Chapter 11: The Legitimate Eldest Grandson

Inside the Fanghua Pavilion, Li Xueying was humiliated by the tea ceremony and flew into a rage, smashing most of the items in the room. The maidservants, knowing her temper well, stood outside the door, not daring to offer any counsel.

Lu Feng stood amidst the wreckage, watching Li Xueying’s madness with deep disappointment. He thought of the gentle and virtuous Xie Zhaolan; they had been husband and wife for three years, living in harmony and affection—when had there ever been such a farce?

"Lu Feng, do you regret it?" Li Xueying’s eyes were bloodshot as she questioned him. Lu Feng’s calmness made her panic; he was not coaxing her as he usually did.

"Xueying, don't let your imagination run wild; it’s not good for the child in your womb. Once he is born, he will be the legitimate eldest grandson of the Lu family." Lu Feng pacified her. Although Li Xueying was spoiled, she was beautiful, and he did hold some genuine affection for her. "Harmony in the family brings prosperity. Let us live our lives quietly. Zhaolan’s status is low, and with the child by your side, she will never be able to surpass you."

"What do you mean, low status? She now holds an imperial decree and has the Princess Royal backing her; she’s already riding roughshod over me!" Li Xueying retorted angrily.

Lu Feng’s heart stirred. If Zhaolan had managed to get close to the Princess Royal and secure such an imperial decree, she must be highly favored by her. The Princess Royal held immense power; with just a single word, he could be transferred to a position of real authority and rise rapidly in his career.

"Zhaolan has a gentle nature. Perhaps she only made things difficult for you because she was provoked by our grand wedding. In the future, if you soften your attitude..."

"Lu Feng, what did you say?" Li Xueying interrupted him before he could finish, her body trembling with rage. "You actually want us to live in harmony? You want a virtuous wife and a beautiful concubine, to have it both ways?"

Lu Feng held her hands and said softly, "Xueying, where has your mind wandered? The one I cherish in my heart now is you. I have long since lost any marital affection for Zhaolan."

Li Xueying could not suppress the fury in her heart. "She is not Xie Zhaolan at all! Xie Zhaolan is already dead. You prepared her body for burial—how could you not recognize her? For the sake of the Princess Royal’s power, why are you pretending to be blind and ignorant?"

Lu Feng said, "The body was damaged to such an extent that it was impossible to confirm it was Zhaolan based solely on clothing and jewelry."

"I was the one who killed her! I saw it with my own eyes, how could I be wrong!" Li Xueying dropped the pretense. "Lu Feng, you cannot escape your share of the blame either. It was you who coaxed Xie Zhaolan into going to burn incense and fulfill her vows, and it was you who told her the route. We conspired to kill her together. Now that someone who looks like Xie Zhaolan has appeared and is riding over my head, you still want to smooth things over? Keep dreaming!"

Lu Feng’s expression darkened. He had become famous at a young age, passed the imperial examinations, and was chosen by the eldest daughter of a Count’s estate. His only regret was having a "coarse-grained" wife at home—gentle and virtuous, he could not divorce her to remarry. Yet, he had become hopelessly trapped in Li Xueying’s web of tenderness. A distant relative of the Count’s estate, whose exam ranking was far below his, was now his superior. He was resentful and unwilling to accept this, and he understood that clinging to the powerful was more valuable than ten years of studying by the window.

Therefore, when Li Xueying wanted to kill Xie Zhaolan, he had watched with cold eyes and tacitly allowed it.

When he saw Xie Zhaolan’s body, he had felt a flicker of compassion. However, compared to his future, his wife’s life was insignificant. With the old love gone and a new one found, he was a man who enjoyed the fruits of others' labor; naturally, he was happy to see it happen.

"We are both murderers; we rise and fall together. Lu Feng, if you dare to have feelings for her and continue to be a husband to her, I will never let you go!" Li Xueying could not hide her jealousy. She knew that Lu Feng and Xie Zhaolan had been deeply in love for three years, and she feared they would rekindle their old flame, leaving her with nothing.

Lu Feng hugged her tenderly, full of deep affection. "Xueying, my heart for you is as clear as the sun and moon. From today on, I will never go to Zhaolan’s room again."

Li Xueying’s jealousy subsided slightly, and she curled her lips in triumph in his arms. *Xie Zhaolan, so what if you have returned from the dead? Lu Feng is mine; don't even think about taking away everything I have.*

When Lu Feng went to find Su Qingwan, she had just returned to Meilan Pavilion. Lady Lin had sent over a few maidservants, and Lüzhu was currently establishing the rules for them. Lu Feng walked straight into the main courtyard without looking aside.

Su Qingwan was leisurely pruning a potted plant. She stood by the window, facing the breeze, her skin like congealed fat, her beauty unparalleled. He still remembered the stunning sight of her when he first fell in love with her years ago.

Xie Zhaolan was incredibly beautiful, a rare beauty of the Jiangnan region. Having been married to her for three years, Lu Feng couldn't help but wonder: was what Li Xueying said true? She wasn't Zhaolan, yet she looked exactly like her.

Li Xueying wanted to kill Xie Zhaolan, and he had tacitly allowed it.

Although he hadn't been there in person, he knew Li Xueying’s methods. Zhaolan had gone to burn incense with only one maid and no guards; she was no match for Li Xueying’s private soldiers.

When he prepared Xie Zhaolan’s body for burial, he had felt nauseated seeing her face mangled beyond recognition, so he had only taken a hurried glance and hadn't looked closely. Was the body really Zhaolan?

If it was Zhaolan, then who was the person before him?

If the body wasn't Zhaolan, had the Li woman lied to marry him?

Truth and falsehood were like a fog, and Lu Feng could not distinguish them.

"Master!" Lüzhu called out, reminding Su Qingwan inside the room.

Su Qingwan turned to see Lu Feng, put down her shears, and bowed with a distant attitude. "Is there something?"

Lu Feng steadied his mind. Regardless of whether she was real or fake, she identified herself as Xie Zhaolan, and in this life, she was a member of the Lu family. Thinking of Li Xueying’s tear-stained face, Lu Feng hardened his heart. "Zhaolan, you caused such a scene on the day of my wedding, and now you have achieved your wish—you are still a wife of the Lu family. But our marital fate has ended. Xueying is carrying my flesh and blood. From now on... I will not come to Meilan Pavilion again. I hope you will be cautious in your words and actions and not cause any more trouble."

Lüzhu was so angry she wanted to jump up and bash his head in. How could he have the face to put on such a condescending air? Her young lady had come to take his life; who cared for his affection?

Su Qingwan laughed, her brows curving. "The descendants of the Lu family are protected by the Iron Certificate and Dan Scroll. If there is no bloodline from me, I fear it will become void after I die. You should ask your father if he agrees to that."

Lu Feng’s expression stiffened. He knew Zhaolan had been deeply devoted to him, but he hadn't expected that even now, she would still want to bear his children.

For the sake of this Iron Certificate that protected their descendants, Zhaolan indeed needed to bear the Lu family’s bloodline.

"You were married to the Lu family for three years without issue; I fear it is difficult for you to conceive. In the future, when Xueying gives birth, the child will be registered under your name and raised as the legitimate heir." A flash of ruthlessness crossed Lu Feng’s heart. His father, mother, and Xueying would not let Zhaolan live long. As long as Xueying gave birth and the child was raised under Zhaolan’s name, they could take action. For the sake of the bigger picture, Xueying would agree to it.

Su Qingwan had not expected a person to be this shameless. When she was in the Southwest, she had heard a saying that most ungrateful and fickle people were scholars. She had thought it was a joke, but she hadn't expected it to be a prophecy—and besides being ungrateful and fickle, he was also this shameless.

"You actually want me to raise a child for you two?" Su Qingwan was so angry she laughed. It was a laugh born of extreme rage. Her heart throbbed with pain; if the dead had spirits, how disappointed would her sister be to know that the man she loved was such a shameless wretch?

(End of chapter)