Chapter 477 - Who Was Whose Shield?
Chapter 477 Who Was Whose Shield?
“You want to murder me?” Chu Liuchen said slowly and eerily as his lips were close to Shao Wanru’s cheek and licked her white and tender cheek.
Shao Wanru now looked normal and her eyes were shining again. She glared at Chu Liuchen, gasping, “No!” She just wanted to get away with his control but what she did later was totally out of subconsciousness.
Seeing the hatred vanish in Shao Wanru’s eyes, Chu Liuchen took a cold glance at her and also laid beside her and snorted. “I know you don’t dare!”
Reaching out, he half cuddled Shao Wanru and said, “Tell me about Qi Tianyu. I don’t allow your affair with Qi Tianyu to screw up my plan!”
Shao Wanru closed her eyes and felt a little dizzy. As she still felt the back of her head was throbbing, she then rubbed lightly her head subconsciously.
“I have nothing to do with him. You saw what happened in Jiangzhou. He attempted to plot against me with Qin Yuru together! Given that, how would I have an affair with him?”
Shao Wanru gradually calmed down and explained.
A large hand put on the back of her head and was rubbing softly. “It is said that when you were still in Qin’s Mansion, you two mansions even attempted to get united by marriage. So I suppose it should be Qi Tianyu and you, right?” said he.
Shao Wanru now felt a little comfortable because of Chu Liuchen’s vigorous massage on her head. “Yes.” Shao Wanru answered as she was particularly clear that it was impossible to hide this matter from the public, especially Chu Liuchen.
“However, Qin’s Mansion and Qi’s Mansion had a bad relation because of that event, but how would Qin Huaiyong let you engage to Qi Tianyu?” Chu Liuchen’s voice sounded much gentler and softer. Although Shao Wanru didn’t open her eyes, she knew he now was placid.
She smiled bitterly inwardly. This prince’s race of changing mood was much faster than that of turning a page.
“Well, during that time, General Qin has always been in favor of Qi Tianyu. I suppose he might consider Qi Tianyu as a perfect son-in-law so he has always liked him. However, it was just his thought and I have told Madam Shui that I was unwilling to marry him,” Shao Wanru said.
Since she had promised Chu Liuchen to be his shield, she would not screw up his plan.
As for the reason why Chu Liuchen asked her about this, she now felt it was reasonable. After all, they were on the same side now. Moreover, Empress Dowager had agreed with them, so if some bad rumors about her were spread, Chu Liuchen would be the one who had to suffer from this. No wonder he would be so angry just now.
“Anyway, nobody can determine my marriage!” To assure Chu Liuchen, Shao Wanru added and tried to show that she would not drag him down.
Actually, Shao Wanru thought she should appreciate Chu Liuchen as Duke Xing’s Mansion was unable to decide her marriage as they wanted since she now was Chu Liuchen’s shield.
Even if Madam of Duke Xing had other plans or tried to make her marry others, she now could not decide Shao Wanru’s marriage.
Since Empress Dowager had known the relationship between Chu Liuchen and Shao Wanru and also had agreed with this matter, Emperor should also know this matter. Moreover, with her grandmother’s support, Duke Xing’s Mansion was unable to decide her future with her marriage.
This made Shao Wanru relieved. Without this, she didn’t have to behave passively anymore.
Given this, it could also say that Chu Liuchen was her shield!
“It will be good if you have nothing to do with him. I heard that Master Qi is very nostalgic. Even though he was wronged and was dumped by Qin Yuru, the current wife of the heir of Duke Yong, he has never spoken ill of her in the public.”
Chu Liuchen said leisurely as he took a glance at Shao Wanru who frowned and closed her eyes.
“A fish for fame!” Shao Wanru snorted without hiding her disdain for Qi Tianyu. She curled her cherry mouth in a sarcastic way.
Chu Liuchen was satisfied with her response and kept rubbing the back of Shao Wanru’s head. He rubbed vigorously but also very softly. “A fish for fame? The First Miss of Duke Xing’s Mansion is very suitable for this title!”
“This is no easy task to deal with Shao Yanru! You have to be very careful!” Thinking about Shao Yanru, Shao Wanru still decided to warn Chu Liuchen. In her last life, Shao Yanru had entered the imperial harem and become the Emperor’s beloved concubine. This matter would definitely be directly relevant to Chu Liuchen. However, she couldn’t figure out why Shao Yanru would enter the palace and become the Emperor’s beloved concubine. Given her disposition, what she wanted most should be the title of princess of one of those princes or, in other words, the Empress in the future.
“When Empress held the consort selection banquet, this First Miss Shao even claimed that she was seriously ill. It was said that they even invited the imperial physician to treat her. All said that she was seriously ill. They even said that it was because she had abandoned herself to learning painting in Yuhui Nunnery without taking a rest that she got ill!”
Seeing Shao Wanru’s eyebrows relaxed a little bit, Chu Liuchen then reached out his hand and cuddled her in his arms, putting her head on his arms.
Shao Wanru tried to push him away but failed because his strength was great. No matter how she tried, Chu Liuchen didn’t move at all but, in turn, Shao Wanru got very tired and even sweaty because of this. Moreover, the back of her head which got better just now got painful again. Thus, she gave up and just laid there.
She didn’t expect that this man who looked so weak that he might get hurt when being touched would be so strong.
“Who is chosen by Shao Yanru?” Shao Wanru asked casually when she kept closing her eyes. She now finally gave up struggling and didn’t dare to shake her head as she feared that she might get painful somewhere.
“Everyone!” said Chu Liuchen.
Shao Wanru understood this. However, she started to get curious about the reason why Shao Yanru would enter the harem and become the current Emperor’s imperial concubine, which should be her last choice!
Even though she could be the Emperor’s most beloved concubine, she could not be the Empress. Since the current Empress gave birth to Prince Zhou, her status was very solid which meant that a beloved concubine could not shake it. Even if Shao Yanru was so fortunate that she also gave birth to a son, she had to let the son get recognized by the Emperor and let everyone admit that this boy was much better than other princes. Thus, it was impossible.
In her last life, the sixth prince who was suffocated by Shao Yanru was not Shao Yanru’s biological son but a palace maid’s. The palace maid later died in childbirth, leaving this boy alone. Then the boy became Shao Yanru’s child and was raised by her. In the end, the sixth prince’s death in turn brought Shao Wanru to death.
“If I don’t get married, they can’t either! Thus, even if she takes a fancy to one of us, she can do nothing about this!” Chu Liuchen blurted out.
His words silenced Shao Wanru. After a while, she asked tentatively, “So there will not be any consort selection?”
“For now. Maybe two or three years later!” answered Chu Liuchen casually. He didn’t want the other princes to get support. Before he worked out a comprehensive plan, he didn’t want them to get married and to have support from their consorts.
“Will anyone find out what you have done?”
Silence for a while, Shao Wanru continued to ask. She knew Chu Liuchen must do something to the selection as Empress Dowager and the Empress both looked forward to this consort selection.
“Those who don’t want to get married are not only me, but also Prince Cheng. Although he doesn’t marry any woman, he doesn’t want the others to get married!” Chu Liuchen curled his lips and gave a gentle smile while his eyes looked cold and fierce.
In a word, there were various people trying to get involved with this matter and each of them shot extraordinarily. Some attempted to get married hurriedly while the others undermined this matter. The plan had been made very early.
The room was very quiet. After a while, Shao Wanru suddenly said, “You can also find a princess whose family background is very strong and powerful. Then you can have support!”
Even though other princes could not get married, Shao Wanru knew Chu Liuchen could get married if he wanted to and this would not be a problem for him.
She was only a shield for him. The only thing she could do was let Empress Dowager and Empress not bother him with the marriage, since they knew Prince Chen had a consort who had engaged to him. However, she could not help him actually. Shao Wanru now was not Qin Wanru anymore so it could also be said that she had a strong family background.
But the so-called strong background was just a decoration.
The whole Duke Xing’s Mansion disliked her and everyone knew that Duke Xing’s Mansion would not support her but just maintain a semblance of kinship. When it was a crucial moment, they might smash this kinship into pieces.
Her grandmother was very worried about her. Although her status was high, she had no exact power. If Shao Wanru needed someone to say something good for her in front of Empress Dowager, compared to her grandmother, Rui’an Great Elder Princess, Chu Liuchen might be a better and more useful choice for her.
Given these reasons, Shao Wanru thought Chu Liuchen still needed a consort who really had a strong and powerful family background.
“I don’t need any support but a woman who would not drag me down!” Chu Liuchen patted on Shao Wanru’s head, right on the place where he rubbed for her just now. The pain made her shrink her neck suddenly and she felt the place was throbbing again. How bad the man was!
“With the strong support, you could implement your plan much more leisurely!” Shao Wanru blinked her shimmery eyes and didn’t want to fuss about his. Prince Yue and Prince Zhou were all trying hard to find women who could bring them strong supports. But why didn’t Chu Liuchen? This confused her.
He was also very ambitious!
However he pretended to be weak and innocent, he showed his ambitiousness to Shao Wanru. Otherwise, he could not win everyone and became the crown prince again in her last life.
“If I want to get support, should I have to show my sincerity?” Chu Liuchen gave a pat on her head again, that place again. Shao Wanru felt so hurt that she covered the back of her head with her hands and didn’t know what she did had offended this Prince Chen.
“Yes. The prince and the consort are on the same side. Only in this way can he get the support from the consort’s family!”
“Those ladies? Would each mansion only have one lady? Maybe the other ladies in the mansion would marry my First Brother or Second Brother! Moreover, they might not support me. My weakness might even be exposed to everyone, and I might have no idea about how I die!” Chu Liuchen snorted.
Then he wanted to give a pat on Shao Wanru’s head. However, when he found she had covered her head, he suddenly smiled and thought Shao Wanru had been taught for getting hurt.
With hands covering the back of her head, Shao Wanru finally figured out his meaning and kept nodding.
No people in the capital city would like Chu Liuchen. Even if a lady of a powerful aristocrat family, she might not be willing to marry him. Moreover, this lady might even expose his true strength and mess up with his plan. Thinking in this way, she felt a lady with strong family background might not be useful for him.
“But, I can’t help you much either, right?” Shao Wanru asked hesitantly.