Chapter 27: Suspicion

In the past, Luo Wushuang had always considered Prince An a rather simple man. Now, it seemed she had been mistaken.

If he truly harbored ambitions, they were likely far from small.

Furthermore, during her initial struggle for the throne, the Minister of War had first supported the Eldest Prince. It was only after he saw her gain the upper hand that he shifted his ultimate loyalty to her.

From that perspective, the man was neither a loyal subject nor a virtuous official.

If she allowed his daughter to marry Prince An, it might very well plant the seeds for future trouble.

Before pushing open the door to her chambers, Luo Wushuang’s phoenix eyes flickered with a cold light. Perhaps… before the marriage is decreed, I should simply wipe out the Minister of War’s entire household.

After all, the Minister had spent the last few years riding on the coattails of his “merit” in helping her ascend, using his position to suck the lifeblood out of the common people. He had long ago incited public outrage.

She hadn’t dealt with him before because she needed him to balance the other factions in court. But now, keeping that old fox alive was doing more harm than good.

It would be better to use the lives of the Minister’s family to appease the people’s anger. She could even earn a reputation for justice in the process. It was a win-win scenario.

Luo Wushuang lowered her gaze, masking the frigid intent in her eyes.

If Prince An still insisted on marrying the daughter of the Minister of War after the family’s fall, what would it matter if she gave her to him? She would be nothing more than the child of a disgraced criminal. What kind of waves could a girl like that possibly stir?

However, she realized she could never afford to let her guard down around Prince An again.

Having reached a decision, Luo Wushuang pushed open the doors to the bedchamber. She immediately saw her sister sitting by the table, focused intently on… spinning a cup.

The lingering glow of the setting sun spilled over the table, painting the room in a warm yellow hue. It was a sight that caused the negative emotions in Luo Wushuang’s eyes to vanish instantly.

A surge of joy fluttered in her heart. Is Sister waiting for me?

A trace of a satisfied smile graced her elegant face. As Luo Wushuang watched the careless movements of Shangguan Liqian’s hands, even the soft rattling of the chains seemed to turn into a beautiful melody. It was an atmosphere one couldn’t help but sink into.

Deep in thought, Shangguan Liqian looked up when she heard the movement. She saw Luo Wushuang standing dazed at the entrance, staring at her.

The furrow in Liqian’s brow slowly relaxed. She gave the person at the door a soft smile and asked gently, “You’re back?”

Faced with the beauty’s smile and soft voice, Luo Wushuang snapped out of her daze. She nodded obediently and walked forward, asking with confusion, “Sister, what were you thinking about just now?”

You weren’t thinking of how to leave me again, were you? A dark thought flashed through Luo Wushuang’s mind, but she quickly hid it beneath the curve of her narrow phoenix eyes.

Shangguan Liqian glanced at her and spoke without any intent to hide the truth. “I was wondering why Prince An came to see you.”

She felt that if she lied, Wushuang would only let her imagination run wild. Instead of hiding it, it was better to be honest to save them both from unnecessary guessing.

Surprised by her directness, Luo Wushuang paused for a moment before answering truthfully. “He came to request an imperial decree. He wants to marry Shen Youran, the eldest concubine-born daughter of the Minister of War, as his Princess Consort.”

Upon hearing the name Shen Youran, Shangguan Liqian was startled. Her voice rose instinctively. “Shen Youran!?”

As that name left Liqian’s lips, the darkness in the depths of Luo Wushuang’s eyes surged alongside a wave of resentment.

Does Sister actually know the daughter of the Minister of War? When did they meet? Why didn’t I know about this?

Luo Wushuang took a deep breath. She watched as Shangguan Liqian realized her slip of the tongue and quickly regained her composure. Wushuang asked in a low, eerie tone, “Sister knows Shen Youran?”

Shangguan Liqian shook her head, letting out a helpless sigh.

She didn’t know the person personally, but… she certainly had an impression of her.

In her previous life, the very first decree Luo Wuyan had issued after ascending the throne was to appoint Shen Youran as his Empress.

However, even during her time as a wandering ghost, Liqian had never actually seen this Empress. It seemed that due to poor health, the woman had rarely left her palace.

From that perspective, perhaps the two of them really were soulmates. Even after becoming Emperor, Luo Wuyan hadn’t forgotten the wife who came from such humble beginnings.

But wait—weren’t Luo Wuyan and his wife supposed to meet two years from now at the Mid-Autumn Banquet?

She remembered they had married several years after meeting. Wushuang had even taken her to Prince An’s Manor once, an occasion Liqian had used to plot another escape.

But before she could even make it out of the manor, she had been “invited” back by the secret guards Wushuang had deployed.

And then… followed a month of relentless… cough.

Even though it was a lifetime ago, the memory of the punishment she received back then still made Shangguan Liqian feel uneasy.

Her beautiful eyes shifted, her gaze inadvertently landing on the woman in front of her.

Liqian was about to glare at her when she suddenly noticed something wrong with Luo Wushuang’s expression.

This…? Why did she look so… fierce? So aggrieved?

What was with that look? It was enough to make someone’s skin crawl.

Is she thinking about something strange again?

Shangguan Liqian’s heart tightened slightly, but she maintained a calm facade as she asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Hearing the question, Luo Wushuang lowered her eyes to avoid her gaze. Her expression stiffened inch by inch, and her voice lost its earlier cheer, sounding strained and harsh. “Sister is lying.”

She’s lying to me, just like before…

As the pain in Luo Wushuang’s eyes deepened, nearly drowning her reason, Shangguan Liqian reached out and pulled the woman down to sit beside her.

Her hands, weighted by the chains, gently cupped Wushuang’s face. She spoke with total sincerity. “Don’t overthink things. I’m not lying. I truly don’t know Shen Youran. I was simply shocked that Prince An would be so devoted to a concubine-born daughter that he would go so far as to…”

Her voice trailed off. The events of her previous life hadn’t happened yet; how could she explain it in a way that Wushuang would believe?

She blamed herself for reacting so visibly to the name. Now, she didn’t know how to smooth over the situation.

While Shangguan Liqian was searching for a way to fix her mistake, Luo Wushuang’s slender hand rose, covering the eyes that could look so sincere even while lying.

As Liqian’s vision plunged into darkness, the malice and cruelty in Luo Wushuang’s gaze fell unreservedly upon the fragile figure before her.

Once the seed of suspicion was planted, it would grow wildly, fed by the darkness in her heart.

Sister knows Shen Youran. Or she has heard of her, and more than once…

Then why is Sister hiding it? Is she afraid I will hurt the girl? Or does Sister actually have a favorable impression of this daughter of the Minister of War?

If it was truly as she suspected, then she would certainly have to see for herself what was so extraordinary about this person.

As for Prince An… it was because of him that the name Shen Youran had even been brought up. Now, she had one more reason to find him intolerable.