The surroundings instantly plunged into deathly silence, then erupted into deafening laughter and mockery.
“Another one! Since the news spread that Eldest Miss Shen is returning to the capital, there have been at least a dozen impostors claiming to be her.”
“This fool is even more ridiculous! The real one is standing right here, personally acknowledged by Second Master Shen! Has she gone mad with delusions of climbing the social ladder?”
…
A torrent of scornful remarks surged toward her, with no one believing her.
Amid the crowd, the Grand Princess’s gaze was profound, her fingertips continuously rubbing the Jade Pendant.
This was the only item that could currently prove Shen Qingwu’s identity. Yet, she couldn’t even be sure if this Jade Pendant was truly hers.
The Fourth Prince and the veiled bride seemed to have heard the most absurd joke, letting out undisguised sneers.
Because both of them knew that the real Shen Qingwu had already become a cold corpse.
Although the assassins they sent hadn’t reported back yet, how could a Spirit Realm Assassin let a sickly weakling escape?
This person before them was nothing but a fool who emerged from nowhere, foolishly dreaming of soaring to great heights in a single step!
“So it’s just another social climber, though you do have a pretty face,” the Fourth Prince said in a frivolous tone, his gaze like a sticky spiderweb lingering on Shen Qingwu’s face. “You might qualify as a plaything, but you’re too ambitious for your own good, with a fate as fragile as paper. How dare you disrupt this prince’s wedding?”
His tone shifted, condescendingly offering: “However… this prince is in a good mood today. If you kneel and beg for mercy now, offering yourself, I might show some kindness and grant you the title of a concubine. How about that?”
“Fourth Prince!” the bride buried her face in his shoulder, her voice sharp and urgent beneath the veil. “The auspicious hour is almost over! Why waste words on such lowly scum? Deal with her quickly!”
The Fourth Prince was the most dissolute and least favored by the Emperor among all the princes, which was precisely why she had the opportunity to latch onto him.
But he couldn’t just accept someone openly at their wedding! Where would that leave her dignity?
The bride secretly clenched her fists. After the wedding, she would make sure this seductress suffered a fate worse than death!
Shen Qingwu’s lips were pale, but her eyes shone with a clear, piercing light, glistening with tears yet resolute in tone: “I would rather be the wife of a humble family than your concubine!”
“Rejecting my generosity!” The Fourth Prince’s face turned livid with rage. “Seize her! Guards! Arrest this impostor who dares disrupt the wedding ceremony! This prince will ‘interrogate’ her thoroughly later!”
He emphasized the word “interrogate,” eliciting suggestive laughter from some ill-intentioned individuals in the crowd.
The guards lunged at her again with ferocious expressions.
Shen Qingwu staggered in fright, as if about to collapse, yet her seemingly frail body somehow evaded all their grasps.
Two guards, rushing too eagerly, even collided with each other and fell flat on their faces.
To outsiders, it merely looked like she had gotten lucky.
“Useless fools!” the Fourth Prince cursed angrily, stepping forward himself. His fingers curled like claws, infused with Neili, and shot straight toward Shen Qingwu’s slender neck at incredible speed!
“I have a token that can prove my identity,” Shen Qingwu frantically searched inside her sleeve, her face suddenly panicked. “Where did it go?”
She abruptly crouched to search, coincidentally causing the fierce grab to miss its mark. As her skirt swayed slightly, the tip of her foot subtly hooked…
The Fourth Prince couldn’t retract his momentum in time and actually tripped over her, stumbling forward! His empty hand slammed heavily against the red lacquered palanquin railing, instantly cracking the mahogany wood with a fine fissure!
His palm went numb from the impact, his face shifting from livid to pale.
Shen Qingwu scrambled to her feet, her tone tinged with innocence: “Fourth Prince… are you alright?”
Just then, the crowd stirred: “Second Master Shen has arrived!”
Shen Wencong and Shen Wushi hurried out from the estate. When Shen Wencong’s gaze fell upon Shen Qingwu’s features, his pupils abruptly constricted, and he instantly panicked.
Her eyes and brows were exactly like his elder brother’s! But… how could she still be alive and return?!
Though momentarily losing composure, fortunately the guests merely thought someone disrupting the wedding had displeased Second Master Shen, with no one suspecting the truth.
“Perfect timing, father and mother-in-law!” The Fourth Prince, fuming and about to strike again, had to restrain himself upon their appearance, suppressing his rage, “Look! Some lowborn wretch has crawled out from some forgotten corner pretending to be Qingwu!”
Seeing these two faces that had tormented her countless times in nightmares, Shen Qingwu felt her very bones aching, boundless hatred surging in her chest, nearly tearing her apart!
Her body even trembled slightly from extreme restraint.
To others, this appeared as fear and guilt.
“Where did this bastard come from!” Shen Wushi didn’t recognize her, shrilly cursing, “Daring to impersonate my elder brother’s daughter, have you grown tired of living?”
“Second Aunt!” Facing the vicious words, Shen Qingwu instead seemed to see a savior, her eyes shining, “Do you remember the Chanzhi Lian Yinchuan on your wrist? It was my mother’s gift when you first met! I am Qingwu!”Hearing this, Shen Wushi immediately touched her wrist, her eyes widening in shock as she panickedly stepped back.”
How could she know? Could she really be!
Shen Wencong immediately pulled her behind him, sharply barking at Steward Li: “What are you standing around for? Drag this imposter away! Don’t delay the wedding’s auspicious hour!”
Then he quickly leaned close to Steward Li’s ear, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper, “Poison her mute, disfigure her face, sever her tendons, and throw her in the woodshed to await my disposal!”
“Yes!” A flash of cruelty in Steward Li’s eyes as he roughly grabbed Shen Qingwu, dragging her toward the estate.
“Second Uncle! Second Aunt!” Shen Qingwu struggled while coughing violently, her voice plaintively questioning.
“Why won’t you acknowledge me? Even if our families separated years ago, after father and brothers fell in battle, you immediately moved into the Marquis Estate to manage affairs. I thought surely Second Uncle cherished family bonds, managing the estate on my behalf, which let me recuperate peacefully in Medicine King Valley.”
“Now that I’ve returned, why do you refuse to recognize me? Unless…”
Her words expressed gratitude, yet each syllable stabbed Shen Wencong and Shen Wushi like knives.
This inevitably made people suspect the second branch was seizing the Marquis Estate!
“Nothing but lies! Mad ravings!” Shen Wencong completely panicked, roaring in frantic anger, “Gag her! Quickly! Drag her away!”
Hearing this, Shen Qingwu shed tears of despair, ceasing her struggles as she allowed Steward Li to drag her away. She lifted her head, gazing through tear-blurred eyes at the Marquis Estate’s plaque, mournfully crying: “Father! Mother! Brothers! Your Wu’er is useless… Wu’er is coming to join you now…”
No one saw the icy resolve in her eyes the moment she closed them.
Just as she was about to be dragged through the vermilion gates—
“Stop!”
A cold shout brimming with authority and fury erupted like a thunderclap! Simultaneously, a surge of immense Neili shot through the air, striking Steward Li with pinpoint accuracy!
“Ah!” Steward Li screamed, sent flying like a kite with its string cut, before crashing heavily to the ground.
As Shen Qingwu’s weakened body was about to collapse, a hand caught and steadied her.
Lifting her tear-blurred eyes, she saw who was supporting her and feigned a look of shock and urgency, struggling weakly to push the person away:
“O-old madam?! How did you… Go quickly! Don’t mind me! You can’t afford to cross them! Don’t get involved!”
Seeing her still worrying about others despite her own precarious state, all former doubts and tests instantly melted into pity.
Shielding Shen Qingwu behind her, the old madam swept her gaze across the scene like an icy blade, her phoenix-like authority radiating intensely as she declared word by word: “This old madam wishes to see today—exactly who here is beyond my power to confront!”