Chapter 1 Catching People: If You Die, I'll Remarry
Li Yunru brought Yan Ning out of Qingfeng Villa.
On the way back, she didn't say a word. Yan Ning wanted to speak, but she stopped him with her eyes. The two of them remained silent until they entered the hospital. But as soon as they entered, Li Yunru pounced on him and pushed him onto the bed.
She tore at his clothes, from his plain white crane-patterned outer robe to his undershirt that was hidden from outsiders, tearing them all off and throwing them on the ground, revealing his lean, fair, and smooth body, as smooth as mutton fat jade. Then she gnawed at it, leaving her mark on it, inch by inch, not letting any part go untouched.
The person beneath her trembled uncontrollably from her passionate actions, sweat beaded on his forehead, gradually wetting his dark hair, his eyebrows and eyes flushed, and his voice was low and breathless, clearly aroused.
Having been married for a year, she naturally knew every spot on his body. Knowing that he was already aroused and she was also feeling uncomfortable, she thought of the scene that had just happened and was filled with anger. In the end, she deliberately finished what she had done and got off him.
The person stopped moving.
The sudden loss of warmth displeased the person on the bed. Yan Ning opened her eyes, her crimson eyes looking at her as if complaining about why she hadn't continued.
Li Yunru saw through his intentions, glanced coldly at the ground beneath her, and asked in a drawn-out tone, feigning ignorance, "You want it?"
Yan Ning nodded slightly, her eyes reddening.
Li Yunru snorted coldly and said, "No."
"Let me tell you, Yan Changjun, no matter how high your Yan family's status is, or how many people admire you, within this princess's residence, I, the princess, am the true master. If I want you, it's your honor; if not..."
She lowered her head, raised her hand and patted his face, "You just have to take it, you have no right to say a word."
"I don't talk, I just do."
"What?"
Li Yunru didn't listen carefully and before she could react, she saw the person turn over and get up, immediately taking the initiative and pinning her down.
She struggled, but was only held tighter. Those jade-like hands that had been playing the zither were now like a heavy iron chain, gripping her firmly and rendering her unable to move.
Yan Ning gripped her wrist tightly, glanced around, casually untied the red silk sash with jewels hanging from her waist, pressed it up, and tied it to the headboard.
Li Yunru was both ashamed and angry, and shouted loudly, "Yan Changjun, how dare you!"
"Hmph."
The man chuckled softly, stroked her face, and said mockingly, "Doesn't the princess like this?"
He leaned down and bit her earlobe, whispering, "I remember, the first time, the princess reacted very strongly."
Li Yunru and Yan Ning were forced together.
The Yan family is the head of the four great families and holds a pivotal position in the entire Great Jin Dynasty. The noble sons and daughters of these families are more prestigious than these commoner princesses.
There's a saying among the people: "It's better to marry a daughter of a noble family than a princess of royalty."
The foundation they laid over hundreds of years was far beyond what an emperor from humble origins like the Li family could achieve.
The emperor wanted the support of powerful families, while the Yan family wanted to expand their power. So, the two sides hit it off and arranged the marriage by offering the military power of Jiangzuo as a dowry.
Li Yunru initially refused.
Those powerful families looked down on her, and she looked down on them in return.
When the news spread, she rushed to the palace, cried to her mother, Empress Zhenyuan, knelt at her feet, and begged for help to persuade her father to rescind his decree.
The Empress Dowager stroked her hair tenderly, but her attitude was unusually resolute.
“The Yan family is a prestigious and respected clan, and Yan Sanlang is a rare and handsome young man with impeccable character. My daughter will not be wronged if she marries into that family.”
"I don't want to marry into any powerful or wealthy family. No matter how good Yan Sanlang is, he has nothing to do with me. I want to stay by your side. I will be my princess and I won't marry anyone!"
"You have no choice but to marry him!"
Her father came over after court, overheard her words, and said this to her in a stern tone.
The two had always doted on her and had never spoken to her like that before. Li Yunru, her temper flaring, rose from Empress Zhenyuan's knees, her eyes red, and cried out, "Fine then, carry my body over there!"
She was extremely unwilling, and after returning to the palace, she shut herself in and went on a hunger strike. In the end, Empress Zhenyuan couldn't bear to see it anymore and came to comfort her. She gave a long speech, and finally said, "I have discussed it with your father. It is springtime and the flowers are in full bloom, so we will hold a flower appreciation banquet and invite all eligible young men from decent families to come. Whoever you take a fancy to will be yours."
No one knows a daughter better than her mother.
The reason why Li Yunru reacted so strongly to this marriage was precisely this: she disliked the feeling of being arranged by others and having no say in anything.
Whether she gets married or not isn't that important to her.
It's simply because I despise this kind of arranged marriage.
The two compromised, and Li Yunru stopped being coy and agreed.
In mid-March, when all the flowers are in full bloom, a flower-viewing banquet is held in the royal garden, inviting students from all over the country to join in the spring rendezvous.
That was the first time Li Yunru saw Yan Ning. Under the pear blossom tree, he was dressed in white, as white as snow, dazzling and elegant, his zither playing was refined, and his temperament stood out from the crowd.
To put it nicely, she fell in love with him at first sight.
To put it bluntly, she was attracted to him at first sight.
This kind of handsome and refined young nobleman, who prides himself on being elegant and pure, is perfect for sleeping with.
She wanted to tear away the mask behind his dignified elegance, to see the hands that played the zither...
Um.
Anyway, she chose him in the end.
This was exactly what the Emperor and Empress had originally planned, and with the Jiangzuo military power as a dowry, the marriage proceeded without any surprises.
On the eighth day of the fourth month, the two got married.
On their wedding night, he remained aloof, refusing to lift her veil or sleep with her for half a day. She was dissatisfied and, remembering the common sayings, became even angrier. He was only concerned with being pretentious, wanting power, unwilling to give it up, yet afraid to speak out. Now he was pretending to be a gentleman, which was extremely hypocritical!
Oh!
He doesn't like it, but she insists on doing it anyway!
She wanted to show him what royal majesty was!
Even if these aristocratic families look down on her, the one in a high position today is her father, the emperor, and the power in their hands comes from him!
So she took the initiative to lift her veil, went over and tied him up, forcing him to drink the nuptial wine with her and consummate their marriage.
"It must be very painful to be humiliated like this by someone you look down on, right?"
Seeing him gradually lose his composure and dignity as he tormented himself, Li Yunru felt a surge of pleasure.
But she remembered what he said back then, something like he said she didn't look like a lady, anyway, it was all some obscure and tasteless philosophical talk.
Li Yunru has always hated these self-righteous grand principles, which are always used to restrict women and never to make demands on men!
They can have a thousand different attitudes, but a woman should be sensible, virtuous, and well-mannered. Even if she is literate, it is all to help the man manage the household, keep the family in order, and protect the peace of the area, so that the man can wholeheartedly pursue fame and fortune and do what he wants without any worries.
That's utterly absurd and makes no sense at all!
He had touched a nerve with her, and Li Yunru became even angrier, humiliating him even more mercilessly. Later, he lost all reason, just like now, taking the initiative to invite her and turning the tables on her.
The difference is that back then, the person who succeeded laughed heartily, feeling a surge of satisfaction; now, they are filled with rage.
"Yan Changjun, you dare! If you dare to lay a finger on me, I will immediately submit a petition to my father, ordering the execution of your entire clan!"
Her threats had no effect whatsoever. Her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, then slowly spread, her brows full of smiles.
"Nine generations? Princess, you seem to have forgotten. We are married, which is perfectly reasonable. Even putting that aside, you are still among the nine generations. Could it be... that you want to find another way to commit suicide with me?"
"Pah!" Li Yunru spat and said, "Who would want to die with you? If you die, I'll remarry, marry one, marry two, marry three... and raise ten or so beautiful, charming, knowledgeable musicians and entertainers, living a carefree and happy life!"
As Yan Ning listened, the smile on his face gradually faded. He bit the other's lip and said unhappily, "Princess, you always have a sharp tongue. When you're sober, you never say anything nice. It's alright, you'll be obedient sometimes."
He lowered his head, leaned down, and roamed over Li Yunru's body. Their hot breaths mingled, and Li Yunru felt as if she were a dying fish struggling on the shore, unable to get into the water, or a traveler lost in the dark, helpless, panicked, not knowing where to go, yet also with a mysterious thrill...
Finally, she lost track of where she was, only hearing a clear, gentle voice calling her name again and again, and she instinctively responded.
"My lord~"
"Hmm," he replied, his voice fading into the distance until it disappeared completely.
When Li Yunru regained consciousness, it was already broad daylight. Yan Ning did not go out; he sat by the window in the room, reading a book while facing the bamboo. His serene and gentle demeanor was so different from the madman he had been the night before.
He heard the noise and turned around. "Awake?"
The man put down his book, walked to the bedside, and asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"
"roll!"
Li Yunru turned her head away, ignoring his words. She wasn't angry, but had a faint smile on her face as she apologized to her: "It was my fault. I shouldn't have been so rude to the princess."
He took her hand, placed it on his face, and patted it from side to side, saying, "Punishment is up to the princess."
"Oh!"
Li Yunru pulled her hand back. "Don't give me that fake smile. Is that all you've done wrong?"
Yan Ning thought for a moment, and finally said, "Mm."
"you!"
Li Yunru was seething with anger. She raised her hand, but the slap didn't fall. She said hatefully, "Yan Changjun, you better remember this: I am not a kind person. I never share what is mine. Whoever you like or whoever you are in love with, you'd better keep your thoughts to yourself. Before I get tired of your face, you'd better not do anything out of line. Otherwise, I may not be able to touch you or the Yan family, but I can still easily touch others!"
A note from the author:
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The previous version's female lead was just too miserable; I didn't like it, and I simply couldn't write palace intrigue and domestic power struggles, so I decided to keep the original setting but make major changes. This version will be the main focus; the female lead should always deserve the best! [Go for it!][Go for it!][Go for it!]
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