Frost Wound
This is the corridor of the Qiankun Kingdom's palace. The shadows of snow shine on the red walls, and between the red walls are Qiankun Kingdom's Crown Princess Chen Yun and the country's ninth princess Li Xuelu.
Li Xuelu suggested that Shi Lu, the eldest son of the royal merchant family who had helped Chen Yun, should marry the Ninth Princess, which caught Chen Yun off guard.
"What does the Ninth Princess want to do? Why does she want to marry a merchant? Your Majesty wouldn't necessarily let his pawn marry a merchant. But... perhaps she wants to break free from the constraints of the palace."
Thinking of this, Chen Yun said, "You should go back and heal your wounds first. I need to discuss this matter with your brother."
Li Xuelu took Chen Yun's arm and begged coquettishly, "Sister-in-law, please."
"Alright! The Empress will plead for you and find a way. When it comes to love, the Empress still values mutual consent over a piece of paper marriage. Alright, go back to your house to heal your wounds. I'll be leaving here first."
Then the two of them disappeared into the corridor of the deep palace.
The next day, Chen Yun and Li Lin were summoned to the Palace of Heavenly Purity and arranged to represent the Qiankun Kingdom to attend the wedding of the eighth princess Li Yangyang, and at the same time investigate the illegal purchase of Dongyang Yuezuoren by Li Yangyang and her husband.
A little over a month later, Li Lin and Chen Yun arrived in the capital of Louhuang. Greeted by the country's envoys, they entered the reception hall. As soon as they entered the garden, they saw the Crown Prince Xuanyuan Haonan of Yanyou and his consort Wei Ningshuang.
At the last banquet, Chen Yun did not observe any of the guests carefully. This time, after a quick look, he found that Wei Ningshuang was dressed simply but elegantly, gorgeously and appropriately, with dark eyebrows and starry eyes.
But now, such a beautiful woman is being insulted by her own husband.
Xuanyuan Haonan—with a sullen expression, he clutched a letter tightly, the contents of which made him seethe with rage. The letter detailed the Crown Princess Wei Ningshuang's infidelity and explicitly stated that the child was not his biological child.
"Wei Ningshuang!"
Xuanyuan Haonan was clouded by anger. He coldly threw the letter in front of her and asked sternly: "How do you explain this letter? If I hadn't investigated, I wouldn't know what you did!" Then he pushed Wei Ningshuang to the ground with one hand.
Wei Ningshuang picked up the letter from the ground. After reading it, her face turned even paler, tears glistening in her eyes. She choked and said, "Your Highness, this letter is fake. Mingqing is your biological child. I have never betrayed you!"
He sneered, his eyes filled with distrust. "Fake? It's written in such detail, and you still dare to quibble?"
Wei Ningshuang pointed at Yin Banluo, the woman standing next to Xuanyuan Haonan, and angrily shouted, "She wronged me! Yin Banluo! We have no grudges against each other, why..." Wei Ningshuang suddenly thought of something, and then she said in a low voice with sudden realization, "I understand. Whether it's Long Shishi or you, Yin Banluo, you are both eyeing Haonan's favor. You want to exclude those who are not yours! So you set up a trap to harm me!"
Wei Ningshuang grabbed Xuanyuan Haonan's hand and knelt down, pleading, "Haonan, this is all a frame-up. My feelings for you are known to all. How about this, I will investigate."
Yin Banluo said indifferently, "Crown Princess. I am just an ordinary clerk. I only work for the Crown Prince. I have no intention of currying favor with him."
Xuanyuan Haonan's heart was already filled with anger and suspicion. He pushed Wei Ningshuang's hand away and slapped her. Then he took out a letter of divorce that he had prepared long ago and threw it coldly on Wei Ningshuang's head.
"Since you are so shameless, let's end our relationship once and for all with this divorce letter."
Wei Ningshuang desperately accepted the divorce letter, feeling desolate. Although it was a setup, she had never imagined the prince had already prepared the letter, which meant he no longer trusted her. Her heart ached, tears streaming down her face.
Yin Banluo grabbed Xuanyuan Haonan's arm and forcibly pulled it back: "Your Highness, there are many eyes watching here, so be careful with your words and actions. Take today as a warning. There is no need to divorce the Crown Princess.
While Wei Ningshuang was still crying, she was secretly thinking, "Since he's already prepared the divorce papers, it proves that our relationship is over. This time, I have nowhere else to go. Leave this circle! Leave that hellish circle!"
Xuanyuan Haonan squatted down, grabbed Wei Ningshuang's neck, and said through gritted teeth, "I'll take back the divorce letter first. I'm giving you one chance to prove your innocence. Don't let me down at the banquet."
After saying that, Xuanyuan Haonan picked up the divorce letter and left. Yin Banluo followed Xuanyuan Haonan without any expression.
Wei Ningshuang suffered such an insult in public and could not stay any longer. She bowed to everyone and left in a hurry.
Chen Yun pulled Li Lin's sleeve and whispered, "Weren't they on good terms to begin with? Why is it like they're marrying two people without feelings for each other?"
Li Lin responded in a low voice: "Don't gossip, we are going to start investigating the Eighth Princess."
The messenger chuckled and said, "I didn't expect something unpleasant would happen. Please forgive me, both of you. I will take you inside to rest immediately."
Afterwards, they stayed in Louhuang for a few days. Chen Yun and Li Lin enjoyed themselves in the capital, enjoying the sights and sounds of the country, which were beyond the reach of the imperial palace. At the same time, they inquired with various people about Li Yangyang and Xiao Qi's situation.
On the day of the eighth princess's wedding, when Li Lin and Chen Yun stepped into the palace, they saw the eighth princess Li Yangyang in her wedding dress. She was eating with the public at the banquet without a red veil. The man wearing a groom's suit next to her was Xiao Qi, the thirteenth prince of Louhuang Kingdom who had once teased Chen Yun.
"The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Qiankun Kingdom have arrived!"
Chen Yun asked Li Lin beside him, "Is this the custom of marriage in Louhuang Country? The bride doesn't wear a red veil, and doesn't follow the fanning ceremony?"
"Look at who the groom is. Even if he gets disgusting later, you have to restrain yourself."
Chen Yun and Li Lin came over to where Xiao Qi was. Xiao Qi and Li Yangyang stood up and saluted them. Then Chen Yun said, "Are you the Eighth Sister? Seeing you today, I can see that you are indeed a stunning beauty, with a refined and refined demeanor."
Li Yangyang looked at Chen Yun and said, "Hmm... Are you the prince's village girl consort? You do look a bit like a foxy woman."
Li Lin immediately stopped her: "Yangyang, don't be rude to your sister-in-law."
Chen Yan sneered, "Prince Xiao, long time no see."
Xiao Qi was sweating profusely, not daring to look directly at the two of them. "So the woman and the young man were actually the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. I apologize to both of you for my foolish behavior back then."
Li Yangyang approached Xiao Qizai and asked, "Qizai, do you know them?"
"Forget about the unexpected. We need to find a way to win over Yuan Tian's technology so that we can mutiny in our respective countries."
"So the first thing is to make Chen Yin submit to us or trust us."
Li Yangyang and Xiao Qi nodded confidently.
Chen Ying and Li Lin looked at each other, still unsure of their reactions.
Xiao Qi exchanged glances with Li Yangyang, as if they had already discussed something. Then, Xiao Qi approached Chen Yun, took her hand, and said with a smile, "I heard that the Crown Princess of Qiankun Kingdom is a direct disciple of the great Yuan Tian Sect. I wonder..."
Chen Yun pointed at Xiao Qi's restless hand and stared at him. He immediately retracted it.
Xiao Qi asked with a smile: "According to the customs of Louhuang Country, marriage requires in-laws' gifts. It's in-laws' gifts, not dowries."
Li Yangyang said with a smile: "If the emperor's sister-in-law can't come up with something that satisfies Lou Huangguo, it will ruin the diplomatic relations between the two countries."
Chen Yun frowned and looked at Li Lin, who shrugged. They were both helpless. It was really inappropriate for a married royal princess to speak for another country. However, they should appropriately indulge their idiot relatives and turn them into big idiots.
"Yes, of course." Then Chen Yun took out a ring from his sleeve. "This is a diamond ring. It uses a special craftsmanship. It is beautiful to look at and is made of the hardest material available today. It can also be used for defense. Look at the sharp point, it's enough to cut through a refined sword. No one can combine beauty and practicality. Only I, your sister-in-law."
Li Yangyang's eyes flashed with disdain. She reached out to take the ring, playing with it casually, a mocking smile on her lips. "You think you can use such a small item as a gift to your family? You look down on us too much. My husband! Please tell everyone present not to spread the blame of the emperor's sister-in-law. Our two countries are truly friendly and coexisting."
How could Chen Yan bear it? Just as he was about to stand up, Li Lin beside him knocked on the table to warn him.
Li Lin's face darkened. He took a step forward, protecting Chen Yun behind him, and said to Li Yangyang sternly, "Yangyang! Tell me, what exactly is it that you call something that would satisfy Lou Huangguo?"
The whole audience was shocked and fell into silence during the conversation. Although Li Yangyang was a little afraid, she was deliberately making things difficult for him. There was no specific standard. She just wanted to embarrass Chen Yan.
"If I hadn't completed the task, I would have started cursing first." Chen Ying muttered.
The ring on Li Yangyang's hand slipped off, and she sneered at Xiao Qizai, "The so-called 'hardest material' is nothing more than the leftover scraps from Louhuang's craftsmen. If it were the 'Moon Maker' that Third Brother found, he would be able to sing and dance, and would be much more refined than your 'Yuan Tian Sect' who only use stones as filler."
Chen Yun was alerted by the words "the moon is a human". She looked at Li Lin beside her. Li Lin looked at Chen Yun and raised his eyebrows.
Chen Yun sneered, then said to Li Yangyang: "Is your Yue Zuo Ren useful? Even if a mortal can stay in this country, it depends on my mood."
"Your talent is just to do those strange and tricky things. We Yuezuo people can control the country and..." Xiao Qi shook his head while holding Li Yangyang's hand to stop him from continuing.
Xiao Qi smiled broadly and tried to smooth things over, "Your Highness, Crown Princess, please don't be angry. The princess is young and naive, and her words may have been offensive. I hope you will forgive her."
Li Lin snorted coldly: "Prince Xiao, the marriage between Qiankun Kingdom and Louhuang Kingdom is for the peace and prosperity of the two countries, not to suffer bullying."
At this moment, the surrounding guests all cast strange glances at her, and the situation became awkward for a moment. Li Yangyang bit her lip, feeling resentful, but seeing Li Lin and Chen Yun's resolute attitude, she didn't dare to lose her temper.
Xiao Qi pointed at the ring and smiled: "This is a very good thing, in accordance with etiquette, you can accept it. Qi will definitely teach the princess etiquette in the future." Then Xiao Qi pushed Li Yangyang.
Although Li Yangyang was extremely reluctant, she could only reluctantly say, "Sister-in-law, it was Yangyang's fault. I hope you can forgive me."
Chen Yun smiled slightly: "Eighth Princess, you are too kind. Today is your big day, how could I take it to heart?"
Li Lin glanced around and asked, "Does anyone here think that the actions of the prince and the crown princess are inadequate? Please point it out immediately and we will apologize and correct it on the spot."
There was a moment of silence, and no one dared to criticize the royal family.
But the next second, Wei Ningshuang came out holding a baby and knelt before Li Lin. "I have a request. The current Crown Prince of Yanyou Country wants to divorce me. I have no face to return to Yanyou Country. Therefore, I beg Your Highness to allow me to surrender! Whether it's to become a concubine or a female official, I beg you to allow me to bring my child and pledge my loyalty to Qiankun Country!"
Everyone present stood up and looked at Wei Ningshuang in surprise, and Chen Yin looked at Wei Ningshuang and recalled what happened last night.
It turned out that Wei Ningshuang's public request was not a rash action, but rather a pre-emptive announcement with Chen Yun and Li Lin. Last night, she had already revealed everything in the dormitory.
Initially, Chen Yun was adamantly opposed to it. After all, having a woman with children as a concubine would definitely make her a laughing stock, and she couldn't reuse someone who had betrayed her country. Most importantly, Wei Ningshuang was originally the Crown Princess of another country, and her sudden surrender was full of suspicions, so she didn't trust her.
"I can't agree to this!" Chen Yun, standing next to Li Lin in the candlelight in the bedroom, flatly rejected Wei Ningshuang's request.
"Crown Princess! I will not compete with you for your favor. If I were to live among the common people, I would most likely be killed by those people! That's why I beg to enter the palace to seek survival!"
Li Lin sat helplessly in his seat, wanting to help, but his intention to surrender was unconvincing. "Princess Wei, I cannot take you back to the palace. Living among the people doesn't necessarily mean anything will happen!"
Wei Ningshuang raised her head, her eyes full of despair and pleading, tears welling up in her eyes: "Your Highness the Crown Prince, you don't know that I am not valued at all in the Yanyou Kingdom. If I were to be exiled to the common people, with the character of the Xuanyuan family, it would be a dead end." As she spoke, she hugged the child in her arms tightly. The child seemed to feel his mother's sadness and also cried out "wow".
Chen Yun looked at the pitiful mother and child, and a trace of pity could not help but well up in his heart. He thought to himself, "It turns out that not everyone is as lucky as me, with the support of my father, the emperor, and my mother, the queen. The child is pitiful, but that shouldn't let us lower our guard." Thinking of this, Chen Yun asked, "Can you give us a reason to convince us?"
Wei Ningshuang knelt and kowtowed to Li Lin, "We don't want to die! We want to live! Please show me mercy, Your Highness! If you agree, I will tell you everything I know about the Yanyou Kingdom!"
Li Lin bent down and lifted Wei Ningshuang's chin. "If this king is willing to take you as his concubine, but needs your help in destroying the Yanyou Kingdom, would you be willing?"
Chen Yun quickly stopped him: "Don't have such thoughts, Prince!"
"I say yes," he said, then looked at Chen Yun, "Yes."
"How could someone who said he wouldn't trust threats or had threatened his life be so casually willing to marry a princess from another country? Are you kidding me?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
