After giving her contraceptives, she went mad, criticizing the prince for turning white-haired overn

"However, that Miss Shen is quite beautiful, though she is a few years younger than me."

"Back then, I was stranded on the black market. If it weren't for the Regent, would I have been able to return to the Jiang family safely?"

The Empress stopped speaking, unable to bear thinking about the past.

Back then, Xie Linyuan was a hostage in the Qin state, where he suffered inhuman torture and became a monster that was neither human nor ghost.

He was sold to the black market by the princesses and princes of the Qin royal family, and his legs were broken.

Xie Linyuan took her out of the beast field and brought her back to Yanjing City.

After returning to the Jiang family, she became the eldest daughter of the Jiang family, holding a high position.

When she first returned to Yanjing, she looked down on her savior.

Because he was a monster that was neither human nor ghost.

He was still a prince who was bullied by others.

But in just a few short years, he has gone from a down-on-his-luck prince to a powerful regent, young and handsome.

Even Emperor Wuzong and the Empress Dowager were wary of him.

Although she was the empress, Emperor Wuzong was old and frail, while she was only in her early twenties, in the prime of her life. How could she be content with that?

Now, seeing Xie Linyuan again, she felt unwilling to accept it.

She always hoped that Xie Linyuan would give her a second glance.

The old woman approached her and whispered, "Your Highness, there is something else I would like to tell you."

"It's also about the regent."

The Empress sighed, "I want to know anything about him."

"In all these years, since he became the regent of the Great Yan, he has never looked at me directly."

The old woman sighed: "The Regent is cold-hearted."

"There are no concubines or maids in the household, so it seems they have no interest in matters of love and sex."

"Moreover, the Empress was young and didn't understand things back then."

"As for his affair with Miss Shen, it is still unclear whether it is true or not, so Your Majesty need not worry."

"Today, this old servant heard that the Regent killed a woman in the palace, and that the woman's death was extremely gruesome."

The Empress gripped her handkerchief tightly and asked, "Do you know who that woman is?"

Granny: "I heard she's a courtesan hired from outside."

"It is unknown who delivered the songstress to the regent's room, but the regent strangled her to death on the spot."

"When his guards dragged the body out, it was a gruesome sight, and..."

The old woman's words stopped abruptly on her lips.

"And what?" the Queen asked.

The old woman said, "Moreover, that songstress looks exactly like the second young lady of the Shen family, Shen Ning."

Upon hearing this, the Empress frowned slightly.

"The second young lady of the Shen family may not have much talent, but her looks are top-notch."

"I never expected Xie Linyuan to kill a songstress who looked just like her."

"It seems he doesn't like this second young lady of the Shen family anymore; I was just overthinking it."

As the empress spoke, she leaned half of her body against the soft couch.

"I cannot tolerate any imperfections in my eyes."

-

After Shen Ning returned to her seat with Madam Yu and Shen Ran, palace maids and eunuchs came to serve the dishes.

Shen Ran cried the whole way, but dared not say a word.

The group remained silent throughout, and after they took their seats, Shen Rou noticed something amiss.

"Second Aunt, what's wrong?"

Madam Yu: "It's nothing."

"By the way, what happened to the cloak you brought in today?"

Shen Rou bit her lip and said, "I lost it."

"Lost?" Shen Ning sneered.

"Eldest sister is really strange. She just threw away such a nice cloak like that. It's such a shame that Second Aunt had such good intentions."

"That cloak is studded with many pearls; Second Aunt must have spent a lot of money on it, right?"

Madam Yu gritted her teeth, swallowing all her anger.

"Second Miss, don't rub salt in the wound," Zhao said.

"Let's go back today and see what the old lady decides."

She said sarcastically, "Second sister-in-law, be careful next time you prepare clothes for the girls. Don't buy the fabric from those shady merchants."

"So as not to drag our Shen family down with us."

Madam Yu's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and she clenched her teeth without saying a word.

Seeing her like this, Zhao's smug smile grew even wider.

She picked up her chopsticks and started eating by herself.

Shen Ning took in the expressions of the others.

This dog-eat-dog drama is so good.

Although Zhao only gave birth to one daughter, Shen Ran, she had long been dissatisfied with the second wife.

After all, the head of the Shen family receives his father Shen Li's salary and all the rewards.

There's a lot of money involved.

As everyone was having their meal, a graceful and elegant matron appeared, leading the Empress, who was dressed in a phoenix robe, as she gracefully approached.

The empress looked around at the people below her seat, but finding no one, she left somewhat disappointed.

After lunch, the older ladies and the young men and women who were not skilled in riding or archery returned to their respective seats.

After settling Shen Wan in, Shen Ning headed north of the testing grounds to prepare for today's spring hunt.

She pulled on the reins and mounted the horse.

Before she could even sit down properly, Yu Jingshu, dressed in a purple fox fur cloak, walked over.

"Cousin, can I come with you?"

Shen Ning ignored her and pulled on the reins to walk forward.

Yu Jingshu gently bit her lip, looking aggrieved.

"I didn't do anything wrong, why does my cousin hate me so much?"

She had just mounted her horse when she saw Prince Chen, dressed in luxurious clothes and with a handsome face, riding over.

She lowered her head, her cheeks slightly flushed, and immediately greeted Prince Chen.

"Greetings, Your Highness Prince Chen."

Prince Chen's gaze fell on her cheek, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"Are you a cousin of the Shen family?"

Yu Jingshu said, "Yes, I just arrived in Yanjing the day before yesterday."

Prince Chen's brows furrowed more and more tightly.

How come this cousin of the Shen family looks so much like Shen Rou?

"The spring hunt requires teams; Miss Yu, have you decided who you'd like to team up with?"

Yu Jingshu shook her head and looked in the direction Shen Ning had left.

Ahead, Su Mingfeng of the Yongning Marquis's residence caught up with Shen Ning's horse.

"I originally wanted to be with Cousin Ning, but unfortunately Cousin Ning is with Young Master Su."

"It's quite a coincidence that Cousin Ning and Young Master Su are both wearing red today; they look quite well-matched."

As if provoked by these words, a surge of anger rose within Prince Chen.

"Then, Miss Yu, why don't you team up with the others?"

"If that doesn't work, I can go into the dense forest to hunt by myself."

The man finished speaking coldly, raised his long whip, and chased after Shen Ning and Su Mingfeng.

-

"Shen Ning, do you like the white fox? I'll hunt one down and give it to you."

On horseback, Su Mingfeng held the reins and gently patted the horse's back.

A pair of peach blossom eyes fell on Shen Ning.

His lips were slightly upturned, giving him an arrogant and unruly look.

Shen Ning turned to look at him, remembering Xie Linyuan's words.

"Young Master Su, I've been thinking about it, the two of us..."

"How about the two of us?" Su Mingfeng asked.

"Shen Ning, I truly want to marry you."

"I know General Shen is at the frontier, and you, a young woman, are having a hard time in the Shen family..."

"So, is that why the young marquis wants to marry me?" Shen Ning interrupted him.

Su Mingfeng laughed and said, "Not entirely."