Chapter 45: Childhood Friend? As if he's worthy!

Having stayed away from the capital for three years of dormancy, Yue Tang had made all the necessary preparations for this revenge.

Of course, she had also guarded against various possible accidents.

It could be said that from the moment she took her first step until yesterday, everything had remained under her control.

She never imagined that the first accident would come from Cheng Qi—the man she had already sent a divorce decree to three years ago, stripping him of his fatherhood and dismissing him with a chest of gold, silver, and land deeds!

During those three months, he had single-handedly shouldered everything regarding A-Li's needs aside from nursing. Because she had been unable to see him one last time before leaving, Yue Tang still felt a lingering sense of guilt.

Thus, whenever she mentioned him, her words were always respectful.

The gold and treasures she gave him back then were also provided with the utmost sincerity.

She had always hoped he would live the rest of his life in peace and security, never having to worry about money again.

But now—well.

She wasn't truly a landlord's daughter, and he wasn't truly a failed scholar.

She thought she had taken advantage of a scholar from a humble background.

As it turned out, this "scholar" was a master of deception!

What a performance!

Yue Tang slowly chewed on a peanut and glanced back at Lan Qin.

She absolutely should not stay in this setting any longer.

She could no longer predict how she would escape once Yan Bei discovered her.

How could she continue to maintain this fake identity?

Everything would be ruined!

Even the usually composed Lan Qin looked back at her with a pale face; clearly, she had also recognized this "matrilocal husband."

Who could have imagined that the Prince of Jingyang, whom they had always suspected and guarded against, was actually the father of the child their Princess had drugged and dragged into the bridal chamber years ago, only to be dismissed with a chest of money?

No wonder the Prince's manor had been posting notices everywhere to find Wang Huan; it turned out he knew Yue Tang was in the capital.

But wouldn't this make things even more dangerous?

The matrilocal husband was the Prince of Jingyang, and the Prince of Jingyang was a relative of the Du family and a guest of honor at this banquet. Given how close their relationship was, what exactly was his true identity in all of this?

The two exchanged a brief glance, their thoughts instantly communicated.

Regardless of whether it was impolite, they had to leave now.

But as luck would have it, Yan Bei and his party had just taken their seats at the head of the hall.

The guards of the Prince's manor were already standing in a circle behind him, their eagle eyes scanning the crowd below.

Everyone was standing in silent respect; to leave at this moment would be even more conspicuous!

...

Yan Bei sat at the head of the hall, holding A-Li, and then glanced down at the crowd.

About a dozen tables were arranged on the left and right sides, each filled with families accompanied by wives and children, all wearing smiles in a scene of harmony and peace. Unlike him—

Never mind. Once he had taken down the Du family, he would certainly be able to attend such a banquet with his whole family next time.

Now that the conclusion was reached—she wasn't truly a landlord's daughter, and her claim in that letter about finding a new partner was naturally a lie.

As for that divorce decree from before, it didn't matter; the marriage contract hadn't been written with their real names anyway.

When the time came, they could formally establish a marriage contract, hold a wedding, and announce it to the world. It would be perfect.

Yan Bei believed that as soon as he began to move against the Du family, she would surely appear of her own accord.

Once she appeared, the position of Princess of Jingyang would be filled.

As Yan Bei thought of this, his emotions rose slightly. He raised his glass and smiled at the guests: "Please, sit."

He looked at them one by one. When he reached the last table on the left, his gaze lingered on Xu He's face before shifting to the seat beside him.

At that moment, his grip loosened!

The scholar's wife from the countryside sat silently facing the table, revealing only half of her face.

But that half-face was like a bolt of lightning, exploding right above his head!

"Daddy, my milk—"

A-Li held her bowl of milk porridge, looking up at him with a sorrowful little face.

The sight of this full bowl of porridge caused the cup in her father's hand to slip and shatter on the floor!

For the first time, Yan Bei ignored his child's call. He stood up, his eyes wide and fixed intently on Yue Tang!

—God damn it!

He hadn't misseen her. The woman sitting in the seat of the scholar's wife was indeed the "landlord's daughter" who had married him and borne his child three years ago!

She was his wife!

"Your Highness!"

Hearing his bones creak, Gao An hurriedly leaned in and whispered.

Yan Bei couldn't hear him!

Countless hornets were swarming in his brain.

It was noisy and crowded, clogging his mind so much he couldn't think.

He swallowed hard and pointed: "That person beside Scholar Xu—who is she?"

Xu He, the first to be named, immediately stood up with a flushed face and bowed: "To answer Your Highness, this is my wife."

Yan Bei gritted his teeth: "You're lying!"

Xu He's face turned pale upon hearing this. He said hurriedly, "This official is not lying. This... this is my childhood sweetheart and wife—"

Before he could finish, a loud *thud* echoed from the front.

Xu He looked up to see that the Prince's face had turned as black as ink, and the veins on the hand gripping the cup were bulging.

Childhood sweetheart?

And wife??

Damn that Xu He.

Did he not know that this "wife of many years" was the very woman Yan Bei had been searching for with notices posted all over the city!

If they were childhood sweethearts and wedded spouses, then what about Yan Bei?

What did he, Yan Bei, count as—the man who had been stripped of his name and dragged into a bridal chamber to bear a child?

Yan Bei felt like he was going to faint!

What great news!

The mother of his child wasn't dead; A-Li would be very happy.

But the bad news was, the mother of his child had a new husband! He was not happy!

Just Xu He?

Was he even worthy?!

By now, the guests could not help but notice the anomaly.

Dozens of people were shifting their gazes back and forth between him and the "couple," Xu He.

Gao An also saw Yue Tang. Judging by Yan Bei's reaction, he had already guessed who she was.

He felt that things were getting tricky.

To be honest, ever since Yan Bei discovered the memorial text left by A-Li's mother, he had been acting somewhat abnormal lately.

But for the future Princess of Jingyang to appear in such a setting, and even in the capacity of a scholar's wife, it was no wonder Yan Bei was losing it!

He had finally managed to come to terms with the fact that the mother of his child was still alive, having just comforted himself through the reality of being cast aside, only to turn around and find her attending a banquet as a married couple with another man!

Anyone would be unable to sit still.

He stepped forward and lowered his voice: "Your Highness, stay calm! Scholar Xu is the top scholar appointed by the Emperor; you can speak with him later. Besides, the Lady's appearance here likely has another reason."

Yan Bei clenched his hands repeatedly, and at the end of the sentence, he suddenly looked toward Yue Tang.

Yue Tang was also casting a cold gaze toward him.

As their eyes met, Yan Bei felt a shiver run through him.

—That's right!

The Du family were her enemies. If she wanted revenge against the Du family, she would naturally look for an opportunity to infiltrate and scout them in a setting like this.

Though he didn't know why it had to be Xu He, given her track record of wiping out the He and Zhang families, there was no way she had actually fallen for this man surnamed Xu!

But!

Why was the look she was giving him so unfriendly?