The concubine was charming and alluring, and the ruthless prince coaxed her day and night.

Chapter 83 Lying Too Much Will Really Bring Retribution

Outside, the first hint of dawn appeared in the sky, making the man's blurry figure a little clearer.

Inside the room, the candlelight flickered, making Xu Jiaojiao's slender body appear trembling.

The mere doorway seemed to separate Xu Jiaojiao and Zhao Yunzheng by an insurmountable distance, as if thousands of mountains and rivers stretched between them.

It seemed as if she had been kneeling for a long time, yet also as if she had only been kneeling for a moment, before Xu Jiaojiao mustered her courage and softly spoke, "Your Highness, this concubine..."

She had barely opened her mouth when she saw the man's boots, slightly dusty, step into the house.

The next instant, a cold hand gripped her chin.

It was only early autumn, and the weather was still quite hot. How could Prince Chen's hands be so cold and icy? In all her time as Prince Chen's favored concubine, she had never experienced such a terrifying temperature.

The man showed no mercy, his fingers gripping Xu Jiaojiao so tightly they turned white, and Xu Jiaojiao's porcelain-like skin instantly became red and swollen.

A sharp pain shot through her, and tears welled up in Xu Jiaojiao's eyes.

As the man moved, she was forced to look up and meet his eyes.

The man's eyes were bulging with veins, and his dark pupils radiated a chilling aura. She could even see the makeup she had carefully prepared for him reflected in his eyes.

Xu Jiaojiao thought, Prince Chen must really want to kill her right now…

He, so high and mighty, was willing to lower himself for her, a lowly concubine, and give her the sincerity that only a wife deserved.

But she had been lying to him all along, and had never had a single moment of true affection for him.

He was so proud, and so disgusted by two-faced women, how could he tolerate a woman like her who was hypocritical and cunning?

Today, it seems, is the day she dies.

In that instant, Xu Jiaojiao felt no fear, only pain, a heart-wrenching pain, as if she had been stabbed in the heart…

Sure enough, lying too much will really bring retribution.

Xu Jiaojiao wanted to die peacefully, but tears kept welling up in her eyes.

She dared not look into the man's eyes, which were filled with sorrow and anger. She silently closed her eyes and quietly awaited death.

Zhao Yunzheng, who was staring intently at Xu Jiaojiao, caught his breath.

Even though the woman was in so much pain that her face was contorted, she didn't struggle at all, and even calmly closed her eyes.

What a slender neck! He could snap it with just a little force.

Even though he was furious, he still couldn't bring himself to kill Xu Jiaojiao.

Seeing the tears sliding down her cheeks, his heart, which was usually so weak, began to ache with tenderness, making him unable to do anything to hurt Xu Jiaojiao.

Just when Xu Jiaojiao thought she was doomed, Prince Chen suddenly let go of her hand.

Suddenly, the intense pain subsided as her jaw relaxed, and Xu Jiaojiao opened her eyes in a daze.

When she met the man's cold and authoritative gaze, Xu Jiaojiao trembled slightly, her beautiful fox-like eyes filled with tears, looking pitiful and disheveled.

Even so, she remained stunningly beautiful.

As Xu Jiaojiao said, he truly loved her gentle and pure appearance the most.

Seeing how pitiful she looked, he even wanted to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

In that instant, Zhao Yunzheng felt utterly ridiculous. His hands clenched slightly, and his tense jawline made him appear somewhat cold and unapproachable.

In a moment, he bent down and yanked off the mandarin duck jade pendant from Xu Jiaojiao's neck, smashing it to pieces without mercy. Then he turned and left.

Only after the man had walked away did the master and servant come to their senses and collapse weakly to the ground.

As the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds on the horizon, the world suddenly brightened, and the shattered jade on the ground reflected a dazzling light.

Xu Jiaojiao felt a pang in her heart, and large tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

In the end, it was all just a fleeting dream; everything came to nothing…

"master……"

Lianye recovered from her panic and quickly got up to help Xu Jiaojiao.

"The ground is cold, let me help you up."

Xu Jiaojiao leaned weakly against Lianye, her eyes vacant and silent, letting Lianye lead her to sit on the stool.

Seeing her like this, Lianye felt both heartache and fear.

Her eyes were red, and her voice was full of sobs: "My lady, please cheer up. The prince didn't blame you, so he probably didn't take those words to heart."

No blame?

Xu Jiaojiao's breath hitched, and her heart ached even more.

Only when one is utterly disheartened will one lose all the strength to even rebuke. After all, for those people one deeply hates, one cannot bear to hear even the slightest mention of their names.

As the sun gradually rose, the other servants in the courtyard also got up and got busy.

The courtyard was filled with clanging and banging sounds, everything was as before, as if everything that happened last night was just a nightmare.

After sitting there for an unknown amount of time, Tonghua brought breakfast into the room.

"My lord, the kitchen sent over a basket of fresh river shrimp this morning. They looked delicious, so I scooped some out to make porridge. Please try them while they're hot. If you like the taste of the shrimp, I'll mash the shrimp meat into a paste and make some shrimp dumplings for dinner."

Tonghua, oblivious to the strange atmosphere inside, continued her incessant chatter.

She talked for a long time, but instead of Lianye's usual laughter, she paused and looked up hesitantly.

Through the beaded curtain, Tonghua could vaguely see that her master and Lianye were pale and had red and swollen eyes. She frowned slightly in confusion.

"Put your things down and then leave."

Just as she was hesitating, she heard her master's tired voice. Tonghua dared not say anything more and immediately put down her things and left.

As the wooden door creaked shut, Xu Jiaojiao, who had been sitting still for a long time, finally moved: "Lianye, take off all the jewelry on my head. I'm tired and want to sleep for a while."

Lianye, however, was puzzled and anxious: "Isn't Master going to welcome the Prince back to the manor?"

Before Lianye could even make a move, Xu Jiaojiao had already taken off the jewelry in her hair one by one: "The prince must be extremely disgusted with me right now, so why should I go and make a fool of myself in front of him?"

Lianye was so anxious she almost cried.

The more this happens, the more the master should do something to appease the prince.

The fact that the prince didn't reprimand his master despite his anger shows that he still has feelings for him.

With such a beautiful mistress, if we are willing to humble ourselves and admit our mistakes, this matter might be easily forgotten, and she will still be favored!

Just as she was about to speak to Lianye, Xu Jiaojiao didn't give her the chance: "There's no need to persuade me. I just want to sleep peacefully for a while right now."

Since her master had said so, Lianye naturally wouldn't disobey him.

She was only angry at their lack of ambition and sighed inwardly.

I just hope that my master can recover soon.

Unbeknownst to Lianye, Xu Jiaojiao wasn't lacking in resolve; rather, it was because she had come to a realization that she made her current choice.

Although she got up very early, Xu Jiaojiao, who was preoccupied with her thoughts, couldn't fall asleep at all while lying in bed.

Last night, Prince Chen was filled with murderous intent, clearly intending to kill. As for why he suddenly showed mercy, Xu Jiaojiao guessed that Prince Chen still had feelings for her and couldn't bring himself to be ruthless.

However, as the God of War of the Yan Dynasty, Prince Chen's temper was not as good as it seemed. Who knows, he might get angrier the more he thought about it and come back to settle scores with her later.

Her path to becoming a favored concubine has clearly backfired; she needs to find a way out for herself as soon as possible…