A Marriage in Name Only? My Stepbrother Won't Let Me Go

The battlefield at the Border was perilous, but things were hardly calm for Mei Wanying either.

She knew there was no such thing as a perfect secret. Her actions had left traces that wouldn’t hold up to a determined person’s digging.

She just hadn’t expected the Empress to find out about her and Pei Yan so quickly.

Just a few days after Gu Xun’s departure, the Empress’s people arrived in secret.

They held her down the moment they arrived, forcibly taking her pulse and giving her no chance to react.

They had come prepared. Taking her pulse was to verify whether or not she was pregnant.

"It’s a rolling pulse," the female doctor said.

It was too late for Mei Wanying to hide it. Not only was the pulse undeniable, but she also carried the distinct air of a pregnant woman.

Any experienced woman could tell what was going on with just one look.

"The Empress is truly prescient! As soon as she got the news, she sent us after you, fearing you might come to harm," someone said.

A thought flashed through Mei Wanying’s mind.

’Empress Gu must have already been investigating me before I even left the Capital City.’

’That’s why they arrived so quickly.’

Mei Wanying was determined to have an abortion. She was just waiting for the doctor to prepare the necessary emergency herbs to get rid of the flesh in her womb.

The arrival of these people had completely thrown her plans into disarray.

An elderly woman spoke up. "I come from the Gu Family and was granted my surname by the masters. Miss Mei, you may simply call me Mrs. Gu."

The woman’s smile was kind, but her eyes glinted with a shrewdness that said she was not one to be fooled.

With her pregnancy exposed, Mei Wanying no longer needed to hide anything, so there was no point in beating around the bush.

"I know what the Empress wants. I will not pester His Highness, nor will I give birth to this child. The Empress can rest assured, I will never return to the Capital City!"

Her plan was in ruins, and a secret that should have been kept buried was now known. How could Mei Wanying possibly remain calm?

’Empress Gu sent people all this way after me. Could it be she’s afraid I’ll secretly give birth to Pei Yan’s child and then use the child to blackmail them, leveraging my son to gain power?’

Mei Wanying’s voice was firm, but only she knew that her hands, hidden beneath her wide sleeves, were trembling.

She was terrified.

’Afraid of being crushed by Imperial Power, never to recover.’

Mrs. Gu shot Mei Wanying a reproachful look. "Oh, my dear girl, you’re not just one person anymore. You must take care of your body. You can’t say such things again. The child might hear you and be sad."

These words confused everyone.

Mrs. Mei and Nanny Liu exchanged a look. ’Didn’t the Empress send people here to make Ah Yin have an abortion and eliminate the problem for good?’

Before they could speak, Mrs. Gu continued, as if to herself, "This child is incredibly precious. Once he is born, the Gu Family will have a new legitimate grandson. The Empress will be overjoyed, and there will surely be no shortage of rewards for you, Miss Mei."

Mei Wanying’s expression faltered. ’Is Empress Gu forcing me to give birth to the child, only to hand him over to the Gu family to be raised?’

’Or... does she expect me to enter the Gu Family as well?’

’Either way, it’s unacceptable!’

’If I give birth to this child, I won’t be separated from my own flesh and blood.’

’And marrying into the Gu Family for the child’s sake? Even more impossible!’

’The child is a person, and I am a person, not some unfeeling object.’

’If I don’t even care about my own feelings, how could I possibly raise a child well after it’s born?’

After all this, she was once again ensnared by Imperial Power. Mei Wanying felt so suffocated she could hardly breathe.

A vein throbbed in her temple as she suppressed the urge to fly into a rage.

"Mrs. Gu, the pulse has been checked. You can return to the Capital City and make your report."

Mrs. Gu shook her head and smiled. "This is your first pregnancy. The Empress is worried, so she has ordered me to stay by your side until you have delivered the child safely."

"The Empress also said she will bestow a marriage between you and Xun. You will first hold a wedding ceremony here in Jiangnan. After the child is born, in a year or two, you will return to the Capital City for a grander celebration."

"If anyone asks, you’ll say the child was conceived in Jiangnan. That way, he will be Xun’s legitimate son in name and fact, and there will be a proper reason to bring him into the palace for the Empress to see in the future."

"Xun always listens to the Empress, so you don’t have to worry about him not agreeing."

"Oh, and you shouldn’t contact His Highness anymore. Once you’ve entered the Gu Family, you’ll be His Highness’s sister-in-law. Too much contact will lead to gossip."

Mei Wanying sneered. ’Is it that she doesn’t want me to contact Pei Yan, or that she doesn’t want Pei Yan to know the child’s true identity?’

’Why go to all this trouble? I never intended to have the child in the first place!’

Mrs. Mei was also deeply displeased. ’They’ve said everything they wanted to say, but has anyone even asked what Ah Yin wants?’

Standing in front of her daughter, Mrs. Mei said, "The General’s greatest wish was for Ah Yin to live a simple and peaceful life. Mr. Gu has a bright future ahead of him; Ah Yin wouldn’t dare to aim so high."

Mrs. Gu’s smile didn’t fade. "You’re being too modest, Mrs. Mei. Miss Mei is beautiful and virtuous, and our Xun is ambitious and diligent. In my eyes, they are a match made in heaven."

Mei Wanying was so furious she laughed.

’When all is said and done, they’re just trying to coax me into giving birth to this child.’

’If this child weren’t Pei Yan’s, would the Empress be elevating me like this?’

’She probably would have cursed me for being shameless long ago!’

’I have no grievance with Gu Xun. If I really marry him while pregnant with another man’s child, how is that any different from cuckolding him?’

’Would Gu Xun really be so magnanimous as to not hate me at all?’

’I doubt it.’

’The child is of Pei Yan’s bloodline, so the Gu family won’t make things difficult for the child on the surface.’

’But as for me, Mei Wanying, whether I’ll have a good life is another matter entirely.’

’Once I give birth and am no longer of value, this stain—me—will become an eyesore.’

’By then, it’s uncertain if I’ll even be allowed to live!’

"I do not agree." Staring into Mrs. Gu’s eyes, Mei Wanying reiterated, "This child will not be born, and I will not marry Gu Xun!"

Mrs. Gu replied, "This is the Empress’s will. Miss Mei, you would do well to obey."

Mei Wanying looked down at them, her expression as proud as ever. "If Pei Yan were to find out his own child was calling another man ’Father,’ what do you think his reaction would be?"