“Whom do you like? Just tell Us.”
The Emperor’s voice, carrying a hint of kindness within its majesty, drifted down from above, slow yet distinct.
Shen Yao felt dazed. Was this… a rebirth?
She quickly realized she had returned to the year she was seventeen.
On this day, during an imperial family banquet, the Emperor had invited her to the palace. His words carried the weight of gold; he intended to arrange a marriage for her.
Shen Yao opened her mouth, her heart suddenly a whirlwind of complex emotions, her eyes stinging with bitterness.
“You needn’t be nervous.”
Seeing her silence, the Emperor’s voice softened further. “The Shen family has served the military for generations. Your father, brothers, and uncles all died on the battlefield for Our Great Sheng Dynasty. Now, only you, a single daughter, remain. Regarding your marriage, We will certainly take charge of it for you. No matter whom you wish to marry, We will surely grant it.”
Even after two lifetimes, the thought of the General’s Manor still brought unbearable pain.
The Great Sheng Dynasty had been established for less than a hundred years; its foundations were unstable, plagued by internal troubles and external threats.
Last year, the northern iron cavalry invaded the border, and the Shen family was ordered north to repel the enemy.
On the day they set out, her father, uncles, and brothers were in high spirits as they bid her farewell, chattering incessantly. At that time, Shen Yao had found it quite annoying.
When they returned, Shen Yao only saw one corpse after another, wrapped in tattered cloaks and robes, lying quietly in coffins.
Her aunts and sisters-in-law either returned to their maiden homes or remarried. Her mother, consumed by grief, passed away from illness early this year.
In the vast General’s Manor, Shen Yao was indeed the only one left.
The Emperor had arranged this banquet, ostensibly as a family gathering, but in reality, it was to settle Shen Yao’s marriage—a way to console the spirits of the Shen family’s martyrs.
On the right, a woman chuckled mockingly. “Why does Imperial Father even bother to ask? Everyone knows Miss Shen likes Brother Crown Prince—and she’s hopelessly in love with him, to boot!”
The speaker was the Fifth Princess, Anyi, who was greatly favored in the palace.
In her previous life, the Fifth Princess had said the same thing.
Back then, Shen Yao’s cheeks had flushed red as she lowered her head.
The Emperor, seeing this, waved his hand and laughed heartily. “Then We shall decide! We will pick an auspicious day for you and Jingchu to wed!”
Shen Yao had joyfully prepared for the wedding, sewing her bridal robes stitch by stitch herself. She had heard that doing so would ensure a smooth and harmonious married life.
But on their wedding night, Xie Jingchu refused to consummate the marriage.
He wouldn’t allow Shen Yao onto the bed, forcing her to spend the night curled up on the cold floor before it.
Because the marriage was never consummated, Shen Yao’s belly remained empty. The Emperor and Empress went from initial sympathy to eventual disappointment.
Those in the Eastern Palace, seeing which way the wind blew, ceased to respect the Crown Princess.
Shen Yao suffered endless humiliation in the Eastern Palace.
One day, she happened to overhear a conversation between Xie Jingchu and a friend.
They were talking about her. It turned out he knew all about the bullying and grievances she suffered in the Eastern Palace.
He simply didn’t care—or rather, he permitted it all.
Shen Yao heard Xie Jingchu say in a cold, mocking tone, “Forcing her way into a marriage with me… this is her just deserts.”
His friend asked sympathetically, “Miss Shen is beautiful and loves you. Do you truly have no feelings for her at all?”
Xie Jingchu’s voice held not a shred of warmth. “She only makes me feel disgusted.”
Shen Yao felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.
Forcing her way in… When did she ever force the marriage?
It was his Imperial Father’s intention. If he was unwilling, why didn’t he say so clearly to his father instead of punishing her?
In this absurd marriage, the Emperor gained a reputation for treating the families of martyrs well, and the Crown Prince pleased his father. Only Shen Yao became the sacrifice for everything.
What had she done wrong to deserve such an end?
She felt so sick she wanted to vomit, but nothing came up.
Her eyes felt sore and swollen, yet not a single tear could fall.
Numbly, she found Xie Jingchu, knelt on the ground, and proposed a divorce.
Xie Jingchu, who was usually cold as frost toward her, suddenly grew angry for some reason. He snatched up a white porcelain cup from beside him and hurled it at her.
Shen Yao didn’t dodge or flinch. The cup struck her temple, and blood flowed like a stream.
Xie Jingchu seemed stunned for a moment. His first instinct was to stand up and approach her, but in the end, he remained seated, his teeth slightly clenched. “There’s no need to play the victim.”
He refused to agree to the divorce, and for several days afterward, he wouldn’t say a word to her.
Later, for reasons unknown, Xie Jingchu relented.
On the eve of the divorce, Shen Yao looked around the room and suddenly realized she had no attachment to the place, nor was there anything she needed to take with her.
Looking into the bronze mirror, she felt as if she were seeing a past life. She had married into the Eastern Palace at seventeen; in just two years, she had been tortured until she was nothing but skin and bones, pale and haggard.
Fortunately, she was about to leave this place…
Shen Yao drifted off to sleep, and inexplicably, she was back in her seventeenth year.
Perhaps even Heaven took pity on her?
“Oh? You like Jingchu?” The Emperor looked over thoughtfully.
“Indeed, Miss Shen is quite fond of Brother Crown Prince!”
Princess Anyi smiled teasingly. “Miss Shen often sends Brother Crown Prince all sorts of pastries, all made by her own hand. Once, she even accidentally injured her hand, but kept saying it was nothing, that it didn’t hurt. Though, most of those pastries were eaten by me.”
She gave a sly grin before continuing, “Also, a while back, Brother Crown Prince lost his favorite sachet and was in a foul mood. Miss Shen specifically came to ask me what patterns and designs he likes, wanting to hand-stitch a sachet for him!”
As Princess Anyi spoke, Xie Jingchu frowned. He clearly had no desire to be involved with Shen Yao; to him, these matters were merely burdens.
The eyes of the guests in the hall fell upon Shen Yao one after another, filled with either curiosity or mockery.
Everyone was waiting to hear a juicy story or witness a joke.
Under the gaze of the crowd, Shen Yao should have felt embarrassed and ashamed, but because of her experiences in her previous life, she felt it was all familiar—nothing significant.
The Emperor smiled. “So you like the Crown Prince that much. It makes sense, though. You grew up alongside Jingchu; surely your feelings are mutual. If that is the case, then We shall decide—”
Seeing that the Emperor was about to decree their betrothal, Shen Yao took a deep breath and interrupted him. “Replying to Your Majesty.”
“Hmm?” The Emperor looked at her.
Shen Yao’s eyes were slightly red as she gathered her thoughts. This time, she did not look at Xie Jingchu sitting in his seat of honor.
Instead, she prostrated herself heavily. In front of the civil and military officials and the scions of the imperial family, she pressed her forehead against the hard ground, her voice exceptionally firm. “It is true that I grew up with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, but I hold His Highness in high respect. I have never harbored any improper thoughts toward him.”
As soon as these words were spoken, a hush fell over the hall.
She didn’t see that on the throne, Xie Jingchu’s brow furrowed even deeper.
The Emperor asked half-doubtingly, “Is that true?”
Shen Yao knew that today, the Emperor was determined to marry her off. If she didn’t name someone, he wouldn’t let the matter rest.
Therefore, Shen Yao did not straighten up. Still bowing low, she said devoutly, “I have long admired Prince Jing. If I could marry Prince Jing as his wife, I would have no regrets in this life.”