Rebirth of the Excellent Daughter of the Marquis Household (REDMH) - Chapter 156

Seeing a man in a crimson imperial prince’s ceremonial robe approach the entrance, noble and handsome with a graceful demeanor, Xia Ying’s smile faltered slightly.

She had heard others speak of how handsome her husband was, but she had never imagined he would be this breathtaking.

The unease in her heart instantly melted into admiration. Even her gaze towards Yun Ke grew slightly dreamy. If this was what His Highness was like, then she was willing to marry him. Except, Yun Ke’s eyes looked very cold.

It did not matter. He was her husband. With time, she would surely melt the ice in his gaze.

Beside her, Aunty Li allowed herself a smug little smile. Had she not said it? As long as caught the little prince, how could His Highness not be drawn in?

“Father!” The little prince, charming and delicate like a doll, stretched out his arms toward his father.

“Be careful, Young Prince!” The nearby eunuchs and maids hurried forward in alarm, some to stop the swing, some to catch the little prince. All of them were visibly panicked with horrified expressions. The child had been reckless, letting go of his hands while completely forgetting he was still on a swing. If he fell and got hurt, they would be the ones in trouble.

“Luo’er.” Yun Ke quickly stepped forward and caught the boy who had already leapt to the ground and was rushing towards him.

“Father, today is your joyous day! I wish you a long life, happiness, and all things auspicious.” Someone had taught this child to say auspicious words. As soon as Yun Luo was picked up by his father, he immediately clasped his hands together and bowed repeatedly.

The ice in Yun Ke’s eyes gradually began to thaw. Even the tightly pressed line of his lips seemed to curve upward ever so slightly. “Luo’er, who taught you that?” Though the words were sweet, Yun Ke still asked in a light tone.

“That pretty aunty over there,” Yun Luo answered, pointing his chubby finger towards Xia Ying, his dark eyes sparkling with innocent joy.

Yun Ke cast a sidelong glance at Xia Ying, neither smiling nor scowling, but Xia Ying immediately felt the temperature around her drop. The sharpness in his eyes made her heart tremble.

“What has Father taught you?” Yun Ke asked lightly.

Sensing that something was strange with his father’s mood, Yun Luo immediately pouted his pink lips. Children were, after all, remarkably sensitive to such things.

“I don’t know what I did wrong,” he said, feeling a little aggrieved. That pretty aunty had told him that if he said those auspicious words to his father, he would be greatly rewarded. He really wanted a puppy. Minister Li’s family next door had one, but he did not.

“Don’t accept things from others so easily,” Yun Ke said slowly, his gaze once again sweeping coldly over Xia Ying. “Because you don’t know whether they’re giving it to you because they truly like you, or if they have other purposes in mind.”

Yun Luo’s eyes widened in surprise. His father had clearly not been here, how did he know that aunty had given him something?

Father was amazing!

“Father, how did you know?” Yun Luo asked in his childish voice.

“Return it,” Yun Ke said to Yun Luo in a cold voice, “If you like something, tell Father directly. From now on, don’t accept things from other people so casually.”

Yun Luo was frightened by Yun Ke’s gaze. His little nose reddened, and he gave a soft “Oh.” In fact, he did not really care for what the aunty had given him, it was only a pair of small golden Buddhas and some gold ingots. He had plenty of such things already.

But that aunty had spoken so gently and he liked her very much, so he had accepted the gifts from her. She had said that from now on, she was his consort mother. Yun Luo had never known what a consort mother was like. Other children all had mothers, but he did not. He wanted a mother too.

“Here you go.” Yun Luo pulled the pouch from his waist, which contained the small golden Buddhas and gold ingots, and held it out toward Xia Ying.

At a glance from Yun Ke, a nearby eunuch immediately stepped forward, took the pouch with both hands, and respectfully bowed towards Xia Ying.

Xia Ying instantly felt as though her cheeks were ablaze.

What did he mean by this? Calling her other people, was she not the princess consort he had just married today?

He had not even come to receive her in the bridal sedan, which could still be forgiven. But he had also skipped the formal wedding rites, housed her in the guest residence, and now was referring to her as “other people”? Yun Ke, Yun Ke. You have really gone too far.

Xia Ying’s hands began to tremble. She turned her face away and refused to take back the pouch.

“Your Highness, at the very least, it’s a meeting gift from the new Princess Consort to the Young Prince,” said Aunty Li, stepping forward with a smile and a curtsy, “If the Young Prince does not like it, it can always be changed later.”

“And who are you?” Yun Ke cast Aunty Li a sidelong glance, his voice cold.

“This old servant is the dowry maid brought by the Princess Consort,” Aunty Li replied, bowing low.

“So you are giving respect,” Yun Ke sneered. “This prince is speaking. What right does an old servant like you have to interrupt?” He paused, then turned to a guard standing behind him and said, “The young prince is precious. How is it that any cat or dog is allowed to wander into Weiyang Pavilion? Aren’t you afraid they will startle the young prince?”

“This subordinate understands,” the guard replied immediately, cupping his fists. He then walked over to Aunty Li and without saying anything, seized her by the collar and dragged her out like a dead dog.

Aunty Li’s eyes rolled in fury, “Your Highness, this old servant is from the Princess Consort’s maternal family!”

“My princess consort passed away many years ago,” Yun Ke said evenly. “The only one who performed the wedding rites with me today was a concubine.”

“Your Highness, do you dare defy an imperial edict?” Aunty Li still refused to back down, shouting furiously.

“How noisy.” Yun Ke turned to the guard, “Twenty strikes to her mouth.”

“Yes.”

“Drag her and beat her far from here, so as not to frighten the young prince,” Yun Ke added.

“Yes.”

Only then did Aunty Li realise that the Imperial Prince had not the slightest bit of mercy. She was nothing more than a servant. If the Imperial Prince decided to have her beaten to death, she could only endure it. Oh, Virtuous Consort, what kind of errand have you sent this old servant on? Yun Ke was more or less raised by the Virtuous Consort. If she had said that she was one of the Virtuous Consort’s people, perhaps Yun Ke would have shown some restraint on her account. But the Virtuous Consort had repeatedly told her not to expose her identity, so this beating was inevitable.

Aunty Li cursed inwardly along the way, right up until the wooden paddle landed on her mouth and then she let out a bl00d curdling shriek. But alas, she had already been dragged far from Weiyang Pavilion. No matter how loud she screamed, no one would hear her.

Once Aunty Li was dragged away, Xia Ying’s heart suddenly clenched tightly.

Aunty Li had been personally assigned to her by the Virtuous Consort, yet Yun Ke had ordered her to be beaten without the slightest mercy.

Yun Ke was still holding Yun Luo calmly in his arms with a cool and composed expression. However, compared to the dazzling impression from just moments ago, Xia Ying now felt that although this man was beautiful, he was like someone who had stepped across frozen rivers and snowdrifts, bringing with him a chill that would never melt. Not only were his eyes cold, his very heart was made of ice.

Of course Yun Ke knew who Aunty Li worked for.

He simply pretended not to know.

Since she liked to meddle so much, then he would start by giving her twenty strikes, just to let her understand that where she stood was the Prince’s residence, not the Virtuous Consort’s palace!

As for Xia Ying, Yun Ke arched his brow slightly and said, “Miss Xia, you had best go back and rest. This prince’s palace may not be very large, but it’s not small either. If you were to get lost, or if some accident were to occur, that would be most unfortunate.” His voice carried a faint chill.

“I… I…” Xia Ying stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence. Aunty Li had told her that she was now the official princess consort of Imperial Prince An, having undergone the rites and entered the ancestral temple, but what could she possibly say in front of this Imperial Prince An?

She had shamelessly clung to this palace just to meet him, but now that they had met, she rather wished they had not.

If only she had a fraction of Gu Yu Qi’s courage from back then, perhaps Yun Ke might have looked at her differently. Now, seeing her flustered and timid, Yun Ke could not help but feel a deep sense of disdain.

Back then, Gu Yu Qi had been truly fierce. Even when faced with a gaze colder than his now, she had still bravely and boldly declared, “I like you. I have had my eyes on you for a long time.”

In his past life, he had thought Gu Yu Qi shameless and lacking all sense of propriety. Yet, in this life and looking back, she had not been foolish. She just genuinely liked him.

Just look at Xia Ying now. Merely a few words from him had her hands trembling and her legs weak. Gu Yu Qi, on the other hand, had faced obstacles head on. She had even stolen a kiss from him.

They all said he was cold. Yes, he was cold, but he had never once frightened Gu Yu Qi away.

What a pity, it was because he had not known how to cherish her… that things had ended up in such an awkward mess.

“Does Miss Xia still wish to say something?” Yun Ke’s voice was calm as he spoke, but his smile was icy cold and it cut right through Xia Ying, leaving her feeling frozen to the bone. “This prince never offered a betrothal gift, has never arranged a formal marriage, and never completed the wedding rites with Miss Xia. If Miss Xia still insists on taking the title of Princess Consort for herself, then this prince has nothing more to say other than to commend Miss Xia’s truly remarkable shamelessness.”

At the mention of the betrothal, Xia Ying suddenly jolted. It was true, Prince An had never sent any betrothal gifts to the Xia residence.

All she had been relying on was a single imperial edict. Foolishly, she had remained here at the prince’s palace, but in truth, aside from that one imperial edict, she had nothing at all…

Xia Ying’s face flushed red, then pale, and finally turned an ashen grey.

“Also,” Yun Ke’s eyes landed on her face with a mocking glint, “It’s not that this prince dares to defy the imperial edict, but the An Le Marquis’ residence truly pushes too far. Miss Xia, what happened in your boudoir, surely you haven’t forgotten?”

Xia Ying’s whole body trembled. Her face instantly drained of all colour and her legs shook beneath her, barely able to hold her upright. What was he saying? He knew, he actually knew everything!

Xia Ying felt that the man standing before her was no longer a graceful and noble man. He was a devil, one that had risen straight from the depths of hell.

Every word he spoke was meant to humiliate her and he even knew the secret she had buried deepest in her heart!

The world spun around her. Her vision went black and her body collapsed to the ground in a faint.

“Father, what happened to that aunty?” Yun Luo stared at Xia Ying lying on the ground with wide eyes, and could not help but ask his father softly.

Yun Ke smiled at his son gently. “That aunty is not very fun, she’s too timid!” Your father has already picked out a brave mother for you. She’s very fun. So you, my little son, must work a little harder to win her over. Then the three of us can have a good time together.