Chapter 173: The Equal Wife of the General's Mansion

Qin Bi noticed and looked over.

In the main hall of the wine house, a martial cultivator held a sword, his sword dance vigorous as wind yet graceful, his chanting piercing the void; many watched, clapping and smiling, yet it was not noisy.

The woman's robes were simple and elegant, clearly marking her as no ordinary matron.

She offered a faint smile, met Qin Bi's gaze, and said, "I am Su Shouheng, wife of General Zhang Bing of Zhenyuan. Are you the Heir Consort of Rong Prefecture? May I sit with you?"

As she spoke, Su Shouheng glanced at Lin Yao.

Lin Yao was the chief strategist beside the Heir of Rong Prefecture; having seen him, she had guessed Qin Bi's identity.

Qin Bi guessed this General's wife either had something to discuss or simply wished to make her acquaintance. She gave a noncommittal smile: "Sit. Are you out alone?"

The General's wife gave a bitter smile: "I came with my husband."

The General's wife was a model ancient matron; though married to a warrior, every gesture of this great-family daughter cultivated by the Su clan was flawless.

Yet, abruptly joining them at one table seemed out of place.

Lin Yao moved to a small table nearby; as a man, he could not sit with the ladies. Guards stood by the young heir and the Heir Consort, while maids and nannies attended them. For the transmigrated Qin Bi, it was nothing short of bliss.

Watching the sword dance in the wine house hall, Qin Bi chatted with the General's wife: "Did your husband go to admire the flowers?"

Otherwise, why leave only this matron behind? Perhaps the General brought a concubine for company; why add a rigid, dull head of household? Admiring flowers with a concubine is far better.

Still, a matron visiting a wine house to watch men dance with swords hardly seems like her doing.

Qin Bi was different; she had asked the Heir of Rong Prefecture, and he had agreed.

"My husband favors female generals. The equal wife in our General's mansion is a female general who fought alongside him through life and death." The General's wife spoke as if discussing another's affairs.

There is no greater sorrow than a dead heart; she was weary, utterly exhausted.

The General's wife continued: "My husband accompanies his beloved. This equal wife of ours once served at the border, so she loves watching swordplay and spear drills."

Qin Bi: "..."

She peeled a boiled melon seed and placed it in the child's mouth.

Ahem, Rong Yang ate it.

The General's wife turned her gaze to the child: "You raise your child very well."

Qin Bi's gaze toward the child was gentle and bright: "His father raised him."

Realizing she had spoken pointlessly, the General's wife apologized: "Forgive me; discussing family matters with the Heir Consort is improper. I merely heard the Rong Prefecture has a female general who gained no advantage before the Heir Consort, and I wished to seek your advice."

Qin Bi guessed as much and smiled knowingly. Her luck indeed favored her when she went out; many wealthy and powerful people gravitated toward her, yet her nature was reserved, and few strangers approached her to make conversation.

The moment she heard "female general," Qin Bi understood what this matron meant.

The so-called female general had barely made a move before being killed; the General's wife, who had suffered greatly before that female general, had come to seek advice. Deep sorrow lingered in Su Shouheng's eyes.

"Kill her," Qin Bi advised.

Technically, this matron was a relative.

The wife of Marquis Qin Yan was also a daughter of the Su clan; this woman was likely her sister or cousin.

Unfortunately, Qin Bi did not know the person.

"Heh..." The General's wife gave a self-mocking smile: "It would be enough if I weren't killed. My husband and children all favor this equal wife; they all hope I die soon to make room."

In the General's mansion, Su Shouheng had long lost control of the household.

Her husband's obsession with beauty was one thing, but her children had been taken from her, their hearts turned away.

Thinking of this, the General's wife's eyes moistened; she held back her tears.

Qin Bi was startled; Rong Yang also glanced at the General's wife. Su sighed lightly and said, "I was improper. Perhaps worn down by exhaustion, I found someone to vent to."

Now that she had spoken, Su no longer cared about losing face.

Su continued: "Heir Consort, please do not mind. I wish to know: if you had not divorced He He Shizi, if he had married his longed-for white moonlight as an equal wife and taken your child away, what would you have done?"

Qin Bi imagined it: "That is impossible."

The General's wife's gaze was vacant; she said calmly, "I think so too."

Yet she had lived from a childhood sweetheart with Zhang Bing into her current state. She was no longer young, yet her husband favored a sword-wielding equal wife, and her children recognized that equal wife as their mother.

"Truly impossible." Qin Bi, having guessed some of the General's wife's family troubles, said seriously: "I was born with good fortune; my husband favors me, my child is taken—such things will not happen to me. Do not forget, we all have Fortune Value and Luck Value; they will protect me."

The worst trouble Qin Bi had encountered in this life was her engagement to He Yan. In the end, she managed to divorce as wished. This world's Heavenly Dao protects its heroine, but it will not treat her too harshly.

The General's wife was startled and whispered, "Could my Fortune Value and Luck Value be very low?"

Qin Bi shook her head: "Not necessarily. Your Fortune Value and Luck Value should not be low."

The General's wife was surprised: "What do you mean?"

"Ten beast spirit crystals," Qin Bi said while eating melon seeds. "I will solve your problem."

The General's wife was stunned: "How will you solve it for me?"

Qin Bi did not answer but asked: "Does your husband's beloved say anything that everyone believes, and have you never gained any advantage before her?"

The General's wife's heart raced; then she remembered that the affairs of the Zhenyuan General's mansion were nearly known throughout Jingcheng. Her mood calmed; steeling her resolve, she took out three beast spirit crystals.

"I have only three," the General's wife said. "I will find a way for the remaining seven later."

Three would do; it would not be right to act for free. Qin Bi told Rong Yang: "Put them away."

The little bundle immediately put them away.

Lin Yao, having listened for a long while, was frightened. He set down his tea bowl and hurried over: "Heir Consort, General Zhang Bing is a second-rank military officer. The affairs of the General's mansion are family matters; the Heir Consort cannot interfere."

You will solve it for them? How will you solve it?

The Heir of Rong Prefecture disregards everyone, yet he cannot go to someone's General's mansion to beat people.

"Young Heir!" Lin Yao signaled with his eyes, telling the child to return the crystals.

Rong Yang looked at Qin Bi. Qin Bi said to Lin Yao: "Mr., do not interfere."

Lin Yao's head swelled. Qin Bi stood up: "Let us go, General's wife. We will go admire the flowers."

Along the way, we will see that beloved of General Zhang Bing. Hmph, Qin Bi did not believe she could not kill her. She was just gathering Life Count Value for cultivation; here it came, delivered to her door.