Pin Shanhe

Jun Qiyuan's heart skipped a beat, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

He almost forgot that the Xuan King now held considerable military power and enjoyed immense prestige in the court.

Even his father, the emperor, had to give him some face, let alone a mere prince like himself.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his resentment, and his tone became slightly ingratiating.

"I apologize. Fu'er and I are deeply in love, and I lost my composure in the heat of the moment. Please forgive my unintentional mistake, Your Highness. I will definitely bring generous gifts to apologize in person another day."

Beneath the mask, the man's gaze grew even colder, his calm tone carrying a deadly pressure.

"What if I refuse?"

"You...don't push your luck!"

No matter what, he is still a prince. He is so humble and yet he still doesn't know how to be appreciative.

Even if he has a distinguished military record and holds military power, what does it matter?

This vast land ultimately belongs to their royal family, the Jun clan!

He's just a foreign subject, what right does he have to be so arrogant and presumptuous in front of me?

The other party clearly had no intention of leaving him any room to maneuver, and pressed him relentlessly.

"Now you only have two choices: either send Meng Wan back 'unharmed', or... use this woman as collateral."

This is clearly making things difficult for him!

Meng Wan is the woman he loves, how could he possibly give her up?

Moreover, she had already given herself to him, and even if he were willing, the other party would never accept a woman who had lost her virginity.

As for Shen Fu...

The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion behind her is an indispensable part of his plan to seize the throne, and he would never give it up!

But he didn't have the ability to snatch the person from the Xuan King, so he could only utter a harsh threat.

"I will not let this humiliation go unpunished. Tomorrow, I will make sure my father upholds justice!"

Having said that, he turned and left.

Seeing Jun Qiyuan leave in a humiliating manner, Shen Fu admitted that she felt a sense of satisfaction.

Just as I was engrossed in the moment, a chilling voice suddenly rang in my ears.

"Now, it's your turn to give me an explanation."

Shen Fu's heart skipped a beat. She looked up and met the terrifying black iron mask, which made her think of the rumors about him.

King Xuan was a ruthless and cruel man who took pleasure in torturing people.

Anyone who offends him will be tortured to death.

If he finds out he used him, I'm afraid...

She blinked, looking completely innocent.

"What is Your Highness saying? I don't understand."

"Heh... You're not calling me 'husband' anymore?"

Thinking about her bold actions just now, Shen Fu couldn't help but feel her cheeks burning.

Before I could react, I was suddenly lifted up horizontally in someone's arms.

She was startled and struggled immediately.

"What are you doing?"

"Naturally, we will continue what we were doing earlier."

Understanding his meaning, Shen Fu turned pale with fright.

"Don't do anything reckless! I'm not your princess, and we have no relationship whatsoever."

"Oh? Didn't you just tell the Fourth Prince that you and I had consummated our marriage? I have no choice but to grant your wish."

"..."

She did this out of necessity because she didn't want to be taken away by Jun Qiyuan.

Now that the crisis has temporarily subsided, there's no need to continue the charade!

"Um, I was just kidding!"

The man's gaze instantly darkened, and he threw her onto the large bed covered with a red brocade quilt.

The bed was soft, so she wouldn't get hurt, but the chilling aura emanating from the other person made her want to escape.

Of course, she couldn't find such an opportunity.

Her waist was tightly locked, and the man lifted her chin.

"You think you can just use me and then discard me? There's no such logic in this world!"

"What do you mean by 'exploitation'? The mistaken marriage was just an accident. Miss Meng and I accidentally took the wrong veils while sheltering from the rain at the Guanyin Temple, which led to us getting into the wrong bridal sedan chairs. Don't you already know that?"

"Do you think I would believe such a lame excuse?"

The man's gaze was so sharp that it seemed to see through everything, and no lie could hide from him.

Shen Fu originally wanted to make one last desperate struggle, but when she heard his next words, her heart sank to the bottom.

"Or tomorrow, I will take you to the palace so that we can have a proper discussion in front of the Emperor."

"..."

He actually threatened her!

Shen Fu knew that if she didn't give a reasonable explanation today, the other party would definitely not let it go.

He didn't expose her in front of Jun Qiyuan just now. Does that mean he doesn't want to be her enemy?

Furthermore, Meng Wan was originally the woman he was going to marry, but now she has been taken by Jun Qiyuan. No man could swallow this insult.

In a sense, they are on the same side, and perhaps she can even win over an "ally" for herself?

She quickly analyzed the pros and cons in her mind and finally made up her mind.

"Your Highness, would you be interested in making a deal with me?"

……

The next morning, the rising sun pierced through the clouds and shone upon the majestic palace.

Emperor Yong, Jun Chengyao, had just woken up when he heard a palace servant announce that the fourth prince had been waiting outside the palace for a long time.

Last night was our wedding night, and now they're here to express their gratitude so early?

That's really filial piety!

"Announce!"

Unexpectedly, as soon as Jun Qiyuan arrived before the emperor, he knelt down and began to lodge a protest.

"Father, you must do justice for your son!"

When Emperor Yong saw that he was still wearing the wedding clothes from yesterday's wedding, but his clothes were disheveled and his face was haggard, his heart sank.

"What happened?"

Jun Qiyuan immediately explained the whole story.

Emperor Yong was extremely shocked and could hardly believe his ears.

What?

Did they get into the wrong bridal sedan chair?

He must have heard correctly. How could such a bizarre thing happen in the world?

"Shen Fu was given to me as my imperial concubine by my father, but now she has been forcibly taken by Prince Xuan. I cannot accept this at all, and I implore my father to seek justice for me!"

Emperor Yong frowned, his expression grave.

After a long pause, he finally spoke: "Summon the Xuan King!"

As soon as the words were spoken, a voice announced from outside.

"The Xuan King has arrived!"

The figure that walked in was tall and slender like a pine tree, and his whole body was surrounded by a chilling aura.

Especially the black iron mask covering his face, which gleamed with a dark, cold light, seemed to carry the wind and frost of a thousand miles, and a suppressed ferocity surged silently.

Xiao Xuanjin did not kneel down to pay his respects, but simply cupped his hands in a bow.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Looking across the entire court, he was the only one who could be exempted from kneeling before the emperor!

Jun Qiyuan saw this and felt intense jealousy and resentment.

On what grounds?

He was merely a minister who had rendered some merit, yet he was treated with such great favor.

Emperor Yong spoke first, "I presume you've come because of the mistaken marriage in the bridal sedan chair yesterday?"

"Now that His Majesty is aware of this, I hope that the matter will be handled impartially."

He deliberately emphasized the last four words, which caused Emperor Yong's expression to change slightly.

If this matter is not handled properly, it may cause a great upheaval, leading to public discussion and turmoil in the court.

Moreover, a sliver of doubt lingered in his mind.

Both of these joyous occasions were marriages bestowed by the emperor.

On the day of the wedding, the whole city was celebrating and it caused a sensation. How could there be bandits trying to abduct the bride?

To dare to rob the royal wedding procession is simply courting death.

Was this really just an accident?

Emperor Yong suppressed his doubts and said in a deep voice, "Where are the two brides? Summon them to the palace. I want to ask them myself."