Chapter 12: "After a few months' absence, he's transformed into the Crown Prince..."

Just as I turned the corner of the corridor, before my tense back could relax, I bumped into a group of people.

"Oh, isn't this my Crown Prince brother? Where are you headed?" A clear yet sharp voice rang out.

Ling Zhenli looked up and saw a girl dressed in a bright yellow and green palace dress being surrounded by palace maids. She looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a striking beauty that was almost aggressive. She was dazzling and her fox-like eyes were slightly narrowed as she looked at the two of them, a smile playing on her lips.

Beside her was a young man dressed in brocade robes, who looked to be about the same age as her. It was unclear which family he belonged to, but he had a handsome face and his eyes were calmly looking at Pei Xuanlin.

Pei Xuanlin stiffened slightly, but still bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."

Imperial sister?

That must be the only daughter of the current emperor, Princess Jin'an.

Princess Jin'an scoffed, her gaze sweeping over Ling Zhenli before returning to Pei Xuanlin, and said arrogantly, "A servant's son is a servant's son. Even in a dragon robe, he doesn't look like the Crown Prince."

These words were too insulting. Ling Zhenli was shocked. How dare a mere princess speak such humiliating words to the crown prince who was the rightful heir to the throne?

To show her loyalty, Ling Zhenli stepped forward and said, "Princess, please be careful with your words. His Highness the Crown Prince was appointed by His Majesty. Could it be that you are dissatisfied with His Majesty's decree?"

Yang Chengxiu silently looked at Ling Zhenli, his eyes cold and scrutinizing, as if he could see right through her, but he said nothing.

Pei Chang'er's expression changed drastically. Upon seeing this, Pei Xuanlin pulled Ling Zhenli back forcefully, causing her pain.

He said in a deep voice, "Please don't be offended, my sister-in-law. She's just a straightforward person."

"The Crown Princess is certainly quick-witted," Pei Chang'er said with a sneer as she walked forward.

Pei Shang'er had long heard that the Prime Minister's eldest daughter, Xue Yingyue, was just as beautiful as her, and perhaps even more so. Now that she had seen it with her own eyes, it seemed to be true.

Most importantly, Xue Yingyue was the woman Chengxiu was going to marry.

Pei Chang'er smiled and lifted Ling Zhenli's face, teasingly saying, "I've long heard that you are as beautiful as a fairy, but now that I see you, I am truly ashamed of myself."

Pei Xuanlin usually tolerated her humiliation, but he couldn't tolerate her bullying his wife. Seeing Pei Chang'er about to make things difficult for Ling Zhenli, he directly stepped forward, grabbed Ling Zhenli's wrist, pulled her behind him, and slapped Pei Chang'er's hand away, coldly warning her:

"Show some respect to your sister-in-law, Jin'an."

"you!"

Pei Shang'er was furious and was about to raise her hand to hit Pei Xuanlin when Yang Chengxiu, who was standing next to her, quickly stepped in front of her, grabbed her hand, and stopped the slap from falling.

Then he shielded Pei Shang'er behind him, nodded slightly, and apologized to Pei Xuanlin.

"Your Highness, please forgive me. Jin'an is just a child and couldn't control his emotions for a moment."

Pei Xuanlin looked at Yang Chengxiu, who was so protective of her, and slowly calmed down.

Yang Chengxiu, the former grandson of the emperor, was Emperor Wen's most beloved grand-nephew. When Pei Xuanlin was living alone in the palace after his parents died, if it weren't for Yang Chengxiu's kindness and protection, he would have been killed by Emperor Wen long ago.

He remembered this kindness, and naturally he would give them face this time as well.

"It's alright, Chengxiu. You all go and pay your respects to His Majesty and Her Majesty. I'll take the Crown Princess for a stroll in the Imperial Garden."

"Respectfully seeing off the Crown Prince." Yang Chengxiu continued to bow his head.

"We'll see," Pei Shang'er said fiercely, then grabbed Yang Chengxiu and stormed off.

After she walked away, Pei Xuanlin released Ling Zhenli's wrist and said in a low voice, "You didn't have to stand up for me just now."

Ling Zhenli rubbed her reddened wrist and said softly, "She insulted my husband. How can I sit idly by?"

Pei Xuanlin's eyes flickered slightly, but he said nothing more, only leading Ling Zhenli towards the Imperial Garden.

The peonies in the Imperial Garden were in full bloom, but Ling Zhenli had no heart to appreciate them.

What happened just now made Ling Zhenli understand why Pei Xuanlin suddenly told her about his background last night.

Although Pei Xuanlin was the crown prince, he was not the emperor's biological son and had a humble background, so his situation in the palace was quite difficult.

But isn't this Princess Jin'an a bit too arrogant? Isn't she afraid that Pei Xuanlin will come after her when he ascends the throne?

Just as I was pondering this, I heard a man and woman arguing in front of me.

Pei Xuanlin heard this too, and his expression darkened.

"Chongheng, why is it that every time I see you, you're arguing with Chanlian?" Pei Xuanlin's voice suddenly turned cold.

Ling Zhenli looked in the direction of the sound and saw a perfect couple standing beside a peony bush. The man was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe and had a face as handsome as jade.

Who else could it be but Xiao Chongheng, who terrifies her every time she sees him? What a twist of fate!

The woman beside Xiao Chongheng was dressed in opulent attire; she must be his wife, Princess Roujia.

All sorts of monsters and demons are crammed into one day.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince." Princess Roujia bowed respectfully. "Crown Princess."

Xiao Chongheng simply cupped his hands in a casual gesture, showing that he had a good relationship with Pei Xuanlin. Pei Xuanlin didn't mind the gesture, but his gaze remained fixed on Ling Zhenli's face.

"This must be my sister-in-law, right?" A playful smile appeared on his lips. "For some reason, she looks very familiar."

Ling Zhenli's heart almost stopped, fearing that he would expose her identity and throw her into the dungeon at any moment.

“Duke of Yan, be careful with your words.” Pei Xuanlin stepped forward to Ling Zhenli. “The Crown Princess is a woman confined to her chambers. Where did you get this idea?”

Xiao Chongheng chuckled, "It's all because the Crown Princess is so beautiful, like a celestial being descended to earth. Perhaps I've seen her in a dream." He then turned to the princess, deliberately provoking her, "Don't you think so, Madam?"

Princess Roujia, Pei Chanlian, noticed that Xiao Chongheng was staring at the Crown Princess and his expression had turned rather unpleasant. She said stiffly, "My husband is joking. What are you saying?"

Pei Xuanlin said coldly, "Chongheng, now that you are married, you should prioritize your family. If the Imperial Aunt knew that you and your husband are now at odds, she would be very worried."

Xiao Chongheng's smile froze, while Pei Chanlian's face instantly turned red, a hint of resentment flashing in her eyes, her gaze sinister, it was unclear whether it was directed at Xiao Chongheng or at the Crown Princess, this troublemaker.

Ling Zhenli lowered her eyes to hide her emotions.

Princess Wuyang, the culprit who murdered her entire family... Now, the son of her enemy is right before her eyes, and hatred coils around her heart like a venomous snake.

If Xiao Chongheng dares to reveal her true identity, she will definitely die with him.

“Your Highness’s admonition is correct.” Xiao Chongheng bowed respectfully. “I have matters to attend to at home, so I will take my leave now.”

After saying that, he left with the princess, winking at Ling Zhenli before leaving.

Ling Zhenli forced herself to remain calm and followed Pei Xuanlin around the garden for a while. Soon after, a eunuch came to announce that His Majesty had summoned the Crown Prince for a meeting.

Pei Xuanlin could guess with his eyes closed that Pei Chang'er must have complained to the emperor again, and he had no choice but to go.

"When you've had your fun, go back to the East Palace. You don't need to wait for me. You can go and offer incense after lunch," Pei Xuanlin instructed.

Ling Zhenli obediently agreed. After he walked away, as she was about to stroll around, a nanny came to invite Ling Zhenli, saying that the Duke of Yan wanted to have a chat with her for a while.

Upon hearing that it was Xiao Chongheng, Ling Zhenli hesitated for a moment before deciding to go.

The old woman led her to the rockery and then disappeared.

After waiting for a short while, Xiao Chongheng's voice came from behind. Ling Zhenli froze, and before she could turn around, he pulled her into a blind spot behind the artificial hill.

Before Ling Zhenli could recover from the dizziness, he grabbed the back of her head with one hand and kissed her fiercely.

Ling Zhenli struggled desperately, but he remained motionless, immersed in the long-awaited kiss, until Ling Zhenli bit his lip, at which point he released her in pain.

"It's only been a few months, and you've transformed into the Crown Princess, your temper has grown even more." He licked the blood from his lips, his smile dangerous. "Tell me, what would the Crown Prince think if he knew his new wife was once his cousin's woman?"

Ling Zhenli suppressed her anger: "You've mistaken me for someone else."

"Admit your mistake?" Xiao Chongheng scoffed, his fingers tracing Ling Zhenli's earlobe. "We know each other so well, how could we admit our mistake? Don't you want to tell me how you became the Crown Princess?"

"Xiao Chongheng, what right do you have to threaten me?" Ling Zhenli simply stopped pretending and said angrily, "You're the one who abandoned me. Now that I'm in a loving and harmonious relationship with the Crown Prince, why are you interfering?"

Loving and harmonious.

These four words pierced Xiao Chongheng's heart like needles.

In an instant, he lost his temper and became enraged: "Our child has been gone for less than half a year, and you, as its mother, are already throwing yourself into the arms of another man?"

"How dare you mention the child! And you still dare to talk about me like that?" Ling Zhenli couldn't stand it anymore and rebuked, "I miscarried just one month ago and you can't wait to get married. What, your new wife didn't get pregnant for you, so you started thinking about my child?"

"I never touched her! You've always been my only love!"

Xiao Chongheng impulsively pressed down on her shoulders, trying to force himself on Ling Zhenli. Ling Zhenli didn't care what he was saying at all. All she could think about now was the hatred for her parents' tragic deaths and the loss of her child. She was burning with rage and struggled fiercely and frantically in his arms.

"Get out of here! Go to hell! Stop disgusting me! Go to hell! People like you don't deserve to live! Why don't you just die!"

Upon hearing these heartless words, his expression suddenly turned sinister, and he fiercely restrained Ling Zhenli.

"Listen up, Ling Zhenli! If you don't want to go to hell right now, you'd better listen to me. Don't even think about dragging me down with you. Who do you think you are? An imposter. Do you think you can bring me down? Who do you think would genuinely help an imposter like you? The Prime Minister's Mansion knows you're an imposter. Since they could push you to the position of Crown Princess with such fanfare, they can certainly make you die without anyone knowing. If you don't listen to me, you can just wait to die a wrongful death."

"Why?" Ling Zhenli suddenly calmed down after hearing his words, her heart filled with sorrow and her eyes glazed over. "You already have Princess Roujia, please let me go."

A look of pain flashed in Xiao Chongheng's eyes. He pinched Ling Zhenli's chin and said, "I have your secret in my hands. I can do whatever I want with you. Ah Li, I will never let you go again."

Ling Zhenli was tired and said calmly, "Then why do you want me to listen to you?"

“I will send someone to pick you up in a few days and take you to the mountain villa in the suburbs.”

“…” Ling Zhenli remained silent.

The two remained locked in a stalemate.

Ling Zhenli eventually compromised.

Both to keep the secret and to swallow the bitter pill of anger.

Xiao Chongheng was satisfied with the answer, smiled broadly, hugged her, and turned to leave.

Ling Zhenli straightened her clothes and walked out of the artificial hill. She happened to meet a palace lady who had come looking for her, so she pretended that nothing had happened and followed her back to the East Palace.

A note from the author: