Chapter 10: Save me. We will have children again in the future.

Lifting the layers of curtains, Tang Lin’er quietly slipped into the side hall where Wei Zilin was changing.

In the past, she had often met Wei Zilin in secret like this. The attendants recognized her and didn’t stop her.

Light filtered through the lattice windows, casting a faint glow on him. He was reclining on a couch with his eyes closed, taking a nap. The heavy stench of alcohol filled the air. His face was haggard and flushed, clearly heavily drunk.

A pair of slender, fair hands reached for his collar. In a soft, timid voice, she said, “Sanlang, allow me to help you change.”

“Get lost!”

A harsh kick landed squarely on Tang Lin’er’s chest, sending her tumbling to the ground.

Tang Lin’er almost passed out. Clutching her chest, she struggled to breathe, unable to stop her sobs.

“So noisy.” Apparently disturbed from his nap, Wei Zilin impatiently turned over. “Get out!”

“Sanlang…” Tang Lin’er called out softly.

Wei Zilin gritted his teeth and suddenly opened his eyes, ready to lash out, but when he saw the disheveled figure lying on the ground, his bloodshot eyes filled with even more anger. “What are you doing here?! There are so many people outside. What if someone sees you? How troublesome.”

Seeing that he was full of resentment and had no intention of helping her up, Tang Lin’er felt a surge of grievance. Her body ached, and her heart hurt even more. She couldn’t help but cry even harder.

Wei Zilin’s frown deepened. In the end, he leaned down, grabbed her roughly, and pulled her into his arms. He reached out and messily wiped away her tears.

“Enough. Why are you crying again for no reason? Didn’t I already tell you last time? I need support right now. Marriage is the best bargaining chip. Marrying them is merely a temporary measure. Once I succeed, you will naturally have your rightful place.”

“You’re just trying to appease me.” Tang Lin’er looked up at him with red, tear-streaked eyes. “That day at Hanshan Temple, you clearly thought it was Shen Xingwan in the room. You only wanted to conquer her so you could marry her.”

Having his intentions exposed, Wei Zilin’s face darkened, and his tone turned harsh. “So what if that’s true? If marrying her secures the Shen family’s support, why would I bother marrying anyone else? Do you know that those few families combined are no match for the Shen family alone?”

Tang Lin’er lowered her head, her tears falling silently. Her delicate, slender figure looked pitiful and frail.

Wei Zilin sighed and tightened his arms around her.

“Alright, that day at Hanshan Temple, I should have turned and left. Yet, I stayed behind and took a risk to bring you the antidote. Don’t you understand how much I care for you?”

Only then did Tang Lin’er’s expression soften a little. She leaned into his embrace. The smell of alcohol thick in the air, Wei Zilin lowered his head and began kissing her neck.

“You’re really foolish. How could you have drugged her but ended up arousing yourself instead?”

“I don’t know either…” Tang Lin’er whispered softly. “I was just thinking, if she refuses to marry you, then she shouldn’t marry anyone else. At least that way, no one else would gain the Shen family’s power.”

“You’re quite clever. But…” Wei Zilin paused. “Don’t touch her. The Shen family, I must have.”

“You…” Tang Lin’er frowned, wanting to ask further, but her lips were sealed by his kiss.

Wei Zilin’s hands became more and more presumptuous. Tang Lin’er, with her fading consciousness, suddenly shivered and pushed him away abruptly. “No!”

Wei Zilin, breathing heavily, was shoved backward and instantly lost all interest. “How dare you act aloof with me after giving you so much face?”

Tang Lin’er protected her belly. Thinking of the true reason she had come today, her cheeks flushed red. “I’ve been pregnant for over a month. The physician said no intimacy is allowed during the first three months.”

Wei Zilin was momentarily stunned, then his expression gradually turned cold.

Tang Lin’er had thought he would be as happy as she was. But seeing him remain silent, simply staring coldly at her, her heart sank bit by bit.

“Sanlang, are you not happy?”

She reached out to wrap her arms around his neck. “This is our first child.”

Wei Zilin brushed away her hand, stood up, and picked up his discarded belt from the floor. From a pouch hanging on it, he took out a small pill.

“Take this.”

Tang Lin’er looked at the dark red pill in his hand, her heart growing colder. “What is this?”

“Safflower Pill, best for promoting blood circulation and removing clots.”

Standing above her, Wei Zilin looked down coldly, curling his lips into a smile. “It was originally something I used for martial arts. Since that’s the case, I’ll give it to you today.”

“What do you mean?” Tang Lin’er instinctively covered her belly, unconsciously backing away. “I won’t take it.”

Wei Zilin lowered his gaze. Standing against the light, most of his face was hidden in shadows, making his expression unreadable.

“Lin’er, you know I’m about to marry a legitimate wife.”

He slowly bent down, gripping Tang Lin’er’s chin and staring into her eyes. His gaze was chillingly sinister.

“If you give birth to a child before the legitimate heir, it won’t be good, will it?”

He brought the pill close to her lips, his fingers brushing against her crimson lips. “Lin’er, don’t make this difficult for me.”

“No!”

Tang Lin’er swatted his hand away. “If you’re willing to marry me, wouldn’t this child be your legitimate firstborn?”

The dark red pill rolled away, tumbling across the floor until it stopped in a dim corner, looking like a solitary drop of blood-tear.

“Don’t be foolish.” Wei Zilin sneered, his patience nearly exhausted. He forced himself to remain calm and pulled out another pill. “Be good. Take it. We can always have children again in the future.”

“I don’t want to!” Tang Lin’er scrambled to her feet, turning to run. Wei Zilin cursed under his breath, chased after her, grabbed her, and pinched her cheeks, forcing the pill into her mouth.

“I won’t… Mmm… No…”

Tears streamed down Tang Lin’er’s face as she struggled helplessly, kicking and hitting Wei Zilin. But Wei Zilin remained unmoved, shoving the pill down her throat.

“Lin’er?! Lin’er, are you in there?”

Suddenly, Shen Xingwan’s anxious voice rang from outside the hall. Wei Zilin froze. Seizing the opportunity, Tang Lin’er shoved him away with all her strength and crawled toward the door. She yanked the door open.

Upon seeing Shen Xingwan standing outside, she threw herself at her, clutching her clothes as she cried, “Sister, save me!”

Shen Xingwan exchanged a glance with Princess Guang’an beside her, then immediately turned to embrace Tang Lin’er. “Calm down. Tell me slowly, what exactly is going on?”

Tang Liner couldn’t spare the effort to answer her. She turned around, using her fingers to force herself to vomit, immediately expelling the red pill she had just swallowed.

Princess Guang’an frowned and covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief. “Imperial Physician Wang, this is her younger sister. She claims her stomach is unwell. Go and take a look.”

The imperial physician, who had been following behind them, received the command and immediately stepped forward to attend to Tang Liner.

Shen Xingwan looked apologetically at Princess Guang’an. “I’ve truly troubled Your Highness.”

“No need to say such things. Since you’ve entrusted her to me, I will naturally take care of your sister.”

Princess Guang’an glanced at the open palace doors, then cast a look at the guards kneeling at the entrance. “Third Royal Brother is becoming more and more outrageous.”

Wei Zilin, fully dressed, stepped out of the palace doors, his expression dark as he looked at Tang Liner, who was having her pulse taken by Imperial Physician Wang.

Tang Liner turned her face away, refusing to look at him.

After taking her pulse, Imperial Physician Wang stepped forward and cupped his hands in a salute. “The young lady’s health is not in serious trouble, but she has been pregnant for over a month. The fetus is not yet stable. She must avoid grief and agitation and should focus on rest.”

Shen Xingwan questioned Tang Liner incredulously, “Whose child is it?”

Tang Liner lifted her eyes, casting a sorrowful glance at Wei Zilin.

Princess Guang’an chuckled and turned to Wei Zilin. “Third Royal Brother, you truly are reckless in your youth. It’s strange indeed. Father bestowed a marriage upon you two, yet you refused. You prefer these secret liaisons instead?”

Wei Zilin’s face remained cold. He said nothing, merely flicking his sleeves as he strode away.

But even so, the rumors of the Third Prince causing a pregnancy and heartlessly abandoning the woman spread rapidly throughout the capital. In just a few days, the scandal was known far and wide.

The legitimate daughter of the Minister of Revenue was known for her upright and unyielding nature. She refused to marry such a callous and heartless man, even unto death. The Minister, deeply distressed for his daughter, immediately entered the palace to request the annulment of the engagement.

The Emperor, knowing he was at fault and unwilling to alienate an important minister, had no choice but to agree to dissolve the engagement.

Madam Shen was so angered by the affair that she fell gravely ill. For several days, she refused all food and drink, and no matter how Tang Liner pleaded, she refused to see her.

Shen Xingwan personally cooked millet porridge and brought it into Madam Shen’s room, helping her sit up as she gently persuaded her, “Please at least have some. Millet porridge is the best for nourishing the stomach and replenishing energy. Seeing you like this, your daughter is also distraught.”

Madam Shen sighed with resentment. “You knew long ago that he was entangled with Tang Liner. Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Now this scandal has erupted. How can your father maintain his standing in court? How can I even show my face outside?”

Shen Xingwan sighed as well. “The human heart is hard to fathom. How could I have known? At this point, tormenting yourself won’t change anything. You should eat something to regain your strength.”

“I must be blind. I always thought she was a good girl, but she’s done something so disgraceful, bringing shame to the Shen family. This is an unbearable humiliation!”

Outside the room, Tang Liner had been listening for a while. Unable to hold back any longer, she pushed open the door, ran inside, and knelt heavily on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly. “I know I’ve done wrong. I beg Mother to have mercy and forgive me.”

“Don’t call me Mother. I’ve failed to raise such a shameless daughter! Get out. I don’t want to see you!”

Tang Liner’s beautiful eyes were red and swollen from crying. She crawled on her knees to the bed, clutching at Madam Shen’s sleeve.

“I know I’m unworthy and undeserving of being your daughter. But the child in my womb is innocent. He carries royal blood. I beg you, Madam, please show mercy and save him.”

“Madam!”

She clung desperately to Madam Shen’s sleeve. “It was the Third Prince who forced himself on me. As a helpless orphan girl, how could I dare resist him? I didn’t dare speak of it to anyone and could only endure it in silence.”

“That day, when Madam wished to take me as your adopted daughter and marry me to the Third Prince, I thought it was heaven’s blessing, that the Bodhisattva had finally taken pity on me. But in the end, I’m just not that fortunate. If Madam refuses to save me, I no longer have the face to live in this world. I can only die together with this unfortunate child.”

With that, Tang Liner slammed her forehead against the floor, the impact so hard that blood immediately began to flow.

“Ah! What are you doing!” Madam Shen cried out in fright, reaching out to pull her back. But she was too weak, nearly falling off the bed herself.

Shen Xingwan hurriedly supported Madam Shen, setting the bowl of millet porridge on a small table by the bed. She bent down to help Tang Liner up.

“Why torment yourself like this?”

She pulled Tang Liner up, taking out a handkerchief to press against her bleeding forehead. “With such a beautiful face, if you ruin it, how could you still marry the Third Prince?”

Tang Liner looked up in a daze, gazing at Shen Xingwan.

Shen Xingwan smiled gently and helped her sit beside her. “Since you are now recorded in the family registry, you are a daughter of the Shen family. Under Mother’s name, you are a legitimate daughter. How could the Shen family possibly abandon you?”

“Father has already entered the palace to request an imperial decree. The Shen family has always been a pillar of the state and cannot be so easily humiliated. The message has just returned. His Majesty has decreed that the daughter of the Grand Commandant will be the principal wife, and you will be the secondary consort. You should focus on taking care of your pregnancy.”

Tang Liner was stunned for a long while before she muttered, “Lord Shen actually went to the palace to request a decree for me…”

Of course, he hadn’t done so willingly. It was only after Shen Xingwan had spent days persuading him, reasoning with him, that this result was achieved.

Such a disgraceful scandal, by family rules, warranted being beaten to death to preserve the family’s reputation. But Shen Xingwan had used every argument, explaining the consequences. After all, the child in Tang Liner’s womb carried royal blood. The Shen family could not afford to bear the crime of harming an imperial heir.

The elders of the Shen family agreed with this reasoning. In the end, they swallowed their pride and went to the palace to demand justice.

Because of this scandal, the Third Prince was stripped of his current duties and placed under house arrest for reflection.

Shen Xingwan was immensely satisfied. Watching Tang Liner carefully protecting her belly while dutifully consuming nourishing tonics in preparation for marriage, she sneered inwardly.

Eat well. There will be plenty of suffering for you later.

The Directorate of Astronomy selected an auspicious date, and the weddings of Shen Xingwan and Tang Liner were scheduled for the same day.

With more than a month remaining, Shen Xingwan stayed in the residence to accompany Madam Shen.

As Madam Shen’s health gradually improved, she noticed Shen Xingwan always lingering by her side. Unable to hold back, she urged her, “You child, since you chose your own husband, why do you never visit him? The wedding is fast approaching. You should spend time getting to know each other.”

Shen Xingwan flipped through the pages of the book in her hand. “He’s very busy. We’ll see each other after the wedding. There’s no rush.”

“You really are something!” Madam Shen took the book from her hands. “No matter what, he saved our entire family. You should treat him better. I heard yesterday that he was ambushed on the outskirts of the city and was even injured. Take this as an opportunity to visit him.”

“I…”

Shen Xingwan was about to refuse, but Madam Shen wouldn’t allow it. She ordered the servants to load the prepared gifts onto the carriage and pushed her out the door.

With no other choice, Shen Xingwan sighed and boarded the carriage, heading toward the Regent’s Residence.