Bewitching Technique!
Lan Ling had mentioned to Yang Mengchen that as a female agent, one must learn the art of seduction. Long Yanrou’s behavior clearly resembled the bewitching technique Lan Ling spoke of. No wonder she felt something was off about Long Yanrou, who had practiced the art of seduction. However, Long Yanrou had not interacted with outsiders; how could she have learned such a technique?
Yang Mengchen instinctively turned to look at Chu Dieyi, only to see surprise, realization, and gravity flashing in her clear eyes, further confirming her speculation that there was more to Long Yanrou than met the eye.
With a ’crack’, the crisp sound abruptly interrupted Long Yanrou’s dance, jolting the enchanted audience out of their reverie. Following the source of the sound, they saw a shattered wine cup on the floor in front of Prince Chen and Princess Chen.
"I apologize, my hand slipped," Yang Mengchen said with an apologetic smile, "Please continue, Princess Yanrou."
Long Xuanmo carefully examined his beloved wife’s right hand, and only after seeing no injury did he relax, "Someone, clean this up immediately and bring a new wine cup."
A palace maid promptly stepped forward to tidy up, while another replaced the broken wine cup with a new one.
Swallowing back a surge of bitter sweetness that reached her throat, Long Yanrou glared at Yang Mengchen with eyes filled with deep-seated venom and jealousy.
The bewitching technique is a double-edged sword; if one could control others with it, they could make someone obsessed or even obediant to their will. But if the target’s mind is strong and remains unaffected, or if the technique is interrupted midway, the practitioner herself would be hurt.
Fortunately, she hadn’t practiced the bewitching technique for long, so even if it backfired, it wouldn’t cause her serious harm.
But why was this wretched woman unaffected and even ruined her plan? Was it a fluke, or was her mind very strong?
In the face of Long Yanrou’s gaze, Yang Mengchen’s expression remained calm and undisturbed, her lips curling into a slight, profound arc filled with deep mockery and derision.
Long Yanrou was infuriated, itching to plunge the sword in her hand into the heart of this contemptible woman, but alas, she could not—at least not now.
Glancing at Long Yanrou and then at Yang Mengchen, some in the crowd were bewildered and confused, while those who had come to their senses looked at Long Yanrou with disgust, hostility, anger, and contempt. Of course, they were grateful to Yang Mengchen.
If not for Princess Chen’s timely warning, they might have embarrassed themselves in public. And now seeing that Princess Yanrou had attempted to seduce them with these shameful tricks, it was apparent she had an ulterior motive, utterly detestable and hateful!
"Step back," the Emperor, one of the few who maintained his composure, said. He had never liked his niece, and now his disgust and abhorrence were even more intense.
For a royal commandery princess to use such disgraceful means in the presence of foreign guests, she truly brought shame to the royal family’s reputation.
Unaware of the Emperor’s thoughts, Long Yanrou glanced tenderly at Shao Mingyi before kneeling and looking up at the Emperor, "Your Majesty, after seeing General Shao’s valiant demeanor on the streets today, Yanrou’s heart was touched with affection. I sincerely request His Majesty to grant marriage between General Shao and myself! Yanrou pledges to manage household affairs with all her heart, allowing General Shao to focus on safeguarding the borders and ensuring the peace and prosperity of Dong Chu’s people. I beg for Your Majesty’s blessing to fulfill this union!"
As her words fell, everyone was dumbstruck.
Deputy General Shao had been married to Madam Chu for years; they were childless but shared a deep bond, and with Madam Chu present at the banquet, Princess Yanrou audaciously asked the Emperor to grant the marriage. Did she intend to force Deputy General Shao to divorce and remarry or to demote his wife to a concubine?
It was supposed to be Yang Chengning, but Yanrou had suddenly changed her mind to a different candidate, catching Prince Ke and the Princely Heir completely off guard and frantic, yet they were powerless to intervene.
Yang Mengchen’s brow slightly furrowed, her eyes as deep as ink.
She had long been aware of Prince Ke’s conspiracies and had her countermeasures ready. Yet Long Yanrou had unexpectedly chosen Shao Mingyi. Judging by the reactions of Prince Ke and his son, both seemed equally taken aback by Long Yanrou’s unilateral decision. Why had Long Yanrou done this, and what was her true intent?
The Emperor’s cultured face remained stern and authoritative. His eyes, deep as the vast ocean, turned toward Shao Mingyi as he asked indifferently, "What say you, Beloved Shao?"
Yang Mengchen remained silent. She was curious to see what choice Shao Mingyi would make, although her gaze toward Chu Dieyi was full of tenderness and concern.
Kneeling in the center of the assembly with his wife, Shao Mingyi declared resolutely, "Your Majesty, I only wish to grow old with my wife, never to part in this life or the next!" frёeωebɳovel.com
The Emperor nodded silently. Had Shao Mingyi accepted Long Yanrou’s proposal, he would have decisively forsaken him and ceased to use him further. Fortunately, Shao Mingyi did not disappoint him.
"The commandery princess misunderstands me," Long Yanrou, seething with annoyance, said with a feigned smile, "I am not trying to separate General Shao from Madam Chu. Rather, I wish to serve General Shao alongside Madam Chu, and I will request the Imperial Uncle to grant Madam Chu status as a principal wife."
Shao Mingyi responded coldly, "Thank you for the generous offer, princess, but Dieyi is my lawfully wedded wife. On our wedding day, I already swore an oath to heaven that in this life, she will be my only wife." In her presence, a principal wife is still a concubine. Dieyi has shared weal and woe with him for many years, risking life and death together, and he would never betray Dieyi, otherwise he would not be a true man.
"Since ancient times, men have taken multiple wives and concubines. How can General Shao only have one wife?"
"I will not comment on the actions of others, but having Dieyi is all I could ever ask for," he stated.
Long Yanrou’s expression showed mockery, "Madam Chu comes from a lowly background, while General Shao is brilliant and has a limitless future. She is simply not worthy of him..."
"Princess, watch your words!" Cutting off Long Yanrou sharply, Shao Mingyi affirmed, "In my eyes, Dieyi is the best woman in the world. Being able to marry her is the fortune of several lifetimes, and I know how to cherish such luck."
Even after months of training, Long Yanrou had learned to control her emotions well, but being embarrassed like this in front of so many people was still unbearable. Knowing Shao Mingyi to be a stern man, she turned to Chu Dieyi, who had remained silent, "Madam Chu, what do you say?"
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