“Every year during the hunt, this golden reed marsh is especially beautiful, and this spot is particularly lovely.” And also the quietest.
Prince Lin lay on the deck, patting the empty space beside him.
Shen Lingshu didn’t hesitate at all. Holding her skirt, she lay down beside him. The starry sky twinkled above, and as the evening breeze blew, reed catkins drifted with the wind, like flying snowflakes.
With the stars as the backdrop and the reed catkins as the scenery, it was breathtakingly beautiful.
Shen Lingshu clasped her hands over her abdomen, quietly savoring the beauty of this moment.
As if sharing a telepathic connection, she turned her head to the side, and their eyes met, as if their souls had collided.
Shen Lingshu propped herself up on her elbow, turning to look at him: “Thank you, Prince, for bringing me to such a beautiful place. I will firmly remember tonight and never forget it!”
In the tranquil night, Shen Lingshu’s soft voice was like a gentle evening breeze brushing past. Her starry, brilliant eyes were even more beautiful than the stars behind her.
Prince Lin reached out, pulling her closer. Their breaths intertwined, and the sweet scent of jasmine was more intoxicating than wine.
His gaze gradually deepened: “Then let’s make this night even more unforgettable.”
With those words, Prince Lin turned and pressed her down. In the reed marsh, the boat swayed, and the water rippled…
Moonlight spilled down, illuminating their intertwined shadows, rising and falling in rhythm.
…
Outside the Crown Prince’s tent, Shen Lingyi had just arrived at the door with a sobering soup when she was stopped. Shen Lingyi said, “Eunuch Fu, I’ve brought some sobering soup for the Crown Prince.”
Eunuch Fu reached out to stop Shen Lingyi: “Concubine, you cannot enter now.”
Just as Shen Lingyi was about to question him, the sounds coming from inside the room made her expression darken instantly. When she had set out on this trip, she had thought that being the only concubine brought along was a sign of favor, but now…
“Eunuch Fu, please give this to His Highness later.” Shen Lingyi handed the sobering soup to Eunuch Fu and turned to leave.
Back in her tent, Shen Lingyi grew angrier the more she thought about it. She took Nanny Wu and went out on horseback to clear her mind. When she reached the reed marsh by the river and saw Qingwu, she rode up and asked, “Who is inside with Prince Lin?”
“Greetings, Side Consort Shen.” Qingwu bowed his head in salute but did not answer.
“I asked you a question.”
Shen Lingyi frowned, completely dissatisfied with Qingwu’s response.
“Side Consort Shen is the Crown Prince’s concubine. May I ask if this inquiry is on behalf of the Crown Prince?” Qingwu looked up at Shen Lingyi, who sat high on her horse, showing no trace of fear.
“I was just asking casually.” Shen Lingyi didn’t dare to press further. She looked into the distance toward the reed marsh, where the gentle breeze carried the faint sight of a swaying lantern on a boat amidst the reeds.
Shen Lingyi rode back. Soon, Shuqing had found out the details and reported, “Concubine, Shen Lingshu is not in her tent.”
“Hah, the child of a lowly woman is indeed a lowly wretch!”
Shen Lingyi sneered, saying, “No wonder she can bewitch Prince Lin so thoroughly. What difference is there between her and a prostitute from a brothel?”
“Go, find a way to inform Side Consort Fang.” Shen Lingyi gloated maliciously. Once Side Consort Fang learned of this, Shen Lingshu would suffer for it!
…
At daybreak, Shen Lingshu finally returned to her tent. After bathing and changing into fresh, clean clothes, she recalled the wild and enchanting night. She pressed a hand to her pounding chest.
“Mistress, the Prince truly dotes on you.”
Zhuxin helped Shen Lingshu change her clothes while feeling happy for her. Having waited all night without her mistress’s return, she knew her mistress had been with the Prince. When Shen Lingshu returned, covered in marks, Zhuxin felt both joy and worry for her.
Her mistress was delicate—could she withstand the Prince’s intensity?
Shen Lingshu glanced at her through the bronze mirror and chuckled softly, “Silly girl.”
Since ancient times, only the laughter of the new bride is heard, never the tears of the old. Whether it was Side Consort Fang or Concubine Li, they had all enjoyed moments of favor.
Relying on a man’s favor meant entrusting one’s life and fortune to another.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, glowing with such radiance—last night must have been quite fulfilling, I presume?”
Shen Lingyi’s voice came from the doorway.
Shen Lingshu turned and saw Shen Lingyi’s smug expression. Her heart sank. Last night’s boat had been in the reed marshes, with no one around. At most, others only knew she had gone out with the Prince!
“No wonder you managed to captivate the Prince for seven days straight. Did you learn this from your lowly mother? Just like those courtesans in the brothels—shameless, wanton, and self-degrading.”
Insult her if you must, but not her mother!
Shen Lingshu’s eyes darkened. She raised her hand, but Nanny Wu seized it and scolded, “How dare you disrespect the Crown Prince’s Side Consort?”
Shen Lingshu summoned all her strength, her gaze fierce, and lunged hard at Shen Lingyi. Her arm felt as if it were being torn off by Nanny Wu. She turned and struck Nanny Wu forcefully with her other hand!
Shen Lingyi staggered, startled by the loud slap. She watched as Nanny Wu’s face instantly swelled—how much force had she used?
Was Shen Lingshu out of her mind?
“A lowly wretch like you only deserves to be a concubine.”
Seeing Shen Lingshu’s frenzied state, Shen Lingyi dared not approach further. She said coldly, “Only with a child by your side can you secure a place in Lin Prince’s Mansion. But you…”
Everyone in the Kingdom of Muning believed Prince Lin was heirless. Without a child, how could Shen Lingshu, who relied on her looks, last long?
“Hah.”
Shen Lingshu, her wrist still gripped by Nanny Wu, sneered, “If I’m lowly, what does that make you, who shares the same father?”
“I am the legitimate daughter. How could you possibly compare?”
Shen Lingyi gave her a cold glance, smoothing her hair as she added, “I must accompany the other noble ladies for the hunt.”
Her eyes gleamed with pride—someone of Shen Lingshu’s lowly status as a concubine was utterly unworthy!
Watching Shen Lingyi depart triumphantly, Shen Lingshu’s eyes flickered: Tonight, the Crown Prince would be deposed. By then, what good would come to Shen Lingyi as the deposed Crown Prince’s Side Consort?
“Mistress, Caolv came last night.”
Zhuxin spoke up immediately, her heart aching as she looked at Shen Lingshu’s reddened wrist. “Side Consort Shen went too far. She bullied you back in the mansion, and now she’s still bullying you.”
“It’s nothing.”
Shen Lingshu wasn’t surprised that someone from Side Consort Fang’s side had come. Shen Lingyi would never miss a chance to mock her. Fortunately, with the hunt underway, Side Consort Fang would be busy socializing and unlikely to trouble her over this.
Moreover, according to the script, the Crown Prince’s deposition was set for today. Not only would the Crown Prince be deposed, but the Emperor and the Prince would also be injured!
She needed to plan carefully—there was no such thing as too many life-saving favors. Even if the Prince grew tired of her face in the future, the debt of gratitude would still remain, wouldn’t it?
“Master, Qingwu just sent you a small horse.”
Zhuxin had just returned from fetching the morning meal and brought Shen Lingshu some good news.
“A small horse? What use is it if I can’t even go outside?”
Shen Lingshu sighed, genuinely feeling that her status as a concubine was too restrictive. If she were a Side Consort, she could simply invite acquaintances to go hunting in the mountains whenever she pleased—so much freedom.
“Caolv just came to deliver a message. Side Consort Fang, understanding that it’s rare for you to visit the hunting grounds, has granted you permission to go hunting in the mountains.” Zhuxin happily shared the good news, knowing her master had long wanted to hunt in the mountains.
“…”
Shen Lingshu’s heart skipped a beat. Side Consort Fang must have known she and the Prince had stayed out all night. It would have been generous enough not to punish her—why would she take the initiative to show sympathy for their rare visit and allow them to enjoy the pleasures of hunting?
She was surely plotting something.
But could Shen Lingshu refuse?
No, she had to go hunting. No matter what Side Consort Fang was scheming, she had to enter the mountains. Only by going in could she have a chance to find the Prince and, with luck, secure another life-saving favor!
Fortune favors the bold!