SBCEJM -Chapter 268 I Thought I Married True Love—Little Did I Know I Had Already Been Sold

【I… seriously…】

Feng Zeyuan felt like her brain was twitching.

【This is the kind of thing that only exists in storytelling scripts!】

【But reality is even more absurd than fiction.】

The system let out a long sigh, as if it had distilled millennia of gossip into that one breath.

【But Host… aren’t you curious?】

【This couple is the capital’s famous model of “devoted love.” Back then, Wang Qizheng went through great lengths just to marry Huang Rulan.】

Feng Zeyuan’s gossip radar instantly hit full power, buzzing like crazy.

【Spill it! Hurry!】

The entire court—especially the officials whose “green hats” were practically glowing—no longer cared about dignity or embarrassment.

All ears were stretched tighter than ever.

They all wanted to know how this couple of shameless scoundrels ended up together…

…and then teamed up to ruin other people’s lives!

【Speaking of which, Wang Qizheng and Huang Rulan were childhood acquaintances.】

The system drew back the curtain on a long-buried past.

【But the one Huang Rulan truly cared about was not Wang Qizheng…】

【It was his cousin, Wang Qiming.】

【Whoa! A brother-love triangle right from the start! This is spicy!】 Feng Zeyuan perked up instantly.

【More than ten years ago, Wang Qizheng and Wang Qiming were just two young boys constantly following behind Huang Rulan.】

【Both were deeply infatuated with her. They flattered her every day, wrote poems every night, competing like roosters trying to beat each other down.】

The ministers leaned in even closer.

Oh? A cousin too?

This gossip… even has a prequel?!

【So Huang Rulan must have been a peerless beauty to make them so obsessed, right?】

Feng Zeyuan asked.

After all, what drives men mad is either power or beauty.

The system immediately projected a portrait of young Huang Rulan.

She had willow-shaped brows and almond eyes, gentle features—but far from stunning. At best, she was average.

Several ministers secretly compared her to their own mistresses and wives.

In terms of looks alone, those women would easily outshine her.

【Host, what conquers men is never appearance—it’s manipulation.】

The system switched into lecture mode.

【Huang Rulan played the emotional game perfectly. She understood men too well: the more unattainable something is, the more they crave it.】

【So she kept both brothers in a state of ambiguity.】

【One day she praised Wang Qizheng’s literary talent; the next she admired Wang Qiming’s swordsmanship.】

【She never accepted, yet never fully refused. The “hope string” stayed firmly in her hands—always visible, never reachable.】

【Over time, winning her became their greatest obsession.】

【Damn… this is high-level play.】

A chill ran through the entire court.

What terrifying tactics!

【So why did she favor Wang Qiming more?】

【Because Wang Qiming was sweeter-tongued, more charming, a bit roguish, sometimes even brooding and poetic—far more appealing than the rigid Wang Qizheng at the time.】

【Then why did she end up marrying Wang Qizheng?】

【Because of the imperial examinations.】

The system explained:

【Wang Qiming wasted most of his energy chasing her and failed the exams repeatedly.】

【Wang Qizheng, though lovestruck, still focused on his studies and passed the imperial exam, ranking highly.】

【Once he gained official status, his value in Huang Rulan’s eyes changed instantly.】

【As expected, power is the best rejuvenating pill for men.】

Feng Zeyuan nailed the truth in one sentence.

Many officials silently nodded in agreement, even straightening their backs a little.

【At that time, Huang Rulan was almost engaged to Wang Qiming.】

【But one was a promising new official, the other a penniless scholar failing exams—no need for even a second of thought to choose.】

【She understood clearly.】

【A woman’s “glow” needs gold and silver to maintain it. Otherwise it fades under daily hardship.】

【Love is beautiful, but it is consumable—no matter how strong, poverty erodes it.】

Hearing this, even many officials quietly agreed.

Though morally questionable, this kind of clarity was something many noblewomen lacked.

If only their own daughters—who only knew romance and foolish dreams—had half this sense…

They’d be overjoyed.

【So she made her choice.】

【Before marrying Wang Qizheng, she even met Wang Qiming privately for a “heartfelt confession.”】

【She didn’t break up with him. Instead, she cried miserably and began planning their “future.”】

【She told him she married Wang Qizheng not because she didn’t love Wang Qiming—but precisely because she loved him too much and wanted to secure their future.】

【She tearfully explained that marriage would bring expenses—housing, social obligations, raising children… everything required money.】

【With Wang Qiming’s income, they would only sink into poverty and lose their affection over time.】

【The emotional bond would eventually be worn away by hardship.】

Wang Qiming, blinded by love, couldn’t withstand such “self-sacrifice.”

He was moved to tears, convinced she loved him deeply.

【So she proposed marrying Wang Qizheng—to use his salary and status to build a “better future” for both of them.】

【Wait—he agreed?!】 Feng Zeyuan exclaimed.

【So he watched his beloved marry his cousin… and became the “other man”?】

The system sneered.

【He gets financial support, avoids hardship, and still meets her secretly—why wouldn’t he agree?】

【Of course, he still acted like a tragic lover, saying things like “I would endure hell for you.”】

Feng Zeyuan silently summed it up:

Hard to judge.

【On Wang Qizheng’s wedding day, Wang Qiming cried even harder than the bride.】

【Wang Qizheng even comforted him, promising he would treat Huang Rulan well for life.】

【After marriage, Wang Qiming became her hidden lover—funded entirely by Wang Qizheng’s salary.】

【The poor husband knew nothing, believing his wife was devoted only to him.】

【Even though she remained childless for years, he never took a concubine and treated her with complete devotion.】

A huge question mark appeared in Feng Zeyuan’s mind.

【Wait…】

【If one thinks it’s true love and the other has a secret lover…】

【Then how did things stay “stable” enough to evolve into the husband being forced to go out and earn money as some kind of “host”?】

【Good question.】

The system chuckled coldly.

【That goes back to Wang Qiming.】

【Because human greed knows no bounds—he became afraid.】

【He feared that over time, Huang Rulan might actually fall for her obedient husband, especially since the couple’s reputation for loving harmony was well-known in the capital.】

【So he acted.】

【One time when Wang Qizheng fell ill, Wang Qiming secretly replaced his medicine with a poison he had purchased—one that caused permanent infertility.】

【What?! That’s vile!!】

Feng Zeyuan blurted out.

The entire hall erupted in suppressed gasps.

Brother turning against brother—using such a vicious, life-destroying method!

【But… if Wang Qizheng couldn’t have children, Wang Qiming could, right?】

【Then why didn’t Huang Rulan ever conceive his child all these years?】

Feng Zeyuan immediately caught the logical gap.

The system paused.

And then continued.