"I find you repulsive," Wen Yu gritted her teeth and hissed.
Hearing this, Ji Yunqing's expression changed slightly, but he surprisingly didn't fly into a rage. He stood up, half sober from the wine. "I'll send for a doctor to examine you."
"A doctor?" Wen Yu let out a cold laugh.
Did he think she was showing signs of pregnancy?
The mere thought of this possibility made Wen Yu laugh even more maniacally. The disdain in her tone left Ji Yunqing somewhat bewildered.
He turned to look at Wen Yu, his expression flickering with uncertainty. "I've said before that if you can bear an heir for me, I'll consider making you the Crown Princess. But you'd better straighten out your attitude."
"Ji Yunqing, you're such a joke! Ever since you all plotted against me, I've been taking contraceptive medicine. I can never be pregnant, let alone bear your child!"
Wen Yu snarled, her eyes like poisoned daggers.
Hearing this, Ji Yunqing's face instantly darkened.
If it wasn't morning sickness, did she really feel so disgusted that she retched just now?
"Wen Yu, do you think I've been too tolerant of you?" He suddenly exploded in anger, roughly grabbing Wen Yu's hair. He was like a furious lion.
—
At noon the next day, the servant who was responsible for delivering Wen Yu's meal finally arrived.
As soon as she pushed open the door, she saw Wen Yu lying weakly on the bed. Her bare arms were covered in bloodstains. Except for her face, every visible part of her body was bruised and purple.
"Princess Anning!"
The maid couldn't help but let out a soft cry. She quickly put the lunch box aside and rushed forward to check on Wen Yu.
After confirming that Wen Yu had only suffered skin injuries, the maid breathed a slight sigh of relief. Then she whispered, "Princess, please wait a moment. His Highness gave me some golden sore medicine, but I came in a hurry and didn't bring it with me. I'll go get it right away."
Hearing this, Wen Yu instantly understood.
This was Ji Yundan's person.
She shook her head slightly and then said hoarsely, "There's no need to apply the medicine. But I need you to pass a message to the Concubine. Tell her that Ji Yunqing has hidden a mistress of embarrassing status in the mansion, and the location is right here."
"I understand."
The maid nodded upon hearing this. She asked several more times to make sure that Wen Yu really didn't need the medicine. Then she left, looking back several times.
—
"Is this really true? He's hiding a woman in the mansion? Is that why he didn't even come to my room on our wedding night?"
Shen Wei looked at her dowry maid, Lv Luo, in disbelief and couldn't help but let out a sarcastic laugh.
Her father was at least the Minister of War. Now that the Third Prince was being criticized by others, how could he treat her like this?
It was fine that the promised position of Crown Princess had been reduced to that of a concubine. But he didn't even stay in her room on their wedding night.
What did he take her for?
A decorative object to be married in?
"Lv Luo, come with me to take a look. I'd like to see just who this woman is!" Shen Wei said angrily.
—
"Madam, this is the place," Lv Luo led Shen Wei to the door of Wen Yu's room.
Hearing the noise outside, Wen Yu opened her eyes. Then she wrapped the only quilt around herself.
"Why is there a lock on this door? This room looks a bit strange. Is this really where he's hiding someone? It doesn't seem like it," Shen Wei tugged at the iron lock on the doorknob, her tone sounding a bit uncertain.
Hearing this, Lv Luo rolled her eyes and suggested, "Anyway, Madam is now the Third Prince's concubine, and this Third Prince's Mansion is Madam's home. I'll just quietly unlock the door for Madam to take a look. It's no big deal."
"You're right. Then unlock it," Shen Wei took a half - step back.
When she was still unmarried, Shen Wei was never an obedient girl. She always liked to go out and play on the streets, but her family was too strict. Over time, her maid, Lv Luo, had become quite skilled at picking locks.
As the iron lock hit the ground, Wen Yu sat up slightly and let out a low cry, "Don't come near!"
Her voice was hoarse and unpleasant, filled with intense fear. It was obvious that she had suffered a great deal of torture in this place.
Such a voice clearly didn't match the voice of a beautiful mistress in Shen Wei's imagination.
She couldn't help but stop in her tracks and subconsciously looked up at the three - foot narrow window on the wall.
"Lv Luo, are you sure this is the right place?" Shen Wei looked at Wen Yu huddled on the bed and then looked at Lv Luo uncertainly.
The room was too dark. She could only vaguely see Wen Yu's disheveled appearance.
Shen Wei had always disliked dark environments. She immediately ordered Lv Luo to light a lamp.
"Are you the new concubine that Ji Yunqing just married?" Wen Yu asked first, adjusting to the sudden light.
Hearing this, Shen Wei subconsciously nodded. Then she snorted arrogantly. "I heard that it was you who captivated His Highness last night. Do you know that last night was my wedding night with His Highness? How dare you tempt His Highness to ignore me for a whole night? Do you know your crime?!"
Shen Wei stood with her hands on her hips, a haughty expression on her face as she spoke from a distance.
After she finished speaking, Wen Yu didn't reply.
"How dare you ignore Madam!" Lv Luo scolded from the side. Then she was about to step forward to lift Wen Yu's quilt.
Wen Yu coldly glanced at Lv Luo, but her words were directed at Shen Wei. "He didn't come to you. Shouldn't you thank me, Concubine Shen?"
"Thank you?" Shen Wei scoffed. She looked at Wen Yu with an incredulous expression. "I heard that you and that Liu Niang used to work in the same brothel, right? Do you think you can act so arrogantly just because His Highness dotes on you a little?"
"Look at the place you're living in. His Highness doesn't even dare to let me know about your existence. Isn't that enough to show the situation?"
"Let me tell you, now I'm the only mistress in the inner courtyard of the Third Prince's Mansion. If you want to survive in the inner courtyard, you should try to please me!"
"The Third Prince is reluctant to give you a title now because he's afraid of making me angry. If you're obedient, I might give you the title of a concubine."
"For a woman of humble status like you, this is quite an honor, isn't it?"
After Shen Wei finished speaking, she paused, expecting to see a change in this woman's attitude. Instead, she only heard a cold laugh.
"Humble status? Concubine Shen, the room is too dark and the candlelight is not bright enough. You're standing so far away. Maybe you can't see my face clearly. Come closer and take a good look at who I am."
Wen Yu's tone suddenly calmed down.
Shen Wei was intrigued by her words and actually took a few steps forward.
When she saw Wen Yu's face clearly, her pupils shrank suddenly.
"If you have something to say, send your maid out to wait," Wen Yu said again. She looked at Shen Wei calmly, but there was an undeniable sense of dominance in her eyes.
Hearing this, Shen Wei finally came back to her senses from the shock. She quickly sent Lv Luo out of the room and then looked at Wen Yu. "Wen... Princess Anning, why are you here? Didn't you go to the south of the Yangtze River to relax?"
"Do you think I'm competing with you for your husband?" Wen Yu counter - questioned without answering.
Mentioning Ji Yunqing, a hint of displeasure flashed across Shen Wei's eyes. "Otherwise? Even if you're a princess, you can't..."
"What's this?!"
Before Shen Wei could finish her sentence, she saw Wen Yu's chained hands. She couldn't help but let out a shocked cry.
How could the eldest daughter of the Wen family, who had just been bestowed the title of princess by the emperor, be locked up in the Third Prince's Mansion?