TN | The Malicious Empress

Chapter 85: The Day of Marriage (Part 1,2 & 3)

|Part 1|

Time flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month.

On this auspicious day, a day fit for marriage, Prince Yu, who had been a long-time widower, was about to marry a new Wangfei. Despite the excitement of the Prince Yu residence welcoming a new mistress after many years, everyone understood that this wasn't a cause for celebration. Just like the previous Wangfei of Prince Yu, no one knew when this joyous occasion might turn into a funeral.

The bride-to-be marrying into Prince Yu's residence was the second daughter of the Shen family, one of the Formidable Great General's three daughters in the capital. Jennie was known for being somewhat dim-witted, Shen Yue was celebrated for her talents, and Shen Qing was known for her beauty, generosity, and capability. Shen Qing's impending marriage to someone like Prince Yu left others sighing in disbelief.

"That Shen Gui has lost his mind," someone whispered in the crowd watching the commotion. "Isn't he practically throwing his daughter into a fire pit? This is sinful."

"What do you know?" another person countered. "I heard from my elder brother, who works in the palace, that Eldest Shen Young Lady had an illicit relationship with Prince Yu and is already pregnant. If she wasn't of royal blood, she'd be sentenced to death."

"Is that true?" The people surrounding them were surprised, as they hadn't heard about this before.

The one who had initially claimed that Shen Qing was pregnant proudly nodded. "Yes, it is. I heard that during the return banquet at the palace, hundreds of civil and military officials witnessed it. It's said that Eldest Shen Young Lady was not at all pitiable and brought trouble upon herself."

"In that case, she's offended public morals by being pregnant before marriage."

"Yes, she lacks shame."

"It's a disgrace to the Shen family's reputation."

People's comments shifted from initial sympathy to later scorn and disdain for Shen Qing. From the growing apprehension of Shen Gui and Ren Wan Yun, who couldn't face Shen Qing's marriage, to the final revelation of Shen Qing's hatred for her own parents, it was as if only a brief period of time had passed.

The person who initially spread the rumor about Shen Qing being pregnant smiled and disappeared into the crowd.

Inside the Shen residence, a matchmaker was applying makeup to Shen Qing.

Ren Wan Yun stood behind her daughter, her handkerchief tightly clenched, as if she wished to tear it apart. She had raised her daughter well, but now she had to watch Shen Qing step into a pit of fire. No mother could bear seeing her daughter in such a situation, and for Ren Wan Yun, everything that had happened felt like a knife cutting into her flesh.

What set Shen Qing apart was her lack of strong emotion compared to Ren Wan Yun. She sat quietly in her chair, allowing the matchmaker to move about. The matchmaker offered, "Eldest Young Lady, I'll thread your face. Face threading can be somewhat painful, so you must endure it. Afterward, you'll be a beautiful bride."