Chapter 003
Chapter 3: He Received the Cannon Fodder Script
A thin wail rose, high and clear: “Waaah.”
[Oh no, oh no, I think I wet myself.]
[I really did. This is so embarrassing. Waaah, I do not want to live anymore.]
A damp warmth spread beneath her. Yun Wan Ning’s tiny face flushed crimson with shame. Her eyes darted helplessly as she let out a loud cry, only to stop halfway, startled by the sound of her own voice.
[Aaah, why did I just cry? Nooo, now it is even worse. What do I do?]
Startled, Madam Yun gently pulled the baby close and quickly fetched a clean cloth diaper. Her voice was gentle as spring rain as she coaxed: “Don’t cry, don’t cry. It is just a little accident. Mother will clean you up right away.”
In that moment, Yun Wan Ning was utterly convinced. Being reborn into a baby’s body with the full awareness of an adult mind was nowhere near as ideal as she had imagined. Every little humiliation was clear as day, and there was no dignity in facing such shame while fully conscious.
The door creaked open as a tall, broad-shouldered man strode into the room, his robes dusty from the road. It was Duke Ning, Yun Zheng, who had returned from the military camp the moment he received word of the birth.
He walked to Madam Yun’s side in long strides, took her hand with deep concern, and asked in a low, steady voice that carried the edge of worry: “Madam, I heard you gave birth. Are you alright? How are you feeling?”
Madam Yun looked up at him, her gaze soft, lips curled in a faint smile: “I am fine, Husband. You do not need to worry.”
Yun Zheng’s eyes carefully swept over her, checking every detail for signs of weakness or pain. Only after confirming she was safe did the tension in his shoulders ease. He said with guilt as he sat at the bed’s edge: “Military affairs were urgent, and I could not leave. I failed to be here for you during childbirth, and you had to face it all alone.”
“What nonsense,” Madam Yun chided gently, casting him a shy, affectionate glance: “The labor came suddenly, and your duties are weighty. It is not as if you abandoned me on purpose. I do not feel wronged.”
“Ai,” Yun Zheng sighed, carefully embracing her: “The more considerate you are, the more I feel I have wronged you. I only care that you are safe. You do not know how I feared for you when I heard you were in labor.”
No matter how fast he rode, he was still a step too late. He and Ye’er were away at the front, Old Seventh had taken Chen’er to seek treatment for his legs, and Yao’er was at the academy. In the manor, only the servants and that snake Yang Xin’er remained. What if something had gone wrong during labor? The thought made his chest tighten with dread.
[Ohh, this must be Father. When did he get back?]
[Father and Mother are so affectionate. I totally ship this couple. Does anyone else feel that sweetness?]
[So sweet, so sweet. I think my teeth are about to fall out.]
[Oh wait, I forgot, I do not have teeth yet.]
[Never mind. The important thing is, they are a perfect match. Waaah, I am so happy.]
Madam Yun paused, then bit back a smile.
Yun Zheng’s expression froze. His sharp eyes flicked around warily. Just now, who was speaking? Who called him Father? And what in the world did shipping this couple mean?
Madam Yun gently nudged him aside and lifted the small bundle in her arms with shy pride: “Husband, this is our child. A daughter. You have not held her yet.”
A daughter. The little one born just this morning. Yun Zheng was momentarily stunned, but he reached out with both arms and carefully received the swaddled baby. The moment he looked down, a pair of sparkling eyes, clear as obsidian stars, peered up at him.
[Wow, Father is so handsome. Sword-like brows, star-bright eyes, noble and flawless. He and Mother look so good together, they are like a celestial couple from a painting.]
[No wonder Yang Xin’er always covets him. He is too good-looking.]
Yun Zheng went silent. What kind of being was this tiny girl in his arms? How could she know Yang Xin’er had designs on him? She clearly could not speak, so how was he hearing her thoughts? Was it he who was special? Or was this little milk bun defying the heavens?
He glanced toward Madam Yun. Seeing her calm expression, he relaxed a little. It seemed only he could hear the child’s inner voice. If Madam Yun had heard this, her face would not be so serene.
Meanwhile, Madam Yun studied her husband’s composure. His calm demeanor convinced her that he could not hear their daughter’s thoughts. If he had, he would not remain so composed. Clearly, only she, the child’s mother, had such a heart-to-heart connection.
[Aside from being handsome, Father’s martial talent is top-tier. He was already leading troops by thirteen, fighting through blood and flame to earn honor and glory.]
[Though born to a fallen noble family, he regained the late Emperor’s favor through valor alone.]
[The Emperor once called him Great Wu’s Heavenly Strategist General and personally granted him the title of First-Rank Duke Ning.]
[He is loyal to the nation, loves the people, cherishes his wife, protects his children, flawless in every way.]
The little daughter’s praise flowed like a spring stream. It warmed Yun Zheng’s heart and puffed his chest with quiet pride. His lips curled as a trace of satisfaction gleamed in his eyes.
But before he could indulge further, a sudden chill seized him. It was as if a basin of icy water had been poured over his head.
[Ah, what a shame. Such a perfect father, and he was not even the male lead. Instead, he got assigned a cannon fodder script.]
[After Mother was framed and murdered by Yang Xin’er, Father grieved himself into ruin. He lost interest in court affairs and let everything crumble.]
[Later, Big Brother and Elder Sister offended the female lead by accident. She joined hands with a corrupt minister and framed Father.]
[They secretly cut off his military supplies, planted spies in his camp, and orchestrated his downfall. Father, the undefeated, revered Heavenly Strategist, was captured and slain in humiliation.]
[His head was hung from the enemy city walls for three months, mocked as a national disgrace.]
[No one remembered the victories he won or the blood he spilled to expand the empire. They only laughed and jeered, saying: “Wasn’t he once called the Heavenly Strategist? Now look, just a prisoner whose head adorns the enemy’s gate. What a joke.]
The milk bun’s voice rambled on, but Yun Zheng could no longer hear clearly. His body trembled, and the blood drained from his face. Only one sentence echoed through his mind. After Mother was murdered by Yang Xin’er.
His wife would be murdered. No. He would never let that happen. Absolutely never. Yang Xin’er could no longer be tolerated.
A cold glint flashed through Yun Zheng’s eyes.
On the other side, Madam Yun bit her lip until it bled. The sting could not numb the ache in her chest. She had known how she would die, humiliated and forced to take her own life to preserve the dignity of her husband and their household. But she had never imagined the man she loved would suffer such a cruel fate afterward.
Her body trembled in silence. That girl, the so-called female lead, who was she? The one who would conspire with treacherous men to bring ruin to Duke Ning?
She clenched her fingers. This time, she would never let such a thing happen. Not to her. Not to her husband. Not to their child.