TSWRLM -Chapter 44 He Wants to Marry Her

The culprit had already signed and confessed—the mastermind behind the attack was Zhou Yi, the son of a Commandant of the Imperial Guard.

Ye Er had always been quite troublesome. Either he cheated Zhou Yi out of all his money, leaving him with nothing, or he competed with him over courtesans. Last year, Zhou Yi was supposed to be arranged by his family to train in the officer camp, but Ye Er ruined that opportunity as well.

Harboring deep resentment, when Zhou Yi heard that Ye Er had been expelled from the capital, he hired killers disguised as bandits to take revenge.

Zhou Yi had paid them handsomely and told them to flee far away after completing the job. But the assassins were overconfident and refused to leave. Soon enough, Shen Qingyuan followed the clues and tracked them down.

Fearing exposure, the assassins took matters into their own hands and launched a deadly attack on Shen Qingyuan.

Zhou Yi was nothing more than a spoiled young master. As soon as he was arrested and brought into the Jingzhao Prefecture office, he confessed everything. His statement matched the assassins’ accounts.

With both witnesses and physical evidence in place, calling Shen Qingyuan to identify the suspect was merely a formality.

Following procedure, Shen Qingyuan and Chun Xi each recorded their testimonies and signed them.

After everything was done, Wei Lingze personally escorted them out.

Just as they stepped out of the dungeon, Wei Lingze suddenly sneered: “For the past three years, this woman has been cleaning up my filth and washing my body every day. Don’t you feel disgusted holding her hand, Lord Shen?”

Listen to that—was that even something a human would say?

Young Master, you were the one soiling yourself! I never found it disgusting—yet you dare act disgusted now?

If your family weren’t powerful and wealthy, you’d have rotted in bed long ago with no one to care for you!

Chun Xi cursed him thoroughly in her heart, but outwardly she lowered her eyes, revealing nothing.

Shen Qingyuan remained calm. He deliberately raised their clasped hands higher so Wei Lingze could see clearly.

“If Lord Wei can spew filth from his mouth without feeling disgusted, what’s so disgusting about this?”

“Shen Qingyuan!”

Wei Lingze’s expression changed as he ground out Shen Qingyuan’s name through clenched teeth.

But Shen Qingyuan showed no fear. Instead, he gently pulled Chun Xi to his side, shielding her completely.

“Careful—you might get splashed.”

Chun Xi nodded cooperatively, covering her nose and mouth with her sleeve, even frowning slightly as if she truly smelled something foul.

Wei Lingze clenched his fists so tightly his bones cracked.

He wanted nothing more than to kill Shen Qingyuan on the spot and trample Chun Xi beneath his feet until she begged for mercy.

But in the end, he did nothing—only watched them leave with a dark, chilling gaze.

Once the carriage had traveled some distance, Chun Xi finally burst into laughter. She gave Shen Qingyuan a thumbs-up.

“My lord, that was incredible.”

With just one sentence, he had nearly angered Wei Lingze to death.

Her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled brightly. Shen Qingyuan couldn’t help asking, “He spoke of you like that—aren’t you upset?”

“What’s there to be upset about?” Chun Xi said casually. “After all, in a few days I’ll be his elder. Naturally, I should be more broad-minded.”

Since Shen Qingyuan had said he wouldn’t divorce her, she would outrank Wei Lingze for the rest of her life!

Amused by her mood, Shen Qingyuan smiled faintly, then said, “My temper isn’t very good. You don’t need to be so broad-minded. If he dares to disrespect you again, as his elder, you can teach him some manners.”

His tone was calm, yet it gave Chun Xi immense confidence.

As long as she married him, she would never have to endure Wei Lingze’s bullying again.

Her eyes lit up as she nodded repeatedly.

If she had known earlier, she would have agreed sooner—maybe just now she could’ve slapped her future “nephew-in-law” as his elder!

They had been delayed at the Jingzhao office, so by the time they reached the Xiao residence, it was already evening. Chun Xi went straight with Shen Qingyuan to Songhe Courtyard to see the Old Madam Xiao.

The old madam immediately ordered the kitchen to prepare several of Shen Qingyuan’s favorite dishes. She then kindly asked Chun Xi about her family. Upon hearing that Chun Xi’s sister-in-law had given birth to a son, she had someone fetch a jade pendant with auspicious patterns from the treasury.

After Chun Xi expressed her thanks, the old madam turned to Shen Qingyuan.

“Your stepmother has been spreading quite a few rumors. Have you heard about them?”

Even after threatening Madam Wang, Madam Mo wasn’t satisfied. She had people spread gossip that Shen Qingyuan had been saved by a young woman, and that the two had spent several days and nights alone together, engaging in all sorts of intimate acts.

Some said the girl fed him medicine mouth-to-mouth. Others said she used her body to warm him and reduce his fever. More outrageous rumors claimed the assassin’s blade had been poisoned with a special drug, and that without the girl offering herself as the antidote, Shen Qingyuan would have died from the effects.

Though none of these rumors mentioned Chun Xi by name, anyone close to her would easily guess—it had completely ruined her reputation.

Chun Xi was sitting right there, so the old madam didn’t repeat the rumors. She only asked Shen Qingyuan how he intended to handle the matter.

“I’ve heard some of them,” Shen Qingyuan said. “Her reputation has been ruined because of me. Naturally, I must take responsibility.”

At this point, he paused, then took Chun Xi’s hand and said: “I will marry Cao Chun Xi as my wife.”

His tone was solemn, and he spoke her full name.

Although they had already discussed it privately, hearing him say it in front of the Old Madam Xiao still made Chun Xi’s heart skip a beat.

Father… your daughter has truly made something of herself this time!

The old madam showed a trace of surprise.

She had already noticed that Shen Qingyuan treated Chun Xi differently. But Chun Xi’s status was too low, and she had spent three years personally caring for Wei Lingze. Taking her as a concubine would have been one thing—but marrying her as a proper wife would inevitably lead to awkward encounters with Wei Lingze and Xiao Qinghe at social events.

She wanted to advise against it, but before she could speak, Shen Qingyuan continued: “If not for her, I would have died in Yu County. In this lifetime, I will not allow any other woman to share my bed. And my mother also supports this marriage, so Aunt need not worry.”

At the mention of Yu County, the old madam fell silent.

The assassination there might have involved Wei Lingze, but she had chosen not to investigate further—effectively protecting him. Shen Qingyuan’s use of the term “Aunt” instead of something more intimate clearly marked a distance between them.

The old madam nodded. “Since you’ve made up your mind, do as you wish.”

That very night, she opened her private treasury and selected many valuable ornaments to add to Chun Xi’s bridal trousseau.

Xiao Qingyue quickly heard the news and rushed to share it with Xiao Qinghe.

“Uncle Shen is actually going to marry Chun Xi as his wife, and Grandmother even opened her private treasury for her! Doesn’t that mean Chun Xi will outrank us in the future?”

Just imagining having to respectfully greet Chun Xi as “Aunt” made Xiao Qingyue feel like her life was over.

Has Uncle Shen lost his mind? Even with his reputation of bringing harm to wives, how could he like someone like Chun Xi?

Xiao Qinghe was also surprised, but she soon accepted it—and even felt a subtle sense of relief.

If Chun Xi truly married and held a higher status, then perhaps Wei Lingze would no longer have any contact with her in the future.