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Although Shang Ruoyi had walked some distance away, her hearing was exceptionally sharp, and the First Wife’s words reached her ears without missing a single syllable.
Her brows involuntarily furrowed. What did the First Wife mean by that?
The wedding procession had already arrived at the gate. Dressed in her wedding garment and veiled, Shang Ruoyi was escorted out of the ministerial residence by her maidservant.
“Did you see that? The second daughter of the ministerial residence is getting married, yet neither the minister nor his wife came out to see her off—not even a concubine showed up.”
“Ah, didn’t you notice? The groom, the Heir Apparent of the Dingguo Prince Residence, didn’t even come to fetch the bride himself. Rumor has it the betrothal gifts were pitifully few—only twenty chests.”
“Tsk tsk, this second young lady is truly pitiful!”
“Indeed! With no backing from her family and no favor from her husband, how will she survive in the future?”
A light breeze swept by, lifting a corner of her veil—just enough for her to catch a glimpse of the gossiping crowd.
The corner of her lips curled slightly. Seizing the moment when no one was paying attention, she nudged a few pebbles at her feet with her toe.
As if guided by eyes, the four pebbles struck the front teeth of those gossiping individuals with perfect precision.
“Ouch!”
Reaching out to catch them, two front teeth landed in their palms.
“My teeth! My teeth!” The group stared at the bloodied teeth in their hands before their eyes rolled back, and they fainted on the spot.
Their cries were drowned out by the celebratory music, causing little disturbance.
Shang Ruoyi stepped into the bridal sedan without a trace of reluctance toward the ministerial residence.
Unbeknownst to her, her subtle actions had been observed by a pair of eyes.
After the wedding procession departed, that figure quietly disappeared as well.
Meanwhile, at the Dingguo Prince Residence.
“Heir Apparent, the wedding procession has already begun its return. Please change into your wedding garment!” Yuntian pleaded anxiously, holding a tray with the wedding attire. “Your Highness, this marriage was personally decreed by His Majesty. We absolutely cannot afford to show any disrespect!”
He Jingheng sat by the window, his brows like ink strokes, his eyes like scattered stars. His strikingly handsome features were impeccably chiseled, exuding a natural regal aura that surpassed even the crown prince’s imperial majesty.
Outside, gongs and drums resounded amidst red silks and satins, yet he wore a black dark patterned robe with silver trim—hardly the attire of a joyous groom, but more akin to someone attending a funeral.
His gaze remained fixed on the chessboard before him, paying no heed to Yuntian’s words.
“Heir Apparent.” A servant’s voice came from outside the door. “Your Highness, the Princess Consort requests your presence in the main hall to greet the guests.”
With a wave of his arm, He Jingheng shut the door soundly.
The servant outside wiped cold sweat from his brow.
Ever since the Heir Apparent suffered his leg injury, his temperament had become exceedingly unpredictable.
Not only did he refuse to see anyone, but he also never stepped beyond his courtyard gates, forbidding outsiders from entering.
Now, the only one permitted into his courtyard was the Dowager Princess Consort.
Yuntian rubbed his temples in frustration. “Heir Apparent, if you dislike this arrangement, you can simply neglect her after bringing her home. But you can’t refuse to show up altogether, can you?”
As the final chess piece was placed, He Jingheng finally lifted his gaze from the board. Glancing at the wedding garment on the tray, he said in a deep voice, “This heir’s leg injury makes movement difficult. I fear I cannot participate in the ceremony. Why don’t you go in my stead?”
Yuntian immediately dropped to his knees. “Heir Apparent, you mustn’t jest! How can someone else stand in for a wedding ceremony? If His Majesty were to find out, our residence could be charged with defying imperial decree!”
Just then, a figure swiftly entered the courtyard.
“Heir Apparent.” Yunqi’s voice rang out.
“Enter.”
Yunqi approached He Jingheng and whispered a few words in his ear.
He Jingheng’s expression shifted slightly as he asked in a low voice, “You saw it with your own eyes?”
“Indeed,” Yunqi replied, equally puzzled. How could a young lady from an inner chamber possess such skills?
At first, he thought it might be a coincidence, but when all the men had their front teeth knocked out by pebbles, coincidence was no longer possible.
“This is rather interesting,” He Jingheng murmured, a dark glint flashing in his eyes.
“Young Master, I suspect she might be a spy sent by Shang Nian,” Yunqi said gravely. “That second young lady’s kicks were clean and precise. Without proper training, it would be impossible to knock out their front teeth with such accuracy.”
“If she’s a spy, I must admire her courage,” He Jingheng remarked.
He tapped the tray in Yun Tian’s hands. “Prepare my attire.”
The sound of gongs and drums grew louder as the wedding procession approached the prince’s residence. By now, the area outside the Dingguo Prince Residence was crowded with commoners, many bearing congratulatory gifts.
The Dingguo Prince Residence had long fought for the Tianshun Dynasty and was deeply beloved by the people.
Even on the day of the heir’s wedding, Prince Dingguo He Yuwen remained on the battlefield, unable to return.
Thus, the people had gathered spontaneously to offer their blessings and witness the ceremony.
This scene did not escape the notice of the eunuch sent by the emperor and empress to deliver their gifts. His brows furrowed deeply, but he remained silent.
As the bridal sedan chair was set down, Shang Ruoyi sat inside, waiting. Yet, after a long while, there was no groom to lift the sedan curtain.
“How pitiful for the bride,” someone muttered. “Not only was there no groom to fetch her, but now that she’s arrived at the Dingguo Prince Residence, no one comes to lift the curtain.”
“Exactly. If I were the bride, I’d be humiliated to death.”
Hearing this, Shang Ruoyi rolled her eyes.
What business was it of theirs?
Humiliated to death?
Why should a woman in the prime of her life throw herself away over a man?
Besides, she had fought hard to survive this second chance at life. In her past life, she had lived for her country. This time, she intended to live for herself.
“That’s the prime minister’s daughter. Keep your voices down—don’t let her hear you.”
Then came a haughty voice: “Why worry? She’s just a lowly concubine-born daughter.”
“A concubine-born daughter? Wasn’t the marriage contract with the heir of Prince Dingguo meant for the prime minister’s legitimate daughter?”
“Would the legitimate daughter marry a cripple? Even if he is the heir of Prince Dingguo, Shang Yufu would never agree to it.” Though the speaker kept her voice low, Shang Ruoyi heard every word clearly.
She lifted the sedan curtain slightly and peered at the woman who had spoken.
Dressed in green robes, her head adorned with jewels, the woman was none other than Mu Qingning, the legitimate daughter of the Right Prime Minister’s household.
Mu Qingning was one of the many admirers of the heir of Prince Dingguo.
After all, within the Tianshun Dynasty, few potential husbands could match He Jingheng’s elegance, noble bearing, and high status—making him even more sought-after than Crown Prince He Lingsheng.
But after He Jingheng’s leg injury, the women who once adored him had all withdrawn their affections.
Shang Yufu, too, had gone from being the object of envy to a pitiable figure.
At every palace banquet or gathering, someone would inevitably take a jab at her.
Shang Nian had never intended to betroth his legitimate daughter to He Jingheng. Even if he inherited the princely title, his daughter would only become the Princess Consort of Dingguo—far less glorious than the title of empress.
Moreover, the emperor had long held grievances against the Dingguo Prince Residence. If he married his legitimate daughter into that household, and disaster struck later, wouldn’t he be left with nothing?
Shang Ruoyi touched her headpiece.
She remembered when Shao Yao had styled her hair, there was a hairpin adorned with several Glass Beads.
She took those Glass Beads off, held them in her hand, and tossed them by her feet through the gap in the sedan curtain.