Chapter 5: Ah! Such a mouth that makes people both love and hate!

“Nine clans?”

The prince concubine’s heart skipped a beat, but quickly calmed down, pinching the princess’s chin.

“Who do you think you are? Where do you think this is? You are just the daughter of a common concubine in the palace. This is a manor in the outskirts of the capital. If you die here, as long as I say you accidentally fell off a cliff while traveling, no one will know. You’re not born of the empress, and His Majesty won’t bother much for you.”

“Cough, cough, cough—”

Princess Wanshou struggled, desperately trying to break free, but the heartless Prince concubine only tightened his grip, almost breaking her jawbone.

“Your Highness, Princess,” the Prince concubine showed a cold smile, “You’ve occupied Zhi Zhi’s position for so long, it’s time to give it back to her.”

“Bang—”

The door was kicked open.

“To whom are you giving it back?” A wine jug, mixed with anger, smashed in, hitting the Prince concubine on the forehead.

“Ouch!”

The Prince concubine held his head, the violent impact of the porcelain brought a strong dizziness, a stabbing sensation spread from the scalp, as if numerous sharp knives were slowly cutting. And the ceramic shards cut the face, the sharp pain felt like countless needles piercing the skin.

The prince concubine, in pain, didn’t know whether to continue holding his head or to cover his face.

The princess slumped to the ground, her arms hanging weakly by her side, sweat still dripping from her palms. She lifted her pale face to look at the person coming quickly towards her, breathing heavily, “Father…”

The Prince concubine looked closely and recognized the person as his father-in-law—the Emperor.

Behind him were the Prime Minister and the six ministers of the departments, all looking at him with ambiguous smiles.

His legs… immediately went weak.

“Y-Your… Majesty…”

The prince concubine’s teeth chattered, unable to believe it.

How could the Emperor suddenly come to the outskirts of the capital! And how coincidental to appear just when he was about to execute Princess Wanshou!

Most importantly! Why would he bring a group of ministers with him! Who visits their daughter and son-in-law with ministers in tow! Is he here specifically to catch him in the act?

Xu Yanmiao sized up the Prince concubine, husband of Princess Wanshou.

[This is the Prince concubine who dared to execute the princess? Liu Yi, Duke of the Six Kingdoms, the second son of Liu She, Duke of Song? That… what… poetry, calligraphy, painting, the three excellences, the top talent of the Daxia?]

[He does look decent, but how could he do things like injuring the princess’s eyes, deliberately taking concubines after the princess’s miscarriage, and frolicking with concubines in front of the princess’s sickbed, even making the princess plead for his younger brother’s official position?]

With each accusation against the Prince concubine, the old Emperor’s anger flared up, his breathing becoming heavier, as if an angry beast was roaring in his chest.

Finally, he thundered, “Guards! Drag this scoundrel down and behead him. Those in the mansion who knew but didn’t report shall also be punished by death. His elder brother and younger brother shall share his crime, considering their father’s merits, they shall be sent to the border for military service. Furthermore, his father shall be stripped of his title as Duke, his mother shall lose her noble status, and they shall be demoted to commoners!”

This was truly giving face to the Duke of Song, otherwise the whole family would have to play a game of ‘eliminate nine generations.’

But Liu Yi didn’t see it that way.

The so-called top talent took a deep breath, as if still composed and unruffled, “Your Majesty, I was disciplining my wife at home, what crime is there to be punished so severely by Your Majesty?”

But the faster heartbeat in his chest, the sweat dripping from his forehead, the stench of panic and anxiety oozing from his armpits and all over his body, all revealed his unusually tense emotions.

The old Emperor fell silent for a moment, his tone peculiar, “Disciplining your wife? You said you were disciplining your wife?”

Liu Yi looked at Princess Wanshou, his flawless face showing a slight smile, “The princess can testify.”

Everyone looked at Princess Wanshou.

The princess remained silent, then after a moment or two, she spoke, her words strained due to the bruise on her jaw, but her plea was not what was expected, “Father…”

With a pause that seemed to pull the bruise deeper, she continued, but what came out of her mouth wasn’t an accusation, “Father, I beg you to revoke the decree. Yi Lang… Yi Lang was just momentarily angry, he didn’t mean to harm his daughter.”

The old Emperor: “…”

The old Emperor: “Huh?”

Liu Yi smiled faintly. This was his confidence.

——He knew very well about the princess’s infatuation, and he felt disgusted by it.

Princess Wanshou knew she was being foolish, but… she just couldn’t bear to harm Yi Lang…

So she looked timidly at the old Emperor, “Father! Please!”

“Just wait… just wait a moment—” the old Emperor forcefully pinched his brow with his right hand, almost squeezing out his words from his throat, “He brought a concubine to your sickbed, and you still plead for him?!”

The term ‘brought a concubine’ was too crude, making the Prince concubine uncomfortable, clenching his fists.

Princess Wanshou turned even paler, struggling to speak, “Father, how… how did you know…”

Could the Jinyiwei (Emperor’s secret police) have infiltrated her circle without her noticing?

The old emperor gave a profound smile, as if everything was under his control.

A princess’s title is nobility, not an official position. The title of Prince concubine is a nominal position without real power; therefore, neither the princess nor the Prince concubine could hear Xu Yanmiao’s inner thoughts. The Prince concubine’s father, Duke of Song, could hear them but had not informed his son.

Mainly, the Duke of Song was unaware that his son regularly abused the princess at home.

In short, if they had official positions, they could hear someone’s active thoughts—

[Could the princess be a victim of psychological manipulation?]

[It’s not surprising if she’s often insulted and likely frequently accused by this trash Prince concubine of taking another woman’s place. Unable to confide in anyone, she suffers in silence in the inner chambers, convinced she deeply loves a scumbag, without realizing she is being manipulated.]

[Damn scumbag, having his cake and eating it too, without any responsibility or sense of duty, enjoying the Concubine Prince’s salary and the status of royalty, yet treating the princess poorly and belittling her. Truly a piece of trash.]

[It’s a pity. The princess might genuinely believe she loves this scumbag too much to leave him, unaware she is being manipulated.]

[Bleep—]

[Bleep—]

[Bleep—]

The old emperor glanced at Xu Yanmiao thoughtfully.

Pua… Pua what?

What does that mean?

Then, with a cold face, he looked at his daughter, who was still pleading for the Prince concubine, and after some thought, a sudden idea struck him.

“Wanshou.”

Princess Wanshou looked up at her father, tears still glistening in her eyes.

The old emperor stood, looking down at her, like a stone dropped into a calm lake, creating ripples that spread out.

“I appoint you to the position of Office of Revenue Affairs, you will take up this post shortly.”

“What?” This was the bewildered Princess Wanshou.

“What?” This was the bewildered Minister of Revenue.

Prime Minister Dou: “But—”

The old emperor shot a glance over, and the Prime Minister, swallowing his words, could only frown and look at Princess Wanshou, hoping she would sensibly decline.

Princess Wanshou, initially puzzled by her father’s arrangement, noticed a flash of discontent on the Prince concubine’s face and suddenly understood.

In Daxia, the Concubine prince holds no real position. No matter how talented one is, being a Concubine Prince concubine means no official duties are allowed, and no interaction with court officials, to avoid forming factions and personal gain.

Liu Yi was always bothered by this, and his bad attitude towards her also stemmed from his forced distance from officialdom.

If she hadn’t insisted on him being the Prince concubine, he would have been shining brightly in public, rising rapidly to become one of her father’s trusted ministers.

It’s all my fault…

I owe him…

And now he has angered father, who is deliberately mocking him with this appointment…

After a brief silence, Princess Wanshou quietly said, “I accept the decree.” Feeling the Prince concubine’s angry and resentful gaze, she dared not look back.

Prince concubine…

Princess Wanshou thought to herself: Hate me, only if father is pleased can he spare you.

The old emperor laughed heartily and patted the princess’s head, “Good child.”

Princess Wanshou forced a smile.

The old emperor patted her head again and said kindly, “As for a husband, father will find you a better one…”

“No! Father! No, no!” Princess Wanshou interrupted the old emperor, shaking her head and crying, “Father! Please, I beg you, Yi Lang is innocent! It was… it was I who forced him, I made him marry me! If not for me, he would have been with his beloved. I was the one who forced him…”

[Ah, it is indeed psychological manipulation.]

A voice suddenly broke in.

Princess Wanshou couldn’t hide the subtle change in her expression.

That voice, like silk, gentle as a breeze, floated through the air. Every syllable was clear and pure, enchanting and unforgettable.

With such a pleasant voice, that person…

Princess Wanshou was a sucker for good looks, or she wouldn’t have insisted on marrying the Prince concubine at first sight.

So, she instinctively looked up to find the source of the voice, immediately locking onto a young man behind a group of handsome older men.

At first glance, although she had feelings for the Prince concubine, Princess Wanshou couldn’t help but shift her gaze away, not daring to look at that stunning face.

At this moment, all thoughts of her beloved and her plea vanished. Her mind was consumed with one thought: so, men can be so good-looking? The Prince concubine pales in comparison to him.

Then, Princess Wanshou suddenly realized something.

That person… seemed not to have moved his lips while speaking?

She looked closely, those beautifully shaped lips indeed had not moved, yet the young voice still reached her ears.

[Before marriage, he thought the princess was too domineering to refuse. After marriage, why is he not afraid of her? Continually bullying and mistreating her, why not worry about the ‘vicious’ woman seeking the old emperor’s support?]

Was it… ventriloquism?

What nonsense is he talking about!

Princess Wanshou widened her eyes, about to speak in defense of the Prince concubine, but her father slapped her shoulder.

Turning to look, her father said slowly and deliberately, “Listen.”

Listen well to Xu Yanmiao’s mouth that makes people both love and hate!

The old emperor felt quite pleased.

When Xu Yanmiao criticized him, he wanted to drag him down and behead him, but when Xu Yanmiao criticized others, he felt joy.

[Talking about being forced, fooling those with little life experience, if he genuinely felt forced and feared royal retribution, he would behave better post-marriage. Wouldn’t he avoid taking concubines? If he wanted concubines, he’d wait until the old emperor died, right?]

The old emperor: “…”

Princess Wanshou: “…”

Princess Wanshou looked seriously at the old emperor, trying to convey with her eyes: Father, is this really what you want me to hear?

Hear him making up stories about how you’ll die?