"Imperial Brother…" Shen Junlin grew anxious and was about to plead for leniency when the Emperor stopped him again.
"However… today is the joyous occasion of your wedding, and it is not suitable for bloodshed. After noon tomorrow, you shall go to Cining Palace, stand before the Empress Dowager, and personally receive your punishment."
Mu Nanyin breathed a sigh of relief.
She knew that today's calamity had been averted.
As long as the marriage was not annulled, Shen Sichen would not step forward to ask the Emperor for a marriage decree, Shen Junlin would not go mad on the spot, would not be punished with house arrest, would not suffer from madness, and would not die a sudden death.
And since she was not with Shen Sichen and did not help him contend for the throne, given Father's temperament, it was even more impossible for him to be won over. The Mu family would not face disaster.
Trading all this for her receiving fifty strokes of the cane was worth it.
Seeing Shen Junlin about to speak again, Mu Nanyin grabbed his hand and shook her head.
"Shen Junlin, do not plead for me. The Emperor has already shown exceptional mercy. Everything that happened today was caused by me, and I must bear the consequences myself."
This punishment was unavoidable.
Only in this way could she completely sever ties with Shen Sichen and dispel the rumors of her past desperate devotion to him.
And only in this way could she prove her heart to Shen Junlin.
This was her first step in making amends to him. Only by taking this step could she and Shen Junlin continue to coexist and mend the fractures of the past.
Otherwise, even if she and Shen Junlin truly reconciled in the future, there would always remain a thorn in both their hearts.
That was the first reason.
Beyond that, there was a second, even more important reason.
If Shen Junlin's plea spared her this punishment, it would inevitably lead to greater trouble in the future.
The Emperor was already excessively indulgent and doting toward Shen Junlin on ordinary days.
Shen Junlin's status even surpassed that of the current Crown Prince and the Third Prince.
The dignity of the imperial family could not be challenged. If the Emperor spared her the punishment because of Shen Junlin's plea, not only would she and Shen Junlin be criticized, but even the Emperor would face public censure.
Extreme prosperity inevitably leads to decline; sometimes, imperial favor is a double-edged sword.
Shen Junlin understood this better than anyone.
Thus, after a moment of silence, Shen Junlin stopped pleading and simply looked at her with a complex expression.
"Are you doing this for me, or for him? Is it worth it?"
Mu Nanyin smiled. "I told you, I will prove it to you. I have already given you my answer. If you refuse to believe it now, one day you will."
She had hurt him too deeply; those wounds had pierced his bones and sunk into his heart.
They could not be erased by a few promises, a few sweet words, or even fifty strokes of the cane.
A deep-seated illness must be cured slowly.
She had plenty of time and patience to prove herself, as long as he gave her enough opportunities.
Shen Junlin lowered his eyelids. The sincerity in her eyes was too evident; he feared that if he looked any longer, he would fall deeper step by step.
Outside the hall, Shen Sichen, who had rushed over in haste, watched this scene, his face as dark as thick ink.
Damn it!
That wretched woman had truly betrayed him.
Not only had she failed to follow the original plan and ask the Emperor for a marriage decree in his favor, but she had also prevented Shen Junlin from annulling the marriage.
If her engagement to Shen Junlin remained intact, and he stepped forward now to claim her, wouldn't he become the third party interfering?
How could this have happened?
Just this afternoon, she had been perfectly fine, causing a huge scene at the wedding banquet and even taking out a dagger to promise him she would definitely call off the engagement.
Only an hour had passed. He had merely turned away to be intimate with Mu Bailian for a moment—how could things have turned out like this?
One step away.
Just one step!
Mu Bailian also gritted her teeth in hatred.
But she was more patient than Shen Sichen and better at pretending.
Seeing Shen Sichen’s face darken like the bottom of a pot, the corners of her lips curled into a smug smile before she put on a fragile and helpless expression.
"What should we do now, Your Highness? Could it be that Elder Sister misunderstood something between us… and got so angry that she suddenly changed her mind?"
Shen Sichen’s face was grim, his mood irritable.
Stupid women, one after another, never giving him a moment’s peace!
"I recall that you and Princess Ning’an are as close as sisters, aren’t you? Hasn’t she always admired Imperial Uncle? With such a perfect opportunity today to make Imperial Uncle and Mu Nanyin call off their engagement, would she let it slip away?"
Mu Bailian hesitated slightly. "But… things have already come to this. Can Princess Ning’an really turn the situation around?"
"Hmph, let her try first. If the engagement can be called off today, that would be best. If not, isn’t Mu Nanyin supposed to go to the Empress Dowager tomorrow to receive her punishment? Don’t forget, the Empress Dowager has always doted on me and Princess Ning’an the most."
Shen Sichen looked at the two kneeling figures in the grand hall, a shadow of gloom flashing in his eyes.
It would be best if Princess Ning’an could turn the situation around today. Otherwise, once tonight passed, the two would be united as husband and wife, and calling off the engagement would become a divorce.
Then what use would he have for Mu Nanyin, a tainted woman?
If he couldn’t have her, Shen Junlin shouldn’t even think about it either.
By then, those fifty heavy strikes wouldn’t even require his intervention. With that fool Ning’an around, she only needed to whisper a few words in the Empress Dowager’s ear to make Mu Nanyin suffer the consequences!
In the grand hall—
"Enough. Since the engagement isn’t being called off, there’s no need to kneel any longer. It’s been a long and exhausting day—hurry back and rest. Remember to come to the palace tomorrow to receive your punishment."
The Emperor waved his hand, signaling for the two to leave.
Mu Nanyin thanked him for his grace and helped Shen Junlin to his feet. Just as they were about to walk out, they saw a figure dressed in lavish attire, her hair adorned with jewels, storming in through the entrance.
"Father, I object! How could Mu Nanyin act so recklessly at Imperial Uncle’s wedding banquet, disregarding the dignity of the imperial family? How can she decide whether to call off the engagement or not as she pleases?"
Princess Ning’an.
It was said that she was the descendant of a certain imperial relative. Her parents had fallen seriously ill and passed away one after another, leaving behind their young and helpless daughter. The Emperor, taking pity on her, brought her into the palace and adopted her as his goddaughter.
Although she was only a goddaughter, she had been raised by the Empress Dowager since childhood and was deeply cherished by her.
With no daughters of their own, and because the Emperor had been as close as brothers with Ning’an’s father during his time in the princely estate, the Emperor doted on Ning’an as if she were his own flesh and blood. Her status in the palace was almost on par with Shen Junlin’s.
As a result, this princess developed a willful, arrogant, and domineering temperament.
"Ning’an, don’t make a scene."
Princess Ning’an glared fiercely at Mu Nanyin, her face filled with resentment.
"Father Emperor, your son is not acting recklessly. This Mu Nanyin is utterly uncultured, barbaric, and crude, completely unworthy of Imperial Uncle. What she just said about having already consummated the marriage with Imperial Uncle is clearly just an excuse to avoid breaking off the engagement. Everyone in the capital knows she and Third Imperial Brother are deeply in love, and she has been desperately trying to break off the engagement for his sake. How could she possibly have climbed into Imperial Uncle's bed so quickly? Her current behavior clearly indicates she has ulterior motives toward Imperial Uncle. Your son cannot stand by and watch her deceive Imperial Uncle."
Mu Nanyin frowned.
Before today, she had never met this princess.
She did not understand why the princess suddenly jumped out to obstruct things, nor where this undisguised malice came from.
As for her previous life, she had only encountered this princess once, and they had not even exchanged more than a few words.
In her previous life, she met Ning'an at Jingyuan. After Shen Junlin was imprisoned and went mad, she went with Shen Sichen to visit him. At Jingyuan, she saw Ning'an silently keeping watch by Shen Junlin's side.
According to the servants at Jingyuan, Princess Ning'an had climbed over the wall and slipped in on the second day after Shen Junlin was imprisoned. At the time, she was still wearing a bright red wedding dress, having reportedly fled from a marriage arranged by the Emperor.
The servants at Jingyuan said that during the half-month when Prince Lin was suffering from madness, he would bite anyone he saw and slash at anyone he encountered when his fits came on. Everyone was terrified and unable to get close to serve him.
Only Princess Ning'an risked her life to care for him.
The servants at Jingyuan said that Prince Lin was extremely dependent on Princess Ning'an. When he was not having an episode, he would stare at her with a foolish smile and obey her every wish.
But later, Shen Junlin went mad one night, slaughtered everyone in Jingyuan, and then took his own life. It was unknown whether Princess Ning'an was among the bodies strewn across the ground.
Later… Shen Junlin was clearly dead, yet eight years later, he appeared again in the imperial prison, dying for love of her. Was there something strange about this, and could it be related to Princess Ning'an?