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

The Crown Prince and Pei Yan were evenly matched, but when it came to leading troops into battle, he was no match for Pei Yan.

He was so close to taking the Emperor’s life and seizing the dragon throne for himself, but he was struck down by one of Pei Yan’s arrows.

The Crown Prince was captured on the spot, completely losing his status as Crown Prince.

The shock of the event was too much for the Emperor’s already frail body, which finally gave out.

He was barely breathing, and it looked as though he didn’t have many days left to live.

For his meritorious act of saving the Emperor, Pei Yan was named the new Crown Prince, and the Emperor entrusted all court affairs to him.

The transfer of power and the purging of the Useless Crown Prince’s faction were not tasks that could be accomplished overnight.

No matter how much Pei Yan longed for Mei Wanying, he had to settle these matters before he could go find her.

The first to be purged was the Crown Princess Consort’s maternal family. They had been unwavering supporters of the Crown Prince’s faction and had given their full backing to the coup.

Nine generations of their clan were thrown into prison, awaiting the final reckoning: beheading for those condemned to it, and exile for the rest.

It was only then that everyone realized the Crown Princess Consort had disappeared, and her child was nowhere to be found, either.

Some suspected the Crown Prince had arranged an escape route for his wife and child, sending them away in advance.

Empress Gu, however, thought differently.

"To think she was so calculating. No wonder she said she was going to the temple for spiritual cultivation that day. It was all just to make her escape easier."

Mrs. Feng asked, "Your Majesty, should we send people to pursue them?"

"Of course."

Empress Gu toyed with her Jade Bracelet. "If she were alone, I’d let her go. But she has a child with her. Given time, he could become a hidden threat. It’s better to eliminate them both now while we have the chance."

Power struggles have always been cruel. If they were just a common family, she wouldn’t have the heart to harm a child.

But there was no other way. They had no choice.

Empress Gu sent people to hunt down the mother and son. Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager also sent her own people.

Their objectives were diametrically opposed.

To the Empress Dowager, that child was a descendant of her eldest legitimate son’s line. It was the only bloodline left, and it had to be protected.

"Perhaps this is fate. Back then, the eldest son lost to the second son, and now, Pei Yan has also snatched away the title of Crown Prince."

The Empress Dowager was fond of the Useless Crown Prince. After he was imprisoned, she worried so much that her hair turned completely white.

But her anxiety was useless. Staging a coup was treason, and she could not plead for the Useless Crown Prince.

Now, the Empress Dowager had only one wish: for the Useless Crown Prince to live.

But reason told her this wish would be difficult to fulfill. Certain people wouldn’t let him live.

As the court’s power structure shifted, the investigation also implicated Duke Xue.

And the charges were not minor—he had actually assisted the Useless Crown Prince in colluding with the enemy!

It was because of their collusion from within and without that the army was attacked from both front and rear, forcing them to fight the enemy for so long.

Choosing the wrong side was terrifying, but assisting the enemy was even more so. The Xue Family’s century-old foundation was about to be destroyed.

On the day his estate was ransacked, Duke Xue screamed that he had been framed. He had only written to the enemy to negotiate out of desperation to save his daughter.

Who could have known that the Crown Prince, in order to drag the Xue Family onto his sinking ship, would hide a secret letter of treason within his own message?

He was truly innocent!

Xue Yunshu was scared to death. She hadn’t revealed any secrets, but she never expected her own father to screw things up and leave such a huge opening for their enemies.

Her life of splendor and riches was gone.

And her life might be next!

Overcome with fear, Xue Yunshu burst into tears. "If I had known this would happen, I would have rather stayed in the countryside! You’ve all ruined my life!"

Duke Xue stared in disbelief. His once naive, kind-hearted daughter, who was so passionate about saving lives, was now spouting such distorted nonsense.

He roared in anger, "You’re a jinx! You’ve destroyed the Xue Family!"

Xue Yunshu tearfully retorted, "I didn’t ask you to collude with the enemy! How could you do something so disloyal and foolish? How can you face the ancestors of the Xue Family?"

Hearing her twist the truth so brazenly, Duke Xue was so enraged he couldn’t catch his breath and fainted on the spot.

He may have fainted, but it didn’t save him from being thrown into prison.

Madam Xue’s face was streaked with tears. If she had known, she never would have let her unfilial son return home back then.

His elopement with a Medical Woman was actually a good thing for the Xue Family.

But she had been biased, insisting her own son inherit the title. Now he had brought disaster upon them all, and the Xue Family was completely finished.

How could she possibly face their ancestors?

Cries of despair filled the Duke Mansion.

Mrs. Xue’s mind was completely blank. In her wildest dreams, she had never imagined the Xue Family would be implicated in treason.

This tempest was strong enough to claim all of their lives!

And Ah Yao... with a maternal family like this, how could she possibly survive in the Chen Family?

Sorrow welled up inside Mrs. Xue, and she couldn’t help but cry out.

’If I had chosen to divorce him earlier and leave the Duke Mansion with my children, would I have been able to spare them this?’

A century-old family had collapsed so suddenly. Those who witnessed it could only sigh in lament.

"Thank goodness Miss Xue Er is already married. Otherwise, she’d be suffering along with them. Once you’ve been in a place like that, it’s impossible to marry into a good family."

"She might even lose her life."

"I wonder what the Chen Family will think. Will they look down on Miss Xue Er?"

"Even if they do, they can’t divorce her at a time like this. That would be too dishonorable."

"The Chen Family has a fine reputation. They wouldn’t kick someone when they’re down..."

News of the events in the Capital City soon reached Chen Shujing’s ears.

Xue Xingyao had just found out she was pregnant. Fearing it would cause her distress, Chen Shujing didn’t tell her about the Xue Family’s situation.

He even ordered everyone else to keep it from her.

Knowing how much Xue Xingyao cared for her family, Chen Shujing decided to go to the Capital City himself and fight for a sliver of hope for the people his wife held dear.

Before leaving, Chen Shujing needed to make arrangements for the estate.

No one was to speak carelessly in front of Xue Xingyao. If anything happened to her or the child, he would not be merciful.

But he was a step too late. Xue Xingyao had many old friends in the Capital, and one of them sent a letter directly to her.

Xue Xingyao’s eyes flew across the lines. The more she read, the more horrified she became. Her limbs grew cold and weak, and her head swam.

She could ignore the glory of the Duke Mansion, she could ignore whether her father and Xue Yunshu lived or died, but she could not ignore the lives of her mother and brother!

Xue Xingyao didn’t know what to do. The only person she could turn to for help was Chen Shujing.

She stumbled towards the study, her steps unsteady. Her personal maid followed closely, terrified she might have an accident.

They met at the study’s entrance. Seeing Xue Xingyao’s deathly pale face, Chen Shujing sighed.

’So I couldn’t keep it from her after all.’

He helped Xue Xingyao into the study and had her sit down. "Don’t worry. I’ll head to the Capital City at once."

His words were like a life-saving elixir, instantly giving Xue Xingyao a pillar of support to lean on.

Tears streamed down her face. "I want my mother and brother to live."

She could give up everything else.

This was all she wanted!

Seeing her tears, Chen Shujing’s heart ached. He gently caressed her cheek with his thumb, wiping the tears away.

"Don’t be afraid. I will go and plead with His Highness. I will certainly help you achieve your wish."

Chen Shujing left in a hurry.

Xue Xingyao stood at the door of the study, her gaze filled with gratitude as she watched him go.

’I didn’t marry the wrong man. Chen Shujing treats me so very well...’

Wiping away her tears, Xue Xingyao decided to write to her friends in the Capital City, asking them to help pull some strings.

She also asked them to keep her informed of any news by letter.

This was the first time Xue Xingyao had used Chen Shujing’s study. She wrote one letter after another and ordered them to be sent by the fastest possible means.

Just as she was about to leave the study, she caught a glimpse of a square box on the bookshelf that hadn’t been closed properly.

’Chen Shujing is always so meticulous. The recent events must have distracted him.’

Xue Xingyao walked over, intending to close the lid.

But then she saw a stack of portraits inside.