Little did the trembling ministers know…
In the shadows where their eyes could not reach, the Empress Regnant, having finally obtained the desire of her heart, smiled with such genuine joy every single day.
As the music and dance began, the atmosphere of the banquet gradually reached its crescendo.
At the Li family’s table, swept up in the festive air and fueled by the heat of the wine, Li Shaoheng—the same playboy who had just pulled a lady from the pond—suddenly rose from his seat.
The person beside him reached out to tug at his sleeve, clearly trying to stop him. However, Li Shaoheng pushed the hand away with a brusque motion.
The court watched as Li Shaoheng stumbled into the center of the hall and fell to his knees.
A collective shock rippled through the crowd; everyone turned their suspicious and startled gazes toward him. What was this Li family wastrel planning now?
Even his own family members looked on with eyes full of dread. It was one thing for the boy to act like a hooligan at home, but this was a Flower Viewing Banquet hosted by Her Majesty.
Recalling the Empress’s brutal methods, more than a few people broke into a cold sweat on behalf of the kneeling playboy.
His eyes hazy with drink, Li Shaoheng drew courage from the alcohol and looked up at the Empress on her dragon throne. “Your Majesty, this humble subject begs for a Marriage Decree… I wish to wed Lin Shuqing!”
Luo Wushuang’s brows furrowed slightly. Her gaze shifted toward the Lin family’s seating area as she asked tonelessly, “What does Miss Lin think of this?”
On the surface, Luo Wushuang appeared indifferent, but internally she was vexed to the point of nausea. Why had everyone decided to seek marriage decrees from her lately? Did she look like a professional matchmaker to them?
Lin Shuqing, who had returned to the banquet in a fresh set of clothes after her fall into the water, had felt her eyelid twitching the moment Li Shaoheng stood up. After hearing his request, her face turned deathly pale.
Li Shaoheng’s reputation as a notorious profligate was well-known throughout the Imperial Capital. It was said that his estate was filled with countless concubines and that he was so debauched he frequently cavorted with them in open courtyards.
To be “liked” by such a man—and to have him loudly demand a decree in public—was enough to ruin her reputation forever. If she couldn’t fulfill her dream of marrying the Prince of Baiyue today, she feared no noble household in the capital would ever send a matchmaker to her door again.
Hearing the Empress’s inquiry, Lin Shuqing threw all reserve to the wind and spoke up hurriedly. “This humble subject’s heart is set upon the Prince of Baiyue. I fear I must disappoint Young Master Li.”
Lin Shuqing’s words were nothing short of audacious. First, a woman’s marriage was a matter of her parents’ will and the words of a matchmaker; it was unheard of for a girl to propose her own match.
Second… the Prince of Baiyue held a unique status. He was not comparable to the ordinary nobility of the capital. Before discerning the Empress’s true intentions regarding the foreign prince, no one dared to voice such thoughts for fear of inciting Her Majesty’s suspicion.
Sure enough, the moment Luo Wushuang heard that Lin Shuqing coveted the position of Princess Consort, her expression grew visibly stern.
She had treated the Lin family generously over the years, mindful of their somewhat half-hearted assistance when she first ascended the throne. Were they still so unsatisfied?
The Lin family was the maternal clan of Prince An. At the start of Luo Wushuang’s reign, they had provided financial backing. In return, Luo Wushuang had granted them the status of Imperial Merchants and an extraordinary appointment to a fourth-rank official position.
She was still deliberating on the candidates for the Prince of Baiyue’s consort, yet she hadn’t expected someone to already be circling the position like a vulture. Especially not the Lin family, who had grown wealthy enough to rival a nation through their status as Imperial Merchants.
It seemed the Lin family was no longer satisfied with their current station…
A flash of deep calculation crossed Luo Wushuang’s eyes, and her smile became increasingly hollow.
The people present were all seasoned players in the game of court politics. Seeing the shift in the Empress’s mood, those who secretly envied the Lin family’s wealth immediately seized the chance to step forward.
“We have always heard that Lord Lin’s family values a pure and upright heritage. We did not expect his daughter to be quite so… bold.”
The mockery in the statement far outweighed the praise. Anyone who wasn’t a fool could hear the underlying sting.
Having started as a merchant, Lord Lin was an expert at reading the room. Sensing the sudden tension, he scrambled from his seat to plead for mercy.
“Your Majesty, please forgive us! My daughter fell into the water today and was shaken. Her mind must be clouded, leading her to speak such nonsense. I beg Your Majesty to look upon her youth and ignorance and spare her this once!”
Lord Lin finished his plea and struck his head against the floor in a heavy kowtow.
The melodic strains of the music faded away, and a heavy silence descended upon the hall. Everyone watched the Empress’s face with bated breath.
Lin Shuqing also realized she had blundered. Fearing she had provoked the Empress and endangered her family, she knelt quickly beside her father. “This humble subject knows her mistake. I beg Your Majesty for mercy.”
Luo Wushuang leaned back lazily against the dragon throne, her voice devoid of any inflection. “Oh? Miss Lin is a woman of extraordinary courage. What mistake could she have possibly made?”
The words were phrased as a compliment but felt like a blade, making it impossible to judge her true stance.
“This…” Lin Shuqing choked on her words, paralyzed.
If she recanted now, how would the Prince of Baiyue view her? But if she didn’t… Lin Shuqing looked up slightly, meeting the Empress’s cold, mocking gaze, and felt her heart sink.
While she was caught between a rock and a hard place, Li Shaoheng, still emboldened by the wine, decided to fight for himself.
“Since Miss Lin and I have already shared skin-to-skin contact, how can she possibly marry anyone else?”
A roar of whispers erupted across the banquet. Those who had witnessed the scene earlier began to describe in vivid detail how the Li family’s youngest son had risked his life to jump into the pond and rescue her.
Luo Wushuang soon received the full report of the incident from her Secret Guards. Ordinarily, she wouldn’t have bothered with such trivial drama. But now, the Lin family clearly harbored ulterior motives. In that case…
Luo Wushuang’s eyes drifted toward Luo Wuyan, who was sitting below, seemingly indifferent to the chaos as she toyed with the little fox in her lap.
“What does Prince An think should be done in this matter?”
At the Empress’s question, all eyes turned toward Luo Wuyan. The gazes from the Lin family were particularly burning. They were Prince An’s closest relatives; surely, the Prince would not stand idly by.
Under the scrutiny of the crowd, Luo Wuyan remained perfectly composed. However, the little fox in her arms lacked her stoicism. It squirmed restlessly, yet tried its best to shrink its presence as if afraid of being noticed.
The smile on Luo Wuyan’s lips paused for a fraction of a second. she lifted her wide sleeve to shield the fox from the prying eyes before speaking with practiced evasion.
“Since Young Master Li and my cousin have shared skin-to-skin contact, and Young Master Li clearly admires her, perhaps Your Majesty might grant Young Master Li the opportunity to pursue her?”
How could she not understand her Imperial Sister’s intention?
Ever since Luo Wushuang had begun to suspect her, she had taken every opportunity to test and prod her. This inquiry was merely a check to see if the Lin family’s attempt to latch onto the Prince of Baiyue was connected to her.
Her Imperial Sister was likely waiting for her to plead for the Lins. She would not give the Lin family what they wanted, nor would she step into the trap her sister had set.
At this moment, self-preservation was the only wise path.
As for the Lin family… they had betrayed her so miserably in her past life. Whether they lived or died now was none of her concern. Not to mention, the fact that the Lin family had fallen into this predicament was largely due to her own subtle nudging in the dark…
As expected, Luo Wushuang appeared slightly disappointed at not getting the reaction she wanted, but the emotion vanished quickly from her eyes.
“Very well. Then we shall do as Prince An suggests,” Luo Wushuang stated, her gaze sweeping indifferently over the kneeling figures.
