Rebirth and Marriage: I am the Mistress of the Palace

Xiao Qingyuan's face was tired and haggard, and he looked as if he hadn't slept for several days and nights.

He spoke in a hoarse voice: "Shen Wantang, you must have heard about the rumors outside, right?"

Shen Wantang looked bewildered: "What is the matter, Prince? I have been ill these days and have been resting in bed. I have not taken care of anything. What happened? Did something happen?"

Xiao Qingyuan opened his mouth, but suddenly suppressed the words he wanted to explain. He only said, "It's nothing, actually. You were there that day, so you should know better than anyone that Qingxi was wronged. She didn't push Lin Rouxin into the water."

A trace of mocking smile appeared on Shen Wantang's lips. She pretended to be stupid and said she had heard nothing. So Xiao Qingyuan really treated her as a fool and instilled in her the ridiculous idea that Xiao Qingxi was wronged?

She said nothing and refused to agree with Xiao Qingyuan's statement.

Lin Rouxin might not have been pushed into the water by Xiao Qingxi, but Xiao Qingxi's intention to kill was already very obvious. If Lin Rouxin had not been prepared, she would have died countless times.

What’s more, she and Gu Qianning were actually knocked over by Xiao Qingxi’s houseboat, and they had no choice but to jump into the river!

This is because she and Gu Qianning are familiar with water, otherwise they would probably have drowned.

Besides, they were both in good health. They just had a high fever after falling into the water. If it was a weak girl, she would have gotten sick!

She hasn't settled this account with Xiao Qingxi yet!

"Shen Wantang, Lin Rouxin's matter was a misunderstanding, and what happened between you and Miss Gu was just an accident. Why don't you go to the Duke's Mansion today and apologize to Miss Gu on behalf of Qingxi, and ask her to stop making trouble. Qingxi is in a very difficult situation now, so she shouldn't add fuel to the fire."

Shen Wantang's face was full of reluctance, and his tone was full of dissatisfaction: "The prince is the princess's biological brother. If we want to apologize, isn't the prince the most suitable person?"

"Why is it that I don't get the chance to have good things, but I get to apologize? Who came up with this good idea? The prince or the princess? Doesn't the princess hate me the most? Why do you think I'm useful now?"

"I'm still sick, why do you ask me to do such a thankless task? Does the prince think I'm easy to bully? Or does the prince not treat me as a human being at all?"

She talked a lot, leaving Xiao Qingyuan speechless.

After a while, he said with some embarrassment: "This is neither my idea nor Qingxi's idea. This is what father and mother wanted. They just thought that we are close, so they specially asked me to say it."

Shen Wantang looked at him in astonishment: "I am close to the prince? How come I don't know? The prince is obviously close to everyone except me, anyone with a discerning eye can see that! Isn't the prince afraid of being struck by lightning for lying like this?"

Xiao Qingyuan's face turned pale: "Don't say such harsh words. You and I are husband and wife. Even if we are pretending to be in front of our father and mother, we should be closer."

"But you obviously don't even want to pretend!"

"This... I came to you because I wanted to tell you that as long as you help Qingxi apologize to Miss Gu this time and ask the Gu family to stop forcing the emperor to punish Qingxi, I will consummate my marriage with you!"

Shen Wantang took a breath and said, "What did you say?"

"Isn't this what you've always wanted? You love me, and have always wanted to consummate our marriage and have a child with me. I can agree to all this as long as you go to the Gu family and apologize on Qingxi's behalf."

Shen Wantang's face looked very ugly. It seemed that she had to pretend to be a grandson to apologize, warm Xiao Qingyuan's bed and sleep with him, and even give birth to a child for him!

How come all the good things are taken by him alone!

This time when she goes back to the Gu family, if she says a good word for Xiao Qingxi, she will not be named Shen!

Shen Wantang said with a stern face: "No matter how many promises the prince makes, it's useless. I won't go. It's too embarrassing!"

"What's so embarrassing about this?"

"If you think it's not shameful, then go ahead!"

"It would be embarrassing for me to go. After all, I am a man and I still have to save face. But it's different for you. You are a woman and face is not that important. What's more, you are good friends with Miss Gu and have treated her illness. If you lower your attitude, apologize and plead, you will definitely be able to impress Miss Gu!"

Shen Wantang, who had cultivated his self-control for two lifetimes, almost couldn't hold it in!

So Xiao Qingyuan himself knows that he is embarrassed? He is a man and needs to have face, but she is a woman and can ignore face? What kind of perverse logic is this!

Shen Wantang's tone became stiff: "I won't go! It's not gentlemanly to ask for repayment for a favor!"

Xiao Qingyuan just had this ability. She was pretending to be angry at first, but as she was talking, she got really angry with him and didn't even need to act anymore. She really didn't want to go now.

"Why do you think you're asking for a favor? Can you please stop using nonsense words? I just asked you to apologize on Qingxi's behalf, but you keep making excuses. That's really inhumane!"

"I've never heard of asking someone else to apologize on your behalf. If the princess is really sincere, then she should go to the Gu family and apologize herself! If I apologize on her behalf, she won't remember my kindness and will even scold me!"

"No, this time is different. This time, it was Father and Mother who gave the nod, and you were ordered to apologize. Besides, your pleasure boat capsized, it was an accident. The wind and waves were too strong, and the pleasure boat was fragile, so it capsized."

Shen Wantang had a new understanding of Xiao Qingyuan's ability to lie with open eyes, and she suspected that it was Prince Ning and Princess Ning who taught him to say so. He himself should not be so distorted as to confuse right and wrong.

"The boat that An Ning and I were traveling on was knocked over. Is it an accident or not, Prince? The princess clearly knocked it over on purpose. When has An Ning ever suffered such humiliation or such a loss? Even if she is willing to forgive the princess and swallow all the grievances, can the Duke of Zhenguo and Madam Gu swallow it? Can the Queen?"

Xiao Qingyuan nodded: "Yes, you hit the root of the problem. So, when you go to the Gu family, tell them that Qingxi didn't mean to hit your pleasure boat. She was fooled by you and she hit it because she was angry."

Shen Wantang raised an eyebrow: "What did you say?"

Xiao Qingyuan looked at her complainingly: "In fact, in the final analysis, it was you who made the mistake. You shouldn't have teased Qingxi. She has an impatient temper and is used to being competitive. If you had given in to her, wouldn't everything be fine?"

"Also, you shouldn't have asked Miss Gu to ride on the same pleasure boat with you. She fell into the water because of you, so you must apologize this time, because it was all your fault."

"Also, after this is over, you should stop associating with the Gu family. Gu Qianhan and I are enemies, but you are so close to his sister. You don't consider my face or the face of the palace at all."

"You and Gu Qianning should break up from now on!"