Chapter 20: Puppet – Whether or Not One Becomes the Primary Consort Doesn’t Matter

Shen Xingwan let out a cold laugh and slowly leaned in, as if warning her.

“Since you called me ‘sister,’ let me teach you one more thing—tuck away your claws and accumulate some virtue for the child in your belly.”

“I…”

Tang Lin’er’s eyes turned red, and tears streamed down her cheeks in large drops. She stared at Shen Xingwan, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.

The woman before her was completely different from the naïve and sweet rich girl in her memories—she seemed like a completely different person.

The cold murderous intent in those eyes was almost tangible, as if it could pierce straight into her heart.

Fear rose in Tang Lin’er’s heart, but she still tried to defend herself, “I… I really didn’t…”

“Save it.”

Shen Xingwan cut her off, her tone even colder.

“Those lies of yours might fool the Crown Prince, but we’ve all been foxes for a thousand years—what’s the point of telling me ghost stories? If you dare touch my people again, you might not end up marrying the Crown Prince at all.”

Tang Lin’er shut her mouth, lowering her head, not daring to say another word.

“Silly girl,” Shen Xingwan pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the tears off her face.

“You’re already a daughter of the Shen family, your name’s in the family registry. We share both glory and disgrace. If you hurt him, never mind others—if Lu Yuzhi gets her hands on that leverage, do you think she’ll let you go? Do you think she’ll spare the child in your belly? Will she still let you enter the household as the Crown Prince’s secondary consort?”

At the mention of Lu Yuzhi, Tang Lin’er immediately flinched, recalling that dead kitten, and instinctively wrapped her arms around her belly.

“So…” Shen Xingwan gazed coldly at her. “Don’t do anything foolish. Take care of the baby and wait for the wedding. You’ll still be the Shen family’s good daughter and the respected secondary consort of the Crown Prince. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

Tang Lin’er moved to kneel on the ground, weeping bitterly, “I’ve been taught. I won’t dare again.”

“That’s enough, rest now. The wedding day is near. Focus on your pregnancy.”

“Yes.”

As Shen Xingwan turned to leave, Tang Lin’er hurriedly grabbed her skirt and pleaded tearfully, “Please, Sister, be merciful and tell me—what did you make me drink just now? Is there an antidote?”

Shen Xingwan curled her lips into a faint smile, kicked away her hand, and walked out without looking back, only tossing one sentence behind her: “Just a normal prenatal tonic. But if there’s a next time… it might not be.”

“…”

Tang Lin’er collapsed weakly to the ground. Ruyi quickly came over to support her. The mistress and servant held each other and sobbed for a long time.

“Miss, what should we do now?”

Ruyi helped Tang Lin’er carefully, guiding her to sit on the edge of the couch. She then fetched a basin of hot water, wrung out a warm towel, and gently wiped her face and hands.

Tang Lin’er, her eyes red, leaned on the edge of the couch, frowning deeply as she lowered her head to gently caress her belly.

After brooding for a long while, she finally gritted her teeth and said resolutely, “I absolutely cannot miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I must secure a good future for my child.”

Ruyi, who was wiping her hands, paused at those words. She pursed her lips, wanting to advise her, but didn’t dare provoke her.

With a sorrowful expression, Ruyi hesitated for a while before squeezing out one sentence, “Miss Shen has never gotten that angry before. Miss… perhaps you should just give up…”

Ruyi stole a glance at her cautiously, “If something really happens… we might not survive it either…”

“What do you know?!”

Tang Lin’er lost her patience and flung the cloth away, her face turning sinister.

“How can you catch a tiger cub without entering the tiger’s den? If I don’t seize this opportunity, how will Sanlang ever believe I can truly help him?”

She rolled her eyes and looked at Ruyi, pulling her over and lowering her voice, “Here’s what we’ll do—we don’t need to take action ourselves. Just quietly pass on the news of the Fourteenth Prince being at the Shen residence to Sanlang.”

“Miss…”

Ruyi looked miserable and tried to dissuade her again, but Tang Lin’er gave her a sharp glare.

“What are you afraid of? Sanlang is now the Crown Prince—his influence knows no bounds. Sooner or later, he’ll find out where the Fourteenth Prince is. We’re just telling him a little earlier. Now go!”

Ruyi hesitated, lowering her head, unmoving.

Tang Lin’er grew anxious and kicked her. “Go! We just need to get through these next few days. Once I marry the Crown Prince, with his backing, what do we have to fear from her? Hurry up!”

Left with no choice, Ruyi put down the cloth and reluctantly left, turning back to look several times as she walked away.

—

Early the next morning, the Imperial Household Department suddenly delivered a batch of gifts—sent solely to Tang Lin’er.

Among them was one particularly extravagant item: a bright red wedding dress identical in design to the one prepared for Shen Xingwan.

The gown was densely embroidered with gold and silver threads, inlaid with pearls and gems—luxurious beyond compare. It was clearly far beyond the standard of attire for a prince’s secondary consort.

The steward of the Shen residence was baffled and, afraid of making a mistake, repeatedly confirmed the details with the eunuch who delivered the gifts. Only then did he learn that the wedding robe had been personally requested by the Crown Prince from the Empress Dowager and sent especially for Tang Lin’er. This immediately sparked a wave of gossip among the servants.

Some said His Highness the Crown Prince took pity on the child in Tang Lin’er’s womb and was elevating her status.

Others believed the Crown Prince was acting out of a guilty conscience, trying to mitigate the negative impact on his reputation for having abandoned a pregnant woman, thus making a conciliatory gesture.

But regardless of the reason, this move earned him widespread praise and increased his prestige both in court and among the common people.

The batch of gifts was delivered to Tang Lin’er’s courtyard. Overjoyed, she personally counted each item before sending all of them to Madam Shen—leaving behind only that bright red wedding robe.

Tang Lin’er tried on that wedding robe countless times in a single day, so much so that she seemed eager to sleep in it as well.

Only she knew how that robe had truly come into her hands.

Shen Xingwan turned a blind eye to it all. Tang Lin’er had been uncharacteristically quiet these past few days. Apart from that one day when she went personally to greet Madam Shen and deliver gifts, she remained in her courtyard the entire time, not even stepping outside her chamber.

Madam Shen initially did not wish to accept her gifts, but in the end, she could not withstand Tang Lin’er’s persistent pleading, who insisted on showing her filial piety.

Shen Xingwan remained noncommittal about the matter. She certainly didn’t believe Tang Lin’er had suddenly turned over a new leaf and was now content to await her wedding day peacefully.

She had long since arranged for eyes and ears everywhere, keeping close watch on Tang Lin’er’s every move.

She knew perfectly well how Ruyi had contacted the Crown Prince’s people and how the message was passed along.

Shen Xingwan sat idly in the courtyard, calmly waiting for Wei Zilin to make his move.

There were many hidden guards stationed outside the Prime Minister’s residence. If Wei Zilin dared send someone to assassinate the Fourteenth Prince, she was determined to catch him red-handed and obtain solid evidence of his attempt to murder a royal prince!

But she waited and waited, and still Wei Zilin made no move at all, leaving her increasingly unsure of his intentions.

Just as Shen Xingwan was sipping her tea, Feiyun hurried over, gave a quick curtsey, and lowered her voice.

“My lady, the Yan Kingdom has sent an envoy to the Regent Prince’s residence to deliver an imperial decree. The decree forbids the Regent Prince from marrying you as his primary wife—you can only be granted the title of secondary consort. Word is, the Prince refused the decree and has angered the Emperor of Yan. They’re about to strip him of his title and send him to a subordinate state.”

Shen Xingwan frowned upon hearing this. “Is this true?”

Feiyun nodded urgently. “Absolutely. The information came from the leader of the shadow guards who handle communication.”

Shen Xingwan immediately put down her tea cup and stood up, quickly heading into her room. “Hurry, help me change. I must go to the Regent Prince’s residence.”

By the time Shen Xingwan arrived at the front hall of the Regent Prince’s residence, the atmosphere between Yan Jinghuan and the envoy from Yan was already incredibly tense.

The envoy sent to Wei as a representative of the Yan Kingdom was none other than Yan Jinghuan’s own uncle—the Yan Emperor’s younger brother—Prince Rong of Yan.

Prince Rong sat at the head seat, glaring angrily. “Are you truly going to defy His Majesty like this? Must it be her and no one else?!”

Yan Jinghuan stood alone in the center of the great hall, eyes lowered and expression composed. “My mind is made up.”

Shen Xingwan gritted her teeth and quickly stepped forward. She bowed deeply to Prince Rong, then walked to Yan Jinghuan’s side and whispered, “As long as I can be with you, it doesn’t matter whether I’m your primary wife or not.”

She could not afford to lose Yan Jinghuan—he was her lifeline.

Right now, the entire Shen clan and the Fourteenth Prince’s life were bound to him. If he was demoted and sent away to some remote subordinate territory, Wei Zilin’s faction would surely pounce, baring their fangs in a ruthless assault.

Yan Jinghuan turned slightly to look at her, his gaze filled with deep affection. He took her hand. “It matters. In this life, I will only marry you—and you must be my primary wife.”

Shen Xingwan broke out in a cold sweat. What was wrong with this man today? Why was he being so stubborn?

Their relationship was more of an alliance of mutual need. Whether she was primary consort or not, whether she had an official title, none of it mattered!

“I really…”

Suddenly, Shen Xingwan felt her hand tighten—he had squeezed it forcefully.

“If I cannot marry the one I love as my primary wife, what’s the point of being a prince?” Yan Jinghuan raised an eyebrow and gave her a meaningful look. His tone grew increasingly dramatic.

“I shall write a letter to my royal father right now, asking him to strip me of my status as a prince of Yan. I will marry into the Shen family as a live-in son-in-law and never return to Yan!”

As he spoke, he let go of Shen Xingwan’s hand and turned to head toward his study.

Prince Rong, who had been frowning sternly, suddenly relaxed. He sprang to his feet and quickly moved forward to grab Yan Jinghuan’s arm.

“Ah, my dear nephew, there’s no need for such rashness.”

Yan Jinghuan brushed off his hand and kept walking. “I’ve been drifting for years, living a lonely and bitter life. Now that I’ve finally found someone I truly care about, I don’t even have the right to decide my own marriage. If I must be a puppet prince, then I’d rather not be one at all.”

“No, no, don’t say such things.” Prince Rong now wore a kindly smile, his earlier hostility completely gone. He firmly held onto Yan Jinghuan. “You child, so infatuated. You remind me of my own youth.”

He paused for a moment and considered. “Alright, leave it to me. I’ll go speak to His Majesty personally. I will make sure your wish is fulfilled.”

“Truly?” A flicker of delight passed through Yan Jinghuan’s eyes. He no longer resisted the older man’s touch.

Prince Rong laughed heartily and patted his shoulder. “Just wait for my good news.”

With that, he turned and gave Shen Xingwan a deep look before striding out of the hall with his attendants in tow.

Once Prince Rong had gone far, Shen Xingwan looked at Yan Jinghuan, only to find that the roguish, emotional expression from moments ago had completely vanished. He now stood still, expression icy and eyes dark, fixed intently on the direction Prince Rong had left.

Shen Xingwan walked to his side and finally couldn’t help but ask, “I know I shouldn’t pry, but… what exactly was the purpose of what you just did today?”