My husband, who abandoned his father and kept his son, actually wants me to be his concubine.

Chapter 18 Treating as one's own child
Rong Yi suppressed his doubts and looked at Lu Jinshi, saying, "Since you came to Chang'an, have you seen your seriously ill grandfather?"

Lu Jinshi frowned slightly and asked, "Why are you asking this?"

Rong Yi said, "Logically, I should accompany you to see your grandfather. Is your grandfather seriously ill? The Marquis of Changping's residence has a familiar imperial physician, so we can have him take a look at your grandfather."

Lu Jinshi frowned slightly and said, "There's no need for that."

Rong Yi stared intently at Lu Jinshi, "You traveled a long way to see your grandfather, which shows your filial piety. How come you say it's unnecessary now that there's an imperial physician to treat your grandfather?"

Rong Yi realized that he had been so angry these past two days because of Lu Jinshi's argument about abandoning his father and keeping his son.

Thinking about it carefully, where did all these coincidences come from?

Lu Jinshi came from Jiangnan to Chang'an to see his seriously ill grandfather one last time.

His fiancée, Miss He, also traveled from out of town to Chang'an to see the old Marquis He one last time.

Lu Jinshi is pregnant out of wedlock, and so is Miss He.

Then there's only one possibility: Lu Jinshi is his fiancée, the eldest daughter of the He family...

Lu Jinshi said, "My grandfather has passed away."

Rong Yi's lips curled slightly.

Lu Jinshi frowned and looked at Rong Yi, saying, "My grandfather has passed away, and you can still laugh?"

Rong Yi hurriedly said, "Please accept my condolences. I'll accompany you to offer incense to your grandfather."

Lu Jinshi frowned and said, "Don't you know your own identity? You're nothing but a male concubine. You have no right to offer incense to my grandfather. Go away."

This time, Rong Yi did not linger with Lu Jinshi. He left the academy in a hurry and rushed back to the palace, going straight into the Xuanzheng Hall.

Inside the Xuanzheng Hall.

"Father."

Emperor Huiyuan looked at Rong Yi, who was rushing in, and asked, "Where have you been all morning? I haven't seen you since."

Rong Yi smiled and said, "I've gone to study at Lingxiao Academy."

Emperor Huiyuan asked, "Why are you rushing in like this? What brings you here?"

Rong Yi said, "I would like to ask about the maiden name of my betrothed princess."

Emperor Huiyuan said, "You don't need to ask anymore. You and she are not destined to be together. She already has a child and it is not appropriate for her to enter the palace as your principal wife."

Rong Yi asked, "Father, what does the eldest daughter of the He family look like?"

Emperor Huiyuan said, "Logically speaking, you should have met her. You studied at Tianzhang Academy for two years, didn't you ever see Dean Qin's daughter?"

Rong Yi asked, "Is Miss He the daughter of Dean Qin?"

Emperor Huiyuan nodded slightly and said, "I have bestowed this marriage upon you and her not only because she is the daughter of your Aunt Mingzhu, but also because she is the daughter of Tianzhang Academy. In the past twenty years, Tianzhang Academy has produced many pillars of the court and can be said to have students all over the world. If you marry her, all the students of Tianzhang Academy will be your students in the future."

Upon hearing Emperor Huiyuan's words, Rong Yi pursed his thin lips slightly, "It really is her?"

"Who?" Emperor Huiyuan looked at Rong Yi.

Rong Yi gently shook his head, "Nobody."

Emperor Huiyuan looked Rong Yi up and down and said, "You've been at Tianzhang Academy for two years, so you must have seen her, right? Miaomiao is so beautiful. I really did you a favor by bestowing a marriage upon you. It's just a pity that she's so audacious. She actually found a young scholar to have a child with, omitting the father and keeping the child. She is definitely not suitable to be your principal wife."

Rong Yi's Adam's apple bobbed slightly; he wanted to speak, but didn't know how.

Tell his father that the young scholar who was conceived through artificial insemination was him.
For a prince to be tricked into lending his son was absurd even to Rong Yi himself. Rong Yi knew he absolutely could not let his father, the Emperor, know about this, otherwise he would lose all face.

If Lu Jinshi treats me like a male concubine, intending to summon me at will and dismiss me at will, then don't blame me for retaliating.

Rong Yi said, "Father, I don't mind that she had a child before marriage. After all, I also had a child before marriage. Neither of us has to look down on the other."

Emperor Huiyuan frowned slightly: "How can it be that no one has to look down on anyone else? The reason she had a child before marriage must be that she didn't want to suffer in her husband's family."

Rong Yi said, "I will not let her suffer. I am willing to marry her as my principal wife. Since the imperial decree of marriage has been issued, you cannot go back on your word and withdraw the decree."

Emperor Huiyuan looked at Rong Yi and said, "Absurd! She has a child, how can she still be your principal wife?"

Rong Yi said in a low voice, "To be honest, Father, I did see Miss He at Tianzhang Academy and fell in love with her at first sight. I don't care that she already has a child. Having a child just proves that she is fertile."

Emperor Huiyuan couldn't help but get angry and said, "Who did you learn this philandering from? Did you go to Jiangnan to study so that you would fall in love with every woman you met?"

Rong Yi hurriedly knelt down and said, "Your son knows his mistake, but your son truly wants to marry Miss He as his principal wife. I will also take care of her child as if it were my own. I beg Your Majesty to grant my request."

Emperor Huiyuan sighed and said, "Since that's how it is, I'll just consider it a free grandson."

Rong Yi smiled gently and said, "Thank you, Father."
-
Lu Jinshi returned to East Street from the academy in the afternoon.

As soon as Lu Jinshi returned to the courtyard on East Street, he saw a palace eunuch.

"Sir, is there anything I can help you with?"

Eunuch Yang smiled faintly at Lu Jinshi and said, "The Seventh Prince requests that the eldest young lady go to the palace."

Lu Jinshi frowned slightly. What did the Seventh Prince want with her in the palace? But Lu Jinshi had no choice but to comply. After handing the sleeping Xiao Zhang'er over to the wet nurse, she went inside to change her clothes before following Eunuch Yang to the palace.

Lu Jinshi didn't know much about the Seventh Prince, but by all accounts, he was Rong Yi's cousin.

I wonder if he's like Rong Yi, a hypocrite in human form but a beast in human clothing!
Lu Jinshi cursed Rong Yi in his heart as he followed Eunuch Yang into the Jade Palace where the Seventh Prince lived.

Lu Jinshi stepped into the main hall of the Jade Palace. The jade bricks in the hall reflected people's images. The jade was of fine quality. The fact that the floor was paved with this jade showed His Majesty's favor towards the Seventh Prince.

Inside the main hall, the beaded curtains and gauze curtains hung down, and Lu Jinshi could only vaguely make out the figures of people, unable to see the face of the man in front of her.

"Your subject, Lu Jinshi, pays respects to Your Highness the Seventh Prince."

Lu Jinshi hurriedly knelt down to pay his respects.

"Ahem." A steady and familiar voice came from inside the beaded curtain and gauze tent. "No need for formalities, please rise."

Lu Jinshi heard a familiar voice. The Seventh Prince's voice did sound somewhat like Rong Yi's, but upon closer listening, it was not. Rong Yi's voice was not as deep and mellow as this one; it was clear and crisp.

Perhaps it's because the two cousins ​​have similar voices.

“Miss Lu, my father has already arranged a marriage between us.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Jinshi frowned slightly and said, "Your Highness, although His Majesty has already issued the imperial decree, I... I already have a child and am no longer worthy to be your Seventh Prince's Consort. I have already begged His Majesty to withdraw the decree of marriage."

Inside the gauze curtain, Rong Yi slowly spoke, "I don't mind that you had a child before marriage. I will treat your child as my own..."

Lu Jinshi nervously fiddled with her painted nails. Had the Seventh Prince gone mad? Or was he so concerned about the power behind her that he didn't even care that she had given birth?

Treat them as your own children...

How could he treat her as his own child? Besides, this child is his cousin's bloodline.

(End of this chapter)