Chapter 415: A Marriage Alliance (Part 5)

Shen Tang took a sip of water to moisten her lips.

"Does the princess wish to see me?"

Hearing this, she was surprised and secretly exchanged glances with Gu Chi.

The messenger nodded, her expression carrying a hint of unspoken arrogance, yet her posture remained humble. Shen Tang glanced at the sky, then said with difficulty, "This...this is probably inappropriate. It's not appropriate for an official like myself to have such close contact with the Princess..."

It wasn't that Shen Tang disliked the princess—she had never even met her before, so there was no question of any goodwill towards her—the reason she was so wary and hesitant was simply because the princess, who was being sent to marry into the royal family, occasionally had some "outrageous" actions.

If Shen Tang doesn't want to cause trouble, she should avoid it.

The female historian said, "Your Highness has been frail since childhood and cannot endure the hardships of long journeys. This time, she is going to marry a foreign ruler, and from Ganzhou to Longwu County, she has suffered many frights along the way. If she doesn't cheer up a bit, she may not make it to Shiwu... Your Highness has heard that Lord Shen is young and brave and greatly admires him. Why don't you go and talk to her? It would be good if it could cheer her up, it's better than..."

The lady did not say the rest.

But the threat is obvious.

Whether she goes or not, she has to go. If Her Highness is troubled and dies on the way, everyone will be in deep trouble. The lady-in-waiting then quoted the accompanying shaman, saying that Her Highness was suffering from a mental illness caused by evil spirits invading her mind, making her sensitive and prone to overthinking. As a woman, she naturally has a strong yin energy and needs someone with abundant yang energy to attend to her.

Shen Tang, a young hero, is the perfect fit.

Gu Chi and Jiang Sheng listened expressionlessly.

He writes with a blank expression.

It is read as "unable to suppress a laugh".

Leaving aside the absurdity of this reason, even if it were true, their lord's presence would only compound the sinister situation.

Shen Tang: "..."

Having said all that, she had no choice but to go see her, no matter how unwilling she was. The escort mission was still a long way off; she could refuse once, but could she refuse countless times? Shen Tang was also curious about what this princess was really up to and what her plans were.

He then said, "Wangchao, come with me."

Gu Chi, who was watching the spectacle: "..."

Although it was the princess who wanted to see Shen Tang, and they were currently outdoors in simple conditions, the princess, bearing a royal title, still maintained a high level of formality. Only after the wedding procession found a suitable place for the night, and the thousands began to rest, did the summons for Shen Tang's audience with the princess finally reach the princess herself. According to custom, daggers and swords had to be surrendered, and shoes and socks removed.

The makeshift tents were anything but rudimentary.

Maids lit lamps and burned incense, filling the air with a refreshing fragrance. The princess sat at the head of the table, her figure partially obscured behind a thin, transparent screen. The decorations inside the room could only be described as extravagant.

Shen Tang appeared calm on the surface, but in his mind he was already subconsciously calculating how much gold and silver these things could be exchanged for.

Good boy—

They're fucking rich!

The thought of how I used to stretch every penny to four when I was trying to save money makes me feel even more bitter.

After bowing, Shen Tang and his companion took their seats.

Before the princess could speak, her voice was soft and sweet, with an elegant and melodious tone, suggesting she was about eighteen or nineteen years old. She said, "I have long admired Lord Shen's name, and meeting you today, I can see it is indeed true; you are truly a young talent..."

Shen Tang said, "Your Highness is too kind. I dare not accept such praise."

Princess Wang ordered the screen to be removed.

The lamplight inside the tent made that young and beautiful face even more alluring than usual. Shen Tang glanced at her quickly, overturning her previous guess. The princess was definitely over twenty years old.

Her graceful demeanor and mature bearing are qualities that even young girls cannot possess, and most importantly—

This person had a slender waist but a slightly protruding lower abdomen. Although she tried to cover it up with wide sleeves, anyone with eyes could see that she was pregnant! Of course, if one insisted on arguing that it was due to anterior pelvic tilt causing the small belly, Shen Tang would just accept that as the case.

Both she and Gu Chi were dumbfounded.

Is the princess who is about to be married off to Shiwu pregnant?

This undeniable fact sent a jolt through Shen Tang, making her scalp tingle. A thousand words raced through her mind like a stampeding alpaca, her entire repertoire of insults ready to be unleashed. Right now, the one thing she wanted to know most was—

Did the princess suffer a misfortune?

Or did she secretly engage in illicit activities with her male lover?

It's no wonder Shen Tang had a second thought. In these chaotic times, with a bold and unrestrained atmosphere, women from powerful and aristocratic families didn't adhere to the traditional notions of chastity and morality. Younger women were confined to the inner quarters and disciplined, but older women, whose families didn't restrict them, often had one or two close male friends when they reached the age of first love. As long as no one died, they were generally turned a blind eye.

A prime example is the "Madam" Poison Spider, whose lungs were inhaled by Lü Jue's smoke, and who had a rich romantic history before settling down.

The pond was full of all kinds of mermaids that she liked.

This was true for her, and Princess Wang was no exception.

As far as Shen Tang knew, before being formally enfeoffed, Princess Wangji was a concubine's daughter in the inner court of a high-ranking official, an unfavored and insignificant figure whose family neither restrained nor cared for her. It was normal for her to look for a suitable partner in advance to secure her future marriage.

but--

Why did it lead to someone's death?

Princess Wang asked, "Is Lord Shen very surprised?"

Shen Tang: "..."

No, she wasn't surprised at all that the princess had secretly become pregnant. What surprised her was that even though the princess's pregnancy was already showing, the accompanying Ten Crows envoys didn't react at all.

This trip, ostensibly a marriage alliance for the princess, is, in reality, a gift to Shiwu, including the princess herself—exquisite, luxurious, and precious. But gifts, by their very nature, can be disposed of at any time. Shiwu seems to be in the right, and if things escalate, he could likely receive a hefty sum for "emotional distress." Unless—there's something wrong with the child.

Or rather, there is a problem with the child's father's identity.

Only the Ten Crows Messenger would turn a blind eye.

Could it be—

Was it one of the messengers?

That can't be right.

It seems that the princess is going to marry the queen's son.

Although according to the custom of the Ten Crows, one can theoretically have four wives who are "officially married" and "equal in status," the other three wives must be ranked according to the highest bloodline of their clan. The Queen's son has already married a wife who is the Queen's niece, who is of noble blood. In the past, the princess could only be subordinate to her.

As a political mascot-like "concubine," Princess Wang Ji herself didn't have much influence, but even if she didn't have much influence, she wasn't someone those few envoys could touch, right?

Shen Tang's mind was filled with all sorts of outrageous guesses.

Princess Wang stroked her slightly protruding belly, a cold smile appearing on her exquisitely made-up face: "What is Shen Jun thinking?"

Shen Tang said, "I'm thinking about how to make Her Highness smile, relieve her worries, and open her heart."

Princess Wang Ji seemed surprised for a moment.

He then asked, "Does Lord Shen have a brilliant plan?"

Shen Tang was very serious.

Is Your Highness troubled by your figure?

Princess Wang thought this was a euphemism, a subtle way of teasing her, so she nodded, her brows furrowed with sorrow.

"yes."

Shen Tang smiled innocently, comforting her.

"Your Highness, do not panic. I have heard of your problem from a highly respected physician under my jurisdiction. It is called 'anterior pelvic tilt.' The correction method is simple. As long as you persist in practicing every day, your pelvis will return to normal, and you will be as slim as before!"

Gu Chi: "..."

Fortunately, he had years of experience, otherwise he would have lost his edge!

(End of this chapter)