"Tell me, who makes you happier, this prince or Pei Shen?" Ji Yunqing's voice was harsh, and even his eyes were tinged with scarlet. But Wen Yu showed no sign of fear. She still stared stubbornly into his eyes and said with difficulty, "A Shen treats me tenderly. What has Your Highness ever done for me? Isn't this an easy choice?"
It was still that answer that made him grind his teeth in anger.
Ji Yunqing's eyes grew even redder, but he took a few deep breaths. Then he suddenly let go of Wen Yu, pushed her to the ground, sat up, and slowly calmed his nerves.
"Pei Shen is good, huh? What do you know? What kind of a good man is he?!"
Ji Yunqing laughed cruelly. He stared intently into Wen Yu's eyes and suddenly softened his tone.
He got up, helped Wen Yu up from the ground, and gently tucked the hair on her temples, damp with sweat, behind her ears. "If you're willing to coax this prince, this prince doesn't mind your status as a married woman. You can enter the Third Prince's Mansion and become a noble concubine with a proper title."
"How about it? Pei Shen won't give you a proper title, will he?"
Ji Yunqing's voice was soft, as if he were holding out a sweet candy in front of Wen Yu, tempting her to give the answer he wanted.
But Wen Yu just spat and couldn't help laughing. "Your Highness really likes to joke. I'm the daughter of the Wen family. If I were to remarry, with my father's status, I could even choose a newly - graduated scholar and become the main wife!"
"A noble concubine? Does adding the word 'noble' make her not a concubine? Your Highness looks down on me so much. Why say such disgusting things?"
Her attitude was sharp, leaving no face for Ji Yunqing.
The latter's eyes instantly darkened. He seemed unable to understand Wen Yu's thoughts. He asked in great confusion, "What's so good about being the main wife in a poor family? The annual expenses might not even be as much as that of a favored servant in this prince's mansion. Can Lady Pei really endure such a poor life?"
"Whether I can endure it or not is my own business. Moreover, with Your Highness's hobby, even if you give me more gold and silver, what's the use? I'll never like a sadist!" Wen Yu disdainfully averted her eyes and sneered. "Moreover, I've endured Your Highness's humiliation. I think even living on bran and vegetables wouldn't be much worse than my current life."
Hearing this, Ji Yunqing seemed even more confused. He grabbed Wen Yu's chin and forced her to look at him. "In your eyes, serving this prince is worse than living on bran and vegetables with those poor scholars? Wen Yu, you really know how to anger this prince."
"This prince treats you like this because he values you. There are so many people outside who want to be on this prince's bed, but this prince hasn't touched a single one. Now that you've got a good deal, you're even biting this prince back?"
"What's the logic in this? Did Lord Wen used to teach Lady Pei how to be ungrateful?"
Mentioning Wen Xun, the anger in Wen Yu's eyes grew even stronger, and it wasn't feigned.
She stared at Ji Yunqing fiercely, and her sharp gaze seemed to be able to carve a piece of flesh off him.
"How dare you talk about my father like this? Or is it that His Majesty used to teach Your Highness how to seize a minister's wife?" She retorted angrily, her tone full of malice.
Unexpectedly, Ji Yunqing laughed even more heartily after hearing this. "Seize a minister's wife? This prince is clearly showing kindness to the widow on behalf of Young Master Pei. Lady Pei came to the Third Prince's Mansion on her own. Isn't this a mutual willingness?"
After saying that, he paused for a moment, pulled her forcefully into his arms, and whispered in her ear affectionately, "Since Lady Pei doesn't like being beaten, this prince will use the whip less in the future, okay?"
"As long as Lady Pei is obedient, this prince can be patient for you. Who is Pei Shen anyway?"
"Look at this prince. Whether it's appearance, status, or anything else, which point of Pei Shen can compare to me?"
Wen Yu ignored him. She just bit her lip and silently stared at Ji Yunqing.
There were still finger marks on her face and neck, like a silent accusation, extremely eye - catching.
"Fine, you can go. This prince will give you time to think. You can choose whether you want to continue being an unnamed maidservant beside Pei Shen or become a noble concubine envied by everyone in the Third Prince's Mansion."
After Ji Yunqing finished speaking, he pretended to hesitate and said with a rascal smile, "For Lady Pei's sake, if Lady Pei can make this prince happy, the position of side consort is also not out of the question."
Wen Yu was even more unmoved by this. She snorted, tidied herself up, and left directly.
Ji Yunqing and Pei Shen were both scumbags with no bottom line.
She didn't think that Ji Yunqing was really interested in her. He was just unhappy that Pei Shen had been protecting her in recent days.
In his eyes, Wen Yu was just a means for him to compete with Pei Shen.
He wanted to use Wen Yu to make Pei Shen recognize the difference in their status so that he could better control Pei Shen.
After all, he still had a grudge against the fact that Pei Qing had once served the Second Prince.
As for the position of side consort, it was just nonsense.
What lies can't a man tell to coax a woman?
If she really believed it, she would be naively pathetic.
Moreover, from the moment she learned her own identity, Wen Yu had made a solemn oath in her heart.
If she couldn't avenge herself in this life, she would be a useless person.
These "sweet treats" they gave were all wrapped in imperceptible arsenic. One bite would be enough to poison her to the bone.
Status, power, and money, she could obtain them by any means, but she must never expect them to be given out of pity.
She would kill these scumbags with her own hands and step on their heads to pursue her own glorious future.
...
"Miss Wen really isn't tempted at all?" Xun Ying seemed a little surprised. He thought for a while and then rephrased his words. "I've seen some boudoir ladies before. They were completely hurt by their husbands, but once their husbands showed a little sign of reconciliation, they would forget all the sufferings they had endured."
"I thought you would at least be a little shaken. After all, becoming a side consort would make it easier to deal with Pei Shen."
Hearing this, Wen Yu propped her chin and looked at the chess game that seemed to have no chance of winning. Suddenly, she curled her lips into a smile. "Maybe they didn't forget their past sufferings. They just had no choice."
"However, now I still have a way out. Although the chess game is difficult, at least I won't be trapped in a dead end."
As she said this, she placed a white chess piece, and the situation suddenly became clear. Amid the layers of encirclement, the white pieces actually found a way out.
"Moreover, I just want to arouse his desire to conquer. The more he wants to win me over, the more hostile he will be towards Pei Shen. In a battle between two armies, if only one side is full of fighting spirit, how can the battle be intense?"
Under Xun Ying's thoughtful gaze, Wen Yu placed another piece and completely turned the game around. Now it was the black pieces that had no way out.
Xun Ying looked at the chessboard, a little surprised. Then he blushed and smiled. "Miss Wen is better at chess. Xun Ying is ashamed of himself."
"I've been playing for so many years, but you've just started learning chess. It's already very good that you've made such progress." Wen Yu comforted him and then changed the subject. "But the biggest mistake you made in this game was underestimating your opponent."
They regarded her as something in their hands, but they would eventually be in hers.
Showing weakness was often the first bait for a hunter to disguise as prey.