Chapter 249: Chapter 187: Sleepless Night

Sitting in solitude, Shi Wang carefully calculated the years he had been away from Princess Yi Fen.

He had been deceived back then, leading to the princess’s assassination attempt, a deep-seated remorse that lingered within him. He was riddled with self-blame, unable to imagine what look the princess would give him upon meeting again. Even though he had later escaped the machinations of that brat Wen Ranchen, he dared not return to the palace.

Today was the day he needed to make a decision.

Aunt Qiao of the General Mansion once did a favor for his master, and before leaving, his master instructed Shi Wang to obey her commands.

However, this period was only for ten years.

Now, the ten years had passed, and he was free! He wanted to see the princess get married!

“Pavilion Master, someone has requested to see you one last time.”

Shi Wang clicked his tongue, feeling annoyed, but he went anyway.

Meeting one last time, what other tricks could that woman possibly pull?

Having been her servant for ten years, he already knew her affairs inside and out.

This must be a trap, certainly a banquet with ulterior motives.

…

About to get married, Shen Jingxian felt restless.

Even though she was no longer young, in this life and the previous one, where everything had gone smoothly, she couldn’t bear to leave the Emperor and Empress.

Once married, she would not only be Princess Yi Fen; she would become the General’s Wife.

What would the General’s Wife do, go to battle? What if Wen Ranchen went to war and she accidentally became a widow… Ah, what nonsense was she thinking, how could she curse herself like that?

However, in the original text, Wen Ranchen was the male lead who would destroy heaven and earth before eventually killing himself, and she was a villain who would end up destroying herself. Would combining them really be without problems?

Having been through this herself, the Empress paid special attention to Shen Jingxian’s mental state during this time. As soon as she noticed a disturbance, she immediately provided premarital counseling.

“Er Ya, don’t be afraid, even if you are married, Yi Fen Palace will always be there for you. You can return to the palace whenever you like. I’ve already talked with Ranchen; if you’re not accustomed after marriage, he will live with you in Yi Fen Village.”

What? Is it appropriate for a married princess to live in the palace with her prince consort? She thought the code of rites did not write it like this.

But seeing how naturally the Empress uttered these words, Shen Jingxian began to doubt herself. Had she remembered wrong? Was it indeed perfectly normal for the prince consort to live with the princess in the palace?

“As long as your father and mother are here, the Capital City is your home. Don’t be afraid.”

“Besides, even if you live in the General Mansion, it’s not far from the palace. You can walk there in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, and if hot soup is sent from the palace to the General Mansion, it won’t even cool down. What are you afraid of? If the sky falls, let your father handle it for you.”

Originally quite touched, Shen Jingxian couldn’t help but feel a moment of sympathy for the Emperor after hearing the Empress’s final words.

While pondering this, wailing voices with crying tones echoed from outside, “Yi Fen!!!”

No need to think, the Emperor had arrived.

For the past few days, he had been in this state, unable to hold back his tears when thinking about his adorable, unparalleled daughter about to be married off.

It was the sixth day the Emperor cried upon seeing the princess, while the Empress witnessed coldly on the second day.

No choice, with the Emperor crying every day, the Empress initially consoled him patiently. But lately, Shen Jingxian had been feeling off too, needing her care, leaving no time for the Emperor, who was left to his own devices.

“Yi Fen!!!”

“Father!!!”

Shen Jingxian merely raised her voice to accompany the Emperor, but unexpectedly, his sincere tears moved her, squeezing out some of her own.

No surprise, those tears made her feel much better.

Seeing her daughter cry, the Empress could not idly watch. She took out a handkerchief received from Wen Ranchen, gently wiping Shen Jingxian’s eyes, comforting her, “Tomorrow you’ll be on the bridal sedan, don’t cry now. Save it for tomorrow when you’re getting on it.”

It was customary for brides to cry before getting on the sedan, no one considered it inauspicious.

Shen Jingxian broke into a smile through her tears.

That night, Shen Jingxian hugged her quilt, going to the Empress, saying she wanted to sleep with her mother.

The Empress’s heart softened.

The Emperor clenched his fist.

In the Imperial Study Room, lit by a single candle, worked the Emperor till dawn.

Lying together, the Empress and Shen Jingxian shared intimate words, the Empress gently stroking Shen Jingxian’s silky hair, whispering mournfully.

This was her only child.

In her childhood, Shen Jingxian was very sensible, insisting on sleeping alone by the age of two or three, yet as she grew, she became more affectionate.

“Er Ya, you must live well. Don’t keep any grievances to yourself. No matter what happens, your mother will always be on your side.”

Shen Jingxian leaned her head closer, “Mother.”

Mother and daughter leaned into each other, as the night deepened. Awaiting the bride in the General Mansion, Wen Ranchen too, was sleepless.

…

Wen Ranchen was the legitimate son of the Wen Family and the most outstanding child within.

Wen Jingming initially trained Wen Suiyi, but he was not suited for military affairs, climbing with difficulty to the position of a Centurion.

But Wen Ranchen, relying solely on his abilities, became a General, receiving favor from the Emperor to establish a new mansion, becoming a hotshot in the Capital City. This irked Aunt Qiao.

If Wen Ranchen remained so capable, even if her son inherited the main family someday, they would be ridiculed.

It would be best if Wen Ranchen were dead.

The only solace for Aunt Qiao was, no matter how powerful Wen Ranchen was, he would have to return to the main family for marriage and kowtow to her.

No matter how favored the princess, upon entering the Wen Family, she was theirs. As the main family’s mistress, even the princess would bow before her!

Thinking of this, Aunt Qiao felt much better. She decided that after they kowtowed to her, Shi Wang could make Wen Ranchen crippled.

Wen Ranchen… if she could cripple him once, she could do it again.

Even if exposed, as long as she could pave the way for Suiyi, it would all be worth it.

Feeling good, Aunt Qiao slept soundly that night, waking up early, dressing up, and waiting for the bride and Wen Ranchen to come and kowtow to her.

Yet she waited and waited, but nothing came. The mansion was awfully quiet, showing no signs of preparing to receive a bride.

Could it be that the General was giving Wen Ranchen a hard time? But to be so remiss to the princess seemed unlikely.

With the family’s reputation in mind, Aunt Qiao earnestly suggested to the General that the mansion should at least be decorated with red to avoid the princess thinking they were neglecting her.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she spoke, Wen Jingming eyed her as if she were a fool, bluntly saying, “The princess is marrying Ranchen, not the Wen Family. What, do you also want the princess to kowtow to you?”

Aunt Qiao, caught in her intention, felt embarrassed, though she struggled to defend herself, “How could I dare think so?”

Having prepared himself, Wen Jingming could not be bothered, offering a final reminder as he left, “Today, the princess marries Ranchen, with the Empress as his adoptive mother at the ceremony. Ranchen doesn’t acknowledge me as a father and certainly won’t regard you. You better not provoke him, or even I can’t protect you.”

Despite Wen Jingming’s cold words, Aunt Qiao could sense his satisfaction with Wen Ranchen.

It was typical of Wen Jingming to be fascinated by strength, and nothing else mattered.

With those words, Wen Jingming left.

Leaving Aunt Qiao alone in the mansion, fuming, she smashed many things in her anger.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep