I've Got This Cannon Fodder Trope Covered!

Chapter 54

"So, you are just another man who treats his concubines like playthings."

Judging by his words, it seemed he even intended to cast those 'playthings' aside just for her, planning to focus solely on her in the future.

His unhesitating attitude suggested that he'd done this many times before. Before her, he'd probably discarded countless former loves just to charm some new infatuation.

Wei Hanzhang inwardly scoffed. What woman dreams of being reduced to a plaything at a man's mercy? Especially those women who marry into a prince's household as concubines—they may come from humble official families, yet they entered his rear court cleanly, with pure hearts devoted to him...

Men truly are heartless. When they're in love, it's all affectionate words and closeness; but once that love turns cold, they can dismiss the women they once shared intimacy with—women who even bore them children—just to satisfy a new flame, without an ounce of remorse.

Wei Hanzhang's sudden burst of anger startled Ning Hai nearby, who shivered, his eyes wide with alarm.

What's going on...?

Why...why is she shouting at His Highness?

Xiao Junzhan hadn't expected this reaction either. He frowned as he looked at her, but Wei Hanzhang met his gaze unflinchingly, glaring back in fury. "It's no use looking at me like that, Xiao Boqian. I will never marry someone as heartless and callous as you."

She couldn't even understand why she was so furious. Reasonably, he could be as heartless as he wished; what did it have to do with her? The last time she'd felt this angry was when she found out Gu Yunran had taken on two concubines.

Wei Hanzhang couldn't untangle her own feelings. Having finished speaking harshly, she turned, flustered, intending to leave. Xiao Junzhan instinctively caught her sleeve to stop her.

"Never marry me?" He looked down at her, his words soft. "Ranran, are you speaking from the heart?"

"Absolutely!" she replied, still angry, shaking off his hand. "Concubines and servant women are people, not objects. You tire of them, lose interest, then discard them in favor of someone new. This world hardly offers single women any place to belong. Since you've taken them in, and they've done nothing wrong, you should provide them a place to live, not abandon them at will. How is that any different from condemning them to death?"

After finishing, she could no longer bear to stay. She strode to the gate, ready to leave, when a sudden thought hit her like lightning—she remembered that the safety of the entire Jiang family, with dozens of lives, was still in his hands.

"This..."

Wei Hanzhang stood frozen for a moment, then slowly turned back, meeting Xiao Junzhan's gaze head-on. It seemed her words had taken him by surprise; he still appeared stunned, and as he looked at her, a glimmer of light trembled in his eyes.

Wei Hanzhang pressed her lips together and, telling herself to 'bend when needed,' curtsied, saying, "Today, I spoke out of turn. I hope you, the heir, will not take offense."

Xiao Junzhan stared at her quietly, his gaze unwavering. Wei Hanzhang met it without flinching. After a long pause, he suddenly smiled, standing there in the open courtyard with bright, warm eyes, like a figure of noble grace.

Wei Hanzhang was momentarily dazzled by that smile, but before she could react, he had closed the distance between them. His arm reached around her, pulling her gently into his embrace.

"Ranran," his voice, deep and tender, sounded close to her ear, "Why are you so irresistible?"

The faint scent of sandalwood filled her senses, and Wei Hanzhang blinked in confusion before realizing what was happening. She pushed him away and raised her hand, ready to give this scoundrel a hard slap, only to have her wrist caught mid-air.

"Be good, no hitting," Xiao Junzhan chuckled, still smiling gently. "I lost control for a moment. I won't do it again."

If she actually slapped him...

"I think you lose control every other moment..." She wanted to scold this scoundrel, but knowing that the Jiang family's lives were still under his control, she decided it wasn't the time to fall out with him. Despite her anger, Wei Hanzhang held back, nearly choking on her frustration. In a huff, she said, "Do as you please, I'm going home."

This time, she didn't hesitate. She flung open the courtyard door and hurried back to her home.

Only Xiao Junzhan remained standing there, watching the firmly closed courtyard gate, thoughtfully rubbing his fingers as if contemplating something.

Several attendants nearby didn't dare to breathe too loudly. After a long while, Ning Hai waited, sensing his master's emotions gradually calming, before approaching carefully.

He bowed and said, "Your Highness, the heir of Duke Ding is waiting for an audience in the palace."

Xiao Junzhan paused slightly, turning around but not immediately moving forward. Instead, he called Ning Hai over in a low voice.

Ning Hai hurriedly replied, "At your service, Your Highness."

"Are you wondering why I didn't just tell her directly about my identity as the Crown Prince?"

"Your servant wouldn't presume," Ning Hai replied respectfully. "However... it seems Lady Wei doesn't bear you ill will. Perhaps if you disclosed your identity..."

"If I tell her now, after letting her believe for so long that I'm Prince Yan's heir... with her temper, she'd likely be furious."

Xiao Junzhan's gaze deepened. What started as a minor secret had grown harder to reveal over time. Fueled by love, he was genuinely afraid that if he angered her, she would ignore him for good.

"Your Highness," Ning Hai couldn't help but advise, "you can't keep your identity hidden forever. Letting Lady Wei continue to believe..."

Recalling Ranran's words just moments ago, Xiao Junzhan's eyes gleamed with affection, his voice softening. "I'll handle the Jiang family's issues first, and when she's in a good mood, I'll come clean with her."

He could only hope she wouldn't hold it against him.

...

Zhongyong Marquis Residence, in Jingya Pavilion.

Although prepared for the worst, and aware that a marriage proposal from a family like the Gu was no great loss, Madam Jiang was still deeply affected. Recently, she'd been overwhelmed, worrying about her eldest daughter, who'd attempted suicide in the prayer hall, and fretting over her family's case, feeling powerless as a mere woman. Her only solace was having her youngest daughter by her side, offering comfort and support.

But now, with even her younger daughter's engagement falling through, everything seemed to be unraveling. Exhausted and weary, Madam Jiang lay on her couch after dinner, slowly drifting off to sleep.

When she awoke, her husband was sitting beside the bed. That morning, Wei Heng was absent when the Gu family visited to break the engagement. At noon, he was busy with his official duties and missed lunch, only returning in the evening. After paying his respects to his mother in the main courtyard, he learned of the canceled engagement.

As a father, he had been the last to know.

Sitting beside her with a somber expression, he waited for her to awaken, holding a bowl of warm medicine. "Take your medicine first. The family physician checked your pulse—you've strained yourself with worry, causing poor circulation. You should rest more and worry less."

Without saying a word, Madam Jiang stopped her husband from personally feeding her, taking the bowl to drink the medicine herself. When she lowered the empty bowl, she found a plum slipped into her mouth. She blinked in surprise.

Wei Heng withdrew his hand, saying, "The medicine is too bitter. Something sour will help."

Madam Jiang gave a wry smile. "I've grown used to it."