Chapter 143: Remorse and Arrival in Jingzhou for the First Time

She had originally intended to marry Meng Yuanheng once his leg ailment was cured. Had it not been for the accidental fall from the cliff at Jin-yang Pass, they might already have been wed. Although she did not care much for the so-called social conventions that the women of this era held in such high regard, she knew that one must adapt to local customs, and the rites could not be neglected.

More importantly, it was already a foregone conclusion that the Prince Xuan Estate would break away from the Great Sheng Dynasty and occupy the Northwest. Yet, the coalition of the four kingdoms that Meng Tianxu had been plotting had shown no progress, which was proof enough that the other three kingdoms still harbored fear toward the Prince Xuan Estate. Therefore, this wedding could serve as a perfect test to gauge the attitudes of the various powers across the realm toward this region of the Northwest.

The exile of the entire Mo family to the Desolate City had been decreed by the Emperor of Great Sheng. If Mo Qingshan were willing to come to Jingzhou to officiate their wedding, it would signify that the Mo family were not blindly loyal to the Great Sheng court. With the addition of the Mo family's influence, it would be a significant boost to the Northwest. Furthermore, there were the secrets hidden within the Mo Token—the object that made Mo Hanshan so incredibly anxious—as well as the surging undercurrents between the Shadow Gate and the Mo Sect. All of these were matters she needed to discuss with Mo Qingshan.

Inside the carriage heading toward Jingzhou, Meng Yuanheng held Shen Qianmo tightly, refusing to let go for even a moment. He listened quietly to the woman in his arms as she outlined her plans for the future of the Northwest, remaining silent the entire way, his expression somber.

"A-Heng, what is wrong?" Shen Qianmo sat up to face him and asked.

She considered herself well-versed in psychology, yet she often found it impossible to fathom the thoughts of this mercurial man before her.

Over two months ago, on the night she decided to lead the campaign on his behalf at the Prince Xuan Estate, she had promised him that once the war at Jin-yang Pass ended and his cold poison was purged, she would propose to him. She remembered he had been filled with joy then. Why was he so sullen now that she had taken the initiative to bring up their marriage?

Meng Yuanheng raised his hand, his fingertips gently caressing her skin, which was as smooth as fine lard. Beneath his long, slender eyelashes, his clear, handsome eyes revealed a deep sense of guilt and resentment. He murmured, "Mo'er, why could I not have met you in my prime?"

If they had met seven years earlier, he could have shown her the best version of himself. The young Prince of the Xuan Estate back then had been illustrious, with brilliant military achievements, high spirits, and extraordinary charm. But now, all he could offer her, aside from a broken body weathered by hardship, was the infamy of being a rebel, a traitor, and a cruel, bloodthirsty tyrant.

He had fantasized countless times about their wedding: a grand procession of red, a city in celebration, the envy of all. He had hoped to give her the most magnificent and solemn wedding possible. Yet now, he could only wrong her by having her face countless unknown dangers with him in the remote corner of Jingzhou, and even their wedding had to be muddled with so many calculations.

How could he bear to let her suffer such grievances!

Shen Qianmo understood the guilt and hatred in his eyes, and she grasped how much regret and reluctance he felt in his heart. This man, no matter how powerful and ruthless he appeared to others, was often insecure and sensitive in front of her. It was precisely because of this that he was often childishly jealous, regardless of the occasion or the person.

In truth, when it came to intelligence and martial arts, there were few in the world who could rival Meng Yuanheng. She truly could not understand where his sense of inferiority came from.

With a soft sigh, she leaned against Meng Yuanheng’s chest and said softly, "A-Heng, there are many outstanding men in this world, but I met only you. I did not meet the brilliant, radiant, youthful boy from seven years ago; I met you as you are now. A-Heng, if we had met seven years earlier, I would certainly not have liked you, and you surely would not have liked me. So, we met the right person at the right time. This is a rare destiny, do you understand?"

Shen Qianmo’s psychological age was several years older than Meng Yuanheng’s. Seven years ago, Meng Yuanheng had been too young and too dazzling—not the type that a rational, low-profile woman like Shen Qianmo would have fancied. At that time, Meng Yuanheng, the pride of heaven and the center of public attention, would never have set his sights on an obscure daughter of a Duke’s household, perhaps because the young Prince of the Xuan Estate had no room for romance in his heart back then.

Seven years later, he was a fallen prince with crippled legs, and she was a disfigured daughter who had been spurned and cast aside. They met at their lowest points, which was why they took notice of each other and were gradually drawn together.

"The right person at the right time..." Meng Yuanheng repeated these words, his heart filled with immense tenderness. Although he had never heard such words before, it did not hinder his understanding of what she meant.

His gaze, as soft as water, remained fixed on the beautiful face before him; the joy and emotion in his heart were beyond words. His Mo'er was always so clear-sighted, hitting the mark with a single sentence. Was their meeting not exactly that? In the vast sea of people, they met by chance and did not miss each other; that was already a stroke of luck.

He could not imagine what his life would have been like if he had not met the woman in his arms.

"Mo'er, I love you. I, Meng Yuanheng, love only you in this life..." All his emotion and joy culminated in a deep, heartfelt confession. Meng Yuanheng kissed her smooth forehead with immense tenderness, then her eyes, her cheeks, and finally her lips. He parted her teeth and danced with her tongue. After more than two months of separation, and in such a sweet, loving atmosphere, Meng Yuanheng could not help but crave more of her sweetness.

"Mo'er... I missed you so much..." Meng Yuanheng gently sucked on her small, round earlobe, his voice hoarse, his eyes filled with a clear longing born of passion.

"No... the child..." How could Shen Qianmo not know his intentions? Although she felt a tremor in her heart from his intimate gestures, she firmly caught his hot, wandering hand and decisively halted the man who was about to lose control.

She was only two months into her pregnancy; it was truly not the time for intimacy, and they were in the awkward confines of a carriage.

Meng Yuanheng’s body stiffened. Damn it, in the heat of his passion, he had indeed forgotten that Shen Qianmo was pregnant.

With a taut face and extreme reluctance, he stopped his movements. He pressed his thin lips together, staring daggers at Shen Qianmo’s stomach, and said with some annoyance, "Mo'er, I hate him."

They said pregnancy lasted ten months, but it had only been two. Thinking of the nearly eight months ahead where he could not be intimate with her, his face grew as dark as the bottom of a pot.

Seeing his sullen expression, Shen Qianmo could not help but burst into laughter. Knowing what he was sulking about, she meant to tease him a bit more, but she could not bear to, so she leaned to his ear and whispered, "After a while, when the situation stabilizes, it will be fine as long as we are careful..."

Meng Yuanheng’s eyes lit up instantly, only to dim again the next moment. He said with displeasure, "I still hate him. Once he is born, I am throwing him to a wet nurse."

Damn it, he had finally managed to get rid of that pestering little fox by leaving him with Yun Yi, and now another little thing had popped up to distract Mo'er. It was already hindering his intimacy with her while still in the womb; who knew what it would be like once it was born!

No, the more he thought about it, the more he felt threatened. He had to throw the child far away the moment it was born.

"Meng Yuanheng, are you out of your mind? He is only two months old and hasn't even fully formed, yet you’re already thinking of dumping him on a wet nurse. If the child finds out later that his father treated him this way, how heartbroken will he be?" Shen Qianmo rolled her eyes at him, chiding him helplessly.

As expected, one could not expect anything sensible from a man who was sexually frustrated and extremely childish.

Because Shen Qianmo was pregnant, the carriage traveled slowly and steadily throughout the journey. By the time the group returned to Jingzhou City, it was deep in the night, and the moon filled the sky.

The Prefect’s Mansion was equally silent. The hidden guards were accustomed to moving without a sound, so their entry did not disturb anyone else. Shen Qianmo let Yun Yi, Yan Mo, and the others go to rest first, only calling Situ Gong and Lüzhu into the room.

Although Lüzhu had already received news that Shen Qianmo was alive, seeing her young mistress standing before her unscathed still moved her to tears, and she held Shen Qianmo, sobbing uncontrollably.

Situ Gong was naturally overjoyed to see Shen Qianmo return safely, a rare hint of joy appearing on his usually stern and aloof face. However, Shen Qianmo clearly had no time for pleasantries. She patted the back of Lüzhu’s hand as the girl continued to sob, then called Situ Gong into the inner chamber.

A man with a deathly pale complexion was lying quietly on the bed, seemingly in a coma.

At the first sight of him, Lüzhu could not help but cover her mouth and gasp, "Miss, what has happened to His Highness?"