Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed?

That was undoubtedly the transformation into the Abyss, yet the person remained conscious. Although they narrowly escaped death by releasing the extreme Yin energy,...

Isn't this already a disguised way of using the power of extreme Yin?

"Yun Nongyu, do you think that the power of extreme Yin can be used to enter the Dao, just like the power of extreme Yang?"

The female Taoist priest, recalling the heart she had just "seen" of Chu Mingkong, said:

“My sect has had many disciples who were tainted by the power of extreme Yin in the past. They suffered terribly... Before today, I would have said that the power of extreme Yin is untouchable.”

Her words trailed off, without revealing her thoughts after today.

Zuo Qiuchi looked at Yun Nongyu, really annoyed by her style of only saying half of what she meant. She sighed, narrowed her eyes, and smiled:

"Do you know how I hate it when people talk?"

"How is it?" Yun Nongyu asked.

Zuo Qiuchi stopped talking and happily hummed a tune.

----------

The Crown Prince spoke briefly with Shangguan Mingzhe. Upon hearing from a maid that the curtains in the bride's room had been set up, he got up and headed to the backyard.

His steps were light and quick, exuding a natural confidence.

The task that Gao Nan was tasked with must have been completed by now. With such a powerful weapon, even two more sword immortals would perish!

Although it doesn't sound good if this gets out, the best excuse is that if there's a chance for it to get out, those who came together to seek revenge on Zuo Qiuchi would be the perfect shield.

When the time comes and someone dies, they'll blame it all on them, saying that they were furious and used those heinous things to retaliate against Zuo Qiuchi. Isn't that what he said?

However, if the Crown Prince were to leave the Shangguan residence at this moment, he would learn from the messenger that "Deputy Commander Gao's soul tablet has been shattered, and he has died in the secret realm."

Unfortunately, when his servant informed him that the messenger was outside the mansion, the crown prince thought the news must be good news and that it wouldn't matter if he heard it later, so he told the messenger to wait outside.

The poor messenger was so anxious he was stamping his feet, but he was completely helpless. These two days were a joyous occasion for the Shangguan family, and it was the Crown Prince's wedding. Anyone who dared to cause trouble would be courting death.

The Crown Prince walked to Shangguan Rong's door, suddenly stopped, waited for a moment, then frowned and asked Cai Cai, the maidservant guarding the door:

"Why didn't you open the door when I, the Crown Prince, arrived?"

what?

Cai Cai blinked.

She's here to be at your service, Miss. If you, the Crown Prince, want to enter the bride's room, wouldn't it be enough to knock and ask first? How can I, a mere servant, just push open the door without a word...?

But she only dared to mutter to herself, nodded, knocked on the door to ask, and only after hearing the second young lady respond did she push the door open and lead the crown prince in.

"Get things done more efficiently!" The crown prince was getting impatient.

The bride's room was decorated in a festive red, with a red curtain embroidered with auspicious beasts hanging down, through which the figure of the woman could be vaguely seen.

He walked straight over, seemingly intending to lift the curtain and go inside to meet his bride.

Although they haven't officially married yet, the Crown Prince already considers Shangguan Rong his own, and she is his future asset in the court!

Cai Cai hurriedly stopped him, bowing and explaining, "Your Highness, we are not married yet, so we cannot meet! We must chat through the red curtain for now. We can only meet on the wedding day after the red veil is lifted!"

"Rules are for restricting others, not..." The Crown Prince thought for a moment. Shangguan Rong was rigid and particular about rules, so he would give in to her for once before the wedding. "Alright, let's listen to these rules."

Through the curtain, the prince could vaguely see the beautiful woman in the red dress stand up respectfully and bow slightly to him.

He nodded approvingly, pleased with her manners. She didn't have to stand up; she could have just sat on the edge of the bed. But she still stood up and bowed. No wonder she was chosen by the Emperor and appointed as the Grand Tutor of the Imperial Academy at such a young age!

"Rong'er, there's no need for such formalities. After today, you'll be my woman, so please feel free to be yourself."

Behind the curtain, Chu Mingkong, who had concealed his figure with a dust-free talisman, stayed close behind her. When Shangguan Rong bent over, he held onto her breasts to prevent her from losing her balance.

The Hehuan True Scripture is already in operation, and the cultivation has never stopped.

"Shangguan Rong... Ah?... Thank you, Your Highness."

Chu Mingkong helped her back to the bedside and sat her down. He put two fingers into Shangguan Rong's mouth and pressed down on her tongue to prevent her from making any unseemly noises.

Shangguan Rong was unhappy with his "rudeness" and lightly bit his finger to show her protest and dissatisfaction.

The Crown Prince sat down at the desk, glanced at it, and said, "There's ink spilled all over the desk, and the servants haven't bothered to clean it up. The maid at the door was just staring blankly. It's really... Rong'er, don't be too friendly to the servants."

Chapter Seven: Eating Rouge

"It was my fault for not disciplining the servants properly... I thought it was a joyous occasion and I shouldn't be too strict... It ruined the festive atmosphere at home."

As soon as Shangguan Rong finished speaking, her tongue was immediately pressed down by Chu Mingkong's fingers again.

This feeling of being manipulated made her feel humiliated, but she dared not retaliate.

The curtains were made with great care. They were tailors who worked for the royal family. They had to be made to be just the right thickness and sheerness. If they were too thin, it would break the rules and affect the solemnity of the royal wedding. They could not be frivolous. But if they were too thick, it would be a disappointment. Royal family members who came to visit the bride in advance would not even be able to see her.

From Shangguan Rong's perspective, she could also see the Crown Prince in the room. He had already made her room his own, occasionally fiddling with the books on her bookshelf and playing with her collection of calligraphy brushes.

Standing outside, Cai Cai watched through the window as the Crown Prince touched the Second Miss's treasured writing implements, and couldn't help but wipe away a bead of sweat.

The second young lady was very particular about collecting the Four Treasures of the Study (writing brush, ink stick, inkstone, and paper). Some of her valuable writing brushes and inkstones were placed on her bookshelf. Anyone who dared to mess with her collection was considered to be inviting her bad luck.

Chu Mingkong was well aware of Shangguan Rong's fondness for this item, and when he was her devoted admirer, he had given her many writing implements. Xiling was famous for its red jade, and Chu Mingkong had even asked someone to find a red jade inkstone for her.

Seeing the Crown Prince fiddling with the things on the bookshelf, Chu Mingkong was worried for the little prince. Shangguan Rong was clearly angry...

They were all squeezing him tightly to vent their anger; oh, I mean, they were squeezing Chu Mingkong's hand tightly with their thighs.

The prince picked up a red jade inkstone, examined it closely, and weighed it in his hand.

"On special occasions, we should be a little more lenient, but we still need to keep an eye on things. Without discipline, these servants will become lazy and forget their place. If we don't teach them a lesson, they won't understand... The jade of this inkstone looks like it's from the jade mines of Xiling. Things from Xiling are really..."

He thought about how troublesome the Xiling lineage was, and a sense of disdain and contempt arose in his eyes for this inkstone, especially when he thought of Chu Mingkong.

His father had even asked him to keep Rong'er company back then, which was really... Just thinking about it made him feel like he had a fishbone stuck in his throat. Fortunately, he heard that Rong'er had neglected him for a month or so and had even kicked him out of the Shangguan Mansion, causing him to lose face.

This is truly gratifying!

"This Xiling inkstone looks festive, but it becomes bloodstained and grime after a while. A water-based inkstone is better. I'll give Rong'er another one another day. I'll have this one taken care of for now."

The prince whistled, and a falcon swooped down from the sky, landing on the windowsill and startling away several magpies. The prince threw the red jade inkstone out, which the falcon caught and flew away, disappearing from sight.

Seeing his behavior, Chu Mingkong understood Shangguan Rong's assessment of him as "stubborn and self-willed," and inexplicably... self-centered.

Even if you really don't like it, it's still a girl's thing. Even if it belongs to your fiancée, you should at least let her deal with it herself after expressing your dissatisfaction. How can you just take it upon yourself to throw it away?

Ouch... Rong'er, if you're angry with him, don't bite my finger so hard.

He gently stroked the woman's soft heart to comfort her, and whispered in Rong'er's ear, "I'll give you an inkstone another day."

With one of the eyesores gone from the bookshelf, the Crown Prince was in high spirits, recalling the past:

"It's truly amazing how things work out! Back in the academy, Rong'er was very strict with all of us princes and princesses. Even Jin Yu was afraid that you would scold her for being undisciplined."

Several tutors from the academy have taught us the classics before, but they never dared to truly discipline us. Even Father Emperor couldn't control us. Then, for some reason, he took a liking to Rong'er and bestowed upon you a golden token as a talisman to guide us in our studies. And you're the only one who dared to use that token as a ruler to chase after Jinyu and beat her.”

Jin Yu is really that miserable... Sorry, Chu Mingkong laughed unkindly.

Luckily, he was biting Shangguan Rong's ear, otherwise he would have burst out laughing.

The crown prince reminisced for a while, then sighed:

"It's unbelievable that in the blink of an eye, the girl who used to discipline me so strictly is about to become my Crown Princess!"

If the Crown Prince was truly moved, Chu Mingkong could understand his feelings, which were probably similar to the feelings of a student marrying a beautiful teacher in his previous life.

Shangguan Rong gave a forced laugh, her face expressionless, and replied:

"Your Highness...you jest. That was His Majesty's duty as Shangguan Rong's person. I dare not, dare not be negligent...negligent."

When the Crown Prince first entered, Shangguan Rong was very worried that Chu Mingkong's presence would be exposed, so she kept him from making any rash moves. If the scoundrel made even the slightest movement, she would quietly tap him to stop him and prevent him from being presumptuous.

But when her treasured red jade inkstone was lost, Shangguan Rong stopped resisting. Perhaps it was out of some kind of revenge; just now the Crown Prince had carelessly touched her treasured brush and inkstone, and now she let Chu Mingkong play with them as he pleased.

Shangguan Rong simply sat there, her hands neatly placed on her thighs, ignoring everything about Chu Mingkong behind her.

The Crown Prince smiled:

"Rong'er, don't be nervous. I know you're excited because you're stammering. Just relax."

I have always admired Rong'er's talent and intelligence. Tomorrow you will be the Crown Princess, and I hope you will assist me well in the future. As for the future Empress, I will definitely favor you.

Chu Mingkong couldn't help but complain in his heart; he really couldn't understand this crown prince's way of thinking.

His words suggest... how much favoritism he showed towards her in the selection of the empress?

Are you planning to choose someone else as empress? Shangguan Rong was practically made the principal wife when she was married into the family. Although the principal wife is not necessarily the future empress, and it is possible that a political marriage was considered and a concubine was chosen as empress in the end, you can't say this in front of Shangguan Rong now!

“…Alright.” Shangguan Rong replied dryly, her heart completely unmoved: “I will certainly not… fail His Highness the Crown Prince’s expectations.”

Shangguan Rong didn't have high expectations for the Crown Prince, but upon hearing his words, she was so angry that she laughed. The Crown Prince spoke without any sense of guilt, and even seemed to think that this was a great favor and special affection bestowed upon her.

She was such an intelligent woman. The fact that the Crown Prince could directly say that the choice of the future Empress was just a matter of favoring her a little more was immediately clear to Shangguan Rong that the Crown Prince still had other women in his heart, and that he valued them even more than she did.

It's estimated that she is his true dream queen.

He wanted her to assist him properly, but he couldn't even bring himself to say the polite words on their wedding day, as if saying them would betray the girl he cherished.

Fortunately, his perfunctory attitude greatly eased Shangguan Rong's self-blame and guilt.

In comparison, Shangguan Rong suddenly realized how considerate that scoundrel behind her was of her.

Aside from being a scoundrel, a pervert, shameless, a lecher, reckless, and acting absurdly, he did a decent job in other areas.

After chatting for a while, the crown prince left.

As he was leaving, the Crown Prince saw Shangguan Rong standing by the window. She was willing to break the rules of marriage just to see him off.

When the prince saw the woman dressed in red, she only chatted with him for a short while before her face lit up with a blush of spring, her red lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something but hesitated. She was beautiful, charming, and stunningly beautiful.

Compared to her usual bare-faced appearance and constant outings in men's clothing, she was absolutely stunningly beautiful!

Such a beautiful and intelligent woman is indeed worthy of being his crown princess.

However, if the Crown Prince had the ability to ignore the Dust-Free Talisman, he would be able to discover that Chu Mingkong was tasting the rouge on Shangguan Rong's lips.

What the Crown Prince saw as "red lips slightly parted, as if about to speak but hesitant" was simply Shangguan Rong offering her fragrant lips to Chu Mingkong's.

Unrelated people left.

Shangguan Rong took the initiative to push Chu Mingkong down, looking down at him with her lips pursed, worried that he would be absent tomorrow.