Fate Trading System – Chapter 204.2

Plan A

Guiding Stars 20

Bestowed Marriage

This could be said to be very disrespectful to Qin Yanru, but at that time, Yue Xinglan had already found her next partner. Even without Qin Yanru’s support, she could still develop very well.

That paper of divorce became the last straw that crushed Qin Minran. Qin Minran committed suicide.

But Qin Minran’s death became the last straw that drove Qin Yanru mad. Her most beloved son was dead, and her son’s child was also dead, and the culprit of all this was her son’s wife.

Qin Yanru was originally leading her faction to support Yue Xinglan. Upon Qin Minran’s death, she directly broke with Yue Xinglan and sided with Yue Xingyao, with only one request: to frantically retaliate against Yue Xinglan.

The Vice Minister was in charge of books, rituals, institutional evolution, etc. Qin Yanru, who had already become the Minister at that time, was the leader of this department.

The lessons of history tell us never to provoke the literati¹ at any time.

Although scholars are often described as useless, unable to lift with their hands or carry on their shoulders, and incapable of fighting, their mouths are eloquent, and their pens are mighty. Moreover, Qin Yanru was not an ordinary scholar; beyond being a scholar, she was also an official, exceptionally skilled at manipulating minds and adept at grasping human psychology.

Emotions between people are highly resonant, and the ignorant masses below, lacking the ability to distinguish right from wrong, are very easily incited.

In the original trajectory of the world, the original host merely acted as a bystander. Since it had nothing to do with her, she simply watched the excitement with a sigh.

Su Xin reviewed this farce. Of the several people involved in this matter, she empathized with none of them.

Was Qin Minran pitiful? Su Xin didn’t think so at all. His fate was mostly of his own making. He was a very self-centered person, one could say he cared only for his own feelings, completely disregarding the consequences of his actions.

Later, he became incredibly shortsighted, unable to see the situation clearly or understand his own position. Such a person is not suited for survival in society. If he were a kind person, that wouldn’t necessarily be the case either, because he could, in a fit of rage, beat a person to death. Would a kind person do such a thing?

And after his child died, he had no remorse whatsoever, completely failing to look for reasons within himself. He was clearly a negligent father, but he didn’t see it that way, immersing himself solely in his failed love. In the end, he committed the most selfish act.

He killed himself.

Throughout, Su Xin saw this person’s selfishness. The one he hurt the most was not others, not his son, but his mother, the mother who had worried about him all her life.

Qin Yanru could also definitely not be called a good mother. She did not instill in her child a correct set of values, values aligned with this society, but instead, indulged him endlessly.

If viewed from the perspective of a matriarchal society’s values, Yue Xinglan didn’t actually do anything terribly wrong. In her attitude towards Qin Minran, she was just a bit foolish, and her way of handling things was incredibly stupid. This was not just a matter of emotional intelligence, but also of intelligence itself. She was indeed cold towards her son, and in this regard, her fate was deserved.

Perhaps the most innocent were the concubine who was beaten to death and the child who died of a high fever.

The perspective shifts back to just now. Qin Minran, with his bleeding hand, walked out of the tea room. Xi’er, who had been waiting anxiously outside, hurried up to him. Seeing his master’s hand covered in blood, he was greatly distressed.

He hadn’t heard any of the conversation just now, only the crisp sound of cups and saucers being smashed on the ground. His heart had skipped a beat then, thinking that an argument had broken out inside, or that something bad had happened. He was very afraid that something might happen to Qin Minran. Now, seeing him walk out unharmed, with only his hand injured, he breathed a sigh of relief. After careful observation, he found that the wound was directly on the finger, and the large stone in his heart almost completely settled.

“Young Master, what happened? How did you become so careless and bleed so much? Let’s go back quickly, wash it, and apply medicine, lest a scar remains here later.”

Qin Minran, however, didn’t seem to hear Xi’er’s words, and woodenly allowed Xi’er to lead him outside.

Su Xin saw the two of them get into the carriage and had her attendant settle the bill.

The good show was about to begin.

Qin Minran at least remembered not to lose composure in public; it would be terrible if he were recognized. Though, given his state just now, he was only a little bit away from completely losing it.

“Young Master, what’s wrong?”

Xi’er first took a handkerchief and bandaged the wound on his finger. He felt like he was aging prematurely, having endless worries every day.

Qin Minran’s tears suddenly started falling, patter, patter. Xi’er quickly grabbed a new handkerchief to wipe his tears and helped him remove the veil from his face.

“Xi’er… Xi’er…”

Qin Minran suddenly threw himself into Xi’er’s arms, crying incessantly, but he still remembered to restrain his voice.

“There, there, Young Master, tell me what’s wrong. It’ll be better once you’ve said it. You won’t be so sad once you’ve spoken it out.”

“Why is she marrying someone else? Didn’t she say she liked me the most? And we even did that sort of thing, so she should like me, right? She has to take responsibility for me. But why is she marrying someone else? What’s so good about that person… Why isn’t she marrying me, but marrying him… What should I do?”

Qin Minran sobbed and choked out between cries. He had originally been so confident, but things had turned out like this.

“Wait a moment… Young Master, is the person you said is marrying someone else the Second Princess?”

“Could there be anyone else? It’s that bastard.”

“Where did you hear this news? Is it reliable? Could it be that someone is trying to sow discord? Have you confirmed this matter with the Second Princess?”

“No… but the Great Princess’ guard told the Great Princess, saying she’s going to marry the Prime Minister’s third son.”

“Could this be intentional on the part of the Great Princess, and the information is false?”

“How could it be false? What good would it do her? And if she’s lying to me, wouldn’t such a thing be exposed immediately? Anyway, the Great Princess can’t possibly force her to marry someone else.”

Qin Minran, for once, had a moment of logical connection, clarifying the matter. If Yue Xinglan wasn’t willing, how could she possibly marry someone else?

“Let’s talk about this matter when we get back to the residence. First, go inquire about the Master’s opinion. News from the Master is always accurate.”

“Okay… Maybe it really is fake. I’ll go back and ask my mother, and then beg her, hoping she can let me marry the Second Princess.”

Qin Minran had just finished applying medicine when he returned home, when he found his mother standing outside his room, wanting to talk to him about some things.

“Mother…”

“Minran, do you know why I dote on you so much, yet still don’t agree to let you marry the Second Princess?”

“Because Mother is afraid I’ll be wronged if I marry into her family.”

“That’s only one part of the reason. The most important thing is that the Second Princess has never come to propose. How can we lower ourselves and ask the Second Princess to marry you?”

“She said it’s because the Virtuous Noble Consort hasn’t agreed yet. If the Virtuous Noble Consort agrees, she’ll come to propose immediately.”

“The Virtuous Noble Consort will not agree. She doesn’t look favorably upon our family at all. She already has someone else in mind. Today, I received news that the Virtuous Noble Consort went to request Her Majesty to issue an imperial edict bestowing marriage, to request marriage for the Second Princess with the Prime Minister’s third son. The Virtuous Noble Consort values the Prime Minister’s family’s power. Our family still can’t compare, do you understand?”

“So… it’s true?”

Qin Minran didn’t break down as he thought he might. Perhaps he had already prepared himself mentally, but he still felt the world before him swaying and about to collapse.

“Minran, give up on this idea. Don’t think about marrying the Second Princess anymore. With our family’s conditions, there’s no need to reach for such high branches. And I don’t want you to live in such a fiery, difficult environment. I only want you to live a peaceful and happy life. It’s enough as long as your qizhu [wife master] dotes on you. Let mother find another match for you, one that is a truly outstanding young talent, who won’t let you suffer any grievances.”

Qin Yanru was thinking of finding someone she could control, lest they rebel and cause her son to suffer; she wouldn’t allow that.

“But… Mother, my mind is a bit muddled right now. Let me go back and think about it carefully.”

“Go back and rest well. And don’t interact with the Second Princess anymore in the future, do you hear me? Don’t even think about becoming her concubine, unless you want to anger me to death.”

“I won’t. How could I become a concubine?”

Qin Minran’s expression was calm.

The capital city was now completely abuzz. Although the Emperor had already agreed to issue an imperial edict bestowing marriage, she thought that it wasn’t quite right for her second daughter to get married before her eldest daughter, who wasn’t yet engaged. Therefore, she urged her eldest daughter to quickly tell her the person she had in mind, so that she could issue imperial edicts for both of them, making it a double blessing.

Before that, Su Xin first went to inquire about Qin Yanru’s opinion. Qin Yanru’s expression was complex; she neither agreed nor refused, only saying that it was a great honor but that she needed to think about it carefully. Su Xin didn’t pressure or urge her, after all, Qin Yanru indeed needed time to digest this fact, the fact that her son was pregnant.

Two days earlier, Qin Minran had started experiencing morning sickness. Qin Yanru summoned a doctor. After the diagnosis, the doctor, with a furrowed brow, told Qin Yanru the news.

An unmarried man, pregnant, this was not something to be congratulated on.

Qin Yanru was greatly shocked. After giving a large sum of money to keep the doctor’s mouth shut, she hurried to find her son.

After learning that the child was the Second Princess’, she completely overturned her previous thinking.

With her child in this state, how could she let him marry the Great Princess? With Qin Yanru’s keen political insight, she could sense that the Great Princess was the most likely candidate to inherit the throne. Marrying her son to the Great Princess would certainly lead to considerable achievements in the future, but the premise was that her son was not pregnant.

If he married in like this, it would be suicide. Once this matter was discovered, their entire family would be completely ruined, unable to atone for this through death.

“Minran, Mother will go speak for you.”

After learning that he was pregnant, Qin Minran obediently stayed in his room and didn’t go out, occasionally touching his belly and staring blankly. His beloved, the mother of the child in his belly, was about to get married, but not to him.

“Mother?”

After hearing his mother’s words, Qin Minran showed a surprised expression. He didn’t understand why his mother, who had been so unyielding before, had now changed her tune.

“What else can we do? We can’t let you marry someone else with a child in your belly, can we? After all, this is the Second Princess’ seed. A concubine is a concubine; you’ll just have to endure the grievance.”

“I…”

“Otherwise, you’ll have to get rid of the child in your belly. But what about your Gecko Mark²?”

Qin Yanru was also at her wit’s end, completely unsure of what to do. No woman would want to marry a “broken shoe”³, especially one who had had an abortion.

“I can draw one on.”

“Nonsense!”

After much thought, Qin Yanru still thought the first method was more secure, which included directly revealing the truth to the Second Princess.

In the evening, Qin Yanru returned, fuming with anger.

“Mother, what did she say?”

“The Second Princess…”

Qin Yanru seemed extremely angry, her whole body trembling.

“What happened? Mother, tell me quickly.”

“She admitted that the child in your belly is hers, but she doesn’t intend to let you marry her.”

“What?”

Qin Minran was utterly bewildered.

“She said she wants to cooperate with us, to have you marry the Great Princess with this child, and then pretend it’s the Great Princess’ child.”

Qin Yanru sneered. What did the Second Princess take their family for? What did she take her Minran for? To use him as such a tool?

Qin Minran heard the sound of his heart shattering into pieces. The beautiful life he had fantasized about these past few days was completely destroyed.

The woman he loved most, not only married another man, but even wanted him to take her child and marry another woman, to marry her sister.

How cruel.

Yue Xinglan, how could you bear to?

Were those romantic moments under the flowers and the moon, those vows of eternal love, all lies?

“I was naturally furious and argued with her, but unexpectedly, in the end, she turned around and bit us back, saying that if we didn’t agree, she would spread the news of your pregnancy, letting everyone know, and your reputation would be ruined.”

“But… the child in my belly is clearly hers!”

“But you have no status, Minran. You haven’t married her. Even if the child in your belly is hers, so what? Everyone will still look down on you. Minran, get rid of the child. Mother will resign from her official position tomorrow. I’ll take you to another place, a place where no one knows us, and we’ll start a new life. I’ll find you a good family then.”

Qin Yanru was truly heartbroken and exhausted.

“I don’t want to!”

Qin Minran shook his head.

“Mother, I don’t want to leave here.”

“Are you still so obstinate at this point, child?!”

“I stayed here because of her, but not because of anything else. Mother, why should we leave like this? I haven’t done anything wrong, and neither have you. It’s her who is wrong, she’s irresponsible. I’m going to stand here, and I won’t let her have an easy time.”

“But how can you prevent her from having an easy time? You can’t speak such nonsense. Pack your things tomorrow; I’ll submit my resignation immediately.”

Qin Minran shook his head and ran back to his room.

The next day, Su Xin saw Xi’er standing at the gate of her residence.

Su Xin hadn’t expected that the boy beside Qin Minran would see things so clearly; he was a clever one.

“Oh? Why are you so sure that this King⁴ will definitely agree to this matter?”

“This servant can see that in the Great Princess’ eyes, there is no love for my Young Master. That’s not how someone looks when they like someone. Although Your Highness has performed very successfully, upon careful observation, it can still be seen. My Young Master has reached a point where he has no other choice. Isn’t this what you wanted?”

“Interesting.”

Su Xin raised her eyes and smiled.

The Emperor issued an imperial edict bestowing marriage upon the two princesses, with the wedding banquets set for different days within the same month.

Yue Xingyao, who had just recovered from being poisoned, woke up and heard this news.

Da Huangjie… getting married?

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