LOT – Chapter 139 The Plum Blossom Birthmark Everyone Cared About

The woman’s sudden outburst startled Lin Qi so much that he instinctively took two big steps back.

“Don’t come any closer! Stay away from me!”

He backed up as though avoiding a plague. A woman like that was trouble—if she clung to him, it would be impossible to shake her off.

Lin Mo and Bai Xiao, who had secretly snuck closer, happened to catch this exact scene.

【What is she trying to do? Don’t tell me she’s fallen for my brother?!】

Lin Mo instantly panicked and began looking around for a weapon she could use.

Hah! If this woman really dared to set her sights on her brother, Lin Mo didn’t care whether she was pregnant or not—she’d beat her up all the same!

Bai Xiao quickly grabbed her hand just as she was about to pick up a stick, a look of horror on her face.

Big sis, must you be this impulsive? You can’t just hit someone at random! What if this woman turned around and accused her instead?

【Calm down, calm down! Don’t be rash!】

The woman, meanwhile, was still very worked up. She stepped forward a little closer to Lin Qi, completely forgetting about Wei Yi, who was still kneeling on the ground behind her.

“Lord Lin, you must uphold justice for me! These two brothers schemed against me and deceived my feelings. They took advantage of me, and now I’m even pregnant! How am I supposed to live after this?!”

As she spoke, she collapsed to the ground, crying pitifully. Her shamelessness was truly remarkable—it took some skill to tell such blatant lies with a straight face.

Even Wei Yi, kneeling beside her, looked utterly dumbfounded.

Was this woman insane? Lin Qi was obviously here together with his brother—did she really think everyone else was an idiot?

Lin Qi stepped behind the doorway, looking speechless. “Miss, I saw everything that just happened. Since you’re a woman, I won’t say anything harsh, but this matter isn’t entirely without your fault. Besides, this is between you and them—it has nothing to do with me, so don’t drag me into it.”

He was a clean and upright man, and he had no desire to be splashed with this muddy mess.

Wei Qin stood protectively in front of Lin Qi and said, “Miss, I cannot marry you. If the child you’re carrying truly belongs to my younger brother, then I can arrange for him to marry you. If you’re willing to resolve this privately, I’ll have you two wed and send you back to our hometown. If not, then we’ll follow proper procedures.”

“I’ll also make due compensation. If you’re willing to give birth to the child, you can leave it in our family’s care.”

They weren’t married, so it couldn’t be called adultery—at most, it was an improper affair. Still, in this era, reputation was everything. Both their lives were essentially ruined unless they started over somewhere new.

When Wei Yi heard his brother say he’d send him back to their hometown, he instinctively wanted to refuse. But one look at his brother’s eyes made him lower his head in silence.

Even though they looked identical, in every other respect he fell short of his brother. They both studied for the exams, yet only Wei Qin became a scholar, while he kept failing.

Saying he didn’t feel jealous would’ve been a lie. That jealousy was what led him to impersonate his brother to meet with a woman.

Now that things had come to this, there were only two choices—either they marry, or they separate and live their own lives, never crossing paths again.

Watching the scene unfold, Lin Mo couldn’t help sighing inwardly. 【You’d think since the brothers look so alike, there must be some way to tell them apart, right?】

Bai Xiao replied: 【Of course there is! They may look identical—same face, height, and build—but Wei Qin has a plum blossom-shaped birthmark on his butt. His brother doesn’t.】

The onlookers instantly widened their eyes in shock: ！！！Wow! A plum blossom birthmark?!

Lin Mo: 【Wow! What a poetic birthmark!】

Eunuch Li, who had been dispatched by the emperor, quickly took out paper and brush to jot that down. With this detail, they’d no longer have to worry about confusing the two brothers’ identities.

The matter was eventually settled rather hastily.

The woman ended up marrying Wei Yi after all. Her reputation was already in ruins, and she was pregnant. Abortion in this era was life-threatening, and her family wouldn’t let her go astray.

No matter how unwilling she was, she still became Wei Yi’s wife. Wei Qin arranged for the couple to return to their hometown and even wrote to the clan elders, asking them to look after the pair.

That night, lying in bed and hearing the conclusion, Lin Mo found it all terribly boring.

【Honestly, they got off way too easily. If they really got married, wouldn’t that technically count as adultery? Adultery should be punished by exile! Exile them both!】

Bai Xiao, idly painting with a brush, replied, “But the man’s unmarried and the woman’s unwed—it’s not technically adultery. At most, it just hurts their reputation. Once they’re back home, who’ll even know?”

Still, one had to admit—Wei Qin truly cared for his brother. Even now, he was still cleaning up after him, ensuring he had a way out. Truly, a world-class good brother.

While they were gossiping about the drama, the emperor and his officials were much more focused on the matter of Wei Qin’s plum blossom birthmark.

Emperor Xuande filled an entire scroll painting plum blossoms, his mind spinning over what that birthmark must look like. He’d never seen such a unique mark in his life!

Eunuch Li watched the emperor’s endless plum blossom doodles with a speechless expression.

Your Majesty, could you please focus on something proper for once?

“Sigh,” the emperor said, “I really do want to see Wei Qin’s plum blossom birthmark. I’ve lived so many years and never seen such a rare thing. If I summon him and ask him to take off his pants, do you think he’d agree?”

Seeing the emperor’s serious expression, Eunuch Li thought: …Your Majesty, are you serious right now?!

Taking a deep breath and forcing a polite smile, Eunuch Li said, “Your Majesty, if you truly did that, it would be considered humiliating a court official. That would definitely make it into the history books!”

‘The Emperor, in open court, commanded Wei the Scholar to remove his trousers. Wei refused. The Emperor grew angry and had them forcibly removed.’

Eunuch Li could already picture how the historians would write it.

The emperor coughed awkwardly and shut his mouth.

He couldn’t do it himself—but the other officials certainly could find a way.

“Scholar Wei, the weather’s damp today. How about we go soak in the hot springs to dispel the moisture?”

“Yes, yes, soaking in the hot springs is great for one’s health! Scholar Wei, you’ve probably never been to one before, have you? His Majesty’s private retreat outside the capital has the finest springs in the realm—you should definitely give it a try!”

Wei Qin was baffled. “His Majesty’s private retreat? Are we even allowed to go there?”

At that question, everyone burst into laughter before explaining, “Oh, you don’t know! His Majesty’s retreat is open to anyone—as long as you pay. The price is steep, but it’s worth it once in a while.”

(Emperor Xuande: Money! Sweet, sweet money! No one shall stand in the way of my profits!)