Chapter 23 So what if they're engaged? Just take them!
Chapter Twenty-Three: So what if they're engaged? Just take them!
At the Princess's residence.
After returning home from court, the Duke told the Princess about what had happened in court that day.
Upon hearing this, the eldest princess sneered, "The emperor is truly becoming more and more senile as he gets older."
Salt was one of the most important sources of tax revenue for the Great Liang Dynasty, and the official salt industry was directly related to the national treasury's income and the military provisions for border defense.
Such a matter, which threatens the very foundation of the nation, was so lightly overlooked by Prince An in the pursuit of power and profit.
It's ridiculous.
The Duke frowned: "Be careful what you say."
The eldest princess, however, remained unfazed: "What's there to be afraid of?"
She summoned Fudong and whispered a few words in her ear.
Fu Dong's expression hardened, and he respectfully accepted the order and withdrew.
Seeing this, the Duke asked curiously, "What are you doing?"
The princess's lips curled slightly, her eyes filled with coldness: "You'll find out when the time comes."
*
A few days later, a rumor suddenly swept through the capital.
It is said that in the fifth year of Chongde's reign, someone witnessed Consort Zhao having an affair with Fan Yunhan, the Minister of Rites, at Zhenru Temple.
Fan Yunhan was a member of Prince An's faction and followed Prince An's lead, frequently visiting Prince An's residence.
It was also said that Consort Zhao had an affair with him before entering the palace. At that time, Fan Yunhan was just a minor official of the seventh rank, so the Zhao family naturally looked down on him.
After Consort Zhao entered the palace, the two lovers were separated.
In the fifth year of Chongde's reign, the emperor went to Zhenru Temple to pray for blessings, and Consort Zhao, who was then still a Noble Lady Zhao, was among them.
Fan Yunhan, longing for her, sneaked into Zhenru Temple. When the two met, it was like a thunderbolt striking the earth, and they fell in love.
They gave the emperor a huge green hat (a symbol of infidelity).
Unfortunately, Prince An was born in the sixth year of Chongde's reign, leading many to speculate whether he was a descendant of the emperor.
The rumors were so detailed and convincing that they quickly reached the emperor's ears.
The emperor was furious.
He ordered the arrest of dozens of people who were spreading rumors in teahouses, brothels, and theaters, and imprisoned them.
For a time, everyone in the capital was on edge and dared not discuss the matter any further.
However, just a few days later, Consort Zhao was ordered to commit suicide by the emperor for practicing witchcraft in the palace.
Fan Yunhan, on the other hand, suddenly fell seriously ill and died.
At this critical juncture, both of them ran into trouble.
Anyone with eyes can see that the rumor is probably true.
As for Prince An, the emperor ordered him to go to his fiefdom in Pingliang a month later, and he was not allowed to return to the capital without an imperial edict.
Pingliang is a notoriously desolate and impoverished place. The fact that the emperor sent him there shows that he has completely lost the emperor's favor, and it seems that he has no chance of making a comeback.
With the fall of Prince An, the Crown Prince's faction gained even greater power, and no one in the court could challenge them.
Meng Huaiyan was promoted to Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate for his meritorious service in investigating the salt smuggling case. He was already a third-rank official before he was even twenty years old. He was truly a promising young man with a bright future.
These past few days, the threshold of the Meng family mansion has been worn down by suitors.
Meng Huaiyan looked at the stack of portraits of women from the capital on the table and felt a headache coming on.
The words of the eldest princess still echoed in my ears.
"These are all well-bred young ladies from prominent families in the capital, and they are all quite talented and beautiful."
"Take it back and see if there's anything you like."
"You're almost twenty, it's time to think about marriage."
If she could pass his mother's eye, she must be one of the best women in the capital.
They are well-matched in social status, dignified and virtuous, knowledgeable and reasonable, capable of managing the household well, and the two treat each other with respect.
This was his ideal wife, but looking at that scroll of paintings, he didn't even feel like opening it.
He unfurled the scroll to the side and began copying Buddhist scriptures.
These past few days, his mind has been filled with images of Shen Tang, and only when he copies Buddhist scriptures can his mind find some peace.
And tonight, he even dreamed of Shen Tang.
In her dream, Shen Tang, dressed in a light gauze dress, straddled him.
Her usually clear eyes were now filled with lust, and she was looking at him with seductive eyes.
She slowly leaned down, revealing her ample bosom. Meng Huaiyan instinctively tried to turn his head away, but Shen Tang gently hooked his chin with her fingers.
Her fingertips slowly slid from his cheek down to his chin and neck, and then her delicate fingers lifted his shirt.
Her fingertips gently glided across his chest, their skin touching, sending shivers down her spine.
His face was flushed, and his lower abdomen was throbbing with pain.
Shen Tang's breath slowly brushed against his neck, and a warm kiss gently landed there, instantly sending a strange, tingling sensation through his entire body.
Meng Huaiyan's eyes darkened, and his breathing became heavy.
Shen Tang looked up from his neck, her eyes seemingly filled with water, her brows and eyes sparkling with beauty.
His eyes were bloodshot, and his suppressed desires were like a wild beast breaking free of its cage, ready to sweep everything away.
Meng Huaiyan could no longer restrain himself. He flipped her over and pinned her beneath him, leaning down to kiss her moist, glossy lips.
Their breaths mingled, hot and rapid breaths whimpering between them.
Meng Huaiyan's tongue parted her lips and teeth, penetrating inch by inch, as if he had been starving for a long time, sweeping and cleansing her as he conquered and ravaged her.
Shen Tang couldn't take it anymore and reached out to press against his chest, trying to escape.
But he grabbed her wrist with one hand, pressed it above her head, and lowered his head to kiss her lips again.
Seemingly displeased with her earlier attempt to escape, Meng Huaiyan kissed her deeply and urgently, with a madness that brooked no refusal.
A scene of springtime romance unfolds within the tent.
But then the scene shifts, and he suddenly appears in a bridal chamber, surrounded by a sea of red: red gauze curtains, red double happiness characters, and a red wedding bed.
What should have been a joyous scene turned into a burning sensation for him, as if he were being scorched by the sea of red before him, his heart filled with anxiety and unease.
The bride, dressed in a red wedding gown and with a red veil covering her face, sat gracefully on the bed. The flickering candlelight cast shadows on her figure, making it difficult for him to see her clearly.
After the matchmaker finished reciting auspicious words, she loudly reminded the groom that he could lift the veil.
Upon hearing this, a man dressed in red wedding attire took the scale bar from the tray and slowly lifted a corner of the veil.
The bride's face slowly appeared before his eyes, and it turned out to be Shen Tang's appearance.
How could it be Shen Tang!
The person who was just making love with him a moment ago, how could she suddenly marry someone else!
Doesn't she like him?
How dare he marry someone else!
Meng Huaiyan's eyes were bloodshot, and he could not suppress the anger in his heart.
He tried to push the man away, but his body wouldn't move an inch.
He saw the man lift her veil, and then, with the blessing of the matchmaker, they drank the wedding wine.
Their eyes met, filled with affection, like a perfect couple.
Meng Huaiyan felt a dull pain in his heart, his throat was dry, and even breathing felt painful.
A sense of panic, a feeling of impending loss yet being unable to hold on, spread through his body, and he wanted to shout her name.
But his throat felt completely blocked, and he couldn't make a sound.
He watched as the red gauze curtain fell, revealing two figures intertwined, inseparable...
"ah!"
Meng Huaiyan woke up with a start, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
My pajamas were soaked with cold sweat and stuck to my body, making them very uncomfortable.
He clutched his chest, the feelings of anger, panic, and helplessness from his dream still lingering within him.
Meng Huaiyan's face was grim, and his eyes were dark and unfathomable.
He looked out the window; it was only the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), but he was no longer sleepy.
He got up, changed his clothes, and stood by the window, his eyes dark and unfathomable, lost in thought.
As dawn broke, Qingyang pushed open the door, ready to wake the young master.
But then I saw him standing by the window, his eyes clear, as if he hadn't slept all night.
He was slightly startled, but remained outwardly calm as he served the young master as he washed and dressed.
Just before leaving, he called out to Qingyang, "Go investigate the He family."
The He family?
"Is it the He family that got engaged to Miss Shen?" Qingyang asked.
Meng Huaiyan hummed in agreement.
Looking up towards the direction of the Begonia Courtyard, his eyes held a sense of relief at having figured everything out and a determination to succeed.
Since he can't let her go, he doesn't need to wrong himself.
Anyway, she likes him, and besides, they've already been intimate. She should be his.
And the He family...
Meng Huaiyan's lips curled slightly, revealing a cold sneer.
So what if they're engaged? We'll just take them away.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
