Chapter 5: The man's warm breath fell behind her ears...
The carriage passed through the downtown area, where there was a lot of noise. Lin Meiju wondered if she had heard it wrong.
Since the marriage was arranged, everyone thought she had become a phoenix, and even said that the Lin family's ancestral graves were smoking. This was the first time Lin Meizhu had heard such an evaluation, and the person who said it was from Shen Changfeng's mother.
Lin Meizhu didn't know what Li Jieyi meant for a moment, so she replied against her conscience, "Being able to marry the prince is the blessing I have cultivated for three lifetimes."
Li Jieyi didn't take it seriously. She stared at Lin Meizhu's face and suddenly asked with a stern look, "Your face?"
Li Jieyi was indeed a martial artist, with excellent eyesight, and she could see through the hazy red marks on the rouge at a glance.
Lin Meizhu shook her head, "It was my fault."
Li Jieyi was furious and said, "Some men, if you give them a little, they'll push you even further. They're so shameless!"
"I know my son very well. He looks strong but is weak inside. He is just a paper tiger."
She scolded Shen Changfeng over and over again in a few words, saying that it would be a lie to say that she didn't feel strange. Lin Meizhu thought: Is Shen Changfeng really Li Jieyi's biological son?
Li Jieyi looked at the busy streets, her brows relaxed. The further she got from the Shen family, the happier she seemed. She said, "If you're ever in doubt, you can come to Taiqing Temple to find me."
As expected, they were biological mother and son. Although they expressed dislike, they still cared about each other in their hearts. Lin Meizhu was just congratulating herself for not saying anything nonsense when she heard Li Jieyi's smile meaningfully: "I may not be able to satisfy everyone, but I can definitely make everyone dissatisfied."
A look of surprise flashed across Lin Meiju's eyes. She slowly recalled and realized that Li Jieyi didn't seem to be joking.
Li Jieyi openly made her the person in charge of household chores, but gave the key to the storehouse to Concubine Liu. Manager Shen had been in the Shen family for decades and was deeply trusted by the servants. In this way, Concubine Liu got the money, Shen Ling was in charge of the people, and Lin Meizhu had nothing as the commander in chief. The three of them had very different identities and each had their own concerns. In the long run, it was very likely that the Shen family would be in turmoil.
As for the dowry, perhaps Shen Zhongda and Li Jieyi, being wealthy, didn't care about the 100 dan of dowry they contributed, but there was one person who did care—Madam Liu. This was because it should have been part of Shen Chali's gift.
Lin Meiju may not care who is the housekeeper. She is not interested in these things at all. She just hopes to live a good life. But sometimes troubles will come to her because Li Jieyi has already laid a lot of landmines for her.
She began to understand what Li Jieyi meant by bad luck.
But Lin Meiju felt that Li Jieyi had no ill will towards her, so why did she do this?
Li Jieyi smiled and said, "Are you wondering what kind of strange place the Shen family is? Don't worry, I have no ill will towards you. I just simply don't like everyone associated with the Shen family."
Lin Meizhu: ...
Li Jieyi asked again: "Have you met Shen Changfeng? Have you figured out why you married him?"
This was a rather incoherent statement, and Lin Meizhu's heart was slightly moved, but she still acted respectfully, "I am stupid."
Li Jieyi knew she understood, and held her gaze, not allowing her to retreat. "This kind of thing will happen many times in the future. Do you have to play dumb every time?"
Lin Meizhu pursed her lips and said, "At the palace banquet that night, someone led the prince to my side."
Her position on the bridge was completely random, but Shen Changfeng happened to be helping to look for someone, happened to be stuck in a crowd and couldn't get away, happened to meet her watching the fireworks, and the emperor happened to be in the mood to choose a prince's consort for Shen Changfeng... There are not so many coincidences in this world, not to mention that it happened in the palace.
After yesterday's farce, and now with Li Jieyi's guidance, Lin Meizhu's hidden doubts and suspicions finally connected. Why did the Emperor decree a marriage between the Lin and Shen families, despite the disparity in status? Why didn't Shen Changfeng even glance at her at the palace banquet that night? Why did the others look at her with a mixture of amusement and fear when congratulating the Lin family?
Lin Meizhu curled the corners of her mouth in self-mockery. She was in seclusion and was not sensitive to the affairs of the court, but Shen Changfeng must have seen through the clues long ago. Only she was still foolishly thinking that this was a marriage destined by heaven, and she did all those things to please him. Perhaps everyone was laughing at her stupidity and arrogance behind her back during that time?
A smile appeared on Li Jieyi's lips. "Go on."
Lin Meizhu expressed her speculation: "All of this is to put a pressure on the Dingbei Palace."
Li Jieyi's smile deepened. "He's right. You really are a smart person."
Lin Meiju was frightened by the confirmation of her guess, and for a moment she forgot to find out who this "he" was.
According to rumors, Prince Shen Changfeng of Dingbei was a nobleman with no ambitions, who spent his days traveling around the mountains and rivers with a group of pampered people.
But when they first met on the wedding night, Lin Meizhu keenly felt that Shen Changfeng was not a sex-hungry ghost or a common parasite at all.
The Dingbei Palace had stood for less than a few hundred years, and it was so powerful that it had reached a position where no more titles could be bestowed upon it.
Shen Zhongda must have understood the risks involved, which is why he chose to surrender his military power at such a critical juncture. For the emperor, extravagance and debauchery were the best shields for a noble family. Times had changed; the empire no longer needed powerful generals who could command the support of all, but it did have a few idle, easily trained, and obedient young men in its care.
With Shen Changfeng's temperament, he would not let himself be wronged and wear a mask in his own home. It would be better for her to see his true face from the beginning. He was also confident that he could control this little woman.
At that time, Emperor Qinglong had not yet appointed a crown prince, and the Dingbei Palace ostensibly did not participate in political affairs and maintained a neutral stance, but today it seems that this is not the case.
Lin Meizhu increasingly felt that she was indeed unlucky. Not only was she despised by her husband, but she also seemed to be on a pirate ship. If she participated in the struggle for the throne, it would be a matter of life and death, and it would cost her her life!
Li Jieyi sneered, "As the saying goes, serving a king is like serving a tiger. It's true."
The Wei court was divided into two main factions: the nobility, who had followed Emperor Taizu and possessed military merit, and the civil officials, who came from humbler backgrounds. The nobility's military titles were hereditary, and many of them inherited their ancestral merits but lacked the necessary skills, making them ill-equipped for high-ranking positions. This led to widespread criticism from the civil officials. Furthermore, since the previous emperor, the emperor had prioritized civil officials over military ones, and the nobility were repeatedly suppressed.
A few days ago, military reports arrived from the border about an invasion by the Northern Barbarians. During a dinner, a minister casually suggested sending troops to suppress them. This would have caused no commotion in normal times, but several of the cabinet's leading ministers had fallen ill or passed away, leaving a shortage of young officials. Proposing a direct confrontation with the Northern Barbarians at this time was a proposal to reinstate the long-neglected nobles.
The Shen family, who came from a noble family, may have touched the sensitive nerves of some people because of this.
After knowing the truth, Lin Meiju felt like she had something stuck in her throat. Her marriage was the result of political games, not some emperor who was thinking of her past and wanted to be the matchmaker. She was tricked, but she should be grateful instead. It was really disgusting.
If she herself was like this, how could she not also be so proud of Shen Changfeng? His actions during the wedding reception were probably just a way for him to express his dissatisfaction with his superiors under a ridiculous pretext. Recalling Li Jieyi's words at the wedding hall about "a loving father and a filial son," Shen Zhongda was likely aware of Shen Changfeng and the others' plan. Or perhaps, he was also involved?
There was silence in the carriage for a moment.
It was Li Jieyi who first broke the silence, "Last night..."
Although Shen Changfeng handed over the veil as a perfunctory gesture, Lin Meizhu didn't think that the movements in Qinghui Hall could escape Li Jieyi's eyes and ears. She smiled bitterly and said, "The prince doesn't like me very much."
Li Jieyi chuckled, looked at her pretty face, and said slowly, "You are blind."
Perhaps because Li Jieyi cursed Shen Changfeng every three sentences, Lin Meizhu found her inexplicably endearing. At this moment, the carriage slowly stopped, having arrived at the palace gate.
After the death of Emperor Qinglong's original wife, Empress Yuan, the harem had not appointed another empress. The highest-ranking official in the harem was now Imperial Concubine Xue. With Concubine Li leading the charge, nothing could go wrong. Lin Meizhu met with each of the concubines and received numerous rewards.
It was already afternoon when they came out of the palace. Li Jieyi took another carriage to go to Taiqing Temple for meditation, so Lin Meiju returned home alone.
Just at this moment, a man's voice was heard coming from the palace gate. The palace servant explained to Lin Meiju that this was because the adults had gone off duty.
Lin Meizhu was startled. She remembered that Shen Changfeng served as the Jinwu Guard in the palace. Although it shouldn't be such a coincidence, she was still prepared for the worst. She quickened her pace to find her carriage, and her heart was still pounding until she lowered the curtain.
Qing'er placed the souvenirs she had received today on the side of the carriage and counted them silently. In addition, the carriage was not moving fast and the shaking sound had a hypnotic effect.
Lin Meiju only dozed off for an hour or so today, and as soon as she relaxed, she immediately fell drowsy.
Outside the palace gate, officials in scarlet robes blocked Shen Changfeng's way and congratulated him. Shen Zhongda thanked them one by one on behalf of his son. A few young men nearby made faces at Shen Changfeng, but were scared away by Shen Zhongda's glare.
"I haven't even settled the score with you for what you did yesterday! You actually went out for a feast on your wedding night! Only a prodigal like you could do that!"
Shen Changfeng replied: "Don't you like Qin Yan the most? Why can't I go and accompany him?"
Yesterday, Qin Yan had an argument with his wife Su Qinxue. Su Qinxue couldn't find the person, so she sent someone to ask Shen Changfeng if he knew where the person was. Shen Changfeng didn't want to stay in the mansion, so he left under the pretext of looking for someone.
Shen Zhongda scolded, "That depends on the timing! Alright, send your wife back home!"
Shen Changfeng was on duty today. The emperor, sympathetic to his newlywed status, granted him five days' leave and asked him to leave the palace early to accompany Lin Meizhu.
Shen Changfeng saw that the emperor's eunuchs were still standing at the palace gate, and after a moment of silence, he followed his own carriage.
Lin Meizhu did not sleep well in the carriage. When she dreamed again that Shen Changfeng was about to bite her throat, she suddenly opened her eyes and saw the culprit close at hand.
After Shen Changfeng got on the carriage, he saw Lin Meizhu dozing against the window.
After the audience, she had changed back into her regular clothes. This time, she wore a hibiscus-patterned moonlit skirt, topped with a long, satsuma-colored vest. Sunlight streamed in through the gaps between the bamboo strips, quietly kissing her plump lips and turning her round earlobes slightly pink from being ironed.
Shen Changfeng had never felt this carriage was cramped. It was not only small but also hot and stuffy. The air was filled with the sweet fragrance of a woman, like the aroma of some ripe fruit.
He reached out and lifted the bamboo curtain to get some fresh air, and then the carriage bumped, and a soft thing appeared in his arms.
Lin Meiju was half asleep, and when she suddenly saw an extra person in the carriage, she thought she was still in a nightmare. It was not until she felt the warm breath of the man above her head behind her ears that she realized this was really happening.
She stood up in a panic and stepped back, bumping into his iron-clad chest. She also heard his mocking laugh, "Are you that impatient?"
Lin Meizhu knew that he hated her being close to him, and she had made up her mind not to seek his affection any more, but that didn't mean she could just let it go. Hearing his undisguised sarcasm, her heart suddenly pricked again.
She tilted her head to prevent him from hearing the abnormality in her tone: "No, I was just careless and didn't know the prince was here."
Lin Meizhu's features were naturally bright, and today, with her pink makeup, she looked even more delicate, like a spring breeze and charming, like an autumn moon. Her light summer clothes allowed Shen Changfeng to take in the breathtaking scenery. Her hair was slightly loose, and her eyes, like a pair of slender autumn leaves, hinted at a stubbornness, adding a hint of reluctance. This made Shen Changfeng slightly irritated. "I'm entering the palace today, and a woman from a noble family should present herself with dignity. Why are you dressed so ostentatiously?"
He has seen many tricks of playing hard to get.
She sighed secretly and tried her best to keep her eyebrows down and look pleasing. "Because I want to hide the red marks on my face."
Shen Changfeng said in a bad tone: "Are you blaming me?"
This questioning tone made Lin Meizhu suddenly feel uneasy. It seemed like a physical instinct. Shen Changfeng's eyes were cold and deep, full of oppression. She was completely unable to resist his invasion, whether physically or mentally. She quickly responded, "That's not what I meant."
As she spoke, she stood up by holding onto the wall of the car and slowly moved back, sensibly making room for him.
At this time, the carriage was shaking again. Shen Changfeng was sitting steadily, but Lin Meizhu's hand slipped and she rushed forward with a scream. The perfect moon chest weapon hit Shen Changfeng right on the face.
It’s over!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
