Shen Huajun was aggressive, relying on her princess status to show no mercy. "I will charge you with disrespect to royalty, contempt for the imperial family!"
"Exactly, Third Princess, you cannot let her go!"
"Third Princess, you are of noble birth, high above. She, a mere daughter of the Grand Tutor, is worlds apart from you. How dare she be so presumptuous? She must not be forgiven lightly."
Lin Yanxi let out a scoff. "A mere daughter of the Grand Tutor? And from which noble family do you hail? Tell us."
The woman instantly fell silent, her face flushed red, unable to speak.
Lin Yanxi glanced at her attire and mocked, "Could it be you're from among the recently promoted scholars from humble backgrounds?"
"I am not usually one to judge people based on their background, but you dare to scorn our Grand Tutor's mansion. Then I shall offer you some unsolicited advice. Even if your family is poor, it would be best to choose presentable attire for entering the palace, lest you commit a faux pas before His Majesty."
She could vaguely guess the wicked intentions of the two who were egging on the Third Princess to punish her.
It was likely that a young lady new to the capital was infatuated with the high and mighty, elegantly poised Crown Prince. The Shen family, indeed, possessed excellent genes, their men all remarkably handsome. Even the roguish Fifth Prince had a fine appearance.
Among them, however, the most upright and outstanding was the Ninth Prince. But he always maintained an unapproachable demeanor, his face perpetually cold. Coupled with the presence of Luo Jingxin, the foremost beauty of Nan Min, many women were deterred.
In contrast, the Crown Prince was gentle and kind, approachable, with a face like jade and sword-like eyes. Combined with his distinguished status, he was the dream lover of countless maidens.
Shen Huajun found her words confusing at first, but upon careful consideration, she quickly understood the implication.
"Lin Yanxi! Even a dog has its owner. You'd best show some respect."
Lin Yanxi smiled brightly upon hearing this, her smile radiant and charming, piercing straight to the heart.
"Did you hear? To her, you two are just dogs. But it's only dogs that keep barking."
The faces of the two women turned a mixture of red and white. Overwhelmed with shame, they wished they could disappear into a crack in the ground. At the same time, neither spoke up for the Third Princess anymore.
Shen Junhua, like a wild pheasant flustered and flapping its wings in anger, lunged towards Lin Yanxi, vowing to fight her to the death.
Suddenly, her eyes caught sight of a figure quietly observing them from a corner. She instantly suppressed her movements, tidied her appearance, and a blush appeared on her cheeks.
Lin Yanxi, puzzled, turned to look as well, but there was no one behind her.
Seeing the person walk away, Shen Huajun was eager to follow, ceasing her bickering with Lin Yanxi. She merely issued a fierce warning, "This princess will settle accounts with you later."
Seeing the Third Princess leave, the other women, realizing there was nothing more to see, dispersed.
It was then that Lin Yanxi noticed Lin Ruoyan was missing!
She left Weiyang Palace and searched around but found no trace of Lin Ruoyan. She then moved towards more secluded areas.
"Don't be ungrateful. Stop giving me that look!"
Lin Yanxi found this female voice somewhat familiar, as if it were the 'wild pheasant' who had troubled her earlier. Her heart sank. Could it be that the Third Princess was causing trouble for Yan'er?
She followed the sound and, at a corner, stealthily peeked out half of her body to observe.
Shen Huajun, accompanied by several maids, had surrounded a seemingly frail man. Before the man stood a young girl who appeared to know some martial arts, holding a sheathed short sword.
Lin Yanxi thought carefully and truly had no impression of this master and servant. However, she had to lament her unfortunate encounters with Shen Huajun, to run into them here of all places.
The young girl, though not old, had an unusually composed and calm expression. She said coldly, "Third Princess, you should show our Prince some respect."
Shen Huajun covered her mouth and laughed. "Without us Nan Min, Dongyang would have perished long ago. Where would your Prince be?"
"Instead, you should show me more respect. Please me, and your Prince's situation might improve."
Dongyang? A Dongyang Prince?
Lin Yanxi hid behind a parapet, peeking her head out again to get a better look at the frail man. He exuded a strong scholarly aura, his eyes calmly fixed on the Third Princess, neither humble nor arrogant.
The Moon Ghost Continent was divided into five kingdoms: Dongyang, Nan Min, Xizhou, Beijing, and Wangdu.
These five kingdoms were in a state of mutual check and balance, with varying degrees of strength.
Dongyang, situated on the border, had long been plagued by poverty and war. Ten years ago, a plague left it utterly defenseless, like a sickly lamb, its flesh and bones to be torn apart by the four hungry wolves.
In this critical juncture, Dongyang was forced to seek refuge in Nan Min. Despite its already meager resources, it offered double the tribute of slaves and warhorses annually in exchange for protection. And the Prince of Dongyang, Luo Qizhe, entered the palace as a hostage, remaining there for ten years.
Luo Qizhe's gaze was steady, his ink-black eyes remarkably serene. "The Third Princess speaks wisely."
He seemed long accustomed to such humiliation.
Shen Huajun disliked his impassive demeanor the most, as if nothing she did could capture his attention.
"Can't you..." she said with a hint of dejection, "talk to me a little more?"
As she spoke, she took Luo Qizhe's slender hand.
Luo Qizhe showed a flicker of disgust, withdrew his hand, and said with forbearance, "Third Princess, please maintain your dignity."
Shen Huajun exclaimed angrily, "Fine! Maintain your dignity! I'll make you maintain your dignity!"
She waved her hand to signal the maids behind her. They pulled away Luo Qizhe's attendant, and a scuffle ensued.
Shen Huajun then traced Luo Qizhe's cheek with her finger. He possessed the distinctive features of the Dongyang people: high brow bones, deep-set eyes, long lashes, and a prominent nose bridge. His soft chestnut hair was particularly striking even in the dim light, making his skin appear exceptionally fair.
However, having been bullied in the palace for years, his physique was rather thin.
The next moment, she raised her hand and slapped him across the face. "You don't like me, then hate me. But in any case, you cannot treat me as you would an ordinary person."
This slap, coming out of nowhere, startled Lin Yanxi, who was hiding in the corner watching the spectacle. After all, he was the Prince of Dongyang. Was a hostage entering the palace not supposed to be treated with hospitality by Nan Min?
The Third Princess was so arrogant and unreasonable.
Luo Qizhe's pale white face swelled with five finger marks, and a trace of blood trickled from his lips.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his expression unchanged, and asked coldly, "This charade has been going on since I entered the palace. How much longer do you intend to play before you tire of it?"
Shen Huajun laughed, saying indifferently, "Yes, ten years. Are you Dongyang people so lacking in spirit? Can't you even resist?"
Luo Qizhe lowered his gaze. Resist? What could Dongyang use to resist?
"I think you shouldn't return to Dongyang. Stay in Nan Min and be my consort. I have feelings for you. As long as we are married, Dongyang will forever be under Nan Min's protection."
She spoke of love incessantly, forcing him to reciprocate her affections. Yet, she had never respected him, nor Dongyang. He found her talk of love utterly ironic.
Luo Qizhe said in a low voice, "My people in Dongyang will one day welcome me back to the court."
Shen Huajun glared at him furiously and questioned, "You still haven't given up? Dongyang has twelve princes, yet they sent you to Nan Min and haven't asked if you're well in ten years."
"Why doesn't Dongyang care about you, yet you insist on returning, even if it means death? I love you so much, yet you refuse to yield to me in everything and oppose me!"
As she spoke, her anger grew. She raised her hand as if to slap him again. At that moment, a voice, neither male nor female, echoed from the corner.
"Your Majesty the Empress, watch your step."
Before Shen Huajun's palm could land, she heard "Empress" and quickly retracted her arm. She glanced at the maids beside her and said, "Give the order that they are not to be served food for three days. Anyone who dares to deliver food will be killed by me."
"Yes."
After speaking, Shen Huajun cast a resentful glance at Luo Qizhe and hurried away with her maids.
The young girl despaired, "Three days without food again."
Luo Qizhe smiled nonchalantly. "Later, at the palace banquet, I'll bring some pastries for you to eat during these days."
His eyes glanced towards the corner of the wall, and he cast a grateful look at Lin Yanxi.
Seeing him look in her direction, Lin Yanxi quickly shrank back behind the wall. She did not want to reveal her identity and get involved in the Third Princess's messy affairs.
---
Lin Ruoyan wandered aimlessly after leaving Weiyang Palace. She felt dizzy, her body hot, and her limbs weak. Two young palace maids approached from behind and supported her.
"Miss, are you a noble guest attending the banquet?"
Lin Ruoyan nodded.
"Seeing that Miss looks unwell, shall I take you to a side hall to rest?"
Lin Ruoyan refused to go with them, murmuring, "No, Sister will worry if she can't find me."
The two palace maids exchanged glances. One said, "It's alright. We'll inform Miss that you're resting in the side hall."
Lin Ruoyan hesitated, but her head was so dizzy that she could no longer think. She could only allow them to pull her towards a palace hall.
The palace maids helped Lin Ruoyan onto a soft couch. "Then Miss can rest here. I will go and inform Miss's family. You don't need to worry."
She watched as the palace maids walked out of the room with small steps and closed the wooden door. She was left alone in the room. Her eyelids grew heavier, opened and closed twice, and then completely shut.
After a while, the door was pushed open, and Shen Qingyun entered the room with a personal guard.
Her face was flushed, and she panted slightly. She felt as if she were on fire, her collar pulled open to reveal her alluring snow-white shoulder and neck.
Shen Qingyun's eyes paused as he looked at her. The guard also recognized Lin Yanxi and asked, confused, "This... is this not the Second Miss?"
"I am incompetent. I did not know that this powder was not given to the Second Miss."
"However..."
The guard looked again carefully. "This is not the Second Miss, but the Third Miss of the Grand Tutor's mansion. Our informant had submitted her portrait."
Shen Qingyun stared at her face for a moment. Indeed, she bore some resemblance to Lin Yanxi.
The Grand Tutor's mansion had two legitimate daughters. However, Jiang Wan, to better care for Lin Yanxi, had sent Lin Ruoyan to a manor to be raised from a young age. Later, she was sent away by the second branch to study under a female master.
Therefore, people in the capital believed the Grand Tutor's mansion had only one legitimate daughter and one concubine's daughter.
Shen Qingyun reached out and pulled the loosely hanging garment from her shoulder downwards, revealing delicate skin.
Seeing this, the guard silently got up and withdrew from the room.
Shen Qingyun, with his back to him, said, "Wait. Among today's guests, find a young master whose family has weak influence and no foundation in court."
As the Crown Prince, he never lacked women's bodies; what he lacked was a woman who could serve him wholeheartedly in the Grand Tutor's mansion.
Only by winning someone's heart could he completely control them.
Shen Qingyun's hand tightened, tearing off more of her clothing, exposing almost her entire back.
He took out an antidote from his怀 and waved it under her nose, then walked out of the room.
When Lin Ruoyan regained consciousness, a strange man was standing by her bed, looking terrified. It seemed he hadn't expected Lin Ruoyan to suddenly open her eyes. He startled and took a few steps back.
She felt a coolness all over her body. Looking down, she saw she was unclothed. She was so frightened she couldn't speak. After regaining her senses, she let out a scream.
"Ah! Help!"