LIGHTNOVELONLINE
Chapter 2
Under the scorching sun overhead, Li Mingwei walked forward step by step. Two hours later, with the guidance of passersby, she found a tea shed nearby on the left side of the official road.
It was already past lunch time, and the stove fire in the tea shed had been extinguished. A young waiter was dozing off inside the shed.
As she approached, the waiter heard the sound of footsteps and opened his eyes to stand up. He looked Li Mingwei up and down, and realized she was not a big customer, so his attitude was not very good.
"Would you like some tea?"
"Is there any water? I'd like a bowl of water, and maybe something to eat too?"
The young man nodded and turned to rummage behind the stove. He took out two steamed buns and poured her a pot of plain water, placing them on the table.
"The buns are 1 wen each, these are the last two. Do you want them?"
"Yes."
Li Mingwei felt around in her clothes and took out 2 wen, paying for the buns. She was about to sit down but felt that she was too dirty, worried that she might stain the shop's furniture, so she poured herself a bowl of water and squatted in a shady corner instead.
The waiter thought for a moment and said, "You can sit at the table, I'll wipe it clean afterward."
Li Mingwei chewed slowly on the bun in her mouth, smiling without responding.
Just then another wave of customers came, and the waiter immediately turned to serve them. No one noticed her sitting in the corner, and no one could tell that this destitute young woman was the famous noblewoman of Capital City just half a month ago.
Half a month ago...
Li Mingwei received word from someone at the most famous Embroidery Workshop in Capital City. Avoiding the maids at the Wang residence, she secretly came with her personal maid Ah Xiu to the back door of the embroidery workshop.
As soon as their carriage stopped, the handyman of the workshop opened the door. He led them through a moon gate into a courtyard and told them to wait behind an artificial hill.
"My ladies, please stay here and don't move. The person will arrive soon."
Ah Xiu nodded, letting the handyman leave first.
Behind her veil, Ah Xiu couldn't see her mistress's expression clearly. She just held her mistress's hand and said, "No matter what you see later, my lady, please remember that Madam and Master will stand up for you."
Li Mingwei smiled mirthlessly. Until now, she still couldn't quite believe that her husband, with whom she had shared a bed for three years, would betray her. But the person who had informed her of this was her own mother.
She had no choice but to believe it.
The two of them fell silent for a moment. Finally, light footsteps could be heard outside. Through a peephole in the artificial hill, Li Mingwei clearly saw the entwined man and woman outside. Her heart felt like it was being stabbed with knives.
The woman wore loose clothing. She was guiding the man to caress her slightly rounded belly.
She looked somewhat downcast. "Yulong, my stomach is starting to show. When will you finally marry me?"
The man's brows were tightly knitted, his face full of embarrassment. He sighed and seemed to be recounting his own uselessness. "How I wish I could marry you this instant."
Li Mingwei looked away, unable to watch any further. Her small face behind the veil had turned deathly pale now. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. The man she had admired since childhood now couldn't wait to marry another woman. How could her heart not ache?
She still remembered vividly that day under the peach blossom tree. The man had accepted the sachet she personally embroidered for him and tied it at his waist. He had picked a peach blossom for her and made a promise: I, Murong Yu, will love only Li Mingwei for my whole life.
In heaven we shall be birds flying wingtip to wingtip, on earth plants with intertwined branches.
How laughable that seemed now in retrospect.
"Yulong, I know my status is not equal to Li Mingwei, but my feelings for you are genuine. Now I don't ask for anything else, I just plea that you give our child a legitimate name."
The woman grew more and more teary-eyed as she spoke, her voice choking up. Murong Yu comforted the woman in his arms gently, speaking softly, "Ruoruo, don't worry. I will definitely give you and the child a legitimate name."
"Just give me a little more time."
"Yulong, I'll wait for you."
Hearing their conversation coming to her ears, Ah Xiu was so angry she nearly erupted. She wished she could immediately rush out and take care of this adulterous couple.
Li Mingwei trembled and held her back, shaking her head at her. Now was not the time.
The voices outside gradually faded. The two ladies crawled out from behind the artificial hill and returned to their carriage. "My lady, just now..."
"Ah Xiu!" Before letting her finish speaking, Li Mingwei asked in contemplation, "Do you recognize that woman from before? She looks somewhat familiar."
Ah Xiu thought back for a moment. "I think she's General Cheng's illegitimate daughter, Cheng Ruoruo."
"Illegitimate daughter? Not his legitimate daughter?"
Ah Xiu nodded. "She's an illegitimate daughter. Although General Cheng is very fond of her mother, Madam Cheng, who is sickly. It's her mother who has been managing affairs in Cheng Residence."
Li Mingwei understood now.
Her husband had never been someone content with the status quo. Back then, he was the most likely contender for the throne, with many officials supporting him. He had even said that when he ascended the throne, she would be his sole Empress.
Unfortunately, two years ago the previous Emperor passed away from illness and passed the throne to another prince instead.
After the current Emperor ascended to power, he cleared out most of the people around Murong Yu. Her husband finally settled down for a period of time. She had thought he would give up after that. How na?ve she was!
This General Cheng was newly promoted this year and commanded great military power. By choosing Cheng Ruoruo, Murong Yu undoubtedly had ulterior motives again.
Li Mingwei was no fool. For Murong Yu to marry Cheng Ruoruo, he certainly had to get her approval first, otherwise he would not be able to justify it to her grandfather and father's side. A mere general was still not enough for him to give up her grandfather's influence and support.
Since Cheng Ruoruo was already heavily pregnant, Murong Yu would come to ask for her permission very soon. She would just wait and watch his performance then.
Sure enough, Murong Yu couldn't hold it in and broached the subject in less than two days. He held Li Mingwei in his arms, looking somewhat worried. Li Mingwei suppressed her disgust and didn't push him away. Instead, she played along and asked,
"What's the matter Yulong?"
Murong Yu lowered his eyes to look at her for a long while before reluctantly opening his mouth. "Do you want to have a child, Mingwei?"
"What is it?"
Murong Yu sighed. "We've been married three years but are still childless. Someone has offered to adopt a child to us. I told them I'd ask you first. If you want to..."
Li Mingwei squeezed out a few teardrops and slumped down on the couch. "It's my fault."
"Don't blame yourself like this, Mingwei." Murong Yu grasped her hands tightly, putting on an affectionate pretense. "Even if you can't give me a son or daughter, you'll always be my one and only wife. That won't change. But other people..."
If she hadn't witnessed him embracing another woman intimately a few days ago, Li Mingwei would have been very touched. But now she only felt that his acting was superb—no wonder she had always been manipulated by him in the past.
Li Mingwei tentatively suggested, "An adopted child will never be our own flesh and blood in the end. I have no affinity with children, but you can..."
Perhaps things were going too smoothly. Murong Yu was stunned for an instant before lamenting grievously, "Mingwei, how can you hand me over to another!"
"My heart only holds you!"