Chapter 30: The Splendid Country Part 2

Unsurprisingly, Liu Qingying got first place again, a four-peat. She joyfully accepted the banner from Xiao Luo, holding the imperial marriage sign and looking toward Xia Wuheng.

As long as she gave the marriage sign to the man she liked, Her Majesty would personally arrange their marriage.

Liu Qingying’s clear eyes turned toward Xia Wuheng. With a shy and timid gaze, she walked over. “Your Highness~”

Suddenly, a string of sounds like firecrackers erupted behind Xia Wuheng. The air was instantly filled with foul gas, so stinky that it hurt to open one’s eyes.

Liu Qingying was immediately dumbfounded, so scared that she nearly dropped the marriage sign.

She was closest to Xia Wuheng, but didn’t know what had happened.

“Your Highness…”

The handsome prince, her jade-like gentleman she adored, seemed not to hear her voice. He was comfortably releasing gas, and his expression stunned the noble ladies.

“Boom—” It was as if a bolt of lightning struck their hearts. The sky had fallen, the world had collapsed.

Smelling the foul air, they quickly took out handkerchiefs and covered their noses in disgust.

But Liu Qingying still stood there stupidly, as if unable to react.

Although everyone has to relieve themselves, doing so so boldly in such a setting seemed inappropriate, right?

Moreover, Xia Wuheng’s image was that of an exalted immortal prince in the Dawn Kingdom. How could he let out such a string of farts?

Luckily, Xiao Luo was far away and didn’t smell anything, but she still pretended to pinch her nose with a handkerchief and said, “Prince Heng, the young ladies are still here. What are you doing?”

Xia Wuheng’s face was blue and purple from holding it in. Fortunately, he wore a mask, so others couldn’t see his expression.

But that wasn’t enough to resist the power of social death. Facing everyone’s gazes, he wished he could crawl into a crack in the ground.

“This Prince merely… ate something bad and couldn’t hold it in…” As he spoke, the word “fart” stuck in his throat. He still maintained his lofty prince’s demeanor, as if saying that word would defile his mouth.

“Couldn’t hold in a fart, right?” Xiao Luo said it for him, smiling. “If Prince Heng needed to use the toilet, you could have said so earlier. Why say it at this exact moment? Look, you’ve stunk up the noble ladies.”

She looked around and saw the noble ladies’ disgusted expressions. It was as if they had been woken up by a fart, glancing at Xia Wuheng then quickly looking away, as if still finding it unbelievable.

Xiao Luo was extremely satisfied. Finally, she turned her gaze to Liu Qingying and said, “Congratulations, Miss Liu, on winning first place. Does Miss Liu have a man she favors and wish to give the marriage sign to?”

Liu Qingying snapped out of it, fine cold sweat beading on her forehead. She forced a pale smile. “Replying to the Imperial Noble Consort, your servant currently has none.”

She unconsciously squeezed the marriage sign tightly and hid it in her sleeve, not daring to look up at Xia Wuheng.

Xia Wuheng was so ashamed and furious he wanted to kill. Seeing their disdainful gazes, he wanted to slaughter all these women around him, leaving not a single one.

He was Prince Heng, the future emperor. These vulgar painted ladies dared to mock him??

Looking up, he saw Xiao Luo looking at him with curved brows and a hint of smugness in her eyes. He instantly understood that Xiao Luo was behind this. She had drugged his drink to make him embarrass himself in public.

Blinded by fury, Xia Wuheng stood up, swept the things off the table, and pointed at Xiao Luo: “It was you? You, that demon consort, are harming me?!”

Xiao Luo propped her chin on her hand. “Prince Heng, what are you talking about? How did I harm you? You slander me like this, that’s too much, isn’t it?”

“Enough talk. This Prince will kill you, you demon woman!” Xia Wuheng’s eyes were icy. He drew a dagger he carried and hurled it forcefully at Xiao Luo’s face.

The noble ladies cried out in alarm: “Imperial Noble Consort!”

At that moment, Lin Qiao’er stepped in front of Xiao Luo to shield her. The dagger stabbed into Lin Qiao’er’s shoulder.

Xiao Luo’s expression changed. She stood up and caught Lin Qiao’er. “Impudent! Men, seize Prince Heng!”

Guards with drawn swords entered and captured Xia Wuheng. Xia Wuheng looked at the two women in front, gradually calming down, regretting inwardly that he shouldn’t have acted in public…

Xiao Luo hadn’t expected this situation. She anxiously called for an imperial physician and said to Lin Qiao’er, “Bear with it, the physician will be here soon.”

Lin Qiao’er shook her head, comforting Xiao Luo: “Your Highness, don’t worry. I’m fine, it’s just a shoulder wound.”

Seeing Xiao Luo’s anxious look, Lin Qiao’er felt a warmth surge in her heart. She suddenly felt so satisfied, because she hadn’t felt this kind of being cared for in a long time.

Liu Qingying raised her eyes and saw this scene. Her heart couldn’t help but be slightly moved.

Lin Qiao’er’s heart seemed to be elsewhere now. Why should she herself cling to one person?

At that moment, the eunuch outside announced again: “Her Majesty arrives—”

“What happened?” A dignified, cold female voice sounded.

Xia Lingyu arrived without having changed out of her dragon robe. Upon entering, she instinctively searched for Xiao Luo’s figure, only relaxing when she saw Xiao Luo was unharmed.

Seeing Xia Lingyu arrive, Xiao Luo’s face showed a wronged expression. She ran over, her voice tinged with tears: “Your Majesty, Prince Heng wanted to harm me. If my palace maid hadn’t blocked the knife, I would no longer be in this world. Your Majesty must seek justice for me.”

Xia Wuheng couldn’t bear it. “Clearly you were the one who poisoned my tea to harm me first!”

“Your Majesty, he slanders me.” Xiao Luo was already in front of Xia Lingyu, tears welling in her eyes.

Xia Lingyu’s eyes deepened. She reached out and wiped the corner of Xiao Luo’s eyes, saying, “Beloved Consort, don’t cry. Zhen will definitely uphold justice for you.”

Hearing this, Xia Wuheng immediately said, “Your Majesty, it was Xiao Luo…”

“Hm?” Xia Lingyu’s phoenix eyes narrowed, clearly displeased.

“It was Imperial Noble Consort Xiao who poisoned my tea to make me lose face.” Xia Wuheng defended himself.

Xiao Luo rested her head against Xia Lingyu’s neck, utterly aggrieved. “Why would I poison you? Did you do something to wrong me?”

Xia Wuheng suddenly remembered something, his expression turning ugly. He had indeed harassed Xiao Luo, so this cheap woman held a grudge and took revenge, using such a despicable trick. How detestable.

Even knowing the reason, he couldn’t say it, because it wouldn’t benefit him.

“Prince Heng just relieved himself in the hall and, feeling he lost face, got angry and tried to kill me. Isn’t that right, Miss Liu?” Xiao Luo deliberately called out Liu Qingying.

Liu Qingying had to brace herself and step forward. “What the Imperial Noble Consort says is correct.”

“Qingying, you…” Xia Wuheng stared at Liu Qingying in disbelief, at the woman he loved most.

Liu Qingying turned her head away in embarrassment, not daring to look at him.

Xia Lingyu held Xiao Luo tightly, patting her shoulder comfortingly. Then she said, “Men, Prince Heng has offended his superior. Drag him out and beat him fifty times with the plank, strip him of his title as Prince Heng, and demote him to commoner!”

“Your Majesty, how can you treat me like this? I am the only incense of the Xia clan…” Xia Wuheng shouted.

Xia Lingyu’s eyes showed a trace of coldness. She sneered, “What is this incense? Xia Wuheng, do you intend to usurp Zhen’s throne? Then I should even less spare you…”

“No no no… Your subject was wrong. Your Majesty, please forgive me. I don’t want to be a commoner…” Without the prince’s status, it would be even harder to ascend the throne in the future. So now he must grovel and endure!

“Gag him and drag him away,” Xia Lingyu said coldly.

Then Xia Wuheng was gagged and dragged outside to be beaten. The miserable screams reached the noble ladies’ ears, making their scalps tingle. They all wished they could go deaf immediately.

The banquet ended absurdly just like that. The ladies all departed, and later they heard that Prince Heng had actually soiled himself during the beating. Instantly, they lost all interest in Xia Wuheng.

As soon as Liu Qingying returned to her residence, she found all the letters and lover’s tokens Xia Wuheng had sent her and threw them into a brazier to burn them all.

The System couldn’t help wanting to laugh: 【Host, you really outdid yourself. How did you even come up with this method.】

Xiao Luo said: 【This man values face above all, so making him suffer social death is the easiest and least effortful. Hmm… how much mission progress?】

System: 【The progress bar jumped a big chunk. Mission progress is at 50%.】

The bar is already over halfway. She hadn’t expected it to be so fast. Would she soon be able to complete the mission and leave this world?

But, leaving this place, could she truly bear it?

Xiao Luo looked at Xia Lingyu beside her. She touched her own conscience; it seemed she really was somewhat reluctant.

Xia Lingyu noticed her gaze, lowered her head, and kissed her lips, saying, “Beloved Consort is truly beautiful today.”

The red palace dress reminded her of a wedding gown, making her impatient for the day of the investiture ceremony, which would also be their wedding day.

On that wedding night, Xiao Luo would wear a festive bright red bridal dress, covered with a veil, sitting obediently at the bedside waiting for her to lift the veil and call her… wife.

Xia Lingyu’s heart pounded fiercely again.

“Your Majesty~ you’re so good.”

Xia Lingyu came back to her senses and smiled. “Where is Zhen good?”

Xiao Luo said softly, “Your Majesty must have seen that I was deliberately messing with Prince Heng, but Your Majesty still played along and even punished him.”

Xia Lingyu patted her shoulder. “Actually, Zhen has long found him an eyesore. Teaching him a lesson was only a matter of time. He even laid hands on you; Zhen couldn’t tolerate that.”

A man as arrogant as Xia Wuheng, who did nothing all day but seduce women and covet her throne—Xia Lingyu loathed him to the bone.

“Your Majesty, you must not let him off easily. He’s narrow-minded and holds grudges.”

Xia Lingyu nodded. “Mhm, Zhen knows. Beloved Consort, rest assured.”

She hugged Xiao Luo, the corner of her mouth curving. “In a few days is the investiture ceremony. Is Beloved Consort ready to be devoured by Zhen?”

Xiao Luo’s face flushed slightly. She punched Xia Lingyu’s shoulder gently. “Your Majesty, don’t be like this…”

“Luo’er must be impatient, right?” Xia Lingyu kneaded her waist, switching to an affectionate address. “How about tonight Zhen serve you for your bath?”