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No sooner had these preparations been completed than whispers arose at the entrance.
“The Heir Apparent—it’s really Prince Dingguo’s Heir!”
“Who would have thought the Heir would actually come?”
Shang Ruoyi’s brows lifted slightly as she had just set down her bridal veil when the sedan curtain was lifted, and a hand reached beneath the veil.
At the sight of those well-defined fingers, her expression shifted.
Though she had never wielded swords, spears, axes, or hooks, as a former special operations team leader who had seen the battlefield, she could immediately gauge the formidable strength those hands possessed.
He Jingheng gazed at the figure inside the sedan. Seeing that she still hadn’t extended her hand, his brows furrowed in displeasure.
Just as his patience was wearing thin, a delicate, boneless hand slipped into his palm.
This unexpected contact sent an inexplicable flutter through He Jingheng, who had never held a woman’s hand before.
Shang Ruoyi was led out of the bridal sedan by him.
The moment she steadied herself, He Jingheng released her hand.
The Wedding Matron supported her, spouting auspicious phrases as they made their way into the Royal Mansion.
With the bridal veil covering her face and the ill-fitting, cumbersome Wedding Garment, walking was particularly strenuous. In contrast, He Jingheng, having gone through the motions, was ushered inside by his personal guard Yuntian without so much as a glance in her direction.
Seeing the newlyweds enter the courtyard, the guests followed suit into the Royal Mansion.
“Ouch!” A cry of pain from Mu Qingning drew everyone’s attention. They turned to see her sprawled on the ground, disheveled, with hairpins scattered about.
Where was the dignified bearing of a noble lady?
“Isn’t that Mu Qingning, the Mu family’s legitimate daughter?”
“How can she not even walk properly?”
“And she calls herself the Right Minister’s daughter! What an embarrassment.”
Mu Qingning, flushed with humiliation, was helped up by servants. Hearing the jeers from all sides, she snapped, “What are you staring at? Keep looking, and I’ll gouge your eyes out!”
Mu Qingning’s fiery temper was well-known throughout the capital.
Seeing her like this, the crowd covered their mouths and dispersed.
Mu Qingning glared at the Glass Beads on the ground and said coldly, “Who’s so petty as to bring such trash?”
Glass Beads were the cheapest of ornaments, and even commoners rarely wore accessories made from them nowadays.
This clearly showed how perfunctory Shang Nian had been about this marriage.
Upon reaching the main hall and completing the wedding rites, Shang Ruoyi was officially recognized as the Heir’s Consort.
Just as the servants were about to escort her to the Bridal Chamber, laughter erupted among the guests.
“Hahaha, how precious Chancellor Shang must consider his legitimate daughter, unwilling to marry her off. Instead, the poor second-born daughter, born of a concubine, is hastily wedded off.” The speaker was none other than Prince Xiao’s Heir, who had always been at odds with He Jingheng. Seizing the opportunity now that He Jingheng was injured and stripped of his military authority by the Emperor, he wasted no time in kicking him while he was down.
He Jingheng’s injury had brought him the greatest joy.
“Jingheng, is your leg truly useless now? Tsk tsk tsk, to think a perfectly good man is now a cripple. Good thing you have a younger brother born of a concubine, or else Prince Dingguo’s Residence would face extinction.”
Hiss…
The surrounding guests averted their eyes, minds racing. Even if Prince Xiao’s Heir loathed Prince Dingguo’s Heir, must he dig at his wounds now? Prince Dingguo’s Heir was known for his unpredictable temper. If he lashed out here, they might all suffer the consequences.
Shang Ruoyi paused her steps upon hearing these words. Through the gap in her bridal veil, she clearly saw the hand that had been guiding her earlier now clenched tightly, knuckles turning white.
Princess Ding, seated in the host’s position, looked livid, while Zhao Yiniang standing to the side secretly rejoiced.
“Heir’s Consort?” the maidservant beside her whispered. “Please follow this servant to the bridal chamber.”
As she moved her feet, her pale lips parted.
“Filthy dog.”
The three words were spoken neither too loudly nor too softly, just enough for everyone present to hear clearly.
For a moment, the main hall fell into complete silence. All eyes stared in shock at the Heir’s Consort struggling forward with the maid’s support, hardly believing such words had come from her mouth.
Even He Jingheng turned his head slightly.
“What did you say?” The heir of Prince Xiao was furious. “How dare a mere concubine-born girl speak to me like this? You must be tired of living.”
“I was speaking of the Prime Minister’s dog. Why is Prince Xiao’s heir so angry?” Shang Ruoyi stopped but didn’t turn around, her tone indifferent with no trace of deceit. “That dog has an ugly face with a mole, barking at everyone it meets and biting like a rabid beast—utterly annoying. But if you like it, I can have my father send it to you. Though I don’t know if it still exists. Being rabid, how would it know where its food comes from or who granted its so-called peaceful dog’s life?”
With that, her figure gradually disappeared through the doorway.
He Jingheng watched the direction she left, his previously clenched fist slowly relaxing.
Prince Xiao’s heir glared at her retreating back with eyes wide in fury. To think—to think he’d been insulted by some lowly concubine-born girl who didn’t know her place!
How could he not understand that the rabid dog Shang Ruoyi spoke of was himself?
Yet she had described it so vividly before the crowd that he couldn’t do anything to her now.
But today’s grudge was settled. If he ever caught her in a vulnerable position, he would settle both old and new scores together.
The eunuch responsible for delivering congratulatory gifts returned to the palace and reported everything he’d witnessed to the emperor: “Your Majesty, this servant saw the common folk treating the Dingguo Prince’s heir as if he were a celestial being.”
A celestial being?
Emperor Tianshun’s expression darkened. “What do you mean by that?”
“Some brought gifts, and when the Dingguo Prince Residence refused them, they even offered baskets of eggs. The people were so excited upon seeing the heir that they nearly prostrated themselves. Some even said… said…”
By now, Emperor Tianshun’s face had turned extremely unpleasant. Seeing the eunuch hesitate, he angrily slapped the table and roared, “Speak!”
“They said our Tianshun’s peace and prosperity exist only because of the Dingguo Prince Residence.”
Emperor Tianshun sat on his dragon throne, his expression grim.
“Leave.”
“Your servant takes his leave.” The eunuch’s eyes flickered briefly as a faint smile crossed his lips before he bowed and retreated.
Emperor Tianshun’s chest heaved violently as he swept everything off the table with one motion.
Dingguo Prince Residence!
Dingguo Prince Residence!
The words “Dingguo” (Stabilizing the Nation) felt like a curse.
Why should only the Dingguo Prince Residence have the ability to pacify and govern the nation?
What purpose did that leave for him as emperor?
He refused to live any longer under the shadow of the Dingguo Prince Residence, nor would he allow his descendants to be constrained by them.
His gaze flickered as he looked at the memorials scattered across the floor.
Shang Ruoyi sat in the bridal chamber, waves of dizziness washing over her already weak body.
“This headpiece is too heavy.” Shang Ruoyi was about to remove the crown from her head when she heard faint rustling sounds outside the door.
“Is it true? Where did you hear that?”
“Absolutely true. I just came from Zhang Yiniang’s courtyard. The imperial physician from the palace is in the second young master’s room, saying he’s here to check on the madam’s pulse!”