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

Chapter 45: Persuade for Reconciliation, Not Separation

Princess Yongjia noticed the trouble in Lu Jinshi's eyes: "Has something happened to the驸马 (the驸马, the驸马)?"

Lu Jinshi said in a deep voice, "This matter should have been confessed to you by the Prince Consort himself... but I never expected that even after the Prince Consort knew that his actions had been exposed, he still did not return home all night."

Princess Yongjia's heart tightened. "If the prince consort has done anything wrong, don't hide it from me."

Lu Jinshi said in a low voice, "The prince consort has a mistress outside the marriage, and they have already had a daughter. Now that mistress is six months pregnant."

Princess Yongjia was stunned, as if struck by lightning. She could not believe it and it took her a long time to say, "Jinshi, you must not talk nonsense like this. Do you know the crime of slandering the prince consort?"

Lu Jinshi said, "It is precisely because I know the crime of slandering the prince consort that I would never dare to spread rumors and cause trouble."

Princess Yongjia stumbled, and Lu Jinshi rushed forward to support her, saying, "Sister."

Princess Yongjia bit her lower lip, tears streaming down her face, and choked out, "I've known him since childhood, we fell in love as teenagers, and we've been husband and wife for six years now. How could he treat me like this?"

Princess Yongjia was heartbroken. She could hardly believe that her husband would keep a mistress behind her back. All their sweet words and affection had become a joke.

Lu Jinshi supported Princess Yongjia and felt extremely sorry for her when he saw her so heartbroken.

Lu Jinshi's memory once again went back to her childhood. Her memories of being three years old were already very vague, but those memories were so vivid that she could vaguely remember her mother's melancholy and how her mother would always wake up crying in the middle of the night.

Later, when Lu Jinshi studied the Book of Poetry, he learned the line "A man's infatuation can be explained, but a woman's infatuation cannot," and only then did he understand why his mother cried bitterly at night.

Princess Yongjia's current situation is remarkably similar to that of her mother back then.

Lu Jinshi comforted her, saying, "Your Highness, the feelings you had when you were young must have been real, but people's hearts are fickle. Don't be too sad for such an unworthy man."

Princess Yongjia said unwillingly, "He clearly held a birthday banquet for me just a few days ago and even gave me a rare luminous pearl as a birthday gift..."

Tears streamed down Princess Yongjia's face. "How could he have children with other women outside?"

Seeing Princess Yongjia weeping so bitterly, Lu Jinshi sighed slightly. She finally understood why her mother had wholeheartedly supported her absurd idea of ​​leaving her father behind.

Men in this world are prone to fickle hearts.

Lu Jinshi helped Princess Yongjia into the room and sat her down: "Sister, there is no need to be so sad and upset over such a man who deceived you. As a princess, it is not worth tormenting your own body for this. You can take your resentment out on Prince Consort Yuan."

Princess Yongjia wiped away her tears with a handkerchief. She was extremely heartbroken and instructed the maid beside her, "Go and summon the Prince Consort. I want to ask him why he betrayed me like this."

"Oh dear, my child, why are you crying so bitterly?"

As soon as Princess Yongjia finished speaking, Lu Jinshi saw a middle-aged noblewoman enter from outside.

Seeing that this noble lady looked like Yuan Fei, Lu Jinshi immediately guessed her identity and bowed, saying, "Madam of the Duke of Zhenguo."

Madam Yuan glanced at Lu Jinshi, then walked to Princess Yongjia's side and said, "My child, why are you crying so bitterly? The imperial physician said your health has been poor these past few days; how can you weep so much and damage your vital energy?" Lu Jinshi looked at Madam Yuan and said, "Madam, are you aware that the Imperial Son-in-Law Yuan is keeping a mistress outside the marriage, and that she has a daughter and is now pregnant again?"

Madam Yuan sighed softly and said to Princess Yongjia, "I only learned about this this morning. Yuan Jie's grandmother is now over sixty years old, and her only wish is to see her great-grandson. Yuan Jie only sought out a woman outside to have an heir out of filial piety..."

Lu Jinshi said, "What a laughable filial piety! If Prince Consort Yuan wanted an heir, he should have come to ask the princess to grant him a concubine to continue the family line, instead of hiding it from the princess, having another family outside, keeping a mistress and having children, and treating the princess like a joke!"

Madam Yuan said, “Princess, the reason why Yuan Jie has not come to ask you to take a concubine is because he loves you very much. He does not want to hurt you by mentioning taking a concubine. You two met when you were young and have a deep love for each other. He loves you very much. Back then, he was willing to give up his military power to become the princess consort, which shows how deep his love for you is.”

Princess Yongjia clenched her teeth and her hands trembled slightly as she listened to Madam Yuan's words.

Madam Yuan said, "Princess, my Yuan Jie is truly devoted to you. He keeps a mistress outside the home for the sake of our offspring."

You've been taking bitter medicine for four or five years now, and he can't bear to see you constantly troubled by the thought of having children. Once that mistress gives birth to a son, Yuan Jie will naturally leave the mother and the child behind, driving her far away. At that time, that mistress's son will also be your child..."

Lu Jinshi sneered and said, "How can a child that doesn't come from your own womb be your own child?"
If it is a son born out of wedlock, then he can be considered half a biological son.

But this is the child of a concubine. When this child grows up and learns that his birth mother was abandoned and only the child was kept, how can that child still regard Her Highness the Princess as his own mother?

Madam Yuan frowned and looked at Lu Jinshi, saying, "And who are you? This is a matter for our Yuan family."

Lu Jinshi said, "I am the future Seventh Prince's consort, and Princess Yongjia can be considered my future elder sister. This is also a family matter."

Although she disliked Rong Yi, she had to admit that Rong Yi's name was indeed more useful than that of Princess Mingzhu's daughter.

Upon learning Lu Jinshi's identity, Madam Yuan could only say to the princess, "Princess, I guarantee that the child will not know who his birth mother is."

Lu Jinshi said, "There are no secrets in this world. Your Yuan family deceived the princess, and now you dare to try to deny it. Do you even want Her Highness to acknowledge that concubine?"

Madam Yuan said, "I'm not making excuses, Your Highness. You should know how deeply Jie'er loves you. He had no choice but to do this to continue the Yuan family line."

Princess Yongjia silently shed tears.

Lu Jinshi scoffed again: "So affectionate that you can be intimate with other women? And have two children?"

Madam Yuan was truly helpless with Lu Jinshi. "Young lady, as the saying goes, it's better to tear down ten temples than to break up one marriage. We advise reconciliation rather than separation. Things have come to this point, and Yuan Jie is already ashamed and knows he was wrong. Please, Your Highness, give Yuan Jie another chance."

Lu Jinshi said, "I have always heard of the prestige of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Our ancestors fought side by side. They were so brave. How come now, the heir of the Marquis of Yongxing's mansion is so cowardly, and the heir of your Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is just as cowardly?"

Yuan Jie is ashamed? Why doesn't he come and kneel down to beg for forgiveness himself? Why does he need you, his mother, to come to Her Highness the Princess on his behalf? What kind of shame and remorse is that? He doesn't even dare to be punished; he's unworthy of being a man!

When Madam Yuan heard Lu Jinshi scolding even her own father, she immediately regretted why she had chosen to handle this mess for Yuan Jie.

Madam Yuan instructed the maid behind her, "Go and summon the prince consort. Tell him to come and apologize to Her Highness the princess!"

(End of this chapter)