With Zhu Kongshan “making things worse with each explanation,” most of these madams and young misses began to pull out their congee stalls, angrily leaving with their servants. But there were also some who did not leave, but they maintained a suspicious attitude and barely hung on. It was clear that they felt unreconciled.

  Zhu Kongshan was also in no rush to have everyone leave. Given the current circumstance, this was already the best outcome. People leaving a little bit at a time did not stick out so much.

  But even if this was the case, most of the people handing out food in the northern part of the city had disappeared. When the Sheng Palace’s servant returned, she was very puzzled by this scene. She wanted to ask Zhu Kongshan what had happened, but when she saw Zhu Kongshan wearing a worried look, she knew that asking would be pointless. It was just that she would report the situation over here to the eighth prince once she returned to the palace. This caused Xuan Tianmo to call Zhu Kongshan to his study for questioning.

  But Xuan Tianmo was very skilled at being agreeable. After Zhu Kongshan entered, he did not immediately ask about the situation in the northern part of the city. Instead, he concerned himself with the situation in the Zhu manor. When he brought up Liu shi, he was very intimate in calling her aunty.

  Zhu Kongshan sneered internally, thinking to herself that this cousin’s acting ability really was not normal. If this was in the past, when she still did not know the truth, she would definitely have been moved and continued to help him with his work. But now, things were different. She understood very clearly how Liu shi had died, and she knew that she was nothing in front of the eighth prince. To him, she was just to be used. The promises that had been made in the past vanished like smoke with the affair between Liu shi and the housekeeper.

  Facing Xuan Tianmo, her complexion was no longer as pretty as it was in the past. She no longer wanted to put on a clueless and moved expression. Zhu Kongshan no longer had that patience. She just coldly said: “Many thanks Your Highness the eighth prince for the concern. Mother was an unfaithful person and is unworthy of being called aunty by Your Highness. Would Your Highness please never call her that again to prevent damaging your pretty reputation.”


  Xuan Tianmo froze and instantly furrowed his brow, “What do you mean by that?”


  Zhu Kongshan raised her head to look at him: “It’s up to Your Highness the eighth prince on how you want to understand it. It means whatever you want it to mean.”


  Seemingly noticing something, Xuan Tianmo stared at Zhu Kongshan’s eyes for a long time without saying a single thing. In his heart, however, he began to think things over. The changes in the northern part of the city were definitely related to this girl, but what exactly had this girl done?

  “Do you want to stand and oppose this prince over an unfaithful woman?” Finally, he spoke up: “This prince and the Liu family acting like this is for your benefit. If it was not for you being in the capital, and if it was not for you this prince wanting to keep you at my side and promise you a future, do you really think that this prince would want to concern myself with a trifle like Liu shi? I say that she’s my aunt, but she’s still just a daughter of a concubine from the Liu family. The difference in status from her two sisters in the palace is extremely great. Kongshan, you must be understanding and know that having a birth mother like that will ruin your life.”


  He finally admitted it! Zhu Kongshan looked at this hypocritical prince and could not help but laugh: “You use me, yet you killed my mother. Now, you want me to be grateful? Your Highness the eighth prince, you still dare to say that you will give me the future that was promised to me after all that has happened in the Zhu manor?”


  “Of course!” Xuan Tianmo said this without even batting an eye, “This prince’s words have weight. If I have decided on you, it will be you. It won’t do if it was anyone else. That’s why, Kongshan, you do not need to have so many distracting thoughts. As long as you remember that everything that cousin has done is for your benefit and for the sake of our future. Understand?” While he spoke, he walked forward and extended his hand to pull Zhu Kongshan into his embrace. He was not a fool. In order to captivate a woman’s heart, only using words would not be enough. He would also need to take additional measures. At present, since they had reached a discussion about the future of the two, he would definitely need to employ some meaningful actions. The person in the embrace was pulled a bit closer and heard Xuan Tianmo continue: “This prince has never been good at expressing my feelings. Even when speaking with cousin about the future, I was never able to provide you with a base. This prince does not know what sorts of things girls like to hear and can only say what I think. Cousin is deliberately simple yet elegant. What sort of man would not be moved upon seeing you? This prince was also moved. It’s just that I never told you. Kongshan, trust me. All of this is for your sake!”


  Zhu Kongshan had been pulled into his chest, and her mind was constantly spinning. She was thinking that if this had happened before Liu shi’s incident, she would definitely have been very moved by the eighth prince expressing himself like this, right? After all, just about any girl would look forward to being favored by someone they fancied. In addition to this, the eighth prince had inherited the benefits of the imperial family’s bloodline and its glory. How could she possibly avoid being moved? That was right, she had indeed been moved in the past, and she had, more than once, fantasized of a day when she would live with the eighth prince in perfect harmony, but now, everything looked to her like a carefully crafted act. In his eyes, she was just a fool to be manipulated for the sake of his own success. He was even willing to kill her mother. Even if Liu shi deserved to die, the one to do it should not have been the eighth prince and the Liu family.

  Zhu Kongshan sighed, as a bitter smile appeared on her face. She thought to herself that all of this came too late! However, she also understood that she should not thoroughly expose the eighth prince at a time like this. She could not just let herself be stranded in the Sheng Palace and left to die. Killing Liu shi and using her, the price that the eighth prince had paid to this point was not enough. She still had another step to her plan that needed to be realized. To flip now was not the best choice. Did this person not favor reputation the most. Then she would use this prince’s reputation to sweep the ground.

  “Cousin.” Everyone knew how to act, and Zhu Kongshan was no exception. While calling out, tears appeared in her eyes, and she looked like she was in love. “I’m sorry. It was all Kongshan’s fault. Kongshan thought that cousin didn’t like me, and I felt uncertain. That’s why I threw a small tantrum. Would cousin please not blame me and not get mad at me. Is that alright?” She looked up at him with a pitiful expression.

  Xuan Tianmo subconsciously raised his hand to caress her face. She was so beautiful, elegant and proper. If not for that incident caused by Liu shi, how great would it have been for him to take this woman in! But…… the corners of Xuan Tianmo’s lips curled up, revealing a profound smile. She would not be the official princess nor the empress, but taking her in as a lowly concubine would be fine. Once they entered the palace, casually giving her a position as a noble lady would be enough to repay her.

  When he thought of this, he bent down and picked Zhu Kongshan up horizontally. This caused Zhu Kongshan to let out a surprised scream; however, she heard Xuan Tianmo say: “Don’t worry. Stay at this prince’s side and be this prince’s woman. There will come a day when I will give you a life of wealth and nobility.” Being a noble lady was also a noble position!

  Zhu Kongshan was slightly shocked. She understood what Xuan Tianmo meant. She would be remaining at his side as his cousin, and she had been given this sort of promise. For Xuan Tianmo to take her in now, this was a very normal thing, but…… “Isn’t cousin promising to give me the position of official princess?”


  Xuan Tianmo nodded: “That’s only natural.”


  “But since I’m the official princess, things should be done in line with the rules for the official princess. Doing things like this now…… is really not honorable.”


  “What are you still worried about?” While Xuan Tianmo spoke, his feet never stopped moving, as they went straight to the inner room of the study. It was a small bedchamber, and he would usually go there to rest when tired. Today, he would make Zhu Kongshan his woman in there. That’s just how it went with women. Once they lost their purity, there was nothing they could do even if they did not want to obey. “The engagement is something that will be sent to the Zhu manor sooner or later. The glory that must be given to you will all be given to you. Not a single thing will be lacking. This prince will let you enter the Sheng Palace in glory. When the day comes that you will need to join hands with this prince and walk into the Imperial Palace together with me. Kongshan, this prince will give you some medicine to calm your heart. Don’t worry, being this prince’s woman, this prince will give you everything that you want to satisfy you.”


  After saying this, they arrived at the side of the bed. Placing the girl in his embrace on the bed, Xuan Tianmo’s male charm instantly became apparent. Even for Zhu Kongshan, who had other thoughts in mind, felt a bit dazed by this sort of situation.

  But in the end, she had a plan in mind and would not be moved or blinded by these sorts of loving words. She also understood that she could not escape from this trial. Once she did, that would mean flipping against the eighth prince. Not to mention how difficult it would be to stay alive, but her plan to destroy the eighth prince’s reputation would be stopped in the middle. She would be unable to get revenge, and she would be hurting herself. This was not a good deal. Although she was clear that the end result for her would definitely be death, since she would be dying, why would she not drag this hypocritical cousin down with her? At the very least, she would destroy the work that had she had done for this cousin over the past few months.

  Zhu Kongshan closed her eyes and reaffirmed her decision, faintly saying: “Everything will be done as cousin says. Kongshan only…… only has cousin my heart.”

  Xuan Tianmo was very satisfied with this situation. Seeing this girl laying on his bed with her eyes closed, looking as if she was waiting for him, he thought to himself that sure enough, all women in the world are the same. Regardless of how pure they appear on the surface, once they were brought to the bed, they would be like lambs to the slaughter.

  He smiled slyly then leaned over. His clothes were quickly removed, as he reached a large hand toward Zhu Kongshan. Suddenly putting in some strength, he ripped her clothes off. Zhu Kongshan just felt it suddenly get a bit cold in the front. Without a need to look, she knew that she was naked.

  That day, from afternoon to evening and from evening to late into the night, she was not able to get out of Xuan Tianmo’s study. Her cousin took her again and again, repeating those loving words time and time again. By the end, even Zhu Kongshan herself was beginning to suspect whether or not her judgment was incorrect, and Xuan Tianmo really liked her. Did he really want to give her the position of official princess?

  But when she fell into a light sleep from the exhaustion, she felt the weight of that man get up from the bed. She opened her eyes slightly and saw that person looking at her with a very dubious expression, the corners of his lips curled into a sneer. That snort of sneer caused her to sweat and her heart to tremble.

  Very quickly, the curtain was lowered, and there was a slight sound from the outside. Zhu Kongshan heard that person ask: “Your Highness, from this day forward, will the young miss be moving into your courtyard?”


  “No need.” Xuan Tianmo’s voice was ice-cold, “She’s merely a plaything. How could she be worthy of living in this prince’s courtyard. Keep an eye on her for the next few days. Just don’t let any problems arise.”


  That male servant complied and left. The person napping on the bed clenched her fists tightly with hatred.

  A plaything, huh? Xuan Tianmo, there will come a day when I will have you become the joke of the capital!