Chapter 301 The Past
Lu Xian looked at Sima Jun and felt as if her whole body was filled with lead, unable to move.
Sima Jun was not in a hurry. He sat down on a stone pillar not far away and waited for her to speak.
Lu Xian knew she had no way out, but she didn't dare to take a step forward. She just held onto the pillar and asked timidly, "How do you want me to start?"
"It all started when the shipwreck happened."
Lu Xian swallowed.
After a long pause, she whispered, "That night was truly horrible. We were waiting for the dragon boat race, and the weather was already bad. The Chief Secretary, hearing of frequent floods, suggested stopping the boats to rest. But the late king, eager to return to the capital, was impatient for even a moment's delay, so he ordered the boatmen to continue sailing. At nightfall, things were initially quite calm. Having nothing else to do, I went into the boathouse and retired early. I don't know how long I slept when I suddenly heard a violent storm outside. The boat rocked violently, throwing me off my bed. Suddenly, there was a commotion outside, with someone shouting that His Highness had fallen overboard. I hurried outside, just as a wave hit, tilting the boat. That's when I fell in. The current was incredibly strong, and I was swept away. For a moment, I thought I was doomed, and I struggled desperately. Fortunately, in my panic, I grabbed a piece of driftwood and was able to escape..."
She spoke in a whisper, her eyes constantly looking at Sima Jun's cold face.
I couldn't help but wail in my heart. How could such a good-looking person have a temperament like a ghost messenger from the underworld who seeks revenge? He could scare people to death just by looking up.
"And then?" Sima Jun asked slowly.
Lu Xian shuddered and quickly said, "Then, I hid."
"Hide?" Sima Jun said, "You are my father's legitimate concubine. As long as you report your identity to the authorities, someone will come to pick you up."
"That being said," Lu Xian muttered, "I don't want to be a concubine at all."
Sima Jun was very surprised and asked, "Why?"
Lu Xian glanced at him secretly and whispered, "I dare not say."
Sima Jun frowned: "Then send him to prison..."
"I say!" Lu Xian said quickly. "I didn't want this marriage in the first place! Although I come from a humble family, I also hope to marry a man of my dreams. I don't seek wealth, I just want him to be devoted and devoted. Your father is so much older than me, almost as old as my own father, and he has a houseful of concubines, which is terrifying. But my father forced the marriage and kept me under guard, so I couldn't escape. Who knew that this disaster would happen on the way? I thought it must be God's help. Since people outside are saying that I'm dead, I might as well hide away and keep myself clean from now on."
Sima Jun didn't say anything.
In this case, Lu Xian did not refuse to report to the authorities because she had lost her memory or was threatened by someone, but because she did not want to be the Princess of Yuzhang at all.
This also explains why Sun Wei took Lu Xian's place, but Lu Xian had no complaints and was even willing to cooperate with Sun Wei to play the role of the cousin.
"And then? How did you meet Sun Wei?"
"I didn't meet her, she came to me," Lu Xian said. "Although I was able to escape, I had no idea what to do next. I didn't dare to leave hastily, so I pawned my jewelry and used the money to rent a farmer's yard to stay temporarily. Unexpectedly, a few days later, Sun Wei came to my door."
Sima Jun asked, "Have you ever known Sun Wei?"
Lu Xian shook her head. "I've never met her before. When she saw me, she said that the clothes and accessories I pawned at the pawnshop were valuable items only used by the royal family, and that the government would be after me soon. Naturally, I panicked when she said that, and asked her what to do."
Sima Jun found it increasingly amusing: "Since you've never met her before, why did you actually believe her words?"
"How could I not believe it? She could call out my name and tell me my address right after we met, and even knew why I lived alone here. It was as if she had opened her eyes to the world. If it were the prince, he would have to believe it too."
This question touched upon the crux of the matter. Sima Jun pressed on, "Have you ever asked how she knew all this?"
"I asked her, and she said she was proficient in divination and could tell the time by counting on her fingers."
Sima Jun: “…”
After going around in circles, the topic came back to where it started, as if we were stuck in a maze.
"Your father, Lu Ming, is quite famous for his divine divination," Sima Jun said. "Do you believe in such strange and supernatural things?"
Lu Xian said awkwardly, "I know my father is a liar, and I didn't believe any of this at first. But she told me all my secrets, and I couldn't argue. Furthermore, she said she was willing to take my place as the Prince of Yuzhang's successor, and would give me a sum of money so I could live comfortably. She solved my immediate problem, and I'm naturally too grateful to bother with anything else."
Sima Jun was speechless.
Previously, he had thought of many answers, all of which were fraud and deception. However, he never imagined that the truth would be this.
The two hit it off immediately, and it was so easy to replace Prince Yuzhang's concubine. It was a perfect match of timing, location, and people.
"Who else knows about this?" Sima Jun was silent for a moment and then asked.
"My father," Lu Xian said honestly, "Sun Wei went to see him. He's a profit-driven man. He married me to your father only for money. If anything were to happen to me, he would only worry about whether the Yuzhang Palace would continue to provide for him in the future. Now that Sun Wei can continue to provide for him under my name, he's naturally happy. So, even though my father knew that the prince's concubine was not me, he was happy to keep it a secret."
"Does your father know you're still alive?"
Lu Xian shook her head. "I don't know. He doesn't care if I live or die anyway. Sun Wei said that only when my father knows I'm dead will he be completely devoted to me. Otherwise, if my father becomes greedy again and uses the news of my survival to seek benefits, it will not only embarrass her, but also expose the whole situation. Putting me in danger of deceiving the emperor. I think what she said makes sense, so I do as she says."
Sima Juan said coldly: "Now that the truth has been revealed, do you regret agreeing to let Sun Wei impersonate you?"
Lu Xian was embarrassed.
"Prince, are you going to punish us two?" she asked cautiously.
"That's my business," Sima Jun said. "Tell me the truth, and I'll make the decision."
Lu Xian hesitated for a moment and said, "I don't regret it. These days, I've been living a carefree life, and I've never been happier. But, there are only three years left, and I don't know what the future will hold."
Sima Jun was stunned: "Three years? What three years?"
"Sun Wei previously agreed with me for five years," Lu Xian said. "After five years, she will return my position as Prince Yuzhang's Consort to me. If I wish, she will let me remain as Prince Yuzhang's Consort for the rest of my life."
Sima Jun stared at Lu Xian: "She's leaving?"
"Exactly. She said she wouldn't stay as Prince Yuzhang's consort forever. She would leave when the agreed time limit is up."
Sima Jun: “…”
Lu Xian glanced at Sima Jun's expression and asked, "Did Sun Wei not tell the Crown Prince? Could it be that she wants to continue to be the Prince of Yuzhang's successor consort?"
Sima Jun's face was gloomy, and he stood up suddenly. "What do you think the Prince of Yuzhang's Palace is? Can she just become a concubine whenever she wants?"
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