si-mexico Chapter 324: Request for a Marriage
Chapter 324: Request for a Marriage
Chapter 324: Requesting a Marriage
"That servant is so audacious." Princess Xiangping had just entered the Emperor's bedchamber when she heard his voice before she saw him. A woman spoke in a coquettish tone.
Princess Xiangping's expression changed slightly when she heard a woman address her in this way for the first time. She walked to the bedside, lifted the curtain, and saw a woman on the bed with her bare shoulders exposed. Her face was still flushed, but she sat on the bed without any shame, making no attempt to cover up every inch of her exposed skin.
Princess Xiangping stared straight at the woman and pulled her off the bed. Seeing the woman's arrogance, the woman quickly covered herself with her clothes, pointed at Princess Xiangping, and shouted, "Where did you come from, you lowly servant? Do you know that I have been favored by the Emperor? When the Emperor wakes up, I will make sure you regret it!"
Princess Xiangping looked at her, a smile playing on her lips, her eyes filled with barely concealed murderous intent. The Emperor on the bed opened his eyes, noticing the person beside him was gone. He tried to get up to look for her, but then he saw Princess Xiangping and immediately fell silent. His gaze kept drifting towards the disheveled woman.
"Your Majesty, this vile woman, she... she humiliated me... Waaah..." The woman cried with tears streaming down her face, and looking at the person lying motionless on the bed, she cried even more dramatically.
"Shut up! Who do you think you are? This is Princess Xiangping! What do you mean by 'whore'?!" The emperor, who was lying on the bed, suddenly got up, straightened the bed board, and angrily pointed at the woman.
The woman seemed to have never seen the emperor so angry before; her pupils widened, and she trembled with fear. She immediately knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, saying, "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong, I will never dare to do it again." As she spoke, she began to sob and cry.
Princess Xiangping stood aside, coldly watching the woman kowtow, her head seemingly scraped and bruised. The Emperor, sitting on the bed, watched this scene, feeling a pang of heartache, but could only rub his temples and say, "Xiangping, she's at your disposal." He paused, somewhat conflicted, as he spoke.
Upon hearing her father's words, Princess Xiangping said, "Alright, you said it." She then found a pair of scissors in the room, held them in her hand, and walked towards the woman. The woman, seeing Princess Xiangping approaching and the undisguised smile on her face, froze in fear, repeatedly kowtowing and begging for mercy, saying, "Princess, Princess, I was blind! Please spare me! Please spare me!"
The Emperor, sitting on the bed, didn't stop her, letting Princess Xiangping do as she pleased. The woman watched helplessly as Princess Xiangping slowly approached her, then frantically crawled towards the bedside, grasping at the only straw that would allow Princess Xiangping to kick her away. The woman crawled towards the bedside again, saying as she went, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong, please save me," she cried, her swollen eyes looking at the person lying on the bed.
The person on the bed pretended not to hear, slightly turning their head away. With their eyes closed, they heard the woman's scream. Turning their head, they looked at the person kneeling on the ground and Princess Xiangping standing there, their pupils widening in disbelief at the scene before them.
Bloodstains were everywhere on the floor. The woman's face was a bloody mess, blood streaming down her face and neck, staining her clothes crimson. Princess Xiangping dropped the scissors in her hand, turned around, and saw the person sitting on the bed, a victorious smile spreading across her face. But deep in her eyes, however, simmering hatred was slowly creeping in.
The woman ran out of the room like a madwoman, raving outside the door, sometimes laughing, sometimes crying. Tears streamed down her wounds, stinging them, but she didn't wipe them away. Suddenly, a guard appeared out of nowhere and pierced her heart with a long spear. Her eyes widened as she fell to the ground, silent forever.
The person sitting on the bed saw this scene, then lay down heavily on the bed, closed their eyes, and said, "Are you satisfied now? Have you done enough to vent your anger?" There was no emotion in their tone, but there was a hint of pleading in it.
"Revenge? I just want to repay you for what my mother suffered." Princess Xiangping slowly took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped the blood from her hands. Then, looking at the handkerchief with disgust, she threw it on the ground without hesitation.
The once supreme ruler now looked like a helpless victim, his eyes filled with despair. Hearing Xiangping say those words, he closed his eyes, his heart aching with unbearable pain. He had silently endured the misunderstanding for over a decade, yet still lacked the courage to speak out.
Princess Xiangping paced back and forth in the room. Suddenly remembering something, she took the Emperor's hand and said, "Father, can you help your daughter? I want to marry Young Master Shen. I hope you can grant us this marriage." Her voice was filled with undisguised joy.
Upon hearing this, the Emperor looked at Xiangping with disbelief. He thought to himself that just over a decade ago, Xiangping was an innocent child. Ever since her mother left, she had become rebellious, even looking at him with hatred. In front of outsiders, she would affectionately call him "Father" and hold his hand. But once they were alone, she would immediately pull away from him, her face expressionless and her eyes icy.
Seeing Xiangping's expectant expression, he said, "My Xiangping has grown up. I wonder if that young master Shen was last year's top scholar? Does he have a woman he likes?" He was tactful in his actions and tried his best to find out the truth.
"Yes, yes, it's him, Young Master Shen. He... he has a girl he admires. But with Father's decree, nothing is impossible, right?" Princess Xiangping answered the Emperor's question with certainty, her hands clenching tightly as she mentioned the girl Shen Bin admired. Hoping for the Emperor's approval, she began to coax him.
"Xiangping, matters of the heart cannot be forced. Even if your father gives you an imperial decree, you will still suffer. How about this, your father will issue an imperial decree, and whether you can win Shen Bin's heart is up to you," the Emperor said earnestly.
Upon hearing this, Princess Xiangping's eyes darkened, but then she was overjoyed to hear that her father had agreed to issue the imperial decree. She took the emperor's hand and said sweetly, "Thank you, Father." As she spoke, Princess Xiangping covered her mouth and giggled.
The Emperor was pleased to see Xiangping so happy. He waved for her to leave, and Princess Xiangping, without making a fuss, left the room. The Emperor sat up in bed, rubbed his temples, and, recalling Xiangping's laughter, her coquettishness, and her intimacy with him, felt somewhat dazed, as if it were all an illusion.
But the thought of Xiangping falling for Shen Bin, and Shen Bin having found someone he liked, gave her a headache. Perhaps being with Shen Bin could ease the hatred filling her heart. But Shen Bin already had someone he liked, which put her in a very difficult position.
Shen Bin returned to the restaurant, and Zhao Ning'er's eyes quickly spotted that familiar figure. Although he was wearing red, she still recognized him. She immediately walked towards him. Seeing his familiar face, she smiled and said, "How was your day? Did it go well?"
Shen Bin seemed startled by Zhao Ning'er's sudden appearance, but after seeing her bright smile, he was momentarily stunned. He smiled faintly at her and said, "It's alright. How's business at the store today?"