Chapter 270 The Most Talented Woman in the Capital

At the age of fifteen or sixteen, Su Wanying was known as the most talented woman in the capital. She was skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and singing, and could serve as a role model for young ladies from noble families.

Her background and her character made her famous at a young age.

Su Wanying never doubted her future path. Ever since she was old enough to understand, she knew that her future was just a button linking the Su family and the royal family.

It was the ladder that allowed his father to climb to a higher official position.

“From a young age, I received the best education, and my father was never stingy with food, clothing, and daily necessities.” She knelt blankly in the hall, her tone filled with rare tenderness.

"For the Su family, I, as the legitimate daughter, must grow up to be worthy of the surname 'Su'. As for what I think or what my wishes are, they are not important."

She paused for a long time, then let out a self-deprecating laugh.

She knew that her comfortable life was earned through the title of "the most talented woman in the capital," and that what truly carried all of this was never her blood ties with the Su family, nor her father's love.

Instead, it's about maximizing the acquisition of a piece that still has value.

Despite her young age, Su Wanying grew into a shrewd and hard-hearted woman in such an environment.

She also began to firmly believe that as long as she sat on that supreme phoenix throne, she could turn back and find the love and passion she had once lost.

Once you climb high enough, no one can stop you.

“But at that time, Crown Prince Li Mu did not take a liking to me.” Su Wanying chuckled. “On the contrary, he paid special attention to the eldest daughter of the Cen family, who was timid and submissive, like a little shadow, and hardly ever said a word.”

She pursed her lips, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then looked up at the sky and sighed, laughing: "Back then, I didn't understand where I was lacking. It was as if all my efforts had become a joke overnight."

No one expected that Li Mu would choose the relatively unknown Cen family, but everyone was extremely surprised that Su Wanying did not become the Crown Princess.

The most talented woman in the capital, the eldest daughter of the Grand Tutor, such a background failed to pave a smooth path for her. In the blink of an eye, Su Wanying, who constantly honed herself with the goal of becoming the Crown Princess, became a laughing stock of her own.

She wasn't the only one worried; Grand Tutor Su Yu was too.

The Grand Tutor of the Great Wei Dynasty was one of the Three Dukes, ranking below the Grand Preceptor and above the Grand Protector.

However, everyone in the court and among the people knew that the Grand Tutor held a high position but little real power; he had no real authority and it was merely an honorary title.

Su Yu, who had high hopes for his son to become a dragon and his daughter to become a phoenix, fell into anxiety about his future career after Su Wanying failed to become the Crown Princess.

The Second Prince's overtures gave the Grand Tutor, who was like a piece of duckweed adrift on water with no powerful backing, a glimmer of hope.

He knew that the emperor of Great Wei was worried about Crown Prince Li Mu's gentle and mild nature, and troubled by his inherently scholarly indecisiveness.

He went with the flow and became one of the subordinates of the Second Prince, Li Jing.

The promise made at the time was that, once the matter was accomplished, Su Wanying would be given the position of a concubine of the Crown Prince.

“My father also knows that, with his own abilities, he cannot help me snatch the position of the principal wife from the Prime Minister’s eldest daughter.” As Su Wanying said this, it felt like a knife was stabbing her heart.

She raised her hand to wipe her eyes, but not a single tear came out.

Her tears, after more than a decade of indifference from Su Yu, had long since turned into resentment, which took root in her heart.

Su Yu, who had been so thoroughly humiliated by her in the main hall, was pale-faced, his eyes slightly closed, and he looked extremely haggard.

Fearing that he would get himself into trouble and that Prince Jing would hold a grudge if he spoke, the Prime Minister clenched his teeth and remained silent.

Outside the palace, snow was flying everywhere, turning the area into a vast expanse of white in the blink of an eye.

Amidst the glint of swords on the snow, even in a one-on-two situation, Lian Shui held her own against the odds.

In terms of strength, he was below Prince Jing, but above Zhou Zheng.

Therefore, in the current situation, Shen Wen and Fan Di are gradually becoming outmatched.

The swords gleamed coldly, and the two swords moved in rapid succession, the wrists flipping to create arcs of pale blue light.

His face was expressionless, and wherever his sword energy went, it carved clear cracks into the swirling snowflakes.

He neither fled nor hid.

Once Shen Wen saw his face, the only option left was to fight him to the death.

Panting heavily, Vandi stood in the snow, looking at the powerful, monstrous enemy before him, frowning and wiping away sweat: "This prince is really something, only saying strong, why doesn't he remind you just how strong?"

He spat out a mouthful of blood and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Think quickly." Shen Wen adjusted his posture, his gaze fixed on Lian Shui. "Think about your Miss He, what flaws does she usually have when she uses her twin swords?"

Shen Wen also frowned deeply. He knew that if things continued this way, not only would they not be able to catch Lian Shui, but he and Fan Di would both die here.

"A flaw?" Vandy's voice rose a few decibels. "How could such an over-the-top creature have any flaws!"

Before he could finish speaking, Lian Shui, ten meters away, launched another fierce attack.

Swords clashed, sparks flying in the snowy night. That bright flash caught Li Jin's eye out of the corner of his eye.

The Crown Prince noticed his slight moment of surprise.

Following his gaze towards the outside of the palace, the Crown Prince's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, slowly settled down.

Two quarters of an hour had passed, and they still hadn't managed to catch any water. Li Jing chuckled and glanced at the scene in the hall.

Although Prince Jing of Great Wei is exceptionally powerful, a war god of his time, unfortunately, at this moment, he, the only one capable of restraining Lian Shui, is unable to spare any attention.

With him in the palace, even Lian Shui couldn't easily harm Su Wanying and Consort Shu.

If he were to go outside the palace, those two people inside could die in countless ways in the blink of an eye.

The Crown Prince took a deep breath, sat up straight, and gestured to Xu Weiyou not to rush, as there was still a chance for things to turn around.

"If you can't be my principal wife, then you've set your sights on me?" Li Jin turned around, looking at Su Wanying's kneeling figure, and asked coldly.

But she shook her head, her lips pressed into a straight line, and after a long while said, "This sinful woman was indeed depressed for a long time because she could not become the principal wife..."

She opened and closed her mouth, using the last of her strength to force a weak smile: "But that year, when Crown Prince Li Mu got married, I brushed past the Prince at the wedding banquet, which suddenly gave rise to other expectations in me."

At that time, Li Jin, full of vigor and high spirits, was like a gentle moonlight shining on Su Wanying's heart, who had already lost all hope for her life.

She had never met anyone as dashing and upright as him.

Li Jin's carefree attitude, the proud temperament unique to royalty, and his face that could captivate the hearts of young girls all over the world, made the name of this third prince etched in Su Wanying's heart.

"But the prince has never even given me a second glance."

At this point in her life, knowing that death was near, Su Wanying felt much lighter with each word she spoke.

She turned to look at Li Jin: "Back then, I was just like before. I couldn't understand what I was lacking."

She chuckled softly, "If I had understood back then, perhaps I wouldn't be in this situation now."

Su Wanying raised her eyes, looked at Consort Shu's pale face, and smiled: "Then she won't become a pawn in Your Highness's hands to plot against the prince and poison the Noble Consort."