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

Some people thought Pei Yan was supporting Xue Xingyao because of Chen Shujing.

The two were good friends, so it was only natural for Chen Shujing to ask Prince Chen for help in bolstering the reputation of his soon-to-be wife.

Others believed he did it for Mei Wanying’s sake.

Whatever the reason, Xue Xingyao was given ample prestige. Even without Duke Xue present, her wedding was a grand affair.

Mrs. Xue finally felt at ease and silently noted her gratitude toward Mei Wanying.

Others might not have understood the situation, but she knew a bit of the inside story.

Ah Yao had let it slip that Prince Chen seemed to have come to his senses and was starting to show genuine interest in Mei.

If the Prince hadn’t come to show his support, Ah Yao would have lost all face today. The Chen Family would have felt slighted and would surely have become dissatisfied with Ah Yao.

Fortunately, the wedding concluded perfectly.

’If she had the chance in the future, she would definitely thank Mei in person!’

「The Eastern Palace.」

When the Crown Prince had trapped Mei Wanying in a villa, Pei Yan had beaten him so severely that his right hand was almost crippled.

After several months of recuperation with the best medicine, it appeared to have returned to normal on the surface.

Only the Crown Prince himself knew that his hand could no longer exert any strength. The slightest bit of force would cause it to tremble uncontrollably.

This left him frustrated, but there was nothing he could do.

He could only place the blame on Pei Yan.

’If I’m the one who wins in the end, I’ll make Pei Yan pay a hundred times over!’

Not wanting anyone to discover his physical abnormality, the Crown Prince stopped favoring the many beautiful women in the Eastern Palace.

The amorous man had suddenly become abstinent, and the Crown Princess Consort let out a huge sigh of relief.

As long as His Highness wasn’t favoring other women, the threat to her and her child would be reduced.

’As for whether he’s still thinking about Mei Wanying, who cares?’

’He can’t have her anyway.’

Not to mention that Mei Wanying had already left the Capital City. Even if she were still here, with Prince Chen protecting her, it wouldn’t be easy for the Crown Prince to force her into the Eastern Palace.

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t tried before, but he had failed.

Trying again would only yield the same result.

...

The Crown Prince had, in fact, not given up on Mei Wanying.

The more unattainable she was, the more his heart itched for her. Mei Wanying had appeared in his dreams more than once.

The Crown Prince sent people to keep an eye on Mei Wanying, only to discover that someone was protecting her.

These people weren’t her personal bodyguards, but they maintained an impenetrable perimeter around her.

It was very difficult to do anything in secret.

"It seems my dear cousin is also susceptible to the charms of a beautiful woman."

’He protects Mei Wanying so well, yet fears making her uncomfortable, so he deliberately arranges his men at a distance—not too close, not too far.’

’Such consideration is not Pei Yan’s usual style.’

’Not even a ghost would believe that he doesn’t care about Mei Wanying!’

The Crown Prince loved competing with Pei Yan for things. Since Pei Yan liked Mei Wanying, snatching her away would be all the more interesting!

His advisor made a throat-slitting gesture. "Why not just get rid of Mei Wanying and see if *that one* loses his composure? Even if he doesn’t die on the battlefield, as long as he becomes anxious, we’ll find an opportunity to take his life!"

"No!"

The Crown Prince’s tone was grave. "There’s no reason for a woman I have my eye on to die for nothing."

He hadn’t gotten Mei Wanying yet. He couldn’t accept it!

The advisor sighed. "Your Highness, the bigger picture is what matters! Once you succeed, what’s to stop you from finding a second Mei Wanying?"

Compared to the vastness of the empire, what is one beautiful woman? 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

’His Highness is truly foolish!’

’Our side has already suffered heavy losses because of this Mei Wanying.’

The Crown Prince still disagreed. "Using a weak woman is, in the end, a dishonorable victory."

The advisor was speechless. "..."

’Since when was His Highness someone who took pity on the weak?’

He was about to say something but was interrupted by the Crown Prince. "Instead of scheming against Mei Wanying, you should be thinking of a way to keep Pei Yan at the Border."

With the two armies at war, it’s the perfect time for us to shoot a poisoned arrow from the shadows.

Pei Yan is only flesh and blood. He has to fight a war while also keeping an eye on the situation in the Capital City. He’s bound to let his guard down.

Stabbing him in the back when he least expects it—this is the perfect opportunity.

"If he returns alive, *that one* will surely reward Pei Yan handsomely. He already has everything, so any further reward... I’m afraid even my position as Crown Prince will be handed over."

The Emperor sent Pei Yan to pacify the Border for two reasons: one, to show the court officials Pei Yan’s strength, and two, for him to win the hearts of the people in the process.

As soon as Pei Yan returns to the Capital City victorious, the Emperor will definitely make his move.

At that point, his position as Crown Prince would be in real danger.

The advisor pondered for a moment before kneeling before the Crown Prince. "This subordinate has a plan, but I don’t know if I should say it."

The Crown Prince frowned. "Speak your mind."

The advisor glanced around, then lowered his voice. "Why not join forces with the enemy and launch a pincer attack, ensuring he dies at the Border?"

The Crown Prince had a private army, which served as his Amulet. He wouldn’t mobilize it unless absolutely necessary.

Mobilizing it would be an outright declaration of war.

He would either ascend the throne...

...or die!

"This course of action is perilous, but it’s your only chance. If Pei Yan returns to the Capital City alive, your position as Crown Prince will be in jeopardy. Why not risk it all!"

"The winner is king, the loser is a bandit. As long as he is dead, even if the Emperor knows you were behind it, he won’t pursue the matter to the end!"

From the day Pei Yan was officially recognized by the family, the Crown Prince had felt a deep sense of crisis.

Now, that feeling had reached its peak.

The advisor’s words tempted him, but he couldn’t make up his mind.

"If I fail, there will be no chance for me to recover."

The advisor said, "The Emperor’s health has been poor lately. Why not make two-pronged preparations? On one hand, send men to ambush Prince Chen; on the other, find a way to make *that one* pass away, allowing you to ascend the throne legitimately."

The Crown Prince’s heart leaped.

His fingers curled and then clenched into tight fists.

Ascend the throne... Such beautiful words. The mere thought of it made his blood boil with excitement.

If he could be the supreme ruler, why was he still hung up on the position of Crown Prince?

"Why not just mobilize the troops, surround the Capital City, and force him to abdicate?"

The advisor replied, "Prince Chen is an expert at leading troops into battle. If we don’t eliminate him, he will surely lead his army to attack the Imperial City."

He is a natural-born general. It would be very difficult to come out ahead in a fight against him.

They probably... wouldn’t be able to defend the Imperial City.

The best way is to put Pei Yan in a position where he is attacked from both front and rear. While he’s trapped, we take his life directly!

The Crown Prince paced back and forth a few times. "How do we contact them?"

The advisor had already thought of this. "Duke Xue’s beloved daughter was abducted. He’s desperate to save her, so he’s bound to negotiate with those people. We can hide a secret message in the correspondence. That way, the Xue Family will be tied to our boat."

If something goes wrong, the Xue Family will have to be on our side, whether they want to or not.

The more people they drag into this, the greater their chances of winning!

The reputation of a collaborator is unsavory, but as long as he could succeed, the Crown Prince didn’t care about such things.

He sat back down. "Do as you say!"

The vortex of power churned, and even though Mei Wanying was far from the Capital City, she was still affected.

Pei Yan had sent a lavish gift to Xue Xingyao, and the link between the two of them was Mei Wanying.

Suddenly, everyone was speculating about her relationship with Pei Yan.

People from the Capital City, acquaintances and strangers alike, began writing her letters one after another.

Seeing the name "Pei Yan" over and over again, Mei Wanying grew extremely annoyed and ordered someone to burn all the letters.

Her actions made it seem as if she wanted nothing more than to draw a clear line between herself and Pei Yan.

Mrs. Gu was displeased. "Miss Mei, this is an honor brought to you by His Highness. You should cherish it!"