Demoted from wife to concubine? Reborn, the mistress of a noble family plots another high-status mar

Chapter 2

"Madam, the Marquis has brought back a woman and three children."

A maid rushed in from outside, as if the sky were about to fall.

"Don't panic." Yun Xiyue slowly walked out of the house.

Qinghe was full of surprise when she saw her. The madam was not here all night. When did she come back?

"Also... the Dowager Lady told the Marquis that you stayed out all night, and that you were... fooling around with a wild man... and that she wants to divorce you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Yue led his men in, looking furious, as if he had come to catch them in the act of adultery.

"Greetings, Grandmother; greetings, Lord Marquis." Yun Xiyue smiled slightly and stepped forward to offer a bow.

When Old Madam Shen saw her, she was immediately surprised, and then asked in an unfriendly tone, "When did you get back?"

"Grandmother, what are you saying! I have been in Zizhu Garden the whole time! I just woke up this morning." Yun Xiyue was dressed neatly, radiant, and calm, showing no signs of having been humiliated.

Madam Shen looked her up and down, and the more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed. That eunuch Liu was a notorious pervert who specialized in toying with young and beautiful women. When he heard that she was the wife of Marquis Anjun, he was very excited.

How could we possibly let Yun Xiyue return unharmed?

"I heard that the Marquis took a concubine at the border and they even had a child? Why didn't you tell me about such a big thing?" Ignoring the old lady's angry gaze, Yun Xiyue turned to look at the man in military uniform.

Shen Yue was born with a handsome face, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and a tall and elegant figure. Many young ladies admired him because of his face.

Yunxi Yue was once infatuated with this face.

Now, seeing that face again makes her want to vomit.

“Bao’er is not a concubine, she is the Princess of Nanqiang.” Shen Yue was somewhat afraid to look her in the eye. He had heard that she had not returned home all night and thought that she had really been fooling around with some wild man, but now she was perfectly fine in Zizhu Garden.

There's no reason to criticize her.

But as a grown man, he was humiliated by being questioned by a woman, and felt even more annoyed.

Yun Xiyue laughed and said, "She has already had three children with the Marquis before even getting married. The princess of Nanqiang is truly bold."

Shen Yue's expression changed slightly. Behind her stood a woman, none other than Princess Lin Bao'er of the Southern Qiang.

The woman was also dressed in military uniform, looking heroic and spirited, with three children by her side, the youngest of whom was only two years old!

She wore a faint smile. "Sister, I know you've been wronged, but my relationship with the Marquis isn't what you think. I won't compete with you for the position of principal wife."

"It's just a pity the child will have to become an illegitimate child who can't be seen in public..."

Upon hearing this, Old Madam Shen immediately became displeased. "What illegitimate child? Xuan'er and the others are all of our Shen family bloodline, my own great-grandsons. You are a princess, and you will be the principal wife when you enter the manor. Yun Xiyue is just a merchant's daughter. She has been married to the Marquis for five years without bearing a child and has been having an affair with other men. It is already an honor for her to be demoted to a concubine."

The servants who accompanied Yunxi were instantly enraged, wishing they could rush over and tear the old lady's mouth apart.

If they look down on their master, why did they come to propose marriage in the first place?

Princess Nanqiang spoke first to defend her, "Mother... that's probably inappropriate. After all, my sister is the Marquis's lawfully wedded wife. There's no evidence to prove that she's unfaithful or having affairs with other men."

"Exactly! Without evidence, how can you accuse our lady of having an affair?"

Old Madam Shen sneered, "There is definitely evidence."

She was the one who drugged Yun Xiyue and gave her to that old eunuch to play with.

The old lady won't let anyone know that the Shen family did such a thing. As long as it's determined that Yun Xiyue is guilty, then she will have to become her grandson's concubine.

“The old woman guarding the gate saw you sneak out.”

Soon the old woman came out and identified the person, speaking in a very detailed and specific manner, including when she went out and what color clothes she was wearing.

Shen Yue's face darkened, and he demanded, "What else do you have to say for yourself!"

Yun Xiyue smiled and said, "I have been in Zizhu Garden the whole time and have never left. Everyone in Zizhu Garden can testify to that."

"Qinghe, what do you think?"

Qinghe's palms were sweating profusely. She subconsciously glanced at the old lady. She had already betrayed her master; it was she who had drugged Yunxiyue.

"Slave..."

"Speak up already!" the old lady snapped angrily.

"Yes! Tell me quickly, what exactly happened?" Yun Xiyue said, turning a handkerchief out of her palm.

Upon seeing this, Qinghe turned pale with fright and knelt down, saying, "This servant did not see Madam go out. Madam has been sleeping in the room the whole time."

The old lady was furious, "You're talking nonsense!"

"Madam, please spare me! I'm not lying, everything I said is true!" Qinghe knelt down and begged for mercy. Her indenture was in Yun Xiyue's hands, and anyone who dared to disobey Yun Xiyue at this time would have no good end.

Yun Xiyue looked at the old woman and said, "So that means Granny Zhang is lying and slandering me. Guards, drag her away and beat her to death."

"Mom, I'm so scared..."

"Don't be afraid." The Southern Qiang princess hugged the child, her face pale. "My lord..."

Shen Yue rushed over to protect the mother and her three children, saying, "That's enough, don't frighten the children. Take Granny Zhang away first, let's leave this matter here."

"Then how will you settle the Southern Qiang princess, my lord?" Yun Xiyue smiled faintly. "I thought you were busy fighting on the border, so I sent you five hundred taels of silver every month. I didn't expect you to use it to support your concubine and have three bastard children."

"Yunxi Yue!"

Shen Yue's eyes flashed with anger. "They are my children, not bastards. Watch your mouth."

"If you continue to act so recklessly, I'll divorce you!"

"Yue'er!" Shen Yue's mother-in-law, Madam Li, immediately stepped forward to stop him. "No! You and Xiyue have been married for five years, and you have shared many years of marriage. You must not say such hurtful things."

“Xiyue, I know you’ve been wronged. But Yue’er and the others have just returned, let them rest first.” Madam Li’s eyes were kind as she came over and took her hand. “All these years I’ve treated you like my own daughter.”

Yun Xiyue sneered inwardly. They were the real blood relatives, while she was just an outsider.

"My mother treats me like her own daughter, but she never told me about the Marquis keeping a mistress outside the marriage. She kept it from me for five years, and it's only now that it's been revealed. My mother really loves me so much!"

Li only wanted her to stay in the Shen family and be their money bag.

In his past life, this woman was even more ruthless than Shen Yue; it was she who arranged for the servants to be humiliated.

The more kind and benevolent she looked at that moment, the more wicked she was inside.

Li knew that Shen Yue had married and had children at the border. She was worried that her grandson was not eating well, so she asked Li to send them five hundred taels of silver every month.

They only came to tell her these things when she was dying; Yun Xiyue was literally angered to death with her last breath.

Li looked troubled. "I didn't tell you this because I was afraid it would upset you..."

"No need for further words." Yun Xiyue withdrew her hand and wiped it with a handkerchief. "Shen Yue, let's get a divorce!"

Li's smile froze. "Xiyue, it's all a misunderstanding. I think you're tired. Go back to your room and rest. I'll take care of this for you."

"Mommy, I'm hungry." The child cried.

"The child is hungry, let's eat something first." The family quickly picked up the child and left.

"What kind of mess is this? Madam, let's go back and tell the master right away!" Granny Cao said with resentment. "They've gone too far."

Yun Xiyue turned to look at her wet nurse, who had been beaten to death in her past life for protecting her, and her maid Qingmei, who had been humiliated to death by them.

Only Qinghe was alive, and she kept lying to her, making her mistakenly believe that Granny Cao and the others were still alive. In order to protect them, she did not hesitate to give all of her dowry to the Shen family.

"Granny, don't worry, I'll make them vomit up everything they've eaten."