Even the crown prince is getting a marriage of convenience? Why are you in such a hurry to stop bein

"Your Highness, you are the mistress, and I dare not be disrespectful to you. But if you are ungrateful and waste Her Highness's good intentions, then don't blame me for forcing you to do it."

Shen Qinglan's eyes widened. "What do you want to do?"

"What kind of medicine is this?"

If it were just an ordinary tonic soup, why would Consort Xian use such methods to force her to drink it?

But Qiulan didn't answer her. Instead, she pinched her cheeks, forced her to open her mouth, and forced the soup down her throat. Shen Qinglan tried her best to keep her mouth shut, but some of the soup still slipped down her throat. The medicine tasted sour and bitter, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.

After the woman finished drinking the medicine, the two palace maids released her hands in unison, leaving her lying on the ground in a sorry state, vomiting repeatedly. However, after vomiting for a while, she was exhausted but did not vomit any medicine.

Her face was pale, and she coldly looked up, staring at Qiulan.

"What exactly did you give me to drink?"

"Your Highness, what you say is unbelievable. Consort Xian is your mother-in-law; would she possibly harm you? This is a wonderful thing to enhance pleasure and nourish your body. After drinking it, you will naturally experience the wonders of love between men and women. When you and Prince Kang consummate your marriage, rekindle your old flame, and have a harmonious marriage, and then give birth to a little prince, wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Qinglan's heart sank.

To add to the fun? Or for romantic encounters?

The virtuous concubine resorted to such despicable means to bind her.

Qiu Lan looked at her dazed state as she lay on the ground and smiled smugly. She had two maids help her to the bed. The woman seemed to be under the influence of the drug, her body was limp and boneless, and even when she was placed on the bed, she was still limp and weak.

Seeing her like this, Qiulan was completely relieved. But just as she was about to leave with the two maids, there were two loud thuds as the two maids collapsed to the ground. Qiulan turned around in surprise and was met with a porcelain vase about to fall.

"you……"

Why didn't you faint?

Before she could even speak, she swiftly knocked the woman unconscious.

Shen Qinglan pulled her clothes tighter, her whole body trembling slightly. The effects of the medicine surged up like a tidal wave, making her feel hot and weak all over, as if ants were crawling all over her. She bit her lower lip hard, clenched her palms, and barely managed to calm herself before pushing open the door and running out.

She absolutely cannot stay here; if she does, all that awaits her is King Kang.

"Wake up?"

Xiao Lie sensed something was wrong and quietly slipped out under a pretext. He then saw Shen Qinglan suddenly push open the door of the side hall and stumble out.

Her skin had an unnatural, mocking look, her eyes were watery, her body was hot, and she seemed dazed; she was clearly under the influence of drugs.

Are you alright?

Seeing that her legs went weak and she was about to trip, Xiao Lie hurriedly reached out to support her. However, the woman misunderstood this and gritted her teeth to slap her, but because she was too weak, she only managed to hit her neck before falling limply to the ground.

She's such a worry. Xiao Lie grabbed her wrist, and seeing that she was still struggling, he forcibly took her to the edge of the pool and threw her in.

As autumn deepened, the icy lake water enveloped her, and upon first contact, it felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave. Shen Qinglan jolted awake and saw the young man standing on the shore, smiling at her.

"How are you? Are you awake now?"

She recalled how she had just revealed her desire, and felt both ashamed and embarrassed. She quickly covered her chest, bit her lip, and whispered.

"Thank you for your rescue, Young Master Xiao. Please... Young Master Xiao, turn your back so I can get ashore."

Shen Qinglan changed into a thin dress, which clung to her body as soon as it got wet, revealing glimpses of her skin.

Xiao Lie frowned. "You're just planning to go back like this? You never know who you'll run into along the way. Just you wait."

After saying this, the young man turned and left. A short while later, he returned from the side hall with a new set of clothes and a cloak.

"Make do with this for now, and change into a new one when we get to the side hall."

Xiao Lie placed his clothes and cloak by the water's edge, then turned his back and began discussing what had just happened.

"What exactly happened just now?"

"Aunt Qiulan, who serves Consort Xian, tried to drug me, so that I would be with Prince Kang..."

She didn't need to finish her sentence; Xiao Lie could already guess what she was going to say. He only needed to think for a moment to understand what Consort Xian and her son were planning.

Unable to retain their people, they decided to resort to force.

"Are these two really no good?"

Xiao Lie stroked his chin and sighed. Admittedly, he wasn't a good person either, but at least compared to Consort Xian and her son, he still had some bottom line. As long as no one else provoked him, he wouldn't resort to such despicable means.

But the fact that Consort Xian and her son were willing to go to such lengths precisely demonstrates their determination.

Xiao Lie narrowed his eyes slightly. "You plan to just go back like this and pretend nothing happened?"

The woman paused for a moment, her voice hoarse.

"As long as His Majesty has not granted my request for a divorce, I will remain the Princess Consort of Kang. Where else can I go besides the Prince's residence?"

These words left Xiao Lie feeling powerless, as if he had punched a piece of cotton, making him inexplicably uncomfortable.

"Wait a little longer, I'm sure I can think of a way to get you out."

Putting everything else aside, half of Shen's dowry is undeniably tempting. Even disregarding other factors, he wouldn't easily give it up just for the dowry alone.

Upon hearing this, Shen Qinglan gave a helpless, bitter smile.

"Your Highness, I know you mean well, but even if you are incredibly clever and can deal with Consort Xian and her son, can you really deal with His Majesty? All the land under heaven belongs to the king, and all the people under heaven are his subjects. If His Majesty doesn't agree, then no one can do anything about it."

Xiao Lie didn't like hearing such discouraging words.

The emperor certainly has a natural advantage, but does that mean he should just obediently surrender if the emperor wants to kill the Xiao family? Giving up is not his style.

"If His Majesty is this sky, then I will surely shatter this sky. Your Highness, just you wait and see how I pave a bright future for you."

These words were incredibly absurd, yet they stirred a ripple in Shen Qinglan's stagnant heart. What if this person was telling the truth?

Shen Qinglan clenched her fists tightly, struggling desperately.

"Aren't you afraid that if others hear this, you'll be punished for a heinous crime?"

"Hmph, who else is here besides the two of us? As long as the princess doesn't tell anyone, who will know?"

This person seemed completely unaware of the risks involved in saying that.

Shen Qinglan was speechless at his words, and all the remaining advice stuck in her throat. She could only helplessly utter a single sentence.

"You're a madman."

Xiao Lie smiled slightly, feeling honored.

"Thank you for your kind words, Your Highness."

Shen Qinglan paused, speechless in the face of Xiao Lie's shamelessness.

"You...you'd better watch yourself."

Meanwhile, the Fifth Prince Jiang Yun quietly walked to the side hall, only to find several palace servants lying haphazardly inside, but Shen Qinglan was nowhere to be seen.

He felt a slight panic and hurriedly reminded the others.