Chapter 75 075 Usurping the throne, whether by a sister or a wife…
Yuan Si sat on the highest throne of the Heavenly Venerable, winked at her, as if to imply that this was a little secret between them, and there was no need to tell outsiders.
Ah Meng concealed the surprise in her eyes and calmly followed the Crown Prince to bow to Yuan Si.
Yuan Si looked very happy, seemingly delighted that the marriage had come to fruition. However, his expression was even worse than when he had come to the Ghost Realm to instruct her. Although he tried his best to hide it, he still coughed incessantly.
A Meng felt two burning gazes on her from the side. Glancing over, she saw Fu Luo, who was staring intently at her, as if he could burn a hole in her wedding dress.
After the Celestial Venerable bestowed blessings upon the newlyweds, the Divine Venerables offered their blessings and toasts. This was the first time in Ah Meng's life that she had ever seen these legendary figures.
Gongxin, the deity in charge of agriculture, rarely led troops into battle and didn't seem like a capable warrior. He spent the entire time eating and drinking, never once glancing at the newlyweds from the celestial realm. However, A-Meng had heard her master say that this Gongxin deity, though seemingly incompetent, was actually the pillar of the celestial realm.
As long as he remains in power, the mortal realm will enjoy favorable weather and abundant harvests, and no matter how turbulent the celestial realm may be, it will not be able to harm its vitality.
To receive such high praise from one's master is no small feat.
"Oh, congratulations! You two are now married. From now on, we won't have to fight anymore."
The speaker was a handsome young man, dressed in a bright green robe adorned with flowers, with purple irises embroidered around his waist. His hair was tied into six thick braids, with one braid hanging down one shoulder. He had bright eyes and a playful, lively demeanor.
Ah Meng heard Lin Shen address him as the Divine Lord Mo Bei. This man was a likable figure in both the Heavenly Realm and the Ghost Realm, after all, he was the God of Joy. Ah Meng was meeting him for the first time, but she couldn't help but feel a sense of goodwill towards him.
Following Mo Bei, a goddess offered a toast, the only goddess in Heaven at present, Zun Yu Li. A Meng quietly observed her, thinking to herself, "As expected of the goddess of fertility, she is indeed gentle and graceful."
It is said that the Goddess Yuli prefers simple colors, and her clothes are almost all white. Her weapon is a paper umbrella. However, Ameng noticed that the white paper umbrella placed diagonally next to Yuli's seat was covered with large, blooming pink peach blossoms, which did not quite match her style.
"Your Highness, I wish you all the best and a healthy and happy life."
When Yu Li offered a toast, her words were rather strange. While everyone else was toasting the newlyweds, she was toasting A Meng alone.
A celestial being nearby joked, "Lord Yuli, you are in charge of childbirth, how come you won't even give a blessing? That's rather stingy."
The one who spoke was a Celestial Venerable. If it were any of the other Celestial Venerables, this Celestial Venerable would absolutely not dare to interrupt so presumptuously. Only towards this Goddess Venerable did the gods of the Heavenly Court have to show some contempt.
Yu Li, however, was not angry. He simply smiled calmly at A Meng and Lin Shen, saying, "This humble god can only oversee the reproduction of mortals. I would never dare to speak recklessly in front of you two."
"You flatter me, Divine Lord Yu Li," Crown Prince Lin Shen replied to Yu Li. "Sister A Meng is new to the Heavenly Court and there are many things she is not used to. Your blessing is very kind."
With only one deity remaining to offer a toast to the newlyweds, all eyes in the hall were on Fu Luo.
"Lord Fu Luo, what's wrong? Are you still blaming A Meng for exposing your identity in the Ghost Realm?" the Crown Prince said jokingly, his deep gaze falling on Fu Luo, yet carrying an oppressive aura.
Fu Luo finally picked up his wine cup, his voice hoarse: "Congratulations to the Crown Prince and Crown Princess."
A-Meng was a little confused, wondering where this person's sorrowful expression came from. They weren't that familiar with each other, yet he acted as if his sweetheart had been stolen away.
After the Heavenly Official announced the completion of the ceremony, A-Meng was sent to the Crown Prince's bedchamber.
Unlike the festive atmosphere outside, the inner palace was unusually quiet. Apart from the decorations typical of a wedding, there was no festive spirit to be felt.
As soon as A Meng stepped into the palace gate, heavenly soldiers closed the gate and guarded the outside.
The ghost palace maids, including Yinye, who had always been by her side, had all disappeared.
A Meng asked the unfamiliar celestial palace servant attending her, "Where are my people?"
The palace servant replied respectfully, "Your Highness, this is the rule of our Heavenly Realm. On the wedding night, the bride is not allowed to have any family members with her. Your Highness, please rest assured, they have all been properly taken care of and are being treated as honored guests."
"Is that so?" A-Meng said coldly, then gestured to the tightly closed palace gates. "Then what does this mean? Could it be what you mean by treating them like honored guests?"
"Your Highness, this is His Highness's order. He is worried that the people of the Heavenly Realm, because of their hostility towards the Ghost Realm, might take their anger out on you and cause you harm. Therefore, he has specially dispatched a team of Heavenly Soldiers to protect you."
"In that case, I should thank your Crown Prince properly." A Meng said coolly, exuding imperial majesty, and all the palace servants of the Heavenly Realm bowed and fell silent.
She was too lazy to waste any more words with these people, so she sat upright on the wedding couch and waited from dawn till dusk until the palace gates of the Crown Prince's Palace were suddenly opened.
Prince Lin Shen, dressed in his wedding robes, carried a long sword and was followed by a group of people.
Seeing this, A-Meng remained calm and asked, "What does Your Highness mean by this?"
The gentle and refined prince of the Heavenly Realm held a cold blade to her neck and roared, "Fine! My Heavenly Realm sincerely sought a marriage alliance with your Ghost Realm, yet you took this opportunity to infiltrate the Heavenly Realm and plot against my father!"
"The Celestial Venerable... has already passed away?" A-Meng asked, a gentle and loving gaze flashing before her eyes.
Crown Prince Lin Shen's eyes were bloodshot. "What are you pretending for? It was your men who killed my father. Pay for my father's life!"
A-Meng lowered her eyes, seemingly oblivious to the sharp blade at her neck that could sever her throat at any moment. Suddenly, she curled her lips into a smile. "In that case, Your Highness should be grateful to me. Why do you still want to kill me?"
Crown Prince Lin Shen seemed surprised by her calm demeanor, his eyes filled with a probing look.
What do you mean by that?
A Meng looked up, her bright eyes meeting his: "You originally planned to use this wedding to frame our Ghost Realm in order to cover up the fact that you murdered your father and usurped the throne. Now that Your Highness's plan has succeeded, shouldn't you thank me?"
"You dare to spout nonsense even when you're about to die!" Lin Shen tightened his grip, leaving a faint red mark on the girl's snow-white neck.
A Meng remained unmoved, saying, "His Highness the Crown Prince won't kill me."
Lin Shen raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Your Majesty the Ghost King is so certain?"
"You still want to use me to exchange for something even more valuable from the Ghost Realm. However, Your Highness, despite your meticulous planning, you have overlooked one crucial detail."
Lin Shen narrowed his eyes slightly. At this moment, his usual gentle and weak temperament was nowhere to be seen. He was like a wolf in sheep's clothing, finally shedding his disguise.
He gave a wink, and everyone quickly left, leaving only the two of them on their wedding night.
Lin Shen withdrew the long sword from his hand, smiled warmly like a spring breeze, and even pretended to care as he gently brushed his fingertips across the red mark on her neck, asking her if it hurt or if she was injured.
"Actually, I was willing to marry Sister Meng, but it's all that person's fault for secretly going to the Ghost Realm to teach you personally."
Lin Shen spoke gently, his lips still curved upwards, but his eyes betrayed a chilling intent.
"If those meddlesome people hear this, won't they just pick up those old, stale rumors again? They might even say that the person who helped you cultivate the divine path is treating you as their true successor."
A-Meng was horrified. "So you still suspect that I'm your half-sibling? If that's true, how could the Heavenly Venerable possibly agree to our marriage?"
Lin Shen snorted coldly, "Who knows what kind of heinous things he might do to protect you? Back then, he caused my mother's death because of that woman."
Lin Shen's gaze returned to A Meng. "You really don't look like that woman. Perhaps after everything settles down, I can keep you by my side, as long as you're obedient... whether as a sister or a wife."
"I think you're the one who's heartless." A-Meng took a step back, dodging Lin Shen's hand that was about to stroke her cheek. "I just said you missed a detail in your calculations. Don't you want to know which detail it was?"
As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of dark figures suddenly appeared in the room, their bodies filled with ghostly energy; they were all elite soldiers from the Ghost Realm.
Lin Shen was shocked; he had been completely unaware of the existence of these ghost soldiers!
But how could that be?! They are ghosts, spirits, in the celestial realm, they should have nowhere to hide! How could they possibly deceive his senses?
unless……
At this moment, A-Meng withdrew the divine power attached to the ghost soldiers, and the aura of the ghosts immediately dissipated.
Lin Shen sneered, "As expected, we shouldn't have let you lowly ghosts cultivate the path of divinity."
"Has Your Highness not considered that perhaps we, the people of the Ghost Realm, truly intend to take advantage of this grand wedding to infiltrate the Heavenly Court and harm you?"
Looking at the ghost soldiers who had surrounded and trapped him, the Crown Prince Lin Shen said contemptuously, "Sister A Meng, you don't actually think that these people can do anything to me, do you?"
Ameng shook her head, "His Highness the Crown Prince possesses profound magical powers. We truly cannot do anything to you, however..."
With a single glance from A Meng, she and her elite ghost soldiers suddenly darted out of the palace's doors and windows, rushing out of the Crown Prince's chambers at top speed, shouting everywhere: "Crown Prince Lin Shen, patricide and usurpation, Heaven will not tolerate this!"
"The Crown Prince, Lin Shen, murdered his father and usurped the throne; this is an act against Heaven!"
Lin Shen's expression suddenly turned extremely ugly. "You're courting death!"
He issued an order to kill, demanding that no one be left alive, but at that moment a trusted confidant rushed in in a panic, reporting: "It's terrible! Your Highness, General Meng of the Ghost Realm has led a large army and attacked!!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
