I only wished to take up my fiefdom, but my elder brother forced me to rebel.

Lu Cheng was so angry that he spat out a mouthful of blood, then his vision went black and he fainted straight in the sedan chair, where he was carried away.

Lu Yuan shook his head, his heart filled with disappointment.

Fighting against this kind of person is really no challenge at all.

After the banquet, Liu Ruyan did not return to the Liu family. Instead, she was carried directly to the Ninth Prince's residence in a sedan chair.

Two sedan chair bearers escorted the sedan chair to the side gate.

The sedan chair turned very fast, and Liu Ruyan's body slammed against the sedan chair wall, and tears fell again.

As of this morning, she was still the most favored legitimate daughter of the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

Her father told her that she could become a concubine as long as she entered the palace.

Lu Cheng also sent a message saying that he would compensate her after he ascended the throne.

But what was the result?

The emperor did not value her.

In front of all the officials' wives in the garden, Lu Cheng didn't even acknowledge his own sweetheart.

She went to the palace wearing the clothes she had chosen, but ended up becoming the ninth prince's concubine. There was no betrothal gift, no wedding, and not even a banquet.

If word gets out, how will she ever have the face to stand in the capital again?

As the sedan chair passed the side courtyard, several servants who were carrying boxes also looked over.

Liu Ruyan immediately pulled the sedan curtain shut, and her tears flowed even more freely.

"Stop!"

Su Yuling came into the courtyard and stopped the sedan chair.

The sedan bearers obeyed and lowered the sedan chair.

Liu Ruyan immediately wiped away her tears and sat up straight.

With a cold face, Su Yuling walked to the front of the sedan chair and yanked open the curtain.

"Stop crying! Stop it!"

When Liu Ruyan raised her face, her eyes were filled with shyness and shame.

"Can't I even cry?"

"You've been crying ever since you entered the mansion; you've cried away all your good fortune."

Su Yuling frowned and said, "Anyone who doesn't know the situation would think that the Ninth Prince's residence kidnapped you."

Liu Ruyan bit her lip.

"Isn't that right?"

"This marriage was bestowed by His Majesty!"

Su Yuling gestured with her chin toward the outside of the sedan chair and said, "If you're not happy, I'll have someone send you back to the Liu family right now, and you can go and beg His Majesty to rescind the imperial decree of marriage."

Upon hearing this, Liu Ruyan's aggrieved expression froze.

How could she dare to ask His Majesty to annul the engagement!

Seeing that she didn't speak, Su Yuling reached out and patted the sedan door.

"Since you're not leaving, try to cry less!"

"No one in this manor will indulge you, and no one owes you anything!"

Su Yuling felt a surge of anger when she thought about how she had been tricked by Lu Cheng before.

Liu Ruyan was startled and dared not cry anymore.

After witnessing this scene in the corridor, Lu Yuan couldn't help but touch his nose.

Indeed, there is always something that can subdue another.

At this moment, Shen Hanqiu walked out of the main hall.

"The west courtyard has been cleaned up, and bedding and clothing have been delivered there."

She looked at Liu Ruyan and said, "Now that Miss Liu has entered the manor, we are family. There aren't many rules in the manor. As long as you don't have any intention to harm others, no one will make things difficult for you."

"If you're still passing on messages for outsiders, then that's a different story."

Liu Ruyan lowered her eyes.

She could tell.

Su Yuling was trying to intimidate her.

Shen Hanqiu was reminding her.

The Ninth Prince's residence may seem unruly, but in reality, no one there is easily fooled.

Lu Yuan walked down the steps and waved to Su Bo'an.

"Take her to a safe place."

Su Bo'an responded.

Granny Liu asked cautiously, "Your Highness, what about the wedding banquet?"

"no."

Lu Yuan looked at Liu Ruyan, "I dare to set this up, but does she dare to eat it?"

Liu Ruyan clenched her handkerchief tightly, still not looking up.

Lu Yuan didn't look at her again and turned to enter the main hall.

The sedan chair was lifted again, passed through the side courtyard, and stopped outside the west wing.

There was no red carpet, no firecrackers, and not even a single congratulatory message from beginning to end.

Liu Ruyan glanced back as she got out of the sedan chair.

The side door is already closed.

She wiped away her tears and stepped into the room prepared for her.

……

at night.

Liu Ruyan changed into a pink wedding dress, with a red veil covering her head, and sat properly by the bed.

This wedding dress was something Su Bo'an had arranged for her at the last minute.

She is now merely a concubine, only entitled to wear pink.

The door was pushed open, and Lu Yuan stepped into the room.

The maids standing on either side bowed and quickly withdrew.

Liu Ruyan's fingers tightened, and her eyelashes under the veil trembled.

Lu Yuan walked up to her but didn't rush to lift the veil.

"You cried all day, but you've stopped now?"

Liu Ruyan did not answer.

Lu Yuan picked up the scale rod and lifted the veil.

Her delicate face was revealed, with tear stains still clinging to the corners of her eyes.

Putting aside her malicious nature, Liu Ruyan is still quite beautiful!

Liu Ruyan avoided his gaze.

Lu Yuan leaned closer, reached out and hooked her chin, making her lift her face.

"Look at me."

Liu Ruyan could only meet his gaze.

Lu Yuan stared at her for a moment, a hint of mockery on his lips.

"If the second son saw this, he'd probably vomit blood again."

"I've never understood this."

"What do you see in a good-for-nothing who can't even protect his own woman and only knows how to run to his father and mother when trouble comes?"

Liu Ruyan's face turned pale, and tears welled up in her eyes.

She turned her face away, avoiding Lu Yuan's hand.

Large tears kept falling onto her pink dress.

Lu Yuan's words left her no room for embarrassment, yet every single one of them was something she had witnessed with her own eyes that day.

She clutched her sleeve, trying to salvage the last shred of her dignity.

Lu Yuan leaned down, their faces now only half a foot apart.

Liu Ruyan instinctively stepped back, bracing herself against the edge of the bed.

My heart started racing wildly!

Lu Yuan looked at her for a moment, then raised his hand and pinched her cheek.

"Aren't you going to say anything?"

Liu Ruyan bit her lip.

"Pretending to be mute, huh?"

Lu Yuan pushed her down onto the bed, and her pink outer garment was pulled off to the side of the bed.

"If you're so capable, then don't shout later either."

The bed curtains fell, obscuring the figures of the two people.

……

The pavilion outside the courtyard.

Su Yuling sat on the stone bench, holding a teacup in her hand, but her eyes were fixed on the window lit by candlelight.

Shen Hanqiu sat opposite her and replaced the tea that had gone cold.

"Stop looking."

"Who watched it?"

Su Yuling looked away. "I'm worried that Liu Ruyan has ulterior motives."

"There are men from the Phoenix Battalion guarding the courtyard."

"Can the Phoenix Battalion defend against knives, and can they defend against her tricks?"

Shen Hanqiu stopped what she was doing as she looked at the two figures approaching through the window paper.

Lu Yuan, who was inside the room, seemed to be leaning over and saying something.

The next moment, Liu Ruyan pushed him, but he grabbed her hands and pulled her back to the bed.

Su Yuling put the teacup back on the table.

He said he brought Liu Ruyan back to investigate the drugging incident.

"I remember."

"Is this his method of investigating cases?"

Su Yuling pointed to the window, "When the Ministry of Justice interrogates prisoners, they don't usually put them on the bed first."

Shen Hanqiu thought for a moment and then softly explained on Lu Yuan's behalf, "Perhaps His Highness wanted to put her at ease."

"She's practically thrown her clothes out the window, isn't she relaxed enough?"

Shen Hanqiu was speechless when asked the question.

She glanced at the window again, her face slowly flushing.

"Jade Spirit".

"What are you doing?"

"Is my husband always this rough?"

Su Yuling picked up the teacup, took a sip, and found it was empty, so she put the cup down again.

"Don't you know that yourself?"

"His Highness has been quite gentle with me."

Shen Hanqiu lowered his head, "It's just that sometimes I don't listen to advice."

"He's more than just unwilling to listen to advice."

Su Yuling gripped the scabbard, staring at the figure in the window. "He talks about revenge, but I think he's clearly enjoying it."

At that moment, Liu Ruyan and Lu Yuan's voices could be heard coming from the bridal chamber.

"Your Highness, please be gentle..."

"Weren't you pretending to be mute? Why aren't you pretending anymore?"

"I don't..."

"Still being stubborn?"

The shadows on the window paper overlapped once more.

Su Yuling stood up, and the stone bench was pushed aside slightly by the back of her legs.

"Shameless!"

She picked up her long sword and walked out of the courtyard.

Shen Hanqiu quickly grabbed her cloak and chased after her.

"Yu Ling, where are you going?"

"Go back to your room and sleep."

"What if Your Highness goes there tonight?"

"Let him sleep outside the door."