Rebirth: My Healer Wife Owns Superpowers

Chapter 173: Chapter 173: Conspiring for the Position of the Lord of All Under Heaven
 

That evening after Qi Yue left, she returned to her room and reflected at length on the various changes that had occurred throughout the day, leaving her with immensely complex feelings.

Now she was certain that Zhao Xiyan had feelings for her.

But, when did these feelings start? Was it more gratitude or more affection? She could not be sure.

And Zhao Xiyan hadn’t mentioned anything about Lady Bai Shao, probably hoping for the bliss of having both.

Competing with other women for the same man in the back of the house?

She would never accept such a situation.

She had a hot temper, and it wouldn’t be surprising if she ended up killing Lady Bai Shao in a fit of rage.

And presumably, Zhao Xiyan would despise her for being intolerant, jealous, and cruel.

At that point, it would be likely that the two of them could only become enemies.

It was not without reason that Qi Yue had these thoughts.

In this land, where men predominated over women, almost every man had three wives and four concubines.

Rich families frequently married, bringing a new woman into the household almost every year.

Even ordinary commoners, in good years, would also spend a silver or two to bring a woman home, who would be resold when times got tough.

The only difference was that some particular wealthy and official families, despite marrying the young, would not allow them to bear children.

The Zhao Family was a prime example of this.

Despite Zhao Yongzhe and Zhao Yonglian appearing unencumbered now, they too had multiple concubines in their youth.

Although they took women, they neither favored concubines over their wives nor allowed these women to bear children; once they aged, they were outright expelled.

There was also Chu Yuntian.

He had a wife and concubines, permitted the concubines to have children, but these children were not entitled to a share of family wealth.

Then there’s the Hu Family, where Mrs. Hu controlled over a dozen concubines in the back house solely to satisfy Hu Chengxuan’s needs, without expecting anything more.

Furthermore, there was Qu Wei. This noble gentleman, not yet married, had already filled his back house with numerous women.

Such men would never entertain the thought of having just one woman; if they did, it would be a huge joke.

All these examples, combined with Zhao Xiyan’s public declaration of his beloved and that significantly soft Bai Shao hairpin, solidified Qi Yue’s resolution.

She immediately went to her desk and wrote a letter, planning to give it to Zhao Xiyan when she saw him.

After setting down her pen, she pondered for a long time and suddenly realized she wasn’t even sure what she liked about Zhao Xiyan.

His considerateness? No, she took care of him more.

His reputation? How was that her concern, when she was formidable in her own right?

Thinking it over, it seemed to be just his face and his pleasant voice.

If she encountered another man in the future who was as handsome and eloquent as Zhao Xiyan, what then?

But if she didn’t meet anyone else, and still liked him, she might just try to push Lady Bai Shao out of Zhao Xiyan’s life.

But she wasn’t planning to do that just yet.

The world was so vast, and there were so many men; she too had the right to choose!

With that thought, she tore up the letter she had written and went to bed.

But tonight, many were destined to be sleepless.

The first person who could not sleep was Zhao Xiyan.

After leaving the front hall, he went to Qi Yue’s courtyard, and from behind the low flowering hedge, he gazed for a long time.

Qi Yue’s room was silent and dark, without a trace of light.

She must have gone to that world he could not reach!

He sighed softly in the dark amongst the flowers.

Yesterday he had been so joyful, yet today he had turned to deep sorrow.

He suddenly felt that he didn’t understand Qi Yue at all.

He didn’t know what she liked or disliked.

From the initial interest to the subsequent tests and disappointments, the entire process had been a solo amusement for him.

He did not know Qi Yue’s innermost thoughts, and whether she liked or disliked him was merely speculation or hearsay from others.

Putting himself in her shoes, if he were Qi Yue, he probably wouldn’t like such a man either, would he?

Thinking this, Zhao Xiyan felt an icy chill in his heart, as if he had lost something important.

“Yueyue, I will not give up on you, you are mine.”

“No matter how you view me now, I will stay by your side in the future, protecting you, caring for you. I will make up for what I haven’t done, one thing at a time.”

He silently swore in his heart and left Qi Yue’s courtyard reluctantly.

Meanwhile, Hu Chengxuan and his son Hu Keqing were having a secret discussion.

Hu Chengxuan, having taken an antidote, had fully recovered. Although he still looked haggard, his eyes were filled with murderous intent.

Hu Keqing still looked the way he did after seeing Zhao Xiyan.

Dispirited, helpless, angry, resentful…

“Qingqing, what do you think? Now that things have come to this, are you still going to stand up for that woman? I advise you to forget about it and get ready to marry the Grand Tutor’s daughter!”

Hearing this, the stunned Hu Keqing finally lifted his head.

“No, Dad, I’ve said it before, without Yueyue, I won’t marry anyone!”

“Shut up! You cursed rascal! Didn’t you see clearly tonight? That wretched woman on the left is surnamed Zhao, and on the right, Qu. She did not even glance at you, how can you still not understand!”

Hu Chengxuan spoke, his face contorted as he drew the sword from its scabbard and swung it through the air several times before angrily sheathing it again.

“It’s all clear now, the one who poisoned us was her. She must be connected with the Guyang bandits, maybe even led the attack on the warehouse, took away the gold, and cleared out the study. Otherwise, how would she know what I had done?”

Hu Keqing shouted in shock.

“Dad, what exactly did you do? Why would Yueyue say that? She’s not that kind of person…”

Seeing his son delirious, Hu Chengxuan was almost roaring.

“Hu Keqing, how could I have a son like you!”

He furiously knocked over the items on the table, his fingers almost poking Hu Keqing’s nose.

“I’ll make it clear to you today. That woman will not like you now, or in the future! Maybe she will kill me and then kill you.”

Hearing this, Hu Keqing widened his eyes in fright.

“Dad, what exactly did you do? Why do you say this?”

Hu Chengxuan’s contorted face suddenly burst into mad laughter.

“Seven years ago, Qi Yunzhang died at my hands! If she learns this, do you think she would still like you? Give it up!”

Hu Keqing was completely stunned.

“Why is this happening? Why?”

“Why?” Hu Chengxuan laughed wildly, “For power, military strength, for the future of the Hu Family!”

“No,” Hu Keqing suddenly stood up, his eyes bulging, “Dad, I don’t want power or military strength, I just want Yueyue!”

Hu Chengxuan slapped him, knocking Hu Keqing to the ground.

“Hu Keqing, you are my only son, Hu Chengxuan, and the future of the Hu Family. Our 150,000 Longnan Army will someday be in your hands. If you continue to be delusional, don’t blame me for not regarding our father-son relationship!”

“If you pull yourself together, when there is great chaos in the world, you and I, father and son, with our military power, could establish ourselves as overlords. By then, is there any woman you wouldn’t be able to have?”

Hu Keqing suddenly seemed to wake up from a blow.

He scrambled to his feet, not caring that his mouth was full of blood, and asked eagerly, “Father, if I become the overlord of the world, could I then have Yueyue?”

Hu Chengxuan grinned fiercely.

“Of course. If you are the overlord, everything in the world will be yours for the taking, let alone a woman.”

Suddenly, Hu Keqing seemed to transform into another person.

His once affable brows now bore a fierce severity, and the corners of his lips twisted into a sinister angle, resembling a ferocious vampire.

“Good.”

When he spoke again, his voice was as cold as a breeze from the underworld.

“I will obey you fully, Father, and together we will scheme for the throne of the world!”