Chapter 554: 554: Scared Now?_1
Chapter 554: Chapter 554: Scared Now?_1
“You dare to say you didn’t maliciously harm me, you didn’t provoke me?” Wei Ruo said.
“The incident where I harmed you was a misunderstanding. I have already explained before, it was either me being deceived by a crafty servant, or the situation was too chaotic, and I was confused. It was not intentional. As for provoking you, there’s really nothing to discuss. Perhaps, when I was aggrieved, I couldn’t help but say something against you, but it was only because I was in a bad mood.” Wei Qingwan explained.
“Have you forgotten? No worries, I will help you recall, for instance… the incident where you intentionally fabricated a fake birth date to usurp the role of the concubine.” Wei Ruo said.
“You … what are you talking about?” Wei Qingwan looked utterly taken aback.
“Did you think I didn’t know how you got this position as Concubine? You created a narrative of a lady destined for greatness to gain the favor of Imperial Concubine Qi, you’re clever indeed!” Wei Ruo revealed.
“How did you know?” Wei Qingwan blurted out.
Originally, the idea was thought up by Qi’s son, who said that Imperial Concubine Qi would not publicly reveal her criteria for selecting concubines, so no outsiders would know about it.
All Qi’s son needed to do was to bribe the fortune teller hired by Imperial Concubine Qi and claim that the fake birth date forged by the Wei Family indicated that Wei Qingwan is a woman destined for greatness and will bring prosperity to her husband.
At that time, she was in a difficult situation, faced with marriage troubles, and an uncertain future – seeing that Qi’s son said he could not marry her. She had no choice but to trust Qi’s son and fight for a glimmer of hope for her future.
After so much time had passed since the incident, she had also successfully become Concubine of Prince Yu. She nearly forgot about the whole affair, but Wei Qingruo had unexpectedly brought it up today.
“Naturally, it was the previous Imperial Concubine Qi who told me.” Wei Ruo said.
“You… you knew all along?” Wei Qingwan’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I knew not long after we got married.”
“Then why didn’t you…”
“Why didn’t I expose you, right?”
Why? Of course, because she knew that she would have to deal with Chu Heng sooner or later, so it was just right for Wei Qingwan to marry him.
Moreover, in the original script, Wei Qingwan was supposed to marry Chu Lan. Now that she’s married Chu Heng, it’s a total subversion of the original plot, which she was glad to see.
If Wei Qingwan hadn’t been constantly testing her patience like she was today, constantly provoking and disgusting her, Wei Ruo might have continued to wait.
But now she has changed her mind, she has decided to tell Chu Heng sooner.
Wei Ruo smirked and said, “I used to ignore your antics because I did not want to bother with you. But now that you’re trying to act innocent and pitiful in front of me over and over again, don’t blame me for not being nice.”
Wei Qingwan was in a stupor, the words Wei Ruo spoke exploded like a bomb in her mind, causing her brain to buzz.
Mrs. Yun also reacted after being stunned for a while: “Ruo, you and Wan’s birthdates have already been confirmed, and it’s been so long since the incident happened. It didn’t affect you either, why are you bringing it up now?”
Wei Ruo sneered, “Didn’t I say it already? She’s the one who insists on stirring things up.”
Mrs. Yun worriedly said: “But if this gets out, it could be deemed as deceiving the Emperor!”
“Her position as a concubine was gained through deception. She was well aware of her real birth date and knowingly reported the fake one to Imperial Concubine Qi through Qi Zhen, concocting a story and pretending to be a woman chosen by destiny. If this constituted lying to the Emperor, then she was already guilty from the moment she had Qi Zhen falsely report that she was destined to bring prosperity to her husband,” Wei Ruo said.
Mrs. Yun frowned, aware that there was nothing wrong with Wei Ruo’s analysis.
If she had known earlier that Wanwan was going to attain the position of a concubine for herself in this manner, she would have undoubtedly stopped her.
But now, things have already turned out this way. It is meaningless for her to blame Wei Qingwan for her actions now.
As a mother, she could not stand by and watch her daughter, whom she raised with her own hands, fall into an irredeemable predicament due to the crime of lying to the Emperor, right?
Even if she wasn’t convicted for lying to the Emperor, if Prince Yu found out about her daughter’s deception, Wei Qingwan might fall out of favor because of it. This was not something Mrs. Yun wanted to witness.
Mrs. Yun pleaded anxiously, “Ruo, please have pity on Wanwan, she’s pregnant. Don’t make a big fuss about this.”
“Make a fuss? So, she knows making a fuss isn’t good, huh? You see what she was doing just now? She kept blaming me for finding fault with her, accusing me, Wei Qingruo, of treating her badly, playing innocent and pitiful. Is she really innocent and pitiful? She has repeatedly lied and deceived; her fabricating the birth date was intentional. She had schemed a lot for her future and now she pretends to be a spotlessly innocent flower making me nauseous.”
As Wei Ruo said this, she coldly glanced at Wei Qingwan, “As long as you don’t go about causing a commotion, I wouldn’t bother with you. But now you have gotten what you wanted, and I am satisfying you.”
Wei Ruo was truly annoyed by the trouble Wei Qingwan had been causing. Initially, they were not meeting frequently; out of sight, out of mind.
However, Wei Qingwan took advantage of every opportunity she got to meet with Wei Ruo and made a spectacle of herself, purposely trying to attract Wei Ruo’s attention.
Wei Qingwan stumbled to the front of Wei Ruo, knelt down and pleaded, “Sis… Ah, no, Queen Rui, I beg you, don’t tell the prince … I know I was wrong, I dare not annoy you anymore.”
“Now you know how to beg for mercy? Now you remember what kind of person you are? It’s too late.”
Wei Ruo stood up and walked towards the door.
Wei Qingwan quickly pounced forward, grabbing hold of Wei Ruo’s leg.
Seeing this, Mrs. Yun was greatly startled, “Be careful Ruo, Wanwan is still pregnant!”
Wei Ruo looked down at Wei Qingwan and sneered, “You’re not trying to have a miscarriage and blame it on me, are you?”
Wei Qingwan’s lips were tightly pressed together; she had exactly that intention.
“Guess what would happen if I genuinely made you miscarry? What would happen to me? What would happen to you? My prince will take care of me; as for you?”
Wei Ruo’s words startled Wei Qingwan.
Presently, Wei Ruo was greatly favored. Not only was King Rui protecting her, but the Emperor also appreciated her, and she had already resolved the Duke Xu’s case. The Emperor has been feeling guilty towards King Rui and had intended to punish Prince Yu on multiple occasions to appease King Rui and the late Empress Xu.
Whereas she had to go through great hardships to gain the affection of Prince Yu. If she were to lose the child because of this and lose his affection, then it would be a complete loss!
Wei Qingwan immediately released her grip on Wei Ruo’s leg upon realizing this.
The moment Wei Qingwan let go, Wei Ruo walked straight out the door.
“Mother … mother…” Wei Qingwan turned back to Mrs. Yun and sobbed loudly, “Mother, save me!”
After a moment of shock, Mrs. Yun quickly hurried after Wei Ruo.
Normally dignified, she was now running unceremoniously for Wei Qingwan’s sake.
She stood in front of Wei Ruo, with red-rimmed eyes and a sorrowful voice, “You’ll be the death of her! For my sake, Ruo can you let this go just this once?”
“On what grounds do you make this appeal to me?” Wei Ruo countered.