Chapter 84 – Rebirth: The Poisonous Concubine (25)
While Bai Mo and Yu Chenyi were basking in the sweetness of their newlywed bliss, some people were not having such a good time.
Leaving aside Wei Yuyan, who had spent a fortune only to fail miserably, the biggest loser in this wedding fiasco was none other than Third Prince Lan Gaoyi—and he was finally making his move.
Originally, he was supposed to become the Prime Minister’s son-in-law, securing the support of many court officials through this powerful connection. However, after breaking off his engagement with Wei Yuyan, his progress in winning over key ministers was significantly slower than in the original storyline. Worse yet, the incident in the beggars’ den had changed him forever.
After secretly ordering the brutal slaughter of the beggars hiding in the abandoned temple, his entire demeanor shifted—his once noble and righteous appearance was gone, replaced by a brooding darkness.
“Have you found out where Wei Yuyan is?” Lan Gaoyi asked coldly.
Upon hearing that the Prime Minister had locked Wei Yuyan away in the Wei family ancestral temple, Lan Gaoyi went to great lengths to return the favor—using Wei Yuyan’s own tactics against her. He had ordered her to be kidnapped and thrown into a brothel.
But unexpectedly—Wei Yuyan wasn’t in the ancestral temple at all. His men had completely miscalculated.
“We found her, Your Highness. She’s been hidden away in a countryside estate owned by the Prime Minister’s wife.”
The estate wasn’t far from the beggars’ den, and with the connections and wealth given to her by the Prime Minister’s wife, Wei Yuyan had more than enough resources to scheme.
To cover up this humiliating failure, Lan Gaoyi sent generous gifts to Minister Bai to keep him quiet and didn’t bother digging into the details.
Meanwhile, Madam Bai, concerned about her son’s reputation, also forbade Minister Bai from mentioning the incident in front of outsiders. It was best if the Third Prince remained in the dark. If he wanted to take out his anger on someone else, fine—but if he so much as tried to tarnish Bai Mo’s name, Madam Bai would not hesitate to risk offending the noble elites and formally file a complaint.
She was even willing to overlook the fact that Lan Gaoyi had trespassed into Bai Mo’s courtyard—after all, in the grand scheme of things, Bai Mo hadn’t actually suffered any losses. The Bai family were mere subjects, and the Third Prince was royalty, so pursuing the matter would be futile.
However, if the Third Prince dared to drag Bai Mo’s reputation into this, she would not let it slide.
Fortunately, anything produced by Xiao Bobao was top-notch quality—unless some divine deity intervened, Lan Gaoyi would never remember that he had once coveted Bai Mo, nor that he had tried to force himself on someone else’s husband.
With Lan Gaoyi choosing to stay silent, none of his subordinates dared to bring it up either—it was clear that their master was furious, and bringing up the details of this disastrous event would be nothing short of a death wish.
“Understood. Wei Yuyan was once my fiancée, after all. Even though the engagement is broken, the past cannot simply be erased,” Lan Gaoyi sneered darkly.
“Wei Yuyan, are you ready to face my revenge?”
That day, when Lan Gaoyi went to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager, she brought up the topic of his future princess consort. Seemingly casually, he mentioned Wei Yuyan.
The Empress Dowager’s face darkened, and she spoke with clear disapproval: “Why bring up that wretched thing?”
After the flower banquet, if not for His Majesty personally analyzing the political landscape for her, she wouldn’t have even realized how terrifyingly powerful the Prime Minister’s faction had become. If Wei Yuyan were to marry the Third Prince and bear him a firstborn grandson, wouldn’t it only be a matter of time before the Prime Minister changed Jin State’s surname?!
Fortunately, she hadn’t insisted on supporting Wei Yuyan, and with both the Minister of Justice and the Imperial Censor being His Majesty’s people, removing them from power would only give the Prime Minister an opportunity to install his own men.
The more the Empress Dowager disliked Wei Yuyan, the more pleased Lan Gaoyi was. Suppressing his delight, he raised his head with a sincere expression and said:
“Grandson has heard that Miss Wei is currently confined in the family temple. Though she has made mistakes, I too was at fault. Before countless witnesses, I jumped into the water to save her. Because of this, her reputation is ruined, and every time I think of it, I feel deeply guilty. Therefore, I humbly beg Grandmother’s mercy—please grant her to me. Even if she cannot be my official wife, it would still be better than spending the rest of her life as a nun, dressed in plain robes, chanting Buddhist scriptures until her final days.”
Look at that—what a noble and responsible grandson!
Despite Wei Yuyan’s questionable character, he was willing to take responsibility just because he had compromised her virtue. Even if it meant displeasing the Empress Dowager, he still stood up for her.
The Empress Dowager believed that as long as she helped the Third Prince ascend to the throne, her own maternal family, being the meritorious supporters of the new emperor, would undoubtedly rise in power.
“Good child, you’ve suffered,” the Empress Dowager sighed softly. She both feared and coveted the Prime Minister’s influence.
“I will grant Wei Yuyan to you as a secondary consort, but you must remember—she is not to bear any imperial offspring. That woman is far too scheming. If she has a child, she will inevitably resort to treachery and bloodshed to fight for power, harming your other children in the process.”
The Empress Dowager thought she had planned perfectly—after all, Wei Yuyan’s reputation was already ruined. She had no hope of marrying anyone else, but if the Third Prince took her in, he could gain both a virtuous reputation and the Prime Minister’s support. As long as she had no children, Jin State’s imperial bloodline would remain intact.
When the Empress Dowager proposed this to the Emperor, he was utterly speechless.
“What kind of sorcery does this Wei Yuyan possess?”
She had once again managed to charm the Empress Dowager into arranging her marriage. However, out of filial duty and the need to avoid outright conflict with the Prime Minister at this time, the Emperor eventually relented.
He granted Wei Yuyan to the Third Prince as a concubine, citing a ready-made justification: “The imperial family must act with righteousness. Since Wei Yuyan has already been embraced by the Third Prince and he is willing to take responsibility, the marriage shall proceed.”
He ordered the Prime Minister’s household to prepare a dowry, and once the Imperial Astronomer selected an auspicious date, she would be formally escorted into the Third Prince’s residence.
When Madam Prime Minister received the decree, she first felt joy, but then frustration.
She was glad that her daughter could finally escape this deadlock, marry, bear children, and live a fulfilling life.
However, what infuriated her was that Wei Yuyan had originally been set to be the official consort—but now, she had been demoted to a mere concubine.
In the royal family, a secondary consort may have the word “secondary” in her title, but her status is still that of a wife, equal to the primary consort. However, a concubine is nothing more than a mistress. In an ordinary household, concubines could be scolded, beaten, or even sold off at will. The royal family wouldn’t go to such extremes for the sake of maintaining dignity, but concubines were still far less respected than official wives.
“Husband, Yuyan is talented in every way! Even if she can’t be the primary consort, she should at least be a secondary consort. How could she be reduced to just a concubine?”
The Prime Minister’s wife dared not confront the Empress Dowager, so she could only turn to her husband in hopes of changing their daughter’s fate.
But the Prime Minister had long lost all affection for Wei Yuyan—she had only brought him disgrace.
Shaking off his wife’s grip on his sleeve, he snorted coldly, “With her current reputation, she should be grateful that someone is willing to marry her at all. A primary consort? Does she embody even a single virtue of gentleness, kindness, morality, or dignity? You’ve spoiled her too much—that’s why she’s turned out like this.”
With that, he flicked his sleeve and strode off.
Lately, he had acquired a few new concubines and was still enjoying their company. He had no interest in dealing with his wife’s constant weeping and complaints—it only irritated him.
The Prime Minister’s wife had no choice. She resented her husband’s heartlessness and despised the younger concubines who had recently entered the household. But at this moment, her daughter’s future mattered most.
After all, Wei Yuyan was about to be officially married to the Third Prince as a concubine. This was not a trivial matter. She immediately sent people to bring Wei Yuyan back from the countryside estate.
The Prime Minister did not object. He was concerned about his reputation—although Wei Yuyan had embarrassed him, he could not allow himself to appear as an unkind father.
When Wei Yuyan returned to the Prime Minister’s residence, everything seemed the same on the surface. However, the attitude of the servants had changed. They no longer showed her the same level of respect, and even the Prime Minister’s wife was no longer treated as deferentially as before.
Meanwhile, one of the new concubines had become pregnant.
The doctor confirmed it was a boy, and the Prime Minister was overjoyed. His smile stretched from ear to ear.
A son!
For years, neither his official wife nor any of his concubines had given birth to a son. The absence of an heir had always been a source of frustration for him. But now, at last, the heavens had granted him a son.
The Prime Minister’s wife was devastated, but she dared not voice her complaints.
As soon as Wei Yuyan returned, she pulled her aside and vented her grievances. Then, she gave her a serious warning:
“Once you marry the Third Prince, you must bear him a royal heir as soon as possible.”
“No matter if it’s a boy or a girl, the first royal heir must come from your womb. A man always has a special attachment to his first child. Since you can’t be his first woman, then you must make sure to give birth to his first child. Especially since you are not the primary wife—if you can’t claim the title of ‘legitimate,’ then seize the title of ‘eldest.’ That way, no matter how many women enter the palace in the future, you’ll still have a say in matters.”
The Prime Minister’s wife spared no effort in advising Wei Yuyan, painstakingly preparing for her future. She arranged her dowry, selected servants to accompany her, and made sure everything was in place.
Unlike a primary consort, a concubine’s dowry and entourage were of lower status, but this was the best she could do. Now, all she could hope for was that Wei Yuyan would prove herself capable—if she could win the Third Prince’s favor and bear his child, she would gain power through her son.
In the royal family, a mother’s status was elevated through her child. With Wei Yuyan as her backing, even the Prime Minister would have to be more cautious in dealing with her.
Wei Yuyan responded with a sweet smile, seemingly obedient. But the moment she returned to her chambers, she was seething with rage. Her long, delicately painted nails—stained with daffodil juice—snapped under the pressure of her clenched fists.
Why is Bai Mo untouched? Why has Yu Chenyi not abandoned him?
And Lan Gaoyi… I have to marry Lan Gaoyi again.
Not only that, but this time, she was only a concubine—an even lower status than in her past life. In her previous life, at least she had been a proper princess consort. The life inside the palace had been bitter, but on the surface, she had enjoyed wealth and glory. But now? What was the point of being reborn if she was going to suffer an even worse fate than before?
“Calm down. Stay calm. I am heaven’s chosen one. The heavens wouldn’t bring me back just to suffer a fate worse than my last life.”
She downed several cups of tea in a desperate attempt to steady her emotions.
Based on her understanding of Lan Gaoyi, his sudden request to take her as a concubine must be part of a larger scheme.
That’s right— in her past life, she had married Lan Gaoyi, which allowed him to leverage the Prime Minister’s influence to win over court officials and gain public support. By this time in her previous life, he had already consolidated his power among the civil officials. But now, without her help, that path must be much more difficult for him.
Wei Yuyan quickly sent people to gather information about the Third Prince’s recent activities. When she learned that he had been frequently losing his temper and punishing palace servants over trivial matters, she immediately understood—her suspicions were correct.
Lan Gaoyi had never been a man of great patience. As his wife, she knew better than anyone that he was arrogant and easily angered. Whenever something displeased him, he would take it out on his servants. If she hadn’t been there to restrain him in the past, his so-called reputation for virtue wouldn’t have even made it past the capital’s gates, let alone helped him win public favor.
Having figured this out, Wei Yuyan was no longer worried. Even if she wasn’t his main consort, the fact that he had to marry her meant that he couldn’t mistreat her—he would have to treat her like a revered goddess.
She explained her reasoning to the worried Prime Minister’s wife. Seeing Wei Yuyan’s confidence, the older woman felt reassured.
“That’s good to hear. But don’t keep him waiting too long—the most important thing is for you to give birth to the Emperor’s firstborn son. Tell me, what would make your father happier—having a son to inherit his title, or having his own bloodline ascend to the throne?”
The Prime Minister’s wife had not held her position for decades without reason—she was no fool. She knew her husband’s ambitions well, and after hearing Wei Yuyan’s plan, she too began to entertain the thought.
The Emperor’s maternal grandmother— now, that would be quite the prestigious title.