Dongfang Heng showed no reaction and remained soundly asleep with his eyes closed!
Shen Lixue's eyes flickered. She placed the medicine on the bedside table, then suddenly rolled over and pinned Dongfang Heng beneath her. As his eyelashes trembled, she tightly gripped his chin and forced the medicine down his throat.
Shen Lixue poured the medicine down her throat completely, leaving not a single drop. After finishing, she successfully saw Dongfang Heng's tightly furrowed brows.
Shen Lixue put down the medicine bowl and gently raised the corners of her mouth. Just by smelling the medicine, she knew it was extremely bitter. Who told him to pretend to be unconscious so she could force-feed him the bitter medicine!
A sharp pain shot through the back of her neck, and Shen Lixue leaned forward uncontrollably, her cherry lips landing squarely on Dongfang Heng's thin lips. The warm, moist touch sent a jolt through Shen Lixue, and her mind went completely blank.
An indescribable bitter taste seeped into her mouth through her lips, startling Shen Lixue awake. She pushed Dongfang Heng away, lay down to the side, and began to cough. The lingering bitterness in her throat was unbearable. Was this medicine fit for human consumption? The taste was truly...
"How does it taste?" The deep question carried a hint of mockery. Shen Lixue gritted her teeth and replied, "Excellent. Were you pretending to faint to avoid taking your medicine, or to mess with me?"
The light in Dongfang Heng's deep eyes gradually dimmed. He gently closed his eyes, a trace of weariness flashing between his brows: "I'm just... very tired!"
He had to face everything when he was awake, but when he was asleep, he could ignore it. Although it was somewhat self-deceptive, he still wanted to enjoy this moment of peace.
Shen Lixue was taken aback. Subei was located at the border between the two countries, and there had been constant warfare there. As a commander of soldiers, Dongfang Heng was a target of assassination attempts by other countries, both overt and covert. His life would not be peaceful. Moreover, he had been injured for more than two years, and every month when his illness flared up, he had to expend a great deal of energy to maintain strict vigilance. It was truly exhausting...
His strong, iron-like arms pulled her tightly into his embrace once more. Shen Lixue raised her eyebrows slightly, about to break free, when Dongfang Heng's weary voice rang in her ears: "I want to rest peacefully for a while!"
A soft breathing sound could be heard; Dongfang Heng was truly asleep. Looking at his tired, handsome face, Shen Lixue frowned. He had come to her room to sleep, taking up most of her bed, and as if afraid she would run away, he had his arms tightly wrapped around her small waist, making it impossible for her to move.
With a helpless sigh, Shen Lixue looked at the light blue curtains. Considering that he was in pain and would faint if he didn't rest, she decided to let it go for the time being. Once he woke up, she would immediately send him away!
Lei Cong's outburst at the Prime Minister's residence further strained the already tense relationship between Shen Minghui and Grand Commandant Lei. Naturally, Shen Minghui could no longer remain at the Prime Minister's residence to recover. After the doctor examined Lei Cong's injuries and applied medicine, Lei's family ordered servants to send him back to the Grand Commandant's residence.
Inside the elegant garden, Lei dismissed the maids and nannies, then coldly stared at Shen Yingxue: "Yingxue, why did you secretly follow Shen Lixue to see Mu Zhengnan when we were in the palace?"
"I was just curious for a moment..." Shen Yingxue lowered her head, her voice growing softer and softer, clearly lacking confidence. In fact, what she really wanted to say was that she wanted to see Shen Lixue suffer misfortune, to witness the entire process of her humiliation, to see her go from a high-and-mighty, pampered legitimate daughter to a despised and ruined woman, to see her heartbroken, desperate, and pained. She would be very happy and pleased.
"You really want to go? Do you know that your curiosity not only ruined everything I meticulously planned, but also almost destroyed your own reputation?" Lei's anger flared, and she gritted her teeth with a look of utter disappointment: "You are the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's family, the granddaughter of the Grand Commandant's family, your life is far more precious than Shen Lixue's. If you want to harm her, you can use someone else; you can't risk your own life..."
"Mother, I know I was wrong, so please stop scolding me. Let's think about how to deal with Shen Lixue!" Shen Yingxue appeared humble, but in her heart she was unconvinced. This time, she was careless and was tricked by Shen Lixue. She would be more careful in the future. Shen Lixue had no power or influence, so it would be easy for her to suppress her.
“Shen Lixue is exceptionally intelligent; she’s not so easy to deal with!” Lei Shi picked up his teacup, took a sip, and his gaze turned gloomy.
Shen Yingxue's eyes flickered, and she offered a suggestion: "Mu Zhengnan has only been arrested, he hasn't been sentenced yet. We can bribe some money to get Shuntian Prefecture to release him..."
Lei scoffed, "Mu Zhengnan committed murder and is imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice. Getting him out is as difficult as climbing to heaven. Besides, Shen Lixue is already on guard. Even if he uses all his skills, he can't get close to her..."
Lei Shi went to great lengths to find out that Shen Lixue had fallen for Mu Zhengnan when she was in Qingzhou. She spent a lot of effort to find Mu Zhengnan and planned to have him appear at the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet to seduce Shen Lixue. She would then lead noble ladies and young ladies to "catch them in the act," ruining Shen Lixue's reputation and disqualifying her from becoming the Princess Consort of Anjun.
It could be said that she had planned for a long time, anticipating every detail and all sorts of possible reactions from Shen Lixue, and had prepared corresponding countermeasures. But she never expected that Shen Yingxue would appear and ruin the plan...
Lei looked coldly at Shen Yingxue. This daughter of hers was truly more trouble than she was worth!
"You mean, Mu Zhengnan is useless now?" Shen Yingxue frowned. That scumbag Mu Zhengnan, he's finished so quickly. He pinned her down in public. She was planning to set a trap to ruin his reputation and make him wish he were dead!
"Useless!" Lei replied indifferently: A discarded pawn, no need to pay attention to him anymore, let him fend for himself in prison!
"Yingxue, remember my words: when faced with a situation, remain calm and think things through before you act..."
Walking on the bluestone road of the Prime Minister's residence, with Lei Shi's admonitions echoing in her ears, Shen Yingxue paid no attention. Shen Lixue was just an ordinary woman. How powerful could she be? As long as she was still in the Prime Minister's residence, she and her mother could secretly plot against her, and her father could openly discipline her.
Just now, she had urged her father to go to the bamboo garden to confront her. If Lei Cong hadn't been so lustful and rude to Su Yuting, diverting her father's attention, it would have been Shen Lixue who got fifty lashes...
Thinking of Lei Cong's lewd smile, his lecherous little eyes, and the dark circles under his eyes from excessive indulgence, Shen Yingxue felt nauseous. He was good for nothing, spent all his time with women, and his smell was extremely unpleasant. If it weren't for the fact that he was her cousin, she wouldn't have given him a second glance!
Suddenly, Shen Yingxue's eyes lit up, and a strange smile appeared on her lips: Lei Cong and Shen Lixue are both people she dislikes. If they were put together, they would make a good pair!
"Sister Yingxue!" A gentle female voice called out. Shen Yingxue looked up and saw a beautiful woman walking gracefully towards her. Her delicate hair, flowing skirt, gentle smile, and elegant scholarly air made her unforgettable at first sight.
"Sister Su!" Shen Yingxue greeted her indifferently. No matter how beautiful Su Yuting was, she couldn't be more beautiful than herself. Besides, Su Yuting helped Shen Lixue forge evidence against her in the palace, and she only came to the Prime Minister's residence to see Shen Lixue. She was so annoying.
Shen Yingxue glanced at Su Yuting from head to toe and said casually, "Sister Su has finished washing up and changed her clothes!"
"Yes!" Su Yuting smiled slightly, polite and proper. Noble families would always keep a change of clothes in their carriages when they went out. Su Yuting was the daughter of the Duke of Wen's family and valued her reputation very much, so she would naturally not return home in such a disheveled state.
"My cousin Cong has been drinking too much. When he sees a woman dressed in a seductive manner, he mistakes her for a courtesan. Please forgive his rudeness, sister!" Shen Yingxue thought to herself with smugness. So what if she is the number one talented woman, with her outstanding talent and admired by many? She is still struggling miserably under the feet of that philandering playboy Lei Cong.
"I won't hold a grudge about unexpected events!" As if oblivious to the sarcasm in Shen Yingxue's words, Su Yuting smiled politely: "I originally planned to go to the bamboo garden to say goodbye to Sister Lixue, but then I thought that Prince An was also there. If I went, it would be a disturbance to them; if I didn't go, it would be impolite. So I've been hesitating..."
Shen Yingxue suddenly raised her eyelids, her smug gaze instantly turning gloomy: "What did you say? Prince An is in the bamboo garden?"
"Yes, doesn't Yingxue know?" Su Yuting looked puzzled, then smiled and said, "Prince An seems to have had too much to drink and is resting on Sister Lixue's bed. He hasn't made a sound just now, so it's understandable that Yingxue doesn't know..."
Shen Yingxue couldn't hear what Su Yuting said next. All she could hear was a voice echoing in her ears: "Prince An is lying on Shen Lixue's bed, Prince An is lying on Shen Lixue's bed..." Her fair hands clenched tightly, and anger surged in her eyes. What a slut! She just wants to seduce Prince An into bed!
"...Prince An and Sister Lixue are so close. I suppose in a few months, when Sister Lixue comes of age, it will be their wedding day. It's truly enviable..." Su Yuting's voice was calm, as if she were talking about something insignificant, but every word was like a sharp steel needle, piercing Shen Yingxue's heart one by one. How could Prince An marry Shen Lixue? How could he?
"Yingxue, I won't go to the bamboo garden to say goodbye. When you meet Sister Lixue, please tell her that I'm returning to the manor first. If you have time, please visit the Duke of Wen's manor. Mother really wants to see you!"
Looking at Shen Yingxue's gloomy face, Su Yuting smiled sweetly, turned around gracefully, and left. Shen Yingxue longed to see Prince An, so she would grant her wish.
Shen Yingxue agreed in a flustered state, watching Su Yuting disappear into the Prime Minister's residence. Her face was ashen, and she could no longer suppress her anger. She roared, "Go to the Bamboo Garden!"
After returning to the capital, Shen Lixue has been eyeing Prince An. She must have used all sorts of seductive tricks. I must expose Shen Lixue's hypocritical and disgusting face in front of Prince An.
Shen Yingxue, accompanied by her two maids Xia Rou and Xia Jin, stormed into the bamboo garden. Qiu He, who was wiping the pillars of the corridor, was puzzled and hurried forward to ask, "Second Miss, are you here to see the Eldest Miss? Please allow me to inform her..."
Shen Yingxue glanced at Qiu He indifferently, her brows furrowing tightly. Xia Rou and Xia Jin hurriedly stepped forward to pull Qiu He away. Qiu He couldn't move and cried out anxiously, "Second Miss, you are a guest and cannot enter the master's room without permission..."
"Master's room? Shen Lixue is the master?" Shen Yingxue sneered disdainfully: "Qiuhe, listen carefully, you were bought by my mother, I am the rightful legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's mansion!" Shen Lixue is just a wild girl from the countryside that no one wanted. She and her mother were kind-hearted and took her in, but that doesn't mean she can act recklessly and bully her.
"Shen Lixue!" Shen Yingxue, graceful and elegant, her face full of anger, had just reached the doorway when Zi Mo appeared out of nowhere, his gaze murderous, coldly warning, "Please return, young lady!"
Shen Yingxue was startled by the chill emanating from Zi Mo. She took a step back and looked him up and down. He had a handsome face, wore black clothes, carried a long sword, and had a gloomy aura.