Chapter 61 This Heir Apparent Shall Petition the Emperor for a Marriage Decree!
The Crown Prince gripped the second-floor railing, fixing his gaze on Kong Dezhao.
The Heir Apparent of the Prince of Nanshun held a status in the Nanshun region comparable to the Crown Prince's own in the capital. Having practiced martial arts since childhood, he was naturally gifted with divine strength, towering, and ferocious, wielding a heavy-bladed saber that had to be fed with blood before sheathing.
It was said he could fight tigers and bears bare-handed. He had once cordoned off a stretch of forest in Nanshun to serve as a private beast garden, where he would casually pluck a few prisoners from the dungeons and drive them into the woods, slaughtering everything—man and beast alike—that crossed his path, relying entirely on his bare hands.
The Crown Prince had only met him twice. The first time was in their childhood, back when the Prince of Nanshun was not yet a prince, but merely a general ordered to guard Nanshun. On the eve of his departure, he had entered the palace to pay respects to the Emperor, and the Emperor had graciously permitted him to bring his son along.
Kong Dezhao, two years younger than the Crown Prince, had stood half a head taller and possessed arms twice as thick. At the imperial banquet, Kong Dezhao displayed no manners whatsoever—sitting improperly and eating like a savage. When the meal concluded, he even sparred with the imperial guards.
The Emperor had laughed heartily, praising him for possessing the bearing of a great general even in his youth.
Ever since that day, the Crown Prince had disliked him.
Their second encounter was five years ago. By then, the Prince of Nanshun had ascended to his title, and Kong Dezhao had grown even taller and more robust than his father, renowned as the bravest warrior across the three armies. At the imperial banquet, he behaved just as before, following the meal with a sparring match against the imperial guards. This time, however, he had "accidentally" beheaded a court attendant.
The Emperor had laughed heartily, praising him as a worthy tiger father's tiger son.
The moment the banquet ended, the Emperor resolved to kill him.
Yet the Prince of Nanshun commanded immense power, a veritable leviathan that could not be easily shaken.
Earlier this year, on the Emperor's birthday, the Crown Prince had proposed a strategy: use a matrimonial alliance to stabilize the situation. The bride had to come from a family of military generals. The alliance would outwardly show goodwill and unity toward the Prince of Nanshun, but in reality, it would buy precious time for the imperial court.
The Su family was the court's undisputed choice.
And Yu Shengsheng, the distant niece living under their roof, had thus become the Su family's undisputed choice.
Now, seeing Kong Dezhao once more, and glancing at the fragile yet resilient Yu Shengsheng, a fleeting pang of regret suddenly welled up in the Crown Prince's heart.
Yet, compared to the grand imperial enterprise, this tiny ripple of regret vanished in an instant.
He reseated himself.
Su Yanshu hurried to Yu Shengsheng's side, his expression fraught with anxious concern, "Shengsheng, are you alright..."
As she turned to face him, and he caught a clear view of Yu Shengsheng's face, his brows jerked violently.
"What happened to your face?"
His gaze flashed with anger as he glared at the rest of the Su family.
They knew perfectly well that Yu Shengsheng was to be married to Kong Dezhao, and they knew this face was her most crucial asset. Why on earth had something like this happened?
No matter the punishment, one simply did not deface her face!
Su Dingqin scoffed, "She did it to herself."
Shocked and furious, Su Yanshu turned his questioning gaze back to Yu Shengsheng.
Kong Dezhao let out a hearty laugh, being carried forward on his litter as his gaze swept over Yu Shengsheng like a giant net, completely capturing her within it.
When he caught sight of that face, his eyes lit up instantly. It was breathtakingly stunning.
As for the slight injury beneath her eye—red, tapered at one end and broader at the other—it looked astonishingly like a fallen flower petal. Far from making her ugly, it only enhanced her beauty.
Kong Dezhao touched the fierce scar stretching from his right eyebrow across his temple into his hairline. "No matter. This prince has a scar as well. It's a perfect match."
Yu Shengsheng had no idea who he was, but the moment she saw him arrive alongside Su Yanshu, an ominous premonition gripped her. Furthermore, his gaze was intensely predatory, and his demeanor wildly unbridled—unlike anyone she had ever encountered before.
Her intuition warned her that this man was extremely dangerous.
The moment she heard him refer to himself as "this prince," her mind went blank.
Kong Dezhao? How had he managed to enter the capital so quickly?
What was she to do now?
Noticing her dazed expression, which reminded him of a soft, white little rabbit, Kong Dezhao found her immensely pleasing.
He looked over at Su Dingqin and smiled coldly, "Young General, that little stunt just now was this prince's warning to you."
"If there is a second time, it won't just be your bracer I shoot through."
He pinched a crossbow bolt between his fingers. "Finest cold iron, custom-made in Nanshun, capable of piercing a heart-guard mirror."
Everyone gasped, their breath catching in their throats.
This was a blatant, undisguised threat.
Su Dingqin's expression stiffened.
Su Yanshu turned his head to spot the Crown Prince on the second floor and hurriedly bowed in greeting, "Your Highness, fulfilling your trust, I have successfully escorted the Heir Apparent into the capital."
The Crown Prince smiled and nodded, "Splendid. You have worked hard."
Only after the Crown Prince finished speaking did Kong Dezhao pat his litter, signaling his guards to turn him around to face the Crown Prince.
He cupped his fists in salute, "Your Highness, forgive this official for his injuries; I cannot stand to pay my respects."
The Crown Prince's smile remained unblemished, "No matter. The Heir Apparent has had a tiring journey. I have already arranged quarters for you, and I shall have Yanshu accompany you there shortly."
Kong Dezhao waved a hand, "No rush. It is a rare stroke of fortune that today is such a fine day."
He looked back at Yu Shengsheng, making no effort to conceal his intentions. "Meeting Miss Yu has made this prince exceedingly happy. I must hasten to the Emperor's court to request an imperial decree for our marriage."
An imperial decree for marriage!
The crowd was struck by another wave of shock.
In particular, the noble ladies and young misses who had looked down upon Yu Shengsheng earlier had been secretly thrilled to see her peerless face marred. Yet, in the blink of an eye, the Heir Apparent intended to petition the Emperor for a direct marriage decree on her behalf?
How could this destitute orphan girl, who had come to seek shelter with the Su family as a pathetic parasite, suddenly leap to become the Heir Apparent's consort?
What monstrous luck!
The members of the Su family exchanged glances, each of them breathing a massive sigh of relief.
The House of Condemned Souls, the disfigurement—all those lingering anxieties instantly evaporated.
The Old Lady's chest finally unclenched.
Madam Su laughed and wept simultaneously, her gestures growing infinitely gentler as she clutched Yu Shengsheng's hand.
Yet Yu Shengsheng felt as though she had been struck by lightning.
A marriage decree? With Kong Dezhao? How could that possibly be allowed?
She had struggled for so long—sacrificing her reputation, entering the House of Condemned Souls, and ruthlessly ruining her own face—only for a few casual words to render it all in vain once again?
Yu Shengsheng wrenched her hand out of Madam Su's grasp and curtsied toward Kong Dezhao, "Your Highness..."
"Miss Yu," the Crown Prince's voice drifted leisurely from behind, "The Heir Apparent has only just arrived in the capital. You will have plenty of opportunities to speak later. Let the Heir Apparent rest properly first."
Kong Dezhao looked at her with keen interest, "It's fine. This prince is not tired. What did you want to say? Speak."
Su Yanshu stepped forward, cupping his fists, "Your Highness, my younger sister..."
Kong Dezhao's smile turned chillingly dark, "Let her speak."
Hearing the Crown Prince's voice snap her back to reality, Yu Shengsheng's impulsive rashness gradually receded.
She suddenly understood what the Crown Prince had meant earlier by his words in the waterside pavilion: *Soon, the Su family will no longer dare to bully you.*
As expected, the only way to suppress the Su family was to throw herself into an even larger furnace of fire.
She thought of Granny Wu, and of everyone in her entire village.
She was not afraid to die, but she could not guarantee that her actions wouldn't drag innocent people down with her.
Would speaking out now make Kong Dezhao change his mind? Would the Su family let her go?
Most certainly not.
She could not act on impulse and plunge herself into an absolute abyss. She had to endure, biding her time to find an opportunity for retaliation, rather than throwing her life away in a meaningless sacrifice.
She clenched her hands tightly, her fingernails digging deep into her palms, "This humble girl is of lowly birth, lacking parents, and cursed with a wretched fate. I fear the Heir Apparent will come to regret this in the future."
Kong Dezhao burst into loud laughter, "Rest assured, this prince has never believed in fate. Besides, with this prince by your side, whatever fate I say you have is the fate you shall have!"
"If anyone dares to say your fate is bad, bring me their head!"
"As for your background, this prince no longer needs a woman's family status to elevate myself. I care only for my own desires."
He leaned forward, "And this prince desires you!"