Chapter 96: Chapter 47: Imprisoned!

Ruoxi’s beautiful eyes narrowed, just as she was about to exert force, a clear voice came from outside the door: “Marquis Shen, the Emperor has decreed that you are not to take a single step outside your room. I have been ordered to guard you; please forgive my impertinence.”

Upon hearing this, Ruoxi was engulfed by a sense of helplessness. She pressed her brow in disbelief that the Emperor would resort to such a move against her!

Suppressing her anger, she asked coldly, “Did the Emperor mention when I might be released?”

“The Emperor did not specify.”

It seemed likely that he feared her outshining others in the tournament, and with a public announcement in black and white that could not be reneged, the Emperor simply took away her chance to compete.

She had been too naive, believing that with such a proclamation, she had nothing to worry about, never expecting that the Emperor would turn the tables and imprison her.

“Where are my three maids?”

“The Marquis need not worry, they are safe and sound.”

Ruoxi said angrily, “I need at least one maid to attend to me!”

The person responded neither servilely nor arrogantly, “The Emperor has said that if the Marquis can go to the tournament, then self-care should not be an issue. If you have any needs, I will see to them.”

This was simply too humiliating! She shouldn’t have waited for the tournament to seize a chance to go to the border city; she should have gone quietly. Now, she was utterly passive.

The main issue was that she couldn’t predict the Emperor’s next move.

If the Emperor suddenly decreed her to enter the palace, she could run, but what about the old and weak women and children of the Shen Family?

The Emperor surely knew she couldn’t walk away, so her best bet was to flee before the Emperor issued the decree! After all, it wouldn’t count as deceiving him.

She paced around her room before collapsing into a chair in despair.

Outside were top palace experts, even the windows were so tightly surrounded it was like an iron barrel. There was no way out.

This realization filled her with a fiery anger.

She poured herself a cup of water, which was slightly cold, and deliberately made a fuss, shouting angrily, “Where’s the hot water?”

Soon, the door opened, and in came a strong-looking woman, with sword-like eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes, exuding a crisp, clean demeanor.

After saluting her, she poured the hot water she was carrying into the teapot on the table.

“If I were to take you as a hostage to threaten them, how much chance do I have of getting out?” Ruoxi asked lazily.

The woman was momentarily stunned, her lips twitching slightly, before she replied calmly, “To report to Marquis Shen, there isn’t even a ten percent chance. Between your three maids and my life, who do you think is more important?”

Ruoxi’s eyes darkened as she sneered, “Don’t use Chuntao and the others to threaten me. If anything happened to them, I would even dare to beat up the Emperor!”

A fleeting smile appeared at the corners of the woman’s mouth before she said sternly, “Of course, it’s possible the Emperor would willingly let Marquis Shen beat him up! I am truly insignificant; taking me hostage won’t work.”

This topic was truly infuriating. Ruoxi looked at her and asked coldly, “Your name?”

“I am Feng Ming.”

Ruoxi said coldly, “I’m bored alone and might call you anytime, and I want to know everything about the tournament; be prepared to report to me anytime.”

Feng Ming bowed, “It is an honor to be at the disposal of Marquis Shen. Whatever you wish to know, I will speak without reservation.”

Ruoxi waved her hand coldly, “Leave now!”

“Yes.”

Left alone in the room, an overwhelming frustration surged inside her. She tightened her lips.

The Emperor might keep her confined until the tournament ends; she would have to take it one step at a time.

Feng Ming initially thought Ruoxi might torment her in some way, but until evening, the room remained silent, and she was not summoned again.

This Marquis was indeed quite interesting, Feng Ming couldn’t help but think.

Ruoxi was confined for three days, and the tournament had ended.

Somewhat unexpectedly, but within reason, Guan Qizhe won first place, and Liu Qian came second.

The Emperor was overjoyed, appointing them as the Vanguard Officer and Vice Vanguard Officer, soon to depart for the border city.

Even though the tournament was over, the Emperor still had no intention of releasing her.

Ruoxi’s heart sank suddenly; it was bad. The Emperor might keep her locked up until the day he decrees her entry into the palace.

Cold sweat trickled down her forehead, leaving her body cold and helpless.

The problem was she was currently imprisoned here, with no one around to help her, and her senior brothers didn’t know her current situation.

Her sister-in-law and the others were also helpless.

Escape?

The thought had barely formed before she dismissed it.

No, she could not possibly match those top palace experts outside, and moreover, this would be defying an imperial edict. The Emperor might not punish her harshly, but the others, who could say?

How long would she be kept here!

Ruoxi paced anxiously around the room with no clues.

As night fell, she pressed her forehead, thinking of a plan. Should she reason with the Emperor, appealing to emotions? She quickly dismissed the idea; the Emperor seemed determined, and it would be useless.

She absolutely couldn’t enter the palace!

Not to mention she had no feelings for the Emperor; after all, he was her cousin’s husband. She would rather take her own life than compete for her cousin’s man; running away was her only option.

Sedate the top palace experts outside? She slowly dismissed the idea; the ones outside the door, maybe, but what about those behind the window?

If she failed to leave, alerting them would ruin her chances completely; her escape had to be foolproof.

She was so troubled she couldn’t sit or stand with ease!

“I wish to see Ruoxi.”

A cold voice from outside the room startled her — could it be her sister-in-law?

The voice sounded strange; had she caught a cold? Just now, she felt her voice was hoarse?

“Apologies, Eldest Young Madam Shen, the Emperor’s decree is that no one may enter the Marquis’s room freely!”

“Aren’t you afraid she’ll suffocate in there? Is she a prisoner or something that I can’t even say a few words to her!”

The person was startled, hesitant, “But the Emperor…”

“The Emperor had you isolate her from the outside — are you trying to drive her insane?”

Such an aggressive sister-in-law, Ruoxi had never seen before. Her eyes couldn’t help but grow warm; she was so overwhelmed, and if her sister-in-law could come to speak with her, it would be nice.

The guards were frightened; they naturally understood the Emperor’s intentions. It was not genuine confinement but to prevent her from heading to the battlefield, so they were to watch closely.

She was someone the Emperor held dearly, and in his bid to take her as a consort, he had fallen out with Empress Dowager An, insisting it had to be her, and no one could stop the Emperor this time.

If they truly drove Marquis Shen insane, they would all suffer.

They only needed to watch; a conversation between the sisters-in-law should not cause any trouble.

“Eldest Young Madam Shen, please, when will you leave?”

“Is half an hour acceptable?”

“Yes, just half an hour. When the time is up, please, Eldest Young Madam Shen, honor your word and come out, so as not to put us in a difficult position!”

“Of course.”

Her sister-in-law was quite impressive, managing to get in like that, and Ruoxi suddenly felt less oppressed.

The door opened with a sound, and her visitor entered as the guard thoughtfully closed the door behind them.

Ruoxi pouted, discontented, “Sister-in-law, you finally came. I can’t get out, I’m almost dying from suffocation here, what to do?”

The visitor said nothing at first but slowly approached her side.

Ruoxi inexplicably felt something was off, and she looked up sharply to meet the clear, deep eyes of the person opposite her.

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