The storm from the previous night had passed, leaving behind a clear, azure sky washed clean by the rain. The morning sun filtered through the lattice windows, casting intricate patterns of light and shadow across the messy wedding bed.
Ji Wanyin woke up with a start.
Her killer instincts, honed over decades in her previous life, screamed at her before her eyes even opened. Something heavy was pressing down on her waist.
Her hand instinctively shot out, her fingers curling into a claw aimed at the throat of the intruder.
"Murdering your husband so early in the morning?" A lazy, husky voice drifted into her ear. "My dear wife, you truly are energetic."
Ji Wanyin froze. Her hand hovered just an inch from Xie Lanzhou's pale neck.
She blinked, the fog of sleep clearing. She was no longer the Demon Empress sleeping in her cold, solitary palace. She was the newlywed Princess Consort of the Seventh Prince.
And right now, she was tangled in the limbs of the said Prince like an octopus.
Xie Lanzhou was lying on his side, propping his head up with one hand while watching her with amusement. His other arm—the "heavy object" she felt—was draped possessively over her waist, pinning her to the mattress. His black hair cascaded down his shoulders, contrasting sharply with his loose white inner robe that exposed a scandalous amount of his collarbone.
He looked like a fallen immortal, beautiful yet radiating a dangerous charm.
"Move your arm," Ji Wanyin hissed, retracting her hand.
"We have an audience outside," Xie Lanzhou whispered back, not moving an inch. Instead, he pulled her closer, his chin resting lightly on the top of her head. "Listen."
Ji Wanyin stilled her breath. With her internal energy slowly recovering, her hearing was sharper than an average human's.
Outside the heavy wooden doors, she could hear the shuffling of feet and hushed whispers.
"Why haven't they woken up yet?"
"Is His Highness alright? Did he survive the night?"
"Shh! Nanny Li is here."
"Nanny Li," Xie Lanzhou murmured against her hair, his tone mocking. "The Empress's loyal dog. She's here to check if I died of exhaustion or if you are truly a chaste woman. If she finds any fault, she will run straight to the Palace to report it."
Ji Wanyin's eyes turned cold. "Then let's give her a show."
She took a deep breath. In a split second, the coldness in her eyes vanished, replaced by a shy, flustered expression. She ruffled her own hair to make it look messy and pinched her cheeks to bring a flush of color to her pale skin.
Xie Lanzhou watched her transformation with an appreciative glint in his eyes. 'A natural born actress.'
"Come in!" Xie Lanzhou called out, his voice sounding weak and hoarse, as if he had spent the entire night exerting himself.
The doors creaked open.
A group of maids filed in, heads bowed, carrying basins of water, towels, and fresh clothes. Leading them was an elderly woman with a stern face, sharp cheekbones, and eyes that scanned the room like a hawk searching for prey.
This was Nanny Li.
"Greetings to Your Highness, Prince Seventh. Greetings to the Princess Consort," Nanny Li curtsied stiffly, her tone devoid of any real respect. "This old servant was worried. It is already late, and Your Highness usually wakes at dawn. I feared your illness might have flared up."
"Cough... Cough!" Xie Lanzhou covered his mouth with a handkerchief, his shoulders trembling. He leaned heavily against Ji Wanyin, looking as fragile as a piece of paper. "Nanny Li worries too much. Last night... cough... this Prince was feeling quite well. I just... overslept a little."
He emphasized the word 'overslept' with a meaningful glance at Ji Wanyin.
Ji Wanyin buried her face in his chest, acting the part of the bashful bride to perfection. "Husband... don't say it."
Nanny Li's sharp eyes darted to the bed. Her gaze locked onto the white silk cloth spread beneath the couple.
There, blooming like a red spider lily in the snow, was a distinct, vibrant stain of blood.
Nanny Li's expression stiffened for a brief moment before she quickly masked it. Disappointment flashed in her eyes. It seemed she had hoped to catch Ji Wanyin in a scandal of impurity.
"Congratulations, Your Highness," Nanny Li said dryly. "It seems the heavens have blessed this union. I shall retrieve the cloth to present to Her Majesty the Empress."
"Take it," Xie Lanzhou waved his hand dismissively, burying his face in Ji Wanyin's neck as if he couldn't bear to be separated from her.
As the maids bustled around serving them, Ji Wanyin noticed something.
The water in the copper basin brought by a young maid was lukewarm, almost cold. The towels felt rough, not the high-quality silk a Prince should use. Even the tea placed on the table had no steam rising from it.
The servants in this manor... they didn't respect Xie Lanzhou at all.
They saw him as a dying "Trash Prince" with no future. And naturally, they treated his new wife with even less respect.
Ji Wanyin sat at the vanity table while a maid combed her hair. Through the bronze mirror, she saw the maid, a girl named Cui'er, rolling her eyes impatiently when the comb snagged on a knot.
"Ouch," Ji Wanyin whispered softly.
"Princess Consort, please bear with it," Cui'er said, her voice dripping with fake politeness but barely concealing her disdain. "Your hair is too dry and tangled. It's hard to comb. Perhaps the water in the Ji manor wasn't very good?"
It was a subtle jab. She was mocking Ji Wanyin's background as a daughter of a declining noble house, implying she was poor and rough.
In the room, the other maids exchanged covert sneers. Nanny Li stood by the door, watching with folded arms, making no move to scold the maid. She clearly wanted to see the new Princess Consort being humiliated.
Xie Lanzhou, who was sitting at the table drinking the cold tea, paused. His eyes darkened, ready to intervene.
But before he could speak, Ji Wanyin moved.
Clatter!
Ji Wanyin picked up a heavy gold hairpin from the table and slammed it down. The loud noise silenced the room instantly.
"Kneel," she said. Her voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority that sent a chill down everyone's spine.
Cui'er paused, looking confused. "Princess Consort?"
"Did I stutter?" Ji Wanyin turned around. Her shy demeanor was gone. Her eyes were sharp and cold, staring at the maid as if looking at a dead object. "I said, kneel."
Cui'er, relying on Nanny Li's presence, puffed out her chest. "Princess Consort, I am a first-rank maid granted by the Empress. I didn't do anything wr—"
Slap!
The sound was crisp and loud.
Ji Wanyin had moved faster than anyone could see. She stood before Cui'er, her hand still raised. The maid's face was knocked to the side, a bright red handprint rapidly forming on her cheek.
Cui'er held her face, stunned. The entire room gasped. Even Nanny Li's eyes widened in shock.
"You... you hit me?" Cui'er trembled, tears welling up. "I am Her Majesty's servant!"
"And I am your Master!" Ji Wanyin's voice was like ice. "A mere servant dares to mock her mistress's hair? Dares to blame the tangled knots on my upbringing? Who gave you the courage? Was it the Empress? Or was it your own stupidity?"
"I... I didn't..."
"Furthermore," Ji Wanyin walked over to the washbasin. She dipped her finger into the water. "The water is cold. The towels are rough. Is this how the Seventh Prince's Manor treats its masters?"
She turned to look at Nanny Li, who was now frowning deeply.
"Nanny Li," Ji Wanyin smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "You are the head of the servants. Yet, on my first day, a lowly maid dares to disrespect me and serve cold water to His Highness. Is this negligence? Or is it deliberate sabotage?"
Nanny Li's face paled. "Sabotage" was a heavy crime. If this word reached the Emperor, even the Empress couldn't protect her easily.
"Princess Consort, this is a misunderstanding," Nanny Li stepped forward, trying to use her seniority to pressure Ji Wanyin. "Cui'er is young and clumsy. Besides, His Highness has never complained before. Perhaps the Princess Consort is too sensitive..."
"Sensitive?"
A teacup suddenly shattered on the floor.
Everyone jumped. They turned to look at the table.
Xie Lanzhou had thrown the teacup. He was leaning back in his chair, wiping his hands with a handkerchief as if he had touched something dirty. His face was pale, but his expression was terrifyingly gloomy.
"My wife is right," Xie Lanzhou said softly. "I have been too lenient, so you slaves have forgotten who the master is."
He stood up and walked slowly toward Ji Wanyin. He took her hand—the one that had slapped the maid—and gently rubbed her palm, blowing on it softly.
"Wanyin, does your hand hurt?" he asked tenderly, completely ignoring the weeping maid on the floor. "Next time, don't use your hand to hit filthy things. Use a shoe, or a stick. Or better yet, tell me, and I will have the guards cut off their hands for you."
Cui'er's face went white with terror. She finally realized that the wind had changed. She threw herself on the floor, kowtowing repeatedly. "Your Highness, spare me! Princess Consort, spare me! This slave was wrong!"
Ji Wanyin looked at Xie Lanzhou. 'Good acting,' she signaled with her eyes.
'You too,' his eyes smiled back.
"Since it is the first day," Ji Wanyin said magnanimously, "I will not cut off your hands. It would be inauspicious to see blood."
She looked down at Cui'er. "Drag her out. Fifty slaps on the mouth. And make her kneel in the courtyard for four hours. Let everyone in the manor see what happens to servants who don't know their place."
"Yes! Yes! Thank you, Princess Consort, for your mercy!" Two guards rushed in and dragged the screaming Cui'er away.
The room was deathly silent. The other maids were trembling, heads bowed so low their noses touched their chests. They realized that this new mistress was not a soft persimmon that could be easily pinched. She was a vipers.
And the "useless" Prince... seemed to dote on her unconditionally.
"Nanny Li," Xie Lanzhou turned to the old woman. "Do you have any objections to how my wife manages the household?"
Nanny Li gritted her teeth. She glared at Ji Wanyin with hatred, but she lowered her head. "No... Your Highness. The Princess Consort... handled it well."
"Good." Xie Lanzhou smiled pleasantly. "Then, get out. We want to have breakfast in peace. And bring hot tea. If the tea is cold again... I might accidentally spill it on your face next time."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Nanny Li led the terrified servants out of the room.
As soon as the doors closed, the tension in the room evaporated.
Ji Wanyin let out a breath and sat back down at the vanity table. She picked up the comb and started combing her own hair smoothly.
"Impressive," Xie Lanzhou sat on the bed, watching her. "Fifty slaps. Her face will be ruined for a month."
"She deserved it," Ji Wanyin replied indifferently. "In my... previous home, a servant who spoke out of turn would have lost their tongue."
"Remind me not to offend you, my dear wife," Xie Lanzhou chuckled. He walked over to stand behind her. He took the comb from her hand.
"What are you doing?" Ji Wanyin stiffened.
"Helping you," he said simply. His long, slender fingers moved through her silky black hair with surprising gentleness. "We have to go to the Palace to offer tea to the Emperor and the Empress later. If you go with messy hair, they will say I bullied you."
Ji Wanyin looked at his reflection in the bronze mirror. Ideally, she should push him away. He was dangerous. He was a liar.
But the rhythm of his combing was strangely soothing.
"Xie Lanzhou," she said, watching his reflection.
"Hmm?"
"The Empress... does she want you dead?"
Xie Lanzhou's hand paused for a fraction of a second before continuing. "Every day. She has a son, the Third Prince. As long as I am alive, even if I am a cripple, I am a threat to his succession because... the Emperor favors my late mother."
He leaned down, his lips brushing against her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.
"So, entering the Palace today is like entering a dragon's den. Are you afraid, Wanyin?"
Ji Wanyin looked at her own reflection—the sharp eyes, the cold smile.
"Afraid?" She laughed softly. "I have crawled out of hell itself. Why would I be afraid of a few dragons?"
"Good," Xie Lanzhou finished tying her hair and inserted the golden phoenix hairpin. "Then let's go. Let's show those old fogies what a perfectly loving couple we are."