Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 349 Even a tiger won't eat its cubs.
"You have no idea how ashamed those pedantic scholars were back then, deliberately saying those things. Hahaha, Sister Ying is right. What kind of skill is it to be generous with other people's money? If they really couldn't stand it, they could have just paid for it themselves. But they didn't want to pay out of their own pockets, so they forced this unfounded responsibility onto others. If others didn't do things their way, they were cruel and heartless. No matter how many years have passed, there will always be people who regard this kind of nonsense as the ultimate truth."

Even now, when Lin Xu thinks of those men from back then, she can't help but laugh out loud.

At that time, she only felt disgusted and didn't understand why they would say such things. Later, her older sister told her that the reason those men went to such lengths to smear the General's Mansion was simply because the General's Mansion was in a higher position than them. They were envious, jealous, and hateful, but they couldn't bring down the General's Mansion and take its place. Therefore, they could only resort to words, trying to use the power of words to shame the General's Mansion in order to highlight their own superiority.

Ultimately, they just want to wait for a better price, hoping their words and actions will be known and appreciated by their superiors.

“I never thought that Sister Ying did anything wrong. You probably can’t imagine how I was able to get help from someone like her when I was in the mud, and without any expectation of reward. It was just that I was simply moved to tears when I saw a girl being forced by her tribe to do a good deed.”

"It wasn't until that time that I realized that women don't have to compromise their principles in this world and can follow their own nature."

"Look at this, isn't it amazing? I've lived for over ten years and grown up with my parents' love, but only in front of Sister Ying did I realize that a woman can live so freely and unrestrainedly."

Lin Shuran knew nothing about these things. This was the first time she had heard her mother talk about her past. That's why she found it strange. Since her mother admired General Ying so much, why would she share a husband with him?

This seems rather illogical.

Seeing her daughter's thoughts reflected in her eyes, Lin Shuran sighed deeply. Even now, recalling what happened back then, she was still filled with hatred.

"Shortly after Sister Ying married Lin Wei, she became pregnant with the eldest daughter. Sister Ying has always been a strong woman, but even the strongest woman is weaker during pregnancy. At that time, because of his marriage to Sister Ying, Lin Wei was incredibly popular in the capital, and many people invited him to banquets every day. Although I had regained my freedom, I didn't want to bring shame to Sister Ying because of the scandal I had been involved in. So I stayed at a manor in the suburbs. When Lin Wei went out to banquets and social events, I went to visit my sister, only to find him drunk."

Lin Shuran's face suddenly turned deathly pale. With a woman's unique sensitivity and keen observation, although Madam Lin Xu hadn't spoken, she already guessed what was going on, but this guess caused her immense pain. Could it be…

More than a decade later, when recalling those days, Lin Xu's eyes were filled with cold hatred and murderous intent.

"Yes, he raped me while he was drunk!"

Lin Xu didn't even use a more subtle word to describe it. Perhaps all these years, she had been constantly thinking about that incident, but standing beside the enemy, she had to wear a mask of gentleness, loveliness, and even occasional jealousy every day. How much pain must her mother have endured for over a decade living like this? Yet, she was completely oblivious. She was an incompetent daughter…

and many more!

Considering her age, could she have been born under such circumstances?

Lin Shuran felt utterly disgusted; she had come to this. As a woman, she could better understand the intense humiliation a woman feels when forced into sexual relations. It's a shattering of one's personality, a trampling of dignity, and physical torture. A man, even if he doesn't love a woman, can still be intimate with her in bed. But a woman who doesn't love a man finds it difficult to be intimate with him, let alone bear children.

“I simply don’t believe a man could force himself on a woman when he’s completely drunk! Besides, I saw it clearly at the time; Lin Wei wasn’t drunk at all! He did it on purpose! It was just because I happened to be there at that time and place, because I was dressed plainly, and because I only had a maid with me. So he didn’t hesitate to make his move. All of this was simply because he wanted to do it.”

"Look at this, this is the true face of a man. He suffers outside but dares not vent his anger on his wife, who comes from a noble family. He can only vent it on an innocent woman he doesn't know, because he knows this woman is weak and helpless. He even knows what good can come of a woman who has been raped by some random man?! She will either be drowned in the scorn of the world or beg and plead with him to marry her. Isn't that ridiculous? This is the best outcome for a woman who has been bullied!"

"Anyway, I think it's all ridiculous. I bled a lot back then, and I even suspect that Lin Wei wanted to kill me when he regained consciousness. He might really have had murderous intent because my little maid suddenly disappeared. Nobody knows where she went or whether she's still alive!"

"Actually, I did think about ending it all at that time. But if Sister Ying knew that her husband was such a shameless beast, how heartbroken she would be. Moreover, she had just become pregnant with the eldest daughter, and the pregnancy was unstable. I heard the doctor tell her with my own ears that she must not get angry. Otherwise, not only would the child be lost, but she would also be in danger."

"So I didn't tell Sister Ying about this until her pregnancy was stable, and then I followed Lin Wei's wishes and entered the mansion."

“I still remember what he said when he forced himself on me. He said, ‘What’s so noble about her? Even the noblest woman still has to be pinned down by a man and bear children. Childbirth is a life-or-death ordeal for women; countless women don’t make it and both mother and child perish. Who can guarantee you’ll be one of those successful ones?’”

Lin Shuran suppressed her worries for the time being and spoke in disbelief.

"Could it be that Father—no! Lin Wei had already decided to target General Ying back then? My elder sister is his own daughter! Even a tiger wouldn't eat its own cubs..."

“He’s not that stupid. He wouldn’t have attacked General Ying a few months ago. I know he would only do it on the day Ying gave birth, when the whole mansion was in chaos. Look how pathetic he is, so cowardly that he only dares to attack when Ying is at her weakest. Because he knows that if he doesn’t do it this way, he won’t be able to harm Ying at all.”