Chapter 059
Chapter 59: The One Behind It
Lin Ye Lan brightened and said quickly: “What condition?” Whatever it was, if it meant healing his leg, he would agree first.
In her past life, Xia Meng Yan had loved Lin Ye Lan without restraint. Anything about him, she knew inside and out. How could she not guess his mind now? She set a palm on her rounded belly and said, watching him: “After the child is born, the child will take my surname. The Ping’an Marquis Manor will have nothing to do with this child.”
“No relation at all?” His face changed. A dozen outcomes flashed through his head, but he had not expected this. He stared and asked: “You want to sever kinship?”
“Yes. You will sever kinship with this child…” she began.
“Never,” he snarled, eyes fixed on her belly. “Boy or girl, the child is mine. Letting the child stay with you is already my biggest concession. And you still want to cut ties? Over my dead body.”
Holding herself steady, Xia Meng Yan said: “Make your choice soon, Marquis. Divine Physician Luo will not stay in the capital for long.”
He lashed out, kicking a low stool. The crash in the quiet hall made hearts jump. He growled: “Xia Meng Yan, I’m talking nicely to give you a chance. If this reaches His Majesty, you’ll get nothing.”
He had just returned from suppressing bandits. If he asked for Divine Physician Luo, the emperor would not refuse. Since the divorce, Xia Meng Yan had been thinking about cutting all ties between her child and the Ping’an Marquis Manor. That household of fools would drag her child down. She knew it would be hard. But with Lin Ye Lan injured, there was a sliver of hope.
She said evenly: “If you want to enter the palace and ask for a decree, go ahead.” In her past life, when Lin Ye Lan got angry, she would back down at once, never doubting him. Now she could see he was blustering.
Divine Physician Luo was famous, first for his unmatched medical skill, and second because he served no one’s command. Twice he had pulled the late emperor back from Death’s Gate. If he had not loved his freedom, the Imperial Medical Bureau would have been his to command. Lin Ye Lan wanted the royal family to pressure Divine Physician Luo, but Emperor Xuan Ming would not agree. The emperor still hoped the physician would nurse his health.
Seeing her unmoved, Lin Ye Lan lifted his hand to smash something. Xia Meng Yan said coolly: “The furniture here is made of golden nanmu. The ornaments on the table are expensive too. Before you start, think if you can afford to pay.”
His raised hand hung there. After a long moment, the ferocity on his face faded a little. He said: “Severing ties is impossible. I advise you to remarry me. Otherwise, if the Imperial Palace grants you a marriage, you might end up with someone worse than me.”
“Bestow a marriage?” Xia Meng Yan arched a brow. She had never planned to marry again. Even Emperor Xuan Ming could not force her. But his look hinted at something more.
Seeing her pause, Lin Ye Lan regained confidence. As long as the child existed, the two of them could not fully cut things off. He said: “Severing ties is impossible. I can trade you a piece of news for a chance to be treated by Divine Physician Luo.”
Xia Meng Yan hesitated. She did not want to miss this chance. Too many strange events had happened lately. They looked unrelated but all fell on her. She could not grasp the thread, and even her father had no answer.
Lin Ye Lan smiled a little and said: “I’m a marquis. When my son is born, he will be the heir apparent. If I write a severance letter, the title is gone.”
She said without mercy: “Without the Xia family’s 200,000 taels, how would you even have that title?” She weighed the pros and cons. The child would not be born for six months. There might be another chance to sever ties later. Right now she had to learn the truth. She said: “Fine. I’ll ask and you’ll answer. If you lie, the deal is off.”
“Fine,” he agreed.
She went straight to the point: “Does the one in the Imperial Palace know about the Lu family’s plan?”
Lin Ye Lan froze, surprised she had guessed, then said: “Consort Ping mentioned it in front of His Majesty. He did not object. But the one truly leading this is the Eldest Princess.”
“The Eldest Princess?” Xia Meng Yan’s eyes narrowed.
He explained: “You and Duan Yi Chen are close. He has helped you openly and in secret for years. The Eldest Princess has seen it. After your divorce, you still kept in touch with him, so of course she was unhappy.”
Xia Meng Yan linked the pieces and said: “So the Eldest Princess spread word to set up a blind date for Duan Yi Chen, and even locked him up.”
Lin Ye Lan nodded: “The blind date was only the first step. Duan Yi Chen is the heir apparent of Marquis Xuan Ping Manor. Marriage there is not simple. When that path failed, the Eldest Princess wanted to marry you off instead. But Lord Xia loves his daughter and said he would support you for life. The rest, you know.”
A warmth rose in Xia Meng Yan’s heart. She had not expected her father to stand up for her like this. The Eldest Princess could not openly manage Xia Meng Yan’s marriage, so she struck at the people around her, like Lin Ye Lan and the Xia family’s second branch.
Xia Meng Yan asked another question: “Then why did Duan Yi Chen agree so meekly?”
Hearing Duan’s name, Lin Ye Lan’s face twisted with jealousy as he said: “The Eldest Princess threatened him with the lives of the entire Xia clan. Duan Yi Chen didn’t dare refuse.”
Xia Meng Yan had thought the threat might be against her alone. She had not expected the Eldest Princess to be so ruthless, using the whole Xia family to force Duan’s hand. So when Duan Yi Chen had said that the position of secondary consort to the heir apparent was something he had struggled to win, he had not lied. She let out a cold laugh. The Eldest Princess was indeed generous when pushing him to marry.
Lin Ye Lan took a step closer and said softly: “With the Eldest Princess’s methods, bestowing you a marriage is easy. You can’t afford to offend her. Think a little. I’m your best choice. The child is innocent. If you marry again, can you promise that man will be good to the child? Meng Yan, we…”
She cut him off with a look and said: “Lin Ye Lan, take one more step and I’ll think you still can’t let me go.” Now that she knew the truth, she had no reason to stay.
His brief confidence died at once. Shamed and angry, he pointed at her and said: “I’m only doing this for the child. Don’t think I’m eager for you.”
She stood and answered without warmth: “Good. I’m not eager for the marquis either. If it isn’t a matter of beheading, don’t come here again. If Divine Physician Luo agrees, I’ll send word to your manor. Steward, see the guest out.”
Lin Ye Lan wanted to stamp his foot, but his injured leg forced him to swallow the urge.
Outside the hall, Chun Yue gripped her mistress’s hand and said anxiously: “Eldest Miss, the other party is the Eldest Princess. We can’t afford to offend her. About those rumors outside, should we… listen?”
So Consort Ping had acted on the Eldest Princess’s order. No wonder the chosen groom was concubine-born. It was meant to shame her mistress.
Xia Meng Yan shook her head and said: “The Eldest Princess didn’t show herself because she doesn’t want to tear things with her son. Now that we know, what is there to fear?”
Chun Yue whispered: “We have angered the Lu family, and the Eldest Princess bears a grudge. Are you not afraid they will join hands?”
Xia Meng Yan let out a cold smile. The tree wished for stillness, yet the wind would not stop. She only wanted to live quietly with her child and had never planned to provoke anyone. They were the ones who thought too much. Even if she explained everything, they would not believe it. Since she could not dodge it, why fear it?
Just then, Xia Qing Yao appeared in front of her and, seeing she’d startled her sister, quickly stepped back to explain: “Elder Sister, I came to thank you. The Lu family already sent people over. They said it was all a misunderstanding. If I’m willing, after my hairpin ceremony I can be betrothed.”