I Became The Stepmother of My Ex-husband

Someone being pushed in that corner of the viewing platform caused a disturbance. The Ladies were frightened and stepped back immediately. The child was only nine years old, but he was already stocky. He heard Lin Wei Xi’s words and pouted, saying, “who do you think you are? Fuck off! Don’t block my view of the dragon boat.”

Lin Wei Xi swept her eyes over his clothes and had a vague idea of the identity of the child. Prince Zhao had died in battle a few years ago, leaving behind his Consort and one young son. How could this orphan and widow guard the Zhao fief? Emperor Mu Zong took pity on his young nephew, brought Prince Zhao’s widow and son to the capital, and conferred his nephew as Prince Zhao early on so that they could enjoy the salary of a first-rank Prince. They wouldn’t need to worry about making a living, nor worry about facing the bitter cold of the North. The little Prince Zhao could go back to the fief once he’d grown up. That was how the Prince Zhao family ended up staying in the capital a few years earlier than Prince Yan.

Little Prince Zhao inherited the title of Prince when he was young. His mother was widowed at a young age, leaving him as the only remaining bloodline. One could imagine how spoiled he was. Prince Zhao had no male elders to discipline him, and he was indulged by his mother and the servants for years on end. Over time, he grew increasingly unreasonable. Now, Prince Zhao was only nine years old, but he was already a bully that everyone in the capital avoided. Just like now, who could prevent him from unexpectedly pushing someone? But he was a Prince, and no one dared to control him. If anything happened, one could only resign themselves to their bad luck.

All the Ladies around him stepped back to avoid him. A kind-hearted lady thought that Lin Wei Xi didn’t know him, and softly warned her, “that’s Prince Zhao.”

That’s Prince Zhao. Saying that was enough.

Prince Zhao humphed arrogantly when he saw this, “hear that? I’m a Prince! Whoever blocks my view of the boat deserves to be thrown into the water.”

Listening to his words, Lin Wei Xi’s heart burned with anger. The Princess Residence’s servants held on to her and warned, “Miss, Prince Zhao is still young, so it’s inevitable that he’ll be playful. Let’s check on the injured first.”

Lin Wei Xi knew that they were currently in the palace, and the other party was an undisciplined and uncontrollable little Prince. Even if what he did was disgraceful, she could only leave it to the Gu family to teach him a lesson. She couldn’t cause trouble for the Princess Residence. After angrily glaring at Prince Zhao, she turned to the woman who was almost pushed into the water, “My Lady, are you okay?”

The woman was around twenty five or twenty six years old, and she was just recovering from her shock. When she heard that the other party was the influential Prince Zhao, she didn’t dare look into it further, and promptly waved her hand, saying, “I’m fine. Thank you for rescuing me, Miss. You don’t need to bring this up again.”

The woman was afraid that Lin Wei Xi’s righteousness would invite trouble, so she quickly grabbed Lin Wei Xi in an attempt to keep the peace. The happenings on this side already attracted the attention of the Empress Dowager Qian, and Lin Wei Xi had no choice but to say, “My Lady, you are pregnant. Is this really alright? Otherwise, I can accompany you to ask for a doctor?”

“There’s no need.” The woman wanted to decline, but Lin Wei Xi looked at her face and insisted on bringing her to find an imperial doctor. The woman’s refusal was to no avail, and top of that, her lower abdomen was indeed uncomfortable. She couldn’t continue to linger in this place, so she gave Lin Wei Xi a grateful look and left together with her.

It was only after leaving the viewing platform that the woman dared to heave a sigh of relief, and her expression became painful. Lin Wei Xi felt that something was amiss. She immediately had the servants of the Princess Residence take Princess Shou Kang’s insignia to find an imperial doctor from the hospital.

Lin Wei Xi supported the woman to a water pavilion to sit. This place was originally meant for people to rest, but right now, everyone was watching the dragon boat race with the Empress Dowager. The water pavilion was devoid of people and spotless. Lin Wei Xi helped the woman to sit down, but when she saw the woman’s face, she grew anxious.

She had grown up in a large family and knew all too well how dangerous it was to be pregnant. Her mother had died because of a miscarriage, so what she couldn’t stand the most was someone who treated pregnant women harshly. She was anxious and angry, constantly checking the path to the pavilion,  “Why isn’t the imperial doctor here?”

The woman frowned as she leaned against the chair, her face pale. Seeing Lin Wei Xi so anxious for her, she felt moved and said, “thank you, Miss. We’re complete strangers, but not only did you save me, you’re also calling a doctor for me. Su Niang will remember Miss’s kindness for the rest of my life and return the favour many-fold… “

“It’s alright. You were in shock and your top priority should be to recuperate. As for repayment, there’s no need to do so. No one who sees this kind of thing would look on without lifting a finger. The greatest repayment you can give me is to raise the child properly once they’re born.”

The woman’s eyes reddened, “Miss, you’re such a good person. Su Niang won’t forget your kindness. My surname is Liu and my given name is Su Niang. What is Miss’s name?”

Liu Su Niang. Lin Wei Xi didn’t have an impression of that name and said, “my surname is Lin, and my given name is Wei Xi.”

Liu Su Niang understood when she heard this, “so it’s Miss Lin. I heard that His Highness Prince Yan brought Marquis Zhongyong’s daughter to the capital a few days ago. Is that Miss?”

Lin Wei Xi was taken aback when she heard this, “you know me?”

“No I don’t. My husband mentioned it a few times and I’m only repeating what he said.” Liu Su Niang smiled bashfully and looked at Lin Wei Xi with eyes full of pure admiration, “Marquis Zhongyong was extremely loyal to our nation. My husband regards Marquis Zhongyong as the role model for his generation, but he never had the chance to meet him. I didn’t expect that I’d be so blessed to meet Miss Lin today, and that Miss Lin is such a beautiful and outstanding person.”

Lin Wei Xi also liked this delicate and timid lady very much. Listening to her talk about Lin Yong, her affection grew. She asked, “I didn’t expect that there’d be anyone left in the capital who knows Father. May I ask who your husband is?”

“There’s no need for Miss Lin to be so polite. He’s just an editor at the Imperial Hanlin Academy. His name is Shen Ming Da.” Liu Su Niang repeatedly refuted, sincerely believing that her husband didn’t have a high official position. And she seemed a little embarrassed to be with Lin Wei Xi.

Lin Wei Xi was stunned when she heard the name, and asked incredulously, “Shen Ming Da?”

Liu Su Niang was taken aback by her sudden rise in tone and stared blankly, “yes, what about it? Does Miss Lin know my husband?”

It was more than just that. Lin Wei Xi remembered this name vividly as it was very well-known.

Before her rebirth, she happened to come across that heavenly book. After learning that she was just a character in the book, and a cannon fodder to be stepped on at that, she was scared out of her wits and didn’t have the heart to continue reading. But even so, at the end of the day, she was the daughter of a high-ranking official and was raised by the Princess Royal for several years. Her years of political intuition helped her endure her disgust. She skipped through the lovey-dovey interactions between Gao Ran and Gu Cheng Yao, and found a lot of important information in the later half of the book. For example, the events that would happen in the next few years, and the person who would take over Zhang Xiao Lian as Grand Secretary.

This book mainly described Gao Ran and Gu Cheng Yao’s love story, and unilaterally praised Gao Ran. It rarely touched on the government and the state of affairs, and skimmed through them when it did. Lin Wei Xi could only vaguely guess the movements of the imperial court from reading between the lines, and Shen Ming Da’s name was specifically mentioned in the later part of the book.

The reason was obvious, and it was because Shen Ming Da was the next Grand Secretary. He had been the top scorer of the Imperial Examinations in the past and was an editor in the Imperial Hanlin Academy for many years. He was gentle and prudent, and never offended his colleagues. Zhang Xiao Lian was indecisive when he was in office. However, after the death of the tyrannical Grand Secretary Zhang, Shen Ming Da suddenly stood out in the chaotic situation and rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the new cabinet Grand Secretary.

Lin Wei Xi was able to remember this name all thanks to Gao Ran. Although Gao Ran’s younger brother was favoured, he was a concubine-born son after all. In order to overcome his social class and become the successor, he couldn’t do without the assistance of people in high positions. Gu Cheng Yao was one such person, and Shen Ming Da was another.

Shen Ming Da only appeared in the later half of the heavenly book. By then, Gao Ran’s position was stable. In private, Gu Cheng Yao favoured her and only her, and in public, she was respected as the mistress of the Prince Yan Residence. Everything was supposed to be perfect. But who was Gao Ran if not the heroine? Anyone who opposed her wouldn’t have a good ending, but the family and close friends recognized by the heroine would all live a smooth life. Although they fell short of the heroine, they already won in all aspects of life.

Gao Ran was a concubine-born heroine, favoured after marriage and getting her man in one move. Her only disgrace was mostly her status as a shu daughter and the inferiority of her mother’s maiden family. In the book, even though Han Shi was a concubine, her heart was pure and noble, and she stayed with the Duke Ying Shizi out of love. Han Shi’s family were also full of kind and dependable people, and they often visited the Prince Yan Residence to give Gao Ran fresh fruits and vegetables that they grew, receiving the unanimous approval of everyone in the Prince Yan Residence. Among them, Gao Ran had a cousin surnamed Han who married Shen Ming Da as his second wife, with Gao Ran as the go-between.

Back then, Shen Ming Da had yet to make his mark and was only a poverty-stricken and unknown editor who hadn’t remarried for many years because of his deceased wife. Gao Ran felt that a man who thought of his late wife like this must be a good person. Although he was poor, the Han family had some savings that came from her allowance and they wouldn’t lack in food and clothing. In any case, his character was the most important. Gao Ran felt that Shen Ming Da was compatible with her cousin, so she made the decision to have her cousin marry him. This later proved to be Gao Ran’s game changing chess piece. Shen Ming Da experienced a meteoric rise in his career after Zhang Xiao Lian’s death as he entered the cabinet and became the Grand Secretary. Han Shi’s son could become the heir to the Duke Ying Residence largely due to Shen Ming Da’s efforts.

Lin Wei Xi didn’t expect to hear this name today. After she got over her surprise, she somewhat understood the situation as she looked at Liu Su Niang, who was sitting in front of her. Perhaps this was Shen Ming Da’s first wife who had died early and caused him to refuse to remarry for years.

“Miss Lin, is something wrong?”

Lin Wei Xi returned to her senses and realized that she’d been staring at Liu Su Niang. Liu Su Niang was frightened by her stare, so she lowered her gaze to cover the peculiar feeling in her eyes. She acted like nothing was wrong and smiled, “it’s nothing. I just remembered that Shen Ming Da was the top scorer of the Imperial Examinations in the 9th year of Jianzhao. It’s a pleasant surprise that I’m now talking to the wife of one such person.”

Liu Su Niang believed her words and smiled shyly, “not at all, Miss Lin is making fun of me again.”

Lin Wei Xi smiled quietly. The imperial doctor finally arrived and she quickly stepped aside to let him check Liu Su Niang’s pulse. She’d just stepped back when she saw a man hurry into the water pavilion , anxiety written all over his face,”Su Niang, are you okay?”

Lin Wei Xi was startled. This person was Shen Ming Da, the next Grand Secretary and top scorer of the Imperial Examinations during the 9th year of Jian Zhao. She immediately turned around to find that several others had lifted their gowns and stepped into the water pavilion.

Even Prince Yan had been alarmed by this disturbance.

Gu Hui Yan’s expression wasn’t good and his deeply imposing eyes fell on Lin Wei Xi. Seeing that she was fine, his expression improved a little, “I heard that there was a commotion at the women’s gathering and that someone was almost pushed off the viewing platform. Are you injured?”

“I’m fine.” Lin Wei Xi quickly shook her head and pointed to Liu Su Niang, “It’s Miss Liu who isn’t looking too good.”

Gu Hui Yan raised his hand and the imperial doctor behind him hurried to check her pulse. Gu Cheng Yao had also come along. Lin Wei Xi had nothing to say to him, so she just nodded at him and considered it a greeting.

To the Lords and Ladies, this was nothing more than a small incident. But when Prince Yan arrived in person, their tomfoolery immediately ceased. The servants of the Prince Zhao Residence hurriedly led the small Prince Zhao to the water pavilion. When Gao Ran heard that Gu Cheng Yao had come, she also immediately followed along.

Not long after Gu Hui Yan’s arrival, the initially tranquil water pavilion promptly became crowded. Lin Wei Xi ignored everyone outside and focused on the diagnosis of the imperial physicians inside, “the Lady was frightened which caused the fetus to become unstable. That’s why her abdominal pain is unbearable. Fortunately, she was properly settled down in time. I will write a few subscriptions to help strengthen her cultivation foundation. One dose of each medicine every morning and evening”

According to the imperial doctors, it seemed like Liu Su Niang wasn’t in danger. Lin Wei Xi finally breathed a sigh of relief. When she reflected on what had happened, she felt terrified. If she hadn’t been paying attention to her surroundings today, or if she hadn’t caught Liu Su Niang in time when the incident happened, it was unimaginable to her what would’ve happened after. Perhaps this matter was related to Liu Su Niang’s early death?

Endless whispers echoed from inside the water pavilion. After a moment, Shen Ming Da walked out from behind the partition and wanted to salute Lin Wei Xi with a bow. She was taken aback, and hurriedly stopped him, “Sir Shen, what are you doing?”

Actually, Shen Ming Da’s current position was far from being called “Sir”, but in her anxiety, she didn’t pay attention to her words. When Lin Wei Xi stopped him, she unconsciously stepped closer to Gu Hui Yan. He braced her and reached out to block him for her, “It’s good that your wife is fine. You’re going to scare her if you bow to her.”

Prince Yan had spoken, so Shen Ming Da could only salute to the two of them, “thank you Prince Yan, thank you Miss Lin.”

Actually, Shen Ming Da’s rank wasn’t high enough for him to participate in the Dragon Boat Festival. The reason the husband and wife could enter the palace today was all due to the prestigious Imperial Hanlin Academy, as well as his title as top scorer of the Imperial Examinations. However, there were as many influential officials as there were clouds. He was fine since he could tend to the emperor, but Su Niang was pregnant and by herself. With her introverted personality, Shen Ming Da was constantly fretful that something would happen. Then, when news was delivered that Su Niang had almost been pushed off the viewing platform, Shen Ming Da was so frightened that he broke out in cold sweat and dropped everything to follow Prince Yan. Fortunately, nothing had happened to Su Niang. Otherwise, he was scared witless at the thought of what could’ve happened.

Shen Ming Da sincerely thanked Lin Wei Xi. He had a clean and noble reputation, but he was a small official from the Imperial Hanlin Academy who had nary the right to speak in the capital. Why would this group of influential officials bother to notice Su Niang’s life or death? If Lin Wei Xi hadn’t been the one to grab onto Su Niang and use her personal connections to ask for an imperial doctor, Su Niang’s situation today would be no less than disastrous.

Prince Yan didn’t allow him to bow to Lin Wei Xi so as not to frighten her. Shen Ming Da complied and retreated, engraving Lin Wei Xi’s kindness onto his heart. The huge favour hadn’t been repaid. If a chance presented itself in the future, Shen Ming Da would definitely express his gratitude for saving his wife by returning the favour.

Since everything was fine, she could slowly recuperate afterwards, and the matter was temporarily put on hold. Gu Hui Yan’s expression was indifferent, but the oppressiveness in his words was palpable, “Who was the person who was pushing others on the viewing platform?”