Chapter 5: Mother Wei, née Zhao

After plundering the Prime Minister's residence and the Imperial Palace in succession, Shen Xiangwan did not return to the Prince's mansion until nearly the hour of the Rabbit. Realizing that the "dog emperor" would send people to seize her property once dawn broke, she hurried to empty all the storehouses in the mansion. Compared to the Prime Minister's residence, the wealth of the Prince's mansion seemed somewhat lacking, but Shen Xiangwan did not dwell on it. By the time she finished collecting her own dowry, the horizon was just beginning to turn a pale, fish-belly white.

"Tsk... time to go check on that cheap husband of mine."

Clicking her tongue with a light scoff, Shen Xiangwan stepped toward Qingsong Courtyard, where Wei Chengyi resided next door. She wanted to see for herself exactly what this so-called "heartbreak caused by rage" looked like.

"Princess."

"Mhm."

Because Wei Chengyi had suddenly vomited blood and fallen into a coma, Qingsong Courtyard had been brightly lit all night, with people constantly coming and going. Seeing her, the servants bowed in unison. Shen Xiangwan gave a casual nod and walked straight toward the main room.

"Chengyi..."

Inside the room, Wei Chengyi lay on the bed, his face deathly pale. A beautiful woman sitting by his side had tears in her eyes, calling his name with a hoarse, choking voice.

"Mother... Second Brother will definitely wake up."

A young girl of about thirteen or fourteen stepped forward to wrap her arms around the woman's shoulders, her eyes rimmed with red, her voice thick with suppressed sobs.

"Once it's light, I'll go and find every physician in the Imperial City."

On the other side, a youth who looked no more than sixteen or seventeen clenched his fists, his cherry-red lips pressed into a thin line, clearly struggling to suppress his emotions.

"Mhm..."

It was better when they were silent; as soon as they spoke, the tears welling in the beautiful woman's eyes spilled over, and the young girl could not help but lean against her, weeping silently. An atmosphere of profound sorrow instantly filled the room.

"Madam... Princess?"

The personal servant attending to them was about to offer comfort when a glance from the corner of their eye caught Shen Xiangwan standing at the door, their tone carrying an unmistakable hesitation.

Almost instantly, everyone's gaze shifted to her. Shen Xiangwan frowned imperceptibly and stepped into the room. "What happened to the Prince?"

"You still dare to ask? If it weren't for you—"

"Chenghe!"

Hearing this, the youth erupted, his voice nearly a snarl through gritted teeth. The beautiful woman hurriedly called him off, but seeing that he still looked ready to devour someone, she had no choice but to stand up and walk between them. "You must be Wanwan. I am Chengyi's mother. I have already heard about your situation from Qingying. Regardless of how you were married into this mansion, since you are already Chengyi's Princess, you may stay here with peace of mind."

Her son had vomited blood and fallen into a coma due to the rage caused by the substitute marriage. To say she felt no resentment toward her would be a lie, but after learning the sequence of events from her son's guard, Qingying, she could not bring herself to blame her. After all, she was also an innocent victim.

Wei Chengyi's mother?

Shen Xiangwan did not respond immediately. Her gaze drifted past the woman to the still-fuming, bristling youth, and then to the red-eyed young girl beside him.

They must be Wei Chengyi's younger brother, Wei Chenghe, and his younger sister, Wei Ling'er.

In the original novel, before the original owner could recover from the shock of the substitute marriage and the subsequent house seizure and exile, she was accused by the rest of the Wei family of being a jinx and a calamity who brought ruin to them just as she entered the family. The only person who stood up to protect her was Wei Chengyi's mother, Lady Zhao.

After the exile convoy left the city, the letter of severance sent by the Prime Minister's residence acted as the final straw. The original owner fell ill and could not get out of bed, and it was Lady Zhao and her two children who cared for her. One must remember that at that time, they also had to care for the incapacitated Wei Chengyi and the son left behind by the eldest son, Wei Chengming, who had died in battle—the eldest grandson, Wei Yunan, who was not yet three years old.

Unfortunately, their end was not a good one. They all died tragic deaths one after another on the road to exile, especially the young girl Wei Ling'er, who was violated to death.

[End of Chapter]