"What's going on? Qin Tangning is perfectly fine, how did she suddenly get engaged to Helan Ruo? Isn't she the fiancée of Prince Jian, Wei Jing?"
"You don't know yet? That Prince Wei was caught in bed with that fake heiress Qin Qianqian by a large group of people at the Princess's residence. Now, how can Qin Tangning possibly marry into the Prince Jian's mansion?"
"Ugh, is this really that disgusting? What's wrong with Qin Qianqian? Didn't she promise to give everything she had, including her marriage, to the real heiress, Qin Tangning? Why is she doing something so disgusting?"
"I heard it's because Madam Qin was arranging a marriage for her. She was quick to agree to the marriage before, but now that it's actually happening, how can an adopted daughter of a general's family compare to the real heiress? So, the families she's considering have to lower their standards, right? After comparing the two, she found that none of the families she's considering can compare to the Prince Jian's family. Don't you know Qin Qianqian? She's always been arrogant and can't see anyone. When she realized she was being outshone by the real heiress, of course she started causing trouble. Who would have thought that everyone would see it? It's really... shameless!"
"If you ask me, it takes two to tango. Qin Qianqian has her own intentions, and if that Prince Wei had any intention of avoiding suspicion, he wouldn't have fallen into this trap. Everyone used to say that Young Master Helan was a playboy, but has he ever had any romantic entanglements over the years? I've heard that all the people serving him are male servants. If Qin Tangning really marries him, she might actually live a pretty good life!"
"Regardless of Helan Ruo's character, he's of high status. Qin Tangning is really lucky; she lost the heir apparent of the Wei family, but immediately gained the young master of the Helan family. I heard that the Princess even asked the old lord of the most prestigious Nan'an Marquis's mansion in the capital to act as matchmaker. She's got both face and substance. But Qin Tangning is already engaged, so why is Qin Qianqian, who caused such a huge scandal, not making a move at all?"
"I hadn't noticed until you mentioned it. Yes, Qin Tangning is engaged, but why hasn't Qin Qianqian made any announcement? The Jianwang Mansion hasn't made any statement either. Could it be..."
"Could it be something else?"
"She wants to enter the manor...as a concubine?"
"Wow!"
Yes, only by becoming a concubine can one keep a complete secret. When the time comes, a small sedan chair will be sent to the Prince Jian's mansion, and there's probably no need to even pay homage to heaven and earth.
Oh my god, is this real?
The rumors in the capital about Tang Ning's engagement, while Qin Qianqian remained completely silent, were rampant and caused quite a stir for a while.
Upon hearing the news of Tang Ning's engagement to He Lanruo at the Prince's residence, Wei Jing was utterly stunned, collapsing into the chair behind him as if he had lost his soul. Although he had a premonition when the General's Mansion took back Tang Ning's betrothal letter, a faint sense of unreality still rose in Wei Jing's heart when he actually heard the news of Tang Ning's engagement.
Unexpectedly, Tang Ning really got engaged to He Lanruo. Not only that, it seems they even set a wedding date for the New Year. Tang Ning will be of marriageable age by then, so they can get married naturally. There are still three or four months until the New Year, which is just enough time for Tang Ning to embroider her wedding dress and prepare her dowry. How wonderful!
Wei Jing chuckled inwardly, his eyes growing increasingly gloomy.
He didn't understand. How did he and Tang Ning end up on this path?
First, he and Qianqian were accidentally discovered in the Princess's mansion... And while he and Qianqian were being plotted against, Tang Ning also fell into the water and was even rescued by Helan Ruo. That was bad enough, but the most crucial thing was that Qianqian and Tang Ning both thought that he was the one who did it, which made it impossible for him to even see Tang Ning now.
Thinking of this, Wei Jing's brows gradually furrowed.
Then he slowly sat up straight. How could these things be so coincidental?
It was as if an invisible hand was pulling him apart from Tang Ning, and then bringing him together with Qianqian, and Tang Ning together with Helan Ruo.
And all of these events occurred on the same day, all within the Princess's residence...
Who benefits the most from doing this?
The more Wei Jing thought about it, the more his brows furrowed, and finally a name unconsciously surfaced in his mind.
Helan Ruo.
Yes, besides him, he simply couldn't think of anyone else who benefited from all this. Qianqian couldn't be it; she wouldn't willingly risk her reputation. Tang Ning couldn't be it either, because falling into the water was extremely dangerous, and the Princess's residence was so large—if someone accidentally saw her, the consequences would be unimaginable. Besides, she had previously promised him she would consider marrying him; how could she possibly scheme behind his back!
That leaves only Helan Ruo...
A playboy like him might have already developed feelings for Tang Ning after their first meeting. Perhaps, without Tang Ning's knowledge, he took advantage of her naivety and kindness to grow closer to her. Unfortunately, no matter how close he got, he was always the one separating him from Tang Ning. So, it would be perfectly normal for him to set a trap to tie him to Qianqian, and at the same time set another trap to make Tang Ning feel grateful to him. After being stimulated, she would choose him on her own initiative.
Otherwise, how could he explain that day when he suddenly appeared at the General's Mansion and, together with Tang Ning, hid behind the artificial hill and overheard what Qianqian was saying?
Thinking of this, Wei Jing suddenly stood up from his chair and slammed his hand heavily on the nanmu wood table next to him.
Helan Ruo, what deep scheming, what a vicious heart!
Fortunately, he still has a few months before he can marry Tang Ning, and he is determined to use these months to expose her true colors.
Then Tang Ning will know who the truly scheming, treacherous, and cunning man is.
It's safe to say that if Tang Ning heard Wei Jing's self-deceptive reasoning, she would immediately applaud him and marvel at how imaginative he was.
However, rather than saying he had a wild imagination, it's more accurate to say that deep down he still didn't want to accept the fact that Tang Ning was going to marry He Lanruo. He desperately wanted to find out He Lanruo's problems and then tell Tang Ning, so that maybe... maybe he could still have a chance to be with Tang Ning.
Unfortunately, Wei Jing is likely destined to be disappointed.
After all, with his current favorability rating of 96, Tang Ning simply couldn't muster the desire to say another word to him.
Meanwhile, inside the Chonghua Hall of the Imperial Palace.
A woman leaned against a soft couch by the window. She wore a moon-white palace dress with lotus patterns embroidered in silver thread on the cuffs and auspicious clouds embroidered in silver thread on the hem. Her hair was styled in an exquisite peony bun, with several hibiscus-shaped warm jade hairpins inserted diagonally in her hair. Crystal-clear South Sea pearl earrings hung from her small earlobes. Her eyebrows were lightly drawn, and her skin was fair and delicate. She looked like a cold fairy from the moon palace who had fallen to the mortal world.
Who else could Ji Muqing be but the granddaughter of the Prime Minister Ji, whom He Lanruo had longed for for many years and who is now the Consort of Emperor Situ Yin?
Meanwhile, Ji Muqing was dismissing all the servants in her palace while carefully taking out a note covered with writing from the bottom of the bird's nest soup bowl that had just been delivered from the imperial kitchen.
This note was sent to her by her grandfather, Prime Minister Ji, after going through countless hardships.
It was only in the last six months or so, after her fragrance stopped working on that madman and he gradually relaxed his watch on her, that she was able to secretly make contact with him.
She really couldn't take it anymore. Life in the palace was nothing like what she had imagined when she first entered the palace. Although she had become the most favored concubine as she had expected, this kind of "favor" was something she didn't want at all.
What normal person could endure living with a madman every day? She felt that if things continued like this, even if she wasn't driven insane by Situ Yin, she probably wouldn't live much longer.
She regretted it, she really regretted it.
If she had known this would happen, she would have been better off marrying Helan Ruo, who was completely devoted to her, rather than becoming some lousy concubine in the palace.
These weren't the most important things. The most important thing was that her fragrance was gradually losing its effect on Situ Yin. For the past six months, whenever she saw his reddened eyes and sinister appearance, she feared that he might suddenly become displeased and drag her away to be beaten to death. After all, he had done such things before.
At this point, Ji Muqing was living in constant fear.
So when she realized that the mad emperor had relaxed his guard over her, she did not hesitate to contact the Prime Minister's residence.
But she was already so scared, and all her grandfather, who had once loved her to the core, could do was tell her to endure it.
She had to endure it; she really couldn't take it anymore.
She didn't want to die, she really didn't want to die.
With a mix of panic, fear, hatred, and resentment, Ji Muqing patiently read the letter her grandfather had written to her. She could almost recite the monotonous words of comfort at the beginning. Then, her grandfather mentioned in the middle that her uncle, who had always wanted to be a chivalrous hero and roam the martial arts world, had actually encountered a mysterious and enigmatic master during his travels. This master not only possessed miraculous medical skills but was also proficient in techniques like changing hands, feet, and even faces. He spoke of these things in great detail, but no one knew the specifics of his abilities.
These little messages, without even thinking, were written by her grandfather to cheer her up.
How could she possibly be happy right now!
Thinking this, Ji Muqing took a deep breath before continuing to read, and then saw it in the last paragraph of the letter—
The news that Helan Ruo was engaged, and that he himself had taken a liking to the girl and had his family come to propose marriage, can be seen from the old nobleman of the Nan'an Marquis's mansion who acted as matchmaker.
Upon seeing this news, Ji Muqing's fingers involuntarily loosened, and the letter in her hand fluttered to the ground.
Helan Ruo... is engaged...
They might even get married after the New Year?
Ji Muqing could hardly believe what she was seeing.
Her hands trembled slightly, the trembling becoming more and more pronounced.
Finally, in a frenzy, he swept all the porcelain vases, tea sets, and even the exquisite pastries in the pink and white porcelain dishes on the small table beside him onto the ground.
Liar, liar, liar!
They're all scammers!
Grandpa is a liar. He said he would find a chance to rescue her, but all he did was give her empty promises!
By the time he finally gets a chance, she'll probably already be a cold corpse.
He Lanruo said she liked her, that she would wait for her, and that she would never marry anyone but her in this lifetime; but that was just to deceive her.
Only three years later, while she was suffering all kinds of torment in the palace, he fell in love with another woman.
They're all scammers!
Under the constant pressure of a high-pressure life and the fear of losing her life at any moment, Ji Muqing, having lost her last lifeline, slid off the soft couch, covered her face, and began to sob.
If only I had known...
The more Ji Muqing thought about it, the more grief welled up inside her.
until--
As a soft footstep approached from the palace gate, Ji Muqing, whose nerves had already been heightened by the elusive and ever-present Situ Yin, instantly became like a small herbivore caught in the sight of a large predator. Her previously unrestrained crying stopped abruptly, her face drained of almost all color, and her flower-like lips trembled incessantly. For a moment, she wished she could shrink herself down, shrink even further, so that no one in the world could see her.
Just then, the soft footsteps grew closer and clearer to her.
Along with the footsteps came Ji Muqing's body trembling more and more violently; not only her body, but even her teeth began to chatter.
When the footsteps stopped beside her, Ji Muqing almost instantly stopped breathing, her pupils shrank to the limit, and all the muscles in her body tensed up completely.
Then, Ji Muqing, whose hearing was amplified at that moment, heard a rustling sound of fabric rubbing together, and the next second she immediately felt several cold fingers gently touching her chin like cold-blooded animals.
Shivering from the cold, Ji Muqing forced back the scream that was already on the tip of her tongue. She couldn't scream, she absolutely couldn't scream, because not long ago, the newly entered concubine in the palace had screamed in front of him, but before she could even finish the sound, she was immediately covered by a group of eunuchs and dragged away.
Now we don't even know if we're alive or dead.
Because Situ Yin's headaches were so severe that he couldn't hear any unusual sounds, otherwise he would go crazy immediately. He was even more strict about sleeping at night. When she lay next to him, she was not allowed to turn over or even breathe too loudly.
Ji Muqing didn't even know how she had spent those three years.
Lost in her own thoughts, Ji Muqing quietly and silently allowed the person to gently lift her chin.
Immediately afterwards, a pale and beautiful face appeared before her eyes.
It can be said that the face before him was the most captivating and unforgettable face Ji Muqing had ever seen.
Even Helan Ruo, whose appearance is far more outstanding than that of ordinary people, cannot compare to her.
There's no other reason than that Situ Yin's face was so heavily painted that it was impossible to tell whether he was male or female.
Thick eyebrows, dark eyes, a straight nose, bright red lips, a pale face, and naturally curly black hair.
Just standing here in front of you feels like I can steal your breath.
Even though Ji Muqing knew and feared the madman's nature, she still couldn't help but feel a slight choke.
"With early winter approaching, why is my Consort Chen sitting on the ground all of a sudden?"
The man's voice was low, husky, and magnetic.
The moment he opened his mouth, he seemed to come alive, just like a figure from a painting.
"And so many things were lost, what? Did someone in the palace displease Consort Chen? Or... did I displease you?"
The man's voice grew softer and softer until it was barely audible.
Such a sound caused Ji Muqing to tremble uncontrollably. She moved her lips, but her throat felt as if it were being gently choked by an invisible hand, and she couldn't utter a single word.
Fear and horror instantly filled almost every corner of her body.
Then she heard the man in front of her chuckle softly, and then expressionlessly released his hand that was holding her chin. Not only that, he took out a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully wiped the hairs off her chin.
Yes, Situ Yin is not only a madman, but also a madman who is extremely unwilling to have any contact with women. Heaven knows why he would have different women accompany him to sleep every night, including her, when he clearly doesn't like women.
Even after three years in the palace, Ji Muqing still couldn't figure out the reason behind it.
Then she watched as the man in black, who was half-squatting in front of her, took out a handkerchief from his bosom, draped it over her wrist, and then gently brought her wrist to his nose, sniffed it, and then sniffed it again.
As she sniffed, she saw the man's eyes grow darker and darker, like the sky before a summer storm, until they were soon filled with dark clouds.
The man's grip on her wrist tightened and became more forceful, so much so that Ji Muqing even wondered if her wrist had been broken. Unfortunately, she was no longer concerned about her wrist at this point, and her whole body was trembling more and more violently.
She didn't want to tremble, but she just couldn't control it, no matter what she did.
It's always like this. Every time, she's afraid of this unpredictable man who might suddenly order someone to drag her away.
She's going crazy, he's really driving her insane!
Ji Muqing's tears welled up in her eyes, but she dared not let them fall.
Until her hand was gently tossed aside by the other party, the man slowly stood up in front of her.
Ji Muqing finally felt as if she had been pulled back from the edge of a cliff once again.
But she still dared not move, because Situ Yin was still standing in front of her, and had not left.
From her perspective, she could only see the man's dark boots, but even so, she didn't dare to look up, because she didn't know if looking up would make the man in front of her angry and unhappy.
She had no other choice but to shrink herself down like a quail.
At this moment, Situ Yin, who was standing in front of the so-called Consort Chen, narrowed his eyes and looked at the top of the woman's head.
Even though her fragrance was still there, why did it have such little effect on him, and even... it was completely unable to stop his headache?
Yes, although Situ Yin may appear to be perfectly fine on the surface, his mind is actually being constantly chiseled by dozens of sharp chisels, and the number of chisels is increasing day by day.
The pain stirred an indescribable, violent, and bloodthirsty feeling within him.
He stared intently at Ji Muqing, who remained motionless before him. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally turned around and walked straight out of the hall.
"Since Consort Chen dislikes these decorations in the palace, guards, remove all the porcelain decorations from Chonghua Palace."
As he spoke, Situ Yin had already stepped over the high threshold of Chonghua Hall.
"Here you go."
All the servants in Chonghua Hall answered in unison, and then immediately began to move the furnishings in the hall quietly.
After Situ Yin's figure completely disappeared, Ji Muqing finally let out a deep breath, then collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily with her chest heaving.
It seems the emperor won't be visiting her Chonghua Palace for a while. It's better if he doesn't come; she's genuinely afraid that one day she'll die at his hands.
Heaven knows, when she first entered the palace, she never even considered sleeping with someone like Situ Yin. Haha, now all she wants is to live, to live well.
Large tears streamed down Ji Muqing's beautiful eyes.
One drop, one drop, and another.
Meanwhile, Situ Yin, who had just left Chonghua Palace, was driven by a severe headache and found everything in front of him extremely irritating, while waves of rampant desires rose in his heart.
It was still his personal eunuch who had served him for many years. Seeing that something was really wrong with him, he hesitated for a long time before respectfully bowing and speaking, "Your Majesty, I have heard that there is a slave girl from the distant Persian Kingdom who possesses a unique fragrance. She is currently being transported to the capital. She may be sent to the largest brothel in the capital, Chunhong Brothel. If Your Majesty has some free time, perhaps you could go and see her..."
"Persia? How long will it take?"
"As early as one or two months, or as late as... three or four months."
The head eunuch nodded in agreement.
"March and April, March and April..."
Situ Yin clenched his fist and strode forward.
It can be said that wherever this ruthless figure went in the harem, he brought only a deathly silence.
Not only that, even the concubines in the harem who accidentally encountered him would always kneel silently in the corner, trying their best to minimize their presence, making sure that he couldn't see them at all. And once they were caught in Situ Yin's gaze, their whole body would stiffen and their heart would stop beating. Only after he left would they dare to collapse limply to the ground, and be helped back to their own palaces by the equally limp palace maids beside them.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, I should not leave my palace for the next few months.
You could say this person is a nightmare for any woman in the harem, a walking contraceptive!
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