Mercenary Princess - Chapter 80
Tuoba Chen's expression froze, his eyes filled with struggle. He turned his face away to avoid Rong Yue's piercing gaze: "My abilities are limited. After all, there are times when I am powerless, aren't there?"
Rongyue remained aloof, her lips pressed together in silence. A long silence slowly spread between them…
After a long pause, a cool, detached sentence slowly escaped from those two cold lips: "Then I'll settle everything for her first, and once she's settled, I'll leave!"
Volume Two: The Resolute Heroines, Chapter Sixteen: Unexpected Trouble
That night, the boudoir was warm, her jade-like body was alluring, and the wine did not intoxicate her, but she herself was intoxicated; yet that same night, the chill seeped into her body, tears were hidden in her pillow, and her jade-like face was lonely with tears streaming down her face.
The moment their bodies met, the person on top trembled, and the head buried in her neck jerked upward: "You are actually..."
Tears welled up in her eyelashes. As the glistening tears congealed into heavy droplets, her long eyelashes finally gave way, trembling slightly. Large, hot, yet forlorn tears fell silently, seeping into the blankets and disappearing completely, leaving only a deep, clear watermark...
"Don't cry..." Cool lips kissed her hot tears: "Tell me, what do you want? I will do my best to fulfill your wish, as long as it is within my power..."
Her beautiful eyes brightened for a moment, then dimmed again. She wanted her husband; would he give it to her...?
Being showered with pleasure every night and receiving favors every day brings glory and honor, but it also brings jealousy and envy.
Inside the Ni Chang Pavilion, Shi Ni Chang twisted the silk handkerchief in her hand, her pretty face contorted with jealousy and hatred: "Seven days! She has monopolized His Highness for seven whole days!"
Slender, fair fingers fiddled with the rose cream in the white jade rouge box. A cold smile played on Shi Yuchou's lips as she sneered, "A vixen is a vixen. She never forgets to seduce men, no matter where she is. Back at the Second Prince's residence, she went to great lengths to seduce him, feigning innocence and playing the victim to gain his sympathy, which caused him to fly into a rage and drive away his benefactor's daughter. Now that she's in the Eastern Palace, she's gone even further, monopolizing his favor and using her seductive arts to bewitch the Crown Prince, leaving my sister, who once reigned supreme in the Eastern Palace, alone every night. Sister, you'd better be careful. Don't blame me for not warning you; this vixen's methods are incredibly powerful! If you don't step up your efforts and use some tricks to win the Crown Prince back, there will be no place for you in the Eastern Palace..."
"Bang!" Her delicate hand slammed down on the table, making the teapot and cup on it clatter loudly. Her pert breasts heaved violently.
Shi Nishang was filled with hatred: "That bitch, I will never let her get away with this!"
Smelling the faint fragrance of rose balm, Shi Yuchou slightly raised her eyes and said unhurriedly, "As the saying goes, 'Plan before you act.' It's understandable that you want to deal with this vixen, but you must choose the right opportunity and act accordingly. Don't act rashly. Father often said that in military campaigns, he never fought unprepared battles. Similarly, the same applies to life and work. With prior preparation, you can achieve twice the result with half the effort; if you act rashly without preparation, you may achieve half the result with twice the effort, or even be bitten back and end up shooting yourself in the foot. So, sister, you still need to carefully consider how to deal with this vixen."
"Sister is absolutely right." The fierceness on her face subsided somewhat, but an barely suppressed anger still lingered: "But I really can't wait to deal with this vixen!" "The best course of action now is for you to remain calm and composed, not letting anyone see even the slightest hint of resentment. If necessary, you can try to get close to that vixen, ostensibly to strengthen your sisterly bond, but secretly to find her weaknesses and seize an opportunity to strike her unexpectedly."
Shi Nishang's eyes lit up: "Little sister, you really are my strategist..."
...
On the second day after Yu Yan entered the palace, Master Murong was sent to the Jian residence by the palace guards. Reunited with old friends, recalling the past and thinking about the present, a myriad of emotions welled up in their hearts.
Having not seen him for several months, Rongyue felt a pang of sadness, noting that Master Murong seemed to have aged considerably; his hair and beard were completely white, and he would become breathless after just a few steps. Supporting his elbow, Rongyue carefully helped Master Murong into the hall. After the two guards left, Rongyue bent her knees and knelt directly before Master Murong.
"A Luo, get up! What are you doing!" Master Murong scolded in a low voice as he shakily helped Rong Yue up.
"No, Father!" Holding down Master Murong's hand that was supporting her, Rongyue's face was filled with guilt. "It's because of me that the once-great Murong family was destroyed, and you were forced to wander and leave your home! Yuyan was deeply devoted, and she risked entering the palace for me, even jumping into the abyss with me, causing you immense grief for many days. When we came to Nansha Kingdom, I thought I could make it up to Yuyan, but I was powerless and bullied everywhere, unable to protect her, which forced her into the palace, making her one of the Crown Prince's many women. Father, it's all my fault. I've implicated the Murong family, harmed you, and harmed Yuyan even more..."
"Silly child." Shaking his head and sighing, Master Murong pulled Rongyue up forcefully, tears welling in his cloudy eyes. "It's not your fault, it's fate. It's all fate. Fortune and misfortune are intertwined. Who can say for sure? Everything depends on the fate of that child, Yuyan!"
“But Dad, this all started because of me, I…”
"Stop blaming yourself. It was her good fortune to meet you. If it weren't for you, would Yuyan still be alive today? Child, think about opening a shop! After all, just being alive is enough!"
He coughed several times, his fist clenched to his lips, then, leaning on his cane, he walked unsteadily into the hall, leaving Rongyue with a lonely figure...
Dad...
It's good that you're alive. Dad, are you really as carefree as you say you are...?
A mental illness requires a mental cure, and with the mental medicine, the Crown Prince's illness improved day by day, and his health became stronger day by day. In any dynasty, the situation of exclusive favor in the royal family should not be allowed, but seeing that Tuoba Ling's complexion was getting better day by day, the old emperor turned a blind eye and tacitly approved of Yu Yan's exclusive favor.
He had never seen a woman like this before—gentle, virtuous, understanding, kind, simple, humble, and tolerant towards her subordinates… Gradually, Tuoba Ling found that the image of the former Crown Princess Sima Yan was fading in his heart, while the beautiful image of Yu Yan was becoming clearer and clearer in his mind…
Sometimes, even he couldn't figure out whether the joy and love he felt when he saw Yu Yan, who looked so much like Sima Yan, was because of Sima Yan or because of Yu Yan...
Through subtle questioning, Rongyue finally managed to find out some details about the lives Yueyu Yan had been living in the Eastern Palace from the Second Prince, Tuoba Chen.
Living in Sima Yan's palace, wearing Sima Yan's clothes, adorning herself with Sima Yan's jewelry, styling her hair like Sima Yan's, and even her daily meals are the dishes Sima Yan liked when he was alive... In short, Yu Yan is the second Sima Yan...
Living someone else's life, how unbearable and tasteless that must be! A dull ache in her heart, a stinging sensation in Rongyue's nose, and a wave of melancholy washed over her, overflowing into her heart like a flood.
Seeing Rongyue in such pain and sorrow, Tuoba Chen knew he was largely to blame. Filled with pity and remorse, he approached the heartbroken Rongyue: "Xiao San, don't be sad. It's not your fault. Blame me! It's all my fault, so don't make things harder for yourself..."
Before Tuoba Chen could finish speaking, Rong Yue suddenly stood up and, to Tuoba Chen's astonishment, knelt down on both knees: "Your Highness, please let me see Yu Yan!"
Dao Jin's large hand lifted Rong Yue, who was kneeling on the ground: "Little San, why are you doing this..."
"Please..."
Avoiding his gaze, Tuoba Chen hardened his heart and refused to look at Rongyue's pleading eyes: "Meeting with the Crown Prince's concubines in secret is a capital offense! My dear mistress, I cannot let you take such a risk!"
"Second Prince..."
"Mistress, I don't understand why you're so stubborn!"
Seeing that her pleas to him were fruitless, Rongyue lowered her expression and coolly brushed away the hand that was on her shoulder from Kaiba Chen.
"Forget it, it's better to rely on yourself than to ask others for help! Second Prince, farewell."
Tuoba Chen grabbed Rongyue, who was about to turn and leave, and asked in surprise, "What do you want to do!"
"Don't worry, if anything happens, I'll take full responsibility and will never implicate you!"
"The mistress!"
"open!"
"Mistress, don't be reckless, don't do something you'll regret..."
"It's none of your business!"
"Wait, mistress! I'll figure something out for you!"