Chapter 135: Reluctant to Say More

"My Lady, is there anything you wish to take with you into the palace?"

Si Nuosang shook her head and looked at the eunuch.

"Eunuch, may I stay outside for a few days to settle some personal matters?"

"Certainly, His Majesty has already given his word! In three days, someone will be sent to escort Your Ladyship."

It seemed the Emperor had prepared everything in advance. Si Nuosang nodded slowly. She hadn't even had time to react, yet just like that, she was to become an imperial concubine.

She was to become Xuanyuan Juesi's sister-in-law. For reasons she couldn't fathom, she found this fact entirely unacceptable.

Before long, Xuanyuan Juesi caught wind of the news. He rushed over, grabbed her by the wrist, and dragged her into an unfamiliar house.

With a loud rip, he tore at her clothes.

"Are you that desperate to climb the social ladder? Are you longing to warm his dragon bed?"

"Xuanyuan Juesi, have you lost your mind?"

"Lost my mind, My Lady? Oh, should I offer you a formal bow now?"

Hearing the news had driven Xuanyuan Juesi nearly to the point of madness.

"It wasn't even something I asked for! He forced it upon me himself. Do you think I care about him at all? Right now, I'm only trying to figure out how to resolve this mess."

"Resolve it? How could you possibly resolve this? It is an imperial decree, an imperial decree, do you understand? And yet, you accepted it? You could have refused the decree, but you accepted it instead! Si Nuosang, I truly don't understand you at all. What kind of woman are you? You treat matters of chastity with total indifference, and relations between men and women with even less care. You are nothing but a shameless whore."

Xuanyuan Juesi spoke in a frenzy, losing control of his words.

"Xuanyuan Juesi, you have gone too far."

Hearing those words truly pierced Si Nuosang's heart.

"Gone too far? Sister-in-law, pray tell, how have I gone too far? When did you hook up with him? The last time I went to rescue you, it seems I was just interrupting your good time, wasn't it?"

"Yes, yes, yes, if that's what you want to believe! Fine, I hooked up with him, so what? He is the Emperor, far more powerful than a mere prince like you! Besides, what relationship is there between you and me? What ties do we have left, seeing as you cast me aside long ago? Now that the Emperor doesn't despise me and instead grants me the rank of Imperial Noble Consort, what an immense honor this is. Why shouldn't I go?"

Si Nuosang possessed a fiery temper as well. Seeing him treat her this way only stoked her fury. Where had he been when it mattered, instead of throwing accusations now?

Xuanyuan Juesi was consumed by rage. He forced her down onto the couch and covered her lips with a wild, desperate kiss. To call it unrefined would be an understatement; he was practically biting and devouring her.

"Let me go! Is coercion all you are capable of now?"

A single tear slipped down Si Nuosang's cheek. She detested being treated this way.

"What, are you already looking down on me? Are you saving yourself for your Emperor? Too bad for you, I won't allow you to set foot in that palace. From now on, you are going nowhere."

"What do you want?"

She looked at him, her eyes filled with nothing but raw anger. No other emotion could be found in them.

"What do I want? There are plenty of things I want. For instance, getting you pregnant. If that happens, the Emperor naturally won't be able to bring you into the palace. Moreover, I have already spoken to the Empress Dowager about this matter. Soon, that imperial decree will be annulled. Did you truly believe you could climb your way up? You will forever remain nothing more than my slave."

Xuanyuan Juesi grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking her viciously toward his face.

"Xuanyuan Juesi, you flatter yourself far too much. A slave? What kind of joke are you playing with me? That word has never existed in my life."

Before she could finish her tirade, Xuanyuan Juesi sealed her lips with his.

"Then starting today, it exists in your life."

Xuanyuan Juesi's imprisonment of Si Nuosang grew increasingly absolute. Meanwhile, in the imperial palace, the Emperor received word of Si Nuosang's supposed pregnancy. Though it might have been a fabrication, the Empress Dowager herself had delivered the news, leaving him no choice but to drop the matter. He had desired Si Nuosang for a long time, but since things had turned out this way, he had to let go. After all, having already driven Xuanyuan Juesi to such extremes, forcibly seizing Si Nuosang would be too cruel. The world was vast, and women were plentiful, at least to a man of his status.

Back at the residence, Si Nuosang suffered relentlessly at Xuanyuan Juesi's hands—tormented physically day after day.

He seemed desperate to impregnate her, believing that was the only way she would never leave him.

Yet Si Nuosang grew increasingly disgusted with him, especially since he had locked her away entirely, stripping her of all freedom.

Yiyi came to see Xuanyuan Juesi, knowing well that Si Nuosang must be kept here.

"Your Highness, I beg of you, please let Si Nuosang go!"

"Silence! Who do you think you are, speaking to this Prince in such a manner? You certainly have a lot of nerve."

Hearing a mere maid plead for Si Nuosang only infuriated Xuanyuan Juesi further. Her audacity was growing by the day.

"Forgive me, Your Highness. Yiyi only wishes to be with Si Nuosang."

"Is 'Si Nuosang' a name for the likes of you to utter? Do you think the habits you've picked up from her apply to you as well? Those belong to Si Nuosang, not to a maid like you. If you dare utter another word, I will expose the deeds you've done to her."

Xuanyuan Juesi's words carried a clear threat. Yiyi widened her eyes in shock and shook her head frantically.

"I have no idea what Your Highness is talking about."

"Of course you know. There are no secrets in this world that remain hidden forever."

Xuanyuan Juesi sneered. A chill ran down Yiyi's spine. Could the Prince know about the incident concerning Qinzhuang?

Panicking, she dropped immediately to her knees.

"Forgive me, Your Highness."

"Forgive you? I don't hold that matter against you. After all, you managed to chase away that nuisance Yexiong, which suits me fine. However, if you ever presume to bargain with this Prince again, you know very well what the consequences will be. The only reason I haven't killed you is because Si Nuosang would be heartbroken. Do not test my patience."

"I am sorry, Your Highness. This servant was wrong. But please, treat the Princess Consort well."

Yiyi trembled all over from terror. Her fear of the Prince was embedded deep within her bones.

"Get out."

Xuanyuan Juesi had no desire to waste another word.

Yiyi fled the room in haste. In truth, her current life was quite peaceful; caring for the Mulberry Quarters was vastly different from her past. But all of this depended on whether the Prince chose to spare her, and more importantly, out of consideration for Si Nuosang.

Therefore, she would patiently wait for Si Nuosang's return.

Elsewhere, Xuanyuan Juesi had devised what he considered a brilliant plan—a foolproof method to make Si Nuosang obedient.

That evening, Xuanyuan Juesi entered the room where Si Nuosang was confined. Her wrists were bound. He ordered a meal to be brought in and personally attempted to feed her.

"I have hands of my own, I don't need you. Let me go, I can eat by myself."

"Let you go? How could I do that? Being tied up suits you quite well. This way, this Prince doesn't have to worry about you running off and disobeying."