“Sob… sob, sob…”
Ming Yuelan knelt on the ground, her eyes swollen from crying, and the slap mark on her cheek was heavily inflamed.
Liu Yingwu spat out, “Shameless! What ‘noble lady’? What ‘exemplary noblewoman’? Seducing the Crown Prince—you are clearly a lowly harlot!”
“You still have the nerve to cry? If I were you, I’d rather find a block of tofu to bash my head against and die!”
“You!” Ming Yuelan was filled with hatred, wishing she could pounce and tear Liu Yingwu’s foul mouth apart!
But she was in the wrong and had no standing to curse back. She could only look tearfully and aggrievedly at Bei Chenjing. “Your Highness, it hurts. My waist hurts… my whole body hurts…”
“Shut up!” Bei Chenjing had a sour look on his face and snapped at her, “Keep quiet in the imperial presence!”
Ming Yuelan shed tears of grievance. She couldn’t understand it. Last night, the Crown Prince had clearly been like a wolf or a tiger, favoring her with fierce intensity! How was it that now, after putting his pants back on, he seemed like a completely different person?
“His Majesty grants an audience!” Fu Lai, the head eunuch, called out. “Crown Prince, and the two young ladies, please enter.”
Bei Chenjing had just scrambled to his feet, but his legs were weak from kneeling for so long, and he nearly fell back down. With a grim expression, he barely managed to straighten his appearance and walked in with a limp.
“Your Highness, wait for me!” Liu Yingwu, who practiced martial arts and was in good physical shape, scrambled up quickly and chased after Bei Chenjing, turning back to give Ming Yuelan a triumphant, provocative glare.
Ming Yuelan bit her lip in fury until it bled. Her hands and feet were weak, and her whole body was racked with pain; she had to call for her maids to support her as she went in.
“This humble girl pays her respects to Your Majesty!” Ming Yuelan knelt and bowed, her heart filled with pride. She had already shared physical intimacy with the Crown Prince! Surely, His Majesty was about to grant them a marriage decree!
“Father! This son was drunk and not of clear mind; I was seduced by Ming Yuelan! This son knows his mistake and asks for Father’s punishment!”
Ming Yuelan looked up in instant disbelief—the Crown Prince wouldn’t take responsibility? Impossible! She shouted in desperation, “Your Highness, it was clearly you who came to find me, who held me, kissed me, and tore my dress…”
“Presumptuous! In front of Father, Ming Yuelan, you must not speak such nonsense!” Bei Chenjing turned his head, glaring at her with a cruel, ruthless look, warning her.
Ming Yuelan’s heart broke instantly. “Your Highness, I am already your person.”
“Your Majesty! Ming Yuelan wantonly seduced the Crown Prince and ruined his reputation. She is unworthy of being the Crown Princess! Please, Your Majesty, investigate clearly!” Liu Yingwu seized the opportunity to kick her while she was down.
Ming Yuelan grew frantic. She glared at Liu Yingwu with deadly hatred and shouted in panic, “Your Majesty! This humble girl did not seduce the Prince! I have a witness! Ming Yueni…”
Where did that little wretch go?!
Upon hearing Ming Yueni’s name, the cold and ruthless Emperor, who sat upon the dragon throne scrutinizing them from on high, finally condescended to speak: “Come out.”
Who? Who was the Emperor calling for?
In the next second, Ming Yueni walked out gracefully from behind the gilded screen adorned with flying dragons. Everyone was stunned!
Ming Yueni was extraordinarily beautiful, but she had always been suppressed by Ming Yuelan, forced to wear old clothes and forbidden from grooming herself. Now, with her dark hair swept up in a cloud-like bun—her stunning face and snow-white skin—her celestial beauty could no longer be hidden. The gold hairpin with an Eastern pearl in her bun and the vibrant, expensive pink palace gown made her look exceptionally dazzling! She was like the most beautiful pink peony in the Imperial Garden, delicate and alluring.
“This humble girl, Ming Yueni—pays respects to Your Majesty!”
“A beauty,” Bei Chenjing murmured softly, his eyes fixed on her, completely entranced as if his soul had been snatched away.
Seeing this, Bei Chenyuan’s gaze darkened like an abyss. As soon as he spoke, his imperial aura was so overwhelming that everyone trembled. His voice was majestic and cold: “Ming Yueni, tell us what you know.”
“Reporting to Your Majesty, my sister did not seduce the Crown Prince!”
Hearing this, the malicious jealousy in Ming Yuelan’s eyes immediately turned into ecstatic excitement. The little wretch was so well-trained and obedient! She would reward her—by not hitting or pinching her for three days!
In the next second, Ming Yueni continued, “It was a maid from the Eastern Palace who told me—that the Crown Prince likes powder blue and would be coming last night, and that preparations should be made.”
Ming Yueni knelt in an upright and obedient manner, her sweet, soft voice uttering the most devastating words. “His Highness must have come to see my sister! My sister and His Highness—are in love with each other.”
“No!” Bei Chenjing countered with agitation, “I don’t like her at all! The one I like is you! I fell in love with you at first sight! Beauty, I came to find you!”
These words were like silent slaps, leaving Ming Yuelan’s face swollen with shame and making her heart scream in madness! They also startled Liu Yingwu, who clenched her fists and looked at Ming Yueni with a gaze like she was looking at a dead person.
In front of everyone, the corners of Ming Yueni’s eyes turned red. She appeared as though she had been greatly frightened; her peach blossom eyes were clouded with mist, and she looked at Bei Chenyuan, trembling with tears. Her soft voice had lost its sweetness, replaced only by terror and fear.
“May Your Majesty investigate! This humble girl has only met the Crown Prince once! I haven’t even spoken a single word to His Highness!” Ming Yueni was innocent and terrified to the extreme, her voice carrying a sob as she bowed her delicate body. “Your Majesty, I am of lowly status and do not dare to harbor designs on the Crown Prince.”
The beauty was soft and delicate, making anyone feel pity for her. Unfortunately, her status did not match the Prince’s!
Bei Chenyuan’s eyes were deep and dark. He asked with noble majesty, “Crown Prince, you can only marry one Crown Princess. Do you want to marry her?”
Bei Chenjing froze. His base lust cooled rapidly as he began to weigh the pros and cons—he was only a prince adopted from a branch family; to sit securely on the throne, he had to have the full support of powerful officials. Ming Yueni was of lowly birth and could only be a plaything in bed. Ming Yuelan had lost her virginity and couldn’t leave him.
Only—
Bei Chenjing looked at Liu Yingwu and spoke without hesitation, “Father, this son wishes to marry the daughter of the Great General!”
Liu Yingwu was overjoyed. Her eyes darted around, and she immediately put on a virtuous front. “Your Highness, I am not a jealous person. Why not bring the Ming sisters into the palace as concubines? We can all work together to spread Your Highness’s progeny.”
“Good! Excellent!” Bei Chenjing’s eyes instantly burned with heat as he stared at Ming Yueni.
Ming Yueni felt so disgusted she wanted to vomit! Suppressing the urge to retch, she pointed at Ming Yuelan. “Your Highness, Miss Liu is referring to my sister.”
Thump!
Ming Yuelan couldn’t take the series of shocks and fainted on the spot. Seeing this, Ming Yueni felt an immense sense of mockery in her heart—she had only suffered a fraction of what Yueni had endured in the past, and she had already fainted? The revenge hadn’t even truly begun!
“Father, please grant Ming Yueni to…”
Bei Chenjing still hadn’t given up, wanting both sisters to be his concubines. But just as he started to speak, he was frozen by an incredibly terrifying and sharp gaze from above.
Bei Chenyuan was inscrutable. “Crown Prince, you are too greedy.”
“Father, please calm your anger! This son knows his mistake!” Bei Chenjing was terrified and prostrated himself on the floor.
Bei Chenyuan waved his sleeve. “Dismissed.”
The unconscious Ming Yuelan was dragged away first. As Bei Chenjing and Liu Yingwu retreated, they both shot a glance at Ming Yueni. The former was determined—Beauty, you can’t escape! The latter was gnashing her teeth in jealousy—You little wretch, seducing the Prince, just wait for your death!
Ming Yueni saw it all, but her lashes remained lowered, hiding the faint coldness in her eyes.
“Ming Yueni, you have enchanted the Crown Prince. What should be your punishment?”
“Your Majesty! I am innocent!” Ming Yueni lifted her small face, her beautiful eyes brimming with tears, looking aggrieved and alluring without even realizing it.
Bei Chenyuan’s gaze grew increasingly dark. He spoke in an extremely cold tone, “A femme fatale brings disaster. You must be punished!”
Ming Yueni’s heart trembled violently…