"Host, why do you want to scare her?" the system asked, sounding genuinely confused.
Gu Shengyin replied with a serene expression, "Scare her? All I did was state the facts. Whether she overthinks them or not is entirely up to her."
The system hesitated but couldn't shake the feeling that its host was heading in an unexpected direction.
Meanwhile, Ji Yu received a report from his subordinates. After reading it carefully, he chuckled softly to himself. "I thought she was a pampered, lazy Persian cat," he mused. "Turns out she's a feisty little wildcat, ready to bare her claws." His amusement only deepened his fascination with Jiang Lingzhen. He felt an overwhelming urge to go to her side and watch her every move.
Gu Shengyin, on the other hand, was reclining in her chair as Hu Zhu recounted how Jiang Yunshan had become overly suspicious of everyone around her. Every item of food that entered her quarters was rigorously tested for poison, and the area was guarded tightly.
Gu Shengyin laughed. Jiang Yunshan is scaring herself. If I really wanted to deal with her, I wouldn't make my move in the Jiang family residence. She's the future concubine of the Crown Prince, after all. Even if I succeeded, the fallout would still bring trouble to the Jiang family.
Time passed quickly, and soon it was the day of Jiang Yunshan's wedding.
As a concubine, Jiang Yunshan was not allowed the honors of a bride of higher status. She couldn't wear red, her wedding procession couldn't include an eight-person sedan, and she wasn't permitted to enter the Crown Prince's residence through the main gates.
Even Jiang Yunshan's dowry was modest, hastily prepared by Princess Wencheng, who had grown tired of her antics. The Jiang family didn't even hang red lanterns to celebrate. If not for the Imperial family's official rewards, the event might have been seen as disgracefully meager. Outsiders, however, only saw the grandeur provided by the royal rewards, though many astutely noticed the lack of genuine enthusiasm. It was clear to discerning eyes that Jiang Yunshan might not hold much favor in her new role. After all, if the Crown Prince truly valued her, would he have been caught fooling around with a maidservant just days earlier?
Jiang Yunshan would soon learn that life as the Crown Prince's concubine was far from the fairytale she had imagined.
Three days after the wedding, she returned to her family for the traditional post-marriage visit.
She arrived alone. While her display of wealth and status appeared adequate on the surface, it was obvious to those who looked closely that her situation was far from enviable. After all, she was currently the only woman in the Crown Prince's household.
Gu Shengyin watched from the sidelines, suppressing a laugh as she observed Jiang Yunshan's overly elaborate attire and heavy makeup. Beneath the facade, Jiang Yunshan looked worn and tired.
The system had already informed Gu Shengyin about Jiang Yunshan's first days as a newlywed. By the second morning of her marriage, the Crown Prince had already taken an interest in Lu Xiu, a maidservant Jiang Yunshan had brought along.
Princess Wencheng, claiming illness, didn't attend the reunion. Only General Jiang greeted Jiang Yunshan hastily before disappearing.
Jiang Yunshan herself seemed eager to leave and returned to the Crown Prince's residence shortly after lunch.
In the days that followed, Gu Shengyin led a leisurely life. She listened to the system's updates, calmly waiting for the right moment to strike.
That opportunity came sooner than expected. One day, the Empress punished a recently favored concubine for overstepping her bounds. Unbeknownst to anyone, the concubine had been pregnant, but the punishment caused her to lose the child. Cleverly, the concubine didn't direct blame at the Empress, instead portraying herself as a pitiable victim of misfortune who had failed to provide an heir for the Imperial family.
The Emperor, already displeased with the Empress due to the lack of heirs in the family, began to harbor resentment toward her.
It was during this time of instability that a scandal swept through the capital like wildfire. Rumors emerged overnight, accusing the Crown Prince of unspeakable actions against women.
The stories varied in detail, but the names, locations, and accounts were disturbingly consistent.
At first, the Emperor dismissed the rumors as slander and ordered a ban on their spread. However, the gossip only grew louder. Soon, alleged family members of the victims came forward, beating drums and crying out for justice. Forced to take the matter seriously, the Emperor dispatched his elite investigators to uncover the truth.
What they found chilled the Emperor to the core.