Before Lu Ningzhen's death, the crown prince went to see her for the last time.
She had also thought about her own death.
In her imagination, she would lie in the most luxurious coffin made of Chinese fir, with countless burial objects.
All the people in the world would cry for her death.
Instead of facing a white silk so desolately like this.
Even the emperor refused to see her for the last time.
Standing in front of her was the person she hated most in her life.
"Lu Sihong, I should have known you were heartless and inhumane, not even sparing your own aunt. I should have strangled you to death back then and not given you a chance to grow up!"
She gritted her teeth.
In her eyes, Lu Sihong was always just a green - horned lad, not worthy of her attention.
Who would have thought that he was so capable that step by step, he had turned her from a powerful and prestigious princess into a prisoner.
The crown prince knew this was the last time he would talk to Lu Ningzhen.
He was surprisingly calm inside, without hatred or regret.
It was just that Lu Ningzhen's resentful look made him find her both laughable and pathetic.
Actually, when he was a child, he quite liked this aunt.
She never cared about the world's opinions and lived a passionate and colorful life.
But once she got involved with power and desire, she gradually became unrecognizable.
She even killed people casually and betrayed the country.
The crown prince didn't want her to leave in ignorance.
"Aunt, let me tell you the truth. Alone, I really didn't have the confidence to make you fail completely. The person you shouldn't have provoked the most is Liang Yuzhou."
"Liang Yuzhou! He's a madman!"
Lu Ningzhen couldn't understand. Back then, the crown prince also deeply loved Song Wanchu. The two should have been enemies.
Joining her camp should have been the right choice for Liang Yuzhou.
But he would rather team up with his love - rival and point the spearhead at her.
It was really incredible.
The crown prince smiled knowingly. "Yes, he is quite crazy. When he goes crazy, he doesn't even care about his own life. But he cares about Wanchu. He will never let go of anyone who hurts her. And you wanted Wanchu's life. How could Liang Yuzhou let you go?"
Lu Ningzhen gritted her teeth angrily. "Just for a woman, he wants to put me to death?"
"The first time you were imprisoned, it was Liang Yuzhou who gave me important clues. Every subsequent event that could defeat you was his plan. Wanchu is his only reverse scale!"
"He is not only a madman but also a fool. For a woman, he gave up his position as the heir of the family, his bright future, and even his identity as a member of the Liang family!"
"He is a fool, but he is also the smartest person in the world!"
The crown prince retorted. "But he has never bothered to strive for fame, fortune, and glory. He has always been charging forward for love. While you are indeed very capable, you don't understand love. So you will lose to him, lose to love."
Lu Ningzhen would never understand this in her life.
In the end, she never found peace. She left with resentment towards this world.
The crown prince looked at her body.
The once - powerful woman was just a small heap when she died, lying there, no different from an ordinary person.
Actually, there was another thing he didn't say.
He was very glad that he had managed to turn back from the precipice and didn't fight Liang Yuzhou for Wanchu until both of them were destroyed.
He was no match for Liang Yuzhou either.
And now, he already had a woman he wanted to protect with his life.
The crown prince went to the Yangxin Hall and told the emperor about Lu Ningzhen's death.
For a moment, grief flashed in the emperor's eyes.
But he quickly returned to normal, still the majestic emperor.
However, the crown prince always felt that something had drained away from his father.
Eight days later, the crown prince and Cheng Simian got married again.
This time, everything went smoothly.
The emperor and the empress presided over the ceremony.
It was not until midnight that the crown prince was able to get away from the banquet.
It was the fifteenth day of the lunar month, and the moon was bright. The crown prince walked briskly and pushed open the door of the bedroom.
Cheng Simian was sitting upright on the wedding couch.
The red candles were burning brightly, and the room was full of splendor.
On both sides of the wedding couch, there were eight maids each, led by two female officials.
Two wedding nurses greeted him with beaming smiles.
Before the wedding night, there were many tedious ceremonies.
The crown prince was already a bit impatient.
But these were all royal etiquettes and must be complete to show enough respect for the crown princess.
The crown prince endured patiently.
They tied their hair together, held the knot of one - heartedness, the wedding nurses scattered red dates and peanuts on Cheng Simian, they drank the nuptial wine together, and listened to the wedding wishes...
Finally, the series of ceremonies were over.
Only Shuyi and Qiluo were left in the bedroom.
The two were going to help their young lady remove her makeup and make the bed.
Before Cheng Simian lifted the red veil, she could already feel the eager gaze of the crown prince.
"You two can go down first. You've been busy all day. Go and rest. You don't need to serve tonight."
Shuyi and Qiluo glanced at each other and smiled, then exited the bedroom properly.
The crown prince reached out his hand to Cheng Simian.
His fingertips caught a corner of the veil. Cheng Simian saw his hand trembling slightly.
The veil fell. Perhaps the crown prince's gaze was too intense, and her face blushed inexplicably.
The red candles were flickering. The crown prince looked at the beautiful woman in front of him with her head bowed and smiling shyly. He was even a bit dazed, as if he was in a dream.
He didn't even dare to move or breathe, for fear that this dream would end too soon.
A slender and jade - like hand gently held his.
The touch was warm and slightly hot, a real feeling.
Cheng Simian slowly raised her head and softly called out.
"Lu Sihong."
It was like a heavenly voice.
The crown prince hugged her tightly.
It felt as if the cloud in the sky that he had always admired and yearned for was now by his side. He had been afraid that it would just be an illusory bubble when he tried to catch it. Now that the cloud was in his arms, he felt at ease.
He eagerly sought her lips and kissed her.
The two exchanged breaths, and soft moans and heavy breaths intertwined.
The complicated ceremonial robes were taken off one by one.
Even the flickering flames of the candles seemed to become more urgent.
The crown prince had already drunk quite a bit of wine. His blood was surging in his body, and there was a burning heat in his abdomen. With the warm and fragrant beauty in his arms, every muscle in his body seemed to be cheering and ready to go. A thin layer of sweat had already appeared on his nose.
The more anxious he was, the clumsier his movements became.
He just couldn't untie the belt of his inner garment.
Cheng Simian wanted to laugh at his inexperience and ignorance.
But she was also very nervous, so she didn't laugh out loud.
"Let me do it."
Her dexterous fingers picked apart the two knots on the crown prince's inner garment.
As the last layer of clothing was removed, the man's strong chest and slender waist came into view.
Every muscle was tense. With the man's rapid breathing, it was like an arrow about to be released from the bowstring.
The impact was too strong. Cheng Simian's cheeks blushed brightly, and she quickly averted her eyes.
Her waist was grabbed by a strong hand. The crown prince exerted a little force, and she fell back on the couch.
Her long black hair scattered and covered the couch.
The man's body pressed down. His hair intertwined with Cheng Simian's.
Tying their hair together as husband and wife, they would love each other without doubt.
Suddenly, Cheng Simian thought of this sentence.
Without doubt.
"Lu Sihong..." She gently pushed the crown prince.
The hand of the crown prince on her slender waist suddenly froze.
He saw hesitation in Mianmian's eyes.
The man's eyes darkened slightly.
He knew that Mianmian didn't like him that much.
She loved the landscapes in the south of the Yangtze River and her free identity more.
Before she made up her mind to be with him for a lifetime, he shouldn't be so eager to take away her most precious thing.
"Mianmian, I know you're hesitating. I won't touch you tonight."
He could endure and wait.
He should respect the woman he loved most.
Cheng Simian was stunned for a moment. Looking at the man's patient and affectionate look, the last bit of hesitation in her heart also disappeared.
"Lu Sihong, you misunderstood. We are already married, so we should be honest with each other. I just want to show you something."
This time it was the crown prince's turn to be stunned.
What on earth was it that had to be shown on their wedding night?
Cheng Simian got up, put on a nightgown, and rummaged through her box to find a poetry collection.
"The poetry collection personally transcribed by Mr. Mingxi. I'm giving it to you."