Silence or explosion
Far away in the snowy Yanyou country, the country's Crown Princess Wei Ningshuang was not doing well.
Inside the Yanyou Kingdom's palace, candlelight flickered, yet the atmosphere was oppressive and suffocating. Wei Ningshuang, clad in a gorgeous palace dress, lowered her head, not daring to meet the ferocious gaze of Xuanyuan Haonan, who sat in the upper seat. Xiao Xingchen, the crown prince of Louhuang Kingdom, sat nearby, appearing displeased.
Xuanyuan Haonan suddenly stood up and slammed the table, causing the tea set to clang. Wei Ningshuang, who was sitting nearby, trembled with fear and involuntarily stood up and took a step back.
"You were disrespectful at the Qiankun State Banquet the other day, and your hospitality to Crown Prince Xiao today was also a complete mess. How disgraceful!"
Xiao Xingchen feigned kindness and said, "Prince Xuanyuan, the Crown Princess is so capable, so don't make things difficult for her. Why make a big fuss about a couple?"
"Your Highness, I..." Wei Ningshuang tried to explain, but her voice trembled violently.
"Shut up!" Xuanyuan Haonan's eyes widened in anger as he strode up to Wei Ningshuang. "You've completely disgraced this prince! Even Long Shishi is better than you! I'm so angry! If it weren't for the royal father's arranged marriage, when would it have been your turn?"
Her eyes dimmed instantly, and her originally bright eyes were now filled with disbelief and pain. Tears welled up in her eyes, slid down her cheeks, and dripped onto the gorgeous but cold hem of her palace dress.
"Yes, I have fallen to such a state compared to others." Then she looked down at Xuanyuan Haonan with resentment, "Could it be that the feelings we once had are gone?"
Xuanyuan Haonan sneered, "How could I forgive you again and again without any feelings? Do you know how many messes I have dealt with for you? If you had half the ability of the Crown Princess of Qiankun Kingdom, I would not treat you like this, but you have embarrassed me again and again!" As he said that, he suddenly stretched out his hand and slapped Wei Ningshuang hard in the face.
Wei Ningshuang's cheeks instantly became red and swollen. She covered her face with her hands and tears welled up in her eyes.
Xiao Xingchen walked up to Wei Ningshuang and tried to reach out his hand, but Xuanyuan Haonan grabbed his hand. Xiao Xingchen looked at Xuanyuan Haonan and said, "Then why not get a divorce? Then, Crown Princess, you can come to my Louhuang Kingdom and be my concubine."
Xuanyuan Haonan pulled Xiao Xingchen in front of him and said, "She doesn't belong to you."
Xiao Xingchen said, "She is a demon concubine who brings disaster to the country. Isn't harming me the same as saving you?"
Xuanyuan Haonan's eyes were already red. He looked at Wei Ningshuang's tearful face and thought to himself, "She had been intimate with many men before marriage, and after marriage, we don't know if the child is an orphan. It's better not to abandon her before there is evidence."
Then Xuanyuan Haonan said to Xiao Xingchen: "Brother Xiao, please don't hurt our brotherhood by being obsessed with unfounded things."
"She is virtuous, talented, beautiful, and talented. Even if she has given birth to a son for you, she is not worthy of being the Crown Princess. I am only doing this for your own good."
"I know she doesn't qualify, but the rice has been cooked. How can I become a laughing stock because of my ability problem?"
After that, Xiao Xingchen and Xuanyuan Haonan patted each other's shoulders and sat down together to drink again, as if the conflict had never happened. As for Wei Ningshuang, Xuanyuan Haonan impatiently asked her to leave without explaining anything.
Wei Ningshuang wiped her tears and walked out of the dormitory alone.
She kept asking herself what had gone wrong, why had the two people who once loved each other ended up in this situation? Was she truly not good enough, or had the palace power struggles and the outside world's gossip completely eroded their feelings?
Walking alone on the snow, leaving footprints along the way.
However, insults echoed from the room. Xuanyuan Haonan shouted passionately, "Crown Princess? I dare say that no one is worthy of this position except Brother Xiao's Crown Princess and the Qiankun Kingdom. The rest can be replaced at any time!"
Xiao Xingchen laughed heartily and echoed, "I, too, want to taste what it's like to be the Crown Princess of Qiankun Country. Crown Prince Xuanyuan, why don't you reward me with a woman so that we can both satisfy our cravings tonight!"
Arriving at Qiankun Kingdom, the palace was blanketed in white, bathed in warm sunlight. When Consort Xiao Xian entered Chen Yun's bedroom, she saw the Crown Princess Chen Yun sealing a package with needle and thread.
"Princess, what is this?"
"Concubine Xian, you are here! Please sit down. Let me show you my treasure." Chen Ying poured the water from the teapot into the small hole of a small bag, then put a sticker on it and handed it to Concubine Xiao. Concubine Xiao was overjoyed as soon as she took it.
“It’s so warm!”
Chen Yun stood up, pressed Concubine Xiao's shoulders, and asked her to sit down. Then he said, "This thing is called a heating patch! It's mainly made of quicklime. The quicklime and water produce a 'digestion reaction', so the excess energy is released in the form of heat, causing the surrounding temperature to rise significantly. We can use this to keep warm in the future!"
Concubine Xiao and several of the palace maids were stunned. Concubine Xiao was bewildered and could only respond with a rather impressive tone, "Oh, I don't know what to say, but it feels very powerful. And very practical."
Suddenly, she thought of a question and quickly stood up. "Crown Princess, can you transfer the creation rights of this item to me? I want to give it to His Majesty to use for the soldiers on the distant frontiers, so as to alleviate His Majesty's feelings of separation from me."
Chen Yun sighed, then said, "Xiao Xianfei, you don't have to be so concerned about His Majesty. Wouldn't it be nice to live a peaceful and simple life without competing with the world?"
Concubine Xiao Xian said thoughtfully, "I can't let go. Once passionately in love, now hostile. If they really leave Your Majesty, how will my daughter Xuelu, a woman in seclusion, survive? You have children too, so you understand, right?"
However, Chen Yun didn't understand. She couldn't understand why someone could be so obsessed with someone who treated her coldly and violently day and night.
"Xianfei Xiao, I cannot understand your feelings. But a woman does not have to live without a man by her side. A man and a woman complement each other. Of course, it is icing on the cake, but if this condition is not met, it is better to break up as soon as possible, otherwise you will be the only one who suffers."
Consort Xiao Xian shook her head, then looked out the window at the dim light and said, "The Crown Princess is a disciple of the Yuantian Sect. She is capable and talented, so of course she's not afraid of these mortal troubles. But all living beings in the world are mortal. To let go of suffering and detachment is a remarkable thing."
Chen Yun was speechless. He felt that although Concubine Xiao was born in the grassland, her unrestrained personality was no longer visible.
At this moment, a palace maid hurried in, "Greetings to the two masters. Consort Xian, the Ninth Princess...she was chained by His Majesty and the Imperial Guards, taken to the Meridian Gate, stripped naked, and whipped!"
"What?" Chen Yun and Concubine Xiao were both shocked by this situation.
Chen Yun asked, "Why was the Ninth Princess punished by His Majesty?"
The maid said, "My dear Crown Princess, the Ninth Princess has been accused of adultery with a guard. The guard is currently being interrogated at the Dali Temple, but Your Majesty is unwilling to wait. In fact, the two had no contact at all! As the Ninth Princess's personal maid, I can guarantee your life!"
Chen Yun complained helplessly, "Why do these people like to play the game of adultery so much? Concubine Xian, please allow me to intervene and save the Ninth Princess. Yangyang and Yueyue will take care of the two children here."
Concubine Xiao Xian immediately stood up and said, "Thank you for your help, Crown Princess. I will go to the Dali Temple to deal with the guards' matter."
Soon, Chen Yun arrived at the Meridian Gate. Inside the white palace, he saw Li Xuelu, clad in a thin, child-like skirt, kneeling on the ground with chains around her neck, hands, and feet. Her trembling body and purple lips formed a stark contrast to the ruddy-faced guards beside her, dressed in oversized clothes.
"She... has been treated like this for so many years?" Chen Yan couldn't help but sigh and was discovered by Emperor Li Lieo who was standing beside him.
"This woman is having an affair with someone, violating palace rules. Are we allowing such a lowly person to do as he pleases?"
"Bitch," a word that shouldn't come out of a father's mouth, yet it makes people so chilling, "Does he... really not trust that his daughter is his biological daughter..."
Chen Yun could only frown and say, "Father, rumors spread bad things, not good things. Your current approach is correct, but the people don't think so. It would be bad if they blamed your father for the lack of family education."
Li Lieo looked ahead with an unhappy expression and did not respond to anything.
Chen Yan followed Li Lieo's gaze and screamed, while the whip hit Li Xuelu again and again, as if no one noticed the look of despair on her face.
When the guard swung the whip again, a hand grabbed the whip, and the person who grabbed the whip was Chen Yin. Without saying a word, she pulled the whip over and threw it away.
Li Xuelu stared at Chen Yun with eyes wide open, eyes filled with shock and disbelief. Her cracked lips parted slightly, but she was too shocked to utter a single sound. She thought to herself, "She actually... helped me for the second time."
"Father, look, now that Concubine Xiao is collecting evidence, the law also stipulates that one can present evidence once before objecting. Considering the legality of the matter, wouldn't it be more magnanimous and fair of your Majesty to wait for Concubine Xiao to take over the investigation?"
Li Lieao walked up to Li Xuelu, then pointed at Chen Yin, then at Li Xuelu. Chen Yin immediately knelt down.
"Father, please think twice."
Li Lieao stepped on Li Xuelu's knee and shouted, "Think twice? This kind of person is not worth your protection!"
Li Xuelu was also unconvinced and retorted: "Then don't worry about it! We are just outsiders anyway!"
Li Lieo stepped harder on Li Xuelu's knee, but she looked at him stubbornly.
Chen Yun frowned, then without a word, hugged Li Xuelu and said to Li Lie'ao, "Your Majesty, enough is enough. The law comes first, and the king must obey! Don't let people feel cold. Why should you harm your body and ruin your reputation for someone you hate?"
Li Xuelu's eyes trembled, not because of the coldness, but because of the unexpected behavior of the person hugging her. She could hardly even close her mouth.
Li Lie'ao looked at Chen Yun, thought for a moment, and then turned and left: "Let her go."
Chen Yun immediately picked up the clothes on the ground and put them on Li Xuelu.
Chen Yun felt extremely heartbroken when he saw Li Xuelu's pitiful, helpless and trembling appearance.
“Imperial sister-in-law, you are the one who cares about Xuelu after my stepmother and my second brother.”
After getting dressed, Chen Yun helped Li Xuelu up. He looked at her purple lips, lifeless eyes, and messy hair, then hugged her and said, "I heard there's ginger soup being distributed in front of Changle Gate. Let's go have a bowl."
Li Xuelu and Chen Yun quickly came to the door and tasted the ginger soup.
Chen Yan took a sip and exclaimed, "Refreshing! You know what? Ever since I delivered medicine to your royal brother in the middle of winter, your constitution has become colder. Now I often need to ward off the cold. Needless to say, this is quite a shock."
Li Xuelu held the bowl of warm ginger soup in her hands and drank it with tears in her eyes. Then she closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth in her abdomen and said, "It's so warm."
"So, who did you offend in this matter?"
Li Xuelu sneered, then sighed, staring at the people coming and going outside the door and said, "My brothers and sisters all hate Xuelu, so naturally they are just trying to frame me."
Chen Yun handed the bowls in his and Li Xuelu's hands to the guards, then shook her hand and said, "Xuelu, I'll give you something later, and I'll do it with great fanfare. You can use it to retaliate against them. That way, no one will dare to bully you again."
Li Xuelu couldn't help but hug Chen Yun: "I love you the most, my dear sister-in-law."
Chen Ying patted Li Xuelu gently. At this moment, her smile was so sweet that Chen Ying realized that she was just a child.
"Miss Chen?"
Chen Yun looked ahead, and to her surprise she saw Shi Lu and his family.
"Is it you, Brother Shi?"
Shi Lu's family walked up to Chen Yun and tried to reach out, but the guards around Chen Yun immediately blocked Shi Lu's way and said, "How dare you! How dare you touch the Crown Princess's body?"
Upon seeing this, Shi Lu quickly knelt down with his family and apologized profusely, "Princess, please forgive me, I was simply too excited. I meant no offense."
Chen Yun raised his hand slightly, motioning everyone to stand up, a gentle smile on his face. "It's alright, it's been a while since I last saw you, Brother Shi and all of you, and I miss you all very much. But what brings you here? Ah, I forgot you're imperial merchants."
Mr. Shi said, "I didn't know that the girl was the Crown Princess. I hope you will forgive me for not recognizing her in front of you, my dear."
"I haven't thanked you yet. How about we go into the back garden, sit around the fire, make some tea, and have a good chat?"
Li Xuelu said: "Sister-in-law, you are not going to kill me like you did to the Guo family's royal merchant?"
This sentence scared the family.
Chen Yun looked over with dissatisfaction, "I only know how to strike hard at bad guys. You still need to improve your eyesight, Ninth Princess."
Li Xuelu immediately lowered her head and said, "Xuelu knows her mistake."
Shi Lu quickly said, "We appreciate the Crown Princess's kindness. I need to deliver the goods to the palace as soon as possible, and then go out to purchase more goods. I hope you can forgive me."
Seeing the other party's response, Chen Yan did not force it, and then touched Shi Lu's face, making Shi Lu feel a little embarrassed.
Chen Yun pulled a small box from her waist and thrust it into his hand, saying, "Your face has become rough. This box of medicine was developed by me and is very effective for facial skin. I am giving it to you now. If you have any problems in the future, you can write to me and I will definitely help if I am able. Ninth Princess, withdraw."
Shi Lu watched Chen Yun and Li Xuelu leave with a look of reluctance. Sensing this, Madam Shi turned and whispered to the Shi family, "Hey, Lu'er, and you guys, don't worry about her. She's the Crown Princess. She probably escaped because of something going on in the palace. She probably looked down on us from the beginning."
Shi Lu said, "I knew she was the Crown Prince's woman, but I never thought she was also the Crown Princess. Alas, now that she is out of my reach, I certainly can't have any more extravagant dreams."
Along the way, Li Xuelu asked: "Sister-in-law, those people just now..."
Chen Yun nodded and responded, "Before your royal brother found me, before the family had any news and the house had been sold, it was this family that helped your royal sister-in-law."
"It seems the world out there is quite exciting."
"Can't your princess leave the city?"
"The imperial court has a rule that unmarried princesses are not allowed to live outside the palace, so they can't even leave the palace. Leaving the palace is only permitted under specific circumstances. Not only me, but also the palace maids and eunuchs are not allowed to leave the palace at will. Alas, as the saying goes, once you enter the palace, it's like entering a deep sea. I admire your courage to marry the Second Emperor. I wonder if women outside the palace are also inferior? Will they be suspected by their husbands or fathers for their entire lives?"
Chen Yun also fell into deep thought. She had never considered the thoughts of every woman, and she secretly sighed in her heart, "Being suspected by those close to me? It seems very uncomfortable. I have never thought about this before. Perhaps this is the unique thinking that women's unique experiences have shaped?"
Chen Ying then replied, "People are not born equal. Whether one is inferior or not depends on who they are compared to. Regardless of who they are compared to, women are not born to be repeatedly hurt by men. Moreover, there are men who treat women well. We just don't see it, so we assume it doesn't exist."
Li Xuelu's eyes darted around, and then she looked at Chen Yun with a faint smile, "Then, sister-in-law, can you arrange for Xuelu and this elder brother Shi to become husband and wife?"
Chen Yun and Li Xuelu stopped and were silent for a long time before Chen Yun said "Ah" to Li Xuelu.
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