This year has been enough for Qi Wan to clearly understand her identity and situation.
But even so, she didn't expect that today's Hongmen Banquet would neither divorce her nor drive her away.
But to take her life.
Qi Wan bent down, looked at Mrs. Zheng who was crying and couldn't stop crying, and said in a soft voice,
"Mother, Ming Yue is still young, am I already old?"
"She can't just die, can I?"
The old lady, Princess Chengyang, spoke up: "Qi Wan, you have always been a generous and sensible child. The Duke's Palace owes Ming Yue, and you also owe Ming Yue. You should understand your mother's mood at this time."
Qi Wan looked at her "father" Qi Guogong. Qi Guogong used to love her very much, but now he seemed to be a little entangled, heartbroken and helpless: "Wan'er, Mingyue has suffered a lot in these years. That family has treated her very harshly. But there is no difference." Dad doesn't want to use this method to save her, now, there is really no time, Wan'er, Mingyue can't afford to wait."
Qi Wan looked at everyone present one by one.
The eldest brother said: "Little sister, please help Mingyue. She is innocent."
The second brother said: "Qi Wan, you are not from our family to begin with. Don't you feel guilty while enjoying these things that do not belong to you?"
The cousin said: "Cousin, you have to be grateful as a person. Your uncle and aunt have raised you for sixteen years. You should repay their kindness in raising you."
The young Marquis said: "Qi Wan, you are so thick-skinned. How can you still live after occupying the magpie's nest for so many years?"
Finally, there was her husband, Lian Jinchen. They had known each other since they were young, and she had been in love with him for many years. When she was fourteen, Lian Jinchen's biological mother, Princess Huiqin, came to propose marriage in person, and asked for the marriage granted by the imperial edict.
They were engaged for two years before getting married. She always thought that Lian Jinchen liked her.
Lian Jinchen said: "Qi Wan, as long as you agree to this, I promise you the position of princess, and you will always be my original wife."
Qi Wan smiled.
Upbringing? Dove occupying magpie's nest? Original wife?
Didn't her parents raise Qi Mingyue? It is said that Qi Mingyue has suffered a great injustice, but if her parents were not careful, how could Qi Mingyue, a person born with a heart disease, live to this day? Xu her original wife, does it refer to the memorial tablet?
He just forced her to die, but he wanted to say it in such a high-sounding way.
"Okay." Qi Wan responded.
"However, I have a condition."
If she didn't respond, she might not be able to get out of this courtyard alive today.
Everyone didn't expect her to agree so quickly. They were afraid that she would regret it, so they hurriedly said, "You say it."
Qi Wan looked at Lian Jinchen and said: "The day after tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet. Since my marriage to the prince, I have never attended the banquet together. Since the prince is willing to grant me the position of princess, please accompany me. I can't I am going to die, and I will be laughed at as an abandoned woman who is not recognized by the prince."
Lian Jinchen's face darkened slightly.
Others also frowned. How could she, a merchant girl, dare to make such a request?
However, thinking of Qi Mingyue who was dying, they still endured it and just looked at Lian Jinchen nervously.
Lian Jinchen was a little disgusted with Qi Wan's greed, but for Qi Mingyue, he still nodded: "Okay."
…
Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet.
Qi Wan was dressed in a first-class princess-level palace attire, a phoenix tail hairpin, and her makeup was ceremoniously put on.
She was already bright-looking, and dressed up like this, she was even more gorgeous.
Lian Jinchen was stunned by her dress for a moment, and then showed disgust.
As expected of a businesswoman, she is really gaudy.
After entering the palace, Qi Wan instantly became the focus of discussion.
The people who originally bet on when she would be divorced looked at each other in confusion. Of course, they were more mocking her for taking someone else's position, so how could she still have the nerve to come out?
Qi Wan ignored them all.
Of course Qi Guogong's family also came, except Qi Mingyue, who said he was seriously ill and couldn't breathe.
Mrs. Zheng sheds tears whenever she mentions Qi Mingyue to others, which makes Qi Wan even more shameless as she stands here alive and kicking.
Even Jinchen kept a sullen face throughout the whole process and didn't even look at Qi Wan.
Qi Wan was smiling and talking all the time, as if nothing had happened, greeting and chatting with people, completely ignoring the taunts.
Halfway through the banquet, the emperor stood up and left, and Qi Wan also left her seat.
About a quarter of an hour later, someone suddenly exclaimed,
"Isn't that Princess Chen?"
Everyone followed the sound and saw Qi Wan standing at the railing of Yunguang Terrace, looking down at them.
The Emperor of Xiliang liked tall buildings. The place where he held palace banquets was called Yunguang Terrace. It was built on the top of the mountain. The platform was ten feet high from the ground.
The railing where Qi Wan was standing was behind where the Emperor of Xiliang placed the dragon chair. After the Emperor of Xiliang left, the dragon chair was moved away, leaving the imperial platform empty.
Nearly one foot below the imperial platform is the banquet hall where officials are entertained.
Stairs separate the banquet hall and the imperial platform. In front of Qi Wan is the banquet hall and behind him is the ten-foot high platform.
"Qi Wan, what are you doing?!"
Lian Jinchen stood up and shouted angrily.
He wanted to go forward, but was stopped by the imperial guards guarding the steps.
Qi Wan looked at everyone in the audience with a smile.
"My lord, don't be impatient. Since I have agreed, I will not fail to keep my word."
"I want to come here today, but there are some things that should be explained clearly before the end. This will prevent me from continuing to be slandered after my death in the future."
"Everyone knows that I, a small business girl from a peasant family, made the mistake of marrying Qi Mingyue, the daughter of Duke Qi's family. Now that the daughter of the Duke of Qi has returned, I, a business girl with a dishonorable reputation, am naturally not worthy of being a state official. The young lady from the palace is not worthy to be Prince Chen’s concubine.”
"Qi Mingyue was born with a heart disease. Now they want to use my heart to treat the disease. They asked me to dig it out."
"Shut up!" Several people in the audience shouted almost simultaneously. They even wanted to step forward to stop Qi Wan from continuing, but were stopped by the imperial guards.
Qi Wan smiled as she looked at the faces of Lian Jinchen and the Qi family who wanted to tear her apart.
"You said that I occupied a magpie's nest, that you were kind to me in raising me, that I robbed Qi Mingyue's husband, and that I owed Qi Mingyue."
"First of all, I didn't know about the wrongful accusation. I am also a victim. Who am I to occupy a magpie's nest?"
"Second, you raised me, and my parents also raised Qi Mingyue. Your upbringing is a kindness, but my parents' is not a kindness?"
"Third, Your Majesty, since you like Qi Mingyue and you and I have not consummated the marriage and just returned to our respective places, why don't you just marry Qi Mingyue again? Why did I steal her sweetheart?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Mrs. Zheng yelled and cursed like crazy: "Everything you have now, which part of it was not stolen from Ming Yue?"
"You are right, some things are indeed not mine." Qi Wan nodded and said,
"You named me Qi Wan. This name does not belong to me, so I will give it back to you."
She took off the jewelry and hairpins one by one from her hair: "These are not mine either."
Then he took off his coat and said, "These are not the same."
She took off her clothes until she was left with nothing but her inner clothes, and then put down a piece of gold leaf she held in her palm: "Your Majesty just rewarded me with this. I bought this set of inner clothes, which should be more than enough."
"All my belongings have been returned, and the Qi family and I have severed all ties with each other."
"Also, although I am no longer Qi Wan, the engagement does not count, but His Majesty is kind-hearted and gave me a letter of separation. I heard that my biological father's surname is Chen. Today, the Chen family's daughter is married to Chen Wang and Li. From then on, in all the lives to come, we will never have any ties with each other."
Qi Wan handed the imperial edict placed on the railing to the guard and asked him to give it to Lian Jinchen.
Then he took the dagger placed on it and pierced his chest with the knife. The blood flowed out and dyed his white underwear red.
"I'll let you take this heart away for now."
"I will definitely get it back in the next life."
She reached into her chest with her bare hands, pulled out her heart, and placed it on the clothes she had taken off.
Turn around and jump off the railing.
