"Someone made a move?" Qianqian looked at Shen Qianmo with confusion, blinking her eyes.
"Qianqian, you don't need to worry about these things." Shen Qianmo patted Qianqian's head and then asked, "Qianqian, would you like to go to Tianmo?"
"Going to Tianmo? Is Miss really going to marry that Tianmo Emperor? Qianqian has never met him, but I've heard he's very handsome." Qianqian looked puzzled when she heard Shen Qianmo's question, then smiled sweetly.
"Qianqian has met him; Situ Jingyan is Meixue." Shen Qianmo smiled noncommittally. Perhaps she had already made her decision when she asked Qianqian if she was willing to go to Tianmo Kingdom.
"So the Emperor of Tianmo is the Master of the Blood Demon Pavilion? The one we saw on the street?" Qianqian immediately put on a lovesick expression. "He's really handsome. Apart from Miss, Qianqian has never seen anyone so handsome. Does Miss like him?"
A slight smile played on Shen Qianmo's lips. "Do you like him?" Perhaps. Looking at him made her feel at ease, his proximity made her heart race, his adorable, frantic antics made her happy, and his affectionate words warmed her heart.
"Qianqian understands! Wherever Miss goes, Qianqian will go!" Qianqian saw Shen Qianmo's expression and naturally understood Shen Qianmo's thoughts. She leaned on Shen Qianmo's shoulder and said.
Wherever Miss goes, Qianqian goes too.
Wherever Mo'er is, that's where I am.
How similar the two sentences are! How heartwarming the two sentences are! Having Qianqian and Situ Jingyan by her side is enough for her.
While the house was warm and cozy, a shocking event occurred outside.
Looking at the message sent by carrier pigeon, Shen Qianmo's brows furrowed slightly, and a thin mist clouded her dark eyes, making it impossible to discern her current mood.
The note contained only one line: "Emperor Shangguan Hao of Qiyue has passed away. There are more details to this story."
Shangguan Hao's health had never been good, but he showed signs of improvement when the marriage was arranged last time. Why did he suddenly pass away at this time?
His death was definitely not due to the incurable illness announced by the court, so there must be some conspiracy involved. It seems that Shangguan Hao made some decisions that aroused the dissatisfaction of certain factions, thus leading to his ruthless actions.
Emperor Shangguan Hao was already a pathetic ruler, with power slipping through his fingers, and now he's died so mysteriously and inexplicably—it's truly the epitome of incompetence. This is the consequence of being powerless.
Shen Qianmo disagreed with Shangguan Hao, because it was his own incompetence that led to his tragic end. However, she was quite interested in Shangguan Hao's death, or rather, in the person Shangguan Hao ultimately decided to pass the throne to.
Chapter Forty-Eight: Hypocrisy and Pretense
The death of Shangguan Hao made the already tense political situation in Qiyue Kingdom even more volatile, with Shangguan Che and Shangguan Jin almost becoming bitter enemies over the throne.
The Yao family sided with Shangguan Che, while Shen Lingyun fully assisted Shangguan Jin. The two factions fought endlessly for the throne. Just then, the Empress issued an edict summoning Shen Qianmo to the palace.
"Mo'er, Yao Xuekong summoned you to the palace this time because she wants you to join forces with Tianmo to help Shangguan Che. If she forces you, you can pretend to agree to protect yourself, understand?" Shen Lingyun was indeed an old fox. He held Shen Qianmo's hand and said earnestly.
"Thank you for your concern, Father." Shen Qianmo's tone was neither warm nor cold. Shen Lingyun even felt that Shen Qianmo's gaze towards him carried a hint of sarcasm, as if Shen Qianmo could see right through him. He felt that he understood his daughter less and less.
Thinking of this, Shen Lingyun patted Shen Qianmo's shoulder affectionately and said, "Mo'er, your father really hates to see you marry into such a faraway place as Tianmo, but there's nothing your father can do. I only hope that you can find happiness!"
Shen Qianmo raised her eyes to look at Shen Lingyun, the sarcasm in her eyes deepening. A smile appeared on her lips as she said, "Thank you for your concern, Father."
Reluctant to part with her?! In her previous life, she would have been moved by these words and vowed to help her father even at the cost of her own happiness. But in this life, she had already seen through Shen Lingyun's true colors. If Shen Lingyun said such things again, it would only disgust her.
"Mo'er, you." Shen Lingyun noticed that something was wrong with Shen Qianmo. She seemed to want to say something more to Shen Qianmo, after all, Shen Qianmo was an important pawn to him now.
“Father, it wouldn’t be good to keep Her Majesty the Empress waiting.” Shen Qianmo coldly interrupted Shen Lingyun. Seeing the displeasure on Shen Lingyun’s face, Shen Qianmo slightly curled her lips and said, “Father, rest assured, Qianmo will definitely not agree to Her Majesty the Empress’s request. Shangguan Che will definitely lose.”
Shen Lingyun's previously unpleasant expression returned to a smile after hearing Shen Qianmo's words, and he said affectionately, "Mo'er is so sensible!"
Shen Qianmo's smile grew even more mocking; she wouldn't even glance at Shen Lingyun. This father, this feigned loving father, only cared about power. When he could use her, she was a dutiful daughter; when he couldn't, she was a useless piece of trash.
They entered the palace at a leisurely pace. It was still Yao Xuekong, Yao Ruoqin, and Shangguan Che, but their attitudes were completely different.
"Qianmo greets Your Majesty the Empress." Shen Qianmo bowed calmly.
Yao Xuekong immediately stood up from her seat, personally helped Shen Qianmo up, her eyes filled with affection and fondness. She patted Shen Qianmo's hand and said, "We're all family, why bother with formalities?"
Shen Qianmo couldn't help but sneer inwardly. When did she become family with Yao Xuekong?! What a joke.
"Qianmo, I remember the Empress didn't like you very much last time, did she?" Shen Qianmo raised her eyebrows and looked at Yao Xuekong with a hint of sarcasm.
Yao Xuekong's expression changed slightly, but her smile remained kind as she said, "How could I not like Qianmo? I just wanted to teach her how to conduct herself in the world beforehand, so that she wouldn't lose her composure when she becomes empress. But who knew that fate would play such a cruel trick on us?"
After saying that, he sighed dramatically, took Shangguan Che's hand, and then took Shen Qianmo's hand, holding one in each hand, and said, "You two are such a pitiful pair of star-crossed lovers!"
Shen Qianmo let Yao Xuekong pull her along without resisting. She wanted to see what Yao Xuekong was capable of. Meanwhile, Yao Ruoqin's eyes were practically spitting fire, but she was still trying her best to hold back.
"Your Majesty, what makes you say that? Hasn't the Third Prince already married Sister Ruoqin as his concubine?" Shen Qianmo deliberately raised her eyebrows and looked at Yao Ruoqin.
Upon hearing Shen Qianmo's words, Yao Ruoqin forced a smile through gritted teeth and said to Shen Qianmo, "Although I have liked Brother Che since I was a child, I know that Brother Che actually loves Sister Qianmo. I only fought for a nominal position. If Sister Qianmo hadn't been forced to marry the Emperor of Tianmo, the position of Empress Qiyue would have been Sister Qianmo sooner or later."
"Qianmo, don't worry! If I become emperor, I will definitely conquer Tianmo even if I have to use all my military strength. I will definitely make you my empress!" Shangguan Che suddenly took Shen Qianmo's hand, his eyes full of tenderness, and made a solemn promise.
Shen Qianmo flung Shangguan Che's hand away, her brows furrowing slightly as if she had encountered something disgusting and worrisome. A mocking smile played on her lips. How "sincere" she sounded! She was being forced to marry the Emperor of Tianmo?! Their plan was quite clever. Although she genuinely didn't know beforehand that Situ Jingyan was going to marry her, she would have been a thousand times more willing to marry Situ Jingyan than Shangguan Che.
"To conquer Tianmo with all our forces?" Shen Qianmo spoke slowly, his face bearing an inscrutable expression as he scanned Yao Xuekong, Yao Ruoqin, and Shangguan Che's faces one by one.
"Sister Ruoqin, you're willing to endure anything for the sake of becoming Empress in the future." Shen Qianmo walked up to Yao Ruoqin and said with a light smile. Seeing Yao Ruoqin's expression change and about to speak, she smiled and gestured for Yao Ruoqin to be quiet. She then walked up to Yao Xuekong and said with a smile, "Your Majesty the Empress's acting skills are indeed quite good."
"Qianmo." Shangguan Che called out when he saw Shen Qianmo like this.
"Third Prince, let Qianmo guess what you're thinking?" Shen Qianmo glanced at Shangguan Che. As husband and wife in their previous life, from deep love to bitter hatred, she knew Shangguan Che all too well.
With a smile on her lips, Shen Qianmo slowly said, "Pretend to be deeply in love to touch my heart, use me to indirectly use Tianmo's power to help you ascend Qi Yue's throne, then use me to conquer Tianmo, and finally kick me aside, so you can be all lovey-dovey with your sister Ruoqin and be a loving mother to your mother, right?"
"You...you..." Shangguan Che looked at Shen Qianmo, staring at her in disbelief.
"What? You've revealed all my thoughts?" Shen Qianmo looked at Shangguan Che and smiled sarcastically, inwardly sneering.
"Since that's the case! Then don't blame us for being ruthless!" Yao Xuekong's expression changed slightly as she looked at Shen Qianmo with a fierce gaze, while Yao Ruoqin's face flashed with a hint of pleasure.
Shen Qianmo keenly sensed the murderous intent around her; it seemed that there were quite a few assassins lying in ambush in Fengqi Palace.