Without support, Chu Changning fell backward due to inertia. She had sharp eyes and hurriedly grabbed the stool to steady herself.
Yan Beimo looked at her disheveled state and slightly curled his lips.
"The imperial princess is nothing special."
Hearing his sarcasm, Chu Changning was so angry that she wanted to slap him from afar.
Well, when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head.
She took a deep breath, tried her best to hold back, and turned to walk towards the small couch.
Inside the dimly lit room, wedding candles shone brightly.
Yan Beimo watched her movements indifferently, then lay down on the couch fully clothed for a short rest.
With a grown man present, Chu Changning dared not take off her clothes and could only sleep fully clothed.
I was hoping to sort out my thoughts, but I was just too tired and weak. As soon as I closed my eyes, I felt sleepy.
She forced her eyelids open, half asleep and half awake.
A sense of tranquility permeated the quiet, dimly lit interior.
Yan Beimo slowly opened his eyes only after hearing the soft breathing sound.
He lifted the bed curtains, got off the bed, and walked towards the small couch where she slept.
Chu Changning, being a light sleeper, noticed the commotion.
She didn't move, waiting quietly.
The air around her was thin, and those sinister eyes looked down at her with undisguised murderous intent.
Chu Changning's hands, hidden under the covers, went numb, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.
He wanted to kill her!
Yan Beimo toyed with the knife in his hand, looking at her with his eyes lowered.
Her eyelashes trembled in the dim light, revealing her fear.
But her delicate face remained expressionless as she forced herself to remain calm.
He couldn't help but slightly twitch the corner of his lips.
After a moment, Yan Beimo sheathed his sword and turned to walk out the door.
Hearing his footsteps as he left, Chu Changning abandoned all pretense and quickly opened her eyes and got up.
"My Lord".
Yan Beimo paused, then turned around.
"Where are you going so late, my lord?"
She raised her wet, watery eyes, feigning ignorance as she looked at him, trying to appear vulnerable.
Yan Beimo sneered as he looked at the woman's ever-changing expressions.
"What's it to you?"
Chu Changning said, "My father exchanged the power of 100,000 troops for this marriage, which was agreed to by the Marquis—"
Before she could finish speaking, his face suddenly turned grim, and he grabbed her by the neck, slamming her against the door behind her.
It was incredibly fast, almost instantaneous.
Chu Changning had no time to react and instinctively kicked him.
But he immediately lifted her leg, so forcefully that it almost broke.
Her face turned deathly pale with pain.
Yan Beimo showed no mercy to her, and whispered in her ear.
"The Southern Dynasty is gone, so behave yourself."
Chu Changning felt a chill in his heart. Before he could say anything, he lazily let go of her hand, shook her off, and strode out.
When the maids and nannies on night watch outside saw people come out, they all bowed their heads respectfully.
After everyone had gone some distance, they began to whisper among themselves, some even making sarcastic remarks towards the doorway.
"What's with this air about a princess from a fallen kingdom?"
"That's right, that's right. If it weren't for the Lord's kindness in taking her in, she would have been a victim of the new emperor's sword long ago."
"Hmph, she can't even keep her husband, how can she compare to Miss Wang?"
The wind howled as it rushed into the room. Chu Changning stood there with a cold expression, his slender figure appearing somewhat lonely in the glow of the wedding candles.
Ignoring the gossip outside, she rubbed her aching legs, walked to the bedside, disdainfully threw the blanket he had used on the floor, and pulled her own blanket over her head to sleep.
The news that the Marquis abandoned his new wife on their wedding night spread throughout the entire mansion in an instant, and even the people living in the old house on Yannan Street heard about it.
The next day, when she went to offer tea, someone deliberately made things difficult for her.
She was the wife of the second wife, the second legitimate daughter of the third branch of the Langya Wang clan.
Originally intending to arrange a marriage between his niece Wang Wan and the Yan family, he was thwarted by a princess from a fallen kingdom, and naturally disapproved of Chu Changning.
Chu Changning's hand holding the teacup was burning hot and red, but the second madam in front of him was happily talking about the debauchery of the Southern Dynasty royal family, showing no intention of taking the tea.
The large crowd around them all laughed and echoed their sentiments.
Various mocking glances were cast over. Chu Changning listened to their words, glanced at Yan Beimo who went to sit down, and his eyes darkened slightly.
She knew it was all about treating people differently based on their status; Yan Bei Mo disliked her, so naturally, the Yan family wouldn't give her any face.
I'm afraid the rumors of her being divorced will soon spread throughout the entire capital of Yan.
"Changning, I heard that your mother had you sent to Yandu overnight in order to save your life. Where are all the people around you?"
Chu Changning held his teacup and said calmly, "The journey is long, so I only left a few people to serve me."
In reality, as soon as the original owner left the capital, she was hunted down by the new emperor's men, and the guards left to her by the old emperor all died protecting her.
"Shurong, don't ask now. Changning must be tired from serving tea. From now on, we're all family, so we can chat slowly."
The one speaking was Madam Ronghua, Yan Beimo's stepmother.
Yan Beimo's birth mother was the first wife of the Yan family head, and she died in childbirth.
Speaking of this, Chu Changning couldn't help but frown. The original book mentioned that Yan Beimo lost his mother at a young age and had a very tragic life.
The Yan family was a powerful clan, and there was constant infighting and deceit among the various clans. He was murdered at a young age and had his leg broken.
Later, although he was rescued by the old patriarch, a lame man could not shoulder the heavy responsibility of the family and became an outcast. After the old patriarch died, he lived a life worse than a dog.
His biological father, who is also the current head of the family, is obsessed with women and debauched, neglecting him completely.
Not long after, he went alone to the Northern Army camp.
However, the original book does not mention how he recovered his leg; it only says that after his leg recovered, he stayed in the army camp for twelve years.
After being enfeoffed as the Marquis of Yan, he colluded with the northern desert region, entrenched himself in the north, and his power grew stronger and stronger. He returned to the capital of Yan when he was twenty-four years old.
Once Madam Ronghua spoke, everyone else just smiled awkwardly and stopped making any sarcastic remarks.
The second wife hurriedly said, "Look at me, I've completely forgotten the time."
After saying that, she smiled and took the tea, but it seemed she didn't hold it properly, and the teacup fell with a clatter onto Chu Changning's feet.
The tea was extremely hot; if it splashed on someone, they would be severely injured, if not killed.
Chu Changning quickly regained his senses and stepped back, secretly flicking the jade bead.
The teacup tipped forward due to inertia, and the scalding tea instantly spilled all over the second mistress.
Screams erupted, shocking everyone.
Chu Changning looked at his blistered fingers and sneered.
The tea served is never this hot; it's clearly being deliberately made to scald her.
"Aunt, are you alright?"
She feigned shock and rushed forward to help the person, attracting a crowd of onlookers.
"Quickly, quickly call the imperial physician."
Yan Beimo sipped his tea calmly, glanced at the noisy scene, and then looked at the jade beads lying in the corner.
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