Chapter 85: Chapter 36: The Emperor’s Wrath

Xu Ji and the others were all taken aback, and after a moment of realization, they hurriedly went to greet the Emperor.

In Shaohua Courtyard, Shen Ruoxi and the others also learned of the Emperor’s arrival at the mansion, and they looked at each other in dismay.

Shen Ruoxi suddenly felt a bit guilty. After all, she had just told His Majesty that the marriage selection was a figment of imagination, and she was not considering marriage at the moment, only to be caught red-handed by him.

She felt truly wronged. It was only after she mentioned the marriage selection to His Majesty that she found out about it herself.

At the time, she had agreed reluctantly, just to appease her grandmother, with the intention of quickly going through the motions.

Once she joined the competition and went to the battlefield, she planned to stay far away from all the conflicts.

She really hadn’t expected the Emperor to come in person; it was completely beyond her expectations.

The Duchess Xu furrowed her brows tightly, while Lin smiled wryly and said, “Mother-in-law, let’s go. Regardless of what the Emperor intends, today we must choose a suitable husband for Ruoxi.”

The Duchess Xu nodded in agreement, “You’re right, we shouldn’t be afraid. Let’s go and welcome the Emperor.”

The ten young men in the hall were also stunned. They were not unaware of the rumors between the Emperor and Shen Ruoxi, but they always thought these rumors were untrue.

After all, if Shen Ruoxi were to marry, it would be a second marriage. Moreover, the Emperor had granted her the title of Marquis and allowed her to choose a husband to marry into the Shen family, which clearly indicated he had no intentions toward her.

The Emperor’s sudden arrival caught everyone off guard and filled their hearts with doubt, unaware of the true purpose behind the sovereign’s visit.

Wu An furrowed his brows. Though he usually feared nothing, facing a situation of competing with the Emperor over a woman was a rather thorny issue for him.

No one dared to show any negligence, and they quickly went outside to greet the sovereign.

A group of people neatly advanced to show their respects to the Emperor.

The Emperor surveyed the ten young men, feeling an urge to drive them all out of the Shen Mansion with a wave of his hand.

But he forcefully suppressed this feeling and said coolly, “All rise.”

At this moment, Shen Ruoxi, along with her grandmother, aunt, and two sisters-in-law, hurriedly arrived and bowed to the Emperor, saying in unison, “Greetings, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor’s gaze was instantly drawn to Shen Ruoxi. Today, she wore a light green long dress, adorned with a phoenix crown, appearing radiant and extraordinary, like a dazzling light illuminating the entire courtyard.

For the sake of selecting a husband, she had dressed herself with such breathtaking beauty, igniting the Emperor’s fury instantly.

She lied to the Emperor, completely disregarding his position as today’s sovereign. The words he said that night, she hadn’t listened to a single one. Utterly audacious!

The Emperor’s anger was beyond description.

When the Hidden Guard came to report, he initially didn’t believe it because Shen Ruoxi wouldn’t lie. But when the Hidden Guard insisted, saying the candidates for husband selection had already arrived, he had no choice but to face this harsh reality.

Xu Ci had meticulously prepared a bowl of ginseng soup for him, bringing it to the Imperial Study Room.

Upon his inquiry, Xu Ci candidly admitted it was her grandmother and mother’s idea.

They believed that since Shen Ruoxi had returned home, it was time to find a good husband for her to uphold the Shen family’s reputation.

Hearing this, the Emperor’s anger intensified, nearly driving him to violence.

The Emperor took concubines in the palace more for political balance than true affection.

However, among the concubines, Xu Ci was a relatively special one.

Her lively and cheerful personality, forgiving nature made the Emperor quite fond of her, often visiting her quarters.

But at this moment, he was extremely angry, shattering the jade bowl of ginseng soup Xu Ci had prepared, and stormed out of the palace.

He didn’t notice Xu Ci’s dim gaze and her pained expression; at that moment, the loss and sorrow in her heart were unparalleled.

Xu Ci didn’t want to feel envious of her cousin, but after all these years, the Emperor couldn’t let Shen Ruoxi go and always kept her in his heart, a position she couldn’t help but envy as the official woman of the Emperor.

In the spacious courtyard of the Shen Mansion, the Emperor stared unblinkingly at Shen Ruoxi, as if wanting to pierce her face with his gaze.

Not only the Emperor, but also the ten young men visiting the Shen Mansion today cast sidelong glances at Shen Ruoxi, scrutinizing her carefully.

They had heard of her beauty, it was already well-known, but seeing it in person today still left them stunned by her stunning appearance.

Shen Ruoxi’s beauty was breathtaking, so beautiful it was impossible to look away.

Even Young Master Wu An, typically the most composed among them, felt his heart race, as if struck by an enormous visual impact.

Seeing some of the young men unabashedly admiring Shen Ruoxi made the Emperor even more displeased, his gaze growing harsher.

Shen Ruoxi seemed to sense the atmosphere around her, but she chose a resigned attitude, indifferent to what would happen.

“Your Majesty, please come in.” Shen Ruoxi smiled slightly and said softly.

Her smile was like a flower, further fanning the Emperor’s rage, making him want to slap the smile off her face.

In front of so many men, who was she smiling for!

The Emperor gave Shen Ruoxi a fierce glare, his gaze full of dissatisfaction, then strode toward the Shen Mansion’s hall.

Everyone present was shocked by the Emperor’s action; they exchanged glances, speculating in their hearts.

The Emperor’s expression today was like that of someone who had been abandoned, his eyes filled with resentment.

Shen Ruoxi stretched her leg to follow closely behind the Emperor, but her grandmother tugged lightly on her sleeve.

She whispered, “Ruoxi, did you make any promises to the Emperor?”

Shen Ruoxi felt wronged. She never promised the Emperor anything! It was all his one-sided desire to bring her into the palace; who knew why he was acting up today?

She quickly explained in a low voice, “Grandmother, don’t overthink. It’s not true.”

The Duchess Xu furrowed her brow tightly, a sense of unease creeping in. It seemed like the Emperor came to disrupt things, and today’s husband selection might be ruined.

Everyone entered the Shen Mansion hall with their own thoughts.

The Emperor sat solemnly in the center, and everyone bowed to him again before he signaled them to sit.

The Duchess Xu and Lin sat on either side below the Emperor, while Shen Ruoxi sat with her two sisters-in-law below the Duchess Xu.

The atmosphere in the hall was unusually oppressive with the Emperor remaining silent.

Everyone was unsettled by the bizarre atmosphere, reluctant to speak lightly.

Finally, the Emperor spoke, his tone sarcastic, “Marquis Shen, continue! Why did everyone become mute as soon as I arrived?”

Continue? Continue what? She had just stepped into the hall!

Shen Ruoxi forced a smile, “Your Majesty’s visit to the Shen Mansion is the supreme honor of our family.

Your Majesty, I’m not well acquainted with the young men present, perhaps it would be better for everyone to introduce themselves so we can get to know each other gradually.”

Hearing this, the Emperor was seething with anger, almost unable to breathe. Was Shen Ruoxi really planning to choose a husband here at the Shen Mansion?

The Emperor sneered, “Shen Ruoxi, have you forgotten your promise to me?”

He didn’t want her to involve others, and she had vowed she wouldn’t consider marriage for the time being, yet as soon as he left, she started selecting a husband at home, enraging him!

The expressions on the faces of the young men were varied, imagining all sorts of love-hate entanglements between Shen Ruoxi and the Emperor.

Xu Ji nudged Lan Jue and whispered, “Cousin, you’re always insightful. Think of a way to persuade the Emperor to leave! With him here, how can the husband selection proceed smoothly?”

However, Lan Jue merely curled his lips, his eyes cold, and replied indifferently, “She brought this trouble upon herself and should resolve it herself.”

“What?” Xu Ji was astounded. Was this still his cousin who always stood up for his cousin sister?

Why was he acting so unusually today?

The atmosphere turned icy again, Xu Ji wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, thinking: Never mind, with Grandmother and Mother present, the Emperor shouldn’t force his cousin sister.

Shen Ruoxi paused in silence before speaking, “Your Majesty, with the elders of my family present, there are some things I can’t fully decide myself. I will personally explain to Your Majesty at a later date.”

She was merely placating her grandmother and had no intention to get married.

The Emperor’s lips curled into a cold smile, but before he could speak, the guards of the Shen Mansion rushed into the hall.

Panic-stricken, they reported, “Your Majesty, Miss, Xiao Chengyi suddenly visited. We tried to stop him, but he showed no mercy, beating us severely, and is about to storm into the hall!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep