Chapter 6: The Obsessive, Lustful Hostage Prince and the Pampered, Wayward Princess (6)

Chu Mingjue curled his lips into a smile, already imagining the stimulating scene of a sharp arrow piercing an eyeball and blood spraying forth.

The bowstring was pulled taut, emitting a faint, humming vibration.

"Damn it!"

A haughty, shrill female voice drew everyone’s attention.

Shu Yao stood up abruptly; wine had soaked through the front of her clothes, clinging damply to her skin.

Wantao knelt on the floor, still clutching the wine cup she had knocked over, her eyes filled with disbelief. She quickly composed herself and pleaded, "Princess, have mercy!"

Shu Yao furrowed her delicate brows, the rouge at the corners of her eyes accentuating a spoiled, capricious curve. "You blind thing! Why aren't you taking me to change my clothes yet?"

Emperor Chu An looked over with concern. "What has upset you, Jianing? Do not let it harm your health."

Shu Yao replied, "Father, Wantao knocked over my wine. I am going to change my robes."

The ministers were accustomed to such outbursts, but the envoys from the vassal states, who had come to celebrate the birthday, observed the legendary Princess Jianing with curious eyes. On such an important occasion as the Emperor’s birthday, she would cause a scene whenever the whim struck her. She was truly spoiled rotten.

Emperor Chu An glanced at the dampened clothes and frowned. "A blind servant. Drag her away and beat her to death with sticks." His tone was airy, and the way he spoke without batting an eye sent a chill through everyone present.

Shu Yao immediately intervened, "It is fine. Your birthday banquet should not be stained with blood. Wantao is my personal maid; I shall discipline her myself."

Emperor Chu An waved his hand. "Very well, go on then."

As she passed Shen Jingmu, Shu Yao pointed a finger and commanded, "You, come with me."

Chu Mingjue’s expression shifted, and he instinctively looked toward the dragon throne. Emperor Chu An gave him a look signaling him to let her be. Chu Mingjue clenched his fists and had no choice but to desist.

*What is Jianing up to?* He had intended to properly discipline this lowly servant during the banquet to intimidate the vassal envoys!

A flicker of surprise crossed Shen Jingmu’s eyes, though it vanished as quickly as it appeared. He bowed his head and said subserviently, "As you command, Princess."

Outside the Qiwu Palace, Wantao blocked Shen Jingmu, who was attempting to follow them inside. "You, wait out here."

Shen Jingmu tilted his head, revealing a look of confusion. "Why? Did the Princess not order me to serve her while she changes?"

Wantao laughed derisively, as if she had heard the greatest joke in the world. "The Princess has skin like ice and bones of jade, a body of infinite value. Is that something a lowly servant like you is qualified to serve?" She added coldly, "Stay here and kneel."

Shen Jingmu looked at the tightly shut palace doors and blinked. *A lowly servant, am I?*

***

Inside the palace, Wantao handed over a new set of robes and assisted Shu Yao with her change.

"Princess, why did you save him?" Wantao asked, puzzled. The wine cup had clearly been knocked over by her own hand. Initially, she had not understood the Princess's intent, but when she specifically named the hostage from Great Liao to accompany them, she realized what was happening.

Shu Yao curled her lips and retorted, "When did I say I was saving him?"

Wantao asked, "Then why..." She glanced outside the palace, through the sheer, translucent screen, where the figure of the young man could be vaguely seen kneeling.

"A blind dog is no fun to play with."

Wantao looked at Shu Yao; the woman’s crimson lips were curled, her face wearing a cruel and sinister smile. *This is the Princess I know.*

The palace doors opened again. Shen Jingmu was kneeling obediently where he had been left, not having moved an inch.

"The Princess orders you to enter," Wantao said, chin held high, staring at him coldly.

As they brushed past each other, Shen Jingmu heard Wantao’s warning: "The Princess is precious. You had best not harbor any crooked thoughts; know your place."

Her intent was to warn Shen Jingmu to accept his punishment without resistance, but to Shen Jingmu, it carried a different meaning.

Stepping onto the thick velvet cushion, the woman’s voice drifted from behind the screen, light and soft. "Kneel."

With Wantao guarding the entrance, Shu Yao did not worry about what Shen Jingmu might do. Her only goal was to delay him until the banquet concluded.

*Host, you are breaking the rules again,* the System’s voice carried a touch of anthropomorphic accusation.

Shu Yao closed her eyes, looking lethargic. "What Chu Mingjue does to him won't be blamed on me. Why shouldn't I take this opportunity to make Shen Jingmu hate me more, so he can die all the sooner? And why don't you explain why Princess Zhaoyang didn't follow the original plot?"

The System wanted to retort, but was left speechless. A bug seemed to have appeared in the plot. It needed to investigate.

Shu Yao lay on the daybed for a nap. Though she appeared to be asleep, her mind was racing. According to the original plot, Chu Mingjue intended to shoot an arrow through Shen Jingmu’s eye at the banquet. Princess Zhaoyang was supposed to step out to intervene, which would infuriate Emperor Chu An and lead to her being grounded for a month. This was the first step in catalyzing the romance between the leads.

But just now, when Chu Mingjue was drawing his bow, Zhaoyang had sat not far away without blinking an eye. Something was wrong with the plot development.

She had to find an excuse to take Shen Jingmu away. If he truly became blind, how could he carry out his plan of enduring humiliation to seek revenge?

As she pondered, sleepiness washed over her. The movement on the daybed ceased, replaced by the woman’s calm, steady breathing.

*She fell asleep?* Shen Jingmu found it laughable and looked up. The screen was draped in silk gauze, thin enough to reveal the woman’s silhouette behind it. She was facing away from him, her black hair cascading like ink. Her waist was so slender a large hand could wrap around it, and the hanging sash brushed the edge of the screen, outlining the rounded curve of her shoulders.

He had expected a lashing, but instead, he was just kneeling here watching her sleep? This did not fit the woman’s style at all.

With the maid watching closely from outside, Shen Jingmu could not move, so he had to remain kneeling and wait for her to wake.

Half an hour later, Shen Jingmu’s patience was exhausted. He felt that a brutal beating would have been more refreshing than this. This felt more like a slow, lingering death; he could not fathom the woman’s purpose, and he felt deeply unsettled.

Finally, half an hour passed, and the woman on the bed stirred awake. Judging that the time was sufficient, Shu Yao summoned Wantao.

"Princess."

"How is it going with my father?"

"Reporting to the Princess, the banquet has just ended."

"You can get out now." This was directed at Shen Jingmu.

The youth’s body stiffened; he did not move. Shu Yao got off the daybed and strolled leisurely in front of him.

"What? You’ve grown fond of kneeling?"

She loomed over him. Shen Jingmu looked up, seeing only the woman’s disdainful gaze. Suddenly, his chin was gripped. Shu Yao leaned down slowly, her bright red nails digging into his cheeks as if to pierce them.

"You really are a lowly piece of trash. I didn't want to hit you, but you forced me to."

*Slap!*

It was a full-force strike. Shu Yao felt the web of her hand go numb; half of the youth’s face went numb from the blow, and a glaring palm print quickly emerged.

"Aren't you leaving yet?"

"Yes."

The youth gritted his teeth and retreated.