"Leave her alive for now," Yan Lin opened his eyes, which still appeared empty, his tone terribly cold.
"Does the master believe her story?" Ziyi asked with confusion, unable to resist voicing the question.
"No trust. I will not forget how these eyes were destroyed. The words of the Chu family are utterly untrustworthy!" Yan Lin's whole body exuded a frightening malevolence.
"Then what does the master mean..."
"Since the Crown Prince, Su Residence, and Chu Residence have planted a pawn with me, then I'll keep this pawn under close watch. I'm quite curious to see what the Crown Prince is plotting this time," Yan Lin said.
"Master, I understand your intention. However, I still have some concerns. As you also noticed tonight, the Princess Consort only appears submissive on the surface," Ziyi shared his worries.
Yan Lin, pressing a hand to his temple, replied coldly, "I am well aware."
"By the way, what... does she look like?" In the end, he suddenly asked this question.
He always felt that Chu Baihan's tone of voice sounded a bit familiar.
Ziyi had not expected their master to ask such a question.
He frowned and glanced at Chu Baihan; her hair was disheveled, her face swollen, and from forehead to chin, blood traces were visible, a complete mess.
"Somewhat... unsatisfactory," Ziyi finally managed to respond after a long pause.
Unsatisfactory? Upon hearing this, Yan Lin's brow furrowed with a trace of melancholy on his face.
The person in his memory was well-behaved and gentle, her eyebrows and eyes harboring delicate features, and definitely not "unsatisfactory."
So, she was not her.
The similarity in tone was merely a coincidence.
...
The next morning, Chu Baihan slowly opened her eyes only to find herself lying on the ground, with Yan Lin nowhere to be seen.
She pressed her temples as memories from the previous night began to resurface.
Her expression was sorrowful; thankfully, she was still alive.
Just then, an old nanny burst through the door.
"Princess Consort, you must freshen up and get dressed, then proceed to the Imperial Palace for tea," she said.
Without waiting for Chu Baihan to react, the nanny grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet.
An hour later, Chu Baihan was finally ready.
As she crossed the threshold and walked out, the servants outside all gasped in surprise.
She was enveloped in splendid clothes, draped in a thin veil. Her figure was slender and her waistline delicate, with her skirt shimmering as she moved.
Looking up, her three-thousand strands of hair were done up, adorned with a bluebird hairpin. Her eyebrows were gently outlined, enhanced by the beauty mark at the corner of her eye.
Despite the bruise on her forehead from the previous day, the maid who did her makeup had drawn a flower upon it; her lips were slightly tinted, and rouge spread softly across her cheeks, giving off a charming yet not vulgar air.
Yan Lin and Ziyi were waiting at the door.
Yan Lin was cloaked in a chill, clearly impatient.
At the sound of movement, Ziyi slowly looked up.
But upon seeing Chu Baihan's appearance, his expression subtly changed.
The Princess Consort seemed quite different from last night.
"What is it?" Yan Lin asked sharply, sensing something off in Ziyi's demeanor.
"Master..." Ziyi frowned, unsure of how to explain.
At that moment, Chu Baihan had already approached them. She mustered a smile and gently greeted, "Your humble wife greets the Prince."
Ziyi had no choice but to swallow his explanation.
So what if she was a pawn sent from the Chu Residence? Beautiful or ugly, it wouldn't matter to the Prince, no need for explanations.
Although Yan Lin was blind, when he turned his head in her direction, Chu Baihan still felt an immense, unspoken pressure.
She braced herself for his difficulties but instead, he spoke indifferently, "Now that you've arrived, follow me to the palace."
And just like that, Chu Baihan was "invited" onto the carriage.
She turned her head and saw Ziyi helping Yan Lin aboard.
Her brow furrowed, the words slipping out, "Does the Prince intend to share a carriage with me?"
"Does the Princess Consort wish to monopolize the Prince Residence's carriage?" Yan Lin retorted with a cold laugh.
Chu Baihan could only silently acquiesce.
She just thought that Yan Lin disliked her so much, he could hardly tolerate sharing a carriage with her.
But, did he just call her "Princess Consort"?
Was he... acknowledging her?
Curiously odd, could it be that Yan Lin's attitude had changed overnight?
The carriage made its way through the bustling streets and soon entered the Imperial Palace.
Chu Baihan slowly lifted her head and seriously said to Yan Lin, "Prince, the words I spoke last night still stand. When I face His Majesty, I shall reveal the truth about the substitute bride. Surely, the Emperor will grant you justice."
Confessing to the Emperor was the best course of action she could take at the moment.
But no sooner had she spoken than Yan Lin let out a scoff, "Do you think that your act of righteousness at the expense of family ties can shake your father?"
"What do you mean, Prince?" Chu Baihan furrowed her brows.
"Guess, with so many ministers' daughters in the capital city, why does Father Emperor insist on a daughter from the Chu family for the Prince Consort?" Yan Lin's tone became even more satirical as if recalling something.
Flashes of insight crossed Chu Baihan's mind, her expression turning to shock.
The Emperor, seated in supreme power, must be aware of the conflicts between the Crown Prince, Yan Lin, and the Chu Residence; his actions were deliberately calculated!
"Father Emperor wants a daughter of the Chu family to marry into the Prince Residence. As for which one... it's not that important," Yan Lin added in a quiet voice.
Chu Baihan's heart sank.
Could it be that she would remain bound to the Prince Residence indefinitely?
"Why is the eighth brother still hiding in the carriage now that we have arrived at the palace? Is it because he hasn't been here for many years and has become fearful?" At that moment, a disdainful voice came from outside.