Free Web NovelChapter 183: Chapter 165: Trouble Brews Again on National Day
"Everyone in the Imperial Palace knows about this."
"If you don’t believe me, Prince Sheng, you are free to send someone to inquire."
The guard had no reason to lie.
He had just finished speaking when the guard who had signaled the Imperial Palace jogged over and whispered a few words into the Guard Commander’s ear.
The Guard Commander’s gaze toward Sheng Yiqing grew even more fervent as he said respectfully,
"Her Majesty the Queen has heard you are also present and cordially invites you to the Imperial Palace as well. What are your thoughts, Prince Sheng?"
The moment he said this, the color drained from Shen Zueran’s face.
’Of all Yu Lan’s Beast Husbands, why summon only Sheng Yiqing—this guy who popped out of nowhere, whom they barely knew and whose background was a mystery?’
’Is Belina not even bothering to put on an act anymore?’
At that thought, Shen Zueran couldn’t hold back any longer, even with the Imperial Palace guards right there.
He shot Sheng Yiqing a cold, menacing warning.
"Sheng Yiqing, you’d better watch your every move when you get to the Imperial Palace."
"If anything happens to Lanlan, don’t blame us for coming after you with everything we’ve got."
"Huo Zhanting’s First Legion can reach East Origin Star in an instant. You should think long and hard about the people on East Origin Star before you do anything."
Sheng Yiqing, who had been reveling in the thought of meeting his mother-in-law and making a good impression, instantly realized something was wrong from the sudden change in Shen Zueran’s expression.
’It seems this Queen Belina doesn’t treat Lanlan very well.’
Although he was grateful for Shen Zueran’s warning...
...the man’s attitude was truly infuriating.
’Who does he think he’s threatening? I’m about to marry Lanlan. I’m the main consort, the number one, get it?’
’Doesn’t he know how to speak properly? Does he even know the meaning of the word respect?’
Sheng Yiqing crossed his arms, rolled his eyes disdainfully, and the handsome, fox-eared young man let out an unabashed "Tch!"
’Just because I’m handsome doesn’t mean I’m an idiot, okay?’
He replied impatiently,
"I know, I know."
"Heaven and earth can witness my loyalty to my Female Master."
"If anything really happens to my Female Master, I’ll die before she does. I’ll protect her with my life."
"Stop talking so casually about dying," Yu Lan said with a frown.
After their trip to the Garbage Star...
...Yu Lan had a deeper understanding of life and death.
’If you can live, you must do everything you can to live well.’
The members of the Imperial Palace Guard, who had been waiting off to the side, remained silent as they listened to the blatant distrust in Shen Zueran’s words.
They simply stood their ground respectfully.
In any case, everything that happened here would be reported to Belina’s desk without the slightest omission.
CRASH!
The Imperial Palace.
Upon learning of the matter without a single detail omitted, Belina smashed the teacup in her hand, her brow furrowed with rage.
"This damn love-struck fool."
"I thought Sheng Yiqing might be useful, but it turns out he’s just as short-sighted as the rest."
"What is so great about Yu Lan, that every single one of them has fallen for her?"
And they were all top-tier, 3S-level males from various fields.
They had all fallen head over heels for Yu Lan, willingly obeying her every command, even going so far as to use their family’s power to defy the Royal Family.
Whenever Belina remembered that Yu Lan’s relationships with these men were all because of the marriages she herself had decreed, she felt like she could just cough up a mouthful of blood.
’If there were good males available, why wouldn’t she save them for her own daughter, Louisa?’
’The key issue was that Huo Zhanting and the others were real pieces of work. The only one who seemed even slightly approachable was Shen Zueran, but even when Louisa personally went to the Science Research Institute to get close to him, she couldn’t sway him.’
’Who knows how Yu Lan managed it!!!’
’Heaven knows her original plan in arranging those marriages for Yu Lan—and then secretly having people guide her to harass Huo Zhanting and the others—was for Yu Lan to one day go too far and get herself killed by one of them in a fit of rage.’
’That way, she could effortlessly eliminate someone she despised, and then use the incident to blackmail Huo Zhanting and the others into serving her, thereby consolidating the Royal Family’s power.’
’But who knew that things wouldn’t go according to her plan at all.’
Or rather, at the beginning, when Yu Lan was first assigned her marriages, she really had been stupid and vicious—so stupid she’d even used a Strong Male Induction Agent on Su Xingye.
It had made Belina laugh out loud.
She had immediately arranged for Louisa to play the hero and save the day at the critical moment, hoping to win over both Su Xingye and Huo Zhanting in one fell swoop.
Who knew...
Belina’s hand, resting on the armrest, tightened, her knuckles turning white.
Everything had changed that day, and then spiraled completely out of control.
By the time she realized what was happening, Huo Zhanting, Su Xingye, Shen Zueran, Li Yucheng, Jun Lin Yuan, and Pei Shiyi...
...every last one of them—these arrogant, cold, ruthless men, each more iron-fisted than the last, who held the Royal Family in utter contempt—were now standing behind Yu Lan.
She had thought Sheng Yiqing’s arrival would change the game, but who knew he was just another love-struck fool.
"Hmph!"
Belina sneered.
’It’s not over yet. The throne will belong to Louisa.’
’And National Day would be her chance to make her move.’
Just then, a guard ran in from outside the hall, knelt on one knee, and announced,
"Announcing—"
"Princess Yu Lan and Prince Sheng Yiqing request an audience."
Belina controlled her expression, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"Admit them!"
’If she could make Yu Lan disappear on National Day more than a decade ago...’
’...she could certainly replicate that same outcome now.’
「A minute later」
Yu Lan and Sheng Yiqing entered the hall together, walking in slowly.
One handsome, the other beautiful.
The way Sheng Yiqing’s eyes lit up when he looked at Yu Lan was particularly grating to Belina.
’I shouldn’t have summoned them both at the same time.’
Belina gritted her teeth as she watched the two of them stand in the hall and bow.
The moment they finished, Sheng Yiqing’s excited and joyful voice echoed through the grand hall:
"Her Majesty the Queen, on the way here, I heard that the Chief Ceremony Officer has already set a date for my wedding with Lanlan."
Hearing this, Belina’s expression stiffened even more.
’She had only done so because she’d heard about Sheng Yiqing’s grand escape from his own wedding.’
’Since he didn’t want to be with Yu Lan, she was determined to bind them together tightly.’
’It would have been even more satisfying if Sheng Yiqing had done something foolish in a fit of rage.’
But reality had dealt Belina a resounding slap in the face.
Seeing Sheng Yiqing looking like he wished he could fast-forward time to their wedding day, Belina’s attitude shifted, and she flatly denied it.
"There’s no rush."
"The Chief Ceremony Officer proposed several auspicious dates."
"Lanlan, you have many Beast Husbands, so I was thinking of pushing the date back a bit."
"Let’s get Louisa and Qi Jingshen’s wedding sorted out first."
"This is the catalogue for the National Day formal attire. See if there’s anything you like."
Belina said, ignoring the look of sudden disappointment on Sheng Yiqing’s face.
She clapped her hands, and someone instantly appeared, presenting a tablet to Yu Lan.
As image after image of exquisite, noble, and elegant gowns scrolled before her, Yu Lan’s brow furrowed tighter and tighter.
"Aren’t these gowns a bit too elaborate?"
Hearing this, Belina merely gave Yu Lan a cool glance.
"National Day is an occasion the entire Empire takes with utmost seriousness. What’s more, you have been absent from the Royal Family’s National Day celebrations for many years, and this will be your first appearance at an official event. Nothing is too formal."
’If she doesn’t wear something complicated, what if she just runs off when the assassination attempt happens?’
Belina thought maliciously.
