Chapter -66.
In the Tiandou Imperial City, the lively festivities began to wind down as night fell, bringing back a sense of calm. Yet, everyone in the city was still smiling, thrilled that their crown prince finally had a consort!
What they didn't realize was that inside the prince's chamber, things were a bit awkward.
Qian Ruxue looked at Ye Chen, her intentions clear. As a girl, she felt stuck; even if she wanted to do something with the prince's consort, she couldn't. The only person she could turn to was the one man in the room whom she trusted the most.
"Don't look at me like that! I really can't do it, and besides, I know the prince's consort. She helped me not long ago. How could I betray her?" Ye Chen shook his head vigorously, trying to avoid getting involved. But Qian Ruxue wasn't backing down. She stared at him earnestly and said, "Right now, there are so many rumors flying around. Even if I get married, it's just a temporary fix. If we don't take care of this today, it'll all be for nothing."
As she spoke, Qian Ruxue gently lifted the sleeping beauty's arm, rolling up her sleeve to reveal a small round red dot.
"Is that a 'guardian mark'?" Ye Chen exclaimed, then added, "Is that really why you want me to do this?"
"What do you think?" Qian Ruxue's expression grew serious. "This mark was placed by someone sent by Prince Xuexing before the consort arrived. It's way more powerful than a regular guardian mark. Trying to remove it would just cause a lot of pain and chaos."
"But there must be other ways to handle this," Ye Chen suggested, but Qian Ruxue cut him off.
"What if we remove the guardian mark? It might work for a bit, but if someone looks closely, the prince's consort's true self will still be revealed. You know how much a girl changes when she becomes a woman. I heard you have quite a few lovely friends outside."
Feeling a bit flustered under Qian Ruxue's gaze, Ye Chen scratched his head awkwardly. "That's true, but what if we could convince the prince's consort to pretend to be a woman? I know her well enough; I think I could persuade her."
Qian Ruxue shook her head. "The risk is too high, and removing the guardian mark isn't easy. Honestly, it might be better to just tackle this head-on."
"Uh, but that's your wife we're talking about, the future mother of the Tiandou Empire. Don't you feel a bit guilty saying that?" Ye Chen asked.
"Guilty? This wedding is a joke! Do you really want to see me having a baby with a woman? That's just not happening. By the way, isn't it funny? I thought you liked bigger girls. I picked this prince's consort based on your preferences. Is there something wrong with you?"
"Me? Do you want to give it a try yourself?" Ye Chen chuckled, moving closer to Qian Ruxue. "I'm pretty strong; if you try it, I guarantee you'll be out of commission all day tomorrow."
"Vulgar!" A hint of pink crept onto Qian Ruxue's cheeks as she took a few steps back, trying to sound serious. "If we're not going to get straight to the point, what do you suggest we do to resolve this?"
"Don't worry! The idea is to use cinnabar to feed the 'lizard' (the female gecko), then process it and apply it to the woman's body. To make it fade, we can also use hormone stimulation to make it ineffective."
Qian Ruxue shot Ye Chen a look, as if to say, "So, what are we waiting for?"
Ye Chen scratched his head and smiled. "Hormones are easy to talk about, but they won't just appear on their own. We need a specific environment for that."
Noticing Ye Chen's intense gaze, Qian Ruxue crossed her arms, annoyed. "Don't even think about it! Get those thoughts out of your head!"
Just then, the princess on the big bed suddenly woke up. Spotting two men in the room, she quickly retreated to the corner and, seeing the door, tried to escape.
But the bedroom had been set up with a soul power barrier by Qian Ruxue, and being in her thirties, she couldn't break through it, let alone escape.
"How did I end up here? Who are you?" the woman asked, clearly flustered, as if she didn't realize she was already married.
Ye Chen and Qian Ruxue exchanged glances and said in unison, "Did you steal this princess?"
"How would I know? The image used for selecting the princess was supported by someone during the wedding, and then she was brought straight to the bedroom. I haven't really talked to her much," Qian Ruxue replied.
Ye Chen rolled his eyes at her words. The person he was supposed to marry didn't even know she was forced into it. This whole situation felt way too rushed.
Shaking his head, Ye Chen looked at the familiar face and said softly, "Don't be nervous. This is the eldest prince of the Tiandou Empire, and he is your husband. You're now part of the Tiandou royal family."
"Impossible! I already rejected the dean. Why is this happening? I clearly have someone I like!" The princess's emotions were all over the place, and she looked heartbroken.
Seeing her distress, Qian Ruxue didn't know what to say and turned to Ye Chen for help.
With no other choice, Ye Chen continued to comfort her. "Your Highness, marrying the eldest prince is a great opportunity! Prince Qinghe is talented, handsome, and has a high status. Is there really anyone more perfect than him?"
"Of course there is! No matter how good he is, he can't compare to the one I like!" The princess replied passionately, leaving Ye Chen a bit speechless. "Then who is this amazing guy you're talking about?"
The princess fell into thought for a moment before saying, "Even though I haven't spent much time with him, I can't deny that he's the most outstanding and handsome man I've ever seen. Just in terms of looks, Prince Qinghe doesn't hold a candle to him."
Qian Ruxue was left speechless. Even though Xue Qinghe was a disguise she had created, he was still royalty. Who could possibly be more handsome than him?
Ye Chen was equally puzzled, thinking, "Is there really someone that good-looking out there? This is making me feel a bit insecure!"
"Come on, who is this guy you like that's so much better than Prince Qinghe?" Ye Chen asked, eager to know.
The princess took a deep breath and said, "He is from the Spirit Hall, Ye Chen!"
With a clang, Ye Chen froze in surprise. He never expected to be the one occupying such a special place in the princess's heart. How embarrassing!
Walking over to the table and chairs in the main hall, Ye Chen glanced at his reflection in the mirror and thought, "Wow, I really am a handsome guy!"
Meanwhile, Qian Ruxue looked at the princess with a hint of relief in her eyes. "What you said makes sense. I've met Ye Chen, and he's not bad at all."
Ye Chen stared at Qian Ruxue, thinking, "Hey, what are you up to? You're not planning to throw me under the bus, are you?"
Just then, the princess spoke softly, "Eldest prince, can you let me go? I really don't want to…"
Before she could finish, Qian Ruxue suddenly walked up to Ye Chen and pulled off his mask. She smiled at the princess consort and said, "If it were him sharing the bed with you today, would you still want to leave?"
"What the heck, Xue Qinghe! What are you doing? She's a good girl; how can you say such things?"
With the mask off, Ye Chen felt a wave of frustration. Just as he was about to protest, a soft voice came from behind.
"You really are Ye Chen! If… if it were you, I wouldn't mind."
*****
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