The wedding candles flickered, the red curtains swayed gently, and the sounds of the couple making love inside the room were made without any attempt to conceal them, even drowning out the creaking of the bed.
After a long while, the red curtains on the bed were finally lifted by a pair of slender, jade-like hands.
"Prepare for a bath."
Her voice, soft and sweet with a hint of satisfaction, was directed at Shen Yuan, who was kneeling beside the bed.
Tonight, this is the third time Princess Jingwan has asked for water.
She seemed to be trying her best to prove how loving and sweet she was with her husband.
But these things no longer sting Shen Yuan.
She had been a slave in the princess's mansion for a full year, and was the lowest-ranking maid with a death contract. During this time, she had been tortured by Xiao Yunyan in every way. If she disobeyed even slightly, she would be forced to eat pig swill and be beaten.
When Xiao Yunyan was in a bad mood, she would even tie her legs together and hang her on the surface of the lake. Xiao Yunyan would hold the other end of the long rope and watch her fall into the lake, desperately thrashing and struggling to survive in the water until she was exhausted and on the verge of death.
Only then did they pull her out of the water.
Before she could catch her breath, Xiao Yunyan threw her back into the icy lake water, repeating this over and over until she completely lost consciousness.
Xiao Yunyan euphemistically called it the pleasure of fishing.
A human life is nothing more than a trinket to be used for amusement in the eyes of these royals, not even worth as much as a pig or a dog.
"Are you deaf? Didn't you hear the princess's orders? Today is the princess's big day, who are you trying to impress with that deadpan face? Hurry up and fetch water for the princess and her consort to bathe!" Xiao Yunyan's head maid kicked Shen Yuan in the heart.
Shen Yuan was kicked to the ground, her back hitting the sharp corner of the sandalwood table, but she seemed not to feel any pain. She silently got up and went out to fetch water.
Xiao Yunyan's body was soft and delicate, and she lay down after taking a bath.
Chu Yuning, however, calmly soaked in the bathtub with her eyes closed, resting.
The maids in the room were all busy serving Xiao Yunyan to bed, and before they knew it, only Shen Yuan was left in the inner room.
Chu Yuning, who was leaning against the bathtub, suddenly opened her eyes, looked at Shen Yuan standing not far away, and called out in a low voice, "Yuan Yuan!"
Shen Yuan seemed not to hear, standing blankly outside the door with her back to Chu Yuning.
“Yuanyuan, after being personally selected by the Emperor as the top scholar in this imperial examination, I was also betrothed to Xiao Yunyan by the Emperor in court. Disobeying the imperial decree is a capital offense. I had no choice but to marry Xiao Yunyan. We have known each other for more than ten years. Don’t you believe in our friendship? The person I love has always been you.”
Chu Yuning's eyes were red at the corners, as if she had endured a lot of suffering.
Amidst the swirling mist, Chu Yuning's already handsome face became even more alluring. He had a striking appearance, and his brows and eyes exuded a refined, scholarly air that could easily make a young girl's heart flutter.
But Shen Yuan's heart had already stopped beating.
A year ago, she took her marriage certificate with Chu Yuning and beat the petition drum, accusing Chu Yuning of concealing his engagement to the princess, a crime she deemed unforgivable. However, Chu Yuning falsely accused her of forging the marriage certificate. She was arrested, taken to the yamen, and beaten with fifty strokes of the cane, nearly losing her life.
Then, she was confiscated by the government and became a slave, the lowest-ranking maid in the princess's mansion. Any servant in the mansion could beat, scold, and bully her.
These days, Shen Yuan serves Xiao Yunyan, providing her with amusement and torment. She even stays by Xiao Yunyan and Chu Yuning's bedside during their wedding night, serving them tea and water, and helping them bathe and change clothes.
Born into an ordinary family, Shen Yuan knew she couldn't fight against these people.
But she was not willing to give up!
Shen Yuan turned around and walked towards Chu Yuning. "You said the person you've always liked is me, is that true?"
"I swear to heaven, I have not uttered a single falsehood!" Chu Yuning raised three fingers, his eyes clear and sincere as he looked at Shen Yuan. "Yuan Yuan, as long as you behave yourself, I will definitely take you into my household when I gain power. You just need to be patient for a while..."
Before he could finish speaking, a gold hairpin adorned with pearls suddenly pierced his chest.
Chu Yuning groaned, his eyes widening in disbelief as he looked up from the hairpin and saw Shen Yuan's face filled with hatred.
Chu Yuning's expression changed drastically, and she scolded, "Shen Yuan! What are you doing?"
"Why? Because of my misjudging people over the past ten years! Because of my countless near-death experiences digging for medicinal herbs on steep cliffs! Because of my scrimping and saving to support your education! Because of how my sincere heart was wasted on a dog! Because of your ingratitude! Chu Yuning, you must die!"
Shen Yuan gripped the gold hairpin she had slipped into her sleeve while untying Xiao Yunyan's hair tightly, and with all her might, she stabbed at Chu Yuning, wishing she could pierce his heart.
The commotion inside was quite loud, and the people outside were quickly alerted.
Xiao Yunyan hurriedly entered the inner room wearing a thin nightgown, and her face immediately darkened when she saw Shen Yuan lying on top of Chu Yuning.
Chu Yuning pushed Shen Yuan away in a panic, "Your Highness, she seduced me! She seduced me first! This slut held a grudge after I rejected her and actually tried to assassinate me! She wanted to kill me!"
"Xiao Yunyan! Your good husband just personally promised to make me his concubine! He said that I should stay in the manor and that when he gains power and position in the future, he will elevate me to the rank of noble concubine, so that I can share a husband with Your Highness!"
Blood splattered all over Shen Yuan's face. She collapsed beside the bathtub, a smile playing on her lips, her expression towards Xiao Yunyan revealing a hint of madness.
"Xiao Yunyan! So what if you're a princess of high status? You're still just like me, liking this kind of hypocritical and despicable man!"
"No! You're not even as good as me! All you do is hate and torment me, you don't even dare to expose this man's true colors! And yet you still eagerly married him! Xiao Yunyan! You're so stupid!"
"How dare you! You dare to address the princess by her name! This is extremely disrespectful!" Xiao Yunyan's head maid rushed forward and pinned Shen Yuan down.
Ignoring her chest injury, Chu Yuning anxiously explained to Xiao Yunyan, "Your Highness! This vile woman is spouting nonsense, you can't believe her! If I really said that, she would be overjoyed, how could she possibly assassinate me? You must believe me!"
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