Chapter 191 When the Tree Falls, the Monkeys Scatter
The half-month period is coming in a flash.
The enthronement ceremony was held in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The bells and drums rang together, and the sound shook the sky.
Civil and military officials stood on both sides with solemn expressions.
The golden ceremonial procession stretched endlessly from the palace gate to the white jade steps. Under the sunlight, it was so dazzling that people could not open their eyes.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, two figures slowly approached.
Walking one step behind was the newly-appointed Princess Mingzhu, Xiao Mingzhu.
She was wearing an elaborate princess dress, and her face was pale and bloodless.
Perhaps because she had been imprisoned in an underground palace since she was a child and had never seen such a grand scene, her beautiful eyes were filled with fear and anxiety.
She clutched the sleeve of the palace maid who was leading the way beside her so tightly that her knuckles turned blue. She took every step carefully, as if she was not stepping on flat gold bricks, but on a sea of fire and swords.
"Princess, don't be afraid, raise your head."
The palace maid lowered her voice and reminded her in her ear.
Xiao Mingzhu then managed to straighten her slightly bent back, but she could not hide the cowardice in her eyes.
But Xiao Minglan, who was walking three steps in front of her, was completely different.
The black dynasty robe embroidered with gold thread and featuring a four-clawed dragon made his figure look as straight as a pine tree, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist.
Her hair is tied with a jade crown, and her black hair is like a waterfall.
His face was already handsome and aggressive, and now, against the backdrop of the imperial ceremonial guards, it even had a bit of the awe-inspiring air of a noble.
He didn't walk fast, and each step was as steady as a rock.
Those deep eyes swept calmly over the princes and ministers who were bowing their heads on both sides. There was not a trace of embarrassment that a commoner should have. Instead, they were like a sharp sword that had finally been unsheathed, showing its edge and looking down on the world.
The hibernating dragon ascends to heaven.
These four words popped up in the minds of all the officials at the same time.
"See? That's the newly appointed Prince Yi!"
"Your bearing is truly extraordinary! No wonder His Majesty values you so highly!"
"Ascending to heaven in one step, the emperor's favor is strong!"
Suppressed discussions rose and fell among the crowd.
And those noble ladies who came to watch the ceremony with their fathers and brothers had already stared with their eyes wide open.
"Oh my god, His Royal Highness Prince Yi... is truly handsome and unparalleled."
"Yes, he is a hundred times more handsome than the rumors say."
"If I could gain the favor of Prince Yi..."
Soft, shy whispers mingled in the wind.
Chen He stood behind his father Shen Qingyuan, with his eyes lowered, and heard everything clearly.
She didn't need to look up to feel the oppressive breath that was getting closer and closer, almost igniting the air.
The team slowly walked to where the Shen family was.
Xiao Minglan's footsteps suddenly stopped.
The entire honor guard then stopped.
The originally noisy crowd suddenly quieted down, and countless inquiring eyes were cast over.
"Why did Prince Yi stop?"
"Who is he looking at?"
Under the watchful eyes of the public.
Xiao Minglan slowly turned his head.
His gaze passed over Shen Qingyuan who was bowing and saluted, and like a red-hot iron, it burned Chen He with incredible precision.
Chen He felt a chill all over his body.
That look didn't look like he was looking at a person at all.
It was more like examining a private property that he had already marked and would have to take back sooner or later.
Burning, paranoid, and with an irresistible possession.
She was forced to look up and meet his gaze.
Time seems to freeze at this moment.
All the people and things around became a blurred background.
Between heaven and earth, the only thing left in his eyes was the bottomless vortex called "Chenhe".
A moment later.
Just as everyone was becoming increasingly confused, even Shen Qingyuan began to feel uneasy.
The corners of Xiao Minglan's lips curled up slightly.
That smile was fleeting.
He withdrew his gaze, turned around, and continued walking forward without any pause.
It was as if the thrilling eye contact just now was just an illusion.
But Shen He knew it was not the case.
Her hands were tucked into her sleeves, and her fingertips were cold.
She looked at the tall figure as he stepped onto the white jade steps, step by step.
Towards the supreme center of power.
The emperor sat upright on the dragon throne and personally took the jade book and golden seal handed over by the ceremonial officer, announcing it to the world in a loud voice.
"...Xiao Minglan is enthroned as Prince Yi..."
Every word was like a heavy hammer, hitting Shen He's heart hard.
She suddenly became confused.
In his previous life, Xue Minglan was just the most loyal and craziest dog beside the Third Prince.
All his glory came from Xiao Jingren's charity.
But in this life...
He is no longer Xue Minglan, but Xiao Minglan.
It is His Royal Highness Prince Yi who holds immense power and makes all the civil and military officials in the court take notice.
For the first time, Chen He's heart was filled with an uncontrollable confusion.
She pushed him away and towards the emperor, giving him the opportunity to return to his roots.
Was she taking the right step?
Or is it even more wrong?
***
The aftermath of the enthronement ceremony has not yet completely subsided.
A new imperial edict once again stirred up the entire Shengjing.
The eunuch from the Ministry of Rites, with a big smile on his face, personally delivered the wedding date invitation to the Shen Mansion.
"By the Will of Heaven, the Emperor decrees..."
The shrill voice echoed in the front hall of the Shen Mansion.
"I have heard that the eldest daughter of the Shen family, Chen He, is dignified, virtuous, and intelligent. She and the sixth prince, Xiao Jingchi, have chosen an auspicious date for their wedding in half a month..."
Half a month later.
This time is like a reassurance, but also like a death warrant.
"Your Majesty, I bow to thank you for your grace!"
The entire Shen Mansion seemed to be injected with a stream of boiling fresh water and became busy in an instant.
The dowry in the warehouse was counted over and over again, and the bright red silk was piled up like a mountain. The embroiderers worked day and night to sew the most gorgeous wedding dress in the world.
In sharp contrast to the bustling atmosphere in the Shen Mansion was the dead silence in the Third Prince's Mansion.
"Miss, have you heard?"
Guyu lowered her voice while combing Shen He's long hair.
"The Third Prince's Mansion... is completely finished."
Chen He looked at her in the bronze mirror, his eyes expressionless.
"explain."
"I heard that His Majesty has sent people to thoroughly investigate the Purple Marrow Mine case. The evidence is irrefutable. It is confirmed that the Third Prince secretly mined and enriched himself!"
There was a hint of pleasure in Guyu's voice.
"Now everyone is under house arrest in the mansion. I heard that even the allowances from the Ministry of Internal Affairs have been stopped. Most of the servants in the mansion have run away. It's worse than the cold palace!"
Chen He picked up a white jade hairpin and gently inserted it into her bun.
The person in the mirror has cold eyes and eyebrows, showing no joy or sadness.
"You reap what you sow."
She spoke softly, her voice like thin ice in early winter.
"Prepare the car."
Guyu was stunned.
"Miss, where are we going?"
"The Third Prince's Mansion."
***
The Third Prince's Mansion was once bustling with traffic and crowded with guests.
Now, all that remains is unspeakable desolation and desolation.
The vermilion lacquered gate has faded.
The copper ring on the door was covered with dust.
The two guards guarding the door also looked listless. When they saw Chen He's carriage, they just raised their eyelids lazily and did not stop it.
A towering tree fell.
The monkeys under the tree naturally dispersed.
Chen He lifted her skirt and stepped into the mansion that had once haunted her dreams and brought her eternal damnation.
The courtyard is overgrown with weeds.
The lantern under the corridor had a hole in it and was swaying in the wind.
The air was filled with a disgusting smell mixed with decay and alcohol.
She pushed open the door to the main house.
"Squeak——" a sharp and long sound.
The room was a mess.
The precious vase was broken into pieces all over the floor, the fine rosewood table was overturned, and the calligraphy and paintings were torn to pieces and thrown randomly on the ground.
And in this ruins.
Xiao Jingren just sat slumped on the ground, his back leaning against a pillar.
The brocade robe he was wearing, which had once been spotless, was now wrinkled like a piece of pickle, and was dotted with wine stains.
His hair is disheveled and his beard is untidy.
The whole person exudes a decadent and sour air.
He was holding a wine jug in his hand and pouring wine into his mouth with his head tilted back.
The wine flowed down the corners of his mouth and wet the front of his shirt.
He seemed completely unaware that someone had come in.
Shen He just stood quietly at the door, looking at him.
Looking at this man who had deceived her in her previous life and pushed her entire Shen family into hell.
It turns out that without the halo of a prince, he is just such a despicable... waste.
Xiao Jingren drank another wine jug and threw it on the ground.
"Bang!"
The crisp cracking sound was particularly loud in the silent room.
His eyes were red and he didn't even raise his head, thinking that it was just some fearless servant.
A beast-like roar came from his throat.
"roll!"
"Bring me more wine!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
