"Even if you are Shen Qianmo, what are you doing at the General's Mansion?" Shangguan Pian asked, annoyed by Shen Qianmo's noncommittal expression. Then, looking at the large group of guards around her, she asked Yao Shan in confusion, "What are these guards doing?"
Shen Qianmo smiled and said calmly, "I just came to see how the General's daughter plans to join forces with her father to deal with her husband!"
Upon hearing Shen Qianmo's words, Yao Ruoqin glared fiercely at Shen Qianmo, wanting to curse him out, but then she glanced at Situ Jingyan, who was standing beside Shen Qianmo with a wicked smile, and ultimately held back.
"What?! Going against her own husband? You mean my third brother?" Shangguan Pian jumped up upon hearing Shen Qianmo's words, pointing at Shen Qianmo and saying, "Don't talk nonsense! Ruoqin loves my third brother so much, how could she possibly want to go against him?!"
"Whether it's true or not, you can ask the General." Shen Qianmo smiled faintly when she saw Shangguan Pian's excited expression, pointed to Yaoshan, and remained lazy, seemingly not taking the surrounding guards seriously at all.
"Father-in-law, is what she said true?" Shangguan Pian looked at Yao Shan in disbelief.
Yao Yuanshan asked with an incredulous look, "Father, this can't be true, can it?"
“It’s true! Shangguan Che’s defeat is inevitable, but he still refuses to give up. I can’t die with him, can I?” Yao Shan said coldly, a sinister look flashing across his face.
“Father-in-law? How could you do this? Have you forgotten how your third brother promoted you? Even if you don’t remember those things, you should at least remember that it was the Empress Dowager who helped you rise to the position of Grand General step by step, right?” Shangguan Pian pointed at Yao Shan’s nose and accused him, still acting like a princess.
Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow at Shangguan Pian and suddenly felt that this unruly and unreasonable princess still had some spirit, and her impression of Shangguan Pian improved.
"That's all in the past! I've done my fair share of work for them over the years! Besides, everyone looks out for themselves, I can't risk my life for someone who's going to die!" Yao Shan said disdainfully, without a trace of guilt in his eyes, looking at Shangguan Pian with contempt. "You should also stop with your high and mighty attitude, I've had enough of you!"
"Yao Shan! How dare you speak to this princess like that?" Shangguan Pian glared at Yao Shan, her face full of arrogant defiance, and said, "This princess will not allow you to betray my third brother!"
"You won't allow it? Shangguan Pian, aren't you being ridiculous? Do you think you're still a princess? Once that unlucky guy Shangguan Che dies, do you think Shangguan Jin will still treat you like a princess? You're just a useless person with a princess title! And you dare to yell at me?" Yao Shan gave Shangguan Pian a sarcastic look. Now that he had decided to stand on Shangguan Jin's side, he naturally didn't care about Shangguan Pian anymore.
After all, Shangguan Pian and Shangguan Che are the real siblings born of the same mother.
“Father, this is wrong!” Yao Yuanshan said. “Our aunt has been incredibly kind to us, and Shangguan Che has also treated us well. How can we betray them like this? Even if it costs us our lives, we cannot do this.”
Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow, not expecting that Yao Yuanshan, this hothead, still had some sense of justice. Shangguan Pian's actions also surprised her. It seems that there is some kinship even in the royal family.
Although Shangguan Pian's personality is arrogant and domineering, which is annoying, she doesn't have much bad intentions. In such a difficult moment, she didn't think about protecting herself, but instead thought about protecting her brother, which shows that she has a conscience.
"It seems that not all members of the Qi Yue royal family are cold-blooded," Situ Jingyan said with a hint of mockery, close to Shen Qianmo's ear.
"I wonder what the Tianmo royal family is like?" Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow and asked. Seeing the fleeting unnaturalness on Situ Jingyan's face, Shen Qianmo knew that she might have touched on Situ Jingyan's painful memories. After all, being born into royalty meant that ordinary people always experienced more suffering.
"Enough! I've already decided to help Shangguan Jin, so all of you stop talking." Yao Shan glared at his son and then glanced disdainfully at Shangguan Pian.
"Father-in-law, you can't do this! You are my third brother's only support now. You can't do this!" Shangguan Pian cried out upon hearing Yao Shan's words.
“Yes, Father, you can’t do this!” Yao Yuanshan echoed.
"Shut up! Anyone who dares to say another word can get out!" Yao Shan roared impatiently. Yao Yuanshan had always been obedient since childhood, so why was he contradicting him now?!
"Fine, get out! I'm going to tell my third brother what you really are!" Shangguan Pian roared defiantly.
A hint of helplessness flashed in Shen Qianmo's eyes. This Shangguan Pian, once those words got out, how could Yao Shan possibly let her off the hook? She really has no brains.
Sure enough, a murderous glint flashed in Yao Shan's eyes as he looked at Shangguan Pian, "Tell Shangguan Che?! It seems I can't let you leave alive!"
"Father, what are you doing?" Yao Yuanshan placed Yao Ruoqin on the stretcher carried by the servants and stepped forward to block Shangguan Pian's way.
"You unfilial son, what are you doing?! If you stop me again, I'll kill you too!" Yao Shan roared, pointing at Yao Yuanshan, his anger flaring.
"Yuanshan, don't worry about me." Upon hearing Yao Shan's words, Shangguan Pian immediately pushed Yao Yuanshan away, her eyes filled with a resolute look. "Yuanshan, being able to marry you is the happiest thing in my life. I know you don't like me, I know I'm willful, unreasonable, and arrogant, but... I really love you... but I can't betray my third brother. He has always spoiled me the most since I was little, I really can't..."
"Pianpian, stop talking." Yao Yuanshan interrupted Shangguan Pian. "You're right. The person I love isn't you. But now that I've married you, you're my wife for life, and I will never abandon you."
Tears welled up in Shangguan Pian's eyes. She could die without regrets after hearing Yao Yuanshan's words.
"You unfilial son!" Yao Shan roared angrily, pointing at Yao Yuanshan, Shangguan Pian, Situ Jingyan, and Shen Qianmo, "Kill them all!"
"Hmph! What arrogance." Shen Qianmo had been smiling as she looked at Shangguan Pian and Yao Yuanshan, but after hearing Yao Shan's words, she exuded a murderous aura.
Shen Qianmo and Situ Jingyan stood side by side, their pure white and alluring red blending harmoniously. They stood quietly, even with smiles on their lips, yet they possessed an aura that no army could match. Just by standing there, they made people afraid to approach.
"What?! Why aren't you going?!" Yao Shan was now enraged and somewhat irrational, shouting at his guards.
Hearing Yao Shan's order, the guards had no choice but to grit their teeth and surround him. Shen Qianmo's sleeves fluttered out ribbons, like a deadly net, spreading outwards. Wherever the ribbons touched, almost everyone died instantly.
Situ Jingyan simply smiled indifferently, his body emanating a blood-red mist that grew thicker and thicker, causing everyone who approached it to convulse as if possessed.
The remaining guards, witnessing this bizarre scene, dared not approach any further. Yao Shan, too, stared wide-eyed, his face filled with terror.
"Let's go!" Shen Qianmo grabbed Shangguan Pian, who was stunned.
Situ Jingyan then took Yao Yuanshan under his wing.
Yao Shan watched the two men walk away, and looked at the guards lying dead on the ground in horrific poses. He subconsciously touched his neck and muttered, "Too terrifying... too horrible!"
After leading Shangguan Pian and Yao Yuanshan to an open space in the suburbs, Shen Qianmo and Situ Jingyan stopped.
"Why did you save me?" Shangguan Pian looked at Shen Qianmo with a puzzled expression. In the past, she had listened to Yao Ruoqin and Shen Qianxin and made things difficult for Shen Qianmo. Shen Qianmo had always disliked her. Why would she save her today?
With an indifferent smile, Shen Qianmo lazily shrugged her shoulders and said, "If it weren't for your courage, I wouldn't have bothered to save you. You and Yao Yuanshan, that hothead, better watch yourselves from now on! Stop putting on your princess act, or no one will be backing you up in the future."
"You." Shangguan Pian felt a little embarrassed after hearing Shen Qianmo's words, then bit her lip and said, "Although I don't like what you said, thank you for saving me!"
Shen Qianmo smiled noncommittally. This Shangguan Pian, although not a bad person at heart, her temper is really... Oh well, if she suffers losses in the future, it's Shangguan Pian's own business. She's done being a good person this far, and what happens afterward is none of her concern.
They exchanged a glance with Situ Jingyan, gave each other a wicked smile, and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Shangguan Pian and Yao Yuanshan called out to Shen Qianmo and Situ Jingyan at the same time.
"Is there anything else?" Shen Qianmo raised her eyebrows impatiently. She had already done a good deed by saving them because she was in a good mood. Did they have anything else to ask for?
"I... I'm afraid I won't be able to go back to Qiyue anymore... I want to see Qianxin one last time," Yao Yuanshan said somewhat embarrassedly.