Chapter 2: 002洞房

Fengqi Palace was shrouded in silence. As a cold wind blew past, the flickering candlelight nearly died out. Xiahou Shangle and Bai Yuchen sat facing each other, one on the edge of the bed and the other in a pearwood chair.

After a long time, Xiahou Shangle finally withdrew her gaze and lowered her eyes. She only wanted her to bow her head; if doing so could make her future days in the inner palace easier, then what did it matter if she yielded!

Bai Yuchen let out a playful, cold sneer that sat incongruously against the crimson hues of the room. As he toyed with his slender fingers, his eyes stared directly at the downcast Xiahou Shangle.

In his heart, he had always believed that Princess Yuefeng, who held the favor of three thousand men in the Mu Dynasty, was a willful and capricious woman. He never expected that upon truly facing her, he would find her so unperturbed. Her ability to remain calm and composed despite his repeated provocations was truly beyond his expectations.

From outside the palace, the rhythmic sound of the night watchman's clapper drifted in. Xiahou Shangle frowned slightly; it was almost the Hour of the Rat. Were the two of them to sit facing each other like this until dawn?

"Your Majesty, the Grand Empress Dowager sent this servant to deliver it. The Grand Empress Dowager also instructed this servant to attend to Your Majesty and the Empress for your rest."

An old nanny from Cining Palace knelt on the floor, holding a pristine white wedding handkerchief. Her wrinkled face was devoid of any expression.

"Leave the handkerchief and go!"

Just as Xiahou Shangle was at a loss for what to do, Bai Yuchen spoke coldly. On a wedding night, having an old nanny attending them—unless he had lost his mind!

"But the Grand Empress Dowager ordered this servant to..."

"Presumptuous! If I tell you to leave, you leave. Now, get out!"

Bai Yuchen slammed his large hand onto the side table. The kneeling old nanny shuddered, hurriedly rose to place the handkerchief on the bed, and retreated in a rush with her head bowed.

Bai Yuchen merely gave a cold snort, his gaze icy as he watched the calm and composed Xiahou Shangle. A wedding night was meant to be the greatest joy in a person's life, but to him, it felt like an insult—a harsh humiliation of his dignity as an Emperor!

A wedding night? Heh... what a mocking term!

Although Xiahou Shangle did not know what Bai Yuchen was thinking, she was well aware of his dissatisfaction with this marriage and with her. However, she understood that no matter how unwilling she was, this wedding night... was ultimately unavoidable!

"Your Majesty, the hour is late. Let your servant attend to your rest!"

Rising to perform her salutations to Bai Yuchen, Xiahou Shangle remained composed, standing before him without the nervousness or anxiety of an ordinary woman.

Bai Yuchen curled his lips into a smile. That smile, even amidst the crimson room, was exceptionally enchanting. Xiahou Shangle frowned as she watched the man walk toward her.

She took a long, deep breath. There was no need to worry, no need to be nervous; before she had married into the palace, the old nannies had already taught her how to conduct herself on a wedding night!

She reached out to untie the red silk at Bai Yuchen's waist, but her wrist was suddenly seized by his grip. She looked up to meet a pair of eyes filled with chilling frost.

"A wedding night? Do not think that being a princess will win my favor. Do you know? You are simply not worthy!"

With a forceful shove, Xiahou Shangle was flung onto the edge of the bed. Her forehead struck the hard headboard, and a surge of pain rushed through her. She bit her lip and remained silent.

She should have expected this. Bai Yuchen would never accept her. Even if she were the most noble princess of the Mu Dynasty, in the Yue Dynasty, she was nothing more than a concubine loathed by the Emperor!

Xiahou Shangle's eyes were as deep as still water as she watched the cold sneer on Bai Yuchen's face. After a long silence, she spoke slowly.

"Your servant knows Your Majesty loathes her, but the Grand Empress Dowager will wish to inspect the wedding handkerchief tomorrow!"

"Princess Yuefeng is exceptionally intelligent; surely a single handkerchief will not pose a challenge to you!"

Bai Yuchen toyed with the handkerchief in his hand for a moment before letting go. The cloth fell over Xiahou Shangle's face. He let out a few cold laughs and sat back down in the pearwood chair, the mockery in his eyes growing heavier.

Xiahou Shangle gritted her teeth, enduring such humiliation. On her wedding night, her husband told her she was unworthy. Heh... what a mockery. This was the greatest humiliation of her life thus far!

Clutching the handkerchief as if she were clutching her very self-respect, she braced herself against the bedframe to stand up and gave Bai Yuchen a faint smile.

She pulled the phoenix hairpin from her head and drove it forcefully into her fingertip. It hurt—an indescribable pain—but it was nothing compared to the ache in her heart, the pain of having her dignity trampled underfoot!

Blood bloomed like red plum blossoms upon the white wedding handkerchief. It pierced Xiahou Shangle's eyes with its brightness, and it also left Bai Yuchen shocked once again.

What kind of woman was this? To endure such humiliation in the bridal chamber and still maintain her usual composure truly made him see her in a new light.

"Is this... satisfactory to Your Majesty?"

With one hand gripping the phoenix hairpin and the other spreading the white handkerchief, Xiahou Shangle asked coldly. She only sought to live out her life peacefully in this deep palace; everything else was no longer important to her!

But Bai Yuchen's attitude made it very clear that such thoughts were nothing more than wishful thinking. He would never allow her to live in peace here!

Though Bai Yuchen was somewhat surprised, his face still wore a mocking sneer. One hand clamped tightly onto Xiahou Shangle's wrist, while the other yanked up her wedding robes, exposing the crimson *shougongsha* (virginity mark) to both of their eyes.

"Then how about this?"

The crimson, blood-like *shougongsha*—a mark that could only be removed by losing one's virginity—was the symbol of her chastity, yet at this moment, it became his tool to humiliate her.

Bai Yuchen naturally understood the significance of the mark, knowing that as long as she remained a virgin, this crimson spot could never be removed. He was doing this merely to assert his dominance over her.

Xiahou Shangle bit her lip, her eyes falling upon the scissors on the side table. They were meant for the ritual of cutting the hair of the bride and groom to symbolize their union.

It seemed the vow of joined hair would never exist between them. Suddenly, Xiahou Shangle smiled at Bai Yuchen, a smile as dazzling as white flowers blooming in spring.

Withdrawing her arm, Xiahou Shangle walked to the table and took the scissors. Facing the ever-sneering Bai Yuchen, she rolled up her sleeve to reveal her fair arm, the piercing crimson mark still exposed to the air.

Opening the scissors, Xiahou Shangle merely knit her brows slightly before she used the blades to violently scrape at the spot where the *shougongsha* sat. In a moment, crimson blood began to drip onto the floor. The area where the mark had been was now a bloody mess, yet despite this, Xiahou Shangle's face remained calm.

"Now, Your Majesty should be satisfied!"

Bai Yuchen let out a cold snort. With a flick of his sleeve, he turned and walked out of Fengqi Palace. Xiahou Shangle gritted her teeth to endure the pain, fine beads of cold sweat already breaking out on her forehead.

Suddenly, Bai Yuchen turned back to look at Xiahou Shangle with a cold laugh, his handsome face filled with nothing but mockery.

"Do not think that by doing this, I will change my attitude toward you! From this day forward, I do not wish to enter your Fengqi Palace again!"