Chapter 62

Nie Qinglin endured the waves of pain as the cords cut into her face, slowly raising her eyes to glance around.

The dozen or so chests of dowry had already been packed.

This Nanny Shen, said to have been Ge Qingyuan’s wet nurse and an elder in the Ge household, was known for her zealous concern for the old manor.

She had brought several palace maids early on to inventory everything in Fengchu Palace.

Any valuable jewelry or ornaments had been either boxed or crated, without exception.

The silk accessories sent by the Inner Service Bureau, though not as rare or exquisite as those once supplied by the Grand Tutor Wei still amounted to several dozen chests.

Staring at the now empty palace, Nie Qinglin gave a faint, bitter smile.

If the Grand Tutor were still alive to see all the luxurious furnishings he’d supplied, now included in her dowry and soon to be carted off by the truckload to the Ge estate, what a sight that would be.

His face would surely turn to ice, and his eyes would burn with fury.

Several days had passed, and still, there was no news from Li County.

That person… likely didn’t survive.

Nie Qinglin told herself she ought to feel glad.

After all, whether it was him or Ge Qingyuan, in the end, they were no different—both rebels eyeing the throne of Great Wei.

Whichever one died, it was still just a change of flavor, not of substance.

But for reasons she couldn’t explain, whenever the silence closed in around her, that person’s face would resurface in her mind, and a dull ache would surge in her heart, impossible to suppress.

There were even moments when something seemed about to spill from her eyes, and she’d have to take a deep breath and blink rapidly to hold it back in time.

After all was said and done, the Grand Tutor had indeed shown her genuine affection.

Yet she had nothing to give in return.

Perhaps in another life, if they could be true siblings to each other, she would certainly bind grass in gratitude, serve her elder brother with all her heart, and repay what she owed in this life.

Before long, the bridal makeup was complete.

The silver-plated mirror from the Western Lands faithfully reflected the beauty before it, delicate brows arched into the temples, a vivid peony petal painted between the brows, cheeks flushed with a natural pink beneath porcelain-white skin, and lips stained with a soft, alluring red.

Already a stunning beauty, the addition of the lavish bridal makeup gave her a mature, icy charm.

But even the gold-embroidered, richly colored red wedding gown couldn’t force a trace of joy onto her carefully painted face.

Nanny Shen came forward, holding a scroll that was supposed to be tucked at the bottom of a dowry chest, the marriage art painting.

She unrolled it with exaggerated ease and brazenly displayed it before Nie Qinglin for her inspection.

Though a necessary item for a daughter’s marriage, the marriage art painting was a private object never shown in public.

A thoughtful mother would usually slip it secretly into her daughter’s dowry with whispered instructions: on the wedding night, after the couple had undressed, they were to unroll the painting on the bed and follow the illustrations to guide their intimacy—”imitating the cat to draw the tiger.”

But here was Nanny Shen, shamelessly bringing it out in broad daylight and laying it before the princess, who had not yet even completed the wedding rites.

It was nothing short of deliberate humiliation.

Judging by her manner, if she didn’t see the princess blush in shame, this sly old woman would consider her day incomplete.

Unfortunately for her, thanks to Grand Tutor Wei’s favor, Nie Qinglin had already seen the “precious piece” hidden in the Mandarin Duck Eight Plays box.

Compared to that, this common, crude artwork was nothing to gawk at.

Nie Qinglin merely glanced at it indifferently, then looked calmly at Nanny Shen.

“Nanny Shen came from the Ge household into the palace. Born of lowly status, you were never trained in the proper court manners like the palace head maids. I won’t nitpick over your lack of decorum. But in broad daylight, to take out such a private item and openly display it before me—what, pray, is your intention?”

Nanny Shen had expected the princess to shrink away in shame, unable to meet her eyes.

She hadn’t anticipated such sharp words, which cut at her without leaving a mark.

Her old brows twitched, wrinkles trembling in fury.

Like others from the Ge household, she looked down on the royal family.

After all, the young master of the Ge family had become emperor, and the elder master had become the powerful new Grand Tutor of Great Wei.

Nanny Shen had raised the elder master since his youth and held a high status among the Ge servants.

Having once inspected the princess’s virginity aboard the ship, she had long dismissed Princess Yong’an’s standing.

Now, publicly scolded by the princess and with many palace maids watching, she felt deeply humiliated.

She glared furiously and pointed a finger at the princess.

“I only meant well! Once you enter the Ge household, you must serve the Grand Tutor with your full devotion. According to ancient custom, this painting is for your benefit! Yet here you are, biting the hand that feeds you, falsely accusing me for no reason!”

Nie Qinglin slowly stood, the coronet of red clouds atop her head casting a slight shadow over her face, which had grown faintly cold.

The might of the Great Wei imperial family was still not to be taken lightly.

How dare a mere head maid get so presumptuous?

“Nanny Shen, do not let momentary pride make you forget your place! No matter how powerful the Ge household becomes, it must still rely on the royal surname of Nie to claim legitimacy. Otherwise, why would Lord Ge go to such lengths to marry me? Even he, in public, maintains a respectful appearance and dares not point a finger at me when speaking. Yet here you are, with airs loftier than your master’s!”

“So let me offer you some advice: even if the Ge family were to produce two emperors in a row, your status will remain that of a low-born servant with a base registry. Do not let delusions of grandeur cloud your mind and make you forget your proper place!”

Nanny Shen was momentarily stunned by Nie Qinglin’s sudden cold aura.

Her calm but scathing words drew smothered giggles from the watching palace maids, twisting Nanny Shen’s face in rage.

But the bridal sedan was already waiting outside, and today was the young master’s wedding and no room for mishaps.

Swallowing her fury, she bowed and apologized to the princess, silently cursing in her heart: Just wait till you’re in the Ge estate. Let’s see how long you can keep acting like a princess.

The young master alone will be enough to tame your sharp tongue in bed…

Outside the palace gate, Ge Qingyuan sat astride a tall white horse, dressed in festive red.

His handsome face was full of joy, lacking the usual gloom around his eyes.

When he saw the princess, her face hidden behind beaded curtains, a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

Nie Qinglin was slowly helped into the bright red wedding sedan, her heart growing increasingly uneasy.

By right, Prince Langxi’s troops should’ve arrived by now.

Why was there still no sign of them? Could something have gone wrong?

Just then, the wedding procession came to an abrupt halt midway.

Nie Qinglin lifted the curtain slightly and peeked outside, only to see Grand Secretary Wu standing with a large group of Hanlin scholars, blocking the street.

“Ge Qingyuan! His Majesty lies gravely ill, and you choose this moment to forcibly marry the princess? Where do you place the ancestral laws of our forebears? You’ve seated an illegitimate son, unfit for the throne, upon the dragon chair, what of the rightful succession of the Nie imperial line? You say the emperor is dying, yet which of the high ministers in court has seen it with their own eyes? Three days without court, every matter decided by you alone. Do you now intend to become the second Wei Lenghou?!”

Grand Secretary Wu’s voice rang loud and clear, heard by all on both sides of the street.

Murmurs rose among the crowd.

Ge Qingyuan sneered coldly from atop his horse.

And soon, he made it clear just how different he was from the late Grand Tutor Wei.

“Men! Arrest this alarmist old fool who spreads wild rumors! Throw him into the Sky Prison and have the Court of Justice interrogate him tomorrow. Sentence to be passed at noon at the Meridian Gate!”

“If no blood is spilled from the gentry, there’ll be no silencing those who crave chaos!”

Ge Qingyuan spoke with a face full of murderous intent.

Very soon, the guards came and bound Grand Secretary Wu and his companions, dragging them away.

Yet Grand Secretary Wu was a stubborn old man who would rather die than submit.

Even as he was dragged along, he continued to shout:

“Ge the traitor deserves death! Usurping power and stealing the throne, his heart is as obvious as Sima Zhao’s! The will of the people sees through him!”

Inside the bridal sedan, Nie Qinglin pressed her aching forehead.

She had now truly come to understand the meaning of a leopard never changes its spots.

Despite her repeated instructions in secret letters, urging the Grand Secretary to lay low and remain hidden, the old man had let his blood boil and insisted on upholding a scholar-official’s integrity,washing his neck clean, ready to face the tyrant and his treacherous ministers.

If this were later recorded in the history books as “blocking the bridal sedan to impeach a traitor,” it would indeed be a stirring tale, one that roused the blood and moved people to tears.

But now…now she was alone, with no loyal officials left to rely on.

Grand Secretary Wu! Are you truly going to abandon me?

Just then, a gate guard rushed over in panic to report, “Reporting, Grand Tutor, our spies outside the city have sent word! A large army has landed by water. Judging by the banners, it should be the forces of the Prince of Langxi…”

Grand Secretary Wu, still being dragged away, let out a great laugh:

“Ge the traitor, your death has come! The Prince of Langxi’s army has arrived! The restoration of the royal house is just around the corner! Die, Ge the traitor!”

Ge Qingyuan, mounted on horseback, remained unmoved upon hearing this.

He only sneered coldly.

“It seems my wedding has drawn quite the attention. All the feudal lords have come to offer their congratulations…”

As he spoke, he turned his head to look toward the bridal sedan carrying Nie Qinglin.

“No, not to me. It’s Your Highness they came for.”

Nie Qinglin’s heart sank at his words.

“Your Highness’s cleverness, I was fortunate to have seen through it long ago. Naturally, I made sure to prepare accordingly. You thought I didn’t know about that secret tunnel leading out of the palace? If you want to lure rats out, you always have to leave a rat hole open. That Tiehua is quite the fierce one, but no matter how brave, she still couldn’t resist a pouch of knockout powder on the battlefield. After she delivered your message, she was thrown into my dungeon. Once we’re married, if Your Highness misses your old servant, you can pay her a visit there…”

Nie Qinglin trembled slightly and frowned.

“What… has Lord Ge done?”

“After serving beside Lord Wei for so long, I’ve picked up a thing or two about using four ounces to move a thousand pounds. Langxi fell into internal chaos three days ago. The Prince’s adopted son, Gao Chang, beheaded that blind old fool who couldn’t see the bigger picture and has already sworn allegiance to me. He now leads his troops here—first, to await the new emperor’s seal and become the legitimate Prince of Langxi; second, to help this Grand Tutor hold the capital and deter any lords with wild ambitions. If they resist, the Prince of Langxi’s bloody end will be their warning.”

Nie Qinglin’s heart clenched. As she looked into Ge Qingyuan’s deep and gloomy eyes, she could not deny that in just a few months, this man had gone from a novice needing guidance during the imperial exams to someone more cunning and ruthless than his predecessors.

She moved to step out of the sedan.

Since things had come to this, there was no need to go through the charade with him any longer.

One way or another, she’d end up in prison, she would not let this traitor seize the empire under the pretense of legitimacy.

But before she could get out, Ge Qingyuan gave a subtle signal to Nanny Shen standing beside the sedan.

Nanny Shen immediately pressed a cloth soaked in medicinal powder over the princess’s face.

As the drug took effect, Nie Qinglin felt her body grow limp, and she slowly collapsed inside the sedan.

Ge Qingyuan turned around slowly.

He had waited far too long for this day.

So even the slightest flaw or mishap could not be allowed.

Later, on the road, a girl of similar stature would be swapped into the bridal sedan, her face hidden behind a phoenix crown and beaded veil.

She would perform the wedding rites before the guests alongside him.

But the real bride inside…so disobedient…how should she be punished?

By the time Nie Qinglin gradually awoke, she was already lying in the bridal chamber of the Ge residence.

Red candles flickered, and everywhere she looked were glaring red wedding decorations.

Outside the bed’s red curtains stood Ge Qingyuan, having just returned from entertaining the guests.

He waved a hand, dismissing Nanny Shen and two maids, rolled up his sleeves, and sat by the red bed.

“The princess is awake? Then get up and pay proper respects to your father-in-law.”

With that, he forcibly pulled up Nie Qinglin’s still-weak body and carried her to the now-empty main hall.

An elderly man sat at the head seat, drinking alone before a blackened spirit tablet perfumed with sandalwood incense.

“Father, Mother, your son brings his new wife to pay respects and offer bows to heaven and earth.”

With that, Ge Qingyuan placed the princess onto a round cushion, pressed her neck down, and forced her to perform the formal kowtow to the elder.

Nie Qinglin struggled to lift her head.

The old man before her looked no more than fifty, but his face was already weathered with decay, as if the winter of his life had already set in.

She gathered the strength she had left and rasped:

“Elder Ge, allowing Ge Qingyuan to act so wantonly, flooding Li county…do you truly wish to become the eternal sinner of countless people in Great Wei?”

The elder did not look at her.

He continued to pour wine into the small cup before the spirit tablet, then poured it out onto the floor before him.

Only then did he slowly speak:

“The old man the princess refers to has long departed this world alongside his beloved wife. What remains is but a walking corpse driven by hatred. If slaughtering the world could bring my wife back, then what harm would come from the world perishing?”

He slowly raised his eyes.

Eyes that once wept in the night for his lost wife were now clouded, yet they gleamed with a sinister light as they looked at the princess:

“My vision isn’t what it used to be, but you still look charming enough. The filthy blood of your Nie clan isn’t worthy of my son, but since he hasn’t yet ascended the dragon throne, he’ll need your family’s prestige as a stepping stone. The humiliation my beloved wife suffered at the hands of your beastly father…perhaps I can reclaim some of that through you…”

“It’s getting late. Ah Xi, take this filthy wench back. I’ve already prepared the tools to serve the princess. My son, don’t let them go to waste. Let the princess have a good look at the world tonight…”

As he spoke, a malicious smile appeared on the old man’s face.

He slowly stood up, cradling the spirit tablet as if it were a rare treasure, and tremblingly disappeared behind the pearl curtains beside the hall.

Only his malevolent laughter lingered for a long time, refusing to dissipate.

So, when love for someone turns demonic, it becomes this pitiful and terrifying.

Nie Qinglin was stunned by the venom in Old Master Ge’s words, feeling that he truly was a numb living dead man, just as he had described himself.

What kind of love could transform an upright and honest person into such a state? She only snapped back to reality when Ge Qingyuan picked her up again.

Upon re-entering the room, she saw that the fruits and pastries on the table had been removed, replaced by a black lacquered tray containing ropes and numerous jade pillars and wooden pestles of various sizes.

Even though she had seen the “Mandarin Duck Eight Play Box” before, the sharp spikes on some of the objects on the tray clearly indicated that these were not meant solely for pleasure.

Ge Qingyuan looked at the princess’s slightly whitened face as she stared at the table and chuckled softly, “What, scared?”

Ge Qingyuan gently placed the princess on the bed and slowly undid his red shirt, revealing his muscular body.

He chuckled softly, “Princess, you’ve been quite disobedient these past few days, which has made your husband very displeased. Originally, I should have punished you severely, making it impossible for you to get out of bed for days. However, seeing your pale face now, I can’t bring myself to do it. Tonight is our wedding night, and it should be full of tenderness. You don’t need to mind father’s words. Just relax your body, and your husband will naturally be gentle when I find my pleasure.”

As he spoke, he took off his clothes and walked to the tray, picking up a small, exquisite bottle.

He looked at the inscription on it and smiled, “This is good stuff, called ‘Spring Water Flow.’ I should try it out.”

With that, he pulled out the stopper and forcibly poured the medicine from the small bottle into Princess Yong’an’s mouth.

Nie Qinglin immediately felt the liquid burn her throat.

Once swallowed, a wave of heat quickly spread throughout her limbs.

The sight of the beautiful woman in the brocade quilt, her face flushed and her legs writhing, was too enticing.

Ge Qingyuan felt as if he, too, had drunk a potent aphrodisiac and became restless.

He twisted Nie Qinglin’s struggling hands behind her back and easily stripped off her outer garment, revealing a low-cut bellyband underneath.

Though she was a small person, her chest was by no means flat, swelling and pushing against the fabric.

Her jade-like skin shimmered pristinely in the faint candlelight.

Nie Qinglin bit her lip, knowing the medicine was incredibly potent.

If its effects fully took hold, her dignity as a woman would be completely lost.

Things had come to this, and she couldn’t continue living like this.

It wasn’t about chastity, but because the humiliation she would endure under this demon father and son would likely be endless.

A bitter smile touched her lips as she considered her earlier, righteous admonitions to her Eighth Imperial Sister.

It seemed those stern words had, in fact, become her own harsh reality, proving far from as easy to bear as they were to speak.

Since all arrangements with Prince Langxi had fallen through, she had only one option left: death.

She slowly bit down on the root of her tongue, thinking to herself, “Princess Yong’an dies on Grand Tutor Ge’s wedding bed on her wedding night. I wonder how Grand Tutor Ge will manage to deal with that?”

Unaware of the young woman’s desperate thoughts, Ge Qingyuan, consumed by desire, lowered his head, ready to tear open her bellyband and embrace her.

Suddenly, frantic knocking sounded at the door.

“Grand… Grand Tutor, something terrible has happened!”

Unfortunately, Grand Tutor Ge was in the throes of passion.

He immediately frowned and snapped, “You bastard! What grave matter could possibly warrant interrupting my wedding night?”

The person outside stammered, “The… the city is under attack!”

At that single sentence, Ge Qingyuan shot up, asking in a low voice, “Which feudal lord’s army is it?”

The messenger’s voice outside trembled slightly, as if he, too, found his own words absurd, and he seemed on the verge of tears.

“It’s… it’s a bunch of beggars!”

Ge Qingyuan’s brow furrowed.

He instinctively grabbed the red rope, firmly binding the young woman’s hands and feet, then snatched his clothes and left the room.

Nie Qinglin writhed on the bed in agony, but her heart leaped with a sudden thought: Could it be…?

After leaving the bridal chamber, Ge Qingyuan, along with several trusted generals, urgently mounted their horses and rushed to the city wall.

Standing atop the ramparts, he could only see swirling dust in the distance, and an endless stream of troops approaching, encircling the capital.

Closing in on the city, confronting Prince Langxi’s forces, was indeed a dense mass of foul-smelling beggars! They were shirtless, clad in tattered rags, their legs covered in mud, as if they had never washed in their lives.

A large, mud-stained flag, propped up by a hoe, struggled to fly in the wind, its muddy surface barely revealing the character “Wei” .

A strong gust of wind swept through, and it felt as though the stench of this Beggar’s army was carried with it, a peculiar and pungent odor assaulting his senses.

Looking at the leader of this swarming group of stinking beggars, he truly had the demeanor of a Beggar Clan chief!

His long hair was disheveled and slightly matted.

His upper body was bare, and the mud clinging to him seemed to have been washed by sweat, leaving behind ink-wash-like stains.

The white trousers he wore were so stained with mud that their original color was unrecognizable.

He was barefoot, yet despite this, the man on horseback had subtly narrowed phoenix eyes, a cold, arrogant brow, and held a long sword.

He looked like a marshal in golden armor.

After a cold laugh at Prince Langxi’s well-prepared elite soldiers and commanders, he declared loudly, “Guards at the city gate, state your names! You dare refuse to open the gate when you see my marquis’s army? Once we breach the gate, we’ll chop off your heads to consecrate the banner of my Black Banner Army!”

Ge Qingyuan felt his heart sink to the bottom.

Where did things go wrong?

Although the newcomer’s face was caked with mud, he recognized him at a glance.

It was none other than Lord Demon Dragon flood, who should have perished in the floods of Li County!