Quick Transmigration: Why did you provoke him? He's love-struck!

Chapter 322 Towards the Golden Palace (26)

Upon hearing this, Yan Zhen feigned anger: "Xie Zhao, you've gone too far!"

Xie Zhao said confidently, "What can you do to me!"

Yan Zhen trembled with rage, sweeping the wine glass off the table: "If you push me too far, I don't mind fighting you to the death!"

Xie Zhao looked at the imposing woman in front of him, a strange glint in his eyes.

Although her face was still the same, Luo Yun was completely different from the honest, timid, and stupid woman he remembered who dared not talk back when scolded.

It looks...very interesting.

As Xie Zhao's thoughts raced, a clearer plan formed in his mind.

He softened his expression and said, "Don't get agitated. I'm not here to argue with you today. You don't want your identity exposed, and you have something on me. I'm not the victor in front of you. As for a fight to the death, we don't need to go that far. What do you think, Yunniang?"

Yan Zhen was taken aback, as if the familiar yet distant address had stirred up some memories. She quickly calmed down and asked, "What do you want to say?"

Xie Zhao picked up the wine cup and toyed with it in his hand: "Now that things have come to this, why don't we be frank and talk things out? Yunniang, did you come to the capital this time to take revenge on me?"

His attitude softened noticeably—the fish had taken the bait.

Yan Zhen sneered, "So what if it is, and so what if it isn't?"

“I know you’re not happy. The top scholar you’ve worked so hard to produce over the years has married someone else. Anyone with backbone would find it hard to swallow this insult. And you are indeed quite clever. Six years later, you’ve produced another top scholar. Yunniang, you’ve stirred up my competitive spirit.”

Yan Zhen was taken aback at first, then turned his face away arrogantly: "Indeed, I want to prove to you that you are not unique. I can help you become the top scholar, and I can also help others to achieve that position in the same way. Moreover, this new top scholar is more obedient than you."

Xie Zhao tightened his grip on the wine glass slightly, but smiled and said, "Your way of sulking is quite unique. However, compared to this new top scholar, there are some things between us that he can't match, such as children."

Yan Zhen immediately fell silent.

Xie Zhao knew from her expression that he had her true weakness.

He had seen firsthand how good Luo Yun had been to the two children back then.

The separation from her children over the past three years must have caused her immense pain. By risking exposure to enter the capital and deliberately showing herself in front of him, she is very likely trying to take Xie Zhaolin and Xie Wanfang away.

Yan Zhen was silent for a moment, then said, "I want to see them."

Xie Zhao's suspicions were confirmed, and a smile appeared on his lips: "No."

Yan Zhen immediately became furious: "Why should I! That's my child!"

Xie Zhao said, "Since you have investigated me, you should know that the two children are now being raised under the Meng family's name. If you rashly go to see them and the Meng family finds out about our past, you will be in trouble."

At best, if Madam Meng develops resentment towards Lin and Wanfang, she might mistreat them later. At worst, if Madam Meng discovers she's been deceived and goes back to the Meng family to complain, then neither of us will have an easy time.”

Yan Zhen said anxiously, "Isn't Meng Shi treating Lin and Wanfang well? She is, after all, a young lady from a prominent family. How can she treat her stepson and stepdaughter like this?"

Speaking of this, Xie Zhao sighed softly: "It's neither good nor bad. Meng Shi never had children, and the two children were already so old when they were registered under her name. They could never get close to her. When we first arrived in the capital, Zhao Lin cried more than once, wanting to find her biological mother. Wan Fang also always complained that Meng Shi was stingy with her and wouldn't even buy her a fashionable piece of jewelry."

Yan Zhen immediately clutched his chest, his face full of heartache: "My poor children... No! I have to take them away! No matter what it takes, I will take them away! I am now very wealthy and can support them. Xie Zhao, if you really care about Zhao Lin and Wan Fang, give them back to me!"

When Xie Zhao heard the words "wealthy family," his eyes flickered: "Give it back to you? You make it sound so easy. Two living, breathing children, you just take them away like that? How am I supposed to explain this to the Meng family?"

"Doesn't she dislike my Zhaolin and Wanfang? Wouldn't she be even happier if I took the child away?"

“She does not like our children, but she cannot have children. Having children under her name will save her from a lot of gossip, so she will not give them up easily.”

"Then what should we do?" Yan Zhen said angrily. "Are you going to let my child stay in the Xie family and suffer the mistress's disdain every day?"

Xie Zhao tapped his finger on the table, pondered for a while, and said, "Is it for the sake of the child that you are willing to pay any price?"

Yan Zhen nodded without hesitation: "Yes!"

"Then you shall become a concubine in the Xie household."

Yan Zhen was startled, then laughed in exasperation.

"Xie Zhao, are you kidding me? I'd give up a perfectly good life as the wife of a top scholar to become a concubine in your Xie household?"

Xie Zhao was not surprised by her refusal: "Being a concubine is just a delaying tactic. Once I'm promoted and no longer rely on the Meng family's support, I'll find a reason to divorce Meng and make you my legal wife. Then you can be by Zhaolin and Wanfang's side, and you'll also be the real wife of the top scholar. Isn't that killing two birds with one stone?"

Yan Zhen began to ponder.

Seeing that she was starting to weigh her options, Xie Zhao knew that he had made the right move. He patiently persuaded her, "You went to so much trouble to support Xue Lin's studies because you were unwilling to accept that the title of 'the wife of the top scholar' was taken away by Meng Shi. Xue Lin was the top scholar, and so was I. We also have a child. No matter how you look at it, being with me is more worthwhile than being with him."

Yan Zhen thought for a long time before saying, "You were willing to kill me to marry Meng Shi back then, and today you divorced Meng Shi to make me your wife. How do I know you won't try to kill me again for someone else in the future?"

“I’m not a bloodthirsty demon,” Xie Zhao said. “Besides, you’re not the same person you used to be. Even if I wanted to kill you, you’re capable of protecting yourself, aren’t you?”

Yan Zhen tacitly agreed with his words, lowered his eyelashes, thought for a moment, and then said, "But I heard that Meng is lame and has been kept in seclusion for many years. Where can such a woman go after being divorced? What if she can't bear the blow and tries to commit suicide?"

Xie Zhao said coldly, "If she really wants to die over such a trivial matter, then it can only be said that this is her destiny, and she has no one else to blame but herself."

Yan Zhen narrowed his eyes: "Xie Zhao, you are truly vicious."

Xie Zhao disagreed: "If a person doesn't look out for himself, he'll be punished by heaven and earth."

Xie Zhao was overjoyed when she persuaded Yan Zhen to agree to become her concubine.

The two discussed some details, such as that before divorcing Meng, Yan Zhen should not reveal to her that he was the biological mother of Xie Zhaolin and Xie Wanfang, nor should he let her know about their past.

Although Yan Zhen was somewhat reluctant, she "reluctantly" agreed for the sake of the child.

Seeing that it was getting late and Xie Zhao still had official duties to attend to, he took his leave.

Yan Zhen, who was left in the private room, received a coded message from the butler and confirmed that Xie Zhao had gone far away. He got up and opened the door to the private room next door.

Meng Zhenyue sat there, tears streaming down her face.