IBTSOME Chapter 2 Part 1: Forced Marriage

 

I BECAME THE STEPMOTHER OF MY EX-HUSBAND

Chapter 2 Part 1: Forced Marriage

^^

Lin Wei Xi finally woke up from the nightmare, she suddenly broke free from the dream, opened her eyes to look at the semi-old bed curtain, her limbs stiff, and her heart beating fast.

　　

She dreamed of the things in her previous life again. Her failed marriage, the despair and abandonment at death, the weird book of heaven in her dream, and the horror and gratitude in her heart when she woke up in Lin Wei Xi's body.

　　

Gao Xi had completely passed away. Since then, there was no Gao Xi in this world. The eldest granddaughter of Duke Yingguo and Yan Wang Mansion’s Shizi Consort¹  was buried and had become a cold memorial tablet. Gao Xi was dead, her identity and status, grievances and censure have nothing to do with Lin Wei Xi.

　　

Resurrection from the dead was already a great kindness, she was Lin Wei Xi and she would never be trapped by those bitches in her previous life, she should start her new life.

　　

Thinking about this, Lin Wei Xi slowly recovered from the horror of the nightmare. She sat up, moved her wrists lightly, and then walked on the ground slowly.

　　

It had been a month since Lin Wei Xi came here. This month could not be said to be long nor short, but it was enough for her to understand Lin Wei Xi's situation. Speaking of her, she still had some connections with the original owner. When she was still Gao Xi, at the age of eleven years old, she came back from the princess mansion and met a pair of father and daughter at the Duke Yingguo Mansion’s gate. She usually never seen this kind of thing and the driver who drove the carriage was afraid that she would be angry, and quickly scolded the father and daughter to walk away. Gao Xi opened the curtain casually and saw a man standing in front of the gatekeeper. He looked angry because he was humiliated by other people, but he looked back at his timid daughter and endured his breath, lower himself to look up at the gatekeeper, begged to give him a chance. He said he was strong enough to be a guard, he wouldn't do a sloppy job, even if they gave him work that only need strength also fine.

　　

The man was talking in a low voice and the thin little girl coughed from time to time, her little hand always held the man's clothes tightly. Gao Xi's heart was suddenly moved. She was not very close to her father since she was a child. No matter what she did, the Duke Yingguo Shizi only gave an "Oh", then turned around and smiled at the two shu siblings. The Duke Yingguo Shizi complained that she was raised as an white-eyed wolf, always close to her mother and Grand Princess Shou Kang. But who would have guess that the arrogant Miss Gao Xi had also longed for fatherly love.

　　

Gao Xi put down the curtain and ordered a few words to her close servant. The girl looked at Gao Xi with surprise, but still obediently jumped out of the carriage and gave the father and daughter twenty tael silver. Gao Xi guessed that the man was trying to raise medical expenses for his daughter, he was so anxious that he even unable to get angry. A penny stumps a hero, and it was not easy for anyone to live. Twenty teil was nothing for Gao Xi. If she could help them, then just regarded this as Gao Xi's longing for fatherly love since her childhood.

　　

Gao Xi didn't know the rest of the matter. She didn't show up, didn't ask the father and daughter's name, and didn't tell them who she was. If this was Gao Ran, she must be inadvertently revealed it, to let people know that Gao Ran did a virtuous deeds, but Gao Xi would not. That was not her style of doing things. What she wanted to do was her own business. There was no need to use others to build her reputation.

　　

It was just a chance meeting, and then she completely forgot about it. Later, the chaos of Bu Guifei² caused everyone in capital to be in danger, and she was not in the mood to think about it. However, who knows that the father and daughter she rescued back then had another good luck. The man's name was Lin Yong, and the girl who need a doctor was Lin Wei Xi. Lin Yong used the twenty taels to seek cure for his daughter, and he managed to save her daughter's life. At that time, Yan Wang³ entered the capital to save the country. Lin Yong was born with unnatural power. He throw himself under Yan Wang to be his subordinate and then sent his daughter back to his hometown. He followed Yan Wang wholeheartedly in order to give his daughter a dowry.

　　

In the thirteenth year of Jianzhao, Mu Zong Emperor died. Before his death, Yan Wang was named one of the three auxiliary ministers. Yan Wang could only stay in the capital and help the young emperor's eldest son to be the emperor. One year later, there was another situation in the border area. Yan Wang took the troops out of Capital in February and went to the border to calm the chaos.

　　

Putting down the rebellion, supporting the new emperor, and going to the border to suppress the enemy, these inevitably required a lot of manpower. Lin Yong took this opportunity to gain a foothold under Yan Wang, and gradually made some accomplishment and fortunate enough to attract Yan Wang's attention. Yan Wang indeed saw the potential in Lin Yong, so he ordered Lin Yong to go with him. This time, the Duo Huo Ti tribe⁴ in the northwestern border took the opportunity to make trouble. The terrain was complicated and the climate was bitterly cold. Yan Wang worked bit by bit before he gradually gained the upper hand.

　　

During a small-scale siege, Yan Wang was ambushed while Lin Yong died to save Yan Wang. Lin Yong was a strong man. Even when he was hit by three arrows on his back, he still desperately escorted Yan Wang to break through, but it was a pity that Lin Yong was too badly injured and unable to rush out. Duo Huo Ti failed to win with a single blow and became angry, so they let out their anger on Lin Yong, who had contributed the most, even after he died. Two or three days later, Lin Yong's head was cut off and hung from the city gate to demonstrate to Yan Wang.

　　

Yan Wang spent a year of effort to almost exterminate the Duo Huo Ti tribe. The men and the boys were all killed, leaving only the elderly, women and children. In the following year, Yan Wang supported a new regime, took over the women and property of the Duo Huo Ti tribe, and formed checks and balances with the other two tribes in the north. After the northwestern situation was cleaned up, Yan Wang took Lin Yong's bones and returned to the court.

　　

The news of Yan Wang’s victory came to the capital, and the citizen were all delighted. The little emperor under the guidance of Teacher Zhang acted like a grown-up and write a letter to Yan Wang for him to request a reward. Yan Wang was already a Qinwang⁵ of Ten Thousand Houses, he also had authority as Regent Minister. He lack nothing in this world. If one had to say it was that his Wangfei died ten years ago, perhaps the thing he lacked was a new wife.

　　

However, the reward that Yan Wang asked for was beyond everyone's expectations. He did not ask for money or an official position for his only son. Instead, he asked the emperor to enshrine Lin Yong as a martyr that die for the country. It was nothing more than an honorary title. It’s much easier than awarding Yan Wang Mansion a reward, and by doing so it’s also beneficial to the reputation of the court, so the First Assistant Zhang without hesitation agreed to Yan Wang’s request to confer Lin Yong who were died for the country as Marquis Zhongyong.

Lin Yong's wife died of illness many years ago, and there was only one daughter under her knees. The title of Marquis of Zhongyong had come to an end. What Lin Wei Xi could use was nothing more than the reward and fame of his father's life.

---

1 Shizi means the heir’s title of prominent family and Shizi Consort is the title of his primary wife.^↩
2 High ranking imperial concubine.^↩
3 Wang here means Prince as in the descendent of imperial family.^↩
4 Dughlat – Mongol tribe.^↩
5 Qinwang, first grade wang or prince, usually a title given to the sons of the emperor.^↩

Prev     TOC     Next