Volume One, Chapter 19: Charting One’s Own Destiny
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At Orchid Retreat.
Ling Xuan gazed at her wan face in the bronze mirror. Her pearly teeth sank into her red lips, leaving a row of deep marks.
Her postpartum confinement had been utterly ruined.
Not only had she failed to drink even a single bowl of nourishing medicinal broth, but her everyday meals were far worse than they had been after she gave birth to Xin Yue.
Her mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law had not come to see her even once, and the servants were no longer as respectful toward her as they had been before.
She had complained a few times, yet somehow the words had reached the Old Madam’s ears. The old woman had immediately sent her most trusted matron to give Ling Xuan a warning.
“Concubine Ling, you will simply have to make do for now. It is not only your courtyard; the entire household is tightening its belt. The Old Madam has enjoyed a life of luxury, yet at her advanced age she has resorted to plain tea and simple meals. She merely considers herself unfortunate. Has she ever blamed anyone?”
Ling Xuan trembled with rage, her pretty face turning deathly pale.
Who could fail to hear the mockery in those words? Was the old woman not blaming her?
When they ate her food, wore her clothes, and enjoyed her generosity, every one of them had been eager to raise her to the heavens.
But now—
Wait. What had that old hag just called her?
“I am the heir’s only woman. I have borne him children. I am his lawful wife in every sense of the word. You would do well not to play games with your words, Matron, or let your judgment become muddled.” Ling Xuan’s expression darkened.
Su Ziwen had promised her this with his own lips. There could be no ambiguity about it.
“Concubine Ling, this is the Old Madam’s order. The Old Madam is the mistress of this household.” The matron slanted her eyes at Ling Xuan, gave a few cold laughs, and turned to leave.
Crash!
Ling Xuan snatched up the celadon bowl beside her and hurled it viciously. Shards flew everywhere, leaving the room in disarray.
Her chest heaved violently, and her features twisted with fury.
This was outrageous! Utterly outrageous!
These servants had dared to bully her right to her face!
“Young Madam, do not let that old servant upset you. Your health is what matters. As long as the heir holds you in his heart, is there any fear that the day will not come when you command this household?” Yan Hong, her maid from her maiden home, came to her side and comforted her in a gentle voice.
Ling Xuan’s slender brows drew together, and a trace of disdain flashed beneath her eyes.
Three years had passed. She had paved the way for him, and he even had the Pingyang Marquis’s residence as his backing, yet he had accomplished nothing.
The capital lacked nothing in the way of powerful officials and noble families. What dignity could a fourth-rank official possibly command?
If he could not climb any higher in rank, so be it—but he could not even secure any benefits for himself.
And he still expected her to enjoy honor through her husband?
How laughable. She had finally driven Yun Jinhua away, yet the people in this household still refused to acknowledge her as the lawful wife.
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“Go and ask the heir to come here.” A calculating glint crossed Ling Xuan’s face.
Three years had been long enough.
She would secure the position of Young Madam now.
Yun Jinhua had married into the marquis’s residence, yet she had never entered the bridal chamber, never borne a child, and never brought the Su family the slightest benefit. After making a great scene, she had simply walked away.
That shrew of a woman had turned her own life into a joke. Why should Ling Xuan not claim such an easy prize?
When Su Ziwen entered, the room had already been tidied to perfection. Golden osmanthus blossoms stood in a white porcelain vase, their delicate purity untouched by dust and their rich fragrance drifting far beyond the room.
Ling Xuan was dressed to the nines. Her crimson gown wrapped around her graceful curves, while her large, limpid eyes brimmed with tender affection. The instant she saw him, she gave a coquettish laugh and threw herself into his arms.
“Husband, stay with me tonight.” Ling Xuan’s small hands began wandering restlessly over Su Ziwen’s body.
His heart stirred. He lowered his head and kissed her soft, vividly red lips.
Ling Xuan responded ardently, quickly fanning the desire within him into flame.
After three years together, she knew all too well how to please this man.
At that moment, the setting sun slanted across the courtyard, its gentle light spilling over the grounds as people occasionally passed along the flagstone path.
But Su Ziwen could think of nothing else. He bent down, lifted Ling Xuan into his arms, and carried her to the soft bed in the inner room, casually tugging open his own clothes and belt.
Under his heated gaze, Ling Xuan slowly removed her garments one by one.
She pulled a thin quilt over her alluring body, leaving her snowy, rounded shoulders exposed, and gave him a seductive smile.
Su Ziwen’s breathing quickened. His refined mask fell away, and he pounced upon her like a starving wolf.
He had gone nearly two months without a woman.
A few delicate cries and several soft moans followed. Within the bed curtains, two figures entwined, remaining locked together for a long while.
When the passion had ebbed and the storm had passed, Ling Xuan lay wearily against Su Ziwen’s side.
The man wore an expression of complete satisfaction, every inch of him filled with pleasure.
Only before Ling Xuan did he feel like a true man, tasting the thrill of conquest.
As for Yun Jinhua—she was coldly beautiful and noble, and he could not help feeling a measure of awe before her.
After she returned from the battlefield, even the little femininity she had once possessed seemed to have vanished completely.
Her fierce, chilling presence bore down on him so heavily that he, a grown man, could barely raise his head.
It was not that he was heartless. What man did not love a tender wife and beautiful concubines? What man did not enjoy losing himself in a warm, gentle embrace?
Yun Jinhua could hardly be called a woman at all.
The woman in his arms let out a faint sigh, drawing Su Ziwen back from his thoughts.
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“What is it? Are you still unsatisfied?” Su Ziwen teasingly lifted Ling Xuan’s pointed chin.
Ling Xuan reached up and clasped his neck, winding herself around him like an octopus.
She knew that at a time like this, Su Ziwen would grant her anything she asked.
“Husband, I am the only one in your heart, am I not?” Ling Xuan pressed her voluptuous chest against his heart.
“Of course.” Su Ziwen slipped an arm around her slender waist.
This little enchantress had already borne two children, yet her body remained as taut as a maiden’s, with an added touch of seductive allure.
She always left him unable to tear himself away.
“Then there is something I want. I wonder whether you are willing to give it to me?” Ling Xuan asked coyly.
“Tell me. What do you want?” Su Ziwen replied lazily.
“It is something another person did not want, but something I desire more than anything.” A note of grievance entered Ling Xuan’s voice.
“Oh? What is it?” Su Ziwen asked, puzzled.
What could someone else have discarded that she would cherish as a treasure?
“The position of lawful wife that Yun Jinhua disdains. Husband, will you give it to me?” Ling Xuan whispered beside his ear, her breath sweet and fragrant.
Su Ziwen fell silent at once.
He had long intended to do so, but his father and grandmother were both vehemently opposed.
They would not even grant her the position of secondary wife, let alone that of lawful wife.
“Xuan’er, in my heart, you have long been my wife.” Su Ziwen gently stroked her hair.
“Then when will you give me a proper title?” Ling Xuan had no intention of accepting the empty promise he had painted for her.
“Do not be impatient. Once Henglin turns one and wins everyone’s affection, Father, Mother, and Grandmother will cherish him to the bone. Then it will be easier for me to raise the matter.” Su Ziwen soothed her in a gentle voice.
Ling Xuan released him and sank onto the bed, her expression growing colder and colder.
It was only the position of lawful wife. Did she really need to rely on her son to gain it?
She, too, was the daughter of an official household. If she had not been driven to desperation, would she ever have agreed to become a concubine?
This man was truly useless!
Very well. She would carve out her own future.
She refused to believe that, once Yun Jinhua had been driven away, anyone could still stop her from becoming the Young Madam of the Su family.
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