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After paying respects to the princess, Feng Moheng dealt with some state affairs and boarded another carriage. Shen Yuling climbed into the same carriage she had arrived in, with Xi Tong following closely behind, and they both took their seats.
The space inside the carriage was spacious, with soft cushions and exquisite curtains that gently swayed with the motion of the vehicle.
“Princess, it seems that Feng Moheng is rather difficult to deal with,” Xi Tong said, furrowing her brows, her face full of concern.
When “Shen Yuling” was reborn, it seemed that Feng Moheng easily fell in love with the original owner again…
“Mm, indeed, he’s difficult to deal with,” Shen Yuling replied softly, leaning slightly against the side of the carriage, her expression calm.
“After only spending a couple of days with him, I could already tell that Feng Moheng has a very obvious performative personality.”
If she hadn’t experienced so many different lives, living through the ups and downs of human nature, it would have been hard for her to see through him.
Princess Xihe held great power. In Qianjing, aside from His Majesty, she was the most respected person.
In the court, she stirred up storms, but once back at the residence, she indulged in pleasures. Others feared her power and no one dared utter a word of complaint.
What kind of feelings did Feng Moheng have for his mother?
She guessed it was a mixture of love and hate.
What child doesn’t long for a mother’s love?
But his mother was no ordinary woman. She was someone who acted recklessly both in the court and at home, even divorcing his father.
When Feng Moheng was deprived of love, he would develop hatred, wondering why his mother, unlike others, treated him with such indifference and neglect.
But when it came time to hate, he realized that love was something he couldn’t attain, and hate was something he couldn’t bring himself to feel.
At the age of ten, Feng Moheng placed all his unsettled emotions onto that female assassin, thinking he could find some warmth and care from her.
But little did he know, he was ultimately betrayed, and this betrayal left another deep wound on his young and fragile heart.
And Liu Jingyi, she truly knew how to pick the right moment.
At Feng Moheng’s most vulnerable, when he needed emotional comfort the most, she approached him and became his only emotional anchor at that time.
But why couldn’t Feng Moheng go against the Princess Xihe for Liu Jingyi?
Was it because he didn’t love her enough?
Or was it that he didn’t truly understand love?
What he enjoyed was simply the feeling of being loved wholeheartedly by others.
The reason he could fall in love with the original owner was because she had grown up surrounded by love, a woman who knew how to love deeply. Her gentle and sincere affection perfectly filled the void of maternal love in Feng Moheng’s heart.
His desire for the feeling of being loved by a woman was, in fact, a hidden longing for the maternal love he had lacked since childhood.
Yet, he had disguised all of this extremely well.
The personality Shen Yuling showed in front of Feng Moheng was completely different from that of the original owner.
It was precisely for this reason that Feng Moheng viewed her with wariness, a sense of inquiry, and a hint of curiosity.
Shen Yuling didn’t want Feng Moheng to love the feeling of her loving him.
What was the difference between that and Liu Jingyi?
Xi Tong listened to Shen Yuling’s words, her face full of confusion as she scratched her head.
“Princess, what is a performative personality?”
Shen Yuling didn’t answer her directly but instead asked in return, “Do you think he loves Liu Jingyi?”
Xi Tong tilted her head and thought seriously for a moment.
“Right now, I think he does.”
“That’s not necessarily the case.”
“He doesn’t really love anyone; he only loves himself. Just wait and see.”
After saying this, Shen Yuling reached out and lifted the curtain of the carriage, falling silent.
Her gaze landed on the bustling streets of Qianjing.
Since arriving in Qianjing, in order to prevent Quan Minghe from finding her, she had never gone out to wander the streets and alleys of Qianjing before her marriage.
At this moment, looking out, Qianjing truly lived up to its reputation as the capital under the emperor’s rule, a scene of prosperity and flourishing.
People came and went, bustling with energy. Various shops lined the streets, their wares abundant, with the sounds of vendors calling out one after another.
Suddenly…
Shen Yuling’s pupils constricted sharply.
“Stop the carriage!” she blurted out.
“Princess, what happened?” Xi Tong asked in confusion.
Xi Tong was startled by her sudden action.
Shen Yuling, however, merely shook her head slightly and did not say anything further.
The man wearing a mask watched the woman’s panicked expression with amusement, waiting leisurely for the rabbit to come out on its own.
The coachman quickly pulled on the reins, and the carriage came to a halt.
Shen Yuling took a deep breath.
Acting as if nothing had happened, Shen Yuling said casually, “It seems Drunken Chant Pavilion has a performance today. It looks quite lively. I haven’t had the chance to properly explore Qianjing since arriving, so I’d like to join in the excitement.”
In the Qian Dynasty, women held a relatively high status, and there were not many restrictions on them going out for leisure.
“Understood, Princess,” Xi Tong responded, supporting Shen Yuling as she stepped down from the carriage.
Turning to the coachman and guards, she instructed, “Wait outside Drunken Chant Pavilion for us.”
Just as Shen Yuling stepped through the tavern’s grand entrance, a tall man wearing a mask silently followed her inside.
Inside the Drunken Chant Pavilion, people came and went in a bustling crowd, and the staff hurried about, busy and cheerful.
A staff member in charge of greeting guests caught sight of Shen Yuling, as if he had known all along that she would come.
His face immediately lit up with a smile, and he quickly stepped forward.
“Madam, I will take you to our tavern’s premium private room ‘Xinghua Chunyu.’ The view there is the best in the entire Drunken Chant Pavilion, guaranteed to satisfy you.”
Shen Yuling’s body began to tremble slightly, though she was unsure whether it was from nervousness or fear.
She pressed her lips together, said nothing, and followed the staff member from the front hall to the rear courtyard.
Her eyelashes lowered, concealing the light in her eyes.
So, this so-called fear was merely an act—for Quan Minghe, who followed behind her.
As she passed through the winding corridors, the scenery of the rear courtyard was indeed exquisite.
Pavilions and terraces were arranged harmoniously, with lush greenery and vibrant flowers carefully placed, exuding an air of refined elegance.
The moment Shen Yuling stepped into the private room ‘Xinghua Chunyu’, the tall man wearing a mask followed closely behind.
Xi Tong’s gaze landed on him, and in an instant, she understood who he was.
Yet, given her current role, she couldn’t reveal that she recognized him.
Thus, she furrowed her brows sharply and scolded, “Who are you? What do you want with my mistress?!”
At this time, Shen Yuling in the room heard the noise and spoke up to stop it.
“Xi Tong, he is my friend, you wait outside.”
When the masked man heard the word “friend”, his eyes gradually became dark. Heh, friend?
He reached out and pushed the door open.
As he stepped inside, he saw Shen Yuling standing with her back to him, her slender figure trembling ever so slightly.
Was she really that afraid?
From the moment she stepped off the carriage, she had been trembling with every step.
Quan Minghe moved closer, reaching for her waist.
With a firm grip, he pulled Shen Yuling toward him.
“Scared?”
Shen Yuling flinched like a startled bird.
She spun around abruptly, shoving him away with all her strength, stumbling backward in retreat.
She took a deep breath, mustering her courage, and lifted her gaze to meet Quan Minghe’s.
In a trembling voice, she said, “Let’s just forget what happened that day.”
But Quan Minghe acted as if he hadn’t heard her. He sat leisurely on the round stool, his gaze fixed on Shen Yuling with unsettling composure.
“You are not to consummate your marriage with Feng Moheng. I will find a way to get you out of the Prince’s residence.”
His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority, as if he were merely stating his own decisions rather than seeking her agreement.
“I… I already did,” Shen Yuling bit her lip, forcing herself to continue. “My husband and I… we consummated our marriage last night.”
Her gaze flickered with guilt, unable to meet his eyes directly.
Quan Minghe took in her reaction, understanding more than she intended to reveal, yet he did not expose her lie.
Instead, he rose from his seat and stepped toward her.
His towering frame radiated an overwhelming sense of dominance, making Shen Yuling feel as if the very air around her had thinned.
“Then should I verify it myself?”
A slow smirk curled at the corner of his lips, his gaze dark and dangerous.
Shen Yuling’s expression turned to sheer horror in an instant.
“How exactly do you plan to verify it?”
Before she could react, Quan Minghe’s hands moved without hesitation, tugging at the sash of her robes.
“You dare!”
Shen Yuling’s voice trembled with both anger and shock. She jerked backward, eyes blazing.
“Since you acknowledge that I am now the Princess Consort, you should also understand that neither my family nor my husband’s power is something anyone in Qianjing would dare to offend.”
Her breath came quicker, her fingers clenched tightly.
“If you continue this insolence, I will call for help. The Prince’s guards are waiting just outside this teahouse!”
But just like that night, her threats were utterly useless against Quan Minghe.
Who exactly was this man?!
A chill ran down Shen Yuling’s spine as fear tightened around her chest. Her wide eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her breath hitching.
“Wuu… wuu…”
A sob slipped out, laced with helplessness. Seeing that Quan Minghe showed no signs of stopping, she had no choice but to plead.
“Don’t… don’t undress me. I… I haven’t consummated the marriage…”
Only then did his hands finally pause.
Hearing the answer he wanted, it seemed that even Quan Minghe let out a subtle sigh of relief.
He reached out, his fingers lightly tracing Shen Yuling’s soft, trembling lips, his gaze dark and unfathomable.
Leaning in, he whispered against her ear, his breath warm yet chilling.
“If you consummate your marriage with Feng Moheng… you will die.”
He paused, then added, his tone eerily certain—
“There is nothing in this world that I do not know.”
“Who… who exactly are you?!”
Tears welled in Shen Yuling’s eyes, her face pale with fear.
“You will know in time.”
Quan Minghe’s reply was dismissive, offering no real answer.
Shen Yuling, both frustrated and anxious, reached out, attempting to remove his mask—desperate to see the face hidden beneath.
Yet, the moment her hand extended, Quan Minghe’s grip closed around her wrist in an instant, his fingers pressing down with just enough force to make her wince in pain.
His voice was low, dangerous—
“Disobedient children must be punished.”
Quan Minghe’s voice was low and icy, laced with a warning that sent an involuntary shiver down Shen Yuling’s spine.