Chapter 136

As these words were spoken, the entire hall fell silent.

A daughter of a fourth-ranking court official wasn’t even deemed worthy of the position of a king’s secondary consort. King Jing went through all this trouble merely to take Miss Wen as a concubine!

This act was humiliating not only to Madam Li but also to all the women present.

The head of the Honglu Temple was also a fourth-ranking official. Xing Yan stood beside the Fourth Prince, grateful and fearful.

While the Fourth Prince’s status was not as high as King Jing’s, at least she would be a legitimate wife. Compared to the half-master-half-servant status of a concubine, her situation was infinitely better!

Thinking of this, she quietly glanced in Miss Wen’s direction.

Nianxi, who had been somewhat distracted earlier, watched as Empress Lu arranged the marriage between the Fourth Prince and Miss Xing. A single union, so simple and straightforward, yet binding these two for life.

For some inexplicable reason, she thought of Gu Ci, who was far away in another land. As the year-end approached, she had sent out the rabbit lanterns she had made just a couple of days earlier. She wondered whether they would arrive in his hands before the Lantern Festival. If he did receive the lanterns, he would undoubtedly mock her craftsmanship.

However, waiting for his reply would likely take until the next year, during the springtime when the grass is lush and the orioles sing.

Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly saw Xiao Xun stride over and address her mother, saying, “Since this king has taken a liking to her, whether she’s a match or not is not for Madam to decide.”

His tone was nothing short of arrogant, as though even the concubines in King Jing’s residence were gilded with gold.

Madam Li trembled with anger, her heart pounding so fiercely it felt as if it might leap out of her chest at any moment. But she knew she could not falter—not with her beloved Nianxi standing right by her side. A mother’s resolve is as strong as steel. Even if it meant dashing her head against the wall, she would not allow anyone to bully her daughter!

But Madam Li, in the end, was just a woman confined to the inner chambers, without much sharp wit to adapt. Overwhelmed by imperial authority and facing the empress seated above, she could only plead sincerely, “Your Majesty, please have mercy. Don’t force my daughter to be a concubine. I beg Your Majesty for kindness…”

When King Jing first voiced his intention to take Nianxi as a concubine, Xiao Nanxi had already wanted to step forward and argue. Luckily, Consort Shu reacted swiftly and held her back.

Now, with Madam Li’s pleading echoing in her ears, she could no longer hold back. She stood up and said, “Brother Jing, you’re truly unreasonable. In matters of marriage, there’s no such thing as forcing someone. It’s just that you lack ability and are using power to bully others!”

Since entering the palace, Consort Shu had been at odds with the empress. For a moment, she didn’t stop Xiao Nanxi, only waiting for her daughter to finish speaking before mildly reprimanding, “Nanxi! Do not disrespect King Jing!”

Xiao Nanxi, with her naturally stubborn temperament, raised her little face and shouted, “What I said is the truth. If Brother Jing disagrees, let him take it up with Father!”

King Jing had always disliked the unruly and headstrong Third Princess. At this moment, she openly challenged him in public, further damaging his dignity. However, he endured it out of respect for their sibling relationship.

“Where is my dear sister getting such ideas? As a noble descendant of the imperial family, why would I need to force anything if I merely wish for a woman?”

As he spoke, his gaze shifted to Madam Li. His eyes were cold and menacing, but a faint smile played on his lips. “As for Madam Li, she must have been so delighted that she spoke nonsense.”

Empress Lu maintained her dignified smile as she remarked to Consort Shu, “Nanxi is such a lively child, isn’t she? Even meddling in her elder brother’s private matters?”

Although Empress Lu’s tone was gentle, her words were sharp and biting. Consort Shu’s expression immediately changed, but before she could react, Xiao Nanxi had already seated herself again and murmured under her breath: “Little rooster, little rooster, talking nonsense~”

“So, that’s how it is.” Xiao Nanxi’s voice was not loud, but the hall was utterly silent at this moment. Apart from Madam Li’s heavy breathing, it was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

Princess Wen Shu’s words were indeed coarse, but…

They were satisfying.

Even Xing Yan, who was merely a bystander, secretly gave the princess a thumbs-up in her heart. She also suppressed the smile forming on her lips and quickly lowered her head again.

“Nanxi, stop talking nonsense!” Consort Shu nearly wanted to cover her face. What sort of nonsense had her daughter learned from those storybooks?

Empress Lu and Xiao Xun both turned visibly grim.

However, since Empress Lu had the reputation of being magnanimous in the harem, and Xiao Xun couldn’t lose his temper at his sister in public, their anger was instead directed at Madam Li and Nianxi.

The entire Wen family was nothing but a bunch of insensible fools. Once Wen Nianxi entered his residence, he would make sure she understood what rules and propriety truly meant.

Nianxi was momentarily distracted and didn’t immediately understand what had happened. It wasn’t until her mother began to plead that she realized King Jing’s despicable intentions.

Becoming a concubine was absolutely out of the question!

She had been reborn for a reason—not to let her parents be heartbroken or to allow a vulgar and irritable man to have his way.

Nianxi knew that the more critical the situation, the more important it was to stay calm. With imperial power looming over her, she needed to come up with a perfect strategy and couldn’t allow her brothers or father to be implicated. Fortunately, she has been working at the Liuji Pavilion recently.

Lady Chengjing and Madam Xu lived solitary lives with no children, devoting all their energy to helping those in need. The people of the capital all praised their virtuous character. If King Jing continued to force her today, she would emulate these two ladies—remaining unmarried for life, dedicating her passion and efforts to aiding the sick and the poor, thereby fulfilling her life’s purpose.

“Madam Li—” Empress Lu maintained her composed demeanor, but inside, she was already infuriated. Her son, the legitimate heir and of noble status, merely wanted to take the daughter of a fourth-ranking civil official, so why such a fuss?

“The matter of children’s marriages—we mothers cannot entirely make the decision. Why not ask Miss Wen for her opinion?”

After saying this, she looked at Nianxi and said, “Good child, come to me.”

The tone and demeanor were no different from how she had addressed Xing Yan earlier, but the attitude and inflection were worlds apart.

Those who had long occupied positions of authority naturally exuded an imposing aura. Usually gentle and approachable, when they became angry, the weight of their wrath felt as if the heavens themselves were collapsing.

Nianxi, only fifteen years old, was overwhelmed by the commanding presence of the nation’s empress. It was enough to instill fear and obedience in a young girl.

Madam Li trembled all over, her heart filled with despair and sadness. Her tender motherly instincts felt as if they were being shattered, and she couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with tears. Yet she still stood protectively in front of Nianxi. The majesty of imperial power was immense, but it could not break a mother’s spine.

Nianxi sensed her mother’s fear. She clasped her mother’s hand tightly, just as her mother had done for her countless times in her childhood. With unwavering determination, she told her mother: “Don’t be afraid.”

Don’t be afraid—I will protect myself.

I know what I want.

Nianxi stepped out from behind Madam Li. Everyone in the hall was watching her, but she remained calm and composed. Having died once, there was nothing more in the world that could make her afraid.

“Nianxi—” A gentle, melodious voice came from the side, elegant and refined, like spring water cascading into a serene pond, exuding a natural warmth and clarity.

Nianxi turned her head.

Lu Wensheng stood there, like a wisp of fresh breeze, as pure and luminous as a solitary moon. He looked at her with emotions he had never before revealed, brimming with a faint glimmer of hope, as if all the hardships in the world were no longer insurmountable, radiating earthly tenderness.

With a light smile, he said: “Nianxi, come to me.”