So many people waited to see her make a fool of herself.
She was truly afraid!
Those dark, sunless days, she was terrified! She never imagined Prince Jin's thoughts could be so unfathomable, so impossible to decipher.
And so ruthless, as if her fate meant nothing to him.
The Emperor was surprised. The person who had been too scared to utter a word moments ago was now begging.
And begging so pitifully.
As long as she could stir a shred of compassion in Zhan Tianye, her role today would be fulfilled.
"Your Highness Prince Jin..."
Her voice was fragile.
Her eyes were teary.
Zhan Tianye cast a sidelong glance, "It would be better to beg the Emperor than to beg me."
Whoever summoned her to the palace should deal with her.
Out of consideration for Yun Shu, he had given Qin Linglong a choice. Since she had chosen to walk into the tiger's den herself, she had to pay the price.
The Emperor sighed inwardly.
If he could be this heartless, if no amount of feminine charm could sway him, he would have conquered the world by now.
Ruthless.
Qin Linglong despaired, her tears breaking free, rolling down uncontrollably, making her look even more pitiful than before.
"I..."
Zhan Tianye simply stated he had matters to attend to and took his leave, walking out directly.
His cold, retreating back made him appear like a malevolent god.
Distant and awe-inspiring, one wrong step would lead to utter destruction.
The Emperor's deep gaze swept over Qin Linglong.
He watched coldly as Qin Linglong fell into despair. "What the Emperor and Prince Jin just discussed, you are not to reveal to anyone once you leave the palace."
Qin Linglong was desperate and flustered, a thought flashing through her mind but slipping away. Hearing the Emperor's words, she could only agree.
Today's events had not gone as the Emperor had anticipated.
Thus, the Emperor showed no goodwill towards Qin Linglong.
"Since Prince Jin has broken off your engagement, if there is any man you wish to marry, I shall grant you a favor."
Qin Linglong's mind was filled with these words. She walked out of the palace in a daze, not even knowing how.
But the moment she stepped out of the palace gates, a cold wind struck her.
Xiao Huan and Xiao Jia had been waiting at the palace entrance.
They had been waiting for their lady to be promoted to Prince Jin's concubine, but all they got was the news of a broken engagement!
Just moments ago, they had heard their lady had served Prince Jin, and now Prince Jin had broken off the engagement?
Then they saw Qin Linglong standing at the palace gates, looking lost and dejected.
The two rushed over, "Miss."
They saw the wound on Qin Linglong's hand and her pale face.
This!
The biting cold wind seemed to help Qin Linglong regain some composure. She opened her mouth to speak, but before any words could form, tears welled up again.
"Why is heaven always against me?"
"Why, when I was so close, do you suddenly snatch everything away? What did I do wrong? How could he disregard me so completely?"
"I've become the biggest joke in the capital."
"I regret it, I truly regret it..."
The man she had yearned for had, in a single day, plunged her into hell, an eighteen-layer hell.
Subjecting her to torment and suffering.
Everything she would face in the future would likely be even more terrifying than hell.
Just then, a carriage stopped before the palace gates.
A face appeared from within the carriage, looking down at the distraught Qin Linglong, "Miss Qin, would you do me the honor of joining me for a cup of tea?"
Qin Linglong stiffened her neck and looked up at Princess Ningde. She instantly felt even more panicked than before.
"Princess Ningde..."
Princess Ningde had already lowered the carriage curtain, giving Qin Linglong no chance to refuse.
Qin Linglong bit her lip. She recalled her earlier presumptuousness in meeting Princess Ningde, her arrogant demeanor. And the result!
The result was that Prince Jin actually favored Princess Ningde!
He treated Princess Ningde with such care!
She had truly become a joke.
Princess Ningde was likely mocking her in her heart right now, laughing at her overestimation of herself.
Qin Linglong bit her lip tightly. It didn't matter anymore regarding Prince Jin; she couldn't refuse Princess Ningde.
They arrived at a tea house.
Princess Ningde had arrived earlier, and tea had already been served.
Qin Linglong had plummeted from Yun Shan today, her spirit utterly exhausted. If she hadn't been forcing herself, she would have fainted by now. She could only sit opposite Princess Ningde with a pale face.
The moment Qin Linglong sat down, Princess Ningde's gaze fell upon her hand, noticing the wound.
Injured by Prince Jin?
She lowered her head and took a small sip of tea. "Did you serve Prince Jin?"
The Emperor had sent Qin Linglong to Prince Jin, and undoubtedly, some preparations were made in between. If Prince Jin had been drugged, he might indeed have touched Qin Linglong.
But after regaining his senses, Prince Jin would have been furious, hence the broken engagement?
Of course, this was just her speculation.
Qin Linglong's eyes suddenly reddened. Feeling immense humiliation, she bit her lip and said, "No."
Princess Ningde suddenly looked up, a hint of surprise on her face, "No?"
Information had been deliberately leaked from the palace.
Now, besides knowing that Prince Jin had broken off the engagement, the people of the capital also knew one other thing: Qin Linglong had become Prince Jin's woman.
The reason for the broken engagement was either she had served him poorly, or there was some other reason.
But he hadn't touched her?
Princess Ningde couldn't deny that she felt much better.
Her heart, which had been heavy with sorrow due to Yun Shu in recent days, felt much lighter now.
"If anyone is saying anything now, it's just gossip. Prince Jin and I have broken off our engagement, and the Emperor will bestow a new marriage upon me." Qin Linglong, with a pale face, tried to salvage some dignity for herself.
She had the Emperor's favor, she still had the Emperor's favor!
Princess Ningde frowned. "Qin Linglong, I can help you resolve your current predicament, but you must tell me why you were able to make Prince Jin choose you at the palace banquet that day?"
Among so many women, Qin Linglong was the least conspicuous. Hidden in the crowd, almost invisible, easily overlooked.
There had to be a reason.
Qin Linglong's eyes widened. She knew that with just a word from Princess Ningde, she would no longer be a laughingstock in the capital. Coupled with the Emperor's favor, upon returning to the Prime Minister's mansion, Madam and the others would not dare to treat her poorly.
This was an irresistible temptation!
A temptation that could lift her out of the mud once more.
However, she had promised that woman to keep her mouth shut, and she had accepted money.
Seeing Qin Linglong's silence and struggle, Princess Ningde became even more certain that something fishy had occurred that day.
She wasn't in a hurry.
The more she understood Qin Linglong, the more she realized that facing her current situation, offering a glimmer of hope would make Qin Linglong do anything.
Qin Linglong tightly gripped her teacup and asked with her head bowed, "If I tell you, can Princess Ningde promise not to tell anyone? And can you also guarantee that I will have a good marriage in the future?"
A good marriage?
A hint of cold sarcasm flashed in Princess Ningde's eyes.
But she agreed verbally, "Yes, tell me."