Baili Mao said to his kneeling subordinates, "Pass down the message: I am determined to take this position. I will fight to the bitter end and win it."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Your Highness, you are truly capable. The Lin family and the Sun family have been fighting for years without a clear winner, but who would have thought that you would take away half of the Lin family's power with just one move? The throne will surely be yours in the future." Ning Xishan also smiled, her eyes narrowed into slits as she looked at Baili Mao with a hint of affection in them, which was captivating.
Leng Caidie returned with them and sat quietly to one side without saying a word, but a cold smile appeared on her face.
Seeing this, Ning Xishan's face darkened: "Sister, what kind of attitude is this? The Prince has taken over the Lin family's power, which is such a great thing. It's one thing for you not to be happy for the Prince, but instead you're showing this kind of expression. Do you want the Prince to fail? Even though you're like this, the Prince hasn't abandoned you. He takes you everywhere and gives you the respect you deserve. Instead of being grateful, you should communicate more with the Leng family and improve the relationship between the two families. How can you look at the Prince like this? Look at my malicious face. Do you hope the Prince will end up like the Lin family?"
Baili Mao stared coldly at Leng Caidie, while the latter only looked at Ning Xishan, her expression becoming even more sarcastic: "Ning Xishan, I used to think you were just a brainless idiot, but now it seems you're not completely stupid after all. At least you've learned this skill of sowing discord very well."
Ning Xishan's eyes narrowed, and she felt a murderous intent as she looked at Leng Caidie. Originally, she didn't care that Leng Caidie held the title of princess but had no real power. However, with the constant changes in the court, if Baili Mao succeeded in the next step and directly ascended the throne, Leng Caidie, though disabled and not qualified to be empress, would still be a great hindrance. And dealing with Leng Caidie at that time would cause gossip. She had recently been thinking of ways to get rid of Leng Caidie so that she could rightfully take control of the Sheng Prince's Mansion.
“Sister, what are you saying? Sowing discord is too harsh. We are all from the Sheng Prince’s Mansion. Your hostility towards your younger sister will not do any good for the inner quarters. If you deliberately stir up trouble and make a mess of things in the inner quarters, how will the Prince have the mood to deal with important matters outside? Sister, you also come from the Leng family. Don’t you understand this simple principle? You really do not have the demeanor and qualifications of a Princess Consort.” Ning Xishan’s words were meant to persuade, but in reality, every word was barbed.
Leng Caidie gently pressed her missing arm with her right hand, and sneered self-deprecatingly: "You think I'm an eyesore, and now you want to get rid of me? Of course you have the scheming and the time to do it. The prince hasn't even ascended the throne yet, and you're already trying to interfere in everything. I hope this situation of the maternal relatives monopolizing power doesn't happen to the prince. Although I'm a cripple now, your emperor has issued a death order that as long as I'm on the throne, I won't be deposed. Before that, you think you can get past me? Dream on!"
Ning Xishan's expression grew even colder, but Leng Caidie stood up and sneered, "I have already sent a message to the Leng residence that as long as I die, you will be the murderer!" After saying that, she turned and left, ignoring Ning Xishan's ashen face and Baili Mao's shifting expression.
Ning Xishan gritted her teeth, but her face was full of tears as she grabbed Baili Mao's arm and said, "Your Highness, look what's wrong with my sister. I was only trying to help her, but she doesn't appreciate it and even wrongs me like this. I'm so wronged! Your Highness, you must do me justice!"
Baili Mao gently patted Ning Xishan's hand and said, "Alright, don't be sad. You know that Cai Die has been in a bad mood since she broke her hand, which is understandable. Don't take it to heart. Besides, she is still a princess. You should always respect her. Just know that I love you, so don't compete with her."
Ning Xishan pouted as if to say something, but Baili Mao lowered his head and blocked her way. Ning Xishan immediately melted into a puddle of spring water, and was hugged, touched, rubbed and kissed by Baili Mao. She lost all her temper at that moment.
Baili Mao played with her for a while before putting her down, which made Ning Xishan blush and glare at him angrily. Baili Mao laughed and left. Ning Xishan put on her half-naked clothes and called her personal maid: "Where did the prince go?"
"It seems that the Princess Consort has gone to the Princess Consort's place."
"Bang!" Ning Xishan slammed her hand on the low table beside the bed, knocking it over. "She actually went to that bitch's place! How hateful!"
Baili Mao did indeed come to Leng Caidie's place. Not only that, but he also showed a tenderness that he hadn't revealed in a long time. He smiled and said, "Caidie, you know Xishan's personality. She doesn't have any bad intentions, but she has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. She's not scheming, but she made you angry. I have already punished her severely."
Leng Caidie lay on her side by the bed, feeling nauseous at the sight of Baili Mao's smiling face. This Baili Mao was definitely not the husband Leng Caidie had originally hoped for. However, a royal decree had come down, and she had no choice but to obey. Originally, Baili Mao had been very loving towards her, and she had slowly fallen for him. But all of that was fake. Just like now, they knew that what Baili Mao said was all lies, yet he still dared to use it to deceive her. Did he really think that as a woman, she could only be played with like this?
Leng Caidie wasn't stupid, nor did she want to die. She had noticed Ning Xishan's recent changes. If she didn't offer the Leng family as a backer, Baili Mao might actually allow Ning Xishan to kill her for the sake of his future, and might even secretly help Ning Xishan. After all, if she died and Ning Xishan ascended to the throne, he could marry another princess to bolster her power.
Leng Caidie felt that she had been blind before. How could she have thought that Baili Mao was not bad and could be of great use? What kind of skill is it to rise to power through a woman's connections? Based on this alone, he is no match for the Third Prince, the Fourth Prince, or the Seventh Prince. She found it despicable.
Leng Caidie smiled, but Baili Mao had already turned over and pressed down on her. Leng Caidie's expression was calm, and she still accepted Baili Mao. At this moment, she did not want to die, so it would not hurt Baili Mao to comply with her on the surface.
That night, the Empress Dowager was alone, leaning against the headboard. After a while, the gauze curtains in the room moved without any wind. The Empress Dowager turned her head and saw a person walking out. The person's figure was very slender, and his whole body was shrouded in black: "You have come."
"You've lost such a valuable pawn as the Queen; you're utterly useless," the man said slowly, his words anything but polite.
The Empress Dowager's expression darkened, but she was not angry. She said, "I was indeed somewhat negligent in this matter, but you shouldn't blame me. You failed in your previous plans as well. We are both equally bad, so let's not blame each other. Besides, I hold great power in this palace. Although it is a pity that the Empress died, it does not affect anything else. That's enough."
The man sneered: "The loss of the second branch of the Lin family will reduce your power, but it won't stop you. Your promise back then that you would never let it be lost seems to have been all empty talk."
"That ghost was hiding in the shadows at the time, how could I have discovered it? What more do you want now that it has already happened?" The Empress Dowager frowned, her displeasure evident.
"Why didn't you kill Baili Chen when I asked you to?" The man in black's voice was extremely cold.
The Empress Dowager remained expressionless: "Then naturally the time was not right. At that time, Baili Cheng had just died. If I had killed Baili Chen, people would have suspected me. Although I could have pinned the blame on the Empress, I could not expose myself like that."
"The timing was perfect, so we waited until the empress made her move, which led to this outcome."
The Empress Dowager said with a stern face: "The Empress has always been stupid, but I never expected her to be this stupid. I have already killed her. Rest assured, I will not tolerate any more mistakes in what follows. I will definitely kill Baili Chen."
The man in black said in a low, cold voice, "It's not needed."
"What do you mean? You want to terminate our cooperation?" The Empress Dowager was somewhat nervous upon hearing this.
"I will take care of Baili Chen myself." After saying that, the man in black turned to leave, but the Empress Dowager hurriedly said, "Then Ouyang Yue and Baili Su cannot be kept here any longer."
The man in black suddenly turned around, his eyes flashing with an eerie light in the darkness: "Don't do anything unnecessary. I said I'll handle these matters. If you dare to make a move, don't blame me for being impolite."
"Don't go too far. We are partners, not your subordinates. Don't blame me for being impolite if you speak to me like that!" The Empress Dowager said coldly, not giving an inch.
"I have my own way of dealing with this. If you do anything stupid again and cause any problems, you'll have to bear all the consequences!" After saying that, the man in black turned and left, coming and going without a sound.
The Empress Dowager gazed intently in the direction the man in black had left, a cold smile playing on her lips: "I'll allow you to be arrogant for a few more days. Once I've finished my business, you'll be the first to die. Do you think I don't know you have something going on with that girl Ouyang Yue?"
The Empress Dowager pulled up the covers and lay down, but her eyes darted around: "However, as long as we kill Baili Chen first, Ouyang Yue and the others are no threat. What trouble can a mere upstart cause? The Emperor already suspects me, and I can no longer sit idly by. It seems that some things should be done ahead of schedule."
Meanwhile, in a side room of a villa in the capital, a bewitching red figure stood by the window. At this moment, the door opened, and a woman in purple walked in and knelt down. The man said, "What is it? Speak."
"Reporting to Master, news has come from over there that he no longer wants to do it."
"Don't you want to do it anymore?" the man in red said, seemingly amused by the question.
"It's Master. He wants to give up the cooperation. Should we kill him?" The woman in purple was Zi Er.
"Go and handle it. I'm going into seclusion for the next few days. Don't bother me no matter what happens. You can discuss anything with Zi San and the others." The man in red turned around, his fair face adorned with an eerie pattern that made his appearance even more breathtaking.
"Yes, Master." Zi Er said, then nimbly got up and left.
Yu Xiaoyao turned and walked to the table, where a painting was unfolded. The painting depicted a woman with a graceful figure, and her beauty was unparalleled. It was none other than Ouyang Yue. Yu Xiaoyao's bewitching eyes narrowed, and he reached out to gently stroke Ouyang Yue's cheek in the painting: "Since you are so unruly, it seems I have no choice but to take action. I said I would get you, and I will never go back on my word."
Yu Xiaoyao turned her head and looked up at the starry sky outside the window. The moon, which was originally crescent-shaped, was now slowly becoming full. Yu Xiaoyao smiled, her eyes narrowed, and her smile was meaningful.
Two days later, the Prince of Chen's residence summoned Physician Liu to the residence early in the morning.
"Your Highness Chen." Imperial Physician Liu bowed respectfully, but Baili Chen waved his hand dismissively, "Forget these formalities, go and examine Princess Chen quickly."
"Yes, Your Highness." Physician Liu was about to enter the palace early in the morning, but was stopped by Baili Chen's men and brought directly to Prince Chen's residence. Physician Liu did not dare to delay. Prince Chen was in such a hurry, probably because he was afraid that Princess Chen's condition was not good. However, he did not expect that when he entered the room, he saw Princess Chen sitting on the bed with a rosy complexion. There was also a lovely child sitting on the bed. It was none other than Baili Su. The two were chatting and laughing, and the atmosphere was very good.
Physician Liu immediately felt like he'd been tricked. Medical diagnosis required observation, listening, questioning, and palpation. He couldn't smell any medicine in the room, nor did he notice any other strange odors. Furthermore, Princess Chen's complexion was unusually healthy, unlike most people; she didn't seem ill at all. Physician Liu's brow twitched, and he turned to Baili Chen, asking, "Who in your household has sent me to examine you, Prince Chen?"
"Didn't I just say I was going to examine the Princess?" Baili Chen was displeased with Physician Liu's feigned question.
Physician Liu's lips twitched slightly as he said, "Your Highness, in my humble opinion, the Princess Consort is in good health and does not appear to be ill."
"Then take a look and carefully examine the pulse." Baili Chen gave the order directly. Physician Liu had no choice. He had been a physician in the court for many years and had never met anyone more unreasonable than Baili Chen. What was the point of reasoning with such a person? It was more important to get down to business. He had to examine Princess Chen first and then return to the palace as soon as possible.
Ouyang Yue had a handkerchief on her wrist, and the bed curtains were drawn, revealing only her fair wrist. Physician Liu kept his eyes fixed on her, his brows furrowed as he carefully examined her for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. When he stopped examining her, Baili Chen hurriedly asked, "Physician Liu, can you tell if there's anything wrong? The Princess Consort has been spacing out a lot lately. Is she pregnant again?"
This pregnant woman is sometimes a bit strange compared to normal people. Baili Chen recently noticed something was off. He was worried, but also secretly looking forward to it.
Physician Liu was taken aback, then slowly shook his head: "Your Highness, you may be too nervous. I checked the Princess Consort's pulse and there is no pregnancy. Although it is a pity, the Princess Consort is not in any serious condition and is in very good health. Your Highness need not worry."
Baili Chen was stunned for a moment, and although a trace of disappointment flashed in his eyes, he quickly regained his composure: "I see. Thank you for your trouble, Physician Liu. Please see Physician Liu out."
Chunhua stuffed a large purse into Physician Liu's hand before sending him away. Ouyang Yue sighed, "As expected, she's not pregnant." She knew Ouyang Yue's body best; she just felt a little troubled lately, but it wasn't anything serious. On the contrary, it excited Baili Chen immensely.
"This time isn't it, there's always next time, right? Besides, I don't want my wife to get pregnant so soon. This one pregnancy takes up all your time, leaving us no time to spend together," Baili Chen muttered with great dissatisfaction.
Baili Su immediately put his hands on his hips, raised his chin, and said angrily, "I haven't even said anything to you yet. You're always clinging to your mother. We're an old married couple, what sweet words do we have to say to each other? As your son, I still have many profound things to discuss with my mother, but you've ruined them all."
"Call me Father, call me Dad, you have no manners." Baili Chen snorted and punched Baili Su on the head.
Baili Su's face puffed up with anger. He was too small and weak, and he was helpless against Baili Chen's scolding. The two of them were usually fine, but when it came to Ouyang Yue's problem, they both looked like cross-eyed. Ouyang Yue sighed and smiled, "Alright, alright, I'm fine, so don't worry. Su'er, go practice your sword with your father. Didn't you say that yesterday?"
"Hmph, I'll let you go this time." Baili Su snorted, signaling the end of the matter.
Baili Chen pursed his lips, a wicked smile on his face, and pulled Baili Su away. Ouyang Yuexin was startled. Not to mention Baili Chen felt strange, she also felt that something was wrong lately, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong. It was really a headache.
Ouyang Yue leaned against the headboard, listening to Baili Chen and Baili Su arguing outside, but a sweet smile appeared on her lips. This kind of life was something she had never imagined before. She never thought that she would meet this man who loved her so much after she transmigrated. Being able to give birth to Su'er, she felt that this life was enough.
The weather in the capital has been quite nice these past few days, with a sky full of stars at night, making for a beautiful night view. However, on this particular night, the sky was dark, with all the stars hidden behind dark, ink-like clouds, creating a somber atmosphere.
"Crackling"
Suddenly, a thunderclap rang out in the sky, splitting open most of the starry sky and instantly extinguishing the candlelight in the room.
"Crackling"
Another deafening clap of thunder echoed through the quiet room, and the flash of lightning illuminated a corner of the room where a dark figure lay with its back turned on the bed.
"Crackling"
Suddenly, the dark figure moved, reaching out to tightly grip the neck of the person beside the bed with both hands, its face contorted in a ferocious grimace. In the flashes of light from the lightning that streamed into the room, one could see that the woman's face was exquisitely beautiful, yet at this moment, she wore a strange smile, her fair hands gripping the still stunningly handsome man sleeping soundly beside the bed!
☆、286、Cooperation Undercurrents, Gu, Competition!
"Crackling"
Another thunderclap sounded, and the woman's hands were already pressed against the man's neck. Her fair and delicate hands, at this moment, were like a wicked iron clamp, fiercely gripping the man's neck and then tightening.
"Crackling"
Just then, the man suddenly opened his eyes. His eyes were deep and dark. He felt the hands on his neck tightening their grip, but his expression was unusually calm as he stared at the person on top of him.
The woman had beautiful features and delicate eyebrows, but at this moment her eyes were dark and gloomy, somewhat wooden, and her face had a sinister smile, like a demon from hell coming to claim a life. Her hands were heavy as hammers and as heavy as iron, and she kept exerting force. He had no doubt that if he held on a little longer, he would be choked to death.
But the man just stared at the woman silently, his face growing redder and redder from being pinched, but his expression remained calm, and his gaze towards the woman still held a deep tenderness. He slowly raised his head, and just as she seemed about to resist, he suddenly gently wrapped his arms around her body.
The woman's expression remained unchanged, but her body instinctively stiffened for a moment before softening, as if she were carrying a sense of longing and not rejecting the man at all.
The man's hand gently encircled the woman's waist, his touch soft and gentle, as if to soothe her or to express his feelings through his actions. He did not let the woman pull away, but his eyes grew brighter as he looked at her.
The woman's eerie smile froze, though she still looked somewhat dazed. Her movements slowed noticeably, and she didn't press down any further. The man felt his breathing ease and smiled. However, the next moment, the woman suddenly shuddered: "Die! Die! Die!" she said stiffly, her voice beautiful yet strangely eerie.
"Ugh!" The man felt his throat being pressed down, his breath slowly being sucked away from his chest, causing him great pain. He tightened his grip on the woman's waist slightly, but fearing he might hurt her, he only pressed gently in the end. Although there was pain in his eyes, his face showed heartache. He reached out to the woman's smooth cheek and suddenly said, "My wife... why are you crying..."
The woman's eyes were somewhat vacant, her only expression one of ruthlessness—a ruthlessness that wished the man before her bed dead. But strangely, tears suddenly began to stream from the corners of her eyes without warning, flowing like silken threads, two silvery tears that shimmered in the dim light of the room: "Don't cry, my wife..."
However, the more the man spoke, the more the woman cried. Veins bulged on her forehead, and her expression twisted strangely, flashing rapidly between pain, ferocity, and confusion, like a face-changing act.
“My wife, it’s me… Don’t you recognize me? I’m your husband, your man. I swear I will love and cherish you for the rest of my life, and I will never let you get hurt.” Baili Chen gently wiped away the tears from Ouyang Yue’s eyes. Fortunately, Ouyang Yue was preoccupied with other matters and didn’t exert any force, otherwise she would have strangled Baili Chen long ago. Baili Chen’s voice was as gentle as ever: “I always thought that no one in this world could love you more than me, and I have always tried my best to do so. But now I realize that I have still hurt you. No matter what the reason, it is my fault that you are in so much pain and conflict now. My wife, I will love you, love you very much, love you to the bone. I think I have done it, but I still hurt you. It’s okay that you are in so much pain now. As long as you are not in pain, I would not regret dying.”
As he spoke, he gently placed his hand on Ouyang Yue's fair, porcelain-like hand, then pressed it against his neck, pressing down hard: "It doesn't matter, as long as you are my wife, I don't care about anything else."
Ouyang Yue's tears flowed more and more, and her grip tightened even more. Baili Chen's breathing was already unsteady, but his eyes remained fixed on Ouyang Yue, as if trying to imprint her name deep in his mind and never forget her: "Wife... I love... you..."
"Waaah..."
Ouyang Yue suddenly burst into tears, violently flung her hand away, and turned to slam her head against the headboard. Baili Chen, whose strength was gradually waning from being choked, suddenly widened his eyes, leaped up like a carp, and smashed into the woman, pinning her to the ground.
Suddenly, Ouyang Yue struck, landing a heavy punch on Baili Chen's chest. Baili Chen coughed in pain, but didn't care at all. He reached out and pressed Ouyang Yue's hand firmly against his shoulder. Ouyang Yue's expression constantly changed, resembling a ferocious beast, a sentimental woman, or a heartbroken lover weeping. Baili Chen didn't let go of her hand. He slowly lowered his head and gently kissed Ouyang Yue's lips: "My wife, do you remember? Back then, we hadn't yet pledged our hearts to each other. You said I was like a rogue, clinging to you and even doing things that were unreasonable. But do you know, I had already fallen deeply in love with you, unable to control myself. Everything I did back then came from the bottom of my heart."
"Sometimes I find it really strange. I don't believe in love at all. Look at Father, he claims to love Mother, but in the end he can do things to hurt her. I've always found it laughable, his hypocrisy. I don't believe in it at all. But I met you, and I want to love you and cherish you, to give you the best things in the world, just to make you happy. I won't be like Father, knowing Mother is suffering but powerless to help. I won't give myself that chance, because I will never fall in love with another woman, nor will I give another woman a chance to get close to me. I love you so much, I want to be with you forever, and we have Su'er. We're a family of three, no, in the future we'll be a family of four, five, maybe even more. I want you to be the happiest woman in the world. I, this scoundrel, will be your scoundrel man through life and death, I will never let go of you, I will never let go of this hand."
"My wife, did you hear that?!"
As he spoke, Baili Chen suddenly kissed Ouyang Yue deeply, ignoring her resistance as she bit him relentlessly, leaving both of their mouths with the metallic taste of rust and blood. Their tongues, locked in a fierce, life-or-death struggle, continued their passionate kiss, transforming into a tender, lingering embrace. The ruthlessness in Ouyang Yue's body gradually vanished, her eyes becoming misty. After an unknown amount of time, she reached out and began to respond passionately to Baili Chen. The two rolled on the ground, seemingly sharing endless unspoken words.
"My wife..." After a long while, the kiss stopped, and Baili Chen stared intently at Ouyang Yue, panting heavily.
Ouyang Yue's expression was still somewhat strange, and Baili Chen was a little nervous. Ouyang Yue suddenly spoke up: "How could you be so stupid? I... almost strangled you to death."