Chapter 95: A Beauty with Killing Power
Xiao Li had no desire to go to the Wang family’s estate, especially knowing they bore ill will. She would have to be an idiot to walk right into their scheme.
She was a princess, after all. If she refused a subject’s invitation, what could they possibly do about it?
But in the end, Xiao Li decided to go. Because Hong Yue had said, "Princess, if you don’t go, the rumors outside will never die down. Everyone will think you’re still grieving for the late Mr. Lu."
A single sentence had struck Xiao Li’s Achilles’ heel.
Right now, the only thing Xiao Li cared about more than leaving this world was her deceased ex-husband, Lu Yanzhi.
It wasn’t that she truly cared, but that she couldn’t seem to sever ties with him. Because of the month she’d spent in a coma, everyone said she both loved and hated Lu Yanzhi.
Hate was a given, but there wasn’t an ounce of love. Yet everyone was convinced she had fallen into a coma, heartbroken from killing Lu Yanzhi. She couldn’t have explained the truth even if she had eight mouths.
It was just a banquet. She would go.
And she wouldn’t just go—she would go in the most high-profile way imaginable.
’They say I’m heartbroken over Lu Yanzhi’s death? Fine. Let them see for themselves just how heartbroken I am.’
Finally getting a chance to show off their skills, Hong Yue and Lan Yue were thrilled. They quickly brought out a beautiful, newly-made set of formal robes.
It was a smoky, pale purple gown. The inner layer was a chest-high ruqun, and over it was a deep purple outer robe embroidered with peonies.
It was both magnificent and tenderly alluring, exuding endless charm. A single glance was enough to convey its profound femininity.
Xiao Li’s eyelid twitched a few times, but she put it on anyway.
Her hair was styled into an ethereal cloud-like bun, adorned with golden hairpins and a jade comb. Tassels dangled from them, swaying with a captivating grace.
She then had a striking makeup look applied, which accentuated her already outstanding features to their absolute peak.
Finally, a swipe of "Red Eye" lipstick acted as the finishing touch, instantly lending her beauty a lethal edge.
Hong Yue and Lan Yue glanced at each other, unable to contain their excitement.
’AHHHH, the princess is the most beautiful person alive!!!’
’No one is worthy of her!!’
"Princess, this subord—"
Yang Jun, having recovered from his injuries somewhat, had come to report. He only managed to start his sentence before he completely forgot what he was about to say.
His vision was filled with nothing but the purple-clad fairy gliding gracefully toward him.
He had been by the princess’s side for years, but he had never noticed how beautiful she was. The former princess, so dull and cautious, could make even the most magnificent clothes seem drab just by wearing them.
Later, as the princess began to defy the Prince Consort, she had gradually come to life, like a pearl wiped clean of dust, finally revealing its own brilliant luster.
But her methods had been too ruthless, her aura too hostile, and people hadn’t dared to look her straight in the eye.
Only today, in that soft purple gown and with that makeup, was her feminine charm and allure displayed to its fullest. A single glance was enough to send his heart into disarray.
"THUMP, THUMP..." His heart was about to leap out of his throat.
He could only watch, transfixed, as that figure, like the Mysterious Woman of the Ninth Heaven, walked toward him, shot him a proud, contemptuous glance, and departed with disdain.
"Brother Yang... Brother Yang..."
Yang Jun snapped out of his daze. "Ah, Miss Hong Yue, were you calling me?"
Hong Yue smiled, took a step back, and pointed at his nose. "You’ve got a nosebleed."
Yang Jun touched his face and his hand came away covered in blood. For a moment, his ears rang. ’It’s over. I’ve made a complete fool of myself. No wonder the princess looked at me that way.’
But as the memory of that glance flashed through his mind, his nose began to bleed even more furiously.
Mortified, Yang Jun could only clap a hand over his nose and flee in disgrace.
But Yang Jun was only the first victim of the day.
Rong Qing, who was escorting Xiao Li, stood frozen at the door for a long moment. He didn’t snap out of it until the princess was already settled in her sedan chair. He felt a little awkward when he realized he had been staring, lost in a daze. But when he looked up, he saw that everyone around him was in a similar state—their gazes wandering, their faces flushed with excitement.
Her sedan chair had only traveled two streets when they encountered Prince Wei, who had been waiting for her. After a brief greeting, Prince Wei let her go on ahead, and they ended up arriving at the Wang family’s estate together.
They were rather late; all the other guests had already gone inside, leaving the entrance deserted.
Prince Wei waited to enter with Xiao Li. The moment she stepped out of her sedan chair, he couldn’t help but take a deep breath, sighing with a smile as he said:
"Imperial Sister, I see you’ve decided not to leave the other ladies any chance to shine, have you?"
----
At the Wang family estate, Wang Changwen had only just learned of his son and daughter-in-law’s intentions.
"Nonsense! How could you indulge Shiqi’s foolishness like this?"
Wang Shiqi was the son of Wang Changwen’s second son. As a child, his sweet words and obedient demeanor made him Old Madam Wang’s favorite, and his mother spoiled him endlessly. As a result, they had raised a veritable little tyrant.
He hated studying, was an expert at brawling, and had a real talent for stirring up trouble.
He was already twenty this year, and though several matches had been proposed, none had ever worked out.
Just as his mother was growing frantic, he ran to her and announced that he had taken a fancy to the princess.
No one knew where he could have possibly seen the princess, but he was utterly infatuated.
He hadn’t dared to breathe a word of it before, but now that the princess had divorced her husband, he felt his chance had come. He began relentlessly pestering his grandmother and mother to act as matchmakers for him.
They tried to reason with him, saying the princess had been married before.
He retorted that Lu Yanzhi had been useless and that the princess was still a virgin.
They said the princess had killed her husband.
He argued that the Lu family were traitors who deserved to die anyway. Besides, that Lu Yanzhi had been scandalously involved with Princess Chen. A man with no self-respect like that deserved to die, he said.
They pointed out her husband had only been dead for two months.
He insisted they had to seize the opportunity, or else she would marry someone else.
In short, he was dead set on becoming the Prince Consort, no matter what. If he couldn’t marry the princess, he would refuse to eat, drink, or even live.
The Wang family: "..."
Second Madam Wang couldn’t believe she had given birth to such an "infatuated" son.
They couldn’t argue with him, and they couldn’t out-stubborn him.
Left with no other choice, they could only find a way to invite the princess over, hoping it might change the situation.
"Alright, alright. We’re just letting him have a look, we’re not actually going to let him marry the princess," Old Madam Wang said placatingly. "I heard she’s still deeply in love with her former Prince Consort. This match will never work out."
Old Madam Wang’s persuasive tone was filled with the weary compromise and helplessness of someone who was thoroughly fed up with her grandson’s pestering.
She had absolutely no intention of letting her grandson marry the princess. She simply couldn’t stand his pestering anymore and had arranged this invitation so he could see her, hoping it would quiet him down for a few days.
Understanding Old Madam Wang’s true intentions, Wang Changwen calmed down. But then, he actually began to consider the possibility of seeing the matter through.
’Lu Cang’s grandson was the previous Prince Consort. If my grandson becomes the next one, it feels like he’d be a step beneath him no matter how you look at it.’
’But they say the princess never consummated her marriage with the last Prince Consort. If my grandson were to marry her, and they consummated their union and quickly had a child... wouldn’t that just prove that Lu Yanzhi was a failure?’
’I’ve already taken Lu Cang’s position as Grand Secretary. To have my grandson marry the princess and one-up Lu Cang’s own grandson... perhaps that’s not such a bad idea.’
’I bear the princess no ill will. In fact, I quite admired her when she publicly humiliated Lu Cang and left him with no way to save face.’
’If my grandson truly likes the princess, then this matter isn’t entirely out of the question.’
Sensing his change of heart, Old Madam Wang thought, ’...How did another one of them get so muddled?’