"Song, Yue Niang has lost both her parents. I only brought her to my mansion to give her a place to live. Why must you make such a scene?"
The moment Ji Xiaosong transmigrated, she heard a young man's voice.
His voice was filled with impatience, and his eyes were full of irritation.
Seeing that Ji Xiaosong remained silent, Song Yuxi continued to persuade her, "In the entire Song Family, I am the only one left in my generation. You must understand the responsibility I carry. Once you marry into the Song Family, you should also be prepared for me to have other women besides you."
Ji Xiaosong didn't answer him. Instead, she took a second to absorb this body's memories and to ask Rongrong just who her mission target was in this life.
She was originally a thin snow thousand-year-old grass, easy to keep alive and propagate, with a tenacious life force that made her impossible to kill.
By a stroke of luck, she gained sentience, but her Mana was weak.
The colored cloud, Rongrong, came from the Queen Mother's Turquoise Pool. Wishing to achieve immortality through Cultivation, she descended to the mortal realm to find Ji Xiaosong.
The two of them hit it off instantly. Following the Star Lord of Destiny's guidance, they began traversing worlds to bear children for men of great fortune who had trouble siring heirs, thereby accumulating merit for their cultivation.
Of course, the children they bore were all extraordinary.
This gave Ji Xiaosong a chance to become an immortal. Rongrong could traverse worlds but lacked a physical body, which Ji Xiaosong could provide by separating her own spirit from it. And so, their world-hopping journey began.
This was the first world they had arrived in.
'Rongrong, this man in front of me isn't my mission target, is he? He doesn't seem to like me at all. Bearing his child would be incredibly difficult, wouldn't it?'
'Don't worry, Song. Your mission target is the National Guardian General, Xiao Shen. He was afflicted with a rare poison and struggles to sire heirs. You are to bear his child, who will be the War God, descended to the mortal realm to undergo a tribulation.'
'Then who is this man in front of me?'
'He is Song Yuxi, this body's fiancé. Right now, he's trying to manipulate you into accepting his mistress. She's right behind him, by that pillar. I've already transferred the original owner's memories to you. Sort through them and figure out how to respond.'
'Okay, okay, give me a second to think.'
Ji Xiaosong sorted through the memories and learned the original owner was the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Rites. She and Song Yuxi of the Song Family—heir to a marquisate passed down for three generations—were childhood sweethearts who had been engaged at a young age.
While away on official business, Song Yuxi was seduced by a woman, got her pregnant, and brought her back to the Capital City.
The original owner initially refused to accept the situation, but Song Yuxi pressured her by using his status as the Song Family's sole heir, leaving her with no choice but to marry into the family.
Having been sheltered by her family all her life, she lacked experience in household politics and was no match for women trained in such schemes from a young age. Not only did she struggle to conceive, but she was also scorned by her husband and ultimately died a tragic death.
This was the exact moment the original owner had discovered Song Yuxi's mistress and come to confront him. Once Ji Xiaosong understood all this, her expression turned cold.
"Song Yuxi, the Ji family agreed to this marriage because the Song Family hasn't taken a single concubine in three generations. You promised me it would only be me in this life. And now, before I've even married you, you're already in a hurry to get your mistress pregnant? I will never accept her. You'd best give up that notion immediately."
Song Yuxi's face turned livid. He glared at Ji Xiaosong and ground out through clenched teeth, "We haven't seen each other for three months, and you've become this venomous? My five uncles are all without issue, and they need to adopt heirs! How could you possibly give birth to enough children alone? By doing this, you're clearly trying to sever the Song Family's bloodline!"
Thinking of the care and promises he had once showered upon the original owner, Ji Xiaosong's eyes widened as she stared in disbelief at the contorted, ugly face of the man before her.
At that moment, the last shred of affection the original owner held for him vanished like smoke into thin air.
"Hmph. Don't stand here spouting nonsense, trying to twist the truth. You broke your promise, and now you want to pin the blame on me? I'm going home right now to tell my father and brothers everything. Since you can't bear to part with her, then I will most certainly break off this engagement!"
With that, she turned to leave, but Song Yuxi reached out to stop her. "You stop right there!"
Ji Xiaosong violently threw off his hand and roared, "Don't touch me!"
Seeing Ji Xiaosong so resolute, Song Yuxi panicked. His tone softened. "Song, I've already promised that the position of my one true wife belongs to no one but you. Even if I take other women in the future, you will always be my only wife. Besides, our wedding is only a month away. There is no way the Song and Ji families will agree to call it off."
Ji Xiaosong nearly threw up last night's dinner. She took two steps back in disgust. "You once said I would be the only one for you in this lifetime. What, is a lifetime so short? Now you've already found a new love. You're a filthy man. The very sight of you makes me sick to my stomach."
After Ji Xiaosong's scathing words, a man like Song Yuxi, who was accustomed to being flattered, found it impossible to swallow his pride.
During the stalemate, the woman hiding behind the pillar emerged with a delicate grace. She spoke timidly, "Sister, please don't blame my lord. It is all my fault."
As she spoke, she caressed her slightly swollen abdomen. "Sister, I am already carrying my lord's child. The child is innocent. I can only hope that you will show some mercy."
At this, Ji Xiaosong scoffed. "Your affected, artificial act is truly nauseating! I am the daughter of the Minister of Rites. How could I ever allow a lowborn creature like you to latch on to me!"
Song Yuxi had never seen this side of Ji Xiaosong before.
He frowned at Ji Xiaosong. "Song, Yue Niang is being so humble. Can't you be more magnanimous?"
Their apparent intimacy made Ji Xiaosong laugh in fury. "Magnanimous? Your sordid affair has been exposed, and you expect me to endure it? I am a woman of noble birth! My honor remains intact whether I marry you or not. But marrying you would mean sharing a husband with a woman like *that*? That's utterly preposterous!"
With that, Ji Xiaosong flicked her sleeves and turned to leave.
But Yue Niang reached out and grabbed Ji Xiaosong's sleeve. "Sister, I'm begging you. I just want a place for myself and the child in my womb to live. I would never dare to ask for more. If I cause a rift between you and my lord, how could we ever face each other in the future?"
'She hasn't even married into the family, yet she's already calling him 'my lord' left and right. This pair is really just here to make me sick.'
"Song, the children she and any others bear will all call you Mother. I'll have them registered directly under your name…"
Before Song Yuxi could finish, Ji Xiaosong, unable to contain her fury, raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.
"Shut up! Song Yuxi, you are utterly shameless! How could you even say such a thing? What do you take me, Ji Xiaosong, for? Some backwater den for you to house all your bastards?" Ji Xiaosong's voice trembled with rage.
Song Yuxi was stunned by the sudden slap. A bright red handprint instantly appeared on his cheek.
"Ji Xiaosong, you dare hit me?" Song Yuxi clutched his face, his expression a mixture of shame and fury.
Ji Xiaosong's eyes were ice-cold, filled with contempt. "So what if I hit you? A treacherous bastard like you deserves a beating! From this day forward, our ties are severed. We have nothing more to do with each other!"
"Our ties are severed? Nothing more to do with each other?"
Song Yuxi snorted. "Ji Xiaosong, if you break off our engagement, let's see what other family in this Capital City would dare to have you."
['Song, Xiao Shen is in the room across from you, having tea with the Emperor!']
Rongrong's voice rang in Ji Xiaosong's mind.
'So, they heard my entire conversation with Song Yuxi?'
['Yes. What are you going to do?']
'Just wait. Watch me.'
Ji Xiaosong looked at Song Yuxi and said mockingly, "I am the only legitimate daughter of the Minister of Rites. Even if I don't marry you, Song Yuxi, there will be countless others lining up to ask for my hand. Within Chen Country, there is no shortage of talented young men. What do you even amount to?"
"Never mind those older than you. Just among men your age, take General Xiao. In character, intellect, reputation, and achievements, you can't even hope to touch his shadow. You're not fit to be compared to even a fraction of what he is."
Hearing Ji Xiaosong mention Xiao Shen, Song Yuxi burst into loud laughter. When he finished, his face was full of disdain as he said, "You still bring up Xiao Shen? Don't you know? He was poisoned a few years ago. The Imperial Physician himself declared that he'll likely never be able to sire an heir in this lifetime."