After Marrying the Disabled Fourth Prince

Chapter 2

Miss Xu arrived half an hour later. She had been playing cards with her sister-in-law, Mrs. Ming, when she heard Mrs. Tao's summons and hurried over.

Mrs. Tao casually briefed her on the matter of Bao Ning's marriage substitution: "...When the time comes, I will say that Jia Ying is ill and unable to marry in the short term, fearing it would delay the Fourth Prince's age of marriage. So, it will be up to Bao Ning to take her place. In a few days, I will officially adopt Bao Ning, making her my legitimate daughter. With my brother's intervention, the Emperor will surely approve. It's a win-win for you both, elevating your status and securing a position as the prince's consort. Quite satisfying, isn't it?"

Miss Xu was breathless, almost fainting. "You talk so easily! Why not marry your daughter to someone else, rather than ruin Bao Ning's life like this!"

"Aunt, please calm down." Bao Ning was afraid her aunt would say something reckless in her agitation, so she quickly intervened, pulling her out into the courtyard.

Once inside, Miss Xu couldn't hold back her tears any longer, collapsing onto the bed and sobbing, "My child, it's my fault for being useless, letting you suffer like this. How could I let you marry into such a place..."

Miss Xu was usually gentle and refined, and this was the first time Bao Ning had seen her lose control like this.

Seeing her aunt like this made Bao Ning feel a pang of sadness. She approached and sat beside Miss Xu, comforting her, "Aunt, please don't be too upset. I think this might not be a bad thing."

"How can this not be a bad thing?" Miss Xu sat up in shock. "My child, don't you know what kind of person Pei Yuan is?"

Bao Ning recalled bits and pieces of gossip she had heard from the servants in the mansion: "Cunning and deceitful, indulgent and licentious, cruel and infamous."

Miss Xu nodded. "It's not just that. He's also committed treason, a serious crime. How could the Emperor forgive him? He was only spared the death penalty out of consideration for his deceased mother. But living like that, what's the difference from being dead? Bedridden, neither human nor ghost, and now he's developed a wicked heart..."

Thinking of this, Miss Xu burst into tears again. "My poor Bao Ning!"

Bao Ning sighed, embracing Miss Xu's shoulders, whispering, "Aunt, but I still think it's not so bad."

Miss Xu choked back her tears. "What's not so bad about it?"

Bao Ning replied, "At least the Fourth Prince can't marry or take concubines anymore. In his mansion, there will only be me, no other troublesome people. It's cleaner this way. And now that he's like this, he poses no threat to the throne, so no one would want to harm him. It's even cleaner. Isn't that good?"

Miss Xu could only sigh in response, unable to refute her.

Bao Ning continued, "Besides, with the mistress's temperament, even if we refuse, she won't stop. Father can't help us either."

Understanding the logic in her words, Miss Xu sighed again.

After a long silence, Miss Xu suddenly furrowed her brows. "Jia Yun doesn't know about this yet. When he finds out, it will surely cause a huge uproar."

...

Jia Yun returned in the evening, just as Miss Xu had predicted. True to expectations, he flew into a rage and wanted to confront Mrs. Tao directly, but Bao Ning held him back.

Feeling aggrieved and with nowhere else to vent, Jia Yun squatted on the ground, his eyes turning red. "It's all because of my uselessness. Mrs. Tao's brother is a second-rank general, giving her the confidence to act so arrogantly. If I become a general in the future, my sister won't be bullied like this."