Chapter 444 The Truth from Three Years Ago
Shen Chu stared at him blankly.
"How could that be? Didn't His Majesty bestow a marriage upon you three years ago? I saw you with my own eyes wearing a bright red wedding dress and going out to greet Chen Jiaying."
Pei Yuan took her hand and walked outside.
"Come on, I'll take you somewhere."
Where to?
Shen Chu was pulled to the door by him, only then remembering that the human skin mask was still left on the couch.
"Alas, my human skin mask..."
Pei Yuan grabbed her hand, preventing her from going back to get it.
"No, I hate human skin masks. You're not allowed to wear them anymore."
"I can't wait to announce to the whole world that my Ah Chu, my princess, is back."
Pei Yuan held her hand tightly, their fingers intertwined, and they left the duty room.
Sun Yan walked towards them carrying a stack of official documents. When he saw his prince holding a woman's hand, he couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise.
Did Your Highness take the wrong medicine today?
When he finally saw Shen Chu, whose body was half-hidden by Pei Yuan, he was so startled that his hand trembled.
Bang, bang, bang...
The official documents in his hand fell to his feet. He was stunned for a moment before belatedly jumping up.
So excited, she didn't know whether to cry out in pain or call out to Chen Chu first; her mouth was agape in a big "O" shape.
Finally, he let out a series of strange screams, like a monkey whose tail had been suddenly grabbed.
"Oh my god..."
Jinbao ran out of the tea room next door, shouting as he ran:
"What happened? Sun Yan, you bit your tongue..."
Before he could finish speaking, he saw Pei Yuan and Shen Chu standing in front of him.
Jinbao was so startled that he bit his tongue and covered his mouth in pain.
He knelt down on the ground with a thud.
"My God, it's the Princess! You...you're really still alive!"
Shen Chu nodded with a smile.
"Eunuch Jinbao, Commander Sun, it's been a long time."
Jinbao and Sun Yan exchanged a glance, their eyes both reddening.
"princess."
Pei Yuan smiled broadly.
"Yes, if you can call her that, then call her 'Your Highness' a few more times."
"princess."
"Greetings, Your Highness."
Shen Chu felt a little embarrassed by being called, and quickly told the two of them to get up.
Pei Yuan waved his hand.
"Pass down the order: the Flying Eagle Guard and everyone in the entire mansion will be rewarded, each receiving an extra month's salary."
"Thank you for the reward, Your Highness and Your Highness."
After saying that, he grabbed Chen Chu and strode away.
Jinbao wiped away his tears but didn't forget to get up and chase after him.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, please wait for me!"
Sun Yan stared with teary eyes, and after a long while sighed, "At least we won't have to eat potatoes anymore."
The servants in the entire Prince Rui's mansion now turn green at the sight of potatoes.
It can only be said that human wisdom is boundless, as long as one is pushed to a certain point.
When the servants were faced with the daily fare of hot and sour shredded potatoes, vinegar-braised shredded potatoes, and potato buns, and were all looking pale and sickly, they brainstormed and came up with a good solution.
The housekeeper secretly contacted an outside restaurant to provide a side dish of shredded potatoes.
The Prince's Palace personally supplied the shredded potatoes; every restaurant should try them.
Pei Yuan led Shen Chu on horseback to the hot spring estate, and then pulled her into the bedroom.
Take out the memorial tablet covered with red silk.
When Shen Chu saw the memorial tablet for her beloved wife, Shen Chu, her eyes welled up with tears again.
The characters on the memorial tablet are smooth and rounded, indicating that they have been frequently rubbed.
Shen Chu felt as if her heart had been struck hard, and she felt an indescribable pain and heartache.
"What...what exactly happened? Didn't you marry Chen Jiaying three years ago?"
Pei Yuan shook his head.
"You're all I see and love, how could I possibly marry Chen Jiaying?"
Shen Chu was stunned for a moment, "What exactly happened three years ago?"
Jinbao walked in carrying Yuanbao, his eyes red, and said, "Your Highness, let this servant explain these matters."
"This servant has always been by Your Highness's side and knows the whole story best."
Jinbao recounted how Pei Yuan was poisoned during his duel with Shangguan Yi, and then learned about the fire in the death row.
"Your Highness, you don't know, His Highness rushed into the fire without a care in the world and almost burned to death inside."
His Majesty ordered his men to forcibly drag His Highness out, and His Highness later believed that the Princess had been burned to death inside.
He was poisoned and vomited blood, falling into a coma. At this time, the Empress Dowager proposed to His Majesty the idea of a marriage to bring good luck, and His Majesty agreed.
But His Highness was still unconscious at the time, so His Majesty sent people from the palace to dress him in a bright red wedding robe.
Jinbao's voice choked as he recalled that scene from three years ago.
"Just before the bridal sedan chair entered the door, Doctor Han concocted an antidote, saying that there was only a 50% chance of success."
Unexpectedly, not long after the antidote was administered, His Highness woke up and learned that Chen Jiaying's bridal sedan chair had arrived at the door.
Despite his injuries and poisoning, His Highness rushed to the door and refused to let Chen Jiaying in.
When the stalemate continued, His Highness took Chen Jiaying into the palace.
His Highness knelt at the entrance of Longquan Palace for half a day, saying that either he would kill Chen Jiaying, or His Majesty would kill him.
Either let him marry your memorial tablet today, because he will only have one wife in his life, and that wife is Shen Chu.
His Highness asked His Majesty to choose, but His Majesty refused and ordered His Highness to be flogged. You don't know, His Highness was beaten until he was a bloody mess and barely alive.
Upon hearing this, Shen Chu burst into tears, holding Pei Yuan's hand and murmuring, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
It turns out that she wasn't the only one struggling on the brink of death three years ago.
While she was struggling to escape and being captured by Shangguan Ye, Pei Yuan was being flogged in the palace.
Pei Yuan raised his hand to wipe away her tears and rubbed her head.
"Silly girl, don't say sorry."
Jinbao continued, "His Highness was on his deathbed, yet he still insisted on marrying your memorial tablet into the family."
His Majesty had finished scolding them, but he still agreed. However, the Empress Dowager disagreed, saying that His Highness was severely humiliating the Chen family.
Finally, His Majesty offered a compromise: His Highness may marry your memorial tablet, but he must not tell anyone about it.
They only told the public that Princess Rui was unwell and recuperating at the hot spring resort, but in reality, the Chen family sent Chen Jiaying back to her hometown overnight.
Your Highness was initially unwilling, but His Majesty said that if Your Highness disagreed with even this, he would directly revoke the title of Marquis of Ning'an and... grind you to dust.
Shen Chu's expression changed slightly.
"How could Your Highness bear to let you suffer even the slightest harm? Besides, the title of Marquis of Ning'an was something you worked so hard to regain."
His Highness said that you would be very sad if it were taken back, so you gritted your teeth and agreed to His Majesty's request.
That very evening, His Highness performed the wedding ceremony with your memorial tablet; only this servant and Sun Yan knew of this.
"Actually, His Highness lost consciousness after the wedding ceremony, although he was later rescued."
But he clung to the memorial tablet day and night, refusing to eat or drink; His Highness clearly had a death wish.
Jinbao burst into tears as he spoke.
"Fortunately, at the critical moment, I remembered that Consort Yu had left a letter for me before she passed away."
The Empress instructed that if His Highness lived a peaceful and prosperous life, this letter should not be shown to him.
If you encounter any insurmountable difficulties, have this servant deliver the letter to Your Highness.
Shen Chu hadn't expected this, and looked at Pei Yuan with teary eyes.
"The letter that Consort Yu left for you? What did it say?"
Pei Yuan's gaze deepened slightly as he took out a letter from a hidden compartment under the wooden box and handed it to Shen Chu.
Shen Chu opened the letter and, upon seeing the very first line, was so startled that she suddenly stood up.
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