“What does being the principal wife matter?”
Ding Ru Shan’s cheeks flushed red, her tone carrying a hint of stubbornness. “Rather than marrying someone else, I’d rather marry into the Eastern Palace. Even if I’m only a Liangdi, being able to see His Highness every day would make me perfectly content.”
She recalled Xiao Chengyu’s peerlessly handsome appearance, the noble and imposing aura that surrounded him, her face full of longing: “If in the future His Highness could care for me even half as much as he does for you, his cousin, I’d consider it worth even if it meant living a few years less.”
Shen Qingtang listened to these words, feeling nothing but weariness in her heart.
Watching the fantasy-filled look in her cousin’s eyes, she opened her mouth to persuade her further but knew it would fall on deaf ears.
In the end, she simply lowered her head silently and picked at the rice in her bowl.
The exquisite delicacies prepared by the Imperial Chef now tasted like chewing wax, utterly flavorless.
In her daze, the dining table before her suddenly began to distort, the Qingci porcelain dishes gradually blurred, and the entire table of Imperial Cuisine transformed into the red candles and wine cups of a wedding banquet.
Shen Qingtang was startled to find her jade-colored dress had somehow changed into a bright red wedding gown, a beaded veil hanging before her eyes, blocking most of her view.
She could only hear the celebratory voices around her, noisy and chaotic yet unable to see anyone clearly.
Then, a warm hand gently grasped Shen Qingtang’s, and a familiar voice sounded in her ear—it was her adoptive mother, Wen Shi.
Wen Shi’s voice carried a touch of reluctance yet held a sense of relief: “Tangtang, the Lu family upholds strict moral principles, and Rongyu has been exceptionally talented and upright since childhood. You grew up together—I can rest in peace knowing I’ve entrusted you to him.”
Shen Qingtang was only seven when her adoptive mother passed away, her memories of her mother already fragmented and hazy.
Hearing that familiar voice so suddenly, Shen Qingtang’s nose tingled with emotion, instinctively wanting to lift the veil to see her mother’s face, but Wen Shi gently pressed down on her wrist.
“You can’t remove the veil now,” Wen Shi’s tone remained affectionate, with a hint of coaxing. “You must wait for your husband to do it. That’s the rule, Tangtang. Be obedient.”
“But, Mother…” Shen Qingtang felt inexplicably panicked, wanting to say something, but Wen Shi interrupted her.
“Don’t worry, Rongyu is already here,” Wen Shi patted the back of her hand, her laughter gentle.
As soon as the words fell, the surrounding voices suddenly receded like a tide, and even Wen Shi’s hand slowly withdrew from her grasp, leaving only silence.
Through the gap at the edge of the veil, Shen Qingtang saw a pair of black brocade boots embroidered with dark golden cloud patterns, stepping closer to her step by step.
Remembering her mother’s advice, Shen Qingtang sat up straight obediently, waiting for Lu Rongyu to lift her veil.
Since childhood, she had known she would marry Brother Rongyu when she grew up.
Now, she had finally become his wife.
Thinking of Lu Rongyu’s gentle, jade-like features, the corners of Shen Qingtang’s lips curved slightly.
A pair of distinct, well-defined hands reached before her, fingertips gently pinching the edge of the veil, slowly lifting it upward.
A clear, mellow voice sounded above her, carrying a familiar depth: “Tangtang…”
Shen Qingtang shyly lowered her eyelashes, her fingers tightening on the hem of her wedding dress.
But when she slowly raised her eyes and clearly saw the face before her, the smile on her lips instantly froze, as if her blood had solidified in that very moment.
The man standing before her was noble and handsome, yet it was not Lu Rongyu, but the Crown Prince Xiao Chengyu!
“C-cousin…” Shen Qingtang’s voice trembled, her eyes filled with disbelief. “How could it be you? Where is Brother Rongyu?”
Shen Qingtang anxiously turned to look around, only to discover that the bridal chamber had somehow transformed into the Eastern Palace’s Zichen Hall!
The hall’s doors and windows were tightly shut, the bright red candles burning high yet emanating an eerie desolation. Aside from her and Xiao Chengyu, there was not a single other soul in sight!
Xiao Chengyu’s gaze was as deep and unfathomable as a pond, his voice betraying neither joy nor anger but carrying an unmistakable pressure: “Tangtang, I told you long ago that I would lock you away in the Eastern Palace. From now on, no one but me shall see you.”
“No! You can’t do this!” Shen Qingtang shook her head vehemently, rising and rushing toward the door.
Only to find the palace doors already locked from the outside—no matter how hard she pushed, they remained immovable!
Xiao Chengyu slowly approached her, his footsteps echoing clearly in the empty hall. He reached out, gripped her waist, and forcefully pressed her against the cold door panel.
His tone held a hint of helplessness, yet concealed an obsessive possessiveness: “Tangtang, why are you always so disobedient?”
Shen Qingtang was so frightened that tears instantly welled up in her eyes. Struggling, she tried to push him away: “Cousin, we can’t do this! I am your cousin, and I am already betrothed…”
“Betrothed?” Xiao Chengyu’s thin lips curved slightly, but there was not a trace of warmth in his eyes. “What I want, I have never failed to obtain.”
Ignoring her struggles, he bent down, scooped her up horizontally, and strode toward the bed inside the hall, which was covered with a bright red wedding quilt. He threw her onto it harshly.
Immediately after, Xiao Chengyu leaned over her, his slender fingers tearing violently at her wedding dress. The sound of fabric ripping was especially jarring in the silence.
“No—!!!”
Shen Qingtang abruptly sat up in bed, her chest heaving violently, her forehead drenched in cold sweat.
The room was dim, illuminated only by the cold moonlight filtering through the window lattice, casting a pale glow on the familiar bed curtains.
Where was the Eastern Palace? Where was the wedding banquet?
She let out a heavy sigh of relief, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. Her heart was still pounding fiercely.
Thankfully, it was just a dream.
But the fear in the dream felt all too real—the suffocating sense of having nowhere to escape clung to Shen Qingtang’s heart like vines, leaving her unable to sleep any longer.
She lay in bed with her eyes open, staring at the dark patterns on the canopy until a faint, hazy light began to seep through the window—dawn was approaching.
Throughout the night, she tossed and turned, her mind racing with thoughts. The more she pondered, the more she felt that her relationship with her Crown Prince Cousin needed to be severed cleanly and swiftly.
Her cousin was the heir apparent, a man of noble status, and there were already countless women who admired him.
During her previous visits to the palace, her aunt had already begun selecting candidates for the Crown Princess. She had seen the portraits of those noble young ladies—each one talented, beautiful, and from illustrious families.
Perhaps if she left the capital, her cousin would no longer see her, and with suitable women by his side, he would gradually let her go.
Then, they could return to being just cousins as before, and everything would fall back into place.
She suddenly thought of Lu Rongyu’s aunt. Aunt Lu and her adoptive mother, Wen Shi, had been close friends since childhood. When Wen Shi was alive, the two families had frequent interactions, and it was because of this relationship that she and Lu Rongyu often saw each other as children.
Later, Wen Shi had confidently arranged her betrothal to Lu Rongyu, largely trusting that Aunt Lu had raised a worthy nephew.
A few years ago, after Aunt Lu’s husband passed away, she moved away from the capital and returned to the Jiangnan villa where the couple had first met, living a quiet life in widowhood.
Aunt Lu had always treated her with great affection. On the day of her coming-of-age ceremony, Aunt Lu had even specially sent someone to deliver a gift.
If she used “visiting Aunt Lu” as a pretext to stay in Jiangnan for a year or two, surely no one would suspect anything.
During this time, the Crown Prince might have already selected his Crown Princess, so naturally he would no longer harbor those improper thoughts about her.
Thinking of this, Shen Qingtang could no longer restrain herself and immediately decided to leave the residence to discuss this matter with Lu Rongyu.