nashuaworldcup Chapter 352: Stopping
Chapter 352: Stopping
Chapter 352: Stopping
His heart was filled with shame; it seemed he had destroyed his daughter with his own hands. Since the Empress's death, she hadn't cried again, as if blinded by hatred; her little hands were now stained with blood. But what could he say? He could only back down, and back down again.
So many people died at her hands, so many died with resentment. He felt that he owed not only the current Princess Xiangping, but also those who died because of Princess Xiangping.
"She was just a weak woman, how could she endure such torture? Princess Xiangping even allowed those assassins to guard a woman who couldn't fight at all. How cruel was she..."
"Stop talking, I also bear responsibility for this," the Emperor interrupted Lu Yu, not wanting him to continue. No matter how bad Princess Xiangping was, she was still his daughter, and he truly didn't want others to denigrate her.
"Your Majesty, please rescind your order," Lu Yu said, kneeling on one knee again. The Emperor looked at Lu Yu kneeling on the ground, feeling somewhat helpless and unsure of what to do.
"It's impossible to take back the order now, but if you can stop them, then do so. They're in Xiangping Palace right now. It's time to settle things once and for all. Remember to have Shen Bin come to my bedchamber. You and Xiangping wait outside the main hall." With that, he waved his sleeve, signaling Lu Yu to leave.
"Step over the fire basin!" the nanny shouted as she saw the two of them lift their feet. The two then successfully stepped over the fire basin. Princess Xiangping felt a pang of fear as she stepped over the fire basin, but seeing that she was unharmed, she patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
Inside the Xiangping Palace's sleeping quarters, there were red curtains, red silk quilts, and red pillows. The windows were decorated with "double happiness" paper-cuts, and two pairs of mandarin duck shoes were neatly arranged beside the bed.
Bright red embroidered balls hung from the rafters. In the center of the bedroom were three fruit platters: one containing apples, one containing dates, and one containing chestnuts and jujubes. There was also a plate of peanuts. In front of the fruit platters was an incense burner with several sticks of incense sticks inserted into it, the incense burning brightly.
The old woman led Princess Xiangping into the bedchamber, with Shen Bin following behind, extremely reluctant to go inside. Looking at the decorations in the room, he thought how wonderful it would be if this were his and Zhao Ning'er's bridal chamber, but why did it have to be this vicious woman? The more Shen Bin thought about it, the angrier he became, but he couldn't show it.
The nanny asked Princess Xiangping to sit on the bed.
"Your Highness, once you use the auspicious scale to lift Princess Lu's veil, the wedding will be over, and you will be husband and wife in name and in fact." The old woman spoke in a measured tone, glancing at the newlyweds from time to time. She noticed Shen Bin's dark face and Princess Xiangping's expression, which was not revealed as her veil was still up. After speaking, she quickly left, not wanting to make things awkward for the couple who showed no signs of joy.
Princess Xiangping heard the door close and knew that only she and Shen Bin were left in the room. She felt a little nervous, still holding the apple in her hand, unsure where to put it, so she placed it directly on the bed, her hands clenched tightly in her sleeves. Her heart pounded, and her mind raced, wondering what would happen next.
Thinking about what Shen Bin would look like when he lifted the veil, her face flushed red. Shen Bin saw Princess Xiangping sitting on the bed. He didn't pick up the wedding scale on the table, but instead picked up some dates and ate them, showing no sign of refinement and treating Princess Xiangping as if she were invisible.
Princess Xiangping finally couldn't hold back any longer and said, "Why hasn't Shen Lang lifted his veil yet? Don't miss the auspicious time, or it will be terrible." Hearing Princess Xiangping's words, Shen Bin continued eating dates and said, "Any time tonight is an auspicious time. I'm hungry. Can't I even eat something?" His tone was clearly dissatisfied.
Princess Xiangping wasn't angry. She said, "Since Shen Lang is hungry, it's my oversight." Shen Bin didn't want to talk to her too much. He just grunted and continued eating the dates in his hand. After eating a lot, he felt a bit greasy and drank some water. He deliberately fidgeted here and there to prolong the time, but who knew that Princess Xiangping had good stamina and didn't show any signs of drowsiness.
"Shen Lang, are you still hungry? If you're not hungry, then lift the veil, lest you miss the auspicious time." Princess Xiangping's voice rang out again, making Shen Bin feel agitated. He was thinking of Zhao Ning'er and didn't know what to do in the face of Princess Xiangping's pressure.
"I'm not hungry anymore, my hands are sore, I want to rest for a while." Shen Bin didn't evade the question and told the truth directly, making up another excuse not to lift the veil. Princess Xiangping sneered, her hands tightly gripping her wedding dress in her sleeves, her heart filled with indescribable anger, but she forcefully suppressed it and said, "Shen Lang, if we delay the auspicious time, no one will be happy." Her tone was as cold as the dead of winter.
Shen Bin dared not disobey; Zhao Ning'er's life was in her hands, and if anything were to happen to her, he would truly regret it for the rest of his life. Picking up the ceremonial scales, he walked to the bedside. Princess Xiangping saw a pair of feet slowly moving towards her and knew it must be Shen Bin. She smiled sweetly behind her veil, unable to hide her excitement.
Shen Bin placed the wedding scales under the veil, hesitating whether to lift them, when suddenly someone entered and grabbed his hand. Seeing the person, Shen Bin felt a weight lift from his heart, and the wedding scales involuntarily fell to the ground. Lu Yu, holding Shen Bin's hand, said, "Luckily, I arrived in time."
He wondered if he had arrived even a moment later, would he and Shen Bin have regretted it for the rest of their lives? Princess Xiangping looked at the weight scales that had fallen to the ground, and then heard Shen Bin seemingly talking to someone.
"Miss Ming'er is alright now," Lu Yu kindly reminded her, seeing Shen Binru's burdened expression. Upon hearing Zhao Ning'er's name, Princess Xiangping immediately lifted her veil and saw Lu Yu.
Thinking back to the day I met him, he seemed so foolish, but now his eyes are sharp and radiate a cold killing intent. I know I must have been tricked.
Seeing that Shen Bin beside her didn't even glance at her, she stood up and took his hand, saying, "Shen Lang, we...we're married, right?" She smiled, trying her best to fake it, but Lu Yu forcibly separated them.
“We haven’t consummated our marriage yet, so we’re not considered husband and wife.” Shen Bin said coldly without even glancing at her. Princess Xiangping stared blankly at Shen Bin, her smile frozen on her face, looking at him in disbelief.
She thought Shen Bin at least liked her, but the way he looked at her just now was with disgust. How could it be... how could it be disgust? It's fake, fake... it's all fake. She kept telling herself this, but when she looked at Shen Bin again, she realized she was just deceiving herself.