concluded that it must have been the maidservant who seduced her precious son. She directed all her fury toward Du Jinyun. 

“Mother, I won’t let you talk about Jinyun like that!” Xie Huaian, deeply infatuated with Du Jinyun, hurriedly stood in front of the door to block his mother’s path. 

“Jinyun is pregnant—she’s carrying your grandchild!”