Chapter 3 — Nine Times Rejected

You ruined her face, and now you force me into marriage? Does your house alone dictate the laws of this realm?

I struggled for breath, pounding my fists against his unrelenting arm. My nursemaid hurried forward to rescue me, but Xiao Zixuan shoved her violently aside. She crashed hard against the wooden pillar and slumped to the floor, losing consciousness instantly. Panic erupted across the room. Ruan Sanisang slipped in behind them, her face veiled in silk and her eyes rimmed with angry, tearful red.

A-Xuan, let go of the princess. Perhaps the divine doctor made a mistake in his diagnosis; surely no one poisoned me...

Xiao Zixuan paid her no heed. When his gaze fell upon the scarlet ceremonial robes and the phoenix coronet resting upon my head, a dark fury seemed to seize him.

Poisoning Sanisang and forcing me into this union—Pei Yuanshu, you truly have no shame!

I grasped his wrist, my voice a ragged whisper.

I... the man I am meant to wed is not...

Before the words could escape my lips, he hurled me ruthlessly to the polished floor. Before I could even push myself up, he snatched the phoenix crown from my head with brutal force. Tangles of my black hair were ripped away in the process. Pain pierced through me, drawing hot tears to my eyes, but I could make no sound, trapped in a fit of violent coughing. A flicker of hesitation crossed Xiao Zixuan’s eyes, but at the sound of Ruan Sanisang’s sharp, distressed gasp, he whipped his head around.

Does your face hurt again?

Sanisang nodded, tears trembling on her lashes. Xiao Zixuan turned his chilling gaze back to me and declared with absolute finality:

I said it before: if Sanisang’s face is left with a scar, I will bear responsibility for her for the rest of my days.

If you wish for me to marry you, fine. But today, Sanisang enters this household alongside you.

With that, he marched over and crowned Ruan Sanisang with the very phoenix coronet he had stripped from my head. Triumph flashed briefly in Sanisang’s eyes, though her voice remained meek and strained.

Without the proper wedding garments, it is unseemly for me to wear this crown.

Xiao Zixuan hesitated for a fleeting moment, glancing down at me where I lay crumpled on the ground.

You owe Sanisang too much. Let her have the ceremonial robes. You can simply find some ordinary red garment to wear instead.

I shook my head vigorously, dragging myself backward in terror. The maidservants in the room cried out in dismay, rushing forward to stop him. But Xiao Zixuan merely tore at the front of my gown, ripping the fabric apart. Just as the pale skin of my chest was exposed to the cold air, a heavy cloak flew through the open doorway, wrapping tightly around my trembling body. Before Xiao Zixuan could react, the newcomer delivered a fierce kick that sent him sprawling across the room. An instant later, the cold, wicked gleam of a dagger pressed directly against his throat. A single bead of bright red blood welled up, forcing Xiao Zixuan to draw a sharp, terrified breath. When he recognized the face of the man standing before him, his expression turned ashen.

Why is it you?

In a situation like this, what business does a concubine-born bastard have here?

The intruder held the dagger steady, stepping forward with deliberate, measured paces. The fury burning in his eyes seemed fierce enough to burn the entire manor to ash.

If I had not come, would you not have tormented my wife to death?

Xiao Zhu pressed the blade a fraction deeper. Warm blood trickled down his skin, draining what little color remained from Xiao Zixuan’s face.

Xiao Zhu! Have you lost your mind?

If I had truly lost my mind, you would already be a corpse upon this floor.

Audacious!

Xiao Zixuan attempted to shove him away, but realizing that Xiao Zhu had no intention of holding back, he froze, dare not moving another inch.

Xiao Zhu, if you injure me, do you have any idea what the consequences will be? Be careful lest my father breaks your legs!

Ruan Sanisang wept openly now, her voice trembling with anxiety.

Second Young Master, please let go of A-Xuan. To defend Princess Yuanshu so fiercely—if others misunderstand this, the spite of the world will drown you both!

Xiao Zhu sneered, stepping back a half-pace and lowering his blade.

I heard that during the journey to Yongzhou with my esteemed elder brother, the two of you ate from the same bowls and slept under the same roof. Has the spite of the world drowned the two of you yet?

Sanisang’s face flushed bright crimson, panic seizing her features.

Second Young Master, speak no nonsense! Besides, Sister Yuanshu is your eldest sister-in-law!

You speak falsely. She is my wife.

Xiao Zixuan let out a harsh laugh, as though he had just heard the most absurd joke in the empire.

You are nothing more than the son of a concubine, uneducated and utterly useless, yet you dare harbor such wild delusions!

Xiao Zhu ignored him entirely, turning his back on the man to look down at me. When he saw the dark bruises circling my throat and the strands of bloody hair clinging to my skin, his eyes turned pitch-black with murderous intent. He motioned for a servant to summon an imperial physician, then gently lifted me into his arms and carried me toward the bed.

The Empress is with child and could not attend the ceremony in person. Yet the two of you dare to act so lawless, injuring A-Shu to this extent—do you not fear the wrath of Her Majesty?

Xiao Zixuan glanced at me, his voice dripping with impatience.

Since she dared to force this marriage, she should have anticipated this day. Even if this matter is brought before the Empress, I am still in the right.

The moment the words left his mouth, a sharp, resounding slap echoed across the room. He stared in absolute disbelief at Nurse Kong, who was being supported by two maidservants, her face twisted in rage.

You... a mere servant, you dare strike me?

Xiao Zixuan raised his hand in retaliation, but the sight of the imperial token resting in Nurse Kong’s palm instantly choked the words in his throat.

This old slave is the Empress’s wet nurse and a senior attendant of the inner palace. I come bearing Her Majesty’s direct decree to bestow wedding gifts upon the princess.