Fu Yunхi cast а соld glаnсe at Deng Сhаn, the chill in his gаze making оnе shivеr invоluntаrilу. Despitе her immense anger, Deng Сhаn cоuldn't helр but fееl а twinge оf fеаr undеr suсh a lоok.
"I only knоw thаt the еsteemed Wеstern Rong рrincess is оur Grеаt Dуnаstу's еnemy оn thе battlеfiеld," Нan Yаn deсlаred, raising hеr hеad. Тhough her status wаs technicаllу lоwer thаn that of the Wеstеrn Rоng prinсеss, Irinа hаd а fеeling thаt thе womаn befоre her wаs the truе рrinсess. Наn Yаn's tоne was cаlm, yet it carried аn air of supеriority, subtlу crеаting immensе pressure.
The Western Rong princess faltered, seemingly taken aback by Han Yan's words. She noticed that the ladies and young misses in the room, who had initially shown admiration for her beauty, now regarded her with inexplicable hostility after hearing Han Yan's remarks.
Indeed, everyone present was from the Great Dynasty. Given the enmity between the Western Rong and the Great Dynasty, it was clear that their initial curiosity toward her, a Western Rong princess, had instantly turned into seeing her as "the princess of an enemy nation"—all because of Han Yan's single sentence!
Furious, Irina glared at Han Yan as if she were a heinous criminal. Yet Han Yan showed no fear of her anger. Instead, she smiled thoughtfully. "Could it be that your Western Rong lost the war and sent you here for a political marriage, Your Highness?" she said lightly, her tone dripping with biting sarcasm. As soon as these words were spoken, the hall erupted in laughter. Irina flushed crimson with rage, but she found herself unable to refute Han Yan's logic. It was true—the Western Rong had lost, and that was why she had been sent for a political marriage. She was overjoyed that it was Fu Yunxi. But Han Yan's words made it seem as if the Western Rong were cowardly, sending their precious princess as a mere offering. Han Yan was implying that her status as a princess had already fallen far below that of Zhuang Hanyan.
"So what?" Irina suddenly smiled maliciously, clinging to Fu Yunxi's arm and cooing, "His Highness has already agreed to marry me. He likes me very much. What does it matter if it's a political marriage? We are in love."
Women of the Western Rong were known for their boldness and openness, so no one found Irina's words inappropriate. However, their expressions toward Han Yan had shifted to one of pity, as if she were a discarded wife.
The remark was so provocative, almost laced with malicious mockery. Everyone watched silently, and in their eyes, Han Yan had already become a failure. Yet Fu Yunxi showed no intention of intervening.
At that moment, Han Yan seemed to see her past self—clinging to dreams of waiting for a good man, only to be met by another woman. Was fate truly so cruel, playing tricks on her just as she had come to like and trust Fu Yunxi, only to reveal it was all a deception?
To be divorced before even marrying—if word got out, countless people in the Great Dynasty would be waiting to laugh at her, especially Zhuangshan. Han Yan wondered how much Zhuangshan would mock her if she learned of this news. Concubine Mei and Madam Zhou in prison would also be overjoyed beyond words.What about Zhuang Hanming? With an older sister who was divorced before even marrying, his future in the officialdom would likely be hindered, and he might even be mocked by his peers, unable to hold his head high for the rest of his life. Should she drag down Zhuang Hanming, Mama Chen, Ji Lan, and Shu Hong because of herself? If her mother were watching from heaven, she would surely be heartbroken for her.
No! Life shouldn’t be like this! She cherished this second chance at life so much—she couldn’t possibly let herself fall into such a state. Resigning herself to fate was not something Zhuang Hanyan would ever do!
At this thought, she suddenly smiled faintly, revealing a detached, mocking expression. Her tone took on a strange quality: "So that’s how it is. I wonder if the princess has ever heard this saying: ‘If betrothed, she becomes a wife; if she runs away, she becomes a concubine.’" She glanced at Irina and smiled. "His Majesty decreed that I become the Xuan Qing Prince Consort, which can be considered a proper betrothal. If the princess wishes to be half a mistress of the Xuan Qing Prince’s Mansion, she should have stayed in Western Rong, waiting for the betrothal letter. How is it that she followed the prince all the way to the Great Dynasty?" Her smile was meaningful. "This is not something a proper consort should do."
Upon hearing Hanyan’s words, the expressions of those around them toward Irina suddenly shifted with realization. Compared to Irina, Hanyan was still a proper woman of the Great Dynasty. But this Western Rong princess was different. Not only did she lack understanding of propriety, but she had also followed a man all the way to the Great Dynasty. Only shameless women who offered themselves as concubines would behave in such a manner. And she was a princess, no less! Such shamelessness truly befitted someone from a barbaric land.
Hanyan remained calm and composed. At this moment, she showed no trace of sorrow, still sharp-tongued and unwilling to suffer even the slightest disadvantage—still the same Hanyan. Only numbness and sorrow could not be shown to others. No matter how heartbroken she was inside, facing this arrogant Western Rong princess, Hanyan would not allow herself to yield.
When had Irina ever been mocked like this by anyone? After all, she was not as clever as Hanyan and couldn’t find a retort for the moment. Under the strange gazes of those around her, Irina wished she could release a venomous snake to bite Hanyan to death. After a pause, she suddenly thought of something and smiled triumphantly. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Your Great Dynasty’s emperor has already agreed to welcome me into the mansion on behalf of the prince. Your letter of divorce will probably arrive soon. The command of the Great Dynasty’s emperor cannot be false, can it?"
Ji Lan and Shu Hong were both stunned. They never expected Irina to have such a trump card. Even Hanyan herself hadn’t anticipated this—how could things have suddenly turned out this way? Logically, the emperor was the most trustworthy; a ruler’s word was not to be taken lightly. If the ruler of a nation went back on his word, it would cause discontent and alienation among the officials throughout the court. Yet the emperor was willing to take such a risk to replace the Xuan Qing Prince Consort—wasn’t this too abnormal?
Although she knew there was something suspicious about this matter, Hanyan had no recourse. On the contrary, Irina’s statement was equivalent to sentencing her to a fate from which she could never recover. With the emperor as her bargaining chip, did Hanyan still have a chance to become the Xuan Qing Prince Consort?Han Yan was not clinging to the title of Xuan Qing Prince Consort. In truth, if a man did not love her, what purpose was there in forcing herself to remain his nominal wife? It would be nothing but self-deception—a lesson she had already understood in her previous life. Yet even if she were to step down as the Prince Consort, now was not the time. If she were to relinquish her position now, the Seventh Prince and the Empress Dowager would surely not spare her. Without the protection of the Xuan Qing Prince's Mansion, how far could she, Zhuang Hanyan, go?
She had to make the most of the resources at her disposal. Therefore, no matter how unwilling she felt or how much admiration she harbored, she could not simply retreat. What did this Western Rong princess rely on? Her noble status? The Emperor's decree? Or perhaps... Fu Yunxi's love. Love? A mocking curve lifted the corner of Han Yan's lips. Standing in the center of the hall, her jet-black hair danced in the wind, and her plain white robes contrasted starkly with her dark tresses, creating an ethereal impression as if she were about to take flight and depart. It was as though the sorrow of this delicate young woman and her very being did not belong to this world. Swiftly sweeping her gaze across the crowd, she met their sympathetic looks and suddenly bowed gracefully to everyone, her head deeply lowered, her voice plaintive and moving.
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