The Double

Shen Yurong felt a hint of mockery in her heart. If Princess Yongning was reluctant, how could Li Xian be willing? She feared that if Li Xian truly found out he’d been cuckolded, he might go as far as to kill his wife. The Right Chancellor, having held his position for many years, was by no means a benevolent master; such a great humiliation might prove too much to swallow. The move Princess Yongning made could very well drag Shen Yurong down with her.

"Mr. Shen, rest assured, my elder brother will make his move in a few months," Princess Yongning whispered, "Once my brother becomes the Emperor, all under heaven will be his. No one will dare to disobey his words. At that time, I will have him issue an edict. I will go through with the wedding rituals with Li Xian, and you will be with me; the Li Family won’t dare to say anything."

She spoke as if everything would naturally develop according to her wishes, while Shen Yurong merely snorted in derision. Princess Yongning seemed far too naive. The reputation of the Li Family wasn’t something she could manipulate at will.

But for now, there was no other path to take.

If Princess Yongning was to be married off next month, it became even more crucial that nothing happened to the child within her. Otherwise, it might give rise to suspicion. As long as she could conceal it during the first month, she could later inform Li Xian that she was pregnant on their wedding night, which should afford her some temporary peace.

As for the future... they would deal with that when the time came. Yet, Shen Yurong dimly sensed that the chess piece that was Princess Yongning might soon be discarded.

Princess Yongning, unaware of Shen Yurong’s manifold thoughts, continued to prattle on about her unwavering affection for him. Shen Yurong said, "I understand, Your Highness, I know how you feel."

Princess Yongning looked at him with a mixture of joy and worry. The joy came from realizing that Shen Yurong’s stance seemed to have finally softened. The worry stemmed from his calling her "Your Highness," a sign that they had grown distant.

"Then you mustn’t be angry with me," Princess Yongning said, her attitude humbled as she reached out to take Shen Yurong’s hand. After all, it was she who had brought all this upon them. If she hadn’t gone to Empress Dowager Liu, things wouldn’t have turned out like this. For Shen Yurong, Princess Yongning felt guilty. She said, "My heart still has only you in it."

"I know," Shen Yurong said with a faint smile, drawing Princess Yongning into his embrace, yet his gaze turned increasingly distant.