Several days later, in the brightly lit main hall of the Junwang Mansion.
The Eldest Princess sat upright on the most distinguished seat, her gaze filled with satisfaction as it fell upon the daughter of the Grand Protector before her—Shen Yuling.
Shen Yuling stood gracefully, tall and elegant, dressed in luxurious attire that exuded both nobility and beauty.
Although the young lady of the Shen family had not grown up in the bustling Qian Capital, her background was extraordinary.
Her father was a member of the Cangwu Shen clan, renowned for producing generations of brave and skilled military generals, commanding respect both in the martial world and the imperial court.
Her mother, on the other hand, hailed from the Lingxi Ye clan, a family celebrated for its upright and incorruptible traditions as well as its exceptional literary accomplishments.
The Ye family had produced talented individuals across generations, with many shining brightly in the literary world.
Those who served as officials in the imperial court were also numerous, making it a distinguished family of both officialdom and scholarly refinement.
It was precisely because of this that Shen Yuling had received extremely strict guidance from a young age, mastering etiquette to perfection. Her every gesture and movement reflected the grace of a well-bred lady from a noble family.
In the eyes of the Eldest Princess, only a woman of such noble status, outstanding appearance, profound knowledge, and upright character was worthy of her only precious son.
At this moment, the smile on the Eldest Princess’s face was exceptionally amiable.
Shen Yuling was the most satisfactory candidate for a daughter-in-law in her heart, a perfect match who could accompany her son for a lifetime.
However, only Shen Yuling herself knew the truth.
This seemingly amiable Eldest Princess was, in reality, ruthless at heart.
It was the Eldest Princess herself who looked down upon Liu Jingyi, disdainful of her insufficiently noble background and the mismatch in status, and thus was determined to make Liu Jingyi lose Feng Moheng’s heart.
To this end, the Eldest Princess often employed underhanded tactics against Liu Jingyi behind the scenes.
Yet all those unsavory deeds were carried out under Shen Yuling’s name, causing Shen Yuling to inexplicably bear the blame for many things.
On numerous occasions, Liu Jingyi even deliberately framed Shen Yuling.
But this Eldest Princess, who usually favored Shen Yuling, showed no intention of helping her.
Not only that, the Eldest Princess secretly believed in her heart that Shen Yuling herself was incompetent, unable to capture a man’s heart.
This left her, as the mother-in-law, utterly disappointed.
At this moment, Liu Jingyi stood respectfully on the right side in her capacity as a concubine.
She raised her eyes and happened to meet Feng Moheng’s gaze.
Her eyes held a faint glimmer of tears, filled with endless grievances, evoking pity.
Feng Moheng stood there, equally helpless in his heart.
This marriage had been personally bestowed by His Majesty. Even if he had a thousand unwilling thoughts and countless regrets, he had no choice but to marry this daughter of the Shen family.
Seeing Liu Jingyi’s aggrieved expression, his heart ached with pain.
He could only comfort her silently with his eyes.
Shen Yuling was merely the principal wife forced upon him by His Majesty’s decree.
Following the guidance of the etiquette matron beside him, Feng Moheng mechanically completed the wedding ceremony, lightly supporting Shen Yuling’s hand.
Each tedious ritual felt like an ordeal in his eyes.
Liu Jingyi watched this grand occasion. When she had entered the mansion, it was merely with a sedan chair. Although Feng Moheng had decorated her bridal chamber with the ceremonial flair of a principal wife, it ultimately lacked the grand, widely known spectacle of Shen Yuling’s wedding.
So this was what it meant to be a concubine…
In that moment, Liu Jingyi felt a pang of regret.
She had come from the modern era, only to become a concubine in ancient times. But now that things had reached this point, she could only move forward.
The position of Princess Consort—she must obtain it!
Liu Jingyi refused to admit defeat!
Once all the wedding ceremonies were completed, it was time to escort the couple to the bridal chamber.
The Grand Princess raised her eyes and gave a meaningful glance to Huixin beside her.
Understanding her intention, Huixin nodded gently.
Then, leading a group of palace maids, she quietly made her way toward the bridal chamber of the Princess Consort.
Inside the bridal chamber of the Prince’s residence, the flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows.
A festive red seemed to fill every corner of the room.
The red wedding candles burned, their wax tears slowly dripping down.
Shen Yuling sat upright on the carved bed, like a delicate peony blooming upon brocade.
She wore an intricately crafted headdress, with tassels cascading from both sides, winding down from her head to rest upon her chest.
Feng Moheng sat alone on a round stool not far away, his presence starkly out of place amidst the joyous atmosphere.
His expression was cold, and he remained silent.
He simply lowered his head, quietly sipping his tea.
The steam rising from the teacup seemed to mingle with his restlessness.
“Your Highness, we are married today. Why are you sitting so far away?”
Only the two of them were in the bridal chamber now.
Shen Yuling gazed at him with her watery, fox-like eyes, looking innocent.
Her expression held a hint of confusion and grievance.
Feng Moheng shifted his gaze from the teacup.
He looked at Shen Yuling.
“Is Miss Shen pretending not to know, or do you truly not know?”
Hearing Feng Moheng’s blunt words, Shen Yuling’s temper, nurtured since childhood as a pampered young lady, flared up instantly.
Her willow-like eyebrows arched sharply.
She tossed the exquisitely crafted folding fan she had been toying with onto the bed, producing a crisp sound.
She stood up abruptly with a “swish.”
Her imposing manner was somewhat intimidating.
“Your Highness is quite imposing. Is this how you treat your newlywed wife?”
Shen Yuling fumed, her rosy cheeks puffing up slightly with anger.
He was the esteemed Prince of Lingyang, but her status, Shen Yuling, was more than sufficient to match any young master in Qian Capital.
Feng Moheng had always been respected and flattered.
Apart from his lofty and unoffendable uncle, the Emperor, no one had ever dared to speak to him like this.
His face darkened, and with a sudden sweep of his robe, he turned squarely to face Shen Yuling.
The coldness in his eyes deepened instantly.
Two proud individuals, neither willing to yield.
“Miss Shen, is this how you treat your husband?”
Feng Moheng deliberately lowered his voice, as if trying to suppress Shen Yuling’s arrogant demeanor.
But Shen Yuling paid no heed to Feng Moheng’s cold expression.
Her face changed in an instant.
She covered her mouth and let out a soft laugh.
Swaying her figure, she walked toward Feng Moheng.
Shen Yuling sauntered seductively until she stood before him.
Her fair, delicate right hand gently rested on the shoulder of the seated Feng Moheng.
“Then how would my husband like me to treat you? Today is our first meeting, yet my husband is so harsh.”
Her eyes held both grievance and cunning.
Feng Moheng was taken aback for a moment.
He hadn’t expected a woman to change her expression so quickly.
“Today is our wedding night. Since my husband isn’t taking the initiative, I suppose I must.”
As she spoke, Shen Yuling began removing her wedding attire.
In an instant, only her thin undergarments remained, outlining her curvaceous figure.
“You… how improper!”
Feng Moheng was both shocked and furious. He hastily stood up and turned his back.
Refusing to look at Shen Yuling’s alluring appearance.
“Put your clothes back on immediately.”
Feng Moheng shouted loudly.
Shen Yuling, however, refused to let it go.
She stood behind Feng Moheng, stepped forward to wrap her arms around his waist, and pressed her small face against his back.
Giggling, she said, “So men in Qian Capital are this easily shy?”
Her voice was soft and sticky, carrying a hint of teasing.
“Husband, we are husband and wife after all. You can look at me openly.”
The unique delicate fragrance of a woman enveloped him like an invisible net the moment she embraced him, instantly sweeping over him.
It tightly enveloped Feng Moheng.
For a moment, he felt dazed, as if his heartbeat had grown somewhat disordered.
Feng Moheng shook his head forcefully.