Situ Jingyan raised an eyebrow at Shen Qianmo; his Mo'er was still as cunning as ever. Princess Anya was only temporarily unable to leave; if she stayed too long and discovered that Situ Jingyan had no interest in her, she would naturally find it boring. However, Shen Qianmo's words showed her absolute trust in Situ Jingyan.
Yes. Shen Qianmo completely believed that Situ Jingyan would not develop feelings for any woman other than her. So what if Princess Anya stayed in the palace?! Even if she moved into Situ Jingyan's chambers, she wouldn't worry! However, that was absolutely impossible. Even though she trusted Situ Jingyan, she wouldn't allow any other woman to be with him. Situ Jingyan was hers, and could only be hers!
Princess Anya was speechless after hearing Shen Qianmo's words, and shouted angrily, "Hmph! We'll see!"
"Hmm. I'll wait and see." Shen Qianmo replied indifferently, exuding the aura of someone in a dominant position, showing no regard for Princess Anya. The nonchalant smile on her lips only fueled Princess Anya's anger.
Situ Jingyan remained silent, his arms tightly wrapped around Shen Qianmo, completely disregarding Princess Anya. Even without speaking, his attitude was crystal clear. Princess Anya glared at Shen Qianmo, then slipped away.
A faint smile curved Shen Qianmo's lips. Princess Anya, though mischievous, wasn't entirely bad. However, anyone who dared to bully her would have to consider their own limitations!
The next day, Shen Qianmo received an invitation from Princess Anya to come over for a chat. A smile appeared on her lips, Shen Qianmo casually chose a light pink dress, put her hair up in a simple bun, and headed towards Ronghua Palace, where Princess Anya resided.
When Shen Qianmo arrived, Princess Anya had been waiting for quite some time. Looking up, Princess Anya was adorned with gold and silver, practically piling on every piece of jewelry she could wear, making her appear dazzlingly jeweled.
If Shen Qianmo hadn't appeared, Princess Anya's attire, though somewhat vulgar, would have undeniably exuded nobility; after all, being born into the palace, she certainly possessed an air of refinement. But with Shen Qianmo present, Princess Anya's current appearance made her look like a clown—how could a star compete with the sun's brilliance?!
Shen Qianmo was dressed simply in a light pink dress, without even wearing any jewelry. Her hair was styled in the simplest way, and even her hairpins were plain. Yet, just by standing there so lightly, she exuded an indescribable air of nobility, instantly overshadowing Princess Anya's dazzling jewelry.
Princess Anya was originally arrogant and ready to laugh at Shen Qianmo, but the moment she saw Shen Qianmo, a trace of resentment flashed in her eyes. Why was it that even after dressing up so carefully for so long, she still couldn't compare to the casual Shen Qianmo?
"I wonder what business the Princess has with me?" Shen Qianmo's tone was indifferent, but her empressly demeanor was unmistakable. Princess Anya was a princess, while she was "this Empress." The difference in their status was immediately apparent.
Princess Anya had originally intended to use her status to belittle Shen Qianmo, but after Shen Qianmo's words, she realized that although she was of noble birth, she was only a princess, while Shen Qianmo was the mother of the nation! Thinking of this, Princess Anya felt furious, for the position of empress originally belonged to her!
“I hope you leave Situ Jingyan.” Princess Anya held back, putting on an air of superiority, and said to Shen Qianmo.
Shen Qianmo's dark eyes remained unchanged, a nonchalant smile playing on his lips. He lazily shrugged and chuckled, "Oh? You hope so? Well, I'm sorry, your hopes are about to be dashed."
“You…” Princess Anya pointed her finger at Shen Qianmo’s nose, her teeth clenched in anger.
Shen Qianmo's expression gradually turned cold, her eyes darkened, and she said with a hint of warning, "Princess, you'd better watch your words and actions."
She gave Princess Anya some leeway because of her immaturity, but that didn't mean Shen Qianmo was someone who would swallow her pride! She would repay kindness tenfold. And if anyone offended her, she would retaliate a hundredfold.
"But don't forget, I represent Linwei! If Situ Jingyan marries me, Tianmo and Linwei can become friends. If he marries you, then Tianmo and Linwei will go to war!" Princess Anya said, still unwilling to give up. This time, her words carried a bit more confidence. She proudly raised her chin and looked at Shen Qianmo.
A playful smile appeared on Shen Qianmo's lips. His dark eyes looked at Princess Anya with a half-smile. He spoke slowly, but every word weighed heavily on Princess Anya's heart: "Do you really think that Yan Xiuling and Situ Jingyan want Tianmo and Linwei to be on good terms?! Princess, you are too naive."
"What do you mean by this?!" Princess Anya stared wide-eyed at Shen Qianmo. Did Tianmo and Linwei not want to be on good terms?! Then why did they want her to come for a marriage alliance?!
Seeing Princess Anya's ignorant expression, Shen Qianmo frowned and said in a calm tone, "Two tigers cannot share one mountain. Surely the princess understands this principle?"
"I don't care! I'm a princess sent for a political marriage, and I'm determined to marry Situ Jingyan." Princess Anya's intelligence clearly couldn't comprehend what Shen Qianmo was saying, and she said with a willful expression.
Shen Qianmo's eyes darkened, and a hint of coldness crept into her smile. She had tolerated it time and time again, but this Princess Anya was really taking advantage of her kindness?! Then she shouldn't blame her.
Chapter Ten: A Superior Skill
"So fast." Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow, her dark eyes revealing a hint of seriousness.
She was no stranger to Nalan Rong's methods, but she hadn't expected everything to happen so quickly. She had only been back in Tianmo for a little over ten days, and Nalan Rong had already cleared all obstacles and ascended the throne of Li Kingdom.
Even with the weapons and assassins she left behind, and Xuanlou's assistance, it wouldn't be an easy task to wipe out the Crown Prince's faction and Nalan Xin in such a short time.
A hint of seriousness flashed in Situ Jingyan's eyes, and a wicked smile appeared on his lips as he said, "Nalan Liu and Nalan Xin fought to the death, and Nalan Rong, I don't know what method she used, subdued all their elites and ascended the throne of Li Kingdom with almost no loss of strength."
"Without losing a single bit of strength?!" Shen Qianmo raised her eyebrows in surprise. She had orchestrated the struggle for the throne between Nalan Xin and Nalan Liu, only so that Nalan Rong could ascend the throne more smoothly. She did not expect that Nalan Rong would not only not lose a single bit of strength, but also subdue the elites of Nalan Xin and Nalan Liu. It seems that the Li Kingdom is not in chaos, but has become even stronger!
A smile appeared on Situ Jingyan's lips, a smile of aloof excitement, a smile of finding an opponent. With a hint of interest in his tone, Situ Jingyan said, "I always thought that only Xiu Ling was worthy of fighting me. I didn't expect that Nalan Rong was not simple either. If Li Guo had a power like Tianmo and Linwei, Nalan Rong would be a formidable opponent."
"It's a pity. He's just the king of Li." Shen Qianmo's dark eyes held a hint of unfathomable mystery, and the smile on her lips was sinister. Indeed, power determines everything. Li was only this strong; even if Nalan Rong was powerful, it wouldn't matter. Moreover, Nalan Rong had already agreed to submit to Tianmo, so the stronger Nalan Rong became, the greater the benefit to Tianmo.
Situ Jingyan looked at the light flashing in Shen Qianmo's eyes, gently tapped the tip of Shen Qianmo's nose, and smiled, "My silly Mo'er, the stronger someone is, the harder they are to control. Do you really think that Nalan Rong would willingly submit to Tianmo?"
"Does he still have a choice?" Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow. She was well aware of the current situation. If Nalan Rong did not join forces with Tian Mo, he would only be destroyed.
"Just because it's not happening now doesn't mean it won't happen in the future. Too many variables are a major taboo for imperial families," Situ Jingyan said coldly, his eyes deep and unwavering.
He knew Nalan Rong's character well. He pretended to be carefree and nonchalant, but his power behind the scenes was considerable. His ability to endure for so many years and strike so decisively showed his forbearance and shrewdness. He could not tolerate such a significant threat. Even if he didn't destroy the Li Kingdom now, he would inevitably destroy it after unifying the world.
Nalan Rong couldn't possibly be unaware of this principle, so even if he outwardly allied with Tianmo, he would never truly submit to Tianmo in secret. Instead, he would do everything in his power to make Li Kingdom stronger and gain a share in the struggle for power.
To some extent, lacking ambition means certain demise.
"Does Jingyan mean to destroy the Li Kingdom?" Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow. She didn't know much about the emperor's political maneuvering and thoughts, but she understood the meaning behind Situ Jingyan's words very clearly.
Situ Jingyan's dark eyes gleamed like daggers, deep and filled with a murderous aura. A wicked and cold smile played on his lips as he said in a calm tone, "They must be destroyed."
Shen Qianmo turned her head to look at Situ Jingyan's profile, which was half-lit and half-shadowed in the sunlight. He had an imperial aura. The half-lit and half-shadowed appearance made it impossible to see his expression. However, Shen Qianmo could feel the meaning behind the words "must be destroyed".
The art of imperial power is one that allows no room for change. It means that even if a thousand innocent people are killed, one innocent person cannot be spared. Perhaps Situ Jingyan wasn't sure if Nalan Rong was truly submissive, but he couldn't tolerate any uncertainty; therefore, the Li Kingdom had to be destroyed.
"Very well. Then let's destroy it!" Shen Qianmo was silent for a moment, then slowly smiled, a hint of coldness and ruthlessness in her eyes. She didn't want the people of Li Kingdom to suffer from the ravages of war, but if Li Kingdom blocked Situ Jingyan's path, then it had to be destroyed!
She has always been a selfish person. She loves Situ Jingyan, so she will wholeheartedly think about Situ Jingyan. If the Li Kingdom gets in Situ Jingyan's way, she will not hesitate to destroy the Li Kingdom.
Situ Jingyan embraced Shen Qianmo tightly. Although his Mo'er was cold-hearted and aloof, she wasn't utterly heartless. She had always felt sorry for the common people, but for him, she was willing to do anything. He could feel that love. Therefore, he wanted to cherish her and love her even more.
Shen Qianmo felt the warmth from Situ Jingyan's strong hand and understood his thoughts. A smile appeared on her lips. "Jingyan, nothing is more important than you."
"Mmm. Same." Situ Jingyan smiled and hugged Shen Qianmo, speaking gently. Looking into Shen Qianmo's dark eyes, he slowly traced her beautiful features, then kissed her alluring red lips deeply, his tongue probing into her mouth, gradually deepening the kiss.
There was no color of passion, only endless unrequited love, deepening little by little with that kiss, slowly flowing into Shen Qianmo's heart.
"Jingyan, I want to go to Li Kingdom." Shen Qianmo leaned gently against Situ Jingyan's chest and said in a soft tone.
"I won't allow it!" Situ Jingyan held Shen Qianmo possessively, speaking coldly and firmly. He had finally managed to "trick" Shen Qianmo into coming back, and finally managed to marry her; how could he allow her to risk her life in Li Kingdom again?!