CHAPTER 516: CHAPTER 378: WIFE VERSUS WIFE, CONCUBINE VERSUS CONCUBINE

In the end, the little fox smiled and said:

"Lady Lin, you should resign yourself to widowhood from now on."

Bang!

Lin Wanxiao’s teacup fell to the ground, shattering into countless pieces.

The palace maid was startled and quickly came over to clean up the broken teacup.

But Lin Wanxiao did not snap out of her daze because of the broken teacup. Her breaths were rapid and labored, her mind unsure of what to dwell upon.

Finally, she gritted her teeth, gasping for air, and said:

"What kind of talk is this? I—I have my reputation to keep. Whether he esteems me or not, it has nothing to do with me. But now, with the Empress Dowager reigning above, under such boundless imperial grace, I, a weak woman, have no autonomy. Even if I don’t want to, I must enter the Chen Estate. Thinking of such heartbreaking matters, as a feeble woman, I am powerless to resist..."

"So, you’re agreeing to enter the Chen Estate then?" Yin Tingxue followed up her question slyly.

"I—I... It isn’t agreement, just a lack of strength to resist." Lin Wanxiao stiffened her neck and spoke through gritted teeth.

Understanding her plight, Yin Tingxue said considerately, "Then I’ll help you plead with the Empress Dowager and also speak to Chen Yi on your behalf?"

"You..." Lin Wanxiao hurriedly stammered, "You mustn’t, the—the Empress Dowager has her own judgments..."

"Don’t worry. Forced love is seldom sweet. I’ll help you persuade them."

Lin Wanxiao was so exasperated she nearly burst into tears. Struggling against the sour ache in her eyes, she forced herself to say, "He just loves forced love!"

"And do you love it?"

"I—I have no choice. How can Lady Yin press me like this..." Lin Wanxiao trembled, her shoulders shaking as she finally gave in. "Fine, I agree—I am compelled to agree to enter the Chen Estate. Is that enough for you?"

Yin Tingxue smiled sweetly and replied, "Good."

Lin Wanxiao seemed to collapse into the chair suddenly, as if all her energy had been drained away. Unexpectedly, a sense of relief washed over her heart, countless troubles fading away with the wind.

For a moment, serenity prevailed, and she didn’t even realize that she had fallen for Yin Tingxue’s provocation.

Meanwhile, Yin Tingxue quietly sipped her tea.

...............

Compared to the smooth resolution on that side, the situation on Yin Weiyin’s side was far more awkward.

Awkwardly stiff.

The two women had been at each other’s throats earlier, nearly leading to a hilarious situation where the drugged-up Chen Yi might experience "double blessings." Whoever had been there would have felt a chill in their hearts.

Yin Weiyin hadn’t suffered much herself, as she had been entangled with Chen Yi before. Yet she still bore a knot in her heart. As for Dong Gong Ruoshu, even a brief recollection of the scene sent shivers down her spine.

This time, Miss Donggong finally understood the depths of primal desire.

He truly acted on any impulse he had for women!

Just thinking about it left Dong Gong Ruoshu bitter and frustrated, with a sprinkling of anger. Not only had she faced the indignity of having her private area examined, but she’d also been hugged left and right—how could she ever face the world again...

She was a woman after all, and if it wasn’t her husband treating her like this, where could she hide her shame?

Dong Gong Ruoshu felt her indignation and bitterness climb her brow.

But even so, Miss Donggong hadn’t reached the point of wanting to slay Chen Yi with her sword.

Chen Yi had taken liberties with her, indeed, but the two had some connections after all. And from her observations on their journey, he wasn’t an unrepentant villain but even had some reputation as a hero.

Sitting around idly wouldn’t solve anything, so Dong Gong Ruoshu thought for a while before speaking:

"Miss Yin, here’s your golden hairpin back. Shall we shake hands and reconcile?"

As she said this, she handed the golden hairpin back.

Yin Weiyin, uncertain of her intentions, hesitated and rejected the offer, saying:

"There’s no need; this wasn’t meant for me."

"Fine, we’ll forget reconciliation then." Saying this, Dong Gong Ruoshu slowly placed the golden hairpin in her hair.

Yin Weiyin had initially refused, but seeing her put the hairpin on, frustration welled up.

"It’s no use fighting like this. We should reconcile after all," the female crown said. After her remark, she emphasized, "You know my relationship with him."

Dong Gong Ruoshu saw her change her attitude and trusted her words, nodding, "Alright."

Yin Weiyin narrowed her gaze, extending her hand, her intentions clear.

Dong Gong Ruoshu blinked innocently.

After a long pause, she produced a note worth one hundred silver and handed it over to Yin Weiyin: "Remember to return me ten silver pieces."

Yin Weiyin: "..."

The female crown, gripping the silver note in her hands, felt her irritation rise to a peak; she couldn’t fathom how conversations with this woman could be such an exhausting ordeal. She was just like Min Ning—were all people from Jianghu like this?

With forced composure, she said coldly, "Do I, a seeker of transcendence, care for vulgar gold and silver? As the daughter of King Jing, why should I take your hundred silver pieces?"

"It’s not one hundred silver, it’s ninety." Dong Gong Ruoshu corrected her.

"Whether it’s one hundred or ninety, do you think I need your money?"

"Seems like you don’t need it." Dong Gong Ruoshu mused aloud.

"So then?" Yin Weiyin patiently guided her.

Dong Gong Ruoshu asked blankly, "So then what?"

"...So then what?" Yin Weiyin repeated with emphasis.

Dong Gong Ruoshu tilted her head in confusion. "So, so then what?"

"So why are you giving me money?"

Yin Weiyin nearly choked in anger, grinding her teeth at this woman whose thoughts just didn’t align with hers.

"To bribe you into helping sway Chen Yi," Dong Gong Ruoshu said matter-of-factly. "You keep asking me; how am I supposed to understand your questions?"

Yin Weiyin almost lost her composure entirely; this woman was fundamentally at odds with her own nature.

Just you wait—once he marries you, you’ll see how I rule over you! When we eat, I’ll steal from your plate; when we sleep, you’ll sleep on the floor; and when we lie together, you’ll be pushed downward!

Yin Weiyin fantasized wickedly for a moment, but suddenly realized her thoughts were veering into bedroom escapades, and she quickly redirected her mind, silently chanting the Supreme Forget Love Technique.

At some point, she had developed many desires.

For those who practice the path of transcendence, the greatest fear is excessive desire, the contamination of their six faculties. This made the method of severing the Three Corpses a necessity. Yin Weiyin silently cursed herself for being too entangled with Chen Yi, so much so that it hindered her inner cultivation.

To sum it all up,

It was all Chen Yi’s fault.

Damn him for being too alluring, always craving so much...

After steadying her mind with the Supreme Forget Love Technique,

Yin Weiyin sipped her tea and glanced at the hundred silver note in her hand.

The female crown asked, "What are you bribing him for?"

"To make sure he doesn’t marry me... I’m scared." Dong Gong Ruoshu explained briefly, keeping her origins hidden.

Yin Weiyin’s eyes gleamed as a scheme brewed in her mind.

The Empress Dowager’s decree to arrange a marriage was already set, inevitable.

No matter what Dong Gong Ruoshu thought, she was certain to marry Chen Yi, perhaps even claiming the title of Primary Wife.

Yin Weiyin could not let her have her way.

Thus, the female crown pocketed the silver note and said, "I’ll make sure to handle it properly."

Not entirely believing her, Dong Gong Ruoshu asked suspiciously, "Really? You’re so accommodating?"

"Of course," Yin Weiyin gave a faint smile, saying, "Do you know why he doesn’t visit the pleasure houses for entertainment?"

Dong Gong Ruoshu thought hard before responding, "Because sleeping with you is free?"

Yin Weiyin: "..."

Suppressing the wave of anger rising within, she replied steadily, "It’s because he favors me the most, slightly more than Yin Tingxue, and far more than Min Ning."

Dong Gong Ruoshu opened her mouth in astonishment. Her last encounter with Yin Weiyin had been during her short tenure as Chen Yi’s furnace, but in such a short time, it seemed Chen Yi had grown deeply attached to her.

Far surpassing Min Ning.

Having received Min Ning’s sisterly care once before, Dong Gong Ruoshu decided she must mention this to her in passing if fate brought their paths together again.

Yin Weiyin had no idea what Dong Gong Ruoshu was mulling over as she continued:

"Since you understand this, let me ask you one thing... do you hate him?"

Without hesitation, Dong Gong Ruoshu shook her head:

"I don’t hate him."

"...Why not?" Yin Weiyin was taken aback.

"Why would I? He hasn’t harmed me or beaten me. I even taught him swordsmanship once." Dong Gong Ruoshu opened up honestly.

The female crown was astounded by the candidness of the Crown Princess Consort.

When she had first encountered Chen Yi, their meeting had ended poorly. In her rage, she had cursed him to die, wishing to cut him into pieces.

The matter of the mugwort was a story for another time.

Judging by her own feelings, Yin Weiyin had assumed Dong Gong Ruoshu harbored some resentment against Chen Yi. How could she not? Chen Yi had a penchant for settling scores.

But clearly, things were not turning out as expected, leaving her plans thwarted.

"If you don’t hate him, then he will be overjoyed to consummate your marriage in the bridal chamber." Yin Weiyin, knowing Dong Gong Ruoshu’s lack of insight into Chen Yi, began guiding her gently. "Therefore, you must learn to hate him."

"But I don’t hate him at all." Dong Gong Ruoshu spoke frankly. "And you have to give me a reason. Even hiring an assassin requires payment, you know."

Initially planning to counter, Yin Weiyin hesitated, remembering this foolish girl lacked common sense. So, she pulled out the silver note worth a hundred and said, "Fine, I’ll give you ninety silver pieces, and you go hate him then."

Dong Gong Ruoshu blinked and added, "Then I’ll take ten back."

And just like that, the hundred silver note returned to Miss Donggong’s possession, along with a peculiar exchange of ten silver back to Yin Weiyin.

The female crown barely restrained her laughter, pretending to remain calm.

She raised her teacup and sipped leisurely.

Picturing the events to come... Dong Gong Ruoshu hating him, becoming his adversary, then losing miserably, followed by herself whispering sweet manipulations in his ear—wouldn’t Dong Gong Ruoshu swiftly end up locked in the small dark room for a thorough "education" that left her dazed?

Yin Weiyin couldn’t suppress the amusement;

she nearly burst into giggles.

But where was Chen Yi? Why hadn’t he arrived yet?

After all the humor subsided, Yin Weiyin, realizing Chen Yi still hadn’t shown up, began worrying about her husband.

"You better not go causing trouble," she muttered.