Chapter 3: I Want to Call Off the Engagement

Qin Bi walked while crying, calculating in her heart how to break off the engagement.

It must be broken off, it must.

Qin Lang and the children of the fourth branch followed. Over at the front courtyard’s flower hall, the people of the second branch wore expressions of joy. They felt somewhat fortunate that it was someone from the second branch; they had thought Qin He would only ever be like that, but who could have imagined she would be able to enter the Duke’s mansion as an equal wife.

With the Duke of Yan’s mansion as a backer, what worries would there be about not having a bright future while following Qin He?

He Yan sat for a moment before rising to leave, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger.

Qin He stammered, "Your things... why don't you take them back?"

To make a scene over such trifles was embarrassing.

He Yan didn't care, saying, "No need."

As the people from the Duke of Yan’s mansion left, Qin Yan sighed. Giving up one younger sister to elevate another—only he, as the heir, understood the various flavors of this situation. Since a choice had already been made, this was the only way.

Qin Bi went crying to find her legal mother, Madam He, and her father, Qin Di, the fourth legitimate son of the old Marquis of Qinyan. In the main courtyard of the fourth branch, the concubines' sons and daughters stood about with varied expressions. Qin Xun, the second legitimate son of the fourth branch, went to the front hall to call their parents back.

Once inside the room, Qin Lang from the third branch was also there.

Qin Bi cried sorrowfully, unable to stop herself; she felt too stifled.

Madam He and Qin Di sat in the seats of honor. Madam He was displeased; acting so tearful while guests were departing was unseemly.

"What is going on?" Madam He was born a legitimate daughter of the Duke of Yan’s mansion; she was dignified and imposing.

Madam He was He Yan’s aunt, as well as Qin Bi’s legal mother.

Qin Bi felt unbearable distress. In two lifetimes, she had never been slapped in the face like this. In this life, she was a concubine’s daughter, living with extreme caution, but so what? The pressure made her want to just die.

"I want to break off the engagement," Qin Bi said through tears.

Madam He stiffened. Qin Bi had never been happy about this marriage, but her maiden family had begged and begged, and He Yan was a powerful official before the Emperor. She had to consider her son’s future and rely on her maiden family.

With no other choice, Madam He had to agree.

Qin Bi also agreed. The fourth branch hadn't had an easy time these past few years. The Heir of Prince Rong had no intention of marrying, and the other concubine’s daughter of similar age had already married. Qin Di and his wife couldn't fathom the Heir of Prince Rong’s intentions.

With no hope from the Heir of Prince Rong, they could only rely on Madam He’s maiden family.

The engagement had only just been finalized; why did she want to break it off now? The couple was confused.

Qin Tang stepped forward and explained the situation. Qin Di and Madam He were instantly enraged. Their faces burned. Years ago, Qin Di might have cherished this marriage alliance with the Duke of Yan’s mansion, but having been slapped in the face repeatedly, Qin Di’s anger burned.

Qin Di glared at Madam He. Madam He gripped her handkerchief tightly. Breaking off the engagement was absolutely impossible; if they broke it, they would lose their reliance on the Prince Rong’s mansion, and she could forget about visiting her maiden family at the Duke of Yan’s mansion.

He Yan was a "wife-killer" who had no children; this fate was the Duke of Yan’s mansion’s greatest heartache.

Qin Di knew that breaking the engagement was impossible. He suppressed his anger and said to Madam He, "Go to your maiden family. Tell your brother and sister-in-law that marrying our daughter is fine, but taking an equal wife is absolutely out of the question."

Madam He agreed. Qin Bi couldn't help but feel heartbroken, her head spinning. She only wanted to break the engagement: "I don't want to, I want to break the engagement."

Once these words were spoken, everyone fell silent. This engagement could not be broken.

Qin Xun persuaded her: "Just stop him from taking an equal wife, that's all."

How could Qin Bi not understand? The Qinyan Marquis mansion had no real power in the imperial court; it was just a fallen noble house that had to fawn over the Duke of Yan’s mansion. As long as He Yan didn't take an equal wife, that was the bottom line for the fourth branch of the Marquis mansion.

Anything more was wishful thinking; no one would indulge her.

Madam He sighed, exhausted after talking to Qin Bi for so long: "Go back and think about it. This engagement cannot be broken."

Qin Bi had cried her heart out and felt her body couldn't take it anymore. She returned to her courtyard in a daze.

Her heart was cold, her whole body shivering. She went straight to bed upon returning.

With such a humiliating marriage stuck in her heart, how could Qin Bi sleep? Thinking about the stifling nature of her transmigration, she felt it would be better to just die. She had brought shame to all transmigrators. She had also thought about doing what other transmigrators did—inventing things.

Back then, she wanted to make some delicacies, but the Heir of Prince Rong told her: "Nonsense."

With one word, the delicacies were off the table.

Later, Qin Bi wanted to farm, but the Heir of Prince Rong said she had ulterior motives.

As for the Heir himself, he was a powerful official by the Emperor’s side, and Qin Bi didn't even have a plot of land.

Qin Bi had also thought about going into the mountains to find things, like spiritual plants or something, but with one word from the Heir, she had no carriage and no maidservants. As a young lady of a Marquis mansion, she couldn't leave the house; she couldn't even pluck a leaf of a spiritual plant.

On top of that, the Heir of the Duke of Yan—both heirs looked down on her. It wasn't that she lacked ability; even if she had ten thousand talents, she couldn't use them. Yet, Qin He, that transmigrator, could do anything.

Firing glass, making soap—Qin He was thriving.

It was unbearable. The more she thought about it, the more miserable Qin Bi felt. She cried in her quilt, feeling wronged. Her younger half-sister Qin Han had married off, so she lived in this courtyard alone. Her little maid couldn't help her; she only knew how to hide and listen to her cry.

As a concubine’s daughter, her transmigration had been for nothing.

Qin Bi hated it so much she wanted to hit someone, but then she thought, forget it.

Qin Bi fell ill, her whole person listless, still making a fuss about breaking the engagement.

The entire Qinyan Marquis mansion remained silent. The engagement could not be broken, no matter how much Qin Bi fussed. Qin Bi couldn't eat or sleep; she would wake up with a dizzying headache, her body wasting away day by day.

The little maid said from the side: "Miss, it’s just an equal wife; you aren't losing out."

Qin Bi was older than Qin He, not as young, and not as capable. Being able to marry the Heir of the Duke’s mansion was already climbing as high as one could possibly climb. What was there to be dissatisfied about?

Qin Bi’s mind was muddled, but not so much that she couldn't see through the little maid’s thoughts: "Get out."

The little maid left resentfully, thinking her pretentious.

Qin Bi smiled bitterly. Even a maid dared to play mind games with her.

Thinking of this, she felt hatred again. She closed her eyes, wishing she were dead.

Madam Zhu, the wife of the third branch, came to see Qin Bi. Qin Bi was close to her; after all, having followed the third branch outside for several years, there was still affection from being around each other constantly. Before Qin Bi could even open her mouth, she started crying.

"Third Aunt, please help me break off this engagement." Qin Bi wiped away her tears, feeling incredibly wronged: "I’ll go with you. I’ll never come back to the capital again. I have no desire to climb high."

Qin Bi cried sorrowfully, and Madam Zhu felt distressed along with her: "This isn't a matter of climbing high or not."

The Heir of the Duke of Yan was a "wife-killer," but Qin Bi was unaffected; this had been noticed during the previous marriage negotiations. Later, Qin He suddenly knew how to do many things and stood out in the Marquis mansion, so the Heir of the Duke of Yan changed his mind and chose Qin He of the second branch.

However, when Qin Bi left with their third branch, Qin He had nearly died in the capital.

At that time, the Marquis mansion, the Duke’s mansion, and the Prince Rong’s mansion had tried everything, but Qin He just wouldn't wake up. In the end, the marriage contract was voided, and Qin He woke up inexplicably. Since He Yan’s "wife-killing" fate didn't affect Qin Bi, how could this engagement possibly be broken?

Qin Lang had come with Madam Zhu. He sat by the window, looking out without saying a word.

Madam Zhu persuaded Qin Bi for a long time, then sighed: "Don't blame your Third Aunt for speaking harshly. No matter the reason you are marrying, as long as the two families are joined, it is beneficial to your father and brothers."

He Yan was a powerful official; how could Qin Bi not understand this? But she didn't give a damn; she was so angry she could die.